Tactics Players Guides

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Disclaimer

Built by someone who had too much extra time on their hands after FM 25 was cancelled

Striker Profiles

Poacher, Complete Forward, False 9, Pressing Forward, Target Man. The striker role is the load-bearing piece for everything else: a False 9 changes what your wide forwards have to do, a Pressing Forward changes what your defensive line is allowed to be.

Upload a screenshot like this from your Football Manager player's screen

Upload Player Information

Upload your players' profile screen, or paste from clipboard

Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP • Max size: 5MB

How to Upload a Screenshot

1
Take a screenshot using PrtScn or Snipping Tool
2
Click the upload area or drag & drop your image
3
Select your screenshot from the file dialog
4
Wait for AI analysis to complete

Filter by position

Showing 1–30 of 104

David Karanka

ST • Complete Forward • Attack

High Finishing and First Touch make him a threat in front of goal.

Strong Off the Ball movement and Decisions enhance his attacking play.

Moves Into ChannelsGets Forward Whenever PossibleShoots With Power

Phil Márquez

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Off the Ball make him a threat in attacking positions.

Good Acceleration and Pace allow him to exploit defensive gaps.

Fer Niño

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Heading make him a threat in the box.

Strong Off the Ball movement to find space.

Omar Tattini

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Off the Ball make him a threat in attacking positions.

Strong Physical attributes like Strength and Stamina support his role as a forward.

Liverpool Under 18sItaly

Unknown Player

ST • Pressing Forward • Attack

Strong physical attributes such as Strength, Stamina, and Aggression make him effective in pressing and challenging defenders.

Good Finishing and Off the Ball movement allow him to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Mark Norton

ST • Inverted Winger • Attack

High Dribbling and Technique make him effective in attacking roles.

Flair and Vision support creative playmaking.

Millwall ReservesNIR

Phil Márquez

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Determination and Off the Ball movement make him effective in finding space.

Good First Touch and Technique for controlling and finishing chances.

Galaxy AcademyUSA

Zé Pedro

ST • Poacher • Attack

High Finishing and Off the Ball make him a natural goal scorer.

Strong Determination and Stamina support his ability to press and chase down chances.

Simão Rocha

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Off the Ball movement (14) allows effective positioning.

Good Decisions (17) enhances attacking choices.

CaneleirosPortugal

Pedro Luiz

ST • Channel Forward • Support

High Finishing and Dribbling make him effective in attacking roles.

Strong Off the Ball and Anticipation aid in finding space.

Places ShotsAttempts Overhead KicksKnocks Ball Past Opponent

Hans Annan

ST • Target Forward • Support

Strong heading ability and jumping reach make him effective in aerial duels.

Good finishing and composure for converting chances.

Luca Rahn

ST • Channel Forward • Support

Strong finishing and heading abilities make him effective in front of goal.

Good technique and first touch allow him to control the ball well.

Marco Kübler

ST • False Nine • Support

Strong technical skills such as Dribbling and First Touch.

Good mental attributes like Decisions and Off the Ball.

Attempts Overhead KicksTries First Time Shots

VaduzSwitzerland

Andrés Alzate

ST • Channel Forward • Attack

High Finishing and First Touch make him effective in scoring opportunities.

Strong Off the Ball movement allows him to find space effectively.

Vitor Roque

ST • Pressing Forward • Attack

Strong finishing and first touch make him effective in front of goal.

High acceleration and agility allow him to press defenders quickly.

TottenhamBrasileño

Okan Eken

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

Strong finishing and first touch make him effective in scoring positions.

Good off the ball movement and anticipation help him find space.

Moves Into ChannelsShoots From Distance

KastamonusporTurkey

Francesco Pio Esposito

ST • Target Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Heading make him a strong goal threat.

Excellent Strength and Balance suit a physical forward role.

Alexander Isak

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Dribbling and Finishing make him effective in front of goal.

Strong Off the Ball movement to exploit spaces.

LiverpoolSweden

Hugo Ekitiké

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Off the Ball make him a threat in front of goal.

Good Pace and Acceleration allow him to exploit defensive lines.

Hernan Crespo

ST • Poacher • Attack

High Finishing and Off the Ball make him a lethal goal scorer.

Excellent Technique and Dribbling allow him to maneuver in tight spaces.

Real SociedadArgentina

Federico Passarelli

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Dribbling make him a threat in front of goal.

Strong Off the Ball movement allows him to find space effectively.

Plays With Back To GoalTries First Time Shots

Angers SCOItalian

Wendel

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

Strong finishing and off the ball movement make him a threat in front of goal.

