Too much influence on tactical setup rather than players' actual ability?

In my current tactic, the wing-backs are just on fire, no matter who I play there (even 16 year old youngsters with 5 for dribbling! He's still getting forward getting assists)...to the point where it seems quite unrealistic tbh.

Discuss.

Let me guess, you score a lot from crosses too?

Well yeah...

Specifically from the FBs.

I've always thought FM places too much emphasis on tactics over players' ability though.

I have thought that the gap between a pretty good and a mediocre tactic is too large and based on margins too fine for a few versions now. I don't think wingbacks or fullbacks (or fast strikers or wide midfielders or whatever) are symptoms of that problem.

Getting the tactics right is 90% of work done. Everything else in the game, including squad building is just icing on the cake.

As far as this particular 16.2 ME, crosses are a known issue. The ability of your fullbacks/wingbacks doesn't matter at all, if they happen to be good, fine, but it's not a requirement. I've had League 1 fullbacks destroying the PL, topping the avg rating and assists tables.

Whilst there may be tweaks to crossing and fullbacks you need to understand that it isn't happening to everyone. You also need to therefore consider that your choices are playing a role.

If I look at my current save I'm 17 matches into the season playing mainly a 442 although I do also have a 3232 & a 41221 which I've used occasionally. My two DRs have got one assist each, my two DLs have one & zero assists. If I sort my squad by assists then my playmaker has five (MC) along with one of my MLs. My MR has three while my other ML has two along with a rotation MC. Finally I have a number of players with one assist including three fullbacks, some strikers and another MC.

My main DR is a 4* player playing most games, last season he had one assist, the year before three (Albeit the league I'm managing in only has 22 games a season).

If I look at the league stats for the season top of the assist charts is a DC/DR but behind him there is a mix of midfielders, wingers & strikers.

Looking at a much higher league that I'm not managing in like the EPL, they are about 34 games into the season so nearly complete and the assist chart is like this:

1. De Bruyne (15)

2. Oscar (10)

2. Hazard (10)

4. Herrera (9)

4. Snodgrass (9)

4. Mata (9)

4. Matic (9)

4. Ramsey (9)

Not one fullback on the list and in fact Leighton Baines is the only defender in the top 20 with 6 assists.