Manchester City and the False 9

[Chris_FM]

When playing FM, I like to try to replicate real life tactics of teams, and not make too many transfers to start with. When playing as Man City, it's noticeable that very few of their players have ST as a role, despite the team regularly employing a traditional 'midfielder' there over the last 12 months or so. I am very reluctant to simply stick Jesus there, so would like to go to the editor to add False 9 for a number of them.

 

Sterling already has it at a level I would deem realistic. Grealish is very new to it, so would likely be someone I would need to train - but the likes of Bernardo and De Bruyne have regularly played it at the top levels of European football.

 

What mark out of 20 would you give:

Bernardo?

De Bruyne?

Foden?

 

The same is probably true of the Inverted Wingback positions, but at least the players for this have FB/WB as a position to start with, so their ratings aren't as non-existent.

 

Thank you.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Chris_FM

[Shirts]

IMO all the players you mentioned can simply be retrained as False Nine's with training / match practice. 

Even Zinchenko started there in the Champions League home match against PSG!

Out of interest what is the system you intend to deploy that replicates the current City? 

 

[Chris_FM]

15 minutes ago, Shirts said:

IMO all the players you mentioned can simply be retrained as False Nine's with training / match practice. 

Even Zinchenko started there in the Champions League home match against PSG!

Out of interest what is the system you intend to deploy that replicates the current City? 

 

True! It just feels like FM are behind the curve with that element, as these players have been winning leagues and competing in the CL knockouts whilst playing ST/F9, so to have absolutely no positional rating for it seems bizarre.

In terms of the system, on FM paper it has to be 4-3-3 with a DM, but using roles to get the 2-3-5 when attacking.

[Shirts]

3 hours ago, Chris_FM said:

True! It just feels like FM are behind the curve with that element, as these players have been winning leagues and competing in the CL knockouts whilst playing ST/F9, so to have absolutely no positional rating for it seems bizarre.

In terms of the system, on FM paper it has to be 4-3-3 with a DM, but using roles to get the 2-3-5 when attacking.

Yeah - fair enough and I do agree with you there. 

A slight issue I found with Foden, for me the key / most common false nine, is his 'gets forward whenever possible' PPM. 

As a false nine, ideally you want comes deep to get the ball, tries through balls often and attemps one twos. That one is a bit contradictory. 

[Brian]

Does it work to train players specifically for the false nine? 

The reason I ask is that I train my players on specific roles that cover the attributes that I seem fitted for total football. When I play my central midfielder that is trained as a roaming playmaker as a false nine, I'm not seeing any difference with a natural false 9. 

[Chris_FM]

21 hours ago, Brian said:

Does it work to train players specifically for the false nine? 

The reason I ask is that I train my players on specific roles that cover the attributes that I seem fitted for total football. When I play my central midfielder that is trained as a roaming playmaker as a false nine, I'm not seeing any difference with a natural false 9. 

Yes, I realised you can't actually edit role scores anyway - only positions. I gave them an equivalent ST rating to Sterling (as he's definitely the weakest in that role IRL, apart from Grealish), and will train them. They all have the attributes.