Sudden "gap" between midfield and forwards, despite having changed nothing.

[jaggysnake]

I am an inexperienced yet keen FM player, currently managing Partick Thistle 6 seasons in, playing in the SPL.

I am rubbish at tactics and so play an extremely basic flat 442 formation, just the standard one the game gives you. This season I've been a bit unlucky in the transfer market and am playing quite badly, and what's more my assistant keeps telling me during games that there is a huge gap between midfield and attack which is preventing me from creating chances.

On surface this seems like it would be easily fixed by adopting a formation which uses attacking midfielders/wingers, and I may well try this when I get to a transfer window/actually have some money. What confuses me is why this is only happening now, given that my tactics have been pretty much the same all the way through the game and that my midfield line-up hasn't changed between this season and last season?

All help greatly appreciated and sorry if I haven't done this properly. Thanks.

 

[cfcx]

could be just a case of player roles for your midfielders? perhaps both of your mc's dont' get forward enough to support attacks. it;s nice to have one cm arriving late in the box or at least making forward runs (run from deep slider) to help out attacks but then if your playing away to old firm for e.g you are more likely to be more reserved in those areas anyways

 

[jaggysnake]

Nah i have a central midfielder who gets forward whenever possible as a preferred move and scored ten goals last season. Even if that were the case it doesn't explain why it hasn't been an issue up until this season.

 

[mld81]

Possibly the AI has learnt your tactics and have adapted to them when playing you?

 

[cfcx]

Nah i have a central midfielder who gets forward whenever possible as a preferred move and scored ten goals last season. Even if that were the case it doesn't explain why it hasn't been an issue up until this season.

I tend to ignore 30-40% of what *** man suggests in game unless its about marking or similar. If your finding you just are not getting shots in and more importantly ccc's then assuming you have not overided team instructions too much by ticking and adjusting, during games you could try using Retain possession, play through defense and play wider this and slightly slower tempo and shorter passing should aid your build play helping your players work up the pitch and reduce the gap in lines beween mids and att.
If he still moaning but your scoring and winning games just tell him to do one

 

[Death Ball]

My thoughts:

1. - Your team's reputation may have changed enough that it's more respected, opposition closes down your midfielders earlier and that makes them not run forward as much, seeing the opposition closer than before.

2. - You've changed midfielders and you had before some with PPM of runs forward whenever possible and now you don't. So before you had one who moved into the space behind the forwards and now you don't.

3. - It's a change of strikers, one of your past had PPM drops deep to find ball or just had some more work rate or teamwork and he dropped deeper to be a link between the midfield and his partner and your current striker doesn't do that.

 

[Fanty111]

Possibly the AI has learnt your tactics and have adapted to them when playing you?

this tbh