Football Manager 2018: 10 Tips & Secrets The Game Doesn't Tell You

4. Try 4-4-2 In The Football League

There's a time and a place for every formation in Football Manager, but 4-4-2 is a system that can be particularly effective in England's lower divisions, if you know how to pull it off.

Once again, the success of this classic system comes down to the player roles you assign. One central midfielder should shoulder defensive duties and the other supportive - pairing a ball winning midfielder with an advanced playmaker or a box-to-box midfielder is a good combination.

Width is also important, so combining wing-backs with wingers can make you lethal along the flanks. FM18's new inverted winger is tailor-made to link up with full-backs who like to advance up the pitch.

Setting your approach to structured with help you reap the benefits of the balance 4-4-2 offers, but this system is flexible enough to work in harmony with defensive or offensive gameplans, depending on who the opposition is.