Advice needed for creating more open chances in the final third

[Mr. Buttons]

Hi guys,

I usually prefer to do my own tweaking with my current tactic because I enjoy it, but this time I could definitely use more ideas on how to create more clear goalscoring opportunities. As you can see, I play 4-1-2-3 formation with Juventus but lately it feels like the AI found a 'meta' tactic in a way where I can't create any chances at all. Basically it feels like every defense I play against is prime time Milan with Maldini and Baresi. My players get easily tackled and can't dribble past anyone or create a chance in the final third.

This is my second season how I play possession based tactics and I have 74% win ratio but it feels like every goal scored is kinda forced. It's either crosses and headers from corners and freekicks. Somehow I can't create a single clear cut chance in their final third.

 

I've tried experimenting with the following tweaks but nothing works:

- Play more attacking
- Increase the tempo
- Run at defense
- More direct passes
- Shoot on sight
- Hit early crosses

Every option I've tried leads to the following:

- Lose possession easily
- Misplaced through balls
- Wingers can't dribble, 
- Crosses get blocked

The only solution that 'somehow' works is overload them with crosses from my fullbacks by overlapping the wings. This is where most of my goals come from.

Can you please offer more ideas on what else should I try?

 

[HUNT3R]

I run something along these lines, but with only 5 TIs.

Your left flank isn't offering very much while all the attacking comes from the right flank. Why have you gone for the AP/S  -  MEZ/A and not a MEZ/A - AP/S, if I may ask?

[Mr. Buttons]

1 minute ago, HUNT3R said:

I run something along these lines, but with only 5 TIs.

Your left flank isn't offering very much while all the attacking comes from the right flank. Why have you gone for the AP/S  -  MEZ/A and not a MEZ/A - AP/S, if I may ask?

Yup you're completely right. Usually Costa is is on attack duty because of his pace and low team work and Dybala has a support role so forgot to switch the mezzala's accordingly like in the example above.

[Mr. Buttons]

I think I found a solution for being closed down so easily. It was basically using a much higher tempo by and still retaining possession by playing short passes. 

[HUNT3R]

Looking at that, I'm also wondering if you're compressing them into a very small space in their own third and so there's very little room, even if you do win the ball. Do you find that the case?

[Mr. Buttons]

4 minutes ago, HUNT3R said:

Looking at that, I'm also wondering if you're compressing them into a very small space in their own third and so there's very little room, even if you do win the ball. Do you find that the case?

I've noticed that they're defending extremely deep and narrow lately so I tried to stretch the pitch by playing wider. This is one of my main problem against almost every team. Can't create an open chance even by stretching the pitch. Do you think I should instruct my players to run at defense with a higher tempo in order to open up spaces?

[dunk105]

On 18/07/2020 at 20:03, Mr. Buttons said:

I've noticed that they're defending extremely deep and narrow lately so I tried to stretch the pitch by playing wider. This is one of my main problem against almost every team. Can't create an open chance even by stretching the pitch. Do you think I should instruct my players to run at defense with a higher tempo in order to open up spaces?

Ive got the same- it doesnt matter what you do once you get a really good team, as even if you play deep yourself the AI doesnt come out and you hit the brick wall just not as quickly.

[summatsupeer]

On 18/07/2020 at 19:05, Mr. Buttons said:

Basically it feels like every defense I play against is prime time Milan with Maldini and Baresi. My players get easily tackled and can't dribble past anyone or create a chance in the final third.

This is my second season how I play possession based tactics and I have 74% win ratio but it feels like every goal scored is kinda forced. It's either crosses and headers from corners and freekicks. Somehow I can't create a single clear cut chance in their final third.

Your TI's and roles+duties don't match up for me.

Defensively your about as aggressive as you can be, if its effective then you'll be pinning opponents in, this means you then have to create space.  But then you have a CF-At, IF-At and W-Su which is quite vertical with 2 early runners then another with the MEZ-At who will be attacking a similar area as the IF-At.  It makes it all easy to defend when there's no space to really run into AND your trying to be patient with the ball due to your TI's.  Your taking care of the ball and letting teams drop deeper which then hurts how your roles+duties are setup.  When you try and be more attacking with the ball, your still limited in space because of your out of possession instructions and lack of variety in player movement (two central playmakers dropping to collect with a MEZ pushing high and wide).

[scratchmonkey]

Running at the defense at a higher tempo sounds like a recipe for turning the ball over a ton and getting frustrated because of that.

First, I would say that part of the problem with breaking down defenses is that it's not going to be 100%. No team is capable of pulling apart every opponent in every game. Getting the ball into the goal without using your arms/hands while 11 people try to stop you is tough! There are going to be frustrating games, whether it be because of bad luck, poor decisions made by your players, or the opponents having a really good game. 74% win percentage is amazingly good, far better than Ferguson, for example.

What I've found that works for me (and this is a situation that I run into a lot as a top team in Serie A) with a defensive opponent is by playing wide and with a low tempo. While you're trying to do that, you're also including TIs that in my mind, contradict that approach. Hitting Early Crossing and Shooting on Sight mean that your team is going to be shooting or crossing every half-chance they get, which against a packed defense, leads to a lot of blocked shots and clearances, rinse, wash, repeat. Plus, by playing shorter passing, you're making it easier for their defense to respond to your ball movement, even if you're doing it at a higher tempo -- if they're not pressing you beyond their defensive third, breaking that down through quick combination play will be very difficult.

It's been brought up on a bunch of threads here; it's worth reiterating that in the current ME, playing Low Tempo and Direct Passing is a good way to break down obdurate defenses and try and create space/chances. I like to put on Be More Expressive as well, so that your players take the time to pick out a pass (Low Tempo), have the freedom to hit that dangerous crossfield ball if they decide to (Direct), and are always looking for the unexpected (Be More Expressive). Obviously you should have loads of players with great Passing, Vision, Decisions, and ideally Flair to pull this off.

[Urotsukidoji]

complete fwds work best in a pair, your playing two playmakers, mez work best with no wingers, just linking up with wb.