Freekicks.

Is it just me or are freekicks around the box converted maybe once a season, if that ?

I have 2 freekick takers with an ability of 19 and 20 and a few others with decent freekicks, yet in my 4th season i think my team has scored 1 direct freekick.

Is this a known issue or am i just extremely unlucky?

Is it just me or are freekicks around the box converted maybe once a season, if that ?

I have 2 freekick takers with an ability of 19 and 20 and a few others with decent freekicks, yet in my 4th season i think my team has scored 1 direct freekick.

Is this a known issue or am i just extremely unlucky?

I don't know if it's a known issue but i am experiencing the same thing.

Only ever scored with power on the keepers side, never swerved or dipped over or round the wall.

Very rarely converted at all.

Agreed, I think freekick conversion rate is a little low. Although on almost every previous editions i think it has been too high. I think he number should be increased to around 4 or 5 a season, not 1 or sometimes 0, or not back to 10 +.

My freekick takers are not even close to that skilled, but I don't remember ever getting a direct goal either. I've had plenty against me though...

Sneijder scored a few for me (2 or so), and Balotelli can't get them on target. I had a good free kick taker at FC Utrecht who would score from them regularly (5 or so a season).

I don't know what the stats in real life are though, but I think there are probably more direct free kicks being scored in real life.

It's not even like my freekicks are on target either, they either hit the wall or sail wide and over.

I'm scoring lots and conceding even more. I was even thinking about making a thread saying there was 2 many freekick goals.

Same here, I think I've scored 3-6 direct free kicks in 3-4 years.

Good quality taker too and takes an average of 4 per game.

18 FK

16 Long Shots

18 Technique

Would think he'd get 3-6 a year.

I'm finding the same. Raf vd Vaart seems to always score freekicks but none of my other FK takes score with regularity. I don't think my first choice FK taker has ever scored one (perhaps I should remove him...)

EDIT: He has now scored one!

I'm finding the same. Raf vd Vaart seems to always score freekicks but none of my other FK takes score with regularity. I don't think my first choice FK taker has ever scored one (perhaps I should remove him...)

What are his attributes like?

Van der Vaart: FK 17, Long shots 18, Technique 18. Bale 16, 9, 14.

My primary FK taker is Foglini (regen) who is 17, 5, 17. Vd Vaart would be primary but he's only really a n impact sub (if i need a wonder goal to break the deadlock) and rarely starts.

I agree with the general sentiments that freekicks aren't converted enough. However one thing that I think really helps is the PPM 'Hits freekicks with power'. I had Cuadrado who had 16 freekicks, and average long shots and technique, and for the amount he took, he scored a fair share. He got 2 for me as my second choice, and my first choice, D'agostino (who has 17 on FKs) got none for the season despite taking many many more. Cuadrado also scored two for Colombia in only about 8 games.

So I think a good idea for freekick specialists (who posibily have a bit of strength too) would be to learn to hit freekicks with power. Just from my general observations, it makes a fair difference.

Never seen someone scored from center,seen a couple from right and left but never from center.

I am only in november of my first season with chelsea but i have scored a few free kicks. Lampard seems to score a few free kicks. I will write who has scored my free kicks and how many i have scored so far this season when check it on fm 2010 when i get home from uni.

Are long shots quite important for free kicks then? Never really considered it before.

Are long shots quite important for free kicks then? Never really considered it before.

I'm not sure, i haven't considered it either. What would be the point of having 20 free kicks and 5 shooting if it is to be considered? wouldn't that just make a mockery of the free kick stat?

i always think of freekicks and long shots attributes for shooting at freekicks. i consider freekicks only to be how well they deliver a freekick from say a wide area.

Ronaldo (skinny one) scores all the time for me, top left & right!

Ronaldo (skinny one) scores all the time for me, top left & right!

Does he hit freekick with power?

i always think of freekicks and long shots attributes for shooting at freekicks. i consider freekicks only to be how well they deliver a freekick from say a wide area.

Ok that makes sense I suppose! Thanks!

i always think of freekicks and long shots attributes for shooting at freekicks. i consider freekicks only to be how well they deliver a freekick from say a wide area.

They're interconnected I think.

Gerrard excellent at long shots, but a horrible free kick taker.

I think same applies in the game.

