Make Defensive Forward role defend like (attacking) midfielders

[Kcinnay]

Hi everybody

I've been in doubt whether I should post this in the bug section or in the feature request version. But since the Defensive Forward role now works as it's intended by SI (I suppose), I post it here, because I'd like it to change.

At the moment, it's not possible to play with (a) striker(s) and to defend with everyone in your team behind the ball, without using man marking on the CM's. A small tweak in an existing role could change that.

In FM17, there isn't that much difference in the defensive positioning of a DF, if you compare it to an AF, a DLF, a CF, and so on. The defensive forward occassionaly starts to press a DM when he has the ball, but if he doesn't win the ball, he immediately returns to the middle of the pitch, to the mid-line, waiting for the counter, not defending, not trying to intercept the ball. He just waits, like a Poacher would do. I feel that's not really Defensive Forward like.

What I'd suggest is:

- Make a DF(s) track back behind the defensive midfielders when out of possession.
- Make a DF(d) track back behind the central midfielders when out of possession. (Like Atlético's strikers tend to do in big games.)

In the current ME, the DF actually tend to take those positions, but only when there is a defensive throw in. Then they are positioned deeper, like they should do in open play too, according to my request. An example:

My two strikers are respectively a DF(s)and a DLF(s). It would be great if their position at a throw in would be the same in open play, effectively dropping behind the defensive midfielders to form a compact block.

Ideally, a DF(d) would defend much deeper. That would be logical, since he has a lower mentality than most midfielders. I've drawn a line as where he could be positioned.

Even more ideal it would be if the DF roles would be more tweakable about how they play when they have the ball. Now, it's not possible to have them play more risky passes (don't know why), to make the DF(d) dribble more, and so on. That way, it'd be possible to play with, for example, two DF(d), and make them behave differently in possession. (Making one player play more risky passes and/or hold up ball, making the other player dribble more, play between the lines and roam).

It would be a small change, but a big solution for those users (and I think there are a lot) who would like to play with one or more strikers behind the ball. I don't think the dynamic of the strikers in general should change, but a tweak in the DF dynamic would be a helpful improvement.

I hope I made myself clear.

(For the mods: if this isn't the appropriate forum section, please move this post to the correct section. Thanks!)

[Neil Brock]

Reviewed so locked.