The Football Manager 26 beta is out today, and in classic fashion, fans are more worried about the meta above everything else. In-possession and out-of-possession formations are a major change, and so is the way roles determine when players move between phases. One fan on the Sports Interactive forum was particularly confused about why roles such as Auxiliary Centre-Back (ACB) were still necessary if you can already position players freely on the IP screen. A developer, Jack Joyce, provided some clarification:
“Let’s take the example of an ACB – this player is in the CB position in your IP formation, so when your team is building from the back or from goal kicks, that player will start at a CB position. As the ball progresses up the pitch, they then move up to DM due to their role.”
Understanding Roles And Defensive Shape
This means that the new tactical system will tie positioning and timing together in a way previous entries didn’t. In-possession (IP) determines your team’s shape when you have the ball and are building up the play, while out-of-possession (OOP) represents the defensive structure when things settle.
The new tactical visualizer isn’t just about where you place players; it’s about how and when they move. Roles such as ACB bridge the gap between phases, dictating who moves where and under what circumstances.
Jack Joyce also mentioned how the approach affects defensive behavior. The OOP shape is the structure your team takes when defending, but depending on the role, some players will step up or drop back situationally. For example, a Pressing DM might advance into a higher zone when the opposition builds out, while a Dropping DM might fall into the backline to form a temporary back five.
It’s a more dynamic system, that’s for sure. Elite managers rely on players who occupy multiple zones without losing structure, and FM26 really wants to capture that detail. But not everyone’s convinced this change will make the game better. More moving parts might mean more ways to break the AI. Every Football Manager release has its fair share of “meta” tactics that exploit the match engine.
However, if you’re after a realistic experience, it does seem that the new system will reward an understanding of movement and space. It might be more than just stacking roles that boost expected goals, and maybe the Gegenpress Meta comes to an end.
