How to make your AMC be your star player?

[FMWolf]

I'm really trying to the most of my AMC but things aren't going very well. In fact, things are going terrible. Not only I'm not able to get the most of him, I'm also losing game after game. I've been trying a 5-3-1-1, with 3 MC's behind a Trequarista. I'm using a CF (A) upfront. My idea was that the movement around the AMC would make him shine. But no. We loose the ball too quickly, passes aren't being precise and my AMC is often out of the match. What would you say it benefits an AMC Trequarista? Have you been able to make them the most important player on your team?

[bigwoody]

You're probably making it too complicated. What's your whole tactic? I suspect it will reveal fundamental holes.

Be a good team first, then the AMC's skills should shine. I don't always tailor a tactic to my best player, but he will take his role and make it shine.

[delra]

Treq is a bad idea, he runs around like a fool, goes for ball deep between your three MCs. Try a setting where he hangs in the middle and gets all balls from the midfield to either shoot from distance or pass a through ball to the striker. MCs should cover for him and work for him, not stand aside as he fights or waits for the ball 30 meters off his position.

[RTHerringbone]

Treq is a bad idea, he runs around like a fool, goes for ball deep between your three MCs. Try a setting where he hangs in the middle and gets all balls from the midfield to either shoot from distance or pass a through ball to the striker. MCs should cover for him and work for him, not stand aside as he fights or waits for the ball 30 meters off his position.

Trequratista is not a bad idea, and it is misleading to suggest it is.

His movement differentiates him well from other AMC Roles, and movement is key against formations employing a DM in particular.

[mattmccready]

The only time I've ever had a real impact at AMC was in a 4-2-3-1 with two DM's. I did this, along with an AF(A) to create a huge space in the middle for the AMC to exploit. I can't remember who he was but it was some Belgian kid, not even rated very highly but he had 'comes deep to get the ball' and he was a good dribbler, quick and had a good OTB stat.

Either the DLP played the ball up to him or he'd come deep and get it, turn and run with the ball and play the striker or inside forward through behind the defence.

Other than that I've really struggled. So from what I can tell it's all about making enough space for him to operate.

[FMWolf]

My formation looks like this with Attacking - Balanced philosophy:

-----------GK(D)

-----CD(D)-CD(X)-CD(D)

WB(S)-----------------CWB(A)

-----CM(A)-DLP(D)-BBM(S)

------------TRE(A)

------------CF(A)

I'm playing with PSV who have a very good team considering the league they're in and have a very good AMC - Brian Ruiz. So that shouldn't be a problem. We have a really though time with having possession and it seems that, even with the play shorter passes instructions, some players just try to go more direct (maybe it's because of their roles or players aren't giving them short passes options). Maybe I shouldn't be using this formation as I never used it before but I wanted to try playing with 3 CB's so I just decided to take two birds out with one shot xD And yes, I don't think the Trequarista is a bad role. But I may try another role if it makes my AMC be more of a key player

[sweep17]

Your AMC may need more support as a lone CFa will probably be too isolated to give the AMC passing options a CF has high creative freedom and roaming so has your trequartista this can result in them getting separated. Playing 2 strikers would probably help perhaps a CFs TMa. The other issue could be your wing bacs do they get forward quickly enough to support?

[FMWolf]

My wingbacks get forward quite enough. The problem I see with them is that they seem too much separated from the rest of the team in the offensive phase. The forward, well, I've had him in CF(S) but it seemed that him and the Trequarista were occupying the same spaces too often. I decided to give him an attack duty so he would stretch the oppositon defensive line allowing my AMC to have more space. And I still wanted him to get some assists as well so thought it would the best role, but it's definitely I'll look to change

[deserter]

My idea was that the movement around the AMC would make him shine. But no.

I would think that you need to create space around the Treq, rather than movement, to make him shine.

So, what would I do if I wanted my AMC treq to be THE star of the side?

First of I'd want him to have options ahead of him across the width of the pitch.

Secondly I wouldn't want many players venturing into his zone. A player can drop into the hole when he moves away, a player can move up into the hole when he moves away. What I wouldn't want to see is someone moving into the hole when the treq is there. For these reasons I'd favor telling someone to roam into free space rather than telling them outright to drop deeper or moving inside or move forward.

Thirdly, I wouldn't want someone else to be the star other than the star treq. This means that I'd use players around him that do simple things. Rather than using a playmaker or a central midfielder or a complete forward, I'd use a ball winning midfielder and a box to box midfielder and a target man or perhaps a poacher. I'd use PI's to take away freedom rather than to add it. (Except for the roaming perhaps.)

Lastly, I'd have a plan B. Sometimes your treq will be marked successfully. Maybe your plan B will be to move him to the top and drop the striker to AMC as a shadow striker. That way the DM will mark your SS and your Treq will move away from the defenders into space. Maybe you will just move the AMC to AMCL or AMCR. Or out wide as an advanced playmaker. Whatever suits your team and your star.

[jpcote09]

FWIW, I've had success with a 1AMC - 1STC setup using a combination of AM(a), TM(a).

What you want, mainly, is to have two things : space for him to work, and quick supply to him.

I think Treq can work very well but I would not, in that situation, use another playmaker in the squad. Maybe make your dlp a cmd instead. Then, as stated before, if I want a player to be all over the place and be my star player, it's to say that I want my players to do very specific things. You could try to go more rigid and use at least one BWM (s). I think having the cwb on the left is good since ruiz (iirc, left footed?) will naturally look to supply the ball to his left. Also, consider what you want your striker to do. Do you want him to bring the Treq into play so he scores goals, or to score goals supplied by the Treq? Either way, I would make him move into channels and keep him on an Attack duty, but I think I would also make him 'Hold Position' so he doesn't drift anywhere and leave your treq alone against the defense.

[Marsupian]

I would play Ruiz in the STC spot as treq next to the CF(a). It should create better link up and movement as he is coming off a defender instead of starting in between the lines. Play him on the right so the MC(a) can run past him while he drops off his defender.

I would also consider playing a more deep defensive game to create more space for Ruiz up top. At the moment you are cramming as many players as possible on the opponents half and beyond the ball. If you play with a defensive or counter attacking mentality and a deeper defensive line that invites your opponent to come out of their half more creating more space between the lines. Getting a trequartista working well in a very high tempo and compact game like that requires a lot. If you give him space and time he has a much easier job getting off that final pass or dribble.

Edit: Playing less attacking would also give your midfielders and wingbacks some time to catch up with the play and move beyond the trequartista. When playing on an attacking mentality the trequartista will probably see the ball sooner and look to pass it forward immediately.

[FMWolf]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try dropping the mentality to counter/defensive. The reason why I had it in attack was because it seemed that we we're just being over pressed by the oppositon and we couldn't even see the ball. I didn't said it, but I have the slower intensity shout, 'cause yeah, you don't to rush the decision making of your Trequarista that much in my opinion. But maybe it's not enough.

The tips about the movement vs space really opened my mind. How couldn't I thought about it? I'll try some changes and see what I can do. Not an expert in this year's version, so this going to be a tough one