Fabregas not playing well, what's wrong?

I've bought Fabregas for my Man City squad. But so far, he's not performing particularly well. Look:

No goals in the EPL, only 4 assists, seems a bit low for his 26 appearances, right?

I'd like for him to be more important for my team, so can anyone help me with what the best role/position is for him? This is my team:

His current role is Advanced Playmaker (Attack), he has a Ball Winning Midfielder (Support) next to him (usually Sissoko, sometimes Huddlestone).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Oops, I think I've put this in the wrong forum. Or didn't I? :confused:

Anyway, if I did, could someone put this in the right forum?

Apologies! :o

Good Player and Team Guide would be better or Tactics and Training Tips. But for what its worth i think your formation has too many attacking players, i would change courcuff, robben and tevez to support roles, or change Fabregas to a supporting deep lying playmaker, and change your wingers to supporting roles.

EDIT: also change sissoko to defend

Agree with charlo116 that you have too many on 'Attack'

I played him as an advanced playmaker on my old long term arsenal save and he sliced open defences with assists and won a lot of awards.

i have fab set to support instead of attack on my save, plus if its his first season then maybe he is just fittin into the team, next season will be better (Y)

If you look at his Pass Accuracy, it is very high at 80% but he has only 4 assists in 24 starts so right away it is safe to say that his passes are build-up, possession keeping passes and are not very threatening to the opponent directly.

The next thing worth looking at is Gourcuff in the AMC slot. Gourcuff is a very Creative, very Dribble oriented playmaker type with rather poor Acceleration, Off The Ball movement, Anticipation and Finishing. This says to me that Gourcuff does not take up very good Attacking positions and is very unlikely to be played through on goal by Fabregas, even if he is instructed to push up and make runs. If he is not instructed to push up and make runs then he is going to be sitting infront of Fabregas, cutting off a lot of his forward, direct attacking pass options wherever Gourcuff happens to move. If he moves left he cuts off balls to Robben, if he stays central or moves right he cuts off throughballs to Tevez. If he pushes up and gives Fabregas more room to play his own football and select passes at will Gourcuff will offer a very poor attacking pass option.

To get the most out of Fabregas from this position I would suggest a few things:

1: Give him more Direct Passing instructions. Fabregas is the type of player for who telling him to play the ball more direct towards goal will almost inevitably create more chances because he is a playmaking genius.

2: Swap Gourcuff and Tevez and play Tevez as an aggressive attacking midfielder getting into the box from deep and making runs like a Second Striker. Gourcuff might be a good playmaker but as a playmaker in the middle he is getting in Fabregas' way. As an attacking threat running off the ball and splitting defences with his movement he is a bit rubbish. Tevez is very good at these things, and Gourcuffs Creativity and Passing from the right flank will give you wider, complimentary playmakers Fabregas and Gourcuff aiming for Tevez and Dzeko rampaging through the middle, which looks like what you wanted but have accidently managed to nullify by playing Gourcuff in the middle.

Think Beckham for Gourcuff. That is a good comparison in terms of effect from that wide position. With Tevez swapped for Gourcuff you could think of your entire attack as Gigg-Scholes-Keane-Beckham with Yorke playing behind a rather slow and powerful Andy Cole...

In short, it's your tactics;)

One english player? Disgrace.

made me laugh quite a bit xD

One english player? Disgrace.

lol 1 English player

Am I right or am I right? lol.

Terrible way to manage an English club, are you Wenger in disguise?

dont all english clubs do that?

Am I right or am I right? lol.

Terrible way to manage an English club, are you Wenger in disguise?

Why buy inflated priced players when there are better and cheaper elsewhere?

Or do you condone xenophobia?

Good Player and Team Guide would be better or Tactics and Training Tips. But for what its worth i think your formation has too many attacking players, i would change courcuff, robben and tevez to support roles, or change Fabregas to a supporting deep lying playmaker, and change your wingers to supporting roles.

EDIT: also change sissoko to defend

Agree with charlo116 that you have too many on 'Attack'

Yeah, I already thought that I'd used the wrong forum. Oh well, maybe a moderator can change it.

Thanks for your advices, will certainly try them next season, maybe it'll work better.

I played him as an advanced playmaker on my old long term arsenal save and he sliced open defences with assists and won a lot of awards.

Hmm...weird. Perhaps it's because I have an AMC in front of him? Or do you have that as well?

i have fab set to support instead of attack on my save, plus if its his first season then maybe he is just fittin into the team, next season will be better (Y)

Let's hope he will, thanks for reacting!

If you look at his Pass Accuracy, it is very high at 80% but he has only 4 assists in 24 starts so right away it is safe to say that his passes are build-up, possession keeping passes and are not very threatening to the opponent directly.

