Reducing longshots....try this....

[lam]

Hey,

For those of you that are seeing lots of long range shots, in particular from your MC's, try turning ON HUB (hold up ball).

I've tested this over 1.5 games and with a 451 formation (41221) and it reduced my long shots down to around 20-25%. from 50%.

Before anyone suggests low creative freedom and passing options and running with the ball.....I've tried all of that.

Give it a bash and if it works for you please post back here with how much it reduced by and also what formation you are playing with. For all I know it only works with the 451.....

Regards

LAM

ps... it also allowed for better passes into the box for my strikers.......

[Cleon]

Is this because the MC's where getting to far to forward and the strikers/wide players were marked out of the game? Meaning the MC's have no options but to shoot on sight? Because then hold up the ball would be great for allowing build up play and making sure the MC's didn't get to advanced and would give the supporting players a chance to get into better positions and make space.

I actually downloaded 3 tactics off this forum yesterday that all claimed they had to many long shots and this was the common problem that all 3 of them shared. I'll not say what tactics I had a look at though as that would be unfair.

[lam]

That was pretty much the reason behind it, nice work Holmes

For me it seems like a timing issue. I've watched time and time again where the opposition stikers sit in positions like mine and then step out of the line to receive a pass, make a tap back pass an step back into the line again.... all the while dragging my defenders around.

With the tactic I was playing I was not seeing this at all..... and with your insight now, I can see exactly what was happening (hadn't worked out the why before, just found the solution), my MC's were advancing nicely and almost pushing the line up themselse, this meant that the other MC had already advanced, the Fullbacks were advanced (and normaly not marked), the IF's were tucked inside and the FC was sitting between two DC's and two MC's...... a little tight.

Funny thing is, you almost can't even see that the MC's are using HUB.... it's almost unrecognizable, but that tiny tiny time they do and the menality that says 'dont shoot, just wait a bit', makes a massive difference. they pass the ball around between my little triangle (DM,MC,MC) wait for an open wide player or make a decent through ball.

Also......... and this is very far fetched at the moment..... (Very far) and uit's just a small observation I made (a tiny one) (like all my caveats???)...... I think RFD (Run from Deep) has an impact on whether or not a player will make a run forwards and the liklelyhood of him staying there once the attack breaks down.

I might be way off on this, but it seems with mixed RFD the players will make runs and then drop back more often for a pass/whatever and then make another run....... thus I am testing my RFD's to mostly mixed on my MC.MC.AML.AMR.DLP and seeing what happens...

(you know me, always post an idea before I test it).

That said... I am surprised that no one else has posted a reply.....perhaps it's not working for everyone.

[thomit]

... or perhaps because we don't really have a probem with too many long shots?

[Cleon]

I think its a bit of both.There are a lot of posts about to many long shots. Some might not post because they aren't actually watching matches and just the odd highlight which wouldn't highlight the issues with the MC been advanced. So they know they have the issue but don't know what to look for. Then you'll have the ones who don't pay attention to tactics so they focus more on the players rather than what they are doing in a game. Or you might have some who don't know what to look for an identify the issues. Or you might have some who don't have these issues because the way they play might not see the MC's move upfield as much due to how they've set up.

I always think long shots though are one of the easier aspects to sort out on the game though. It just requires watching the clips back and pausing the game and look at the player positioning via different camera angles and you can normally identify the issues.

I know everyone doesn't think this way, but for me that's how I find these kind of issues.

[Sikker]

That said... I am surprised that no one else has posted a reply.....perhaps it's not working for everyone.

I've tried it for one match. ~60% was long shots. It might have worked, though. If I hadn't maybe the percentage would have been closer to 80?

I seriously need to see a successful tactic so I can get an idea of why I suck this hard this year. In FM12 I made a 4-2-3-1 control that worked admirably. All I changed was player instructions and using shouts... And literally I can say the same for earlier editions...

[thomit]

My last match played (as Arsenal against Reading); 19 shots on goal, 4 of these were long shots. Not too bad, considering I have Cazorla who likes to shoot long (ppm). But then my tactics are geared towards thru-balls into the box, many players running into the box, and many providing the passes.

[Marvolo]

Its a problem I've had. Too many long shots with rarely selected on all players and not enough real shots despite a lot of time in the final third. I for one am grateful for the advice and shall be giving it a go.

[manager2012]

i whant a Paul Scholes who is hard tackling hardworking gets in the box and passes to the striker for tap ins.i donte mind if he shoots and misses but i whant him to score a few aswell. my problem is he shoots wide all the time.

[Famas2012]

does this slow your offence?? cause i want fast and efficient offence... i dnt want my cm holding up the ball and slows everything down

[Cleon]

Fast and efficient isn't any good if you don't have no supporting players though. Sometimes you need a player to stop play for a second and look around and allow the midfield runners to make their runs.

[Famas2012]

you are right but the team I'm using is very lack of creativity and highly rely on counter attack... but thank you anyway

[Cleon]

I think your missing the point. It can be used while counter attacking and makes sure you have supporting players. Rather than breaking quickly to realise you only have 1 person up top. It doesn't mean the player will always hold up the ball, it just means when 'he' thinks its needed he will. So he'd need decent decsions.

[Sikker]

Funny, I just changed my passing style from mixed to short (nothing else changed). It was like watching a different team.

Long shots decreased considerably (just had a game with only 1 in 16 shots (not that's a positive thing necessarily)) and my team closes down better (what has passing style got to do with this??? - I know the team plays a bit less wide, but still...).

With just this simple change suddenly my team almost plays the way I want them to.

[Switters]

Tried this with Arsenal. In most games Santi Cazorla don't pop off long shots as much, in other games he'd try long shot every chance he gets...

