Some help please.

[LeeWHU888]

Been managing Bath for 16 seasons, I've managed to get them into the Premier League, got relegated in my 1st season bounced back, finished 7th, then 9th. Just started the next season and I've started well results wise, However, the performances have been pretty poor, and just want some advice on my tactics and how any of you's would set the team up.

The main concerns at the moment is that my striker has only been averaging about 6.5 rating, the same as my wingers and 2 CM's, the back 5 seem to be doing ok but the middle not paying well keeps putting me under pressure and if we do break, the wingers get the ball yet can't seem to beat their man and then lose the ball and we get another wave of attack coming back at us. I know sitting slightly deeper means that the front line haven't got too much support when we do win the ball but I've tried a higher line and each time I just get caught with a ball over the top.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Armistice]

I think it's decent enough, but you can switch one of your CMs to an attack duty to help support your striker.

[summatsupeer]

Your tactic screen says more direct passing but your instruction screen says shorter passing, which is it?

Ratings doesn't tell us what your issues are, you've told us one, your wingers can't beat there opponent.  I would remove the clear ball to flanks so your team tries different things.  Id then look at the midfield three which is very conservative.  There's no creative players or players who look to get forward.  

Your complete forward will roam and look to drive forward with the ball or play through another runner but who's there to help? Two wingers will be wide and two cm-s won't get up until later in moves.  If a winger does beat there man who is in the box for his cross?

If your playing a midfield 3 I'd go with the traditional 1 destroyer, 1 creator and 1 runner.  I'd consider changing a winger to a player who will come inside to offer something different from the other wing.

[LeeWHU888]

33 minutes ago, summatsupeer said:

Your tactic screen says more direct passing but your instruction screen says shorter passing, which is it?

Ratings doesn't tell us what your issues are, you've told us one, your wingers can't beat there opponent.  I would remove the clear ball to flanks so your team tries different things.  Id then look at the midfield three which is very conservative.  There's no creative players or players who look to get forward.  

Your complete forward will roam and look to drive forward with the ball or play through another runner but who's there to help? Two wingers will be wide and two cm-s won't get up until later in moves.  If a winger does beat there man who is in the box for his cross?

If your playing a midfield 3 I'd go with the traditional 1 destroyer, 1 creator and 1 runner.  I'd consider changing a winger to a player who will come inside to offer something different from the other wing.

Thank you both for the replies.

Ah it's shorter passing, I was playing more direct but as I kept giving away possession I changed it to shorter. I did identify the CM position as an area I needed to improve but other positions had to take priority and I ran out of money. I did think having both CM's on support would create issues, what would you suggest, maybe an AP on attack, a B2B and an anchor man or DM? I'll put my left winger as an IF, he seems to have the attributes to play that role well.

With the changes, would you say keep the ST as a CF or switch his role up a bit too?

[summatsupeer]

At home so easier to see images.

Vergez has good ball playing attributes, infact they're better than his defensive abilities. I'd say your wasting him as an Anchorman, he could easily be a DLP who does many of the same things when you don't have possession but offers more with the ball.

I'd probably try Cretnik as an AP-S, he's a bit between a AP and DLP, he's not defensively weak but is missing a couple of AP attributes like off the ball.  I'd say he is a good fit for 433 playmaker, you wouldn't want a defensively weaker player in the three.  You could keep him as a CM-S and add PI's to make him more of a threat with the ball if you don't want him designated a playmaker and dropping to collect the ball as often.

Speaking of which the weak link of the three central midfielders is Sprenger.  He doesn't really fit a runner role, lacks passing for a playmaker role and is weaker than Cretnik defensively. Do you have a backup/young player who could do a runner role?

I'd personally want a good defensive player to partner Cretnik + Vergez.  A BWM/BBM type, not weak with the ball but stronger without it.  Current top class players as examples (not transfer targets) would be Kante and Nainggolan.

I think Mauricio isn't rounded enough to succeed at all the things asked of a CF.  I'd try him as a DLF-A, doesn't need to try to dribble past opponents (which he isn't great at) and will try to wait for support more often without asking too much of his passing.

[dcaine100]

Simply switching 1 of your CMs to attack would help free him up to run at the oppostions defence Id also leave you striker as a CF as he will help create as well as finishing of chances.

[LeeWHU888]

2 hours ago, summatsupeer said:

At home so easier to see images.

Vergez has good ball playing attributes, infact they're better than his defensive abilities. I'd say your wasting him as an Anchorman, he could easily be a DLP who does many of the same things when you don't have possession but offers more with the ball.

I'd probably try Cretnik as an AP-S, he's a bit between a AP and DLP, he's not defensively weak but is missing a couple of AP attributes like off the ball.  I'd say he is a good fit for 433 playmaker, you wouldn't want a defensively weaker player in the three.  You could keep him as a CM-S and add PI's to make him more of a threat with the ball if you don't want him designated a playmaker and dropping to collect the ball as often.

Speaking of which the weak link of the three central midfielders is Sprenger.  He doesn't really fit a runner role, lacks passing for a playmaker role and is weaker than Cretnik defensively. Do you have a backup/young player who could do a runner role?

I'd personally want a good defensive player to partner Cretnik + Vergez.  A BWM/BBM type, not weak with the ball but stronger without it.  Current top class players as examples (not transfer targets) would be Kante and Nainggolan.

I think Mauricio isn't rounded enough to succeed at all the things asked of a CF.  I'd try him as a DLF-A, doesn't need to try to dribble past opponents (which he isn't great at) and will try to wait for support more often without asking too much of his passing.

Yeah Sprenger is the link I want to improve on when I get some money in, attached are the only 2 players I have that can play CM, there's a few others but they're really poor as they've come through my youth academy which is still pretty average. I think I'll send my scouts out now to find a top quality DM, then I can push Vergez up into the middle to replace Sprenger.

I've played 2 games with Cretnik as an AP on Attack , Mauricio as an AF. Beat Everton 4-3 away and Arsenal 1-0 away in the EFL cup so straight away there's an improvement in the threat we're posing, defensively we've been pretty solid, barring Everton away obviously. I'm hoping it's just the lack of quality throughout the team that is my main issue rather than poor tactical set up. 

[summatsupeer]

24 minutes ago, LeeWHU888 said:

Yeah Sprenger is the link I want to improve on when I get some money in, attached are the only 2 players I have that can play CM, there's a few others but they're really poor as they've come through my youth academy which is still pretty average. I think I'll send my scouts out now to find a top quality DM, then I can push Vergez up into the middle to replace Sprenger.

I've played 2 games with Cretnik as an AP on Attack , Mauricio as an AF. Beat Everton 4-3 away and Arsenal 1-0 away in the EFL cup so straight away there's an improvement in the threat we're posing, defensively we've been pretty solid, barring Everton away obviously. I'm hoping it's just the lack of quality throughout the team that is my main issue rather than poor tactical set up. 

I dislike two playmaker types in CM in the 433, especially if you have a ST on attack duty as he's pushing up whilst the playmakers will drop to collect the ball which leaves a massive gap.  An AP-A will play more like a support duty and be deeper than a lot of other midfield roles, which is fine when you have a player to use the space between CM and ST.

If you had players in position to defend then its likely a quality issue, having more people in the area can help a bit to cut out passing lanes etc.  If the player was caught out of position then its more a tactical issue. For example if a FB stepped up earlier in a transition (as your on fluid) and possession was lost allowing opposition wide forward to attack the space.  Or a FB on attack duty pushing right up in final attacking phase and couldn't get back to defend in time.  I rarely use the same mentality and/or team shape every game, as a weaker team playing risky + fluid could cause some mistakes by players.