Players using their weaker foot (and a suggestion for SI on how to improve it).

I've moaned about this in various threads but I think this needs broader attention.

The way one-footed players are represented in FM match engine is absurd. It takes into account their ability on whichever foot their using but a player's ability to go on their weaker side has (almost) no effect in their decision making process in choosing which foot to use. In order to get them at least a bit self concious is to teach a frankly ridiculous PPM - 'avoids using weaker foot'. It's not a ridiculous tendency in itself, but it's something you never coach into players in reality. Why? Because all one-footed players avoid their weaker foot instinctively. Being two-footed isn't purely a god-given gift, some of it is down to talent but the reason most one-footed players are so is the fact that they've been avoiding their weaker foot all through their formative years as footballers. Anyone who's played football on any level knows it's somewhat uncomfortable to take a shot on your weaker peg - the further out you are the less likely your body will ever set itself up to go on your weak side. Coaches in real life do their best to coach this instinct out of players, they never encourage it.

My suggestion for a solution is to use the 'avoids weaker foot' PPM as a hard coded tendency for every one-footed player. Lose the ability to teach this as a PPM but make it possible to unlearn it along with improving a player's weaker foot ability. No player should be able to unlearn the tendency without actually improving their ability to go on their weaker side. In addition to that, the decision making process in the ME should be more sensitive. There's no way a player with no ability to use his weaker foot will ever take a pot shot from 30 yards with it. If there's ANY other option available - a backpass, a hopeless punt forward, whatever - this should be their instinctive choice instead of trying to hit one from range. If a left footed player cuts in from the right flank there should be almost no chance of them taking a shot with their right. You should also introduce a 'moment of hesitation' whenever a player actually makes a decision to use his weaker foot. Improving this area of the ME will make the goalmouth action much more believable and you'll have a lot less complaints about horrific finishing as a big proportion of the 'loads of CCC's, no goals' scenarios is down to players unreasonably choosing to go on their weak side in good positions.

A very well written piece, and I absolutely agree. The only problem I would say/argue, is the ME sophisticated enough to try and implement this? Or to improve the situation. But certainly something that would be a great addition, is some capacity.

I think generally there is a reluctance for one footed players to use their weaker foot on FM, and decision making in the ME does in fact take into account how strong the weaker foot is (even without the avoids using weaker foot PPM). I suppose it is arguable that the effect should be greater, particularly in the instance of long shots, as I do think you're right in that in FM, you'll see players attempt long range shots with their weaker foot (and usually whack it hopelessly over the bar) far more often than you would see players do in reality.

What I do completely endorse from your post is how you can't improve a player's weaker foot attribute. I think it's most clear how silly it is when you get a game 15-20 years into the future and you looks at the best regens in the game, and plenty of them will have their weaker foot as either weak or very weak, which is in stark difference to the start of the game in which most of the best players will at least have at least reasonable for their weaker foot rating. In the future, it's not uncommon to see a regen with his technical attributes almost entirely maxed out (presumably he will have a very high CA ~185 or more), but with a very weak weaker foot. That same regen when he first came through may have started with technical attributes roughly averaging about 10, so he has increased most of his technical attributes by at 10, however with all that rapid improvement on his all round game, it is baffling that his ability on his left foot still pales so much in comparison to that of his right.

The only problem I would say/argue, is the ME sophisticated enough to try and implement this?

Adding the 'avoids using weaker foot' PPM as a hard coded tendency for any player who isn't at least 'reasonable' with their weaker foot should be easy enough to implement. It wouldn't solve the issue entirely but it would be a good start.

I think generally there is a reluctance for one footed players to use their weaker foot on FM, and decision making in the ME does in fact take into account how strong the weaker foot is (even without the avoids using weaker foot PPM). I suppose it is arguable that the effect should be greater, particularly in the instance of long shots, as I do think you're right in that in FM, you'll see players attempt long range shots with their weaker foot (and usually whack it hopelessly over the bar) far more often than you would see players do in reality.

The players might be somewhat reluctant to use their weak foot when they have a choice, but they will almost never try to shift it on their stronger side when the situation favours a shot on their weaker foot. For example, a right footed striker running towards the goal at an angle from the left flank - they'll choose to use their left foot to take a shot instead of cutting back on their right almost every time. Try getting Robben cutting in from the right and you'll see him take a right footed shot after right footed shot. The players are not conscious of their weaker foot ability, at least nowhere close to how they should be.

The players might be somewhat reluctant to use their weak foot when they have a choice' date=' but they will almost never try to shift it on their stronger side when the situation favours a shot on their weaker foot. [b']For example, a right footed striker running towards the goal at an angle from the left flank - they'll choose to use their left foot to take a shot instead of cutting back on their right almost every time[/b]. Try getting Robben cutting in from the right and you'll see him take a right footed shot after right footed shot. The players are not conscious of their weaker foot ability, at least nowhere close to how they should be.

I wonder what foot he would shoot with if he had the PPM "Moves ball to right foot before dribble attempt"? This PPM is also strange, as people instinctively dribble using their strong foot.

I wonder what foot he would shoot with if he had the PPM "Moves ball to right foot before dribble attempt"? This PPM is also strange, as people instinctively dribble using their strong foot.

Don't think I've ever even seen anyone with this one. But you're right, it's similarly nonsensical as a PPM. All tendencies like these should be automatic instincts for one-footed players and it should be possible to coach them out of players along with improving their weaker foot ability.

I'm not in favour of gamers having any direct influence over the PPMs of their players. I just don't think it works that way IRL. Players develop PPMs because they keep repeating actions either they have a skill they keep exploiting or they have a weakness they cant cure them selves of. Take for example "dwells on ball" No one does that on purpose, no one is encouraged to do it. Its a mistake you cant rectify. Either you overestimate how much time you have before you're closed down, or you need to look for a pass because you're not sure where your team mates are, or you are overconfident in your ability to hold onto the ball under pressure.

Managers don't ask players to learn "plays one two's they give a player who has the skills to gets forward from deep the freedom to do so and if he sees the opportunity and if he finds it works playing one twos becomes a natural part of his game.

Id prefer to see PPM's be created based on players attributes initially with others being created based on the way they are asked to play while young and the players who they play with.

/Highjack