Good physical attributes like pace and strength support his role as a forward.

Runs With Ball Down LeftLikes To Try First Time ShotsTries Tricks

Maximilian Breunig

ST • Target Forward • Support

Strong heading ability makes him effective in aerial duels.

Good balance and strength allow him to hold up the ball well.

Ricky-Jade Jones

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Off the Ball make him a lethal striker.

Excellent Pace and Acceleration allow him to exploit defensive gaps.

Explores the SpacesLikes to Play One-TwosRuns With Ball Often

Shumaira Mheuka

ST • Poacher • Attack

High Finishing and Off the Ball make him a natural goal scorer.

Strong Acceleration and Pace allow him to exploit defensive gaps.

Louis Flower

ST • Pressing Forward • Defend

Strong physical attributes like Strength and Acceleration.

Good Work Rate and Aggression for pressing duties.

Moves Into Channels

Crawley TownEnglish

Vitezslav Tesar

ST • Deep Lying Forward • Support

Excellent balance and composure for holding up play.

Strong passing and vision to link up with midfield.

Runs With Ball Down RightPlaces ShotsKnocks Ball Past Opponent

Eintracht FrankfurtCzech

Aiman Aghbaria

ST • Advanced Forward • Attack

High Finishing and Composure make him lethal in front of goal.

Excellent Off the Ball movement to find space.

Tries First Time Shots

Eintracht FrankfurtGerman

Unknown Player

ST • Deep Lying Forward • Support

Strong technical skills such as Dribbling and Technique.

High Decisions and Teamwork make him effective in linking play.

Danilis Diguļovs

ST • Poacher • Attack

High Finishing attribute makes him effective in scoring opportunities.

Good Off the Ball movement helps him find space in attacking areas.

Likes To Lob Keeper

Previous
1
2
3
4
Next

Pick a position, read the role theory first

The cards above are uploaded player profiles. If you're trying to figure out which role a player should be playing (or which type of player your tactic actually needs), start with the articles below. Each bucket links to the guides that explain the role distribution, the pairings that work, and the antipatterns that don't. Recent community uploads in each position are listed underneath.

Centre-backs

Stopper, Cover, BPD: every back four is a triangulation between aggression, recovery, and progression. Pairings here decide how high your line can hold and whether you keep clean sheets against pace.

Player pairings

Centre-Back Pairings

Stopper-Cover, BPD-CD, two BPDs. How centre-back duties shape your defensive shape.

12 min readRead

Defensive Line and Line of Engagement

The pairing rule for Defensive Line and Line of Engagement, all 9 combinations, and the gap that costs goals.

12 min readRead

Reading FM Attributes for Tactical Fit

The 13/15/17 working tiers in FM, hidden attributes that scouting won't show, and the per-role priorities that actually matter.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent centre-backs from the community

Martin Harrison — Millwall
Ryota Machida — Vaduz
Javier Tellez — Vaduz
Juan Carlos Romero — Vaduz

Browse all (74) centre-backs

Full-backs and wing-backs

The position whose duty changes the entire shape of the team. Attacking full-backs turn 4-4-2 into 2-4-4 in possession; defensive full-backs let your front three stay aggressive without leaving the centre-backs alone.

Player pairings

Full-Back and Winger Pairings

Overlap, underlap, IF + attacking WB. The same-channel rule for full-back and winger pairings, and the cases where it doesn't apply.

12 min readRead

Wing Play vs Central Play

Build through the wide areas or through the middle? A working framework for picking the right one for your squad.

10 min readRead

Defensive midfielders

Anchor, Half-Back, DLP, Regista, BWM. Each one solves a different problem and creates a different gap. Pick the wrong one and your back four has nobody screening them.

Player pairings

Midfield Pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2

Double pivots and flat pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2: when each pairing works, when it collapses, and the AMC unicorn that rescues both.

12 min readRead

Player pairings

Midfield Trios

Holder, runner, creator: the role distribution rule for three-man midfields, the AMC variants, and the antipatterns that break them.

12 min readRead

Central midfielders

The role that does the most invisible work. Box-to-Box, Mezzala, Carrilero, Roaming Playmaker: the right pick depends on what the players around them are doing as much as the player's own attributes.

Player pairings

Midfield Trios

Holder, runner, creator: the role distribution rule for three-man midfields, the AMC variants, and the antipatterns that break them.

12 min readRead

Player pairings

Midfield Pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2

Double pivots and flat pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2: when each pairing works, when it collapses, and the AMC unicorn that rescues both.

