How to get your CAM performing? (Dele Alli)

[keeper tom]

How do you guys get the best out of your CAM? This is real headache for me at the moment

I'm currently managing Spurs, 24 games in and sitting 4th in the league. Although I'm quite happy with some of my players numbers (goals and assists), Dele Alli on the other hand seems to be contributing a lot less than I expect!

Harry Kane - 22 goals in 25 games, Son - 7 goals & 3 assists in 14 games, David Neres - 8 goals & 8 assists in 21 games but Dele Alli has 3 goals and 4 assists in 27 games (Avg Rat - 6.90) 

I play a 4-2-3-1 Wide (Image below) with Dele Alli as an Advanced Playmaker - Suppport, his preferred role. Harry Kane is just in front as an Advanced Forward. 

Considering the fact Harry Kane is playing an attacking role, it is recommending me to play Alli on support in both Advanced Playmaker and Attacking Midfield which makes sense I guess. If I do change Alli to attack it says "The roles assigned to both players are far from suitable and do not work well together"

If anyone could help with a few tips it would be much appreciated. 

[Jack722]

Firstly, if you watch some of your games, you’d probably notice that a supporting advanced playmaker in the no.10 actually drops really deep. So these players may tend to be playing the pass before the assist and therefore get quite poor goals/assists. Combine this with the fact that you’re forth and I don’t think there is much to worry about and it my be best just to leave it.

Although, there are a few things with your tactic that I don’t think is optimal to do with Alli.

Even though his preferred position is an advanced playmaker, I personally don’t think that that’s the best for him. His decisions is only 12, and while his passing and vision is good at 15, I’d prefer a title challenging team’s playmaker to have 16+ for both those attributes. I’d leave the playmaking to Lo Celso.

You’d probably notice that the DLP pushes up into the no10 position and compresses the space. The players will then probably look for the DLP instead as he’s in a better position to receive the ball. 
 

I think that Alli is better making runs into the box, with his off the ball and finishing attributes. Something like an AMa. Then Kondogbia should be more like a CMd to balance the midfield and provide cover.

Kane should be able to use his physicality and technique to bring Alli into play by being a DLFa.

That’s how I’d start off. I can’t guarantee that Itd make your team play better, but I’m fairly sure that Alli would get better ratings this way.

[keeper tom]

Funnily enough I did start Kane as a DLF once he came back from injury but he didn't seem to be getting into those goal scoring opportunities like he does as an AF. 

Looking at what you've said it makes complete sense, so I will give this a go and let you know how it gets on. 

It still says "The roles assigned to both players are far from suitable and do not work well together" when I have Kane as a DLFa and Alli as AMa. Would you take much notice of this? @Jack722

[Jack722]

2 hours ago, keeper tom said:

Funnily enough I did start Kane as a DLF once he came back from injury but he didn't seem to be getting into those goal scoring opportunities like he does as an AF. 

Looking at what you've said it makes complete sense, so I will give this a go and let you know how it gets on. 

It still says "The roles assigned to both players are far from suitable and do not work well together" when I have Kane as a DLFa and Alli as AMa. Would you take much notice of this? @Jack722

I don’t really look at the recommendations, although I think it’s probably to do with both being attack duties, which tend not to work so well together. But I think that the DLFa, like the trequartista, are actually more like supporting roles and are far different to AFa and the poacher.

Although someone may correct me who knows more about it. But I reckon it’s nothing to worry about 

[Urotsukidoji]

If you want more assists try dribble often shoot less

If you want more goals shootoften problem is he will miss

AMC really need fixing in FM21, the problem is this

No crosses go to the edge of the area or the middle player of 3 attackers. Most go to the far post.

When an AMC dribbles he never scores like sometimes a forward will. 

Long Shots rarely go in if you have it clicked on often. Especially from the amc. His only long shots that might go in are inside or just on the edge of the area.

When teams counter, the direct balls go to the forwards and bypass the amc. He also struggles to keep up with the attack. 

He rarely gets involved in play.

Which means the amc is basically best pressing the dmc or winning the ball high up field.

[plcarlos]

So, it's not just about looking at the one player:

You have both wide players IFs, IF A running into the middle, along with Kane, so there's not much space to operate for him, it's compressed. So, he has great off the ball movement, but where can he move to?

As has been said the AP will drop deep anyway, so you need another role to make him a threat. Personally, I'd look at an AM-S or AM-A - His Get forward trait will get him into the box as a result.

You also have PI's on a lot of those players. What are they?

Finally, it would be good to see the rest of the Team instructions, and tactics. These could also have an affect - example, if you already have a narrow attacking width + dual IF, there will be little point in changing Dele's role, as there'd be no space for him to operate anyway

[Draakon]

First flaw of your tactics is - no defending midfielder. I'd use DLPd instead of DLPs. However, that shouldn't affect Alli's performance too much, except creating a bit more space for him.

 

The first thing is obvious and what Jack722 pointed out is that there's nothing wrong in AMC not scoring if he contributes to your attack differently. Creating space for him in 4-2-3-1 is important anyway. dropping DLPs deeper (CMd or DLPd) is one way. Both of your wide players are used as IF-s, so they too cut in and take space away from Alli. I'd use one as a winger and check that other has instruction to 'stay wide' when team has the ball, so that at least without the ball he will keep wider and draw out opposition defense, only cutting in after he's received the ball and starts to dribble with it.

 

AMC has different roles and player behaviour changes with it. AMCs is perhaps the most generic of them. AMCa is the player who attacks box from the deep, arrives late into the box and can get to the end of crosses (if you'd have a winger or FB to deliver them). AMCa can collect any rebounds and finished them, too, if Kane's shot is blocked by defenders.

APs drops deep, brings up the ball and starts attacking moves, but rarely finishes them.

APa dribbles more than APs and stays higher without the ball

If you use AMCa or APa, you should try balance it by changing Kane's role to support (DLFs, CFs). 

 

Another good idea might be to activate 'roam from position' for your AMC. It gives him more freedom of movement without changing your overall formation and discipline and if the player is creative enough he will find the right places and areas on the pitch to be. Roam from position requires the necessary space to roam in, so trying to move your midfield and wingers further from that area is a key factor in this.

[32MJ32]

Hi @keeper tom - some good suggestions above

For mine, there's no easy answers in this year's Match Engine, and the #10 "creative genius" I have sought hasn't been achieved in any of the roughly 900,000 tactics I've tested. However, here are some things I've found useful in getting more from the AMC:

- Space. Make your wide players wide. AML/AMR's as W's. DL/DR'ss as FB's or WB's (no IWB's). Although it seems logical that an AMC could play in IF's and IWB's, it is snuffed out by the AI defense with almost 100% success. I also have moved my wide guys down a strata to ML and MR. Again, more space

- Get your ST's on the move. I play 2 upfront and although it would seem logical to have great goal scorers like Martinez and Lukaku centrally, I actually set them to roam. This gives the AMC more passing angles and options when trying to play them in. I've seen some really nice STL-->AMC-->STR combos which have presented CC's

My AMC Sensi is not dominating, but with the above setup, he's been the best #10 I've had so far

[Experienced Defender]

First off, you play him (Alli) as a playmaker, and then you have another playmaker (DLP) immediately behind him (tactical overkill).

Then you play both wide forwards in roles that cut inside + a BBM behind him -  which all reduces the space for the AMC to operate. 

And these are just the issues that are directly associated with Alli and his position and role, but there are other problematic elements in your setup as well.