Mr Phalanx

Talking about 442 Flat and 442 DM here. And I never said I want the carrilero. I only want the space covering job that comes with it. The carrilero and the halfback are the only roles that intentionally fill spaces vacated by a team mate. They are designed to watch and react to the movement of their mates and cover for them. That's what I'm looking for in one of a midfield pair. Defend duty midfielders look like their covering their mate but they are really not. They are just naturally positioned lower than support duties. About your suggestions. I've tried all. I wouldn't bring this up on the forum if I hadn't played with different roles and PIs and all of the above. I just want someone whose positioning in those situations is a reaction to the movement of his midfield partner.

We know what the carrilero does. - Occupies spaces that have been vacated by the attacking full back. - Jumps out to the flanks to close down opposition players. - Be the extra body from midfield to participate in wide combinations. The first point is what I like about the role. The carrilero basically covers the space left behind by an overexcited full back wandering deep into enemy territory. I'd like to see a role like that for one of a midfield two, especially in a 442. The formation requires a lot of work from the pair. They both have to protect the centre and contribute to defense and attack. But we all know one is usually given the freedom to roam or crash the box while the other stays to not leave the middle empty. Finding that balance is key. In FM, there are 2 ways to do this. - support and defend duties - two support duties with one with specific instructions to hold position. These are fine but I'd like a role that exists just for covering a midfield partner just like a carrilero swears to always be there for his adventurous full back. The problem with the defend duty in midfield is that it sits too deep and just watches his support duty brother try to press everyone in front of him. He acts on his own. It leaves a huge gap and turns a 4-4-2 shape to a 4-1-1-2. Defend duty midfielders fit the holder in a 3 better than that of a 2. There's a thread here on this platform on how to defend like a real 442 with two support duty CMs. The writer had probably conceded a truckload of long shots because the defend duty CM preferred to admire the man in front of him instead of stopping him from shooting. The problem with two support duty midfielders is that the guy you tell to hold his position does exactly what you tell him to do but clogs the space in front of him in the the process. This is usually when we are attacking. I literally yell at the guy to give some breathing room to the other attackers and his midfield partner. He just stays there. What I'd like him to do is adjust his positioning in relation to his partner. "Let me drop down a bit, so that my partner will have enough space to play around while also making myself an option for a back pass and being in a better position to see the game in front of me'. He should be thinking like this. I feel I'm talking about a role that positions itself like a defend duty CM in attack and presses like a support duty CM when we are in our defensive shape. Not really though. I still want the holder in a midfield pair to not sit but to just hang back temporarily just like the carrilero does not sit on the flanks. The arrival into that space is based on the overlapping of the full back on his side. He doesn't just sit there, he still enters the box when he's not watching his friend's back. This role should make things more flexible and dynamic for double pivots too instead of having fixed duties for each.

He's not HIM.

We all know the little things that make the Regista different from the playmaker that lies in the deep. He roams more and is more ambitious with his passing. The other guy is capable of playing the killer passes but choses not to because he's ordained by God to keep the situation under "control". In simpler terms: DLP = Controller. (support and defend duties included. Even though the description says the support duty operates with a more expansive passing range) Regista = Controller + creator. I think the only playmaker role in the CM strata that's constantly looking for the killer pass is the Advanced Playmaker(Att). The AP(su) is just another recycler. But I'm not looking for an advanced playmaker. I'm looking for someone who plays deeper but with the aggressive passing of the Regista. That type of player is missing in the CM strata. I shouldn't have to go down to the DM strata to make my guy constantly find runners behind the oppo defence. You'd think the DLP(su) fits the description because of the "take more risks" instruction but NO!. He's just one of them. Them recyclers who think assists or just being a direct threat is for kids. The RPM isn't even in the discussion. That brother just wants to burn calories by trying to connect with every soul on the pitch.

Plays with back to goal? Perfect!

Another thing I love about the poacher is that he can still bag assists, create chances and be a wonderful outlet to get up the pitch despite being the guy that's supposed to be fed all the time. -Knockdowns to the support duty striker running behind him while he occupies a defender: Many times, deep players intentionally hoof it to him under pressure. This is not the "target forward" effect. He's a poacher and always stays high. He will naturally attract long balls and link up with people around him. This is also proof that he doesn't always want to run behind. He can play with his back to goal and bully CBs. This is why a big, strong poacher can be an alternative Target Man(attack). They are the most "static" attack minded roles. He doesn't have to be Michael Owen. He can be Godzilla. - He takes fewer risks but he still slides it through defences. He's not Kane but if someone's making a run behind him, he will not hesitate to play him through, so far there's no chance of losing the ball. -He's no playmaker but he keeps things ticking. Team wins the ball deep in their half and hoofs it to the channels for the big poacher to chase. Big poacher receives but admits he's not Adama Traore. He holds it up and plays it safe to a supporting player (SP). SP sees other runners ahead of him and plays one through. GOAL!. Big poacher didn't score but he kept the move alive by being the big log of wood upfront that his teammates used to bounce the ball off.

