Invincible tactic - but is it really that good?

[abyss616]

I like to play strikerless, and I took a tactic from there (https://strikerless.com/2020/11/15/the-shadowstriker-conundrum/) and tweaked it a little. In my first season at Ajax, I went 29-5-0, 74 GF, 6 (!) GA, +68 GD, won the domestic treble and advanced to first knockout round of Champions League. As dominating as it was, especially defensively, I didn't feel like it was reaching its potential. A lot of goals came from set pieces (especially throw-ins), and when we got around the 18-yard box, it bogged down a little and I would routinely have 5 shots or more blocked per game. In building from the back or on the counter, it was lethal.

Year two hasn't been as good: 17-3-3 through 23 games, +41 GD (best in the league) but I'm in second place. I am by far the best offensive team, especially in chances created (104, 40 better than the next team), but 12 of 54 have come from set pieces, 8 from PKs and (unofficially) 8 more from throw-ins, which means over half of my league goals have not come during the run of play. Defensively I'm not as good - 13 GA compared to just 6 all of last year.

I realize there are weaknesses in the setup - inverted wingers and wingbacks on both sides. If you read the article, it's by design: clog the middle and force everything out wide. Defensively this works wonders; offensively - particularly in the final third - not so much.

I wish there was an option to attack wide and use a high tempo just in the final third. I've tried attacking with more width and higher tempo but didn't get the results I was hoping for. I have all four midfielders using "take more risks" to take advantage of the space behind the defense with no strikers. Long balls over the top are very effective, but not so great with keeping possession.

The Inverted Wingers are set to "shoot less often" but they still take their fair amount of shots. The goals are pretty spread out among the positions - the IWs score a lot of goals, and if I could get anyone to convert a 1 v 1, I'd score 5 goals per game.

I'd like to keep the same basic formation/setup (strikerless) since any major changes would mean major changes to my roster management. I'm interested to see what changes you'd make. Thanks!

[jeerinho]

IW on MR/ML position rather than AMR/AML would close the gaps and helps defense tremendously. Offensively, they invite opposition fullbacks to come forward rather than pinning them back, and this leaves spaces on their channels to be exploited by your pair of SS. However the issue is you can't use certain players, for example Aubameyang, because they lack familiarity with the MR/ML position.

What is bad? The lack of width (because all flankers are trying to move inward), high defense line, and allowing too many risky passes; they will be put to the test by better sides in UCL competition such as Liverpool and Dortmund. Both have very fast wingers like Salah, Mane, Sancho and Gio Reyna.

Second season syndrome is like that. Higher team reputation leads to more opponents playing more defensively. New transfers taking time to gel due to unfamiliar tactics and language barrier. One common issue also is the illusion that we signed better players, but in fact, we signed players with higher potential only. They don't really have better current rating than the ones they have replaced.

As for the finishing woes, things aren't exactly as we expect. I have the experience whereby a player with poor Finishing would often correctly decide to round or chip the keeper instead. The one with better Finishing keeps having his shots saved. A right-footer as the right IW, I felt he could more prolifically whip his shots in at the near post, or across the onrushing keeper to the far post. On the other hand, the inverted footer would often hit the side net or power it straight at the keeper, even though I expected him to curl it in like Nicolas Pepe.

Edited July 1, 2021 by jeerinho

[abyss616]

Update: I've played two more seasons and they were a mixed bag for different reasons. Season 2 in the league was much tougher - pipped the title on the last day thanks to a goal in the 86th minute. Scoring was down just a hair (6 goals) but the defense was worse, allowing 19 goals instead of 6 the season before. Where it was great was I reached the semis of the Champions League. I knocked off Man City and PSG, only to lose to Shakhtar of all teams - I put 18 shots on goal and created 13 chances over two legs and couldn't score a goal. Season 3 was another invincible one domestically - goals scored were up, goals allowed were down and I coasted to the title. Europe was a different story. I put 27 shots on target over two games against Genk and only scored one goal. Two draws against Leipzig (which advanced to the final) did me in - just 1 goal in two games against them and my offense never got on track. I got to the quarters of the Europa League but lost to Milan 2-1 on aggregate and they shut me down offensively - only 9 shots on target and 1 chance created in two legs.

A couple of thoughts: the tactic obviously works, to a degree - I wouldn't make the CL semis if it didn't, I've beaten PSG 4 times in 6 meetings, but I ran into trouble against tougher teams. I guess I'm supposed to dominate in the Eredivisie regardless, so I should win it with just about any tactic, but two invincible seasons is somewhat impressive.

I changed up my home tactic to a more attacking one, dropped the AP-a to a AP-s, put the IWs on attack and made the outside backs WB-s for more width. I kept the tactic in the OP for away matches, dropped the mentality on occasion.

My shadow strikers are hit and miss. Most of my goals came from my IWs, either from cutting inside on the dribble or crossing to one another. If I could get my central midfielders to look downfield, they would hit the SSs on deep balls over the top for a 1-on-1 (which they rarely converted). I would like the IWs to hit the SSs on through-balls more, but they take a lot of shots, even with the "shoot less often" instruction. I'm going to test playing with underlap to see if that makes the SSs more of a focal point in attack. I'm creating chances like crazy and scoring a fair amount of goals but something doesn't seem right.

If anyone has thoughts on what I've put together, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.