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Football Manager 26 is just around the corner, and among the many new features it introduces, there is one that stands out and that can revolutionize the game: the In Possession and Out of Possession formations.
This has been one of the most requested features by fans for years, and it has finally made its way into the game. It opens an ocean of new options at the tactical level of the game, making it more realistic and providing more depth to a feature that felt stale for the past couple of years.
But what exactly are the In Possession and Out of Possession formations? How do they work? What makes this feature so exciting that it has fans celebrating its addition? You can find the answers to all of those questions, and many others, below.
What are In Possession & Out of Possession Formations?
In Possession & Out of Possession formations refer to the way a team is shaped when they do and don't have the ball. In modern football, most teams use a different tactical scheme when attacking and defending. This is done to maximize their chances when they have the ball and explore opponents' weaknesses, and to make sure they are solid at the back when the opponents have the ball.
This is something that has shaped modern football, and that's why it was the most requested feature by fans. Managers wanted to be able to emulate the tactics they saw on TV on the weekends, and also create their unique attacking and defending tactical formations.
How a team operates when they don't have the ball is as important as how they do with it. Having the ability to choose the formation you want to use for those two moments, which you can adapt depending on the opponents you are facing, is a massive addition.
It adds a new level to tactics in Football Manager 26, and makes the feature even more important than before, while also making it closer to real-life as it has ever been.
How do the In Possession & Out of Possession Formations Work?
The In Possession formation displays how your team will shape up when they have the ball, and what each one of your players will do when that is the case.
In FM 26, the pitch is divided into three zones. The In Possession formation allows you to see how your players will behave in each one of those zones when you have the ball. The type of movements they do, how they shape up in each of the zones, how the ball circulates, and more.
All that you see is powered by training match scenarios, giving you the most faithful representation of how your tactical genius translates into the pitch. The instructions in possession are still here, and they are very similar to the previous ones, as you can still select the type of passing, team tempo, time wasting, the attacking width, and others.
The Out of Possession formation showcases how your team will shape without the ball, both in a passive or pressure approach. As mentioned above, data from training match scenarios will showcase how your team defends in the three areas of the pitch, allowing you to make the necessary adjustments. The traditional defensive instructions, such as defensive depth, offside trap, and others, are still there and are more important than ever.
New roles were added to the game for Out of Possession formations. They give you more options to choose from and add new ways for players to operate when they don't have the ball. The player roles ratings for the Out of Possession formation function in the traditional five-star rating system. The ratings showcase how players excel in different types of defensive approaches, such as low block, high press, transitions, and many others.
To put it all together, Football Manager 26 introduced the Both formation view, which allows you to see the In Possession and Out of Possession formations side by side. With this, you can see how your team shapes up in both moments of the game, how proficient your players are in their attacking and defensive roles, and how your team transitions from one formation to the other.
That's everything you need to know about the most important feature in Football Manager 26. This is the best addition to the game in years, at least on the tactical side, and promises to completely change the way the game is played. It makes Football Manager much more immersive and exciting, while providing players with more ways to showcase their tactical genius.
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