Football Manager 2024- How to emulate Antonio Conte's tactics

The likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are arguably the two most popular managers of the modern game. The key reason behind this is that they play beautiful football and have been managing at the top level for a long time now. However, it is not always possible to emulate their tactics in Football Manager because you will need top class players across the pitch in order to implement such systems.

Here, we will look at a tactics that suits underdog teams who play more defensively amd try to hit on the break. We will try to look at Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 system and will try to implement that in the current Manchester City side.

Mentality: Conte’s team never usually play too much adventurous football. Rather they play with a more balanced approach. So, we would advise you to go for a balanced mentality which can be switched to positive and cautious as and when required.

In possession: Conte loves to make the full use of the width of the pitch and to implement that, you will need to go with a wide attacking width. Your passing should be slightly more direct as you will look to make the most of the conter attacks and not really bothered too much about possession. Pass into space and play out of defence also needs to be ticked. However, a key for this system to work is to have good ball-playing defenders and marauding wing-backs.

You should also go with hit early crosses because that will make your side extremely dangerous on the break. Overlap the right and left is also needed to be ticked on in order to instruct the wing-backs to burst forward down the flanks. Also tick be more disciplined and run at defence.

In transition: Conte’s team are dangerous in transition play and in order to emulate this, you should go for counter-press and counter. However, your goalkeeper will be asked to slow pace down and distribute to centre-backs who effectively act as playmakers from deep in this system.

Out of possession: A mid-block is recommended for this system because that makes your team extremely compact in the middle but does not necessarily meam that you don’t press at all. It will just kore more controlled style of press. Your defensive line can be higher or standard depending on your opponents. Also prevent short GK distribution needs to be ticked on. Get stuck in, trap outside, stop crosses and step up more should also ideally be ticked.

Formation: As discussed earlier, it is a 3-5-2 system with three centre-backs, two wing backs, one defensive midfielder, two central midfielders and two strikers.

Player roles: Goalkeeper- Ederson (Sweeper keeper- defend)

Right centre back- John Stones (Wide centre back- defend)

Centre back- Ruben Dias(Ball playing defender- cover)

Left centre-back- Josko Gvardiol (Wide centre-back- defend)

Right wing back- Kyle Walker (Complete wing-back- attack)

Left wing back- Nathan Ake (Complete wing-back- attack)

Defensive midfielder- Rodri (Deep lying playmaker- defend)

Central midfielder- Kevin De Bruyne (Central midfielder- attack

Central midfielder- Bernardo Silva (Mezzala- support)

Centre forward- Julian Alvarez (Deep lying forward- support)

Centre forward- Erling Haaland (Advanced forward- attack)