With thanks to the TT&F contributors:
garyh, thegooner, wwfan and The next Diaby Set Pieces
Both in the real game and in FM07, set pieces have become a vital factor in winning or losing games, especially close and important games. It is crucial to spend some time on selecting the right set piece takers and players for every task. This can make the difference between success and failure.
While working on the set pieces, we quickly realised that it would be next to impossible to test every possible set piece setting and its efficiency. So we restricted ourselves to a few routines that have been proven with various successful tactics, knowing there may be other ways to set up your set pieces. The advice here is not definitive, but it is well-tested.
One word about set piece takers and set piece coaches: it can be highly effective to watch the success of your set piece takers for every new team. They often don't convert according to their stats, so some games without setting your set piece takers may pay off. Decisions, finishing, long shots, crossing, passing, composure and other stats are as important as free kicks depending on what you want the kicker to do.
The feedback from several players suggests that the overall efficiency is increased by employing a better set pieces coach, though it is hard to verify this.
The recommendations are based on a 4-4-2 as template.
Attacking Free Kicks Suggested settings: Please note that you should check for your best headers and tweak your settings accordingly.
LB: back if needed
RB: back if needed
CB small: forward or disrupt wall
CB tall: challenge GK
ML: forward
MC/d: disrupt wall
MC/a: forward
MR: back if needed
ST tall: challenge GK
FC quick: forward
A kill game version requires one player more to stay back if needed (most likely the ML).
It is important to spend some time on selecting the best free kick takers. Having a good left-footed player to take kicks on the right and vice versa offers some advantages as the ball's natural curve will be difficult to defend against. Also you should watch for crosses and long shots. Some free kick takers are rather ineffective despite having good stats, so monitoring your free kick takers for the first games of the season and pre-season will most likely pay off in the long run.
Team settings: most common are best header or mixed. The difference between them seems to be of little importance.
Defending free kicks: Upfront strategy: from one to three players forward.
Keeps many opposition players back, but leaves fewer marking/wall options. Counter attacks don't seem that common from intercepted free kicks. For those occassions where they do happen, it can be handy to have a few players forward, but the main benefit is the threat it poses to the opposition. They are forced to keep more players back, so it should improve your chances of recovering the ball. Those players left upfront will, most likely, come back to help should the opposition get a second chance on goal, or they will be already in position to launch a quick counter attack.
Defensive strategy: all players back.
More defensive options, but more pressure from the opposition as they send more men up front; and no counter options at all.
Wall options:
Large walls: up to six players, plus FBs mark man, CBs default/mark man
Small walls: 3-4 players, FBs plus DMC mark man, CBs default/mark man
Very defensive options:
FBs or wingers set to cover posts in defensive away formations, when playing on the back foot or expecting plenty of free kicks against you. Note: covering the posts is generally less effective in FM07 than previous versions. However, these two players may occasionally help with clearing the ball or any rebounds.
Suggested setups, based on a 4-4-2:
Large wall:
LB, RB: man mark
CBs: default/man mark
all other players: (ML, MR, MCs, Forwards): form wall
Small wall:
LB, RB, CBs, MC/d: man mark
MR, ST tall, MC/a: form wall
ML, FC quick: stay forward
Small wall with posts:
LB, RB: near post/far post
CBs, MC/d: man mark
MR, ST tall, MC/a: form wall
ML, FC quick: stay forward
Both strategies, small and large wall, have pros and cons. However, it is almost impossible to erase any possible danger, as you can see from these examples.
Thanks to The next Diaby for taking and annotating these.
Large wall:
You can see there are two completely unmarked players behind the wall, while the opposition only keeps two players back.
Screen Shot
Small wall:
While there are five players set to man mark, there is still one unmarked opposition player. On the other hand, there are four opposition players forced back and a counter option available.
Screen Shot Throw Ins:
We should spend a few minutes on this. Although it is overlooked very often, if you watch some games in full mode, you will notice that most throw ins with default settings result in losing possession. With the right settings, throw ins can result in a few extra goals every season, which is always a bonus!
To avoid losing possesion it is essential to have enough players coming short. Three players seem to be the optimum.
Suggested setting for a 4-4-2: Throw ins left:
LB: short
RB: back
CB small: back
CB tall: near post
ML: short
MR: back
MC/d: short
MC/a: lurk outside area
ST tall: near post
FC fast: forward
Throw ins right:
LB: back
RB: short
CB small: back
CB tall: near post
ML: back
MC/d: short
MC/a: lurk
ST tall: near post
FC fast: forward
For a kill game/shut up shop version both CBs should stay back.
