FM26 The Stupid Cookie 4312 II | Villarreal First Division Winners (Patreon)

This was the second full solo-shot with The Stupid Cookie 4312 idea, and this time the shape landed really well.

After the Fulham run, I wanted to see how the same structure would behave with a different squad profile and in a different league context. With Villarreal, the answer was clear very quickly: the tactic kept producing chances, the front three clicked, and the season turned into a title race that went all the way to the final day.

In the end, Villarreal finished level on points with Real Madrid and won the league on goal difference, closing the season with a huge 3-0 win over A. Madrid.

Season Results

🏆 First Division winners

📈 95 points

🥈 Spanish Cup runners-up

❌ UEFA Champions League Semi Final, eliminated by Liverpool

⚽ 113 league goals scored

🥅 36 league goals conceded

📊 76% win percentage

Overall Gameplay Record

🎮 60 matches played

✅ 46 wins

🤝 10 draws

❌ 4 defeats

⚽ 174 goals scored

🥅 63 goals conceded

📊 76% win percentage

Every match was played.

Final-Day Title Win

This one stayed open until the very end.

Villarreal and Real Madrid both finished on 95 points, so the title was decided on goal difference:

Villarreal: +77

Real Madrid: +65

That made the final-day 3-0 win over A. Madrid even more important. Villarreal did what they had to do and got over the line.

Underlying Numbers

The league campaign was not just good on the surface. The data was strong too.

xG: 90.35

Actual league goals: 113

Goal overperformance: +22.65

xPts: 80.65

Actual points: 95

Points overperformance: +14.35

So yes, the team clearly overperformed the raw expectation models, especially in attack, but this was still a very strong season overall and not just a random smash-and-grab title.

Home and Away Split

Home

🏟️ 13 wins🤝 6 draws❌ 0 defeats⚽ 61 scored🥅 16 conceded

Away

✈️ 16 wins🤝 2 draws❌ 1 defeat⚽ 52 scored🥅 20 conceded

That away record was a huge part of the title push. One league defeat all season away from home is elite.

How the Tactic Played

The Stupid Cookie 4312 II is still built around the same basic idea:

two forwards attacking the box

a central support player behind them

wide midfielders giving the shape width and extra output

a central midfielder connecting play

fullbacks supporting from deeper zones

direct attacking flow with plenty of numbers near the front line

It is not trying to be clever for the sake of being clever. It is a simple attacking structure, but one that can generate a lot of pressure when the right players fit the roles.

That is also the most important lesson from this run.

The same overall tactical protocol can lead to different versions, different role choices and different outcomes. You can move one piece, change one role, tweak the structure, and suddenly the whole thing behaves differently. That is the fun part of Football Manager.

Key Performers

Georges Mikautadze

⚽ 45 goals🎯 17 assists⭐ 7.52 average rating

Huge season. He was the main scorer and one of the biggest reasons the tactic reached this level.

Tani Oluwaseyi

⚽ 31 goals🎯 12 assists⭐ 7.23 average rating

Very strong complementary output up front. The two-striker setup worked extremely well here.

Santi Comesaña

⚽ 26 goals🎯 11 assists

Massive return from the central support role. This is exactly the type of contribution that can make this shape really dangerous.

Nicolas Pépé

⚽ 12 goals🎯 29 assists⭐ 7.46 average rating

Outstanding creative output from the flank. One of the best playmakers in the squad and one of the clearest examples of how important the role fit is in this system.

Pape Gueye

⚽ 7 goals🎯 9 assists⭐ 7.04 average rating

A solid all-round contribution from midfield and an important part of the balance.

Final Verdict

This was a very successful solo-shot.

Villarreal won the league, scored heavily, stayed competitive in Europe, and pushed all the way to a Champions League semi final. The tactic also showed again that simple does not mean weak. If the profiles fit, a direct and aggressive structure can still produce top-level numbers.

The difference compared to some of the less convincing runs is exactly that: player fit matters.

With Villarreal, the attacking roles were much more convincing, the front line produced consistently, and the wide areas gave the tactic the kind of output it needs.

So if you liked the original Stupid Cookie concept, this was a very strong second chapter.

Download Package

This release includes:

📁 FM26 tactic file💾 Villarreal save file🖼️ Screenshots of the tactic and season results📊 Full season overview and player output