Are the tall and slow forwards alive?

[Maxim26]

Hi. Please help me. Can high and slow forwards be playable? How can they be better used so that they benefit and score a lot of goals? Is it possible to use such a plan of forwards alone in attack?

[Cloud9]

2 hours ago, Maxim26 said:

Hi. Please help me. Can high and slow forwards be playable? How can they be better used so that they benefit and score a lot of goals? Is it possible to use such a plan of forwards alone in attack?

Sounds like your talking about a target man. 

You can almost guarantee they're better at something than the players they're going up against (height) and will also make you a threat from set pieces. This is particularly great if you're playing as an underdog. Need to transition the ball up pitch? No problem, route 1 football incoming. 

They'll need a striking partner in an around them usually for them to knock the ball down to. Might I suggest the classic Attacking Forward, or if you'd like to play with a solo striker, a Shadow Striker behind the TF.

If you're playing on the front foot (high lines) more role combinations becomes possible with the TF (such as a poacher).

 

In short, not only are they playable but in my opinion they're one of the best roles in the game.

Edited January 30, 2023 by Cloud9

[Overmars]

Yaya Sanogo (tall, strong, and with mediocre pace) led my league in scoring two seasons in a row as the lone striker in my 4-3-3. There are a lot of headers in the game, and he was winning a ton of them, but the real key to his success was the pace and dribbling ability of my AML/AMR inside forwards. Sanogo would essentially clean up the mess from the chaos those inside forwards caused.

[warlock]

This is my main striker:

Very tall, very slow. I play him as a lone striker as a TM-attack. And this is his season so far:

Couldn't ask for anything more.

[crusadertsar]

You could very well play a slow (and maybe tall) poacher type with a fast physical striker. I discuss that very same tactical concept in my thread here. 

Similarly a tall slow targetman can also play very well with a fast, nimble creative player (like a Trequartista or AF). 

The main idea being complimentarity of roles. For it to work you need to play a Targetman in a duo with another striker who possesses all the attributes that your Targetman does not have (while lacking the strength and height of your Targetman). And you have to match the two players smartly. Meaning that they need to possess attribute strengths that the other does not have and vice versa. SO that together they form a Complete Forward partnership. Which brings me to the fact that the only type of forward I would comfortable play alone upfront is the most Complete Forward. Otherwise going with a duo of strikers is always a more effective and efficient solution (when it comes to scoring goals at least).

Edited January 31, 2023 by crusadertsar

[Cloud9]

3 minutes ago, crusadertsar said:

You could very well play a slow (and maybe tall) poacher type with a fast physical striker. I discuss that very same tactical concept in my thread here. 

Similarly a tall slow targetman can also play very well with a fast, nimble creative player (like a Trequartista or AF). 

The main idea being complimentarity of roles. For it to work you need to play a Targetman in a duo with another striker who possesses all the attributes that you Targetman does not have (while lacking the strength and height of your Targetman). And you have to match the two players smartly. Meaning that they need to possess attribute strengths that the other does not and vice versa. SO that together they form a Complete Forward partnership. Which brings me to the fact that the only type of forward I would comfortable play alone upfront is the most Complete Forward. Otherwise going with a duo of strikers is always a more effective and efficient solution (when it comes to scoring goals at least).

Great points on potential partnerships, However I think you can get away with playing an AF solo (esp if he's tall) in most setups. 

I'm personally not a big fan of the Complete Forward, a player who fits the role is almost impossible to find and he's usually better specialized into a different role. Also, if I'm playing a solo striker I usually want them putting pressure on the opponents defensive line and not going where they want with the "Roam From Position" on the role. 

[Maxim26]

4 часа назад, warlock сказал:

This is my main striker:

Very tall, very slow. I play him as a lone striker as a TM-attack. And this is his season so far:

Couldn't ask for anything more.

Wow. This is a great result and one that I would like to achieve in my teams. Could you share your system in which you use such a forward?

[warlock]

8 hours ago, Maxim26 said:

Could you share your system

I can't take much credit for it, it's largely based on an Arteta/Arsenal replication that @Rashidi came up with in beta and I've been using it ever since with some minor tweaks. You can find the original, and Rashidi's explanation here:

 

[Johnny Ace]

I get a good return out of Troy Deeney, he's slow, not tall but he's strong and aggressive

Usually just play him as a Poacher or DLF 

[Cloud9]

On 30/01/2023 at 08:34, Maxim26 said:

Hi. Please help me. Can high and slow forwards be playable? How can they be better used so that they benefit and score a lot of goals? Is it possible to use such a plan of forwards alone in attack?

Southampton just signed Paul Onuachu on transfer deadline day. At 6'7, he's the archetypal target man.

You could keep an eye on how end up playing IRL and look to implement that into your tactics.