The Magnificent Trequartista - FM21 Tactic

What is a Trequartista?

Translated from Italian, Trequartista means 'three quarters' and in Football, a Trequartista is someone who likes to roam around and look for space, often finding themselves between the defenders and midfielders which can be a headache as their starting position can be high, as far as a strikers position. They are creative players, who possess the ability to dribble. They are also goalscorers, whilst providing assists. In the correct system, a Trequartista could be your star player but if you are not tactically set-up to deploy a Trequartista then you will not witness the best of what's supposed to be your special player. Off-the-ball, They aren't going to put in a great shift, in terms of winning the ball back for your side. Instead, they will continue to roam around and look for spaces where they feel they can be effective once they receive the ball.

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Playmaker? Striker? or neither?

The great debate. Are they playmakers or are they strikers? They are focal points for sure. This is where they are similar to playmakers. Their primary job is to create scoring chances but, they share a responsibility to score goals, more so than a playmaker. A Trequartista could be your furthest player on the pitch when looking at your team-sheet, but often you would have runners getting in-behind, as your Trequartista would drop into spaces between your opponent's defence and midfield. If you press from the front, this wouldn't be a great idea as your Trequartista doesn't have the defensive responsibilities.

If playing in attacking midfield, like a no.10 playmaker, your Trequartista would not drop deeper, instead, he'll still be floating in that same space more so in between your midfielder and your strikers. Just like when playing as a striker, he'll still have a responsibility to get on the scoresheet

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What attributes do they need?

They need all the playmaking attributes. Passing, vision, first touch, technique, and also should have attributes like a gifted striker like finishing. But mental ability becomes very important. Once your opponents recognise the type of player you are playing (Trequartista), they will not sit back and allow him to produce his magic. Moments during the game, he will be marked or close down and this is why they should always be a step ahead. Off the ball, composure, anticipation, decisions, concentration, flair, agility and balance are all important for your Trequartista. They need to be in the right spaces and also have the ability to beat challenges and man-marking.

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Conclusion

Simply put. Trequartista's can be both your playmaker and your goalscorer, though, it would be wise to have another player responsible for scoring goals. They are very attacking-minded, in the sense that they don't think about their defensive responsibilities but to roam around and look for space when you are out of possession. They aren't necessarily lazy players, but they are not best suited for systems that rely on pressing high for that reason. They are also commonly used in attacking midfield or striker positions, but they are no stranger to starting out on wide-positions. Finally, if you want an example of what a Trequartista is, then you have Maradona, Messi and Kaka to lookup

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