Defensive Line/ Forward Runs - Advice please

[maverick_nc1]

Questions for you tactical geniuses please. I built my tactic based upon the fantastic TT&F but one thing is bothering me slightly - Defensive Line.

Now i know that in an attacking formation it is logical to have a high defensive line in order to camp in the opponents half, but on the same logic it strikes me that this will also reduce the time and space my attackers players have to work in. Surely with a deeper D-line the oppo will close me down higher up the pitch leaving gaps for my pacy and/or creative players to exploit??

Which brings me on to Forward Runs. From watching many matches it seems to me that players set to Forward runs often seem to get ahead of the build up play too quickly. Fine if its a direct passing game i would assume, but ive tried that and have often found these players get ahead of play too quickly and limit my passing options for the ball carrier. Strikers with high FWR get caught offside a lot and Wingers bolt off down the wings without the ball leaving limited passing options. The only players thus far i have found that benfit from FWR often are attacking fullbacks.

I would appreciate any and all comments and observations please.

NB. Used various tactics but basically stuck fairly rigidly to the mentality frameworks laid out in the TT&f document. Flat 442 being the most obvious.

[maverick_nc1]

Err anyone?

[Jedditte]

Try lowering d-line. I was playing a high d-line and wide game on 08, to ensure pressure and possession over the opponents but in this version i found that lowering the d-line a little below normal or keeping it on normal gives your fast players more space (considering when you lower your d-line AI will try to close you down that gives you more space on their half) which is pretty logical.

About the FWRs on wings it works even they are on AML and AMR positions keep them but i suggest playing slower, this gives your players some time to get in their positions and pick a good pass and again i was playing on a high tempo on 08. Also you can try lowering your wingers mentality a little and even their CF to prevent them doing some speculative stuff.

Also I think FWR often on STs are waste as you pointed out they get caught offside a lot.

[SFraser]

When you have the basic formation and general mentality you wish to play you should look to set things like defensive line, FWR and Free Roles according to the opposition.

If you are compressing the play and winning the ball back quickly then you want a lot of FWR to provide passing options and create havoc in the opposition defence, but it is essential that you keep your best passers sitting deep, collecting the ball from the defence and playing good passes. This means no FWR but high mentality, set as playmaker with high creative freedom, no free role and with short passing for your defence and passer.

Everyone else will bomb forward but if given free roles they will also move about all over the place and drop deep to receive passes. You will also need to tweak your tempo and time wasting to ensure that you are playing quick enough to create chances but slow enough to keep control of the ball and not rush wildly.

If you keep your playmaker deep in this context essentially what will happen is he will remain free and outside the box for players to release the ball to, you may also want to drop your best long shot players deep as well.

The fact of the matter is that in this context you will be playing against a packed defence with possibly ten men in the box. You need to provide the movement inside and around the box and the creativity outside the box to force an error.