Football Manager 2020 Tactics: How To Play 4–4–2  The Burnley Way

10. Two Banks Of Four

The goal with this formation is to be more compact than a Nissan Micra. You want to make two banks of four to form a middle block. How you attack from this shape is what separates Simeone from Sacchi and in our case Sean Dyche.

In the defensive phase you want your players organised and doing their jobs. You're going to give up numbers in the centre as most sides in the Premier League use some variation of a three man midfield. For the first time in the history of FM your Assistant Manager is right. You ARE being overrun in midfield.

That's where the two banks of four and compactness come in. Your Line Of Engagement and Defensive Line help you dictate the gap between the midfield and the defence. Here we want them close together to squeeze the space and close the door on your opponents. Use a combination of a Standard Line Of Engagement and a Higher Defensive Line or the less adventurous Lower Line Of Engagement and a Standard Defensive Line. Be warned: the latter may lead to conceding some goals from range against teams with good Long Shots.