The next thing worth looking at is Gourcuff in the AMC slot. Gourcuff is a very Creative, very Dribble oriented playmaker type with rather poor Acceleration, Off The Ball movement, Anticipation and Finishing. This says to me that Gourcuff does not take up very good Attacking positions and is very unlikely to be played through on goal by Fabregas, even if he is instructed to push up and make runs. If he is not instructed to push up and make runs then he is going to be sitting infront of Fabregas, cutting off a lot of his forward, direct attacking pass options wherever Gourcuff happens to move. If he moves left he cuts off balls to Robben, if he stays central or moves right he cuts off throughballs to Tevez. If he pushes up and gives Fabregas more room to play his own football and select passes at will Gourcuff will offer a very poor attacking pass option.

To get the most out of Fabregas from this position I would suggest a few things:

1: Give him more Direct Passing instructions. Fabregas is the type of player for who telling him to play the ball more direct towards goal will almost inevitably create more chances because he is a playmaking genius.

2: Swap Gourcuff and Tevez and play Tevez as an aggressive attacking midfielder getting into the box from deep and making runs like a Second Striker. Gourcuff might be a good playmaker but as a playmaker in the middle he is getting in Fabregas' way. As an attacking threat running off the ball and splitting defences with his movement he is a bit rubbish. Tevez is very good at these things, and Gourcuffs Creativity and Passing from the right flank will give you wider, complimentary playmakers Fabregas and Gourcuff aiming for Tevez and Dzeko rampaging through the middle, which looks like what you wanted but have accidently managed to nullify by playing Gourcuff in the middle.

Think Beckham for Gourcuff. That is a good comparison in terms of effect from that wide position. With Tevez swapped for Gourcuff you could think of your entire attack as Gigg-Scholes-Keane-Beckham with Yorke playing behind a rather slow and powerful Andy Cole...

I've never thought about it this way. Makes me feel like the amateur that I am (first time I'm playing FM), didn't know I could think so deeply about things. :o

This makes total sense! Especially because Gourcuff hasn't been playing as well as he used to. Probably it has something to do with Fabregas, like you said!

I see that I didn't have Fabregas with Direct Passing, will try that as well!

Thank you for reacting!

Why buy inflated priced players when there are better and cheaper elsewhere?

Or do you condone xenophobia?

He's Man City, money doesn't mean a thing.

No excuses.

dont all english clubs do that?

Not all, but yes thats the problem.

Too many foreign managers im afraid, its ruining the English game.

I personally think there should be at least 6 english players in each match day squad.

But thats just me.

Not all, but yes thats the problem.

Too many foreign managers im afraid, its ruining the English game.

I personally think there should be at least 6 english players in each match day squad.

But thats just me.

I think so too. Not through wanting to exclude players, but through wanting to improve young, local talent.

Not all, but yes thats the problem.

Too many foreign managers im afraid, its ruining the English game.

I personally think there should be at least 6 english players in each match day squad.

But thats just me.

Quite right there. This isn't international football, and I think the quality still coming through English academies, as well as the quality of the premier league proves your theory of "the English game" being ruined to be completely false...

Back on topic however. I'm not sure that SFraser has missed anything out with his breakdown; it's certainly an issue being cause by the players around cesc, rather than cesc himself. In addition to Fraser's suggestion to switch tevez and gorucuff, you could also choose to drop sissoko back and slot gourcuff in beside cesc. Either way, the key is to open up space for him to both move and pass in to.

Quite right there. This isn't international football, and I think the quality still coming through English academies, as well as the quality of the premier league proves your theory of "the English game" being ruined to be completely false...

Back on topic however. I'm not sure that SFraser has missed anything out with his breakdown; it's certainly an issue being cause by the players around cesc, rather than cesc himself. In addition to Fraser's suggestion to switch tevez and gorucuff, you could also choose to drop sissoko back and slot gourcuff in beside cesc. Either way, the key is to open up space for him to both move and pass in to.

Well your opinion and your entitled to it, as am I.

I despise seeing clubs such as Arsenal with 1 English player in the team, sometimes none, its terrible for the English game.

i play him on the right of the same formation youve got. box to box midfielder.last season he got 19 goals

Well your opinion and your entitled to it, as am I.

I despise seeing clubs such as Arsenal with 1 English player in the team, sometimes none, its terrible for the English game.

Bringing the opinion to a thread in which it has no place, then making arbitrary statements such as "it's terrible for the English game" without any real supporting evidence leads me to believe that no, you are not entitled to this opinion in this particular thread.

On top of this, rather than actually attempting to help the thread starter, you've criticised the way he chooses to play his game...

Arsenal represent Arsenal, not England. I am an Arsenal fan first, and don't give a toss how many foreigners Wenger plays.

