Coach_casa

I keep going back and forth in my mind about employing a direct attack vs. a short passing game and wondered how to tell which one your squad is best suited to play. I play an attacking style and the last few seasons I usually used the short passing game, a 4-4-2, with attacking wingers an AMC and DMC, and it was successful. However, I would like to play a strong, aggressive, attacking game that really can hit opponents on the counter and put them under pressure. In my mind a direct game would seem to suit this mentality. Any thoughts?

yeshuayeshua

Most people have their CB's on direct passing, but really, i want to hit teams on the counter AS well as keep some posession and not needlessly give the ball away.

So, I approach it with the CB's playing the ball short to the full backs who inturn being more creative and influential attackingwise, will either, play some wonderful counterattacking direct passes, run down the line and cross some beauties or give it to the DMC to hit some hollywood balls

crazymarco1112

That's really a topic should be debated.

Does direct pass = counter attack? Does short pass = keeping possession?

In my opinion, if I am right, passing slider doesn't mean to be strictly allow a player's passing style, but just the % for him how to play the ball.

Shifting the slider to rightward, that means you give your player a chance to play direct or even long pass up to the field. But of coz, they will not pass all the ball directly! They will play short and try to play directly when they think it is a chance. On the other hand, shifting to leftward means you are hindering your player to play long balls.

When you attack, my opinion is that allowing you player to play every type of ball, not only short pass. That means I will try to slide rightward for the slider and set to direct pass when I want to attack, or even long pass when I really need a win.

On a contra, shifting left when defending can keep you possession so that your player can try to build up the attack.

But this could be contradictory for counter attack. Counter Attack requires a long or direct passing so the ball can be pass up to the field ASAP. That's a problem that I cannot find a solution yet.

Meanwhile, if your team has a style to play, for example, have tall or fast player all the field of coz you play it direct. Or with player passing 18+, you should use TTB + short pass, you should use your style to play. What I am saying is that normal team doesn't have a specific style to play.

To conclude, attacking = direct is no doubt for my sense. But for denfense, just depends on your situation, holding for a draw or try counter with direct balls but it will be risky for losing possession or even licking goals.

kolobok

Imo, passing style itself has little to do with possession. In FM07 and FM08 I had players who completed 85% passes with direct instruction, while others couldn't complete more than 60% with short. Posession depends much more on tempo (how much time a player has to make a decision), closing down (both own and AI's), and mentality (if team operates as a unit, possession is generally higher).

A little messy imo. Usually if you wnat to play on counter, you don't put too much pressure on opposition - your rather want them to relax, all 10 players come to your half, and then utilulize space. If you play attacking style, put lots pressure on opposition, then it's difficult to expect you will have a lot of free space.

If I understand you correctly, you want your players to try fast attacks whenever they get ball as opposite to building up attack gradually? If so, I would suggest leaving passing style on mixed, increasing tempo (not to maximum, but definetely above average), giving "Try Through Ball often" instructions to all players (except maybe STs) and increasing overall team mentality. This way you simply tell your players "Don't wait - if you see an opportunity to attack - do it".