29 September 2026
The 2026/27 season has more new managers than any in living memory, and most of them arrived with a very clear tactical identity. That's useful if you play manager games, because it gives you real, current templates to copy rather than a formation you half remember from a YouTube video.
Here's how seven of the most distinctive managers in the league set up, what it looks like on the pitch, and how to approximate it in a game. Formations are starting shapes. What matters more is what happens after kick-off.
Shape: 4-3-3 that becomes a 3-2-5 in possession, with one full-back tucking into midfield.
The idea: Control. Arsenal keep the ball, keep their shape, and rarely let games become open. The wide players hold the width so the pitch stays big, the midfield triangle rotates so there's always a spare man, and the defensive line is high and compact. Set pieces are a weapon rather than an afterthought.
In a game: Possession-focused, short passing, a high line, one full-back inverting or set to a defensive role, wingers staying wide, and the best set-piece routines you can build. Patience. You'll win a lot of games 2-0.
Shape: 4-2-3-1 out of possession, very fluid in it.
The idea: Pressure. Iraola's Bournemouth pressed man-for-man higher up the pitch than almost anyone in Europe, then attacked directly the moment they won the ball. Full-backs push very high, midfielders run beyond the striker, crosses come early. It's relentless and it's fun, and it's why Liverpool hired him.
In a game: Highest possible press, man-oriented marking if the game allows it, direct passing, high tempo, full-backs on attack, and a squad that can run. Rotate hard, because fatigue is the weakness.
Shape: 3-4-2-1, with wing-backs providing all the width.
The idea: Structured build-up. At Leverkusen, Alonso's teams passed through pressure with rehearsed patterns: the back three split wide, one midfielder drops, the wing-backs stay high and the two 10s float between the lines. It looks like possession football but it's really about creating overloads in specific zones and then attacking quickly.
In a game: Back three, aggressive wing-backs, two creative players behind a single striker, short build-up from the back, and a moderate rather than fast tempo. Needs good ball-playing centre-backs.
Shape: 4-3-3 that becomes 3-2-5, with a full-back inverting into midfield next to the holding player.
The idea: Positional play in the Guardiola tradition, which makes sense given where he learned it. Slow, deliberate build-up, lots of passes in the defensive third to draw the press out, then quick progression once a gap appears. The inverted full-back is central to it. City hired him for continuity, and that's what he plays.
In a game: Very short passing, low tempo in build-up, inverted full-back, play out from the back, work the ball into the box. It's the hardest style to make work in most games because the AI press is usually dumb enough to just run at you. When it clicks, you'll have 70% possession.
Shape: 4-2-3-1 on paper. In practice, the centre-backs and goalkeeper sit on the ball and wait.
The idea: Bait the press. De Zerbi's teams deliberately hold the ball deep, often with a foot on it, until an opponent commits. Then they play through the gap that leaves. It's provocative and it needs nerves of steel from the defenders, but it creates space in midfield that nobody else can create. At Brighton it took them into Europe.
In a game: Play out of defence, very short passing, low tempo, defenders and goalkeeper on the most patient settings available, and a midfield that can receive under pressure. Expect a few horrible mistakes. Don't panic.
Shape: 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, changing week to week.
The idea: Adaptability. Emery is the most game-specific manager in the league. Villa's mid-block is compact and organised, they create overloads on one side and switch to the other, and the plan changes depending on who they're playing. Five Europa League trophies suggest it works.
In a game: Mid block rather than a high press, counter-attack when the opponent commits, focus play down one flank and switch, and actually change your set-up for each opponent. The one style on this list that rewards using the opposition analysis screen.
Shape: 3-4-2-1, with a compact back five out of possession.
The idea: Transitions. Glasner's Palace won two trophies by being hard to break down and lethal on the break. Sit in a mid-to-low block, keep the shape, then when the ball turns over, the two 10s and the wing-backs sprint. It's direct without being long-ball.
In a game: Back three, cautious mentality, counter-press off, counter-attack on, direct passing after winning the ball, wing-backs on support rather than attack, and two quick players behind the striker. Brilliant for underdogs.
For a big club: Arteta or Alonso. For a mid-table side that wants to overachieve: Glasner or Emery. For pure entertainment: Iraola. For a challenge: Maresca or De Zerbi, and accept you'll concede some silly goals while it beds in.
Every one of these can be built in Manager of Football. If you want to test whether Iraola's press really is sustainable across 38 games, that's exactly the sort of thing it's for. Play it free in your browser.
For a free football manager game live for the 2026-27 season, check out www.manageroffootball.com.