4-2-3-1 Extreme Volts XIX by DeliciousStory: A tactic we love

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THTP tactics 4-2-3-1 extreme volts xix

I am back with another tactic testing article or in this case a rare ‘tactic we love article’. Usually, I aim to give a bit of variety to the formations tested, trying to avoid doing the same formation on too many occasions, i.e., not just testing 4-2-31s or 3-5-2s.

However, the 4-2-3-1 Extreme Volts XIX by DeliciousStory produced such good results, not just in testing but in my personal saves that I felt I had to share my thoughts.

The tactical set-up

4-3-2-1 extreme volts tactics

This tactic is another variation on 4-2-3-1, which is of course our favoured formation at the THTP. It is nothing revolutionary when you look at how it’s set up. The goalkeeper is a sweeper keeper on defend. In front of him is two ball-playing centre-backs on defend, with two wing-backs on support.

In midfield, two players provide a solidity to the team in a ball-winning midfielder on defend and a volante on attack. The BWM provides defensive cover, while the VOL supports the BWM, while also helping out further up the field.

The two wide attacking players are inside forwards, who are on attack, flanking a shadow striker and an advanced forward who are also on attack.

How did it go?

4-3-2-1 extreme volts league table

As usual, on my test save, I holidayed a full season with Everton. No transfers were made and the reject all offers instruction was on during the save. Although I have bemoaned the Toffees’ limited squad in the past, this tactic suited the players perfectly.

The team’s predicted finish position was 16th at the start of the campaign, with odds of 200/1 to win the title. However, we managed to claim the Premier League crown, piping arch-rivals Liverpool to top spot by just a point.

We went out of the competitions relatively early, but that didn’t matter because of the incredible overachievement in the Premier League.

The tactic’s balance was shown in the fact that the team finished as the second-highest goalscorers in the league, with the fourth-best defensive record too.

One major positive of this tactic was the away form, as the team finished with the best away record, recording 11 victories, five draws and just three defeats. The home record was the fifth-best, although a record of 13 home wins, three draws and three defeats is better than the away record. However, I highlighted the away record as often tactics struggle to get results away from home against the big teams especially.

Who were the team’s top-performing players?

4-3-2-1 extreme volts squad

When it comes to the team’s top-performing players, it is no surprise that star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s average rating of 7.51 for the season was the best in the campaign. Calvert-Lewin scored 29 goals and produced three assists in 34 appearances.

The next best player based on the average ratings was Nigerian international Alex Iwobi, who picked up an average rating of 7.32 from his position of inside forward on the right. Iwobi earned that rating by producing 20 assists and five goals over the season. That is an output Evertonians can only dream of in real life.

Shadow striker Demarai Gray was next up, as he scored 15 times and also produced 15 assists in one of his most productive campaigns in my saves with Everton. Gray earned an average rating of 7.25 over the season.

Unsurprisingly, Dwight McNeil playing as the left inside forward was not far behind his teammate with an average rating of 7.10. The former Burnley star scored ten goals and produced 16 assists in a highly productive campaign.

Some other players who deserve recognition from the season are centre-back James Tarkowski who scored an impressive 11 goals. Back-up forward Neal Maupay also got on the scoresheet on ten occasions in 20 appearances.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, who was playing in the volante role was also highly effective, as the Mali midfielder scored five times and also registered a respectable nine assists. Even ball-winning midfielder Amadou Onana chipped in with five goals. Back-up midfielder James Garner scored four times, despite only starting nine games all season.

Partnerships are the key to this tactic’s success

In both the test and my personal saves, I have found that partnerships have been the key to the success of this tactic. If you look at the tactics image it shows lots of great lines from one player who another.

The green lines indicate that the two players have a good partnership and work well with each other. If you have lots of good partnerships in your team, then your tactics will work far better, as the team has built a nice cohesion.

However, beware of other colour lines, as they are an indication that the two players are either not suited to play together or haven’t quite yet built a good partnership. These relationships are important to monitor.

A brilliant all-around tactic

If somebody was to ask me what tactic to use in FM23, usually, I would say it depends on the players available to you. However, the tactic test showed that even with a limited amount of talent in a squad, the Extreme Volts XIX can produce a brilliant result.

For me, this is the most effective tactic I have tested or used on FM23. In my personal save it has taken my Everton team to full dominance of football. Quite simply it is a tactic I love and many thanks to DeliciousStory for their hard work creating the tactic. Hopefully, I can test out one of your other tactics in the near future and give it a review

Have you used Extreme Volts XIX in your FM 23? If so, let us know your results in the comments or via our socials