
Any players who see their first (and second, third, and fourth touches) head into another postcode shouldn’t see any playing team under this formation. Guess which one we’re going for?Īvoid: Don’t use this unless you have several players capable of dribbling at speed. You could ignore that and play it safe – or you could cheese the hell out of the game and use it to your advantage. Rampant in free space when not on the ball. That’s all because of one small detail: PES 2019 may get 99% of the on-field action down to a tee, but it still includes the weird quirk where anyone in the AMF position manages to run Persist with it, though, and you’ve got yourselves a supremely offensive formation that makes sure that you’re controlling the ball at all times, with the right instructions. 4-5-1 Īt first glance, this formation may be a little too gung-ho for all but the most foolhardy of tacticians. A quick hoof up to them ensures that you always have a chance of catching teams who overcommit unawares. It’s a defensively sound shape and you can then quickly switch to one of the most attack-heavy formations on this list to move in for the kill in the final third.Īs for actual advanced instructions, I’ve found that putting Counter Target on as part of the defensive instructions means that, particularly if you have a quick player or two, you can have them stay on the shoulder of the last man while everyone else is defending. Also, while any of striker can pay dividends here, it’s crucial that in the centre of the park you have one play willing to bomb forward and join the attack while one more defensive-minded player holds a little deeper, otherwise the front pair can become isolated.Īdvanced Instructions: If you’re feeling particularly confident in the defensive capabilities of the 4-4-2, be sure to set Fluid Formation to ‘On’ and only use the 4-4-2 to be used when out of possession.

Wingers are key to the success of the 4-4-2 and, without them, you’re in serious danger of being pushed back. Slow, ponderous wide players are one of them.


Avoid: In fairness, a 4-4-2 manages to mask many weaknesses in your squad, which is why it’s so useful, but there are a couple of things to steer well clear of to make sure you’re getting the most out of your formation.
