CM-att vs Mez-att vs BBM-sup

[bielsisme]

Can anybody outline the major differences between these roles? They don't seem to perform a huge amount differently in the game as far as I can tell.

I guess the Mezzala is more like a deep 10 who doesn't contribute to defence as much outside of high pressing? And CM-A & BBM-S act like shuttlers with late runs to the box with the CM more of a passer than the BBM? 

And in an attacking three-man midfield (with a DLP) what would be the best combination? Mez + BBM, Mez + CM, BBM + CM... There isn't much balance but is there something about one that would complement the other very well?

[Experienced Defender]

15 hours ago, bielsisme said:

And in an attacking three-man midfield (with a DLP) what would be the best combination?

What exactly do you mean by "attacking three-man midfield"? A flat 3, or DM + 2 CMs? And what does the term "attacking" mean in this context? Is it playing on attacking team mentality or something else?

What is the "best" combination depends on many factors. What type of players you have, what are roles and duties in the rest of your formation, what style of play you want to implement etc. No combination is good if you are asking any of your players to perform a role he isn't suitable for in terms of his attributes (ans to some degree PPMs aka traits). And even if all your players are individually suitable for the roles you assign to them, you still need to make sure these roles and duties work well together within the tactical system as a whole.

[VinceLombardi]

First, all of them are great roles with solid movement patterns. If they are all performing the same for you, then you don't have the space in the tactic to really make them shine because of the roles around them. They all can be set up to do about anything you want on defense, so I'm just going to talk about them in attack.

1) BBM(s) is a great midfield presence that moves well both vertically and laterally in the central areas. It's a great support role to help work passes around the midfield. It's not going to be a focal point of an attack, but a great supporting role. Occasionally, if there is space or if you have the defense really pinned back it might work itself into the box, but he is happiest working between the pivot and the edge of the box. He works best finding space to both get and receive passes to keep an attack going. It's nothing flashy, but it's essential to an attack. For this reason, it's my go-to when I don't need anything else specific from that player and my default in the CM position.

2) CM (a) is more of a no-nonsense vertical runner. He starts deep but will lead the midfield forward in your attacks. If there is space for him to run forward, he will get into the box quickly. If there isnt, he is a bit slower to get into the box, but will instead camp the edge of the box before he works his way in. His focus on getting forward can have him get pulled into a stubborn defense and take himself out of the game because he doesn't come back to find space as well as the BBM(s). That said, because he is constantly in or on the edge of the box, he can be used to thread passes into a packed box, make runs on late crosses, or find free space right in front of goal for a shot. And because opposing DMC and CD will prioritize defending attackers they percieve as more dangerous (STC, AMC, etc.), you can reliably get him that bit of space he needs by pulling defenders away with those other attackers. That's where he really excels.

3) MEZ(a) is another more vertical runner than lateral runner, though less one demensional than the CM (a). He also comes back into space better than a CM (a) and is less likely to get caught up in the defense. But he differs from the other 2 in that he does it all in the halfspace between the outside attackers and the rest of the midfield. He comes into the box or camps the edge like the CM (a), but he will be near the corner of the box, not front and center. Like the CM (a), he does best when other players create space for him, and he works exceptionally with a wide attacker in a winger role, who will help pull the wide defender wider and create that space.

Additionally he is very useful in creating overloads because the opposing defense will have to shift to cover him and your own midfielders will shift towads him and into the space in the midfield behind him. This pulls all the action naturally to his side of the field -- which can have a large effect on the entire tactic for good or ill.

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As for setup, any of them pair well together and you could even use all 3 together. It's really going to depend on what you are trying to do with the rest of tactic.