What's with the terrible crossing?

Hey guys,

I play LLM and am managing Ballymoney in Belfast C1 (recently promoted). In watching matches, I've noticed that my players just cannot put in proper crosses unless they're close to the goal line. They end up as accidental shots on goal, or simply don't make it to the goal at all and go out for a goal kick. This happens to players with "excellent" (10-12) crossing ability for our level. Seems strange to me that they just can't make this sort of cross. Am I doing something wrong?

No, you're just expecting too much of fairly average players in a pretty shoddy league playing on bad pitches. If you ever get a chance to watch a game at that level or similar, you'll see much of the same. Hell, put David Beckham on a terrible pitch and you'd be shocked at how wayward his crosses become, and he's arguably the best crosser of a ball of the last twenty years. Any winger, no matter how great a crosser of the ball he is, is totally reliant on the playing surface. The slightest bumb, bobble or, hell, stones (as often happens at that level) can turn a potentially sublime cross into something that loosely resembles a kick for territory from that egg-chasing game.

How good is their technique? Mental stats? There's more involved in putting a cross in than just crossing.

No, you're just expecting too much of fairly average players in a pretty shoddy league playing on bad pitches. If you ever get a chance to watch a game at that level or similar, you'll see much of the same. Hell, put David Beckham on a terrible pitch and you'd be shocked at how wayward his crosses become, and he's arguably the best crosser of a ball of the last twenty years. Any winger, no matter how great a crosser of the ball he is, is totally reliant on the playing surface. The slightest bumb, bobble or, hell, stones (as often happens at that level) can turn a potentially sublime cross into something that loosely resembles a kick for territory from that egg-chasing game.

That doesn't explain why the exact same thing happens with the best crossers on a perfect pitch.

It is well established that it is one of the main issues with the match engine.

There's certainly an issue in the ME in terms of a player running at an angle away from goal then trying to cross without having changed his run so he's straightened up / cut back inside. Not surprisingly, this results in the crosses going straight at the keeper. It would be impossible for them to go anywhere else.

If that kind of cross was eliminated, then I don't think they'd be much wrong with crossing in FM at all. It requires some reworking of decisions regarding when to cross and who should support the wide player so he's not left isolated having no choice but to cross. It's not merely about fixing crossing accuracy, which I'd contend is about right when the decision to cross is realistic.

Except for corner deliveries, which are too close to the keeper too often without rhyme or reason. That, in my opinion, is a targeting accuracy issue. Although, to fix it would require more dynamism from deeper players at corners.

Anybody know how I can stop my damn wingers blasting at goal from a tight angle instead of placing a cross?! Driving me mad!!!

Anybody know how I can stop my damn wingers blasting at goal from a tight angle instead of placing a cross?! Driving me mad!!!

Take them off attack duty.

Take them off attack duty.

Makes an incredible amount of sense.