How to get the best out of an Advanced Playmaker?

[torres555]

I'm currently playing as Liverpool using a 4-2-3-1 formation with a winger, inside forward, advanced playmaker and complete forward.

I'm having a fairly good start and my winger is flourishing with a wide playing style and considered approach (low tempo, short passing).

My issue is my advanced playmaker (Coutinho/Firmino) is not having the impact on games that I'd like. I would have thought given my style of play, exploiting the centre of the pitch and having a striker that brings others into play, my playmaker would be the real heartbeat of the side but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Can anyone provide some advice on how to make central players (my CM's don't seem to impact the game greatly either) have a greater impact on matches without becoming a narrow funnel of a team that will ultimately get countered by sides with fast wingers?

I will upload some screenshots of my system later on.

 

[tesseract]

There's multiple ways to use one, but from your post it seems what you want is to control the game in your opponents half and have your AMC AP-A beating a man and playing balls through to your 3 forwards, since your Winger will also often come just outside his fullback into the box, right?. For that kind of 4-2-3-1 the most important thing for the AP isn't so much the AP, as it is the 2 in the system, the 2 midfielders behind him that are controlling the game and linking it up to feed him the ball, so tell us about how you have those too.

There are a few issues with having your Striker create here too, I'm guessing it's Sturridge? In some situations when you against a parked bus, an Advanced Forward will be better here than a Complete Forward since he won't get in Coutinho's way so much, after all Coutinho really isn't a direct AMC who wants to overlap and shoot, he's a Playmaker. When you are really packed into their box you want the ST to stay as advanced as he can instead of deciding to drop deeper and play people in.

But when you are having a harder game CF will help Coutinho out in a less contradictory way, it's useful too.

 

[Blarry]

Yeah, AP in AMC gets marked out of the game quite often, especially in AP/S where she's more restrained in her movement. Changing to Attacking Midfielder may work well with a more creative pair of midfielders behind.

 

[c0nk3r]

If you have a forward set to more creative roles like Complete Forward, especially on support duty, playing with an Advanced Playmaker, they will tend to move into the same spaces. This leads to congestion in the AP's area, and not enough movement in front of the AP for them to be effective. A lone striker that drops deep to drag defenders out of position is better paired with CM or AMC that makes runs into the box from deeper positions. CM begins their run from deeper, and so they may escape the attention that the AMC usually gets from DMs and CBs.

 

[joshcoles224]

I'm currently playing in L2 as Pompey and have set up in 4-2-3-1 with Gary Roberts in the AP/S. He is currently my best player stats wise and in terms of goals and assists. I play a CM/S and BBM behind him with an IF/s and W/A either side and a TM/A upfront. This seems to be working well and have stumbled across this by tweaking here and there. Not only is he pulling the strings he's also getting on the end of moves that he starts from deep and picking up scraps that my TM wins.

 

[torres555]

Thanks all I will try and implement some of what has been said here, especially moving the striker out of the way of the Playmaker and see if that helps.

I'm wondering if the issue does go further back with the CM's, I try and us a BBM and a CM(D) but perhaps this is too limited for my style of play. Should I maybe add another playmaking type in there to try and build through the entire midfield?

 

[c0nk3r]

Thanks all I will try and implement some of what has been said here, especially moving the striker out of the way of the Playmaker and see if that helps.

I'm wondering if the issue does go further back with the CM's, I try and us a BBM and a CM(D) but perhaps this is too limited for my style of play. Should I maybe add another playmaking type in there to try and build through the entire midfield?

You can move the playmaker deeper, but just make sure you have enough defensive cover. If you have fullbacks on attack duty, you might need one or maybe even two midfielders on defend to make sure the fullbacks are covered when going forward. Maybe a DLP(s) in place of the BBM while keeping the CM(d).

 

[Scruffer23]

I'm currently playing in L2 as Pompey and have set up in 4-2-3-1 with Gary Roberts in the AP/S. He is currently my best player stats wise and in terms of goals and assists. I play a CM/S and BBM behind him with an IF/s and W/A either side and a TM/A upfront. This seems to be working well and have stumbled across this by tweaking here and there. Not only is he pulling the strings he's also getting on the end of moves that he starts from deep and picking up scraps that my TM wins.

also playing with Pompey just wondering who played out wide and have you got any transfer tips ??

 

[joshcoles224]

also playing with Pompey just wondering who played out wide and have you got any transfer tips ??

I tend to rotate regularly, majority of the attackers are comfortable playing either wing. Conor Chaplin has been playing well, so has Gareth Evans. Kyle Bennett done his ACL in his pre-season so he hasn’t played at all yet! I know the players quite well to be fair as I am a Pompey fan lol!

In terms of signings, I signed Jon Ostemobor on a free, Alex Henshall on loan and signed Reuben Reid to play as my TM. PM if you want mate.