Wingers

Right, time to ask for help...

When I was manager of Redditch in the BSP, some of my best players were wingers, with one notching 10-15 goals a season and having an average rating of 7.2+

However, since being in the Premiership with Forest, I have found that I cannot find a decent winger. I've spent millions on trying to sign the best around and they just constantly don't perform. Unless they assist a goal or I win by 2 or 3 goals, they receive ratings of 6.2 or less. Can anybody explain this? What am I doing wrong? I play both of them as wingers (rather than wide midfielders or defensive wingers) with the left winger an attacking role and the right winger a supporting role.

However, what I fear may be the problem is my formation - I play 3-4-3 with no full backs. Is that what affects the wingers' performance? Do they have too much ground to cover? If so, is the only thing I can do to improve their performance change my formation?

Oh, and also, they never ever score!!

Thanks in advance

Niall

It would be hard for them to score as they have to do so much tracking unless you have defensive midfielders that can support them. I would suggest trying a different formation in a few matches to see the affect, eg. 4-3-3 attacking, with the wingers as inside forwards. My inside forwards get 15+ goals a season with 4-3-3.

I think you might be putting too much responsibility on the wingers as they need to cover defensivly but you want goals from them. 3-4-3 attacking could be used at home while a different one could be use for away. Do they have high stamina? How is their fitness rating afterwards, do any of the front 3 move into channels? If so, then they should get the goals instead and let your wingers be widemidfielders, defensive wingers while playing away.

In the lower leagues, pace is generally a huge difference maker, and probably gave your wingers lots of space to work after they would beat a man.

I like playing with wingers but I think to get them working successfully you need to change the way you play to get the best out of them. With Man Utd in 2026 I had some really talented wingers and playign it down both wings and counter attacking away from home saw my team do well.

However I find it easier to remain solid by playing a narrow formation - obviously if you win players ratings will improve and if your wingers are getting 6.2 they must not be doing enough in the game.

I think your problem is that while in the lower leagues 3-4-3 plays as you would expect, in the premiership it doesn't work. Reason being is opposition full-backs have the stamina and pace to be able to get forward and support the winger for the whole match, pushing your winger further and further back and forcing him to defend. This is not what he's good at hence the low ratings. If you want to keep playing with wingers then you must play with full-backs in the higher leagues to give them cover, like the good old-fashioned 4-4-2.

The post above makes total sense to me.

I personally wouldnt play 3 at the back in the Prem anyways

I have a number of wingers in my team in the premiership that preform nearly all the time and have ended the past couple of season with 7+ ratings on average. Would post a screen shot of them but I am being lazy and not playing football manager tonight so I ain't loading it up

Wingers do work in the premiership if you find the right ones

"Wingers do work in the premiership if you find the right ones"

Definatly true. Pace, acceleration, crossing and dribbling. Thats all i really look for in a winger. Had a re-gen in 2026+ for Man Utd whom I signed from ipswich for 3m as a 23 year old who had these stats in abundance but pretty basic stuff elsewhere. What a player he was. he beat men for fun!he would get at leastt 8 goals a year and plenty of assists.

I have no problem playing 3 at the back (in my long term save) as long as I play defensive wingers, It more or less gives you 5 at the back most of the time. The problem is finding the right wide midfielder to do the job at that level. I also have had the best defensive record in the league for the last few seasons. (3-4-1-2 attacking)