PPMs to maximise attack

[Snaflet]

First off, the tactic I want to use for this:

Only player instructions are short distribution for Keeper and Hold Position for LB and RB. I've been winning a lot but from 13 games scored 30 and conceded 15 in the league is a little worrying! The issue is teams tend to counter me effectively- I tried to play an offside trap but it was disastrous and the rest of my defence continues to make small mistakes since then. I create, as the formation suggests, tonnes of chances, but I want to maximise the results using PPMS- I have a set of three or four youngsters who are playing fantastically when rotated but are blank slates in terms of PPMs.

The movement I want to achieve from the F9 and the IF(A)s is the ball in between the centre-back and full-back, with the opposition defenders unsure who to mark centrally. Does Moves Into Channels work to encourage my IFs to do this more than they already are? One of them has just failed to learn cuts inside but has 9 goals and 10 assists from something like 15 appearances so I'm a bit wary to tamper with him. The idea of both IFs instinctively abusing that space more than they do already is very appealing, though.

My young F9 has places shots and plays-one-twos- I wanted him to help break pacy players in behind the lines and it has seemed effective so far, although his appearances have been limited by injury.

My final thought was that if my F9 played with back to goal, would it stop him scoring goals from hanging around the box or off the shoulder of the CB? Or help him play in the CMs and AM more for the IFs?

My first XI: Reina, Kelly, Sakho, Umtiti, Jonathan Silva, Lucas (DLP) , Sven Bender (BWM) , Sterling, Henderson (AP) , Sturridge, Sinclair

The players I'm talking about are the regens (its end 2017) and Sinclair, can provide screens if it makes a huge difference- all are quick players with good finishing and pace

Thank you for anyone prepared to read that and help and anyone who can share any PPM ideas or experiences

[Double0Seven]

Plays one two seems good to me. Have you considered tries killer balls? I can see that working very well.

[llama3]

You want your left full back to get forward (attack duty), but want him to hold position...? Just think about that for a moment.

[Snaflet]

That's a new development to the tactic, he still seems to behave in the same way attacking but doesn't get dragged out of position by Hassle Opponents as much as before, which has made the defensive side a little bit tighter. Very frustrating conceding goals because he's a yard ahead of the opposition right winger played onside by the rest of my defenders. I've found getting a satisfactory press very difficult- players just seem to refuse to press in twos and threes or with any sort of urgency. This might be tied to their work rate as Henderson in the AP slot does so very well, make him far more effective there than I expected. I had Hassle Opponents off and no holding position for either FB but the complete lethargy in the middle of the pitch by everyone except Bender and Lucas (I get this is because of the roles I've given the front four) was leading to an over-reliance of individual defending ability. Since the change I've still attacked very well, but my FB(A) seems more controlled, still getting down the side of the pitch but when defending he doesn't behave quite as oddly.

I was considering killer balls for the AP(A) and also the DLP so we could spring quick attack from deep better. I had a youngster with that, now out on loan, who could be quite effective doing that and I might try it.

Also- is there any way to stop players heading the ball randomly rather than either controlling it, running onto it, or cushioning it to a team-mate. Very frustrating.

Would running with the ball often help players when one-on-one approach the keeper and force him to come out rather than shooting from miles out, as well?

[Draigh]

Would running with the ball often help players when one-on-one approach the keeper and force him to come out rather than shooting from miles out, as well?

No, that's coverd with the "likes to round keeper" PPM.

[leumd]

You want your left full back to get forward (attack duty), but want him to hold position...? Just think about that for a moment.

I've used this occasionally during some games - my issue was that my FB was constantly chasing the play into the centre of the park (no closing down PI, I think he just had lots of energy that day). I used this PI to keep him in the channels his role/duty was set for - i.e. run up and down the wing, not across the park. Can't really claim that it had a dramatic effect, but he was a bit more disciplined in those instances.

I'm not convinced at all that 'Hold Position' really means stay still, maybe it just makes the player play less risky/more rigid in a positional sense.

[llama3]

It seems illogical to me - but if it is working in front of you then fair enough

[Snaflet]

@Draigh- will try rounding keeper with my quickest technical central player and hope it pays off!

@leumd and @llama3- what I've seen is that it doesn't stop them attacking vertically, but does help them not get dragged horizontally or diagonally out of position, making it very very helpful in minimising conceding the long ball behind the full-back when he'd otherwise be walkabout and ignoring his winger.

Finding my youngsters so efficient without PPMs that I'm wary of adding any but do want to try, does anyone have any good experiences with PPMs in attacking players?

[yonko]

Before asking for advice about PPMs, I think you should consider changing some aspects of your tactic. By your own words the issue is that teams counter you effectively and have scored 15 goals in 13 matches.

IMO, first you should change your Strategy to Control - save the Attacking for desperate times like the last 15-20min of games when you need to chase for equalizer or a winning goal. Playing Attacking with Hassle Opponents and BWM as one of the 2 in midfield you are just setting yourself up to get exposed. I would use Bender as CM-D, keep Lucas as DLP-D and change Hendo to AP-S.

Then, I'm not sure how Sinclair has developed for you (a screenshot would be helpful to see) but I wouldn't use a F9 role with a playmaking AMC behind him. A SS would work better with F9 but then that would mean changing the wide forwards. On the other hand, Sterling on the left and Sturridge on the right as IF-A is the best option for both of them. Therefore I would play the STC as CF-A/S and allow him to roam.

As for PPMs, I would recommend the following:

STC - places shots, plays one-twos, moves into channels, likes to round gk, tries killer balls often

AMR/L - cuts inside, plays one-twos, runs with ball often, places shots, gets into opposition area/gets forward whenever possible

AMC - tries killer balls often, moves into channels, dictates tempo, plays one-twos

DLP - comes deep, plays short simple passes, dictates tempo, likes to switch ball to other flank, tries killer balls often

[Snaflet]

@yonko- I want the all out attack and numbers forward of what seems like an unbalanced front six. Since that screenshot I have swapped BWM and DLPs sides to cover for the bombing left back and have kept several clean sheets and also scored a lot more goals- 74 from 26 league games compared to 71 in total last year (as winners) and conceded 26, which although high, suggests my tinkering has helped make us a little more watertight.

I have used SS with F9 when playing much weaker terms and rotated with Palombo (below) and tried doing the logical thing with Sterling and Sturridge and playing them inverted to cut in on their stronger feet, but they oddly seem much happier when playing on their 'natural' sides. It's been quite trial and error so far but settled for a side which attacks in a blitzing fashion and is semi-capable of easing games out with control and possession. For the previous four seasons we've played a more reactive, controlled game, but I felt like experimenting with goal-scoring instead, which has worked very well both home and away.

Your PPM suggestions sound what I want, particularly for the STC and AMC- although if both move into channels would they shadow each other's movements too much? My DLP Rossiter, although he appears to have low (for a -9) potential and hit his ceiling has several of the DLP PPMs too Do PPMs take any ability points? If the AMRLs get forward often will they do even less tracking back? Like the idea of lots of one-twos and killer balls

The crop I've got coming through are all from the academy except Palombo, who was free when he was 20 and I couldn't pass him up but is very raw after two loan spells

Screenshots of players and their records so far this season:

Jerome Sinclair, Sean Hughes (ST, places shots, one-twos), Peter Nixon (AMR/ST), Harry Wilson (AML/R), Giuseppe Palombo (AMC, runs with ball often, first time shots)

Thanks for any help or info anyone has again

[yonko]

PPMs don't take any ability points. Move into channels for both AMC and STC won't be a problem, at least it hasn't been in my experience.