crossing/stupid clearances/set pieces are just too much

[apistaken]

for someone who is into football coaching, I’m kinda dissapointed. it’s really getting boring and hard to watch. repetetive. that’s Football Manager 2019. no matter what style or what formation I try on FM19 outcome are pretty much the same. most goals are from set pieces (both sides) , throw ins and short free kicks from almost the centre are the worst for set pieces, what is that stupid animation where players are literally walking in my penalty box meanwhile opposition is getting ball to the other flank without any problem - during short free kicks.

and why players can’t make pass into the space when there is the actual space for that(he send it way off) but can make that almost-spinning direct pass pinpoint accurate?  it seems that if it’s logic it doesn’t work for ME

 

then crosses, in every match where I’m the favorite to win or when I’m dominating the game the are like 70/80/90 crosses for me, its really boring to watch, tried playing without wingbacks , my poacher tried 14 crosses in that match. poacher???   tried playing pep guardiola style, guess what is the income? too much crosses.does city attempt that much crosses? does barcelona? does anybody actually. answer is the no. it’s sick to watch my full back crossing and getting blocked non stop

is SI gonna fix clearance bug? player can easily recieve the ball or clear it into the opposition half but they decide to “clear the ball” to the opposition player. it’s also annoying that players seems to never let the ball go out ot the play but decide to clear it with his stupid head and when u concede goal like this, is it really to blame tactic? 

with all this problems, ME is unplayable, most of the highlights (comprehensive) are from set pieces, it’s impossible to create logic tactic. or maybe just play without any instructions, west ham can do it :)

[herne79]

Is it possible there issues with the ME?  Yes.

Is it possible to reduce the number of crosses you see?  Yes.

Is it possible to have most highlights from open play rather than set pieces?  Yes.

Is it possible to create a logic tactic?  Yes.

I agree that if you are trying to play Pep style at Man City and you see too many crosses something is going wrong - but it's most likely to do with your tactical set up.  That's not to say we can 100% accurately replicate exactly how Man City play (we can't), but you can certainly use it as inspiration.

However, we are just generalising with hyperbole.  If you'd like specific advice on how to address some issues you are having you need to post your detailed tactical set up with examples of common issues you are seeing.

[crusadertsar]

Why don't you post a screen of your tactic with instructions so maybe we can find what the issue is?

[Burbian De Bay]

I am very happy with FM19. After reading a bit on this forum, blocked crosses have been drastically reduced in my matches - even though the wing players are one of my attacking threats. I finally understood that the key is to balance mentality and roles. I create space by making small changes based on how the opponent plays. I'm not saying this is the answer to success for everyone, but at least FM19 has proven to me that it is possible to avoid constant blocked crosses.

[sporadicsmiles]

11 hours ago, apistaken said:

then crosses, in every match where I’m the favorite to win or when I’m dominating the game the are like 70/80/90 crosses for me,

This is an issue with you only creating space that can be exploited on the flanks, rather than the center. This is something you have to mitigate yourself. When I am defending I am usually happy to concede the edges of the pitch and defend the center. Which means I face more crosses, but less dangerous stuff in the middle. You need to drag players out of position and provide wide players with options that are not crossing. Otherwise they will cross. It is basically the same thing as "my players just shoot from range all the time" but in the wide areas of the pitch. You may not wish to hear it, but these issues are tactical. It is entirely possible to reduce the number of crosses and long shots while being the favourite. That is not to say there are no issues with this in the ME. I actually think the fullbacks need to be a bit better in their decision making in that area of the pitch, but 90 crosses a game is a tactical issue.

 

11 hours ago, apistaken said:

it’s also annoying that players seems to never let the ball go out ot the play but decide to clear it with his stupid head and when u concede goal like this, is it really to blame tactic?

This is more likely a player mistake than a tactic. Players are not perfect and can make stupid decisions, and they often do. It is not something I really see often though. I actually see players letting the ball go out of play often. Especially when attacking and the ball will go for a throw.

11 hours ago, apistaken said:

ME is unplayable

This is, quite simply, untrue. The match engine is pretty good this year. Plenty of room for improvement, but it can produce varied football. If it is not, it is the way you are using the match engine that is the problem. Again, you may not like to hear that, but it is true. And the only way to make the situation for yourself better would be to try to understand why you see these things, and what you can do to change it.

[apistaken]

1 hour ago, sporadicsmiles said:

This is an issue with you only creating space that can be exploited on the flanks, rather than the center. This is something you have to mitigate yourself. When I am defending I am usually happy to concede the edges of the pitch and defend the center. Which means I face more crosses, but less dangerous stuff in the middle. You need to drag players out of position and provide wide players with options that are not crossing. Otherwise they will cross. It is basically the same thing as "my players just shoot from range all the time" but in the wide areas of the pitch. You may not wish to hear it, but these issues are tactical. It is entirely possible to reduce the number of crosses and long shots while being the favourite. That is not to say there are no issues with this in the ME. I actually think the fullbacks need to be a bit better in their decision making in that area of the pitch, but 90 crosses a game is a tactical issue.