I'm assuming that Technique, Free Kicks and Long shots are the three things considered when it comes to direct free kicks.

Well i just checked my main free kick takers stats, 19 free kicks, 20 technique and 17 longshots. He has scored one direct free kick in 4 years.

I think you should look at composure, concentration and decisions too, as a secondary set of attributes. You want your players in the right frame of mind for this too. That being said I've scored a grand total of 1 from DFKs with Barca to Jan 2010.

In 10.1 i had a regen striker aged 17 used him as a sub mostly and he had scored 17 goals most of them were freekicks (had 19 freekicks and hits freekick with power ppm),also verratti he also had a high freekick stat; scored 10

After applying the 10.2,verratti stopped scoring from freekicks and ended up with 13 goals,and the regen never scored another freekick too

So i believe this is definitely an issue and has nothing to do with the players stats

In my 3/4 season (march 2010) I have scored only 1. But my opponents are getting plenty of them in the near of my box and until now, they scored 4. I am playing a lower league, with my best shooter 13. But, the funny part are the opposition player: 8, 11, 9, 8. Of course, theire tehnique and long shoots are above 13. But, a little bit strange that the team gets this "from nowhere" free-kicks 3-5m far from my box, and the shooter manage to score the equaliser.

Just scored 3 in 3 games, Alex is a legend!!!!

I think this is one of the persisting problems. Last year it seemed like the amount scored was perfect. This year it's definitely too low. My primary free kick taker has like 19 for free kicks, 19 for long shots (if it matters?), 18 or so for finishing, another high number for composure, and another one for technique. (I don't really know which attributes matter.) He usually just blasts it right over, but will then go and score from 40 yards out (no joke) on the next one.

Compare that to a player on the Holland U21s that I also manage. This kiddo stepped up to take a freekick even though he was like 4th on the list. It was just outside the box, and he hit it against the post and it went in. Then he scored again in the next game from one. He won't stop doing it now, it's almost unfair.

Gerrard excellent at long shots, but a horrible free kick taker.

If you were meaning in-game he's a horrible free-kick taker, I have to disagree based on my save. He's smashed a fair few free-kicks in for me, maybe one in three (that are shown anyway!). Probably ended up scoring about 7 or so in 09/10 season.

I think this is one of the persisting problems. Last year it seemed like the amount scored was perfect. This year it's definitely too low. My primary free kick taker has like 19 for free kicks, 19 for long shots (if it matters?), 18 or so for finishing, another high number for composure, and another one for technique. (I don't really know which attributes matter.) He usually just blasts it right over, but will then go and score from 40 yards out (no joke) on the next one.

Compare that to a player on the Holland U21s that I also manage. This kiddo stepped up to take a freekick even though he was like 4th on the list. It was just outside the box, and he hit it against the post and it went in. Then he scored again in the next game from one. He won't stop doing it now, it's almost unfair.

FM09 was too high. I could score 15 freekicks a season with Balotelli.

Is it just me or are freekicks around the box converted maybe once a season, if that ?

I have 2 freekick takers with an ability of 19 and 20 and a few others with decent freekicks, yet in my 4th season i think my team has scored 1 direct freekick.

Is this a known issue or am i just extremely unlucky?

That's odd you're having troubles with that. I've not really touched the freekick settings, but just scored three times from freekicks against Swindon. Two of the goals were lobs to my striker and the third was a kick straight on goal. I was thinking, "Wow, we're deadly from the deadball."

Me again, i have checked my stats and i am on the 8th November in my first season as chelsea manager and have already scored 3 direct free kicks. Lampard has scored two, one versus West ham and one versus Bolton and Cristiano Ronaldo scored the other one versus Aston Villa.

If you were meaning in-game he's a horrible free-kick taker, I have to disagree based on my save. He's smashed a fair few free-kicks in for me, maybe one in three (that are shown anyway!). Probably ended up scoring about 7 or so in 09/10 season.

I was talking about real life, but incidentally in game, not so great for me.

Always weak efforts that sail over the bar. Never any venom or wicked curve.

It's pretty pathetic really. Kicks it like a little girl!

How many freekicks are scored per season, per club? Probably 4 or 5. So it sounds realistic to me...

If you have high technical stats for freekicks, you might want to look at composure and other mentals too. If that's low then even if you have 20's in they technicals they're getting dragged down by the composure rating. Not entirely sure of the algorithm but this estimated algorithm seems to work.

