We are back with just our second tactic testing for FM26, and this one is a tactic that has been used in previous versions of the game, but has been updated by its creator for the latest version of FM. That tactic is GYR’s SWANSALONA 4231.
Read on to find out how the tactic fared and if it was as successful as it has been in its previous incarnations.
The conditions of the test and the setup of the tactic
As is usually the case with these tests, I used Everton as my test subject team. I simulated an entire season using only the preferred tactic.
The tactic was set up in the highly familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. It started with the keeper on the ball playing goalkeeper. In front of the last line of defence were two full-backs out wide, with two ball-playing centre-backs sandwiched in between.
In the centre of midfield, there were a channel midfielder and a central midfielder, both in defensive midfield positions.
In attack, two wingers played as inside forwards, with an attacking midfielder in the number ten role. The lone forward was playing as the centre forward.
How successful was the tactic?
The team were predicted to finish mid-table at the start of the season. Instead, they finished in fifth place in the table, earning European football for the following season. The team ended the season with a healthy goal difference of 24.
Looking at the table, the team’s strengths appeared to be going forward, as they scored 76 goals, the fourth-highest tally in the Premier League.
As you would expect with a tactic that was going forward, sacrifices were made in defence, as illustrated by the 52 goals conceded. Only one of the top seven teams conceded more goals.
When it came to home and away records, the team ranked fifth in the Premier League. The team ended the season in decent form, winning three, drawing one and losing one of their last top-flight games of the campaign.
The team got to the FA Cup semi-final, only to suffer a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. Meanwhile, they suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Arsenal in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after a pulsating 3-3 draw in normal time.
Who were the star performers using this tactic?
It seems this tactic suited many of the Everton players. Going forward, there was a good spread of goals and assists from the teams’ attacking players.
The two players with the highest average season rating were attacking players: forward Thierno Barry and Tyler Dibling, who played on the right wing for most of the season.
Barry scored 16 goals and produced four assists, while Dibling found the net nine times and produced a team-high of 15 assists. The other attack-minded players shone using this tactic, too.
Iliman Ndiaye played as both a centre forward and an attacking midfielder, scoring 14 goals and producing nine assists. Jack Grealish played as an inside forward on the left of the attack, scoring 11 goals and delivering the same number of assists.
Carlos Alcaraz was the regular attacking midfielder and didn’t disappoint in the role, scoring 13 goals and producing eight assists. The numbers were good for most of Everton’s attack-minded players.
When it came to attacking contributions, the midfield players’ numbers were respectable too. James Garner scored five times and produced 13 assists. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored six times and made seven assists too. Martin Rohl also scored six goals and produced two assists, despite only making ten starts all season.
Right-back Nathan Patterson may have struggled with injuries and game time in real life for Everton, but he thrived in this tactic, scoring four times and producing eight assists.
What is our assessment of this tactic?
As it’s a 4-2-3-1 formation, it was always going to be a popular tactic, and for the GYR, SWANSALONA is a good tactic to use for most mid- to high-level teams. The tactic fit Everton’s squad because there are a fair few decent attacking players, who it seemed to suit.
This is a tactic I will definitely try in my next personal save. With most new editions of the game, I usually stick to the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations at first so I can get the feel of the game. With FM26 being very different from previous versions, this applies even more.
If anyone is looking for a tactic for FM26, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this formation.
Have you used GYR’s SWANSALONA 4231 on your FM26 save? If you have, let us know your thoughts on the tactic with a comment on here or via our socials
