Mechanising the Play - Emptying Space and Discovered Attacks

[F0rzaH]

A taste of the types of article that I post on my blog. I thought I'd share with the community...

"Football tactics are a world without absolutes. Beyond a few basics there are rarely rights and wrongs. It is about balance, about trading off positives for negatives and trying to shift the way the game is played so that it emphasizes your team's strengths and your opponents weaknesses." - Jonathan Wilson, World Soccer, November 2012

The above quote encapsulates everything I feel about football tactics perfectly. The trick of identifying the weak spots in an opponents system and shifting my own to take advantage of those weaknesses is something that I thrive on. In this respect football tactics and indeed FM tactics are closely linked to chess strategy, when I play chess I am completely reactive constantly shifting emphasis of attack and overall strategy to take advantage of any opportunity that my opponent gives me. The close relationship between chess and FM has therefore led me to this topic.

A discovered attack is a term used in chess for an attack that is only revealed when you move one piece out of the way to allow another to attack the free space. This is a strategy that I constantly use in Football Manager and that I have referred to in more than one tactical review. This is also a topic which is so big that I have chosen to split it in to two sections. This post will concentrate on discovered attacks in the wide areas whilst my next article will look at how discovered attacks can be effective in central areas.

The System

Again fairly self explanatory. I'm using players attacking from the fullback area to attack the space that should be emptied by the wingers cutting in towards the penalty area. I have an AMC to act as a pivot to ensure that the ball is sprayed in to the wide areas to take advantage of the space and overload that we are looking to achieve.

In Game

Here we can see a perfect example of the theory being put in to action. As the ball is fed centrally in to the feet of the AMC in the pivot role the left winger cuts in on a diagonal run towards the penalty area. As the winger moves the attacking full back is free to move forwards in to the space. He hasn't got an opposition full back in attendance and the AI right back is left having to choose between tracking the attacking run of the winger or moving out to negate the threat of the attacking left back moving up the line.

Here you can clearly see the advantage that this strategy can give you.

There is a lot going on here but I wanted to give you an example with the whole system working in tandem together. This is such an attacking strategy that there is little thought to the defensive side of the game. I'm sure we have all been in situations at whatever level of the game we have played ourselves when we are told that if one fullback attacks then the other sits back to maintain defensive integrity. Not here.

The ball is fed directly in to the feet of the striker whom has dropped slightly off the line. As he does so the mechanics of the system start to snap in to motion. On both flanks the wingers move infield emptying the wide areas and dragging the AI full backs with them. As they do both full backs move right up the field to stretch the field across the entire width. The striker then has a choice of four distinct attacking passes that will split the defensive line and allow us to attack in behind the AI.

Discovered Attacks are so effective in chess because when you set the move in motion your opponent has to worry not only about the new piece moving from deep but also about the piece that has moved in to empty the space. The same principle can of course be applied within football manager.

Here you can see exactly how this can work within the game. The left winger has once again moved in to a central area dragging the fullback out of position. Oriol in the left back position is then able to move forward as we have seen in previous examples and once again the ball is fed out to the advancing player in the wide area. This time though the AI right back chooses to move back to engage the attacking full back. As he does however he is forced to ignore the more advanced threat with the left winger being left unattended on the edge of the penalty area. The ball is slipped in to the box via the overload and we have an easy chance at goal. Here we are clearly taking advantage of the AI weakness.

Once again I have taken a screenshot of the entire attacking motion of the team to show what it tends to look like when we are building a sustained period of attack as opposed to working in a short sharp attack as possession changes hands. Here we have taken possession of the ball and worked it around the edge of the AI area. Our three man central midfield has pushed right up in to an advanced position dragging the AI deeper and deeper. As our wingers move infield the AI is left with 8 players 25 yards from goal and only across the width of the penalty area. At that point our attacking full backs are free to join the attach making use of the space that has been presented to them in the wide areas. As they do so we are able to feed the ball out wide taking it in to the box and feeding one of the attacking players for an easy finish.

Taking advantage of the wide areas within FM is an excellent way to overbalance the AI defence and by using discovered attacks we can create overloads that allow us to cut through the defensive line to create chances.

Stay tuned for the next article which will go live on the next week showing the use of discovered attacks in central areas.

I'm not going to post a link back to my blog. If you're interested then there is a thread with links in the Football Manager Fansites section of the forum.

[iMan]

I kinda have a simlar set up with my Ajax side but have 2 inside fowards and AP is on attack. Should I maybe put him on support?

[Jad123]

Can recommend the other articles on this site. Really interesting stuff.

