Are Crosses the Most Important Part of FM16?

[bjkat81]

So I've perused the threads on crossing looking for some help, and had more to ask about than just defending crosses...

I would say that upwards of 70% of the goals in my games come from crosses, for and against.
So I came to the same conclusion as a previous contributor - cross more than they do, and I'm looking for help...

Have people generally agreed that crossing is unrealistically contributory to goals in FM16? for and against?

If crossing is so important, and the solution is to outcross your opponents, what is the best tactic/instructions to achieve this? i.e. what do the instructions actually lead to?

Through tracking stats in a Liverpool season, playing a 3CB-2CWB-3CM-2ST setup, I've made a few conclusions that I hope you guys can verify...

1) "Exploit the flanks" generates more crosses than "exploit the middle" (I know this seems obvious, but it's not a big difference statistically)
2) "Early crosses" generates more crosses than "look for overlap"
3) "Low crossing" results in a better percentage of crosses completed than any other instruction (and this has been more correlated with goals in my save)

FYI about my tactic-

AF-A DLF-S


BWM-D AP-A DLP-S


CWB-A CWB-A


CB-C BWD-S CB-C


Attack, Very Fluid
Play out of Defense, Exploit the flanks, Early Crosses, Low crosses
Tight Marking

I realize that my defense is not set up well to defend crosses, but most of the crosses that are scored on me have 2-3 defenders in the box just staring at whoever scores the goal, so I really think it has less to do with my setup and more to do with a basic lack of proper reactions from defenders in the box defending crosses - hence the conclusion that the key to victory is putting more crosses in the box than the other team. Thoughts?

 

[Clince121188]

Just a couple of points on what you've said:

Early crosses will most likely result in more crosses for your team than Look for Overlap as all the look for overlap does in my experience is set your higher wingers more narrow and slow up your play so as to allow for full backs to overlap.

Low crosses will probably result in a higher percentage of successful crosses if you have pacier forwards than the oppositions CBs

Rather than looking for successful crosses as a part of my tactic, I include it in looking to engage in successful wing play. My preffered combination of wingers so far in this game is an inside forward(Attack) on the left side and a Winger(Support) on the right. I set my crosses to low as I have embolo on my left wing and he can out pace most defenders and is my main target for crosses.

 

[kandersson]

70% sounds decent. It feels more like 170% in my game.

 

[WJ]

I realize that my defense is not set up well to defend crosses, but most of the crosses that are scored on me have 2-3 defenders in the box just staring at whoever scores the goal, so I really think it has less to do with my setup and more to do with a basic lack of proper reactions from defenders in the box defending crosses - hence the conclusion that the key to victory is putting more crosses in the box than the other team. Thoughts?

You are set up to cross, so you seeing a lot of crosses yourself should be expected.

You're also wide open on the flanks, so conceding to crosses should also be expected. If you're having trouble dealing with crosses - stop them from coming in, in the first place.