Vertical Tiki-Taka, how to keep everyone from stacking up in the box?

[Erith22]

I've been running Vertical Tiki Taka and for the most part it works quite well, except...

I'll have some matches where my Gx will be excellent, but I'll fail to score.  What is happening is that I end up with 3-4 players and accompanying defenders stacked up right in front of the goal in the box.  They are then shooting when they get the ball, and sometimes multiple rebounds, but since the box is so congested, it just ends up in block after block.  These register as good Gx shots, but they really aren't, because there's a wall of defenders (and their teammates) in front of the goal.

How do I open space in the box without losing the good parts of the tactic?

[Fieldsy]

Are you playing the default version?  I would up the width one notch to try and open up space between the defenders, maybe up the mentality to positive?  Make your wing backs more aggressive to stretch the lines?

Difficult without the tactic info such as formation/roles

[Falahk]

What mentality are you playing on?

[Cleon]

If you're having trouble with players stacking before looking at any team instruction, I'd start with the roles you use. As team instructions won't really make the players behave like you said, that's more down to the roles you're using and the lack of synergy between them. You need players to attack/arrive in the box at all different times not at the same time. This then creates movement because the opposition will have to readjust their own defensive behaviour and make a decision whether to mark/follow them. This opens up space. Making the opposition make a decision like this makes it so much easier for you. If all your players arrive in attacking positions at the same time then that's the easiest thing for the game to defend against because you're not stretching the opposition or making them make gaps.

The key to everything on FM is to make the opposition make a decision and forcing this to be the wrong one. It's much easier than it sounds. This is why attacking at different times works so well, as you give the opposition multiple choices to think about.

[Tsuru]

I know that it may sound a little strange, but if you are facing trouble with the original version, did you ever happen to put the tactic on Rate my Tactic (https://ratemytactic.web.app/) and see what does it say? It can be a nice tool as a starting point, telling you about roles/duties combinations that are not exactly the best ones and pointing you some gaps on your team. Then you can follow its path and adjust the tactic accordingly to what you see on games.

It is also a fantastic tool on some level because it compares all the player instructions that come with the roles/duties and mix them with the mentality and Tis to tell you if they have a good chance of working together.

Sometimes is easier to use the tool to find a good path.

Edited July 15, 2021 by Tsuru

[denen123]

I agree with @Tsuru on the tester he suggested, above. Of course I used my regular pressing and passing tweaks, but it does give a good base to start with.

[Erith22]

The tester was great thank you.  The one thing I've noticed about it is its REALLY hard to make a 'perfect' tactic where all the minimum numbers for support, penetration and solidity are met.  Solidity especially is very difficult.  It basically seems essential that you have a DM to get close to 15.5  But still definitely makes you think through the details.