[Cleon]

Nice to see you posting here Scott. It's fine if you'd like to add a link to your blog in the opening post reffering back to the original source

Attacking wise you look great however from this screenshot it shows you are vulnerable to quick, direct counter attacks as it would be 2 on 2 or 3-4/2. It would be much easier for the opposition to break than it would be for your players to turn around and get back to defend. As turning round from facing the opposite way can take a second or two so you'd be on the back foot. I'm guessing the only players back are the DC's?

You must have been punished playing this way a few times or if not then you are really lucky

[danthemanwhocan]

Ok so my Two cents.

You have here neither an advantage or disadvantage in my opinion based on pure numbers. The Ai has 9 men back, and two up top. You have 9 men attacking and two defending.

I assume this is the positioning of your players:

All very well and good, BUT the advantage doesn't come from how many but the positioning of said players. Why is your BWM next to your AP's? In my opinion I would want him Anchoring the back line of now only two people. If they have fast strikers and you slow defenders, you could be in trouble, especially as neither of their players is offside.

Further more the spacing of you AP's should be so that you have channels to all players without much movement. if that makes sense, You AP should not have to dribble so much especially with that many men behind the ball.

This is a little rudimentary and im sorry, I don't have the best paint skills. But I would rather My players be positioned like this: Forgive the archaic paint depictions, maybe they need to relay some turf.....

As you can see with the highlighted lines, I feel this gives your AP's better opportunities to create chances. There are holes in the defence, but it is so important for your APs and Supporting players to get the pass right. One interception and you could be on a counter attack. Which is why I would Anchor my guy in front of my D.

I play along the same lines, but I like to be a little more anchored in my Defence. I dont attack with defensive abandonment.

Hope this makes sense. If I have missed anything or missed the point of anything feel free to let me know.

I understand that this is supposed to highlight the emptying of space and discovering attack, but right now you too have emptied a lot of space but I feel you could fill the holes a lil better.

[donpost2]

This is a really good read, including the reponses from other forum members, good work

I'm guessing the best way to make the modifications suggested by danthemanwhocan would be to move the AMC to the DMC position and give him the anchorman role? Then we're back to the 4-1-2-2-2 that is very common in the game.

As a 4-4-2 user I'd be interested to see how this could be applied to that formation. I think if I was to implement it I'd have to restrict this type of attack to one flank at a time (i.e only one full back moves forward) but god knows how you'd do that ingame.

I'm off to have a read of your site

[lam]

Gonna go and take a peek with at your blog shortly.

Today I decided, for the first time in a long time, to try something other than a 442. I decided to go with the 451 or rather the 41221 (DM) (who knows which is which nowadays).

Anyhows, Within a few games I was very please to discover various ways of creating space and making use of it. I have show in the diagram below the two ways that seem to be working well for me.

The one on the left is my prefered option if facing a deep defence (a DM or two) and the one on the right is for when they are a little weak defensively, so against a MAN U 4231 etc.

The left one creates space on the flanks for the WINGBACKS (A) to run onto as the wingers are set to IF(A), with the MC's pushing up a little to support back passes (run from deep mixed).

The right one keeps the WINGERS wide - WINGER (A) and pushes the MC's into the space vacated by the opposition DL/R. If this drags the opposition MC's back then I have space and time for my DLP to play with. My WINGBACKS push up a little (support) and provide back pass options.

Ideally I set them up as mentioned earlier, but it is also nice to change around for 15 minutes here or there when the opposition seem to have settled into a defensive pattern (ie I'm struggling to break through).

Just had a tough time against Stoke with it though. They played a 442 deep (2xDM) who dropped into the defence line. After one penalty, I finally broke through and came out with a 4-2 win. Their goals were a bounce off a bottom from a throw in (own goal) and a penalty.

Regards

LAM

ps... .loving your diagrams...... may I ask what software you're using?

[Midnight Rob]

It's always great to see a thread with so many arrows . Quite amusing...but in all seriousness, Forza is a good poster and both his blog, and The Dugout - where he learnt everything - are well worth a look.

[Rashidi]

Personally i think this has to be one of the threads of the season. Its something every FM manager needs to realize..how to create openings.

[tajj 7]

Surely the winger should be Inside forwards? unless your instructions have been changed default winger set up will see them get to the wide areas and look for a cross.

I would also use an anchor man to protect against counter attacks better. A BWM, will chase the ball everywhere, whereas the anhor man will hold his position better and may be able to intercept passes up to the striker.

[jdrawmer]

Surely the winger should be Inside forwards? unless your instructions have been changed default winger set up will see them get to the wide areas and look for a cross.

I would also use an anchor man to protect against counter attacks better. A BWM, will chase the ball everywhere, whereas the anhor man will hold his position better and may be able to intercept passes up to the striker.

Was thinking this myself - the only difference between Winger and Inside Forward that I can see in the individual sliders is their wing play - would be interesting to know what sliders you have changed for your wingers.

