analysis
First thing when I go through your tatics, You are playing very narrow formation (with MCR/MCL. STCR/STCL, so now wingers). Very defensive role in the middle too. (half back, B2B, BWM) This means you have no creator in the center of your team.
Second thing which stands out to me, is two full back is CWB-A. Which means they will push up at all cost and help attack.
Third point, you allow no long/direct pass / work ball into the box and relative low width.
Combining these points together. I can imagine your team attack will be getting short pass into middle of the park (since you ask them to do so). Then a diagonal ball to your wing backs rushing pass. Then WB cross in.
This is the only way to get ball into the box in your formation/tactics.
What is to link up back half of your team with you front half? ONLY WING BACKS.
B2B can do this job to some extent, but he is more a supporting role. an all-around playmaker might be much better. your only AMC is on attack duty on AM, this is very similar role to SS. so he will be keep pushing forward. not linking up your midfield with your attack.
So yeah the team is working as you TOLD them to do so.
now addressing your problems:
1) assist from WB, yeah for sure, AM-A is a finisher role, not a support role. so yeah your supplier will be WBs. make 100% sense to me. Your AM is passing ball to WB, then running into the box to finish those chances. (but they cant, bec AM are usually short and poor in the air for cross)
2) Sturridge is on AF-A, which means running into channel and cross. this is what Advance forward does. which again 100% make sense to me.
3) GK standard is fine, Sweeper is only great when you play an extremely high line + offside trap. Generally speaking it is not needed to play SW GK.
4)I dont think everyone get stuck in is required. Specially for attacking players, they are bad at tackling, hence a lot of cards (mistime tackles) and can get themselves injured. also waste more energy.
5) Same as above. One thing to keep in mind, if your attacker is next to defenders all the time (tight marking) when they get ball from counter attack, it is easier for opponent to shut them down too. When do you see Messi tight mark other people? It is always defenders trying to tightly mark Messi lol. He just walks around looking for space (even when his team is defending)
6) yeah of course. you have no wingers, 2 WB which are always pushing up. What do you think will happen? opposition team can easily overload your flanks. Not to mention a simple counter attack can expose your CWB who are way up in opponent halves.
7) Set pieces is another thing, I dont want to go into them here.
Improvements:
Now let's talk about how to improve your team.
I really dont think it is a good idea to use CWB on a team with no wingers (and 2 CBs). I would use WB-Support.
I would remove tight marking/get stuck in on everyone. If you want everyone to do it, then why dont just use team instructions?
I wouldnt play Lucas as Half back, he is too short. I probably just use a normal DM role here. (since your WB is not pushing up that much now).
I would use Eugenista (i can't spell it lol) or AP (AM) -S on AMC to link the whole team together.
if you dont want Sturridge to move that much, then Poacher or CF (A) might be better than AF A. Try different roles and tweak them using Player instructions.
Best of luck.
