do you use a real playmaker and if so how is a good one to use

reading the new 442 and got me thinking. in the 7 or 8 CM & FM games i bought since 2001 i never really use a real playmaker... i remember in CM2001/02 then FM05, FM06 that when i gave a player a free or playmaker roll, 95% of the time he'd have a **** game.....

so who is a good playmaker and do they work in lower leagues

I only use them in the top division as a playmaker in my opinion needs to have decent 1st touch and creativity, which generally, is missing at a lower level. I do however tend to play target men at all levels, from Prem to BS N/S.

Godo playmakers in my opinion need a good 1st touch, creativity, dribbling and passing...maybe a little bit of flair.

I doubt you will have much success finding a playmaker in the lower league unless he is very old - he really needs to be able to pull strings with very high creativity.

Gio has identifies the attributes and the game will normaly describe a suitable player as such.

If you get one just make sure you play at a slower tempo and shorter passing and give him the ball to feet. You will also need to play with defensive midfielders to protect him.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

I doubt you will have much success finding a playmaker in the lower league unless he is very old - he really needs to be able to pull strings with very high creativity.

Gio has identifies the attributes and the game will normaly describe a suitable player as such.

If you get one just make sure you play at a slower tempo and shorter passing and give him the ball to feet. You will also need to play with defensive midfielders to protect him.

Yeah in my opinion to offset the added individuality and freedom in the playmakers game he certainly needs protection in the form of a ball winning midfielder who doesnt try anything unspectacular

Tommy Hudd at Spurs is a decent deep lying playmaker, particularly if you play 3 in middle of midfield with Palacios as a ball-winner. Van der Vaart I've used sometimes in the attacking playmaker. I once also had Aaron Ramsey on loan at Cardiff who was good in the advanced playmaker. But like the other guys have said, only ever in the Prem (with the one exception of Ramsey for Cardiff in the championship).

I once has IInigo Idiakez as playmaker for Staines in FM09 at Conference South and Conference premier. He banged in the goals but I ensured he didnt have to run with the ball as he was sooooo slow. I loved him though as he banged in the freekicks.

He ended up reitiring (he was probs 39) with pace of 0 and became my assistant as I ran off to Holland with Feyenoord and then to Serie A glory with Napoli. He wasnt a great coach but im very sentimental

I play with playmakers even in the BSP and it works perfectly well. Find someone with good passing/creativity skills and they should suffice. I play a quick tempo as well and so far it hasn`t been bad for me. Just keep in mind that even with that your match may go bad if the tactic doesn`t work for the playmaker. I noticed my primary playmaker (AM) likes attacking play, but if I decide to hang onto a lead and play more defensively or controllable, he tends to lose the ball more often and doesn`t provide much anymore. Switching to a different type of playmaker (a DM for instance) often works wonders by then. For me it`s the fast ML though. But it all comes down to try-and-error in the end

I personally never specify playmakers, especially not when I reach the top level of football. At that point, you have so many good players on your squad that it doesn't make much sense to single out one particular player to be the focal point of your play.

I play an advanced playmaker or deep lying playmaker role on my MLS team all the time.

Brazilian with great passing, technique, and solid creativity, decisions. He's a natural DMC but I've trained him to AMC and even though my staff says he's not comfortable there he still does well for me as my playmaker. Regularly releases the strikers for the easy point blank finish and get himself a goal from time to time. His only problem is he's only got 12 stamina and 11 pace (still young though), so the physical aspect could be better, but with the right player a specific playmaker is ideal.

Also it helps reduce wingers crossing in deep where headers are all but useless now.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

So true using him as a playmaker in my current Reading save... unbelievable!. Also Cesc Fabregas in my opinoin is the best playmaker (support) in the game.

I've started an A.C. Milan save just to carry me through to fm 11 and i've been using Pirlo as a Deep-Lying Playmaker in support with Ambrosini and Gattuso as Ball Winnng Midfielders and its been brilliant so far.

I don't use a playmaker, have tried in the past but always made me play worse as a result.

I use a playmaker in most every match unless all my playmaker-like players are injured. I have noticed that Lars Bender is an amazing playmaker this year Make him play long, direct passes and he's Paul Scholes v.2

I've used an advanced playmaker (support) in a 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 in the MC slot. With the right kind of player there, it can be devastating. Currently, I have one of my best players in that role and he has contributed the most assists and won loads of MoM awards. He has one of the highest average ratings in the league.

I've also used a deep-lying playmaker in a proper 4-2-3-1 (with DMs) which was quite successful for me.

Finally, I used a trequartista in a 4-3-1-2, which was absolutely fantastic in the lower Italian leagues. I had a superb player in the position and he played wonderfully setting up loads of assists.

I would say that a playmaker needs to be one of the very best players in your side and he also needs to be very skilled in terms of his touch, technique, passing, creativity, anticipation etc. etc. etc.

If I use a playmaker they're almost always at MC as 'advanced', rather than at AMC. With playmaker at AMC, unless absolutely technically and mentally brilliant, I tend to find we play too direct, struggle to retain possession and end up not having the men forwards to join the attacks.

I tend to use the playmaker instructions for my AMC, or attacking CM if playing without one, but set playmaker to 'none'. Right now my AMC is getting plenty of assists (Riquelme/Badelj)*, but my team aren't looking to constantly get the ball to them. If they're that good they should be able to work their magic when they get the ball, rather than hoofing it to them at every opportunity when there may be better options on.

* Riquelme with 8 assists and 5 goals in 9 games. Badelj with 6 assists and 2 goals in 8 games.