While the 4231 seems to be the king of Football Manager tactics, the 343 and its many variants are quite an intriguing formation to use.
The 343 in Football Manager has gained popularity among players due to its balance between attack and defence, a factor we have discussed extensively in our tactic articles. Here are some more reasons why it has become a popular choice:
Versatility
The 343 formation offers versatility in terms of both attack and defence. It allows for a strong presence in midfield with four midfielders and provides three forwards to do the attacking work. This flexibility will enable managers to adapt their tactics based on the strengths and weaknesses of their team and the opposition.
Attacking threat
The 343 offers a potent attacking threat with three forwards in the formation. The forwards can stretch the opposition’s defence, creating spaces for midfielders to exploit. The formation provides numerical superiority in the attack, allowing for quick passing combinations and more creation of chances.
Midfield control
The 343 allows for a strong presence in midfield with four midfielders. This can provide better control of the centre of the pitch, allowing the team to dominate possession and dictate the game’s tempo. The presence of four midfielders also provides options for quick switches in play and effective ball circulation.
Defensive stability
The 343 can maintain a solid defensive structure despite being perceived as an attacking formation. The three central defenders offer stability at the back, while the four players in front can also contribute to defensive duties. The wide forwards can track back and help the wing-backs in defensive transitions, ensuring a balanced approach between attack and defence.
Wide play
The 343 encourages using wing-backs who operate as both defenders and wingers. This allows for wide play and the exploitation of the flanks. The wing-backs can provide width to the attacking play and also track back to support the defence when needed.
How is the formation set up?
For the sake of this article, the example we are using is 343 Re-Positive Suplex to the Fire by Delicious Story in my personal save with my highly successful Everton team. Please look out for a tactic testing we will be doing with the tactic in the near future.
The key roles in the formation
We have talked about the strengths of this formation above. However, we will further look at the roles in this particular 343 formation. I have yet to test this specific version out on FM, but I look forward to doing so in the future.
Looking at the formation, though, one role that stands out to me is the role of the defensive midfielder on support. Although his role doesn’t suggest that he will be ultra-defensive, he is likely to be the main assistance to the three ball-playing defenders.
Our example is a more attacking version of 343, as many players would use one defensive midfielder or ball-winning midfielder in front of the three centre-backs as a shield. Some would even double down on the protection of the defence by using two midfielders in more defensive roles.
Unlike some 343 formations, our example is literally three advanced forwards, while many 343 formations would operate with two wide forwards or wingers and one central striker. As you can see, the example formation would work well with my current team.
However, most formations work well with my current team, as my squad is pretty strong. That is why I use the original Everton squad for my tactic testing, as it generally lacks the quality of the team on my personal save, so it produces a more accurate result.
With no wide forwards in this formation, the complete wing-backs are the ones that offer the attacking width, as the forward line is very narrow with three advanced forwards. As stated above, they almost have to operate as both defenders and wingers.
One warning, if you are playing at a low level, complete wing-backs are often difficult to find, as finding players with the right attributes is sometimes hard lower down the leagues.
Luckily in our example, I have a Serbian international wing-back Milos Lazovic who is the perfect player for this role. His two main positions are full-back and winger. That means he has all the right attributes to be highly successful in this role. I will test this formation out with my Everton team for my tactics piece next week, as I am excited to see the results with a team that looks ideally set up for the formation.
Would I recommend that you use the 343?
I have to say, I haven’t seen as many people post 343 tactics on FM23 as I have done on its earlier additions. Over the years, it has been a highly popular formation, which has yielded good results. For me, it has always offered an exciting alternative to the 4231 or the 352 when it comes to formations.
One caveat with the example formation is that, like with any tactic, you need the right players to get the best out of the formation. If you don’t, this tactic could go horribly wrong and get you the sack.
Overall, I recommend using the 343 formation, as when done right, it can give you an excellent balance between defence and attack, which is, as everybody knows, something I look for in a tactic.
Do you use the 343 formation on FM23?
