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Diego Simeone's Unbeatable Atletico Madrid

This tactic is a 442 adaptation like Simeone uses at Atletico Madrid and starts by being defensively solid with all players depended on to make challenges and defend.

As shown in the screenshots I went three seasons unbeaten in the league using this tactic, winning La Liga and the Spanish Cup in the first season, and winning the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in the second season. Thirs season just complete and won every competition available apart from the Spanish Super cup after an away goals loss to Real Madrid.

Do not expect to be dominating games, this tactic starts as a defensive base and has a low possession retention rate but can create lots of clear cut chances given the right players.

At home against weaker opponents there will be lots of shots, against stronger opponents there will be fewer but still clear cut chances. If chances are not coming your way try changing in match to Pass Into Space, Work into Box and remove Exploit The Middle.

Training:
In pre season all training focused on tactics with no rests after/before game with a high/very high intensity.
During international breaks focused on tactics high/very high intensity.
Normal season - rest after match, balanced focus, normal intensity.
If you have good defensive players focus on defending set pieces for the pre match training, if defensive line is a bit weak focus on defensive positioning for pre match training.

Player Attributes:
GK - Tall, Aerial reach, Command of area and general goalkeeper attributes.
Full backs - General defensive full back attributes, GOOD CROSSING will be getting lots of assists, pace ideal not essential.
CB - Tall, heading, anticipation, tackling, marking, positioning, jumping reach.
DLP - Defensive player who will sit and start attacks from deep while protecting the back line at all times.
BBM - Stamina, Pace, tackling, dribbling, passing, vision.
Wide Midfielders - look for good central midfield attributes but with better pace, crossing and dribbling.
AF and SS - dribbling essential.

General For All Team:
Work rate, determination, off the ball, team work, positioning, dribbling, passing, tackling.


Tactical Instructions Explained:

- Counter:
Simeone likes his team to be solid defensively before launching any kind of attack and to not be exposed if this attack doesn't come to something. Counter means your team will sit back until there is a clearer chance to get forward.

- Very Fluid:
It is not just the defenders that are expected to defend in Simeone's Atletico Madrid, it is the whole team. The structure has to be there but if for example a full back has to go and close down a winger that leaves his original position now free for an opponent to make a run into. With the system being Very Fluid a midfielder should see the full back has gone closing down and fill in that space. (Better the midfielders, the more effective this is)
Similarly in attack it means that the main striker will drift outwide and allow the wide midfielders to make runs inside into the box. All players must do everything basically!

- Much Higher Tempo:
Simeone wants transition from defence to attack to be as quick as possible as often teams will not get back to defend quick enough or players have made runs that have left gaps in their defence. In Spain, the culture is to play a possession style game so with Simeone going against this, teams have often tried to work into Atletico's final third and left gaps open further back in their own defensive line.

- Narrow Width:
With all play being forced into the middle it is easier to defend against as a unit as players aren't getting dragged out of position as much. Defensively this helps make the team more solid. The opposition either has to try to get a cross into the box which, if you have a tall keeper and some good defenders, can be dealt with. Or they have to try and go through the middle and work the ball into the box through a very compact unit making it hard to do.

- Deeper Defensive Line:
This encourages the opposition to come closer to your goal meaning that a long clearance can sometime lead to a very swift counter attack as their defenders will often be stood on the half way line and a long ball can bypass their midfield. Having a deeper defensive line also means you will be less likely to be cut open by a long through ball or big clearance as the defensive line will already be prepared to deal with this. With the players keeping a good deep line this will force your opposition into having to take long shots which more often that not will go wide of the target.

- Closing Down More:
This was the hardest option to decide on as Simeone likes to play a pressing game but only in certain situations and you can't be that specific on Football Manger so I went for close down More. This means that the players will close down but not straight away and should only do so when they think they will have cover if they go and press.

- Use Tighter Marking:
In deadball situations it's good to have your players right in the face of the opposition, giving them less time on the ball and making it hard for them to simply pick out a pass if they are being hassled.

- Exploit The Middle:
Atletico like to crowd the middle defensively and offensively. By basing all of their play in the middle counter attacks against them can only come from the wings really which as previously mentioned is less of a threat. They also like their full backs to drift forwards down the wings to recycle possession if it goes out wide but also they are responsible for a lot of crosses into the box. If Atletico don't work the ball into the box via the middle they often allow a full back to put a ball in.

- More Direct Passing:
This goes very well with the Much Higher Tempo as they want their counter attacks to be quick and direct without taking too long as this would allow the opposition to get back into a shape that is harder to break down.

- Be More Disciplined:
This helps with keeping a shape of the team and also means that the more creative players on the team will put the team first instead of trying something stupid. The team comes first for Simeone and this makes it happen.

- Run At Defence:
Quick counter attacks when there are not loads of people forward would be hard to do if they try to pass their way into the opposition box so by running at the defence it allows players who are off the ball to catch up and offer a better option when they have got into a better space.

- Float Crosses:
I was going to put whipped crosses on this tactic but for some reason on this Football Manager the Float Crosses option just seems to work a lot better!


Using this tactic I won the Championship with Bolton in my first season (not undefeated but still a massive overachievement) and then went on to finish 7th in my first season in the Premier League only losing 3 times at home beating the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City at home.