21 Jul, 2025
Trying to overachieve with an underdog in Football Manager 2024? Needing to overperform your predicted finish? Trying to turn relegation fodder into title contenders? We bring you all of the tactical exploits sourced from around the FM community that can help FM managers do exactly that!
Do you want to overachieve? Tired of finishing below your predicted position in the season preview? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, I’ve pulled together the best tactical exploits you can use to turn your team of relegation fodder into title contenders. I’ve trawled through the forums, consulted the experts, and even sprinkled in some first-hand experience. Some of these nuggets of gold will work wonders in the last few versions of FM, while others are especially deadly in Football Manager 2024. It’s up to you to test them out. And if you’re the sort of player who likes to keep your FM tactics “pure” without relying on exploits… it’s probably time to look away now.
Three strikers have been meta in several Football Manager editions. I vividly remember watching an old YouTuber’s save where running a 5‑2‑3 with three strikers pretty much guaranteed a win every single time. And FM24 is no different.
To replicate it, use a very attack-minded 4‑3‑3 with three forwards (think an Advanced Forward supported by two False Nines or Complete Forwards) and overlapping wing‑backs. For example, one FM Scout-tested tactic (“3‑Striker OP 4‑3‑3”) runs two False Nines (Support) wide and an Advanced Forward in the middle, with wing‑backs bombing on like wingers. A single DM sits as a Half‑Back, dropping into defence to create a back five when out of possession. This system overloads the AI and ruthlessly exploits its weakness against multiple quick forwards.
Set-pieces often make the difference between relegation and mid-table safety, so it’s crucial to get them right. And yes, of course people have found ways to exploit them in FM24.
To abuse long throws, assign your fastest big striker (or even a winger with the Long Throw trait) and set up a routine: have players overlap wide, lob a long throw to the far post, and send in runners to pounce on chaos. FM Scout confirms FM24’s long-throw routines generate “consistent goals.”Corners? Dust off the near-post flick-on. Assign a tall forward to attack the near post (to flick the ball on) and stack the box with big lads set to “Attack Ball” or “Attack Far Post.” It’s a classic – and it still wrecks defences after all these years.
This one’s an old-school trick, but still hilariously effective, especially in the lower leagues. Set your goalkeeper’s distribution to “Distribute to Target Man” and add “Throw It Long” or “Kick Long.” With a big, quick striker up top (bonus points if he has “Likes to Beat Offside Trap”), every clearance becomes an instant counter-attack.You’re bypassing midfield entirely, smashing it long to your battering ram of a forward. Pretty? Not really. Effective? Absolutely. Sean Dyche would approve.
This one requires a little more tactical bravery but can be devastating. Deploy Inverted Wing-Backs (Defend) on both flanks to clog the midfield. When you lose the ball, they tuck inside like auxiliary defensive midfielders, forming a tight mid-block.As one forum post perfectly put it, an IWB (Defend) “stays closer to the central defenders like a DM during transition.” In effect, you’re creating a back five in defence while still offering wide support in attack. This isn’t just an exploit; it’s modern football done right (hello, Pep). And crucially, it hasn’t been patched out in FM24.
Don’t sleep on opposition instructions, they’re often the cherry on top of an already overpowered tactic. A classic move is to “show onto weaker foot” for dangerous wingers, forcing them inside onto their dodgy leg and blunting their threat.You can also tightly mark or hard-press their star players (e.g., their playmaker or main striker). Assign Close Down/Tight Mark instructions to key opponents and watch them vanish from the match. It’s low effort but high reward.
This one’s been my secret weapon lately, so I’m letting you in on it. I was hunting for a tactic that’d dominate every game and this setup was the answer.Run a midfield four with two Mezzalas (Attack) and two overlapping wing-backs. It creates an almost 3‑4‑3 shape where your three forwards are fed by goal-hungry mezzalas, while the wing-backs provide relentless width. The AI struggles to cope with the midfield overload and overlapping chaos.Set both CMs to Mezzala (Attack), WB(A) on both flanks, and Inside Forwards cutting in from wide. It’s “insanely offensive” and still as lethal as it was in FM23. I can confirm: this one slaps.
Some exploits are so obvious that they barely need saying, but here we are. Ultra-aggressive gegenpress? Still broken. One forum user nailed it:“It’s extremely easy to overachieve with insanely offensive tactics… all OP tactics use Attacking mentality and maximum intensity.”The classic 4‑2‑3‑1? Also still overpowered. One FM player ran a high‑intensity 4‑2‑3‑1 with two DMs, inside forwards/mezzalas on support, an AM (Attack), and an Advanced Forward. The result? 114 goals in a single Premier League season. Case closed.
Have I missed any obvious exploits? What’s your go-to cheese tactic in Football Manager 2024? Drop your favourite dirty secrets in the comments – because sharing is caring… sort of.
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