Long shots very often?

Anyone else getting confused as to why their players take most of their shots from miles outside the box? or is it just the match engine?

I want most of the play to be inside the box and for players to be holding it up and laying it off to people running in. Instead though my players get too excited about seeing the goal and blast it from distance most of the time.

It's not a major problem when you have a decent side, but if your not such a great side then you want the better, shorter opportunities

some players have high creative freedom, it is part of the reason I keep an eye on nani. if he wastes too much he gets dragged off.

The PPM shoots from distance can turn players with class stats into liabilities, as Scott said Nani is a prime example. On my old United save I got so fed up with his constant shooting from all angles I sold him. I had him set to long shots rarely and the team set up to keep possession but he repeatedly wasted good positions with 30 yard pot shots. He scored once in about 8 games despite sometimes having 10+ attempts and then I just gave up with him. Couldn't get him to unlearn the PPM either so shipped him out at the first opportunity.

Do you have long shots set to rarely? I have done that for all players and it has, amazingly, cut down on the wasteful long range shooting- some will still do it when you don't want, but it shouldn't be an epidemic

Yeah, like Dr. Hook says, the first thing to do is to change everybody's long shots down to rarely (individually), which helps cut it down. Also, try to avoid going "Attacking", as that seems to encourage shooting from anywhere, and try to train the PPMs out of players.

I have a centre mid who loves shooting from range, which winds me up no end (at least 4 efforts every game), but every time I get really annoyed, he redeems himself by sticking one of them in. I dunno whether or not he's worth his 8 goals a season for his 200 shots :/

Check if your players have the "shoots from distance" PPM in the Positions screen. Get rid of those who do and make sure you never sign anyone with it.

Set long shots to rarely for all players

Reduce the player's Mentality if it is set to very attacking

Increase Passing Style if it is very short

Reduce tempo if it is set to quick

Reduce Run From Deep on your strikers if they are set to often do so

(maybe) increase Time Wasting if it is set to minimum

Use players with high Teamwork, Decisions and Creativity attributes

Leave players with low morale at home and substitute players who are nervous and/or complacent

(maybe) increase Creative Freedom so that they get a Flair boost to get out of tight situations, or when doing what they're told to do would leave them with a long shot being the safest option

I forgot about this thread, sorry guys.

Cheers for the advice tho, I'm getting back into FM once again so I'll put it all to the test