21 September 2026
Tactics Win the Game
Most Used Tactic / Formation of the Week: Long Ball Counter Still Rules, Overload & Quick Counter Surge
The leaderboard remains extremely competitive. Long Ball Counter continues to power several of the top spots, while Overload and Quick Counter are delivering elite results when paired with the right manager and fluid transitions. The Fluid Formation system is being used more creatively — several elite players now run different shapes in attack and defence. Squad synergy, manager proficiency, and smart transitions between the two phases matter more than ever.
Top 5 Pro Tactics of the Week
Here are the five standout tactics from the current Top Division 1 / high-rank pro players:
- srDontpanic
Manager: Fabio Capello
Formation / Playstyle: 4-2-2-2 Long Ball Counter
Collective Strength: 3298 - Csc_Clutch_DZ
Manager: Frank Lampard
Attack: 4-2-2-2 Overload
Defence: 4-2-2-2 Overload
Collective Strength: 3314 - GuiFera01
Manager: José Mourinho
Attack: 4-2-2-2 Long Ball Counter
Defence: 4-2-2-2 Long Ball Counter
Collective Strength: 3311 - APACHE199524
Manager: José Mourinho
Formation / Playstyle: 4-2-2-2 Long Ball Counter
Collective Strength: 3280 - pharm
Manager: Antonio Conte
Attack: 4-2-1-3 Quick Counter
Defence: 4-2-1-3 Quick Counter
Collective Strength: 3310
Most Used Managers in Top 5
- Long Ball Counter: Fabio Capello, José Mourinho
- Overload: Frank Lampard
- Quick Counter: Antonio Conte
Most Used Player Cards of the Week
(Continuing trends + ongoing adaptation to Fluid Formation and dual Playing Styles)
- Eden Hazard
- Lilian Thuram
- Paolo Maldini
- Lionel Messi
- Peter Schmeichel
Honorable mentions: Virgil van Dijk, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Kylian Mbappé, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Roberto Carlos, Roy Makaay.
Meta Summary
Csc_Clutch_DZ’s Frank Lampard Overload setup currently holds the highest Collective Strength in the Top 5 (3314) with a consistent 4-2-2-2 across both phases. Long Ball Counter occupies three of the top five spots, while Overload and Quick Counter are proving extremely dangerous when executed with high Collective Strength and fluid attack-to-defence transitions. Collective Strength above 3290 continues to be the benchmark for elite level, with several teams now pushing past 3310.
Flexibility is now even more important. The ability to set different shapes for attack and defence (and on console, main + sub tactics) means pure copy-paste is less effective than understanding how your specific squad transitions between phases.
Bonus: Fluid Formation (Attack & Defence)
As of the v6.0.0 update, you can set separate formations for when you are attacking and when you are defending.
- Attacking formation: Players push higher, create overloads, and focus on build-up or direct runs.
- Defensive formation: Players drop into a more compact block, prioritising recovery and solidity.
On console you effectively have access to four shapes (main tactic attack/defence + sub tactic attack/defence). On mobile it is two. The formation switches automatically based on possession. Auto-Pick has also been updated so it can fill both the attacking and defensive shapes with one click.
This change rewards managers who design realistic travel distances for players so the team can actually shift between the two shapes without leaving huge gaps. Many top players still use the same base shape for both phases, while others experiment with more aggressive attacking shapes that recover into a deeper or differently structured block.
Bonus: Player Cards Now Have Attack & Defence Skill Branches (Playing Styles)
On the individual footballer level, player cards have received a major overhaul. Playing Styles are now split into two separate branches:
- Attacking Playing Style – Controls movement, runs, support, and positioning when your team has the ball.
- Defensive Playing Style – Controls pressing, marking, recovery, and line behaviour when your team does not have the ball.
A single player can now have one style for attack and a completely different style for defence (or only one of the two). New defensive styles have been added, giving cards more specialised behaviour out of possession. For example, a forward can be a Goal Poacher when attacking and switch to Front Line Pressure when defending.
This means squad building is no longer just about the overall rating or the attacking playstyle. You must now check both the attacking and defensive styles (and position proficiency) to make sure the player fits the role you want in each phase of play — especially important with Fluid Formation.
Test these high-performing tactics (or adapt them with the new Fluid Formation and dual Playing Styles) for your next Division push!
Weekly Tactics Report every Friday.
Drop your current formation and favourite player in the comments!
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