Academy Task 5: Tactical Rankings of Academy Teams

[donut]

As the new academy season draws near, anticipation is building for the upcoming league battle between four competitive teams. In this season preview, the focus is exclusively on how their matchday one tactics will determine the final standings.

To find the most effective tactic we experimented using a controlled league with 22 teams: 11 user-controlled and 11 AI-controlled. All user teams employed the same tactic, while each AI team used different ones (each being the “best version” possible). Each user team played 70 matches against one AI team to generate a large enough sample size to minimize randomness (The total of 70 matches is completely arbitrary). To ensure authentic results, player abilities were standardized, and factors like injuries and suspensions were disabled.

Quick note, these results don't mean that a team will do one way or another. This is just a ranking of the tactics against the AI's "Meta Tactics". Also, the points don't matter within the table as much as the comparison between tactics. For example, Victoria Falls averaged 85 points across its 11 teams but performed worse against the 4-2-3-1 (65 points) compared to Stockholm IK (86 points).

1st. Victoria Falls Eagles



The best tactical performance came from the Victoria Falls Eagles, which, coincidentally, was the first team tested. This basic 4-2-3-1 structure performed significantly better than any of the other tactics,  and understandably so. It has an emphasis on playing through the wider sides of the pitch with the midfield duo providing both defensive stability and the ability to transition into the attack. The wingers can stretch the opposition's defense, creating space for the attacking midfielder to control the center as they effectively switch the point of attack with support from the full-backs. As seen by the league table, this tactic performed particularly well against AIs that utilized more defensive tactics, highlighting their ability to control the final third of the pitch

Average points: 85.0 points
Standard deviation: 21.7 points

2nd. Sydney City

  

The next tactic comes from Sydney City, which utilizes a 4-4-1-1 formation with a right winger instead of a midfielder. I love this adjustment; it's very similar to a tactic I used in an SSV Ulm save this year. This change provides greater attacking width, stretching the opposition’s defense and allowing the team to exploit the flanks more effectively. The right winger can create space, drawing defenders wide and enabling attacking runs from the wing-back. As reflected in their league table, this tactic worked particularly well against AIs that used a defensively focused setup, allowing the players to dominate the wide areas and control the final third.

Average points: 66.09 points
Standard deviation: 24.48 points

Now looking at these numbers, it might seem that the third-placed tactic should actually be above Sydney, but I’m putting the Asymmetric 4-4-1-1 in second simply because I prefer its style and flexibility in exploiting matchups.

3rd. Stockholm IK



The third best tactic is that of Stockholm IK. They employed a 4-1-2-1-2 Diamond formation. This setup, while not as widely used, can be highly effective due to its compact midfield which creates a numerical advantage in the center. The defensive midfielder is the heart of this formation dictating the tempo of the match by breaking up opposition attacks and initiating play with distribution to the more attacking midfielders. The versatile diamond shape generates quick passing combinations and fluid movement, allowing the team to seamlessly transition between defense and attack. The weakness of this formation comes from its struggle to defend the wings, but with the right personnel (such as star striker Julian Rubio) it’s possible to overcome these deficiencies.

Average points: 68.36 points
Standard deviation: 24.16 points


4th. Atlético Medellin



Last and certainly least, we have Atlético Medellín. I won’t lie to you; I was super surprised to see how poorly this formation performed. I actually thought this would end up being the best formation out of the four, but the table never lies. This is a more defensive version of the 4-2-3-1 with two deep midfielders, which makes them extremely solid in defense and should allow the front four more creative freedom. The combination of a ball-playing defender and an inverted full-back creates an interesting dynamic that should enable the center-back to carry the ball out of defense more often. Similarly to the traditional 4-2-3-1, the advanced playmaker is the soul of the attack, linking the midfield and forward players by making penetrating passes to unlock the defense.

Average points: 65.73 points
Standard deviation: 18.54 points

[Canadice]

Ok I would very much like to know how you set this up so quickly and if you would want to do it again for tests we as the BoD want to run for stuff related to FM!