EA FC 24 Best 541 Custom Tactics & Instructions | FC 24 5-4-1 Formation Guide

In this EA FC 541 formation guide, we tell you the best custom tactics and player instructions for this defensive counterattack formation, as well as how to play it effectively in the game!

EA FC 24 541 Formation Guide - Best 541 Custom Tactics & Instructions

For those who prioritize a strong defense, the 5-4-1 formation is perfect. The fullbacks are encouraged to join the attack and overlap to provide width in offensive situations.  In midfield, one central midfielder covers the center and holds back, while the other assumes a balanced role. The wide midfielders drop back and position themselves to receive crosses. The lone striker stays up front, remains central, and tries to get behind the opposing defense.

Here are the best custom tactics and player instructions that are highly recommended for the 433(2) formation in EA FC 24:

FC 24 Best 541 Custom Tactics

Defense Tactics

Defensive Style: Balanced

Width: 40

Depth: 60 or 72

Offense Tactics

Build Up Play: Balanced

Chance Creation: Direct Passing

Width: 45

Players in Box: 7 Bars

Corners: 2 Bars

Free Kicks: 2 Bars

Use Balanced on the Defensive Style. Pressure on Heavy Touch is definitely good though and is a viable option but one thing we would say is to remember to be a little bit more solid defensively sometimes it is better to play Balanced, so then you can be in control of where and when your team presses the ball. It's quite simple with defending being a little bit harder this year having Balanced just gives us a little bit more of a Balanced defensive style pretty obvious right.

The defensive Width though on the 5-4-1 is actually all the way down to 40, so we do defend quite narrow. Now on the EAFC 24, defending isn't easy and we do want our left back to be a little bit closer to our left center back making that good and hard to defend, we want our right back to be a little bit closer to our right center back so in general our whole back 5 slash 4 is just more defensively solid because we defend in a back five but then when we attack we attack in a back three.

The defensive depth you are going to have two options in terms of where and when you're going to want to use them. Option one is going up to 60 depth, so that is the first option which we think 95% of you are probably going to want to use, that is you're in control of where and when your team presses, so your team will be a little bit higher than they would normally be. The second option is 72 depth, you might think that is very high and very aggressive but there is a method to that madness. If you had a certain depth the team would automatically offside trap for you and automatically press for you that's back

If you struggle defensively maybe go with the 60 depth option that'll probably help you out more in the defensive side of the game.

The offense of course is going to be Balanced and Direct Passing, that setting is effective and broken. Because of that, Balanced and Direct Passing, your absolute bread and butter, and that is whether you're on New Gen or Old Gen as well

For the offensive Width, we made it a bit more narrow to 45. We want the Left Midfield and Right midfielder of the 541 to tuck in and be very narrow and compact when we don't have the ball, and then when we do have the ball we want them to make penetrating runs toward the striker, so that's why we make the offensive with a little bit more narrow just to give us more offensive options when we have the ball.

Plays in the Box is going to be 7, the more players that we have in the Box more likely we are to score a goal.  Corners and Free Kicks are 2 and 2 rather than the default setting of 3 and 3 to stop us getting counter-attacked on from our own Corners

FC 24 Best 541 Player Instructions

Striker Instructions

Support Runs: Stay Central

Attacking Support: Get In Behind

Interceptions: Normal Interceptions

Defensive Support: Basic Defence Support

Winger Instructions

Defensive Support: Come Back On Defence

Chance Creation: Cut Inside

Support Runs: Get In Behind

Support On Crosses: Get Into The Box For Cross

Interceptions: Normal Interceptions

Central Mid. Instructions

Attacking Support: Balanced Attack

Support On Crosses: Balanced Crossing Runs

Interceptions: Normal Interceptions

Positioning Freedom: Stick To Position

Defensive Position: Cover Center

LB/RB Instructions

Attacking Runs: Join The Attack

Interceptions: Normal Interceptions

Attacking Support: Overlap

Defensive Position: Stick To Position

Center Back Instructions

Attacking Support: Stay Back While Attacking

Interceptions: Normal Interceptions

Defensive Position: Stick To Position

Goalkeeper Instructions

Saving On Crosses: Comes for Crosses

Saving Outside Box: Sweeper Keeper

Stay Central on the striker keep ST in the central areas of the pitch, especially in a 541 formation the ultimate rap formation we do not want our Striker venturing off down the left and the right side of the pitch, we want them in the middle of the pitch. And the Get in Behind makes forward runs to get him behind the defense, when the striker is making the runs in behind even if we then don't play in the ball it kind of doesn't really matter because then that then leaves some space in the middle of the pitch for the two Central midfielders.

Onto the two Central midfielders, we play with both of them on Balanced Attack and Cover Centers, so both of them will get forward ever so slightly but they won't completely YOLO it like if they're on get fooled and stuff like that so they will get forward and help out but not the complete YOLO.

The left midfielder and right midfielder will make these penetrating types of runs towards the Striker - the left Midfield on the right midfielder will make brilliant runs towards the striker constantly making them penetrating runs because of them being on Cut Inside, Get in Behind, and Getting to the Box Across. And we think that's so so so important because when we are playing a fight back, even though we are going to play defend with like a three in the back when we're attacking, it's very important to still have the player instructions on which help us out in the attack inside of the game or else we will kind of just be stuck in terms of where we're at when we get the ball.

The right wing-back and the left wing-back are on exactly the same, so they're on Join The Attack and Overlap - what this does is as our left midfielder and our right midfielder make the penetrating runs inwards (they're making the run inwards towards the striker), the wing backs will be making penetrating runs outward so there will be on the Overlap to create that width for us, that is also very important.

Defensively, the formation is well-balanced with a width of 40 and a depth of 60. In offense, the build-up play is forced with long balls, chances are focused on direct passing, and the width is expanded to 50. The number of players in the penalty area is 8, 3 for corner kicks, and 2 for free kicks. The 5-4-1 formation provides a stable defensive position for those looking to reinforce their defense. Mastering these formations and individual tactics will give you the strategic advantage you need to dominate your competition. Whether you prefer a balanced approach or a more defensive stance, these recommendations serve as your roadmap to success.

Remember: practice and dedication are the keys to excellence. If you put in the effort, you will undoubtedly make an impressive impact on the virtual soccer field. Good luck, and may your tactical prowess lead you to victory in EA FC 24!