12 min readRead

Attacking midfielders

The number ten lives in the half-space behind the striker. Trequartista, Enganche, Shadow Striker, AP: each variant trades creativity for off-ball discipline differently, and your midfield pivot has to pick up the slack accordingly.

Player pairings

Midfield Trios

Holder, runner, creator: the role distribution rule for three-man midfields, the AMC variants, and the antipatterns that break them.

12 min readRead

Player pairings

Midfield Pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2

Double pivots and flat pairs in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2: when each pairing works, when it collapses, and the AMC unicorn that rescues both.

12 min readRead

Wingers and wide midfielders

Inside Forward, Inverted Winger, traditional Winger, Wide Playmaker. The choice is whether the wide player attacks the half-space or hugs the touchline, and whether your full-back is the one providing width or not.

Player pairings

Full-Back and Winger Pairings

Overlap, underlap, IF + attacking WB. The same-channel rule for full-back and winger pairings, and the cases where it doesn't apply.

12 min readRead

Wing Play vs Central Play

Build through the wide areas or through the middle? A working framework for picking the right one for your squad.

10 min readRead

Strikers

Poacher, Complete Forward, False 9, Pressing Forward, Target Man. The striker role is the load-bearing piece for everything else: a False 9 changes what your wide forwards have to do, a Pressing Forward changes what your defensive line is allowed to be.

Player pairings

Striker Partnerships in FM

Target Man and Poacher, False 9 and Inside Forward: the striker partnerships that solve isolation, plus the pairings that contradict.

12 min readRead

Gegenpressing: A Full Guide

Klopp-style gegenpressing in FM, including squad profile, line-and-press pairing, sustainable workload, and the antipatterns to avoid.

12 min readRead

Foundations

Mentality, Duty & Roles

How Mentality, Duty, and Role interact in FM, why duty trumps mentality every time, and the role-on-top-of-duty composition rules.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent full-backs and wing-backs from the community

David Kalem — Osijek
Francisco Ortega — Olympiacos
Matt Champion — Millwall Reserves
Marko Ćirak — Vaduz

Browse all (60) full-backs and wing-backs

Foundations

Mentality, Duty & Roles

How Mentality, Duty, and Role interact in FM, why duty trumps mentality every time, and the role-on-top-of-duty composition rules.

12 min readRead

Pressing Triggers and Intensity

Counter-Press, Regroup, Stand Off, Trigger Press: what each pressing instruction does in FM and how to pair them without contradicting.

12 min readRead

Recent defensive midfielders from the community

Michael Macrory — Millwall Reserves
Benjamin de Boer — Vaduz
Alberto Torre — Vaduz
Diego Hübner — Vaduz

Browse all (70) defensive midfielders

Foundations

Mentality, Duty & Roles

How Mentality, Duty, and Role interact in FM, why duty trumps mentality every time, and the role-on-top-of-duty composition rules.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent central midfielders from the community

Jurgen Kuhlmann — Vaduz
Alvaro Pereira — OL
Ryan Gravenberch — Liverpool
Curtis Jones — Liverpool

Browse all (87) central midfielders

Playing styles

Tiki-Taka vs Positional Play

Why circulation density and zonal occupation aren't the same thing in FM, and the half-space occupation rule that decides build-up.

12 min readRead

Reading FM Attributes for Tactical Fit

The 13/15/17 working tiers in FM, hidden attributes that scouting won't show, and the per-role priorities that actually matter.

12 min readRead

Recent attacking midfielders from the community

Abdul Abdulmalik — Millwall Reserves
Christophe Sow — Vaduz
Bautista Vera — Vaduz
Danis Lamprecht — Vaduz

Browse all (44) attacking midfielders

Playing styles

Gegenpressing: A Full Guide

Klopp-style gegenpressing in FM, including squad profile, line-and-press pairing, sustainable workload, and the antipatterns to avoid.

12 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent wingers and wide midfielders from the community

Willie Mooney — Millwall Reserves
Lee Williams — Millwall Reserves
Prosper Oluwole — Galaxy Academy
Temesgen Kidane — Kon Tum

Browse all (122) wingers and wide midfielders

Playing styles

Counter-Attacking Excellence

Sit deep, win the ball, and break in three passes. The roles, instructions, and squad profile that make it work.

11 min readRead

Recruitment by Tactical Fit

Scout for system fit, not stat stars. The shortlist filters in FM that map to your tactic, and the role-attribute matrix to use.

12 min readRead

Recent strikers from the community

David Karanka — A. Bilbao
Phil Márquez — Widzew
Fer Niño — Widzew
Omar Tattini — Liverpool Under 18s

Browse all (104) strikers