Wide Play - What is it and how to use it?

[b.paterson]

This might be a stupid question, however as an Australian some of the terminology used in this game requires me to look up the "help section" in the game or look at the "online manual" on the Football Manager website. The problem with this is that the Wide Play section of the manual is blank and whether you are creating a formation/tactic with the "creator" or as a "classic" method if you don't know what terms mean, then you don't know how to effectively use them in the game.

What I'm after is hopefully the SI Games definition of the Wide Play and how the options effect this, they are;

• Normal
  
• Hug Touchline
  
• Cut Inside
  
• Move Into Channels
  

In particular with my proposed formation how they would effect the wide players and the central players as well, here is the tactic I'm creating at the moment;

The yellow line is the one within the Football Manager game and the red line is the specific movement the DL and AMR will move along the sideline, DR will move towards the centre, MCL will move towards the sideline, AML will move towards the centre and the AMC to move to both sidelines as required and ST, MCR and both DC don;t have specific movement instructions so I would describe this as "Normal".

Regards

---

To vote and provide feedback on my general discussion topic to introduce Staff Roles and Duties into FM Series please click on my provided link to do so http://bit.ly/u8WoDS

[5uare2]

Think of wide play instructions as a player's tendency to move in a certain way when your team has the ball.

Hugs touchline - Player prefers to stay wide, as close to the "throw-in line" as possible. Useful for attacking width.

Cuts inside - Player prefers to move from a starting point out wide into more central areas. Works best if the player's stronger foot is opposite to the side of the pitch he begins on (e.g. a right-footed AML)

Moves into channels - Player prefers to move from a central starting point into wide areas. Useful for dragging defenders out of position to make space for other attacking players, or to find space from which to attack.

Normal - Player does not prefer any one movement over another; generally, players set to 'normal' are often in a better defensive position when the other team regains the ball.

So for the movements you want, the following three are definite:

AML - Cuts inside

AMC - Moves into channels

AMR - Hugs touchline

With the others, you have decisions to make:

DL - How attacking do you want him to be? If he's a key attacking player to provide width and stretch play on that left flank, then "hugs touchline". But if you find that this compromises you defensively on that flank, or he's not a key attacking player, stick to "normal"

DR - Again, how attacking is this player? I presume that since you aren't playing a DM, you won't have two attacking full-backs (you might, if both your CM's are defensive, or you don't share my assumptions). If he is attacking, then you could try "cut inside" and see how that goes. Otherwise, keep him on normal - if he's not getting forward enough then cutting inside won't have much impact, other than leaving a lot of space on that flank for the opposing winger to go around him.

MCL - I presume this player is moving into that space to provide defensive cover? If so, just stick him on normal and set the rest of his instructions, mentality, etc. to be defensive. He should naturally move to cover this space.

Hope that helps!

[b.paterson]

The theory behind the formation was to be symmetric (4-4-2, 3-4-3, etc.) in which if you draw a line vertically down the pitch the left size looks like the right, however the strategy is asymmetric in which the duties are lopsided.

The DL has an attacking mentality and will be involved in the attacking plays and consider the AML "cuts inside" to basically become the 2nd striker the DL will perform an overlap but hugging the sideline, just like the AMR does in his attacking role with the MCL will provide support to the left side when the AML moves forward and into the 2nd Striker role.

The DR support the midfield if the ball is played that way, but the majority of the play will be aimed to the left side of the field with the right side playing different to the left.

Regards

---

To vote and provide feedback on my general discussion topic to introduce Staff Roles and Duties into FM Series please click on my provided link to do so http://bit.ly/u8WoDS

[Marsupian]

As said above the AML, AMC and AMR are pretty clear cut (cuts inside, moves into channels and hugs touchline). The DL either on normal or hugs touchline is also pretty straight forward.

I presume you want the MCR and DR to move in those position to provide defensive cover in which case it's sadly impossible to make them do that. They might do so naturally but you can't instruct them to cover those areas to defend. If you want them to move like that in an offensive way than setting the MCR to move into channels will make him go wide to the left but if the ball is on the right side of the pitch he will likely come to the right side instead. Setting the DR to cut inside will make him move more centrally in the attacking phase but mostly (or only) when he has the ball himself. He probably won't move centrally off the ball but instead stick his original position more.

In general the wide play instructions are attacking instructions. If you want someone to come inside with the ball from wide set him to cut inside and if you want someone to go around along the touchline use hug touchline. If you want someone to move wide from a central area use "move into channels" (this is mostly an off the ball instructions instead of an on the ball) and if you wan't someone to just stick to his general position and not prefer going around or inside when on the ball use "normal". The options are fairly limited in my opinion.