Football Manager 2020 Tactics: Defending In A José Mourinho Mid-Block

As you prevent teams from playing through your centre, the opposition may look to attack in the wide areas. Here you can use the touchline as a weapon. The line can act as an extra player as the ball carrier will have less room to manoeuvre or pick a pass when the touchline is to the side of them or behind them. In Football Manager, you can guide and pin down the opposing team in these areas in a couple of ways.

In opposition instructions you can tell your players to show the opponents onto a specific foot. You can either show the opponent out wide where you use the touchline for support or you show your opponent inside into the congested middle. Use the first option if there is only one opposing player out wide, for example if a side is playing with wing backs and no wingers. Select the second option when facing a full back and a wide attacker as you can isolate one inside, try to disposes them and make it hard for them to play a pass back out into the wide areas.

Individually closing down players in those wide areas can also put them under extra pressure. This works well when you have selected the no counter-pressing or regroup options as the team on a whole will hold their shape until a specific player gets on the ball. In real life football, this is called a pressing trap.