I think part of my frustration with FM13, and something I've noticed from alot of tactics (my own and downloaded) using the formation 41221 or 451 (attempting to play as a 433), is that inside forwards from the wings aren't really viable as forwards per-se until the final third.
1 )I want them to provide width in build up play; just be a width option to keep the defense spread out.
2) When we win the ball in our own half and start moving up the field, I want them to sometimes move into a more central forward role to make themselves available for a through ball.
3) When the central striker drops deep to the get the ball (a pretty necessary aspect of build-up play with this formation), I want the wide players to move inside to look to get on a through ball, or at least provide a forward passing option.
4) In the final third, they should make dangerous runs into the box looking to get onto a through ball.
In the game, they seem to do 1) and 4) well, but 2) and 3) almost not at all. The only time they really cut inside is when they have the ball on their feet, and in the final third. Before that, they just sit out wide, even with roaming.
In the past, an inside forward was deadly because he would cut inside and then launch a deadly through ball. You could play 2 inside forwards and a poacher and score a ton of goals because the IF's would supply the poacher. The lack of through balls in fm13 means very few goals in this manner. Almost none, in fact.
But probably the most frustrating thing, is that when the central striker drops deep to get the ball and starts running up field, neither of the IF's EVER offers a passing option. No matter what their settings, they just sit outside and start running next to the ST. This leads to no passing options for the ST, and in 13.2.2, 10 long shots per game for the player and very low ratings.
The saving grace in 13.2.2 was if you had a very good dribbler at IF, he would cut inside with the ball and make a 50 yard run to create his own CCC out of nothing. Which was unrealistic and definitely an exploit.
So basically, I think I will be happier with this game if I give up trying to get IF's to play the way I want them to. I don't think it's possible to get them to do 2) and 3) when they're placed in the AMR and AML roles. At least not as often as they really should.
The last thing I haven't tried just yet is a narrow 4231 with 2 amc's as the IF's. This seems like it could be a possibility, although in my experience getting an AMC to run at the defense looking for a through ball is also very difficult. They have a tendency to stay too deep. The RFD instruction mainly seems to work only when the ball is already deep into the final third, or when a player is running at the defense. It's like, a player turns to run, and then all of the players with RFD take off running. You can sometimes watch the AI and understand all the player's role settings just by watching what happens when a player runs with the ball.
But with the ball in the middle third, or in deep build-up play, an AMC is much more likely to drop deep and look for a pass, than to get forward and look to score. Only when the ball gets deep or a player runs with ball do I usually see an AMC with run from deep often start to get forward. This could work, though, as a player running with ball would have him as a through ball option. What I really would like them to do is something like this:
[video=youtube;Mc7Ycqk2Nis]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc7Ycqk2Nis[/video]
Although I think that a play like this is quite impossible in FM right now, with an AMC or an inside forward, and that is what frustrates me the most.
I like to play with at least 3 in the midfield, and a DMC. So the back 7 are something like 412. Positioning the 3 forwards is what has been driving me crazy this year.
Anyway, it's a bit of a ramble, I apologize, just some of my frustrations in setting up my attackers in fm13.
1 )I want them to provide width in build up play; just be a width option to keep the defense spread out.
2) When we win the ball in our own half and start moving up the field, I want them to sometimes move into a more central forward role to make themselves available for a through ball.
3) When the central striker drops deep to the get the ball (a pretty necessary aspect of build-up play with this formation), I want the wide players to move inside to look to get on a through ball, or at least provide a forward passing option.
4) In the final third, they should make dangerous runs into the box looking to get onto a through ball.
In the game, they seem to do 1) and 4) well, but 2) and 3) almost not at all. The only time they really cut inside is when they have the ball on their feet, and in the final third. Before that, they just sit out wide, even with roaming.
In the past, an inside forward was deadly because he would cut inside and then launch a deadly through ball. You could play 2 inside forwards and a poacher and score a ton of goals because the IF's would supply the poacher. The lack of through balls in fm13 means very few goals in this manner. Almost none, in fact.
But probably the most frustrating thing, is that when the central striker drops deep to get the ball and starts running up field, neither of the IF's EVER offers a passing option. No matter what their settings, they just sit outside and start running next to the ST. This leads to no passing options for the ST, and in 13.2.2, 10 long shots per game for the player and very low ratings.
The saving grace in 13.2.2 was if you had a very good dribbler at IF, he would cut inside with the ball and make a 50 yard run to create his own CCC out of nothing. Which was unrealistic and definitely an exploit.
So basically, I think I will be happier with this game if I give up trying to get IF's to play the way I want them to. I don't think it's possible to get them to do 2) and 3) when they're placed in the AMR and AML roles. At least not as often as they really should.
The last thing I haven't tried just yet is a narrow 4231 with 2 amc's as the IF's. This seems like it could be a possibility, although in my experience getting an AMC to run at the defense looking for a through ball is also very difficult. They have a tendency to stay too deep. The RFD instruction mainly seems to work only when the ball is already deep into the final third, or when a player is running at the defense. It's like, a player turns to run, and then all of the players with RFD take off running. You can sometimes watch the AI and understand all the player's role settings just by watching what happens when a player runs with the ball.
But with the ball in the middle third, or in deep build-up play, an AMC is much more likely to drop deep and look for a pass, than to get forward and look to score. Only when the ball gets deep or a player runs with ball do I usually see an AMC with run from deep often start to get forward. This could work, though, as a player running with ball would have him as a through ball option. What I really would like them to do is something like this:
[video=youtube;Mc7Ycqk2Nis]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc7Ycqk2Nis[/video]
Although I think that a play like this is quite impossible in FM right now, with an AMC or an inside forward, and that is what frustrates me the most.
I like to play with at least 3 in the midfield, and a DMC. So the back 7 are something like 412. Positioning the 3 forwards is what has been driving me crazy this year.
Anyway, it's a bit of a ramble, I apologize, just some of my frustrations in setting up my attackers in fm13.