retired_korkkiruv

I'm playing as Man Utd, and my team is doing very well, but in recent home games, we've started to struggle. my centre midfielders have around 80 passes per game at home, but we aren't creating any chances, and even though we play with focus passing down both flanks (I've tried mixed too) the wingers are not getting in the game and there seems to be no link up with the forwards.

what the heck are my midfielders doing with the ball? how can I convert 150 passes between my central midfielders into chances?

I play 4-4-2 (with arrows on the wingers), short passing, slow tempo (I was told by Cleon this would allow good interchange and one-twos like Utd play irl), medium width.

retired_korkkiruv

Anybody?

Do the settings for target man and playmaker affect this?

barefootboo

Try going wider to create more space for your wingers and your strikers, also try selecting playing down the wings if you can't get the wingers involved. Target man is an option, but it makes you one dimensional and not really something to consider for a manchester united squad imo. playmaker could be an option but remember has to be your god, think E=MC^2 you know (Efficency=Maradona x Cantona^2)

retired_lesley22

The only way I ever found 4-4-2 to work is by setting the width slider to the highest setting on normal (but not wide) and focus passing mixed (not to both flanks). This may seem like you're ignoring getting the crosses in but the wingers seem to get much more involved, get to the byline and cross more often, and also cut inside and score more goals themselves (like ronaldo and giigs in real life. Obviously both wingers should be set to forward runs often, run with ball often and cross ball often. I would have their mentality slider one notch into attacking with the opportunity of pushing that up by 2-4 notches if things are going badly during a match. The strikers should be two notches into attacking (again increase if applicable) and they should be making forward runs often and run with the ball mixed. Try playing with one central midfielder two notches below the very cental notch on the mentality slider and the other with two notches above. Both should try through balls often but the more defensively set of the two should only make forward runs mixed as opposed to the other (often). Also I would play using 'counter attack' HOME AND away. Used to use it only away against the big teams but in FM2007 it seems to improve your performance drastically if you employ it home and away no matter what style of play you employ.

retired_Kemp

Sounds like your MCs aren't being closed down. If they are set to short passing and the wingers are to wide, then they could end up passing the ball back and forth between them for most of the game. Especially if their mentality is too defensive.

Possible cures:
Play more narrow, so your short passes can reach the wingers.
Change the passing of the MCs to mixed or higher to give them a more random distribution pattern.
Change the mentalities of the MCs to a high degree of attacking to force them to look for chances.

Bear in mind that any of these changes will lower the number of passes for your MCs, but it should create more chances. If these chances turn out to be too poor in quality, then you may need to look further into the settings for your wingers and strikers too.

retired_lizzie2503

If your wingers are not getting into the game don't put them to run forward often. This way they will be closer to the midfield guys and will more likely get the ball. If they have good pace and dribling put them to run with ball.