Distributing to Target Man

[difran8]

I'm having a very hard time trying to play a 442 with a TM up front: the passes towards him are usually intercepted before he has a chance for a header

The rest of the team is Control-Fluid with wide midfielders (A) and fullbacks (S). It's a very simple and logical setup and i fully expected it to work fairly decent. Necessary attributes are more than enough for every position

What is going wrong?

[herne79]

Nobody will be able to help without a lot more detail.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/327822-Asking-For-Help-PLEASE-READ-THIS

[difran8]

442, Control, Fluid

Fullbacks (S)

Central Defenders (D)

Wide Midfielders (A)

Central Midfielder (D)

Central Midfielder (S)

Target Man (S)

Poacher (A)

No Team Instructions, no player instructions

The usual pattern is a long ball from the defense (fullbacks) to the TM. But there are other long passes forward that are also intercepted. I kind of expected a difficulty in transition, but this is almost unplayable.

[Dr. Hook]

Control as a match strategy sets passing out of the defense to be more direct, and shorter in the final third. So, right off you are set to move the ball quickly forward. Secondly, you have one option in the middle of the park for a linking pass, and that is your CM(S). Your wingers are forward and going away from the ball in transition, and your CM(D) is hanging back. What you are seeing is expected with the setup: direct passes from the fullbacks into the final third. You can try dropping mentality to standard to get mixed passing across the board, you can try play out of defence TI to mitigate some of the long passes, but at the end of the day, they are going to be getting it towards your targetman. You need more midfield support I am guessing. Having one of your wide mids (or both) on support will give your defenders shorter options with the ball.

[herne79]

Control is an aggressive mentality. One outcome of this is it makes your team play with a more direct attacking intent.

A Fluid Team shape adds creativity to all of your players, so you can get more risky passes being made by everyone.

A Target Man is like a ball magnet. Everyone will try to pass to him.

I'd start there.

And please, if I link a thread that tells you how to ask for help, don't just skim read it and make a further short post that still lacks detail.

[difran8]

Nope, i think the attacking strategies have the opposite passing behavior from what you describe.

The suggestions are sound, but here is the catch: if i set the attacking pair as Advanced Forward & Deep Lying Forward (S) and the 2 wide midfielders as Wingers (A) and all other options the same, the transitions magically become perfect.

Therefore, i suspect the issue may lie in something difficult to notice, such as the creative freedom of the Fluid system

[BlueScreen]

Control as a match strategy sets passing out of the defense to be more direct, and shorter in the final third. So, right off you are set to move the ball quickly forward. Secondly, you have one option in the middle of the park for a linking pass, and that is your CM(S). Your wingers are forward and going away from the ball in transition, and your CM(D) is hanging back. What you are seeing is expected with the setup: direct passes from the fullbacks into the final third. You can try dropping mentality to standard to get mixed passing across the board, you can try play out of defence TI to mitigate some of the long passes, but at the end of the day, they are going to be getting it towards your targetman. You need more midfield support I am guessing. Having one of your wide mids (or both) on support will give your defenders shorter options with the ball.

Isn't it the other way around, or things have changed from previous versions?

[herne79]

It is the other way around, yes.

The ball will still move forward quickly however, due to things like pretty high individual player & team mentalities and tempo.

[Dr. Hook]

Hump me blue, I always get those confused. I should do the opposite of what I think. Sorry lads.

[Jean0987654321]

Doc, I think you were thinking Counter

I have no clue what is exactly the issue but I'll try to diagnose. You are playing with a Target Man. That itself is a one dimensional game. But what are you gonna do if you can't get the ball to him? Also, you have no TIs or PIs, and therefore a lack of plan B. You need a plan B, OP

[difran8]

Here is OP post revised with more details:

Problem: Unsatisfactory/failed transitions when playing with a Target Man in a 442 fluid

Shape/Formation: Control-Fluid 442 with the following roles

Fullbacks (s)

Central Defenders (d)

Wide Midfielders (a)

Central Midfielder (d)

Central Midfielder (s)

Target Man (s)

Poacher (a)

No team instructions, no player specific instructions, no funny PPMs except the TM (plays with back to goal)

Team/Level/Board Expectations: Title challenge, among the top 3 of the league, opponents most usually defend heavily

Details/Specific problems: I'd like some help pinpointing the reason i get this issue. I see the same pattern of Fullback taking a bit of time and then booting it up for the TM. This usually fails and the pass is intercepted regardless of the number of opposition players in defense.

Inversely, if i keep everything the same but change Wide Midfielders (a) to Wingers (a) , TM (s) to DLF (s) , Poacher (a) to Advanced Forward (a), the way the play develops is much more natural: fullbacks play towards the wing or attack but the passes connect more even when they are long

I'd like to make use of the Target Man role though. Most recently i tried dropping mentality-fluidity one level down and i see what i want to see (somewhat). Do you think the issue lies in the mentality or fluidity chosen initially? Both? Why?

[Guest]

I use targetman in a 442 ,too.

I've tried different mentalities and had no problems.

To reduce long passes from central defenders, I've set their passing to short using PI's and I also use play out of defence TI.

This TI is also useful to reduce long passes from fullbacks. I also have them on short passing but this is mainly because of their passing further up the pitch, I want them to cross if they have a good chance and if they don't, I want to keep the ball. Also, my left back plays with wide playmaker in front of him on the left side. That's why I've instructed my GK to roll the ball to him, and then he usually passes it to the wide playmaker, so there are no long passes to targetman.

Finally, in the midfield I have a roaming playmaker in CMr spot. As a playmaker, he'll attract more balls himself and due to his roaming he'll always be somewhere near the ball making himself available for a pass (typically from a wide playmaker cutting inside towards him, or a CM(d) whom I gave fewer risky passes) PI.

[kpsia518]

Here is OP post revised with more details:

Problem: Unsatisfactory/failed transitions when playing with a Target Man in a 442 fluid

Shape/Formation: Control-Fluid 442 with the following roles

Fullbacks (s)

Central Defenders (d)

Wide Midfielders (a)

Central Midfielder (d)

Central Midfielder (s)

Target Man (s)

Poacher (a)

No team instructions, no player specific instructions, no funny PPMs except the TM (plays with back to goal)

Team/Level/Board Expectations: Title challenge, among the top 3 of the league, opponents most usually defend heavily

Details/Specific problems: I'd like some help pinpointing the reason i get this issue. I see the same pattern of Fullback taking a bit of time and then booting it up for the TM. This usually fails and the pass is intercepted regardless of the number of opposition players in defense.

Inversely, if i keep everything the same but change Wide Midfielders (a) to Wingers (a) , TM (s) to DLF (s) , Poacher (a) to Advanced Forward (a), the way the play develops is much more natural: fullbacks play towards the wing or attack but the passes connect more even when they are long

I'd like to make use of the Target Man role though. Most recently i tried dropping mentality-fluidity one level down and i see what i want to see (somewhat). Do you think the issue lies in the mentality or fluidity chosen initially? Both? Why?

my double TM formation,just for referance :