 

This is more likely a player mistake than a tactic. Players are not perfect and can make stupid decisions, and they often do. It is not something I really see often though. I actually see players letting the ball go out of play often. Especially when attacking and the ball will go for a throw.

This is, quite simply, untrue. The match engine is pretty good this year. Plenty of room for improvement, but it can produce varied football. If it is not, it is the way you are using the match engine that is the problem. Again, you may not like to hear that, but it is true. And the only way to make the situation for yourself better would be to try to understand why you see these things, and what you can do to change it.

thanks for the replay.

 

there is a reason why people are expoliting set pieces, most of these amazing tactics are only based on throw ins and corner kicks. tried few tactics from knap and tff (I think) but without set pieces exploit, and they are awful.

hummels had 4 or 5 matches in a row where he did that stupid clearance, literally assisting opposition player to 1v1 vs my gk, and ofcourse they scored.  , "this is more likely a player mistake than a tactic" is quite, simply, untrue.  those mistakes with clearances aren't shown anywhere when u try to analyise the game, no mistakes leading to goals from hummels in those few matches, even tho he was the main and only reason we conceded goals. andwhat to do about that? play every match with ultra attacking football and hope that I can score more goals then the opposition? so every match I play I will have to compete against ME, opposition and my players keep gifting opposition with easy chances, that is frustrating. 

 

 

[apistaken]

@herne79 this is my tactical set up, trying to play simple as possible with instructions. only players instructions are close down more for inside forward, winger, pressing forward, deep lying playmaker and box to box midfielder. left back is wing back-support, not full back - attack.

my idea is to overload the left side(support duties) and then try to break it simply with having better players(this should work in FM right?) playing one-two in small spaces (guerrero, fernandes, chiesa have that ppm) or fernandes trying killer balls to the box to box midfielder who have room to bomb forward with striker and right midfielder playing on attacking duty, or create overload on the left, then try it switch the flanks and break it with sancho direct runs, where he can pass the ball to the box to box midfielder in the edge of area or simply crossing it to the striker or inside forward who should go forward(chiesa have get forward whenever possible ppm) when the ball is on the right side. that's just the basics information about what I'm trying to achieve, I can go full in details, but will leave that for latter posts

[Experienced Defender]

2 hours ago, apistaken said:

This tactic looks pretty reasonable to me, so it certainly does not need a complete overhaul, which is a very good starting point 

Now, here are some (basically attack-minded) tweaks that you may want to consider (but make sure to always take the qualities and abilities - both attacking an defensive - of your players into account):

- BBM to MEZ on support, to add more flair and creativity to your attacking build-ups as well as in the final third

- FBsu to IWBsu, to cover the space behind the mezzala, be more involved in the build-up phase as a quasi-midfielder that works closely with the DLP and also help with recycling possession

- PFat to DLFat, to be more involved in the creative phase of your attacks while also looking to put himself into goal-scoring positions when the attack is in the final stage

- I would actually play the LB as FB on attack in this particular setup (rather than WB on support)

- the keeper's duty from defend to support, so that he would be encouraged to launch adventurous counter-attacking passes a bit more

In terms of instructions:

- if you want to work ball into box, then adding the "Be more expressive" can be a good idea, especially against tight, disciplined and well-organized defenses (to encourage your players to think outside the box a bit more)

- switching from the Balanced to Positive mentality may also be worth considering, but in that case I would also consider shorter passing

Of course, you may not need to employ all these (potential) tweaks at once. If you decide to give it a try, better do it gradually.

Good luck mate, hope you'll find my suggestions helpful 

[HUNT3R]

On 10/10/2019 at 19:52, Experienced Defender said:

This tactic looks pretty reasonable to me, so it certainly does not need a complete overhaul, which is a very good starting point 

Now, here are some (basically attack-minded) tweaks that you may want to consider (but make sure to always take the qualities and abilities - both attacking an defensive - of your players into account):

- BBM to MEZ on support, to add more flair and creativity to your attacking build-ups as well as in the final third

- FBsu to IWBsu, to cover the space behind the mezzala, be more involved in the build-up phase as a quasi-midfielder that works closely with the DLP and also help with recycling possession

- PFat to DLFat, to be more involved in the creative phase of your attacks while also looking to put himself into goal-scoring positions when the attack is in the final stage

- I would actually play the LB as FB on attack in this particular setup (rather than WB on support)

- the keeper's duty from defend to support, so that he would be encouraged to launch adventurous counter-attacking passes a bit more

In terms of instructions:

- if you want to work ball into box, then adding the "Be more expressive" can be a good idea, especially against tight, disciplined and well-organized defenses (to encourage your players to think outside the box a bit more)

- switching from the Balanced to Positive mentality may also be worth considering, but in that case I would also consider shorter passing

Of course, you may not need to employ all these (potential) tweaks at once. If you decide to give it a try, better do it gradually.

Good luck mate, hope you'll find my suggestions helpful 

Now that's a good post. Right or wrong (often right in your case) you're providing explanations as to the reasoning for possible changes. That not only helps to solidify your advice as sound ideas, but also gets users to see the reasoning and start thinking in these terms too. "Give a man a fish" vs "teach a man to fish" basically. Good stuff.