[J8mb0]

Mc's holding up the ball kind of old news. Try Dcs holding up the ball. That's where the money is at lads

[Cleon]

Mc's holding up the ball kind of old news. Try Dcs holding up the ball. That's where the money is at lads

Maybe actually read the thread. Having the DC's hold up the ball wouldn't help with the MC's shooting all the time.

Ohh and DC's holding up the ball is so FM05:brock:

[Saintjonny]

Problem occured for me with Spurs, I play a DM and 2 CMs, constantly shooting, ticked the Hold Ball and they started getting the shots on target, or making a pass.

[lam]

Posting back after I have learnt some things.

I'm not going to say that HUB on the MC's to stop them taking longshots is wrong........ but it's kinda using an instruction to cover issues elsewhere, and whilst it's great as a stop gap, in the long run you need to fix the problem.

Someone here was kind enough to 'lend' me their tactic and as soon as I started playing around with it I realised what my issue was.

I had to many players making runs into the box. No matter how many I had back supporting, I just had to many players in the box and the obvious downside to this is that generally speaking if you have a player in the box, the opposition likely have as many as you, plus two more, plus a keeper.......... that means it's pretty crowded.

Now, this may not apply to everyone, but as soon as I eased OFF the the RUN FROM DEEP, my longshots dropped dramatically. In my first three pre-season games, I am down to around one in three. Now, this is without HUB being used, other than for specific roles AND also without telling my players not too.

Clearly, it's about space and options. With less players in the box, there is more space, with more space, there is more movement, with more movement, there is more options, with more options, there is less waste (longshots).

So, just try it out! I play a 451 (41221) with a DM, MC, MC. My new setup (still testing) is DM-DLP, MCR(D), MCL(auto).

If you want to be lazy or find that HUB is actualy working nicely for you, then keep with it

LAM

[Colorado]

Good threat, plenty of food for thought and inside.

[thomit]

Posting back after I have learnt some things.

I'm not going to say that HUB on the MC's to stop them taking longshots is wrong........ but it's kinda using an instruction to cover issues elsewhere, and whilst it's great as a stop gap, in the long run you need to fix the problem.

Someone here was kind enough to 'lend' me their tactic and as soon as I started playing around with it I realised what my issue was.

I had to many players making runs into the box. No matter how many I had back supporting, I just had to many players in the box and the obvious downside to this is that generally speaking if you have a player in the box, the opposition likely have as many as you, plus two more, plus a keeper.......... that means it's pretty crowded.

Now, this may not apply to everyone, but as soon as I eased OFF the the RUN FROM DEEP, my longshots dropped dramatically. In my first three pre-season games, I am down to around one in three. Now, this is without HUB being used, other than for specific roles AND also without telling my players not too.

Clearly, it's about space and options. With less players in the box, there is more space, with more space, there is more movement, with more movement, there is more options, with more options, there is less waste (longshots).

So, just try it out! I play a 451 (41221) with a DM, MC, MC. My new setup (still testing) is DM-DLP, MCR(D), MCL(auto).

If you want to be lazy or find that HUB is actualy working nicely for you, then keep with it

LAM

You need balance: Who's going to run into the box unto through balls, who's going to provide those through balls, etc. Excessive long shots are most often a result of a static, un-dynamic attack - players have no other options left to them, other than stand with the ball and do nothing (!) -or - shoot long.

[nampuk]

This thread was very helpful for me because I was having the same problem - tons of long shots and small amount of goals. Tweaked this and that according to what I've understood in here but I still have a question. I've set my supporting mids (I use 3 midfielders - DM (DLP/S); CM (CM/S); CM (CM/A) to hold the ball and I can say that at least the amount of lousy shots was reduced but then another problem occured. My mids hold the ball nicely - that is good, waiting for a chance to open up but it seems that my forwards (2 of them - Poacher and DLF (s)) doesn't seem to care about what is going on and refuse to 'move' away from their marker and that way my mids can't make a good pass for them because the STs are marked tightly. How to make them 'move' more, I want them to try to open up spaces for themselves. What should I do?

[lam]

The Poacher is going to be unlikely to drop out of the line, the high mentality and often RFD see's to that, so in reality it's going to be your DLP that should leave the line.

Check the players PPM's, if I recall correctly, a DLF(S) has mixed RFD, however IF your player happens to have 'gets forward at every opportunity' or another such forward running PPM, then this could be the cause. Ironically, my DLF (Cavani) has the opposite problem, so I now set him to DLF(A) which has RFD often.

Also, your CM(S) and CM(A) are both going to be making runs, the (S) will be mixed and the (A) will be often, so they will often be in the way too.

I am finding that mixed RFD allows the player to make runs, but also to drop out of the line more often, this can be seens as a player moving in, finding that he didn't get the ball and then leaving the line to support the attack. Now, the nice thing about this is that when he leaves the line, he sometimes drags a player out with him......

It's not clear if you play with wingers, but if you are and they have RFD often and they cut inside, they too will be taking up space.

I've actually removed my HUB unless I am using roles/duties that have it as standard. Like I said a few posts back, it's really a stop-gap, albeit and efficient one.

LAM

[thomit]

Set them to roam, perhaps? Give them more choices in their attacking settings, ie not only run forward, not only run with ball, and so on ... try setting every slider to "sometimes", see how it goes. Also pay attention to what ppm's they may have - if for example one of them has "runs with ball often", try to negate his tendency to only want to run with the ball, by setting it to rarely. And so on. It's all about having options in attack.

You can experiment with individual mentality settings too - lower may sometimes be better than very attacking.