Can't score after promotion to Premier League

[pandamk]

After back-to-back promotions including a 92-goal Championship season, attempting to establish MK Dons in the Premier League has been absolute hell.

We stayed up with some luck last season on 36 points. It was a miserable season to manage — we played very little football and just had to grind out points where we could get them — but given we had a wage budget of less than half the second-lowest team in the league I was pleased with the achievement.

In our second season, I feel we should be starting to push on but it just isn't happening. We are young but have some quality with two wonderkids in Bardghji and Aseko Nkili and some decent experience in Oxford, (Oriol) Busquets, and O'Riley. Kalimuendo scored 15 league goals last season which basically kept us up despite a poor average rating.

We just cannot score and still struggle to impose ourselves on games in any way. After eight games we have scored ONE goal, and that was from a corner.

This is roughly the system that has got us two promotions. Reeled off five consecutive losses to start the season, no goals. We had two big problems: defenders and deep midfielders making absurd decisions on the ball and losing it in dangerous areas, and too many rushed, hopeful passes hit in the vague direction of our quick and skilful but not very physical front three. I realize it's aggressive but we were the lowest-budget team in the Championship as well and overachieved by playing a high-tempo, pressing game (with players FAR inferior to what we have now).

In an attempt to solve those issues, I (against my will) switched to a more counter-attacking 4-2-3-1. This improved us defensively with three clean sheets in a row, but we still can't score.

While I appreciate we are still big underdogs in this league, we surely have enough talent after three Premier League transfer windows to expect a bit better than this. Any ideas?

Edited March 27, 2023 by pandamk

[GabiGoll]

I like the 433 formation, maybe I can give you some advice, you have 3 players attacking the AF CM IF penalty area who don't engage in playing the ball much, DLP on defense will not move high in the opponent's penalty area, there is BWM who is not very creative, so you only have 1 creative IW player. You need to change the midfield a bit, for example: DMs/CMs/ BWMs then you have a nice midfield in defense and players who deliver the ball to AF and IF

[Novem9]

My point positive mentality use shorter passing. It could be fatal for underdogs. 

You changed for balanced mentality. But AF works another in different type of passing and could be isolated. What happens if you switch him to pf(a)? Another point is stop to touch wide settings and try to play on default.

Also I'm not sure you need inside forward until you will be a strong team. Simple winger could be more useful for options in attacks 

[Rashidi]

Do you have an image of an xG story from one of your games? That basically illustrates the kind of goal scoring chances you create

[Johnny Ace]

I don't think either look terrible @pandamk I would tweak a few things though

If Kalilmuendo is your out and out goal scorer, you don't need an Inside Forward on Attack trying to do the same thing from wide, I'd switch him to Support in both tactics and might even tone it down more to an Inverted Winger on Support because an IF(S) is still pretty attacking

For the 4-3-3, as the league's underdog, I certainly wouldn't be telling my team to Counter Press and Counter would be more beneficial. I'd tone down the CM roles too, a BBM and a CM on attack are pretty aggressive, one roams & the other gets forward as soon as he possibly can. CM on Support and a BBM should help a little more defensively and in supporting attacks 

10 hours ago, pandamk said:

We had two big problems: defenders and deep midfielders making absurd decisions on the ball and losing it in dangerous areas, and too many rushed, hopeful passes hit in the vague direction of our quick and skilful but not very physical front three. I realize it's aggressive but we were the lowest-budget team in the Championship as well and overachieved by playing a high-tempo, pressing game (with players FAR inferior to what we have now).

 

 

This could be down to a few reason. The Pass into space instruction .The Advanced Forward, they thrive off of these passes by looking to get in behind the defensive line. Tempo could be another reason. Your players are being heavily pressed and panicking and trying to clear the ball to safety. I'd probably start by taking out the Pass into Space and by looking at the Composure attribute of the repeat offenders. I'd guess Busquets isn't the problem here 

[pandamk]

Thanks for the advice!

I implemented some of the changes suggested and tried to keep things pretty simple for an away game against Nottingham Forest.

I'm not sure the goals to shots/XG ratio is quite sustainable but the result was pretty dramatic...

Only our second-ever Premier League win by multiple goals (the other we played most of the game up a man). Finally got some life out of the to-this-point completely dysfunctional left side. Even Kalimuendo was able to break his duck off the bench.

[Johnny Ace]

Awesome @pandamk