Despite the ongoing trophy drought, Manchester United remains one of the most marketable football clubs in the world, with millions of fans right across the globe. The club still has plenty of attacking talent among its ranks as well, making the red devils a popular choice for many FIFA 23 players.
However, with new manager Erik Ten Haag still finding his feet and struggling to implement his signature style, the default settings for the club in FIFA 23 are far from optimal and fail to fully utilize the talent in the squad. This guide will cover the best formation for Manchester United, as well as the best starting 11.
The Best Formation for Manchester United in FIFA 23
Given that Sancho, Rashford, Antony, and Martial can all play anywhere across the front three, a 4-3-3 Attack formation can work very well for Manchester United. Further back, having two central midfielders in front of the back four provides an extra layer of security while leaving the CAM with enough space to thread the ball through to the three attacking players and initiate a break.
The Best Starting 11 for Manchester United in FIFA 23
Manchester United's biggest asset is arguably its pace in attack, with the club having scored plenty of fantastic counter-attacking goals in recent seasons. Pretty much all of the wide attacking players in the squad have a tendency to cut inside though, effectively leading to a noticeable lack of width, and, in turn, a bit of a selection nightmare for players.
If Ronaldo starts in the number nine position, his lack of acceleration can make it difficult to break away at speed, while the absence of a touchline-hugging winger means that using Ronaldo as a target man isn't a great option either. As a result, a lot of players will likely opt to follow Erik Ten Haag's early season lead and drop Ronaldo to the bench, with either Rashford or Martial taking up the number nine spot instead.
Sancho and Antony are the best options when it comes to wingers, while Fernandes is perfectly suited for the CAM position in between them. Behind him, Eriksen and Casemiro offer a nice balance of grit and finesse, while the pace of Malacia and Wan-Bissaka make them the best options for the full-back positions, despite Dalot and Shaw arguably offering a little more when it comes to their attacking contributions.
Sadly, there's no place for underperforming club captain Harry Maguire in the starting 11, with Varane and new signing Lisandro Martínez taking the two center back spots. Between the sticks is former Spain number one David De Gea, who, despite his questionable footwork and mediocre ball distribution, remains one of the best shot-stoppers in FIFA 23 and thus a very safe pair of hands.
Tactics and Instructions
When it comes to tactics, players will want to select the drop back option for defensive style and change offensive build up play to either fast build up or long ball depending on how they like to play. For chance creation, it's best to go with forward runs so as to best utilize the pace of the front three. Width can be set to anywhere between 50 and 70, again, depending on the player's play style.
As for instructions, players should have both wingers come back on defense and both full-backs join the attack and overlap. Eriksen should be set to drop in between defenders, while Casemiro should always stay back while the team is attacking. Rashford (or whoever players opt to go with as the main striker) should be instructed to remain central and to get in behind when making attacking runs.
FIFA 23 is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.