4-3-3 DM wide - Can't get good ratings for my STC

[SilentJay]

Hi all,

As usual, I'm going with a tiki-taka 4-3-3 just to get used to the match engine.
However, as it was for many points with last year's game, my lone striker just can't play well, usually with very low ratings (never over 7.00).
I've tried the formations that come by default and of my own making.
My own are very successful, but most of my goals come from my IF's or my MC's.
Any suggestions to get my STC betetr?

Current tactic: narrow, possession based SK, CWB, BPD, BPD, CWB; DLP (s); Mez (a); Car; IF (s), IF (a), and the STC I've been trying every possible role with no success

On my Liverpool save Firmino has the lowest rating of the entire team!!

Help!

 

[kotovsyndrome]

I've run into similar issues with my 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 shape. I'm playing a style that's generally similar to yours (possession-oriented, etc.) with my striker playing mainly as a pressing forward. If you pay attention to your striker when you have the ball in midfield or with your defenders, you'll probably see that your striker has at least two, maybe even three or four players around him, making it hard for your other players to get him the ball.

There are a couple of potential fixes. One is to have him play a role where he drops deeper to collect the ball (like DLF or F9), getting him away from the crowd (or learn a preferred move that does that). Of course, this results in him having the ball farther from the goal and with his back to goal. It also exacerbates one of the main problems for possession-oriented tactics: lack of penetration. So you would need your wide players playing aggressively and threatening to get in behind the defense, otherwise you end up with lots of pointless possession.

The other option is to give him more support, particularly in the zone 14 area (top of the 18). In a 4-2-3-1, you have an attacking mid there to provide service and play combinations, but in a 4-3-3, you don't. You can set one of your CMs to a more attacking role (like a CM-A or a BBM/BWM-S with the "get forward more often" instruction added) or have a wide player play as an inside forward to provide that close support. (This is probably why those guys are your main scorers, so this may not help your striker unless they're feeding him through balls or playing one-twos.)

If that doesn't help, you may need to either switch to a more direct strategy or try things like "hit early crosses" (maybe combined with a role like AF that has him playing on the defender's back shoulder) to get him the ball earlier in your attacking moves, before the defense can get set up and crowd him out. You can also use the "counter" and "counter press" instructions to try to win the ball back quickly and get him quick attacking chances, but that doesn't help you in situations where you already have possession. The general idea is to make your play more direct once you get into the attacking third.

This is kind of a built-in flaw of the 4-3-3; you sacrifice the direct attacking support of the AM for the added stability from the DM. See if tinkering with his supporting players' roles or adding some more direct components to your attack doesn't help.

 

[SilentJay]

Yeah, it's gonna take a while.
I believe the DLF or F9 have the best chances of working out, but it's gonna take some tinkering of the surrounding players.
Perhaps I'm even gonna have to sacrifice my preferred style of play.
I'll keep trying but I don't know how this is not properly addressed.

 

[wicksy360]

Yeah, it's gonna take a while.
I believe the DLF or F9 have the best chances of working out, but it's gonna take some tinkering of the surrounding players.
Perhaps I'm even gonna have to sacrifice my preferred style of play.
I'll keep trying but I don't know how this is not properly addressed.

Im getting a real tune out of Firmino with the below (attachments aren’t working on iPad). But got 30 league goals from him, and won all domestic cups going unbeaten until losing CL final
It’s all about service and space. It’s all good having a striker that’s up front on his own, but then how does the game build up around him?
similarly, if you use a false 9 or DLF their play literally revolves around being deep, aka not in the box as much.

PF ( A)
IF (s) IF( A)
CM( A) Car(S)
DLP (D)
WB(S) CD CD FB ( A)
SK (S)

instructions:
possesion - pass into space, play out def, whipped cross, run at def, focus left focus right, much higher temp
transition - distribute to FBs, dist quick, counter, counter press
out of poss - much high def line, higher engagement, extremely urgent press, get stuck in, tighter mark, off trap.

 

[SilentJay]

Im getting a real tune out of Firmino with the below (attachments aren’t working on iPad). But got 30 league goals from him, and won all domestic cups going unbeaten until losing CL final
It’s all about service and space. It’s all good having a striker that’s up front on his own, but then how does the game build up around him?
similarly, if you use a false 9 or DLF their play literally revolves around being deep, aka not in the box as much.

PF ( A)
IF (s) IF( A)
CM( A) Car(S)
DLP (D)
WB(S) CD CD FB ( A)
SK (S)

instructions:
possesion - pass into space, play out def, whipped cross, run at def, focus left focus right, much higher temp
transition - distribute to FBs, dist quick, counter, counter press
out of poss - much high def line, higher engagement, extremely urgent press, get stuck in, tighter mark, off trap.

I have pretty much the same instructions (except for the focus on left and right and whipped crosses -have it on low), but I do have a couple of different roles:

CF (S) instead of a DF
Both IF are on (A)
Instead of a CM I've got an AP and instead of a CAR I have a BBM
DLP's the same
2 CWB (s) - CD - BPD
SK (u)

Do you think this somehow has a bad effect on my STC's play??

 

[bcfc1]

I'm playing a 433 and it is working well for me. I am playing a gegenpressing style so that may be a factor as every now and then we are looking for the long ball over the top which suits my striker. I've not tried the tiki taka style yet but when I've played a passing style on previous games, a complete forward has always got my best ratings. They get involved in the build up and push into the box to get on to the end of things as well.

 

[wicksy360]

I have pretty much the same instructions (except for the focus on left and right and whipped crosses -have it on low), but I do have a couple of different roles:

CF (S) instead of a DF
Both IF are on (A)
Instead of a CM I've got an AP and instead of a CAR I have a BBM
DLP's the same
2 CWB (s) - CD - BPD
SK (u)
I
Do you think this somehow has a bad effect on my STC's play??

Both flanks the same very one dimensional. Striker is on support and two IF ahead of him, would get less goals as he is providing.
Where is his service coming from? Crosses into box, the IFs will be the most advanced. The AP gets the ball, and the striker drops deep to support, and the IFs run in behind.
all in all, he’s not getting chances to score

 

[dpitfield2]

4-3-3 Tactics Ideas

I've been tweaking my 4-3-3 for a while. I think with the sole striker getting isolated, they need to come and play like a false 9 (i.e. coming short to overload in the midfield at times. Also, Ideally you can have the two wide forwards come inside and play between the CBs and the FBs and have the width be provided by the full backs coming forward. With the wide forwards inside you should be able to get more combination play with the front players (including the lone forward). Another idea would be to have the attacking mid step forward more and support the lone forward. I got a bunch of ideas for watching tactics vids on here: Soccer Tactics Videos. Heres one with 2 holding mids and the variations in the 4-3-3. 4-3-3 Tactics. Hope that helps give some ideas.

 

[eencae]

Take a lost at my post on my tactics thread:

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/shar...mes-unbeaten-version-2-added.html#post3180675

In version 2 of my 433 tactic, I play Lukaku as Advanced Forward and he was a monster with 37 goals in 40 games with 16 assists (top scorer in league, 2nd most assists, highest average, most POM's).

He is supported wide wide Trequartistas who cross more as well as cut inside, as well as two attacking Mezzala's breaking from midfield.