BWM in possession

[bumbisoft]

The ball winning midfielder's role when the team is not in possession is quite clear - closing down, tackling, winning the ball, etc. But what exactly is his role when the team is in possession?

Thanks in advance to whoever replies. :3

[Fenech]

He helps the team to keep possession. He creates chances for the attacking players. So he needs to be good technically. If he is on a defend duty, he just helps the team keep possession and passes the ball to a more creative player, if he is on a support duty, he will play higher up the pitch and support counter attacking opportunities..

[Ukchris]

A BWM on Support has a bit lower mentality and passing range than a generic CM on Support. He'd still have mixed forward runs so would get up the pitch to support attacks at times but he'd pick and choose when to do that. The slightly lower mentality and passing range would tend to see a few more shorter, safer passes but risky through balls are still possible, particularly if you play a creative player in the role and/or they have a PPM to try more risky passes. Overall you wouldn't see much difference in possession between a BWM-S and CM-S, just a little deeper on average.

A BWM on Defend on the other hand gets 'Fewer Risky Passes' and 'Dribble Less' when compared to a generic CM on Defend, which doesn't get those as default. That means when in possession a BWM-D is much less likely to play risky through balls than a CM-D. It can still happen but it should be less frequent. The player would also be more reluctant to run with the ball, passing on to the next player when closed down whereas a DM-D might be a bit more inclined to keep it a little longer and play their way out of pressure. On Defend duty both roles would hold position and stay deeper, not getting forward much.

So when compared to the generic CM role when you have possession, BWM seems extra safe when set to Defend but not much different on Support, just notched slightly deeper there.

[bumbisoft]

A BWM on Support has a bit lower mentality and passing range than a generic CM on Support. He'd still have mixed forward runs so would get up the pitch to support attacks at times but he'd pick and choose when to do that. The slightly lower mentality and passing range would tend to see a few more shorter, safer passes but risky through balls are still possible, particularly if you play a creative player in the role and/or they have a PPM to try more risky passes. Overall you wouldn't see much difference in possession between a BWM-S and CM-S, just a little deeper on average.

A BWM on Defend on the other hand gets 'Fewer Risky Passes' and 'Dribble Less' when compared to a generic CM on Defend, which doesn't get those as default. That means when in possession a BWM-D is much less likely to play risky through balls than a CM-D. It can still happen but it should be less frequent. The player would also be more reluctant to run with the ball, passing on to the next player when closed down whereas a DM-D might be a bit more inclined to keep it a little longer and play their way out of pressure. On Defend duty both roles would hold position and stay deeper, not getting forward much.

So when compared to the generic CM role when you have possession, BWM seems extra safe when set to Defend but not much different on Support, just notched slightly deeper there.

Thanks a lot. So basically, a BWM is a toned down version of a standard CM.

[Shake Appeal]

A BWM on Defend doesn't like to have possession. All he does is lay it off to a nearby player. If the ball comes to him, he will just recycle it safely.

A BWM on Support is a little less allergic to the ball, and he'll attempt the occasional through pass or long shot, especially if he's just won the ball back in a place that leaves the opposition exposed. He's also not afraid to get on the end of things in the box if the moment is right.

They are "toned-down" CMs in the sense that they are less likely to attempt defense-splitting passes or runs with the ball, but their focus on winning the ball back means they tend to be more mobile and aggressive without the ball than CMs are. And they obviously tackle harder. An unintelligent or heedless BWM can be a very bad thing for your team's shape.