Move into channels? Once and for all, what does it mean, please?

Hi!

It is not often that I post on these forums, I am more of a reader. I'm coming from Sweden and have trouble to understand one vital element in Football Manager. I work as a coach in real life here in Sweden and I like the tactic area of the game. I try to come up with a formation and instructions that will apply well in a real game of football. I am not interested in fantasy tactics, I loose interest immediately if I play with that kind of tactic, but that's just me.

I always play as Chelsea, since it is the team I supported since I was a little boy. Now I couldn't resist starting a new game and see if I could create a tactic that will fit both Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba. I have played FM for many years, but it is for the last year or so that I have become really interested and absorbed about the tactical elements of the game.

I have a bit trouble to understand some aspects of the tactics instructions in the game. Move into channels, what does that really mean? I have googled it and I found lots of different explanations. I was looking for an answer from some of the SI staff, but I haven't found any. That's a shame I think, because if SI could have explained it, then I would appreciate the game more, since I would be able to build and understand what I'm really doing.

Does move into channels mean that a player drifts wide to the flanks or does it mean that the player is looking to find space between the opposition defence or midfield. Or does it mean that he will exploit the space between the CB and FB?

Lastly, which instructions are intended for "without the ball" and which are "with the ball"?

I hope you understand my questions. I hope someone can enlighten me.

Thanks,

Eric.

Channels are positions between two players.

So if they are playing two centre backs and you ask a player to move into channels they'll move inbetween the two centre backs.

Ok, thanks for the quick reply. It doesn't mean for example that Drogba will drift wide towards the flanks and look for space there? I have seen so many different suggestions and many people have different views on this.

Channels are positions between two players.

So if they are playing two centre backs and you ask a player to move into channels they'll move inbetween the two centre backs.

Hmm, if you re playing with 2 DCs (in a four) I would say the channels are the gaps between the DCs and FBs where there tends to be more space than between the DCs.

I don't understand why Sports Interactive will not explain this. It would enhance the game even more if this was crystal clear what they mean by this. Personally, I get out most of the game and really enjoy it when I understand what I do and what makes sense.

Do you have any ideas why the SI staff haven't explained this? Just curious.

Channels are positions between two players.

So if they are playing two centre backs and you ask a player to move into channels they'll move inbetween the two centre backs.

This is incorrect.

Move into channels is literally just about moving into wide areas to receive the ball. Think about the natural movement of that kind of striker, who moves out to a wide area and 'runs the channels' as they say in football speak. It's about looking to exploit space in the wide positions.

The official, if a bit brief, SI definition is: 'a striker who likes to move into wide areas to receive the ball'.

I've always seen the channels as the space between centre back and full back, it is open to interpretation though so a definitive answer from SI would be nice.

This is incorrect.

Move into channels is literally just about moving into wide areas to receive the ball. Think about the natural movement of that kind of striker, who moves out to a wide area and 'runs the channels' as they say in football speak. It's about looking to exploit space in the wide positions.

The official, if a bit brief, SI definition is: 'a striker who likes to move into wide areas to receive the ball'.

I tend to agee more to this. It seems more logical and not to confusing. Though, I think it's a shame that SI don't release more explanations about this kind of stuff. I would apprecialte the game more if it was crystal clear. Then I could build my own tactic, safe in the knowledge that I understand the different instructions.

The quotation in my post is official from SI, by the way. Even if it is a bit brief.

It's all about exploiting space horizontally. Moving into wide positions to receive the ball. The channels are the empty spaces that he is running into. Yes, it could be to exploit space between the fullback and a central defender.

I actually like the fact that not everything about the game is crystal clear; it leaves you with the opportunity to explore and discover different aspects of it. You'd just be going through the motions otherwise.

It was a just an example ffs

Essentially - the player will go between where two other players are. It can be between the fb and cb or between the cb and the cb or the cb and fb or the lw mc or mc mc or mc ml etc.

A channel is just between two players. Yeh usually ends up getting between the fb and cb - but not always.

Jeez

4-4-2

....................gk..................

fb..CH....cb....CH.....cb...CH...fb

rm..CH...mc...CH.....mc..CH..lm

___________________

3-5-2

.................................gk.......................

