How do you get a Target Man to stay central?

Given the rest of the problems related to tactics / match engine that many of us are waiting for SI to solve in Patch 3, this one is very minor!

This is also one which I'd be perfectly happy to accept someone telling me that 'it's your tactics'! ; )

Anyone got any good tips and tricks to force a big, central target striker to actually stay in the middle of the park, rather than running the channels?

I have tried setting them to Wide Play - 'Normal' , and giving little creative freedom, and set the player as Normal, but close to Defensive on the slider.

In both cases, I still find my target man regularly striding down the wing, trying to cross the ball to the tiny 'Poacher' I have in the middle!

That's not what I think I've asked him to do, but maybe I've done something wrong?

I've tried this with Carroll at Newcastle (before the lad got greedy and left), and with Becchio at Leeds.

That's odd. Maybe set the poacher's wide play to 'moves into channels', and set cross aim for the target man. Perhaps get your players to focus passing 'through the middle' and he might stay put.

Cheers!

I've done the first bit - Poacher is already the one set to run the channels, and he's set to cross into the Target Man.

I haven't asked for passes to go through the centre, because my team is a wide, direct sort of team, with wingers who are crossing into the centre regularly.

Problem is, the Target Man isn't there, because he keeps running the channels!

getting him to stick in the middle is half the battle, try getting him to win a header is another pain

Yeah - mine always flick the ball into the opposition keeper's arms, rather than knocking down into a teammates path.

This happens even if the main striker is set to be a Defensive Forward, when his stated aim is to 'bring other teammates into play'

Dunno what's up with that...just doesn't work, in my opinion...

lot of things that dont work in this game, some for years and they never look like being fixed. but when you look at the other options its still the best we have. really hate to say its your tactics because i think im trying to play the same way but old fashioned wing play is dying out and i think we are being forced to play a more up to date formation

btw the only way ive managed to keep my strikers in the middle more often is low closing down and wingers in the am positions to take away the space wide from the strikers

im newcastle to and andy carroll does the same with me!!!!!!!!what use is he crossing the ball in,i want you to be receiving the cross!!!!!!SO FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!

check the players preffered moves one of them could be move into channels

moves into channels = moves between defenders in wide play when he doesn't have the ball, not dribble wide.

so i actually think that its really helpful to have this in target men. other than that you should make sure that "roam from position" isn't ticked, lower his closing down, lower his creative freedom quite a bit and i actually would leave his mentality quite high on attacking. set him to run with the ball rarely and cross it rarely.

lone striker is useless

Haven't had any problems like this at all, my lone regen striker wanders to the flanks every now and then but mainly sticks to the middle of the park. I do play a 4-2-3-1 though with AMR and AML, maybe that works better than having your wingers in MR and ML position. I should also say that I have my target man supply set to 'to feet' as the lad may be 1.90m tall but has great technique and is great at holding up the ball, knocking it to my wingers or AM and banging in crosses and throughballs himself.

Try using the philosophy "rigid" and see...

lone striker is useless

I like having a lone striker. I often play a 4-5-1 (2 CM's, AMR, AML, and an AMC) The AMC as the playmaker. The lone striker as an advanced forward. I've had a consistent 25+ league goals from the striker. However that is Dzeko leading the line at Juve.

lone striker is useless

Tell that to the successful False 9 system.

For a Striker to stay central, you need to tell him to not move into channels, not run from deep, not roam from position. It would also help if you tell him to Man Mark the shorter CB. He will stick to him in defensive phases and when the ball flies forward towards him, he will have a better chance to win it.

Tell that to the successful False 9 system.

For a Striker to stay central, you need to tell him to not move into channels, not run from deep, not roam from position. It would also help if you tell him to Man Mark the shorter CB. He will stick to him in defensive phases and when the ball flies forward towards him, he will have a better chance to win it.

try to use ur lone striker as target man, you will cry

Tell that to the successful False 9 system.

For a Striker to stay central, you need to tell him to not move into channels, not run from deep, not roam from position. It would also help if you tell him to Man Mark the shorter CB. He will stick to him in defensive phases and when the ball flies forward towards him, he will have a better chance to win it.

Only bit of what you've just said that I haven't tried already is getting the player to man mark the shorter centre back.

That's not a bad idea, fella! Thanks. I'll give that a go and see how the ME deals with it!

Still very frustrated with the way the ME does certain things.

Will never understand why full backs in a rigid, defensive 451 are pinging 40 yard direct through balls when they've been told to pass short, and NOT look for through balls.

Makes it very difficult to get involved in the game when you see your instructions being ignored...

Try using the philosophy "rigid" and see...

Tried that, mate. My whole system is fairly tight, with rigid philosophy.

Target man still wanders all over the shop, refusing to stay in the centre of the park...

Get the hot WAGs away from the sidelines! Put them behind goals! But then I suspect offside might be a problem...

In all seriousness, I have this problem too. Maybe my TM had dreams of being a winger when he was younger... its a bit weird seeing my TM trying to make a cross to my winger... wide play is just broken at this moment, its that simple.

Try making your wingers more attacking. This will mean that they are in the advanced wide areas, so your target man doesn't go there looking for space.