How to get wide players to play as narrow as Computer Teams

[Ben Delat]

I can't for the life of me figure out how to do this.

I'm trying to replicate Gladbach and this is a key feature of their play.

Some screens..

Last game - Pretty much all the AI teams are able to get their wide players playing this narrow. Whether they are advanced wingers, or standard wide midefielders.

This next one is my heatmap.

Formations:

To aid my wide players playing narrow I have the following Team and PIs

Team: Play Narrower - Shorter Passing - Work Ball Into Box

Wide Players: Pass Shorter - Cut Inside - Sit Narrower, Shoot Less - (Close down more is active)

All other players have Pass Shorter.

So, basically - How on earth do I get my wide players playing as narrow as the AI manages?

[SpartyOn]

They're not actually playing that narrow. They're set to "Allow Wide Players to Swap", so each winger spends time on both sides of the pitch, creating a central average position.

[Ben Delat]

O_O

OMG

<----------Such Noob - This was driving me insane lol

But, is there anything else I can do to get them to sit even narrower?

[jimbobBRFC]

Surely the whole point of a wide player is to start wide and then cut inside/run inside

If you want them to sit narrower could you not move them into the AMCL/R positions and set the Dribble Wide player instruction? Maybe that will give you the desired effect?

[swansongs]

Your wide players will play narrower if there are less players between them. Your staggered CM-AM-ST strata fills a lot of space centrally, stretching the shape and forcing your wingers wider.

If you were to play two DMs, with a central AM and ST, your wingers would likely drift more into available central spaces (given the right T/PIs and PPMs).