Latest tactics attempt

[WhyMe]

Every year I attempt to make my own tactics and they sadly never work so here I am trying to learn again.

The thinking behind the tactic

Ok I am a fan of unorthodox shapes but sadly without enough understanding of how the roles interact with each other to actually create a workable tactic. What in my head makes sense never actually does in the game ah well. Anyway what I am trying to create with this tactic is a relatively fluid inter changing front three in the asymmetric formation set up. So the striker and AMC treq and AML RD are intended to create this fluid attack. The right full back on CWB-a provides the attacking thrust down that side hitting early crosses to the back post behind the opposition defence for the RD to run onto (that bit actually works ok). The 2 CMs and 1 DMC are intended to provide cover to the back four and cover for the right full backs forward runs. In addition they are intended along with the treq to control the ball when needed if the opposition is sitting deep. My original thought was the left sided CM would also need to provide late runs into the box for potential cut backs but if that isn't viable I am not fussed. The primary goal scorers are intended to be the RD with both the striker and Treq also getting quite a few.

The formation and roles and instructions are pictured below

Player instructions:

CM support has get further forward to try and encourage late runs into the box

GK has distribute to full backs and distribute quickly

DLF has roam from position to encourage the inter changing I mentioned and dribble less largely because the player I am testing the tactic with (Giroud) is rubbish at dribbling.

The things I don't want to change and those I do

I want to keep the general formation of the tactic in its current asymmetric form and if at all possible I want to keep the RD, Treq and CWB-a roles for the three positions. I am however entirely open to any other roles changes, changes to mentality, team shape or team or player instructions. I have used Arsenal in FMC to test the tactic because they already have suitable players but it is not eventually intended for their use.

What the problems are

Can't keep hold of the ball very well and defensively we give up far too many decent chances. Add to that going forward unless the early cross to the far post works we don't really create anything. Please let me know why any changes you suggest would be good so I can try to learn from this experience (though with my track record that might be optimistic) Thanks to anyone who tries to help.

[eple]

Hitting early crosses don't really make sense to me. In my opinion it's to be used when you are facing a team playing a high d-line and you have a striker playing on the shoulder of the last defender. So, in example if you are palying Walcott upfront and using a counter mentality and wingers on support duty.

[WhyMe]

Actually the early crosses is the only bit of the tactic that works as Sanchez effectively plays as a wide poacher in the RD role so the early cross to the back post is at the moment the only way we score, which is obviously part of the problem, we need more than one route to goal.

[spankie]

Not an expert but, I wouldn't use Structured team shape with a set up like that, you'd be better off with Fluid or Very Fluid. You only have 3, maybe 4 specialised roles and Structured will force the non-specialist players to stick to their settings more. They would need a little more freedom to create space for the pass.

I don't think you have any forwards putting preassue on the defenders. The DLF will drop back close to being in the hole, the Treq will wander around mainly in the hole and the RMD will only be a late arrival up front. Perhaps a more offensive role for the DLF, AF perhaps?

I think that there's also a bit of a gap between the midfield and forwards although the Treq will help. Perhaps change the DLP to AP, or CM to B2B?

Defenisvly I'm not sure. Perhaps having a central midfielder enforcer type might help. The Anchorman will shield the central defenders, he won't be winngin the ball much. I'd have a BWM in ther as well.

Possibly have a BWM(S) and AP(S) might help with both defense and attack. or BWM and B2B on support. Either way have the BWM to the right of the central pair closer to the potential gap made by the advancing RB.

[eple]

Actually the early crosses is the only bit of the tactic that works as Sanchez effectively plays as a wide poacher in the RD role so the early cross to the back post is at the moment the only way we score, which is obviously part of the problem, we need more than one route to goal.

Interesting! How effective is it though? I mean, is that the route your team takes most of the time? Or does it only happen rarely? And how is the crossing completion. What I'm getting at, I guess, is whether or not you are limiting your natural build up play by always hitting early crosses. Watching the games on key or extended you would only really see the couple of times it did work, and not the times it didn't work and you wasted possession.

Can you post a pic of crosses attempted from the analysis tool in a few matches?

[OlivierL]

This is quite scary 'Whyme' .. i created a tactic on paper and 90procent of what u posted, was written on my papers :)

i'm going for a inside forward btw.

i'll be reading this topic with big interest.

[SpartyOn]

You have both your playmakers on the right side of the field, so play will likely be focused in that direction. Who's making forward runs on that side? Just Bellerin. So rather than looking for Sanchez who's on the opposite side of the field, or Giroud who's dropping deep, your playmakers will more likely pick out Bellerin's run, get him the ball, and then he'll hit an early cross.

I agree with eple that you should take a look at the crossing stats. Given your setup I would guess that Bellerin's assists to Sanchez are coming more from the volume of crosses than the quality.

If Ozil was in a central AMC position, he'd have an easier time linking up with Sanchez. Then you could slide Giroud over to the right and gave him an attack duty (perhaps DLF/A or CF/A, one where he holds up the ball). Then when Ozil gets the ball, instead of just dumping it to the flank, he's got your two best goal threats in front of him looking to get into scoring positions.

[OlivierL]

I created my latest tactic (like i said in a post earlier , looks a lot like ur formation)

-------------------GK sweeper--------------------

FB(sup) - BPD(def)-CD(def)--WB(att)

-------------------Anchor-----------------

------------BBM-------DLP(sup)

IF(at)-----------------SS(att)

------------------CF(sup)

It is going ok (only played four games , defensive good, the DL is a real threat ..

I'm not sure where I should put my box to box player... because he isn't making a lot of runs(inside forward and shadow striker are making the run)

[WhyMe]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll give it a try when I get back (I'm away for a while).

[WhyMe]

Hi guys, I didn't actually get back until after the patch update so I took a look at what you had suggested and tested it out a bit but unfortunately defensively I couldn't get the right hand side stable enough with the previous formation. Therefore I made a few changes while trying to keep the same general idea. I made two formation changes, The first and more minor was to move the striker slightly more centrally to give the RD a bit more room as someone suggested. Secondly, I moved the DLP back to the DM line (moving the anchor in the graphic to the left DMC slot). Role changes wise, I changed the anchor to a DM-d and the biggest change the remaining CM (still in the left hand slot) to an AP attack. I also changed the keeper to a sweeper keeper - attack due to the high defensive line.

Currently I am using the instructions play slightly higher, be more expressive (to mitigate the highly structured shape), close down more, off side trap and play slightly wider.

I am now also doing whipped crosses instead of early crosses.

On the whole this is going pretty well although when I run up against teams with two DMs I really struggle. The only real problem is that while I am creating some good chances and scoring a decent number of goals I am struggling a bit with getting my shots on target percentage up which is usually a bad sign. Is there anything that might be causing this in the new setup or anything that I need to consider?

I have tried to take into account previous points, at least where they fit into what I am trying to achieve. I didn't for example wish to move Ozil to the central AMC position as that rather defeats the object of what I am trying to do indeed I prefer to see him playing one twos and breaking past the central striker or playing a diagonal ball into Sanchez which is btw working now, I'm just not sure how to get the shots on target up.