...............cb...CH.....cb....CH.....cb............

..rm.....CH...mc...CH...mc....CH....mc....CH....lm........

___________________

At least that's my understanding

yeah it's the space between the two defenders, for instance if one striker drops deep taking his marker with him then the 2nd striker would exploit the gap created by this movement by running into it to receive the pass.

Pretty much the diagram from Eugene Tyson in the previous post. As players get pulled about the channels get bigger

This is incorrect.

Move into channels is literally just about moving into wide areas to receive the ball. Think about the natural movement of that kind of striker, who moves out to a wide area and 'runs the channels' as they say in football speak. It's about looking to exploit space in the wide positions.

The official, if a bit brief, SI definition is: 'a striker who likes to move into wide areas to receive the ball'.

Wingers can be set to move into channels aswel, so if strikers move wide then wingers must make narrow runs between defenders

4-4-2

....................gk..................

fb..CH....cb....CH.....cb...CH...fb

rm..CH...mc...CH.....mc..CH..lm

___________________

3-5-2

.................................gk.......................

...............cb...CH.....cb....CH.....cb............

..rm.....CH...mc...CH...mc....CH....mc....CH....lm........

___________________

At least that's my understanding

That would be my understanding of it too

Eugene Tyson, sorry, but that's not correct as far as I know.

The official line is that it is an instruction to make a player 'move into wide areas to receive the ball'. The channels are the spaces in the wide positions alongside his central position.

Move into channels means this, in the old sarrow system:

<---ST ST --->

He's going to look to exploit space horizontally by 'moving into the channels'. The channels are the spaces in the wide position that he can exploit in order to get into a good position to receive the ball.

I'm sure we've all seen forward who make this kind of movement, often coming out wide to receive the ball.

Note that this setting is applied by default (when using the TC) to certain types of forward who usually engage in this practice (advanced forwards etc.) and also to central midfield players in narrow formations, who will be encourage to 'run the channels' and take up wide positions to receive the ball.

That's what it is and that's how it works.

Wingers can be set to move into channels aswel, so if strikers move wide then wingers must make narrow runs between defenders

You can set anyone on the pitch to move into channels, even the goalkeeper! That's not an indication of anything.

Go to any football match in the world and say to someone, 'he's running the channels', when he is going through the middle and they'll look at you like you're crazy.

It's a horizontal movement, into space, into the wide positions.

It's not even a matter of opinion anyway, seeing as SI say explicitly that this is about moving into wide areas to receive the ball.

Eugene Tyson, sorry, but that's not correct as far as I know.

Well it is subjective.

Technically it's a line from the goal to the half way line on either wing - a striker moves into a channel - commonly between the fb and cb.

But it doesn't have to be the FB and CB. It's a wide strikers position in most cases.

But I maintain a channel on a pitch to be the space between two players - more commonly the fb and cb.

Well it is.

:confused:

You can set anyone on the pitch to move into channels, even the goalkeeper! That's not an indication of anything.

Go to any football match in the world and say to someone, 'he's running the channels', when he is going through the middle and they'll look at you like you're crazy.

It's a horizontal movement, into space, into the wide positions.

It's not even a matter of opinion anyway, seeing as SI say explicitly that this is about moving into wide areas to receive the ball.

If thats what they say then thats the way it is in FM.

Why have the option for all players if it only means one movement - narrow to wide and not vice versa.

Irl my understanding is three channels in the penalty area. Left, middle, right

You'll see that I hit reply by pure mistake and I've added to the post - oopsie.

I suppose in the grand scheme of FM that the "Move Into Channels" does in fact mean that the striker move between the FB and CB.

I withdraw my posts in regards how it works in real football and admit that as you describe is how it works in the game - and I wish you a good day sir.

Irl my understanding is three channels in the penalty area. Left, middle, right

Exactly - you can also have Defensive midfielders move into the channels in midfield - Ronaldinho did this quite a lot at Barca - a good dribbler, lots of flair and creativity, used to destroy teams by himself with this role of moving into channels from deep midfield positions.

Well it is subjective.

It's not subjective when SI say that it is specifically about moving into wide areas to receive the ball.

