How to be more attacking??

[thomas166]

I currently play 4-2-3-1 as shown below. I find the way I have it set up very solid defensively but I found that against weaker opposition we often struggle to score a winning goal, resulting in a lot of dropped points.

Any suggestions on how to improve it?

Mentality: Counter

Structure: Balanced

GK

De

WB - CB - CB - WB

Su - De - De - Su

DLP - BWM

Su - De

W - AP - W

Su - At- At

AF

At

Team Instructions:

Higher Tempo

Balanced Width

Normal Defneisve Line

Closing Down More

Tighter Marking

Clear Ball to Flanks

More Direct Passing

Be More Expressive

Work Ball Into Box/Hit Early Crosses - depending on how effective our crossing is

[Jean0987654321]

I don't know what you mean. You are using a counter mentality which is aimed for a more defensive/cautious game compared to attacking mentality. You are not kicking teams to the curb 5-0 every week when using that. If you want to be "more" attacking then up the mentality

[thomas166]

I'd like to see more CCCs, in a lot of games I'm seeing the crosses coming in, and headers or shots are going wide. I've bumped it up to Overload agaisnt bottom of the league teams for over half an hour because we're drawing and it's always a struggle to grab a winner.

It's likely to be a product of the defensive solidity i've set the team up for, but I'm conscious that it could be something that a PI/TI tweak could sort out

[Yankee112DK]

How is "More direct passing" supposed to work together with "work ball into box"?

If you are seeing crosses going in, but you are not creating CCCs, probably you need to be more patient and wait for better openings by passing shorter. With counter/overload and "More direct passing" your team will attack with less patience.

[SpartyOn]

"Clear Ball to Flanks" is a pretty cautious shout. Between that, counter mentality, and more direct passing, your defenders are just going to hoof the ball out wide all the time.

That's not necessarily a bad thing if you're playing cautiously or trying to counter quickly down the flanks, but those aren't likely to be very useful strategies against weaker teams that sit deep against you.

[thomas166]

How is "More direct passing" supposed to work together with "work ball into box"?

If you are seeing crosses going in, but you are not creating CCCs, probably you need to be more patient and wait for better openings by passing shorter. With counter/overload and "More direct passing" your team will attack with less patience.

I see the direct passing as the transition between defence and attack, with the centre backs clearing it too my midfielders to instigate the attack. The crossing is our strength and we primarily use that but for some matches where crossing isn't working, I switch to work the ball into the box with the attacking players working the ball between them. It seems the team plays in two halves, the defenders, and the attacking quartet, with my two central midfielders floating between the two units. and they pass it shorter within their unit, and direct from one unit to the other.

"Clear Ball to Flanks" is a pretty cautious shout. Between that, counter mentality, and more direct passing, your defenders are just going to hoof the ball out wide all the time.

That's not necessarily a bad thing if you're playing cautiously or trying to counter quickly down the flanks, but those aren't likely to be very useful strategies against weaker teams that sit deep against you.

I think that's where we are struggling. I know we have a weakness from set pieces and a weaker team will often take a lead from a corner early on, and then sit back for 80 odd minutes, and when they sit deep we really struggle to break through

[paulynho01]

Well, have you considered changing mentality to Control/Attacking?

[bowieinspace]

For those games against weaker opposition I would go to a more attacking mentality and then adjust the shouts accordingly.

Going to a more attacking mentality will naturally increase tempo, so you would likely not need to have a 'higher tempo in addition, equally it will also make passing more direct, so you could potentially drop that back to 'normal' as well. Then I'd like to remove clear ball to flanks option.

At the moment with your set up, if the opposition is defending against you, your players won't be that adventurous and will be playing direct at a high tempo up to the forwards, who will be regularly outnumbered against a deep defensive line. By switching up the mentality, your players will be more likely look for the risky pass and look to carve out chances, with more attacking players moving to get onto the end of balls and crosses.

[thomas166]

I will try those changes bowie and see what happens

[ozilthegunner]

Where do you expect your goals to come from with this setup? The striker, obviously, but anyone else?

The wingers will tend to stay out wide and feed the ball in (unless they have PPMs which counter the roles you gave them, but even then that is not reliable). The AP, even on attack, will be more provider than shooter (but at least on attack he will make occasional dashes into the box to try to score). Neither CM is of any real use (the DLP(s) will sometimes shoot from distance I suppose).

What I would recommend is adding an additional goal scorer to the mix. Changing one of the wingers to an IF or raum would do the trick. You could instead change the AP to something else but I presume the AP is a useful passer so that may be less interesting to you.

Anyway, I think that would be a useful approach. Personally I don't like two outright wingers on the flanks. I need one creeping in.

[bowieinspace]

I will try those changes bowie and see what happens

Hope it works out!

Always worth looking to build on it further as well, because as ozil says above, you may want to have a second member of the attacking 4 providing more a goal scoring threat. That would work well in combination with the changes I suggested. I would echo his thoughts in that sense, in that one of the wide players being in a role that allows them to drift more centrally could work well, or alternatively switching the AP to an AM (A) depending on your playing preference and the players at your disposal.

[thomas166]

Where do you expect your goals to come from with this setup? The striker, obviously, but anyone else?

The wingers will tend to stay out wide and feed the ball in (unless they have PPMs which counter the roles you gave them, but even then that is not reliable). The AP, even on attack, will be more provider than shooter (but at least on attack he will make occasional dashes into the box to try to score). Neither CM is of any real use (the DLP(s) will sometimes shoot from distance I suppose).

What I would recommend is adding an additional goal scorer to the mix. Changing one of the wingers to an IF or raum would do the trick. You could instead change the AP to something else but I presume the AP is a useful passer so that may be less interesting to you.

Anyway, I think that would be a useful approach. Personally I don't like two outright wingers on the flanks. I need one creeping in.

Surprisingly, the wingers are highly efffective at getting goals, the amount of times I see one cut inside and whip the ball across the six yard box for the other to tap in is ridiculous

[bowieinspace]

Surprisingly, the wingers are highly efffective at getting goals, the amount of times I see one cut inside and whip the ball across the six yard box for the other to tap in is ridiculous

I play with 2 wingers (both on support) in a very attacking 4-2-3-1 in my Athletic Club save and get the same results as this