Finding it very difficult to score goals and break down teams

[Morphiushell]

Hi,

I have had decent results using the preset 4-1-4-1 Gegenpress coming through the leagues. I got the Reading job and got them promoted to the prem where I finished 8th in my first season. I have strengthened my team somewhat this year and sit around mind table but I am really finding it hard to score many goals. Something I have struggled with a lot is how to break down those teams who are parking the bus. I can get around 30 odd shots at goal with around 11 on target but either draw or lose. The issue now is I find all I am doing is constantly adjusting TI's and player roles etc and I am lost on what I need to be improving.

Below are some pics of my setup:

[Experienced Defender]

I wouldn't play gegenpress or any similar needlessly aggressive and gung-ho style in the first place. But I guess you don't want to change how you play, so I hope someone who is (a lot) more familiar with that brand of football will come and offer you some advice 

The only suggestion I can give you at the moment is - try to add a bit more variety on your flanks, and don't play all 3 forwards on attack duty. 

[DownTheFrank]

6 hours ago, Morphiushell said:

Hi,

I have had decent results using the preset 4-1-4-1 Gegenpress coming through the leagues. I got the Reading job and got them promoted to the prem where I finished 8th in my first season. I have strengthened my team somewhat this year and sit around mind table but I am really finding it hard to score many goals. Something I have struggled with a lot is how to break down those teams who are parking the bus. I can get around 30 odd shots at goal with around 11 on target but either draw or lose. The issue now is I find all I am doing is constantly adjusting TI's and player roles etc and I am lost on what I need to be improving.

Below are some pics of my setup:

can you try posting the attributes of your attacking players 

[Morphiushell]

7 minutes ago, DownTheFrank said:

can you try posting the attributes of your attacking players 

[DownTheFrank]

Vlahovic's attributes are better for a lone striker role, as he's good in the air and brave, so should be your go to guy against packed defenses, and can bring your wide forwards into play. 

Bozenik's attributes are those of a striker who would look to get behind defenses, so more of a poacher type pf player. 

[rockpie]

Don't get caught up in stats like how many shots or shots on target you're getting.

I could get 100 shots in a game with all of them on target, but if they're all from outside the box and straight at the GK I still know something is wrong with my approach.

First thing I'd recommend for you to be able to identify the right changes is to go back and watch the Extended Highlights of a few games where you lost or drew but could/should have won. It's always best to try and identify things for yourself, make tweaks / changes and see how things go. That said, faced with this kind of system & scenario....

If you're playing a Gegenpress system, with a Positive mentality and instructions like Higher Defensive Line, Much Higher Line of Engagement, Counter Press, Extremely Urgent Pressing, and Extremely High Tempo... and you find that teams are "parking the bus" which more than likely means defending in a low block and looking for chances to counter, then you're kinda playing into their hands and it might just be that you don't have good enough players right now for your system to overcome those teams / that approach.

Extremely High Tempo = you're forcing your attackers to rush the ball around, rush their decisions, keep the ball moving... it has positives in terms of moving the defense around, but if the defense isn't pressing very much and just sitting in their low block waiting for a chance to pounce, then all it does is increase the chance of you giving the ball away with a mistake. You need exceptional technical players with great mentals to play that high tempo consistently.

Higher Defensive Line + Much Higher Line of Engagement = Very aggressive, which makes sense for Gegenpress, but in combination with your player roles it's just a bit overkill. For example, you have 3 attackers all on attack duties. Then you have 2 WB (s) to provide width down the flanks. The B2B mid will also look to roam & push up to support attacks. That's 6 outfield players all pushing forward in transition.

Add on top of that the fact that you're only holding role in midfield is a Deep Lying Playmaker, who will also take up more advanced positions that say a Defensive Midfielder, Anchor Man or Half Back, and what you get is 2 extremely exposed BPDs left to deal with any counter attacks or breakdowns in transition.

 

Your system is essentially unbalanced and too aggressive, even for a Gegenpress, considering who you are and the league you're in.

I would try using an Advanced Playmaker (s) instead of B2B, then switch the DLP (d) to a DM (d), AM (d) or HB (d) -- this role might have to switch depending on opponent formation, if they are playing with a lone striker DM but if they have 2 forward then HB.

Reasoning behind this is because it seems like you want to camp in opposition half, so making the playmaker role an advanced one should help draw the ball into more advanced areas and decrease the chance of a deeper player (DLP) getting caught on the ball in transition with everyone else bombing forward. DLP (d) is better used in a counter-attacking system imo, where you play a Lower Line of Engagement to draw teams onto you and the DLP plays long balls over the top for a striker to chase / run onto.

A less aggressive holding role at DM should also offer better support for you 2 CBs during counter attacks & breakdowns in transition.

Changing one of the IFs to a (s) role is something I would consider too. Probably the one on the left flank, so it creates an overload with IF, AP and WB all on (s) duties.

I personally might even change the WB (s) on the right to a IWB (d) to add even more safety but I'm a much more conservative manager.

These are all changes that I'd recommend to help the overall balance of the setup, but it's still very aggressive and will still be vulnerable to counters, just a bit less so. I tried not to mess with your style too much by suggesting huge changes to Team Instructions, but what I would change there is:

Extremely High Tempo >> Higher Tempo

Higher Defensive Line >> Much Higher Defensive Line

Much Higher Line of Engagement >> Higher Line of Engagement

Extremely Urgent Pressing >> More Urgent Pressing

Just to add some vertical compactness by condensing the gap between your Defensive Line and your Line of Engagement and giving your players a bit more time to make decisions on the ball.

None of this is guaranteed to work, of course, but these would be the first logical steps I would take to see if things improved.

Edited January 21, 2020 by rockpie

[laxrulz7]

In addition to what rockpie said (essentially stretching the field a little to create more space), I would suggest looking at where your shots are coming from and try to figure out if the problem is poor quality shots from bad angles or too far out. Look at a couple of your 30+ shot games and look at where the shots are coming from. Work Ball into Box, Shoot on sight or Hit early crosses will all shift where the shots come from and the types of shots you're getting. Are they backing so far off that you could be taking 20yd shots at will? Try Shoot on Sight (and maybe make make your CMs "Shoot More"). On the other hand, maybe you're taking TOO many shots from outside and you need to "Work Ball into Box". 

Lastly, I find that the 41221 you're playing sometimes struggles against a 532WB (which I think Wolves and a couple other teams play a bunch in FM20). Against those teams, I'd definitely consider employing a second striker and an AMC and just foregoing the AML/AMR. My wingers always get poor ratings when they're matched against WBs and then still have to run at defenders with no real responsibility.