To settle the argument, I've just checked my copy of Football Lexicon by Leigh and Woodhouse.

They suggest that forwards 'run the channels' in behind the fullbacks and also that midfield players can operate in the inside left or inside right channels. So, as I suggested above, it is about exploiting space by moving from central positions into wide areas. Think of the old sarrows on FM2008.

Why have the option for all players if it only means one movement - narrow to wide and not vice versa.

For the same reason that you can tell even your centre-backs to 'hug the touchline'!

Irl my understanding is three channels in the penalty area. Left, middle, right

I disagree. The middle is not a channel.

For me, the running the channels would be getting into the old inside right and inside left positions, and moving out to the flanks. The big thing is, for me, that the channels represent space and that to exploit them is to move horizontally into a wider position.

As I understand it, 'moves into channels' is sort of the replacement for the sarrow from the old way of doing things. This is why the TC gives 'moves into channels' as a default only to central players (i.e. central midfield players and strikers).

In real life, I would describe a striker as 'running the channels' when he is moving from his central position and drifting horizontally into space in a wide position.

I believe this is correct. I've personally never heard of between the centre-backs as being called a channel. A channel has always been something a player gets into from the middle to the outside when I've heard it used.

You'll see that I hit reply by pure mistake and I've added to the post - oopsie.

I suppose in the grand scheme of FM that the "Move Into Channels" does in fact mean that the striker move between the FB and CB.

I withdraw my posts in regards how it works in real football and admit that as you describe is how it works in the game - and I wish you a good day sir.

Same to you.

Regardless of how this phrase is used in real football, I am 99.9% sure that this is how it works in FM.

It's not subjective when SI say that it is specifically about moving into wide areas to receive the ball.

To settle the argument, I've just checked my copy of Football Lexicon by Leigh and Woodhouse.

They suggest that forwards 'run the channels' in behind the fullbacks and also that midfield players can operate in the inside left or inside right channels. So, as I suggested above, it is about exploiting space by moving from central positions into wide areas. Think of the old sarrows on FM2008.

If it's in a book it has to be true.

What if you have a lone striker. And he's up against 4 defenders. You say to move into channels, would you want him running out wide to receive the ball or through the two CB?

Well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm with you to an extent that it's moving into wide areas on the flank. But I think it's still viable through the center too.

I actually like the fact that not everything about the game is crystal clear; it leaves you with the opportunity to explore and discover different aspects of it. You'd just be going through the motions otherwise.

Let's say you are a coach and you tell your player to move into channels. The player says I don't know what that means. So you say, "I actually like the fact that not all my instructions are crystal clear." Is this is a logical course of action to you?

People on this thread say move into channels is a horizontal movement...(that is side-to-side, such as between a fullback and a central defender). However, in FM 16, the "Move into channels" button actually says vertical movement...(that is up-and-down, such as moving between the fullback and the wide midfielder or moving between the defensive mid and the defender.) I'm basically as confused as ever. The striker seems to move wider sometimes, but I'm not sure if that's all the button does or it does other things too. And I think it makes wide players actually play farther away from the touchline (contrary to what people are saying) but I'm not 100% sure.

Not sure why you felt the need to resurrect a 5 year old ME thread, points awarded for finding such an old thread.

people many times use google to get tactical explanations, and it makes what makes the posts alive for ever and not dead and useless, its not bad if an old topic is resurrected. a new user may get the explanations he needs if he can search the last 10 year posts but may not get helped if he could only read fm 2016 topics. he has a point absolutely also, it finally may not be the instruction for a central player to move wider, for example if you play with 2 strikers both on moving into channels, it wont mean that they will not play close to each other, because if the left striker moves into the channel between the RB-DCR (channel) the other striker has space to exploit close to the other striker. and he will search for this space, because this space could make a dangerous situation for the team defending, and would be more useless to try to exploit the DCL-DL channel.

On 02/02/2011 at 10:40, Toothless Gibbon said:

Hmm, if you re playing with 2 DCs (in a four) I would say the channels are the gaps between the DCs and FBs where there tends to be more space than between the DCs.

This.

Not sure what SI's idea about it is.

It's defined in the Tactics Forum FAQs sticky, so I'll close this thread now.