This is the final version of the Zeman project: The Zeman Ultimate 433.

The original idea used two Free Roles around the central striker, but that structure demands exceptional profiles. Roma could not reproduce it consistently with the players available, so I adapted the front line.

Instead of forcing the original concept, I moved to:

DLF – CFD – DLF

two Wide Midfielders

one central CM

attacking Full-Backs

two Ball-Playing Centre-Backs

The principles remain aggressive and direct, but the roles are better suited to this Roma squad.

Season Results

🏆 Serie A winners

🏆 Italian Cup winners

❌ UEFA Europa League Semi Final, eliminated by Aston Villa

📈 98 league points

⚽ 123 league goals scored

🥅 36 league goals conceded

💥 +87 league goal difference

📊 82% overall win percentage

Every match was played.

Overall Gameplay Record

🎮 57 matches

✅ 47 wins

🤝 4 draws

❌ 6 defeats

⚽ 176 goals scored

🥅 53 goals conceded

💥 +123 goal difference

This was a very strong full-season performance, both domestically and in Europe.

Serie A Performance

Roma finished the league with:

32 wins

2 draws

4 defeats

98 points

123 goals scored

36 goals conceded

The team finished 16 points ahead of second place and produced more than three goals per league match.

The home and away split was also far more balanced than in several of my previous FM26 runs.

Home Record

🏟️ 17 wins

🤝 1 draw

❌ 1 defeat

⚽ 69 goals scored

🥅 17 goals conceded

Away Record

✈️ 15 wins

🤝 1 draw

❌ 3 defeats

⚽ 54 goals scored

🥅 19 goals conceded

The home performance remained stronger, but the drop away from home was not destructive. Roma still won 15 of 19 away league matches.

Underlying Data

The final league numbers were:

107.26 xG

123 actual goals

+15.74 goals above xG

39.48 xGA

36 actual goals conceded

3.48 fewer goals conceded than expected

83.85 xPts

98 actual points

+14.15 points above xPts

There was clear overperformance, particularly in finishing and points production. That should be acknowledged.

At the same time, generating more than 107 xG across the league still shows that the attacking output was not based only on finishing variance. The tactic consistently created a high volume of chances.

Europa League

Roma also finished first in the Europa League league phase:

7 wins

1 draw

0 defeats

25 goals scored

5 goals conceded

22 points

The European run eventually ended against Aston Villa in the semi final.

It was disappointing not to reach the final, but the overall European performance remained strong and confirmed that the tactic could work outside Serie A.

Why I Changed the Front Three

The first version used two Free Roles, but I do not think Roma had the correct profiles to make that system work at its best.

That version remains functional, but it needs extremely strong and complete attacking players. Rather than pretending every squad can execute the same roles equally well, I adapted the structure.

The final front three became:

Artem Dovbyk – Deep-Lying Forward

Evan Ferguson – Complete Forward

Donyell Malen – Deep-Lying Forward

The two DLFs connect the wide areas and midfield with the central striker, while the CFD remains the primary reference inside the box.

This gave the attack better connections without removing the aggressive identity of the tactic.

Key Performers

Evan Ferguson

⚽ 38 goals

🎯 10 assists

⭐ 7.32 average rating

Ferguson became the main central reference. His output showed why the central forward profile is so important in this system.

Donyell Malen

⚽ 29 goals

🎯 17 assists

⭐ 7.49 average rating

Malen produced the best average rating among the regular starters. He contributed both as a scorer and as a connector from the right side of the front three.

Artem Dovbyk

⚽ 14 goals

🎯 3 assists

⭐ 6.99 average rating

Dovbyk did not match the output of Ferguson or Malen, but he still contributed across a season in which the attacking setup changed.

Matías Soulé

⚽ 12 goals

🎯 26 assists

⭐ 7.36 average rating

Soulé was one of the most productive players in the entire squad. The Wide Midfielder role allowed him to create consistently without needing to occupy the highest attacking line.

Manu Koné

⚽ 17 goals

🎯 8 assists

⭐ 7.27 average rating

A major contribution from the only central midfielder in possession. This role has to cover space, connect the structure and still arrive in attacking areas.

Koné handled that responsibility extremely well.

Bryan Zaragoza

⚽ 11 goals

🎯 20 assists

⭐ 7.17 average rating

The left side also produced consistently. Zaragoza gave the tactic width, progression and direct attacking output.

Angeliño

⚽ 3 goals

🎯 13 assists

⭐ 7.23 average rating

Angeliño supported the left flank from deeper areas and added another reliable source of creativity.

Tactical Structure

In Possession

The shape attacks with:

three central forwards

two Wide Midfielders

one central CM

two supporting Full-Backs

two Ball-Playing Centre-Backs

a Ball-Playing Goalkeeper

The front five occupy the final third, while the Full-Backs provide additional support from deeper positions.

The structure is deliberately aggressive. It is designed to push players forward, create multiple central targets and attack before the opposition can settle.

Out of Possession

The system returns toward a more conventional defensive structure, with the wide players dropping and the central players protecting the middle.

It is still an aggressive tactic and will not remove every transition risk. The purpose is not to create a passive defensive block. The aim is to recover the ball and attack again quickly.

Final Verdict

This is the strongest and most complete version of the Zeman project so far.

It is not the same structure as the original double Free Role version. That change was deliberate.

The Free Role version can work, but it requires elite profiles. Roma needed a different solution, and the double DLF setup produced a much more convincing balance between connections, movement and individual output.

The result was:

🏆 two domestic trophies📈 98 league points⚽ 123 league goals✅ 47 wins from 57 matches📊 an 82% win rate

The tactic remains extremely aggressive, but it is more adaptable than the original version and better suited to a wider range of squads.

Download Package

The release includes:

📁 FM26 tactic file

💾 AS Roma save file

🖼️ Tactical and season screenshots

🎮 TI/PI mini-video for console players