Lets just suppose you have Free Kicks of 20, technique of 20 and long shots of 20 (assume 100% chance that the free kick will go in the net if nothing else is needed) but 5 in composure, then the overall "average" would be 100% * 100* 100% * 25% or a 25% chance. Now if it's 18 in all then you have 90% * 90% * 90% * 25% or just over 18%, however if you had 18's in the technicals and a 10 in composure you wind up with 36% which is significantly better than all technical 20's and a 5 composure. I've found looking for players with lower technicals and higher composures leads to more effective players.

YMMV

How many freekicks are scored per season, per club? Probably 4 or 5. So it sounds realistic to me...

Depends though.

Free kick taking is an art.

You can't generalize it like that.

And like I said in my Liverpool game, I've score 4-6 in 4 years. Not per year.

On 10.1.1 i bought di maria for liverpool and he scored plenty, maybe 5 or 6 a season. I experienced the same thing with Zhirkov on 09 he was a great freekick taker.

Verrati, Van Der Vaart, Villa, Goosenns, Yttergaard Jensen, and Di Maria score a shed load for me...

FM09 was too high. I could score 15 freekicks a season with Balotelli.

Oh. I forgot about him. I removed him from taking them after about a season because it was just unfair.

Didn't matter, he could still score from anywhere. Ended up a Chelsea legend on my save.

So it is a problem? In prevoius of FM I used to get Beckham scoring an easy 5 or more a season that were awesome!!! haven't had him score one in any of my saves so far...

So it is a problem? In prevoius of FM I used to get Beckham scoring an easy 5 or more a season that were awesome!!! haven't had him score one in any of my saves so far...

Doesn't look like it.

Some have success some don't. The fact that some do score a lot means that we should all in theory be able to.

I only get powered freekicks in. Beckham only scored one for me, the rest of the time his shots were pathetic. I thought Fm09 freekicks worked well.

Well, the freekick conversion rate is definitely an issue. But at least it's better than having crappy walls that you can shoot around and score nearly every second game.

But I think the bigger issue is the way freekicks are taken. From my experience of 10.2, the players just don't seem to take the freekick as they would in real life.

Normally I think we can agree that most of the time good freekick takers try to curl it over the wall, or in reverse curl it away from the wall, to the keeper's side.

But in 10.2, players hit the wall most of the time. They should be getting it over the wall more, even if that means over the bar too.

Also, in the game they just don't have the common sense too many times.

Eg. If the freekick is to be taken from slightly left of the goal and a right footed player is taking it, way too often he tries to get the ball past the left side of the wall. And of course in the game the right footed player doesn't know how to curl the ball to the right, so the shot completely misses to the far left.

I'm just asking to at least make them look like they're putting some effort into getting a goal from freekicks. As of right now, it is so rarely to see a freekick taken in the traditional way.

Haven't scored a single direct free-kick in three years - I've had Baines, Cardozo, Arteta, Vukcevic; all of which are very, very competent.

Cardozo now has the PPM "Hits Free Kick With Power". All that means is that he breaks someones face in the wall rather than chipping it tamely at them.

So can anyone officially agree or disagree with this problem?

I do think there maybe aren't enough but i have no stats to back it up. I think i've scored 1 straight from the takers foot into the goal once in 3 seasons maybe but conceded 5(but then theres that theory that you only remember the ones against you )

The only advice i can give is to buy Ryan Shawcross because on my Liverpool save he has scored 3 in 7 from free-kicks and i'm using the default settings! He's a beast and is always in the right position. Once i rested him(pointless champs league game) and Carragher was playing on his side instead and he had a chance but fluffed it. I was like "damn if only that was the mighty Ryan!"

I had an experiment with fmrte.

I gave my free kick taker, 'hits free kick with power' after he had scored maybe 1 direct free kick a season and got roughly less than 15% on target. He scored the next free kick he took.

Coincidence? I really don't think so.

I've scored several free-kicks, Tosic has scored a few, Di Maria hit a cracker against AC Milan

Shaun Maloney from miles out, Juan Angel Albin and even Mouhamadou Dabo have all scored free-kicks

10.2 or before that? ManUTactician247

I will try the shot with power thingy,i remember some player i got scored like that before