[(sic)]

On 10/10/2019 at 04:10, apistaken said:

is SI gonna fix clearance bug? player can easily recieve the ball or clear it into the opposition half but they decide to “clear the ball” to the opposition player. it’s also annoying that players seems to never let the ball go out ot the play but decide to clear it with his stupid head and when u concede goal like this, is it really to blame tactic? 

Yeah, I don't understand why some people like to dismiss this issue and sometimes even blame it on tactic or player. It's annoying, and I've had it happen so many times in this and previous versions of the game.

 

The game is far from perfect, and trying to simulate real-life tactics is very hard. Some things just don't happen in this ME and you have to work around that if you wanna try and make something.

I've tried to do everything to prevent needless crosses that will just bounce off a defender, you really have to go out of your way to make it happen. That's one example.

 

 

You can create many successful tactics, they don't need to be reliant on set-pieces. Just don't expect them to work like in real-life.

[Experienced Defender]

1 hour ago, (sic) said:

I don't understand why some people like to dismiss this issue and sometimes even blame it on tactic or player

I guess because it does not happen to all people who play FM. For something to be considered a ME-related issue (bug), it would need to be experienced by everyone. 

[(sic)]

1 hour ago, Experienced Defender said:

I guess because it does not happen to all people who play FM. For something to be considered a ME-related issue (bug), it would need to be experienced by everyone. 

Not necessarily, I'm pretty sure a lot of players are just used to it happening sometimes so they just ignore it when it happens. It does happen regardless of your tactical set-up.

What I'm talking about is when ball is in the air going towards (mainly) a defender, he chooses to let the ball bounce off his head to opposition instead of receiving the ball. I think that's what the OP meant. Defender usually has tons of space (around him and between him and opposition player) to position himself but chooses to just clear it with his head, which in turn can result in ball getting picked up by opposition player. It happened with World-Class players and average players. I don't see how it could be a tactical or player issue.

Just to be clear it doesn't always happen, but it happens often enough for me and other players to notice. Just because players aren't complaining about it on forums about it doesn't mean the issue doesn't exist.

[Experienced Defender]

1 hour ago, (sic) said:

What I'm talking about is when ball is in the air going towards (mainly) a defender, he chooses to let the ball bounce off his head to opposition instead of receiving the ball. I think that's what the OP meant. Defender usually has tons of space (around him and between him and opposition player) to position himself but chooses to just clear it with his head, which in turn can result in ball getting picked up by opposition player

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about the blocked crosses. Though I have to say that I haven't experienced this other issue (defender giving the ball away to opposition in the way you described) either. 

[AlexJames]

On 13/10/2019 at 12:46, Experienced Defender said:

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about the blocked crosses. Though I have to say that I haven't experienced this other issue (defender giving the ball away to opposition in the way you described) either. 

Never!? Are you serious?? How do you watch games, what tactic(s) do you use and what league(s) do you play in? This happens to me continuously and is infuriating.

[Experienced Defender]

1 hour ago, AlexJames said:

Never!? Are you serious?? How do you watch games

On comprehensive highlights (and until recently I was even watching most matches in the full mode). 

 

1 hour ago, AlexJames said:

what tactic(s) do you use

I manage multiple saves, so my tactics are different for different teams. 

 

1 hour ago, AlexJames said:

what league(s) do you play in?

At the moment only EPL.

To be clear, I don't say that my defenders (or players in general) never make mistakes. Of course they occasionally do. But I really cannot remember anyone of them making the particular type(s) of mistakes that were mentioned here.

Missed interceptions - yes, they happen. Lost tackles - yes. Lost/missed headers - yes. Conceded penalties - very rarely. Lost possession due to an inaccurate pass - yes, sometimes.

These are the only types of mistakes that I've witnessed so far on the part of my defenders.

[AlexJames]

12 minutes ago, Experienced Defender said:

To be clear, I don't say that my defenders (or players in general) never make mistakes. Of course they occasionally do. But I really cannot remember anyone of them making the particular type(s) of mistakes that were mentioned here.

 

I find that amazing, as I experience this regularly every single game - both from my own team and the opposition. We're talking defenders literally in yards of space to control the ball (or let it travel out of play for a throw/ goal kick) instead choose to head the ball back into open space, more often than not to be picked up by an opposition player

[Lohaller]

Agreed with the clearance bug. Its the worst piece of **** ive seen in a long time. Other then that the ME seems alright this year. Personally i enjoyed the two previous games more but it works alright.

Dont agree on the set pieces thou. Theres alot of goals IRL from both direct and indirect. The corners are wierd this year, i conced and score more on the counter attacks then the actual corners. Think i score about 1 offensiv corner each season and conced about the same, i have started with possession retain on attacking corners due to the threat of counter attacks, thinking of doing the same from freekicks but i score a fair bit so i am not willing to make the trade just yet.

 

[steakfaced]

Yeah the clearance thing is  beyond  annoying. A ball over the top for no one,  your defender drops back to play it... and  he does.  Under  no pressure,  he heads it forward. 10  meters, and onto the  onrushing forward  who was waiting in space. It's so bonkers.