You know ball.

The poacher's description paints the picture of a ghost, sort of. Some fellow who seems to be a part of the team but isn't really on the pitch. The guy whom his teammates struggle to find because he pops up whenever he wants. Sometimes he's actually there but has been engulfed by the tanks in the backline. The hard coded instructions of the role also describe a coward or maybe a liability. He doesn't take risks with the ball because he's a terrible footballer with no balls. How can someone this limited be considered an option for a team looking to score goals? He's bad news and should only be partnered with an actual footballer upfront. The only positive thing about about him is that he's made to score goals. His primary attributes suggests he's hungry for goals and should score them when the chance comes. -"I can't play ball but I'll just hide behind this big fellow and wait for the pass in behind". -"They won't see me coming, I'll just stick a leg out and poke it home to make it 1-1". -"Dropping deep is for kids. Real ones stay with the defenders and have a chat with them until they forget their job". These are the thoughts I used to associate with poachers until recently. My quest for "HIM", a target man who would occupy defenders and run in behind while being a focal point who kept things simple made me love and appreciate the poacher. This was someone I needed for my most advanced striker position in a 442 long ball tactic. Before I met the poacher, I settled for the Target Man(att). He looked, dressed and talked like ''HIM". But it was all a lie. He was just a Deep Lying Forward without sauce. Of course, he didn't drop as deep as the DLF, but he wasn't offering a threat in behind as much as I wanted. I think he suits possession football better. The Advanced Forward was another option. He stretches defenses while being the focal point. But he still wasn't "HIM". His first action is to carry. I love a runner but I hate to lose the ball. I also hate a striker that keeps running the channels to cross. Leave that to the wingers. They are the dribbly boiz and crossing machines. The poacher came and showed me love. I couldn't resist. He promised to keep things simple and be my focal point with the threat in behind. The poacher doesn't have the "hold up ball" instruction but the "dribble less" and "take fewer risks" instructions slightly mimic it. Poachers are seen as the small forward in a 442. How about using a proper Target Man as a poacher. The fact that the poacher stays high makes him an easy target for long balls. The target man is known for being a ball magnet but the mere fact that someone is up there ready to receive behind the defense triggers the long ball. A tall and strong poacher makes a difference. In situations where he's not running behind, that's literally a target man. Many people think of a target man (support) knocking it ahead for a poacher but that is not always the case. The poacher plays with his back to goal too. A big poacher knocks it down for his support duty striker more times than you think. His unwillingness to run the channels simplifies his game. You can tell him to move into the channels but he won't carry the ball through it. He'd simply drift wide to receive, play simple passes to his wingers and dash into the box to be at the end of the cross. An AF would carry it all through to the touchline to cross. He could lose it, he could not. But it complicates things. Poachers make things easy for themselves, they retain the ball better. The Poacher is my favourite striker role not just because it perfectly suits my 442 long ball tactic but because its flaws make it effective.

Is he the balance between running behind and linking play without creative freedom? Description says he's similar to the advanced forward, but what are the subtle differences?

Problem i have with the AP(s) is that it is mainly a recycler role. It switches play from side to side. It doesn't have the balls to slide one through the defence. Of course it does it occasionally but you can tell it's not about assists, it's about keeping things ticking.

Roaming Playmaker? Advanced Playmaker(support)? DLP(su) with regista traits?

How much running behind does a target man(attack) do? The back-to-goal play is nice but does he want to bomb forward into the box immediately after laying it off or still make himself available for combinations. Maybe a poacher with "plays with back to goal" trait and the option to hold up the ball might do the job. The poacher already occupies CBs, he wants to run in behind, and doesn't run with the ball like the other forwards. Perfect base behavior for what I want. I really wish traits were clickable options, or roles were more customizable.

Makes sense.

Thought as much. Thanks. But can you really spot the difference between a direct pass and a risky pass. Is it very obvious?

The No-Nonsense CB role has this locked. Does this mean he'll try to pass to someone higher up the pitch without necessarily putting them through on goal? I want to believe a combination of "direct passes" and "fewer risks" means "There's someone up there, let me pass to him, but I don't really want to unlock the defence, I just want the ball to get to him. What happens next is none of my business"

• Width in this game affects the compactness in and out of possession. Defending narrowly and attacking wide is impossible in this game. It's why we've been crying to the developers to add more instructions to the tactic creator. It is too limited. • • Narrow width reduces the distances between your players. It doesn't necessarily force your players to attack down the middle. Although it makes attacking down the middle easier since there are shorter distances between them. Attacking in specific areas of the pitch is affected by passing focus. You can still use narrow width and stretch the pitch horizontally by using wingers. • In a 442, wide width will definitely create more separation between two strikers. A lone striker might stay central even with wide width. • Inside forwards in this game are literally "inside forwards". It is what it is. And individual instructions don't exist. If it did, we would simply tell the brother to stay wider when the team is in possession.