The most frustrating "too soft sidepass" attacking free kick...

I'm sure this has happened to others as well.

Attacking free kick, free kick taker and a random team mate standing nearby. The free kick taker passes the ball to his team mate... softly. Much too softly, obviously. The team mate turns towards the ball and takes a leisurely stroll towards it. An opponent rushes out and intercepts the ball, starting a lethal counter often leading to a CCC.

I understand that an attacking free kick is sometimes hit sideways. I also understand that, even at Eredivisie level, such a ball can be mishit too softly. But to have everyone react in such a bad way that the opponent then actually wins the ball before your team mate is able to at the very least clear the ball (even in a "hoof the ball clear"-sense) is beyond me.

It's especially annoying when the team mate is your lump of a centre half, who should really be in the box and certainly shouldn't be on the ball 30 yards from goal.

Why is that move in the game at all? I am sure that the time spent to code that player decision could have been spent more wisely on something else.

yes, unfortunately happens around one in 10 for me. I am playing lower levels but still, it isnt that hard

Can't say I've ever seen that?

You've honestly never seen it? How do some posters manage to have so many bugs/annoyances totally out of their game? When ever anybody posts a question or a rant there is always the odd poster or two who have never seen it or had it happen in their game. It happens a lot in my game, terribly frustrating and no way to stop it! Just one of many annoyances on the game.

Why is that move in the game at all? I am sure that the time spent to code that player decision could have been spent more wisely on something else.

It happens a lot in real life, unfortunately it isn't coded properly in game so it happens too far from goal. Liverpool a few years ago used to tap every free kick to Steven Gerrard so he could have a shot. Though it was always Gerrard, never Hyypia.

It happens a lot in real life, unfortunately it isn't coded properly in game so it happens too far from goal. Liverpool a few years ago used to tap every free kick to Steven Gerrard so he could have a shot. Though it was always Gerrard, never Hyypia.

Yeah, indirect free-kick set up for a shot, not a player who is not aware of what is happening. There are also too many instances where the whole team is waiting for an indirect free-kick whipped into the box from the flank, but the ball is instead passed short to a random player standing close.

It happens a lot in real life, unfortunately it isn't coded properly in game so it happens too far from goal. Liverpool a few years ago used to tap every free kick to Steven Gerrard so he could have a shot. Though it was always Gerrard, never Hyypia.

But shouldn't this only happen when you have a guy with the 'Stand with taker' instruction?

I certainly don't mind the side pass just outside the box (if the SP is set up to be able to happen that way) ... but having it happen about a handful 8or more) times a season, at the center line, is horrid. And it was there in FM11 too. One can only hope it is fixed in FM13 (or FM14).

Yeah, indirect free-kick set up for a shot, not a player who is not aware of what is happening. There are also too many instances where the whole team is waiting for an indirect free-kick whipped into the box from the flank, but the ball is instead passed short to a random player standing close.

To be fair I think the player is aware of what is happening, he just doesn't react well enough. It needs to be coded to only happen in the appropriate positions and the attacker needs to be ready to do something with it rather than panic and hoof it. It also should be a player you have coded to stand with the taker.

the one i hate is when chasing a lost ball... my player will casually walk slowly towards the ball just in time to arrive to the ball when the opposition player is just getting there himself after charging towards it...

if my lazy ass player jogged a bit he'd have plenty of friggin time

To be fair I think the player is aware of what is happening, he just doesn't react well enough. It needs to be coded to only happen in the appropriate positions and the attacker needs to be ready to do something with it rather than panic and hoof it. It also should be a player you have coded to stand with the taker.

"Doesn't react well enough" is quite an understatement. Letting an opponent player who has to rush in from some distance actually gaining the ball is a horrid reaction.

In any case, I don't mind the decision of the free kick taker too much (as it does happen and is sometimes useful). It's the reaction of everybody after the kick is taken that just defies football logic. And I don't think there's anything I can actually do about this in a tactical way.

It might be related to loose ball chasing decisions, where a player suddenly, for no reason at all, decides that he has all the time in the world to crawl towards a loose ball and have an inrushing opponent nick the ball away from them (see comment by welshace).

Happens a lot in lower leagues. What some of the players are thinking when they do stupid things is beyond me.

Ha, ha! I have just had this happen now. At the top level with a CL contender. Totally against all set piece settings too. Resulted in the opponent running the length of the pitch and missing a one on one. Good fun.