Back on topic, and I have struggled with Fabregas this season too. My latest attempt to remedy this is to sack him as captain. New signing (gamble i know) René Adler has taken over.

Back on topic, and I have struggled with Fabregas this season too. My latest attempt to remedy this is to sack him as captain. New signing (gamble i know) René Adler has taken over.

That's one way to provoke a reaction...

English players not playing in England is actually a good thing for England. The EPL is the most physical and tolling league in the world, there are so many fixtures that when international tournaments comes around many players are injured, exhausted, or simply battered because they have been fighting in the Prem the entire season. English players in other leagues helps broaden the knowledge of other leagues, players, and systems as well as raising their ability to play against teams who have different styles.

This coming from an American (who wants to see all of his nationals abroad in foreign leagues), but still....I think it's a pretty valid point.

need more on support

an alternative would be to retrain him as an AMC. He learns the role quickly and plays very well there. Should be enough games to rotate him and Gourcuff with Champs League and the cups keeping them both fresh. Put someone like Barry if you still have him or Jack Rodwell as MC.

Definitely need to something with Gourcuff, he is just not good enough to play AMC when you have someone of Fabregas' passing technique in there. You do have to many players playing 'Attack'

soften it a little i personally would play Cesc as a supporting player. He could be a ball winning Central Mid on support. He would be brilliant imo. I don't ever play Prem league to start with anyways. I am trying to get Wycombe up there but its not happening anyway, back on topic. I would play Barry if you have him instead of sissoko and use him as a defending central mid. maybe a defensive playmaker. Move Gourcoff out the way maybe play 2 forwards instead.

I have the same base formation as you and the same role (advanced playmaker: attack) set in the same position.

It's Wilson Palacios, who's a decent all-rounder but nowhere near as creative as Fabregas. Yet he still gets tonnes of assists and very good ratings.

My front 6 settings, all TC defaults are:

MC: Ball-winner (defend)

MC: Advanced playmaker (attack)

AMR: Inside forward (attack)

AMC: Inside forward (attack)

AML: Winger (support)

FC: Complete forward (attack)

And I have creative freedom and roam from position set to high in the team settings.

The key thing, as SFraser pointed out, is getting a lot of movement ahead of Fabregas. My front 4 all score goals, with the AMC as the top-scorer.

I'd suggest:

MC: Sissoko, ball-winning midfielder (defend)

MC: Fabregas, advanced playmaker (attack)

AMR: Gourcuff, winger (support)

AMC: Tevez, inside forward (attack)

AML: Bellamy (if you've still got him, or preferably someone who's right or either footed, quick and finishes well), inside forward (attack)

FC: Dzeko, complete forward (attack)

If you don't mind fiddling about with the TC and customising some settings, you could also have the Left Winger on "Cuts Inside", Dzeko on "Wideplay Normal" with Roaming and Tevez on "Moves into Channels" or even "Hugs Touchline" depending how wide he tends to move.

Then as Dzeko moves around you will automatically create a lot of space towards the middle of the pitch/on the inside channel of Fullbacks for Tevez or Robben to attack from wide positions, providing excellent opportunities for your two playmakers to pick out passes.

The only downside would be that the footedness of Gourcuff would make it difficult for him to regularly find Tevez, but this would be off-set by the fact that Tevez is probably the best Off-The-Ball runner and best at anticipating/timing runs for passes in your front line, and this would help to make up for Gourcuffs lack of anticipation by putting a player nearby with excellent movement and anticipation of events.

Ideally you want to try and setup the instructions the creates good link-up play down the flank to build crossing opportunities for a good late run by Dzeko, while the player on the other flank gets ready to make an attacking run inside the fullback should the ball be played back to Fabregas. Setting up this "dual threat" from each wideman is trickier than simply hitting balls from Fabregas to runners, but all it requires is good Wideplay instructions, good use of FWR Runs and intelligent use of Roaming, then getting Dzeko to behave appropriately through the middle.

And if you could combine it to Tevez running wide from deep and pulling away his marker to leave Fabregas free right at the heart of all this movement and attacking play, you would be an FM genius but have an absolutely brutal attacking formation. Find yourself a good, intelligent Leftback with a magic wand of a left foot to bring up into the Gourcuff position down the left and you are on a roll. Usually though by the time you get to this stage, some simple instruction misused somewhere in the team ruins the whole lot. Not to mention when the AI plays a different formation from the one you destroyed in detail last game.

an alternative would be to retrain him as an AMC. He learns the role quickly and plays very well there. Should be enough games to rotate him and Gourcuff with Champs League and the cups keeping them both fresh. Put someone like Barry if you still have him or Jack Rodwell as MC.

I put him on training for AMC, let's see what happens. Problem is that I'm in 2014, and Barry is starting to get a bit old (still have him though), but I could try to put Tom Huddlestone in next to Sissoko. Thanks!

