Playing with 4 Advance Playmakers

[James9]

Would you recommend playing with 4 playmakers. Starting a new save with Arsenal and I will be playing the 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation. Arsenal seems to have a lot of talented playmakers within the squad. I am hoping by playing with 4 playmakers it will bring a new dimension to my attack.

I would also like to ask if 4 playmakers in means that you will score less goals.

DM: Defensive Midfielder - Defend or Anchor - Song

CML: Advanced Playmaker- Attack - Fabregas

CMR: Advanced Playmaker- Support - Wilshere

AML: Advanced Playmaker- Attack (Nasri)

AMR: Advanced Playmaker - Attack (Arshavin/Rosicky)

ST: Complete Forward- Support (Van Persie)

I was thinking of setting my AML - AMR to cut inside with roam from position. I will be leaving their mentality has default tactic creator setting and tweak the other instructions according to the players skills and abilities.

I would like to hear the tactical gurus feedback on this approach and what they would change

[furiousuk]

I'd be a bit worried personally but there is absolutely NO reason why 4 playmakers shouldn't work. The strict definition of 'playmaker' dictates that it shouldn't but the naming isn't important to the game, it's just a template to set instructions at the end of the day. Each of those players are great playmakers and have great decision making abilities so I would imagine they would cover for each other and provide options for each other. It may even work out as quite realistic and may have the same downfall that has been pointed at Arsenal for the last couple of years i.e. a lack of direct thrust and an over-complication. Could really produce some beautiful stuff in my eyes though.

Remember, in the team settings you can choose your playmaker (I'd recommend choosing none and let the players decide who the best PM is in each situation).

Oh, another thought, will Fabregas be roaming as well? I know Wilshere won't with a support role and I think AML/AMR will be (ST will be). My attacking 3 have free roles but no-one else does and it creates a nice stable base with 2 MCs and 3 'roamers' in front. Just be careful to balance the free roles (although, I've kind of always been a fan of 10 free roles but that's for another discussion!)

[Falahk]

on fm08 and fm10 I played with 5 playmakers (or atleast that kind of roles and player types since the Tactic Creator did not not exist on fm08) and no defensive minded midfielders, most of the time in a narrow 4-2-3-1 with a pacy poacher up front

worked back then so prolly should work now on fm11 even if a tad wider formation may be needed to make it work consistantly

[dankrzyz]

If you have the right players, I don't see why it wouldn't work. You do need to make sure that not only are they "playmakers", but that they are giving you enough runs into the box to be "scorers" too. All passing and no goal-scoring make Manager very unhappy.

[Mike_Cardinal]

I'm pretty sure that advanced playmakers don't roam - so that they sit it in the hole without wandering off to do other things, so you might have a lack of movement and attacking thrust, though it's not like they won't make forward runs at all, so it might work really nicely as a possession tactic. With all those through balls coming in, I'd have Van Persie as an Advanced Forward (Attack) instead to take advantage of that a little more and provide you with a direct threat on goal, and with his PPM of 'Comes Deep to Get Ball' you'll still find him getting involved in link up play to a great extent.

[Falahk]

I'm pretty sure that advanced playmakers don't roam - so that they sit it in the hole without wandering off to do other things, so you might have a lack of movement and attacking thrust, though it's not like they won't make forward runs at all, so it might work really nicely as a possession tactic. With all those through balls coming in, I'd have Van Persie as an Advanced Forward (Attack) instead to take advantage of that a little more and provide you with a direct threat on goal, and with his PPM of 'Comes Deep to Get Ball' you'll still find him getting involved in link up play to a great extent.

thats pretty much the reason to why i went with a 4-2-3-1 when i was playing this style, in a 4-5-1/4-3-3 you need the striker to drop deep and provide linkup play while the midfield provide runs (to prevent the striker from geting isolated), with the midfield bothered with passing, keeping possession and doing all link up I needed, I could afford to have my striker playing on the shulders of the defense and have him run at the defense for any ball played in by the midfield

[pigfacemonkeyman]

I would give the front 5 'Roam from Position', high 'Creative Freedom' and 'Sometimes' for both 'Runs with Ball' and 'Runs from Deep' leaving the choice up to them.

I would also set all 'Wide Play' to 'Normal', again to give them the choice to use the best option available at the time and keep the opposition guessing. (check your wide players PPMs, I think you'll find they have 'Cuts Inside'). Whilst on the subject of PPMs, 'Dwells On Ball' - Nasty - lose it Ramsey!

[Marsupian]

thats pretty much the reason to why i went with a 4-2-3-1 when i was playing this style, in a 4-5-1/4-3-3 you need the striker to drop deep and provide linkup play while the midfield provide runs (to prevent the striker from geting isolated), with the midfield bothered with passing, keeping possession and doing all link up I needed, I could afford to have my striker playing on the shulders of the defense and have him run at the defense for any ball played in by the midfield

Why does the striker have to drop deep in a 4-5-1? The 4-5-1 is VERY similar to the 4-2-3-1 and can work almost the same. Have one of the MC's attack the hole, have the wide players create from the flanks and another MC support the whole thing with the striker sitting pretty up top waiting for the ball and you can probably score a decent amount of goals.

In response to the question, yes you can play with 4 advanced playmakers. Just make sure you set the right ones on support and attack so you manage their runs and position in a way that creates space so they can create chances and gets enough players in a dangerous position to score goals.

[Karnage94]

Why does the striker have to drop deep in a 4-5-1? The 4-5-1 is VERY similar to the 4-2-3-1 and can work almost the same. Have one of the MC's attack the hole, have the wide players create from the flanks and another MC support the whole thing with the striker sitting pretty up top waiting for the ball and you can probably score a decent amount of goals.

In response to the question, yes you can play with 4 advanced playmakers. Just make sure you set the right ones on support and attack so you manage their runs and position in a way that creates space so they can create chances and gets enough players in a dangerous position to score goals.

I agree here with the idea of not putting your striker in this case to drop deep. In FM 10 I played as Toulouse and Gignac managed 27 from 36 as a Target Man - Attack, he dropped deep a bit but was generally the spearhead in attack and didn't play others in too much, the Wingers who played as Inside Forwards just about got into double figures for the season. With FM 11 and my save with Tenerife I played 4-5-1 first season and my only decent striker Nino (who by the way is not somebody who is great at coming deep and linking play) scored around a goal a game in a Poacher role. I found this to be quite intriguing as I wasn't expecting much success from it but I did have good support from an aggressive passing CM who grabbed around 20 assists through bursting towards the box and providing the final ball through. It would also help that Nino was pushing the defensive line of the opposition back, giving more room to create space in.