Reduce number of crosses help

[wicksy360]

Hello all,

Thank you in advance for any help you are potentially about to give.

So, my issue: I would like advice as to why my team cross so often, and what i can do to reduce this.

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Now, dont get me wrong, my team play some really nice passing football, dominating possession and chances in nearly every game. However, around half my goals come from crosses, and we attempt around 30 per game.

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Is it literally the case that i have too many instructions focusing on keeping the ball in the middle of the park, so we keep too much possession and then have no option but to cross?

 

[Bigpapa42]

I would wager its a combination of factors. One is the shorter passing - you are limiting the available options for a pass somewhat. The second is the really high defensive line - you are pushing the opposition back, making the final third much more congested. The third is the higher tempo - you are asking the players to make the right decision very quickly - even with good quality players, that is a challenge.

A couple of options - drop the two IFs to support, so they aren't quite as high up the pitch and possibly even adjust the roles/duties of the fullbacks so they are more available as an option for passing. You could also explore not pushing up as a high - you are compressing the opposition into their area, they probably have almost everyone back in their box, so it makes picking out a penetrating pass very difficult - especially with the limited passing range you've given the players.

 

[wicksy360]

I would wager its a combination of factors. One is the shorter passing - you are limiting the available options for a pass somewhat. The second is the really high defensive line - you are pushing the opposition back, making the final third much more congested. The third is the higher tempo - you are asking the players to make the right decision very quickly - even with good quality players, that is a challenge.

A couple of options - drop the two IFs to support, so they aren't quite as high up the pitch and possibly even adjust the roles/duties of the fullbacks so they are more available as an option for passing. You could also explore not pushing up as a high - you are compressing the opposition into their area, they probably have almost everyone back in their box, so it makes picking out a penetrating pass very difficult - especially with the limited passing range you've given the players.

Hi Bigpapa, thank you for your reply.

I actually have toyed with a few of your suggestions, but havent as yet tried reducing the tempo. I found that a higher defensive line gave me my desired fast turnovers, and combined with higher tempo i often broke Klopp-esque on the opponents giving me many more goals, dropping this lead to me having much less control of games.
With the full backs, i formerly had wing backs, but these have 'cross more often' and so increase the number of crosses. They also vacate their space much more often leaving me extremely exposed to counters.

I will toy around with the duties on the IFs and the roles/duties of my central attacking pair. I will also toy with increasing passing distance.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Hi Bigpapa, thank you for your reply.

I actually have toyed with a few of your suggestions, but havent as yet tried reducing the tempo. I found that a higher defensive line gave me my desired fast turnovers, and combined with higher tempo i often broke Klopp-esque on the opponents giving me many more goals, dropping this lead to me having much less control of games.
With the full backs, i formerly had wing backs, but these have 'cross more often' and so increase the number of crosses. They also vacate their space much more often leaving me extremely exposed to counters.

I will toy around with the duties on the IFs and the roles/duties of my central attacking pair. I will also toy with increasing passing distance.

Therein lies the rub. Changing one thing has knock-on effects. Much like the unwanted crosses were created by other instructions, these changes could change things that you don't want to change.

My strong recommendation is to tweak carefully. So do so from a position of understanding. If you haven't already done so, watch matches - preferably on Comprehensive or Full highlights. Watch every one of those unwanted crosses. Assess what you see. Were their other valid passing options? Was the box too congested for a pass? Was going back to a fullback a valid passing option? Was the decision made really quickly? This will allow you to make changes having a better understanding of why the problem is occurring. That makes finding a solution much more likely.