If you look at his Pass Accuracy, it is very high at 80% but he has only 4 assists in 24 starts so right away it is safe to say that his passes are build-up, possession keeping passes and are not very threatening to the opponent directly.

The next thing worth looking at is Gourcuff in the AMC slot. Gourcuff is a very Creative, very Dribble oriented playmaker type with rather poor Acceleration, Off The Ball movement, Anticipation and Finishing. This says to me that Gourcuff does not take up very good Attacking positions and is very unlikely to be played through on goal by Fabregas, even if he is instructed to push up and make runs. If he is not instructed to push up and make runs then he is going to be sitting infront of Fabregas, cutting off a lot of his forward, direct attacking pass options wherever Gourcuff happens to move. If he moves left he cuts off balls to Robben, if he stays central or moves right he cuts off throughballs to Tevez. If he pushes up and gives Fabregas more room to play his own football and select passes at will Gourcuff will offer a very poor attacking pass option.

To get the most out of Fabregas from this position I would suggest a few things:

1: Give him more Direct Passing instructions. Fabregas is the type of player for who telling him to play the ball more direct towards goal will almost inevitably create more chances because he is a playmaking genius.

2: Swap Gourcuff and Tevez and play Tevez as an aggressive attacking midfielder getting into the box from deep and making runs like a Second Striker. Gourcuff might be a good playmaker but as a playmaker in the middle he is getting in Fabregas' way. As an attacking threat running off the ball and splitting defences with his movement he is a bit rubbish. Tevez is very good at these things, and Gourcuffs Creativity and Passing from the right flank will give you wider, complimentary playmakers Fabregas and Gourcuff aiming for Tevez and Dzeko rampaging through the middle, which looks like what you wanted but have accidently managed to nullify by playing Gourcuff in the middle.

Think Beckham for Gourcuff. That is a good comparison in terms of effect from that wide position. With Tevez swapped for Gourcuff you could think of your entire attack as Gigg-Scholes-Keane-Beckham with Yorke playing behind a rather slow and powerful Andy Cole...

I have the same base formation as you and the same role (advanced playmaker: attack) set in the same position.

It's Wilson Palacios, who's a decent all-rounder but nowhere near as creative as Fabregas. Yet he still gets tonnes of assists and very good ratings.

My front 6 settings, all TC defaults are:

MC: Ball-winner (defend)

MC: Advanced playmaker (attack)

AMR: Inside forward (attack)

AMC: Inside forward (attack)

AML: Winger (support)

FC: Complete forward (attack)

And I have creative freedom and roam from position set to high in the team settings.

The key thing, as SFraser pointed out, is getting a lot of movement ahead of Fabregas. My front 4 all score goals, with the AMC as the top-scorer.

I'd suggest:

MC: Sissoko, ball-winning midfielder (defend)

MC: Fabregas, advanced playmaker (attack)

AMR: Gourcuff, winger (support)

AMC: Tevez, inside forward (attack)

AML: Bellamy (if you've still got him, or preferably someone who's right or either footed, quick and finishes well), inside forward (attack)

FC: Dzeko, complete forward (attack)

SFraser and RT, I've decided to follow both your advices, so I've swapped Tevez with Gourcuff and put my formation this way. Only thing I've changed is that I've kept Robben in on AML. Don't have Bellamy anymore, and I'm sure that Robben should be able to put in decent performances.

Just played my first match in this formation, and Fabregas got 3 assists... (It was a friendly against League 2-side Bury, but still. ) Curious to see how this team will perform in bigger matches!

2: Swap Gourcuff and Tevez and play Tevez as an aggressive attacking midfielder getting into the box from deep and making runs like a Second Striker. Gourcuff might be a good playmaker but as a playmaker in the middle he is getting in Fabregas' way. As an attacking threat running off the ball and splitting defences with his movement he is a bit rubbish. Tevez is very good at these things, and Gourcuffs Creativity and Passing from the right flank will give you wider, complimentary playmakers Fabregas and Gourcuff aiming for Tevez and Dzeko rampaging through the middle, which looks like what you wanted but have accidently managed to nullify by playing Gourcuff in the middle.

One more question though: how do I do this? I've done the following:

- Mentality: Attacking

- Creative Freedom: Much

- Closing Down: Whole Pitch

- Run From Deep: Often

- Run With Ball: Sometimes

- Wide Play: Move Into Channels

- Roam From Position: Yes

But now I wonder if this is what you meant or not... :confused:

I'll get back to you later with a reaction to your last post!

I can't tell you the default inside forward (attack) settings off the top of my head, but I do know that my AMC scores more goals than anyone else on my current saved game by performing as a second striker, exactly as SFraser describes.