drhay53

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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.
 
Just stumbled across this thread as I am having similar frustrations.

Even when using a Deep lying forward or Complete forward with the support function set, which is supposed to make them drop deep thus freeing up space behind for an IF or even an AMC to run into, it doesn't seem to happen. The forward seems to stay forward and the IF stays out wide.

The only moderate success I achieved was with the If in the extreme forward position ie level with the STC position, but it was still quite haphazard. I haven't given up yet and will let you know if I get any further.

Definately frustrating.
 
I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion of abandoning attempts to get Inside Forwards working.

Even playing as Real Madrid with C.Ronaldo who is (arguably) the best Inside Forward, it is very rare I get a decent game out of him. If I look at heat maps at the end of matches, his average position (with an Inside Forward / Attack / Cut Inside definition) on the left wing is always wider than my right winger who is defined as a Winger / Support / Hug Touchline. He's scored 3 goals for me so far this season, and 3 assists - I'm 16 games in...

Very odd.
 
Try telling them to "Move into Channels" rather than "Cut Inside" and see how that works. I haven't tried it but when thinking about it seems like it would make the winger move infield more, at least to the channel between the fullback and central defender where he will hopefully make a run for the through ball.

If you are having problems getting your CF dropping deeper set his mentality to something less attacking and make sure he has the PPM "Drop Deep to get Ball" (or whatever it is called).

I have also had difficulties getting my AMC to get forward in a "False 10" role. On FM12 I normally made tactics that included a False 10 and often a False 9 as well. There was a great thread about how to set those up, wish that someone would do that again for FM13. I've tried setting the AMC to very attacking (slider all the way up), run from deep and run with ball to often, and move into channels. It has worked to getting him pretty high up the field but if I have my CF dropping deep they have ended up basically right on top of each other which is a waste.
 
I abandoned this a while back because it was so frustrating, but the best I seemed to come up with was playing my "forward" as a central AMC, and then the two "inside forwards" as AMC's on either side. This way they go wide only when space dictates it. Starting out wide, they basically refuse to ever come into the middle.

"Cuts inside" is really mainly when they are on the ball and dribbling, or when your team is already very far forward and they cut into the edge of the box. In buildup play, cuts inside is practically useless.
 
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