Creating a Quarterback

[Zeonflux]

Hey all,

I'm currently struggling to get a formation/tactic to work in any form on my Journeyman save and so rather than just changing constantly i've decided that i'm gonna try and make a tactic (with the help of everyone here) that will work how i actually want it to.

My vision: Basically i want to create a tactic that is (in part) centered around what I'm going to call a midfield Quarterback. Essentially i want to try and recreate Paul Scholes in the last few years of his career.

My aim: My aim is to have the Quarterback playing deep in the midfield spraying balls to the wings and then have the wingers get the ball into the box for the striker. I want the play to be fast and (hopefully) deadly.

My plan: So far i'm thinking of playing a 4-1-2-3 / 4-1-4-1 and the idea is to play fast football, similar to how Sir Alex had United play when they had Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez. I want the Quarterback receiving the ball in our half and spraying it to the wide players and then have them burst towards the box to shoot or play in the striker and the other winger.

My Formation:

                    GK

FBs     CBd      CBd     FBs

                  DMd

          DLPs     CMa

Wa                               Ws

                   CFa

The DLPs is the chosen Quarterback in the system and he's going to be the major player in the team. I'm going to set his Pis to Direct Passing and More Risky Passes but other than that i'm not sure what to set the Ti's as or what to set the other PIs as to get the tactic working as i'd like.

If anyone knows how i can make changes to help achieve my goal that would be fantastic.

[jc577]

Just wondering why you chose to have your quarterback in the CM strata as opposed to DM strata? I feel like he would have more time and space to pick out passes to your wingers if he was pushed back a bit. I would go with DLPd; CMs, CMa. 

[Zeonflux]

Well i put him in the CM strata as i didn't want him being the protective screen for the back 4 so thats why there is a DM there instead

[summatsupeer]

I would focus on making sure your defending deep, depending on the mentality your using you might need to adjust your d-line.

Pass Into Space is an obvious instruction to use in combination with the space you should be creating.  Play Out Of Defence could help feed the quarterback.

My concern with a DLP-S in the mold of Scholes is the CM-A, W-A, W-S and CF-A all running ahead of him making the front 4 isolated from the back 6.  Defensively in a 433 DM Wide I expect my CM's to be able to tackle, whilst a DM can just get in the way with positioning+anticipation as the two CM's in front shield him and put a foot in.

I'm also not sure about using two wingers with a CF-A, they'll stay wide and the CF could roam wide, leaving only the CM-A running from deep to offer a central presence (another concern with DLP-S in CM).

You've tried this tactic so what typically happens? Lots of long shots or crosses to no one? Running into dead ends? More info on what you see can help fix the actual issues rather than us making assumptions about whats happening.

[Zeonflux]

Well as you stated the CFa is running wide and so he's never really in the box, the Wingers generally run no where and then shoot or cross to no one and the CMa doesnt really seem to get anywhere near the box. This is IF my wingers get the ball at all as every pass to them seems to be blocked

[summatsupeer]

1 hour ago, Zeonflux said:

Well as you stated the CFa is running wide and so he's never really in the box, the Wingers generally run no where and then shoot or cross to no one and the CMa doesnt really seem to get anywhere near the box. This is IF my wingers get the ball at all as every pass to them seems to be blocked

Well I see two options:

1. The ST stays central by changing his role.  I still wouldn't use two wingers in a 433 DM Wide, i'd have one at most with the other either a RMD or IF.
2. One or even both wide forwards need to come inside.  IF-S + RMD-A for example would give an goal threat partner for the CF-A whilst the IF-S would create and offer runs from deep later.

 

[AFCBeer]

I'd concentrate on developing PPM's for your quarterback. Tries Long Range Passes and Switches Ball to Other Flank are the most obvious. 

[weanut]

I like to create this role a lot in FM.  Managed it much more successfully in the last game but it's about finding/ building the right player. I always use a 4-3-3 wide and play my 'QB' in the DM strata so require good defensive stats but I think the obvious attributes you want are First touch, passing, decision, vision, composure, flair, positioning and teamwork (off the top of my head) then I like to have the following ppms comes deep to get ball, dictates tempo, tries long passes and likes to switch the ball to the other flank. I've used regista, deep-lying playmaker in support and defend depending on the system and I've always made my defenders 'pass it shorter' in the attempt to make everything go through him.

A couple of years into my Leeds save I bought Stefano Sensi to play there and he did a job but now I'm building a player from my youth set up up to play the role. I find to make this sort of system work you need quality movement in front of him as there's a lot of pressure on the sole playmaker. 

[Bigmonkey79]

I suggest moving dm into midfield strata and change role to dlp d~ even from midfield strata this role does drop deep into qb position,.while other two cm provide shield. From origonal post maybe change dlp s to bwm s. The bwm by default plays short passes which at least half are.likley to end up with qb to spray. Then its all about ppm like switches ball, long range passes, killer balls and team instructions of passes into space and at least mixed passing as team default. Could.reduce the cm a passing to fewer risky passes also.  

You dont want the team to become.a.1.trick pony though so be mindful that he doesnt become the only creative outlet.