[tomadeira08]

It has been mentioned that this tactic could be a little vunerable to the counter attack, but could it be that if you are playing against weaker sides anyways or sides that are not so quick that the constant pressure would keep them at bay?

At the moment I am playing a 4-4-2 which works very similar on the basis that space is created on the wings as my wingers will push very high up or attack the channels. My full backs will provide extra width and move into the space if need be. I find that my full backs are often available to pass to when we I need to give the ball to someone to recycle the ball or get the cross in.

So could it be that the constant pressuring from being so high up in number would mean that you could either 1 stop the pass out to create the counter or 2 pressure a mistake?

Or that being so attacking and putting pressure on the defense means that you will more often score more goals?

Saying that in my own 4-4-2 my middle pair on DLP one Defence and one support. So in my own tactic anyway they are meant to be a shield from the counter anyways.

[Cleon]

It has been mentioned that this tactic could be a little vunerable to the counter attack, but could it be that if you are playing against weaker sides anyways or sides that are not so quick that the constant pressure would keep them at bay?

For me this highlights the 'I dominated the game with 30 shots and 20 on target, opposition has 1 shot and scored' threads/posts. Creating space is all good and well but you've also got to learn to defend the space too when you lose possession to stop the above scenarios happening.

[tomadeira08]

Yeah that fair enough and I think people who complain about being hit on the counter and losing really shouldn't complain.

I would tend to take this cavalier attitude against weaker sides. I don't think once I get to the SPL with Rangers that I will be playing so openly because the quality of the opposition will probably hurt me.

But still it is possible to play like this and win things?

[Cleon]

Yeah that fair enough and I think people who complain about being hit on the counter and losing really shouldn't complain.

I would tend to take this cavalier attitude against weaker sides. I don't think once I get to the SPL with Rangers that I will be playing so openly because the quality of the opposition will probably hurt me.

But still it is possible to play like this and win things?

Yeah you can get very far playing this way and have loads of success. You just have to be aware of the flip side though which have been mentioned above.

[Coleman]

I have to say well done to the OP. This is an inspiring discussion. I discovered your blog during the FM13 beta and value it highly. Thanks to this thread, I've also discovered Push Them Wide. We need more threads like this and blogs that dig deep on tactics. Again, great job. Can't wait to see how you create space centrally!

[Shrewnaldo]

As I said on your blog, Forza, this is a fantastic piece of work - as per.

Looking forward to your future articles.

[11v11]

[

both will work, it is how you plan to score, if you have an aerial forward then attack from flanks use the method on the right of the picture, if you have a skilled striker then use the one on the left with focus attack to center. personally, I wont stretch my full/wing-backs to attack, support at best and they work very well too. I have set up both my MC with attack to overload the oppositions back four (which doesn't quie happen on low mentality) while the full/wing-backs and DMC provide cover for both possession and disturb attempts at counter-attack with a low defensive line

[Bpz73]

Gonna go and take a peek with at your blog shortly.

Today I decided, for the first time in a long time, to try something other than a 442. I decided to go with the 451 or rather the 41221 (DM) (who knows which is which nowadays).

Anyhows, Within a few games I was very please to discover various ways of creating space and making use of it. I have show in the diagram below the two ways that seem to be working well for me.

The one on the left is my prefered option if facing a deep defence (a DM or two) and the one on the right is for when they are a little weak defensively, so against a MAN U 4231 etc.

The left one creates space on the flanks for the WINGBACKS (A) to run onto as the wingers are set to IF(A), with the MC's pushing up a little to support back passes (run from deep mixed).

The right one keeps the WINGERS wide - WINGER (A) and pushes the MC's into the space vacated by the opposition DL/R. If this drags the opposition MC's back then I have space and time for my DLP to play with. My WINGBACKS push up a little (support) and provide back pass options.

Ideally I set them up as mentioned earlier, but it is also nice to change around for 15 minutes here or there when the opposition seem to have settled into a defensive pattern (ie I'm struggling to break through).

Just had a tough time against Stoke with it though. They played a 442 deep (2xDM) who dropped into the defence line. After one penalty, I finally broke through and came out with a 4-2 win. Their goals were a bounce off a bottom from a throw in (own goal) and a penalty.

Regards

LAM

ps... .loving your diagrams...... may I ask what software you're using?

Not criticizing here, just a suggestion. I think that the way in which you posted your example is not the correct one: you should take two different screenshots, not just modify the arrows on the same one. That's because roles and duties of the players are not the same for the two methods you illustrated. An expert player will understand that at glance but a newbie won't and this forum is supposed to help those with a limited tactical insight.

I know that you explained how things change in your text. I'm just referring to the images because many people just stick to those.