How to play a Lone Striker in a 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation

[G-Man11]

In the 4th season and playing with a tactic that has involved throughout the season's I have been at the club as my playing personal have improved but while its a very successful tactic and my wingers score quite a few goals I can't get my Strikers to score at all and they often have long goal droughts. So what can I do to help my lone striker be more effective?

Tactic's 1

Tactics 2

Tactics 3

[SCIAG]

The first thing to look at is motivation. Try saying "you have faith" to the striker every once in a while, before the match or at half time.

[Messias]

I play 4-3-3 with Agüero upfront and he's been the top scorer in La Liga 3 season in a row with these settings:

Mentality all the way attacking

Creative Freedom normal but a free role

Closing down and passing team

Forward runs rarely

Run with the ball often

crossing rarely mixed mixed

try through balls often or mixed if your striker is not so good at passing

Let me know if that fixed your problem. Carlos Vela is quite similar to Agüero so it could work for him too.

[Colorado]

Can I ask, why forward runs rarely?

[bjoggi33]

Probably becouse if he has forward runs rarely then he will not be isolated alone up front

[clayts]

Hey

i use this formation with everton and keirson up front on his todd i tried loads of adjustments to his instructions nothing worked he was not scoring every one but him was.

So i decided to take time and adjust the way the midfield supply him and it now works he scores plenty.

First i made the DM an attacking DM with plenty of through balls, direct passing, run with the ball and mixed forward runs.

Used 1 of my centre mids as pure defensive with direct pasing and through balls. And the other box to box with plenty of through balls and also direct passing. (no use having short passing with lots of through balls wont work)

Now my wingers one of them crosses loads and the other cuts in and through balls i also get them to swap positions. I also use my full backs to get forward and get crosses in. works a treat.

If i knew how to download the tactic i just created to show u i would but dont know how.

Hope some of this helps.

[WelshWolf]

I too play this formation, and also have difficulty setting up my ST. I thought i'd got it working well in pre-season, but when he came up against the big boys of the Prem he got unstuck.

Hey

i use this formation with everton and keirson up front on his todd i tried loads of adjustments to his instructions nothing worked he was not scoring every one but him was.

So i decided to take time and adjust the way the midfield supply him and it now works he scores plenty.

First i made the DM an attacking DM with plenty of through balls, direct passing, run with the ball and mixed forward runs.

Used 1 of my centre mids as pure defensive with direct pasing and through balls. And the other box to box with plenty of through balls and also direct passing. (no use having short passing with lots of through balls wont work)

Now my wingers one of them crosses loads and the other cuts in and through balls i also get them to swap positions. I also use my full backs to get forward and get crosses in. works a treat.

If i knew how to download the tactic i just created to show u i would but dont know how.

Hope some of this helps.

Regarding this.

Unfortunately im a stubborn git who likes to have things my own way. If I was to do as you say then I would be changing the way my team plays, and to me that just doesnt seem right. Especially as I have spent the last two seasons building this tactic. I want my striker to work off my team as they are. Although I do see the logic in what you are saying, and I hate myself for being so stubborn in my approach - but i can't change it now.

Can I ask, why forward runs rarely?

I would assume that its so that he drags the defenders out of place, and then uses his pace to exploit said space.

I will be looking into this for my striker in the hope that it works.

WW

[G-Man11]

I play 4-3-3 with Agüero upfront and he's been the top scorer in La Liga 3 season in a row with these settings:

Mentality all the way attacking

Creative Freedom normal but a free role

Closing down and passing team

Forward runs rarely

Run with the ball often

crossing rarely mixed mixed

try through balls often or mixed if your striker is not so good at passing

Let me know if that fixed your problem. Carlos Vela is quite similar to Agüero so it could work for him too.

I'll give this a go for a couple of games and then report back.

[G-Man11]

I play 4-3-3 with Agüero upfront and he's been the top scorer in La Liga 3 season in a row with these settings:

Mentality all the way attacking

Creative Freedom normal but a free role

Closing down and passing team

Forward runs rarely

Run with the ball often

crossing rarely mixed mixed

try through balls often or mixed if your striker is not so good at passing

Let me know if that fixed your problem. Carlos Vela is quite similar to Agüero so it could work for him too.

Well this has worked wonders for Vela and after going 8 games without scoring he has now score 6 in 6 though now my wingers aren't scoring .

[Messias]

I'm glad to see my settings work for you too.

I put the the forward runs rarely so that he's harder to man mark, drifts the defenders out of position, can run at them with the ball and he don't get isolated all alone upfront.

My wingers don't score that many also. If anyone has any ideas about how set up the wingers that would be awesome.

[Monki KP]

Thanks for these settings, my forward is finally seeing more of the ball and getting some goals. But i am in agreement about the wingers. They seem to do all the hard work get right to the goal then shoot straight at the keeper, or make a bad pass/cross. This is happening alot with my two wingers Guardado and Gourcuff. I tried putting the run with ball down to mixed so they might be more clinical but so far no luck. I do like this formation but the single forward seems to be very restricting.

Also what are peoples thoughts on settings for a strong striker? i can't seem to get borriello to perform.