Team settings: most commonly set to mixed. We could not test every available setting, but long throws may be an option for less technical teams with tall players in the penalty area. Quick could occasionally find a fullback caught out of position. But these options are less important than ensuring enough players come short to create a dangerous attacking move from a throw in, as well as having the right players in the box at the near post.
Corner routines: attacking corners
The most common setting is corners to near post, while a minority prefers the far post.
So we will concentrate on near post. For far post corners, obviously these settings will be reversed.
Attacking roles
The consensus seems to be that near post, challenge goalkeeper and far post should be covered by the best headers or tallest players (most of the time the two CBs and a strong striker).
The strongest header will usually cover the near post, the next best (some recommend highest aggression here) will challenge the keeper, the 3rd best will stand on far post. Other reports suggest two players for near post flick-ons.
It does not seem to make sense to send more than these three players into the box as any more will simply bring the opposition players into the box to mark them, reducing the amount of space your players can exploit.
It can be highly effective to offer more options to the corner taker: a winger or somebody else with good crossing ability and flair set to come short will result in a few surprise goals a year. Also it can be worthwhile having one or two players with good long shots outside the area. They are rarely ever marked and can score a good number of goals per season. Additionally, they will make it easier to win the ball back and keep possession in the opposition half.
The central midfielders appear best suited there, as long as they don't have lousy long shots or extremely good heading stats. You don't want to be wasting players that would be useful elsewhere.
Defensive roles
Usually there should be two players set to always stay back plus one to stay back if needed - or three set to stay back if needed (which keeps the best header of them staying up front).
In a defensive situation during last 20 minutes this number should be increased to four (by using the "if needed" option), since the opposition might keep up to three players up front.
Usually the fullbacks and wingers are picked for this role, since many of them are weak at heading and rather small.
Corner takers
The corner takers should be monitored and set a few games into the season, since the AI does not always pick the best or most successful corner takers.
For corners to the far post it is crucial to have in-swinging corners and good corner takers. Straight or outswinging corners are easier to defend (especially if aimed at the near post) and have a tendency to go straight out for a goal kick, wasting a valuable set piece. So you need a right footed player for the left side and vice versa.
Suggested setups Suggested setup for a 4-4-2, corners to near post: Please check and adjust according to your players' heading/jumping/height.
LB: back if needed
RB: back if needed
CB small: challenge GK
CB tall: near post
ML: forward
MR: back if needed
MC/d: outside area
MC/a: outside area
ST tall: far post
FC quick: forward/attack from deep/attack far post
Suggested setup for near post/far post corners in the same tactic: Please adjust to your specific player attributes as above.
Team instructions (depending on your corner takers available):
E.g. Corners left (Near) - Corners right (Far)
Setup:
LB: Back
RB: Back
DC tall: near post
DC small: challenge GK
MR: short
ML: forward
MC/a: lurk outside area
MC/d: back if needed
ST tall: stand on far post
FC quick: forward
Left-footed corner taker from the right
Right-footed corner taker from the left (but can be left footed if good)
Corner routines: defending corners
A common and reliable approach:
Closing down: winger or playmaker. Ideally someone who is not of much use in the penalty area, but able to make an interception and initiate a fast counter or build up play (good passing, creativity, composure, flair, decisions). A player good at heading might be wasted, and would probably be of more use defending the penalty area. Most headed interceptions lead to another corner or throw in.
Back or man-marking/marking tall player: DMC and strong striker, depending on their height and heading plus jumping stats.
Back: AMC and/or winger
Near post/far post: most likely the FBs. Occasionally the wingers and FBs used to mark small.
Mark tall: CBs, plus DMC and ST if suited well.
Staying up front: Fast striker and fast winger. Sometimes both strikers. In very attacking tactics, three players.
Settings based on a 4-4-2 with 2 players staying forward. Please check and adjust for your players' speed and heading stats/height.
LB/RB: near post/far post
CB/CB: mark tall
MC/d: man mark/mark tall/back
MC/a: back
ML: forward
MR: close down
ST tall: man mark/mark tall/back
FC quick: forward
TT&F Set Pieces: A guide on optimising free kicks, corners etc. 
Linear Mode
