FM 21 Arsenal 4-2-3-1 Not creating good chances.

[HoneyMuffin]

Hey guys, 

 

I have just started to get back into FM as the new season starts.  I usually play LLM, but quit before I ever get into good leagues.  I challenged myself in playing a Arsenal, that are in Europa and looking to reach the next level in the UCL.   I am about 5 games in and I have spotted some issues that need addressing sooner rather than later. for context In the premier league we have played 6 W3 D3 L0 Picking up a solid win on Liverpool and a nice draw with Chelsea.  We played well and fashioned out chances.  My issue came with teams playing very defensive.  I have noticed that we are restricted, space is significantly lower as expected.  We have around 60-70% of possession and around a 90-95% pass successful rate, however we just aren't doing enough to create space and penetrate defences.  Poor Laczette looks terrible as he can never find space to score, most shots taken by the IF and AM are shots taken outside of the box.  They are either blocked, saved or off target.  I have also posted some stats in a game against West Brom.  My team are taking shots, however they are not quality shots that create any threat on goal.  Do you guys have any tips that I can use against defensive teams?

[Sneaky Pete]

At the risk of sounding glib, have you considered that the inevitable result of playing on Attacking mentality and asking your players to play with "Much Higher Tempo" is lots of awful-quality shots against teams that sit back? All of your TIs scream "high-octane Klopp-style football", not "break down a parked bus".

Furthermore, your lineup has no vertical structure to it whatsoever. I guarantee if you look at average positions during established possession, your wingbacks are practically at the byline, Xhaka is probably sitting right on the edge of the box, and everyone else excluding your CBs and GK are in the box proper. You have no good options to recycle possession, and particularly your WBa on the right is going to mindlessly spam crosses into the box as a result. You are giving teams exactly what they want and compressing play needlessly with your role choices.

[CARRERA]

I would lower attacking width by two notches to promote combination play. Width will be provided sufficiently by your wingbacks.

On a (much) higher tempo, players tend to rush things and with 10 shots off target and no clear-cut and only 2 half-chances, this might be an issue. Instead of lowering your tempo (tempo is important to destabilize the oppositions defense), I would add Work Ball Into Box. 

You have adviced both Wide attackers to hold up the ball by adding Overlapping team instructions. Usually those instructions are very helpful if your team transitions very quickly into the final third to then gain time for other players to join the attack. However your team is trying to play out of the back, so your transition Speed is relatively slow. Holding up the ball in that case will just prevent them from making penetrative runs 

Only implement those advices step by step to exactly figure out how your play evolves 

Edited August 14, 2022 by CARRERA

[HoneyMuffin]

Yeah what you just explained there doesn't happen at all. 

[HoneyMuffin]

I did try lowering the attacking width in game, but it didn't have too much effect on the game.  I did start the tactic off with shorter pass and a lower tempo, but nothing was really working, working the ball into the box changed nothing either.  I will give it another try.  Maybe I am just over thinking it.  Cheers for the good advice dude I appreciate that.  

[CARRERA]

1 minute ago, HoneyMuffin said:

I did try lowering the attacking width in game, but it didn't have too much effect on the game.  I did start the tactic off with shorter pass and a lower tempo, but nothing was really working, working the ball into the box changed nothing either.  I will give it another try.  Maybe I am just over thinking it.  Cheers for the good advice dude I appreciate that.  

Your team needs to become familiar with new instructions (tactical familiarity). If they are not familiar, the effects of just switchings things around will be ever so slightly or rather poorly executed. By the way, I didn’t advice to either lower the tempo or passing directness. 

@Sneaky Pete gave you a good advice to look at your players positioning to achieve more depth and a pivot to recycle possession if your attack breaks down. Did you have a look at that?

[HoneyMuffin]

Here is my 1 other question.  So I was watching a collection of YouTube videos (From quite big creators) and they were all using a very similar tactic to this through out their season and were doing fine.  They were sometimes going 3-4 nil against defensive teams.  All playing attacking and having the same rules and duties.  I do wonder why theirs works and mine struggle.  I agree with you guys the tactic is very high octane, but it kind of feels like my players link up play isn't there.  So say we are in transition and a clear pass is open to my STC that pass will never be played, players seems to dwell on crossing too.  I actually want to play quite narrow and have most of my play through the centre of the park due to having no aerial threat in advanced positions.  I will implement these changes and see what I can come up with. 

[The3points]

Attacking Mentality already raises the line, LOE, tempo and press and makes you wider

Raising the line, tempo, LOE and press further is just too much, especially when you go to the max.

Max tempo plus attacking means your players rush their decisions and don't make high quality passes. And since you don't have an AP in attacking spaces, no one in the attacking 3rd will slow down play and pick out a pass.

High press, line and LOE will exhaust your players as well.

Lower the mentality or the tempo and perhaps you'll get something better