Need help with the 4-3-3

[dolcem]

I always have had trouble with the 4-3-3. It seems like the WFs are always too isolated and I can never do anything when they have the ball. The midfielders never seem to make good runs and I can't get a lot of posession. Maybe it's because I always have had trouble playing from the wing, particularly with crossing. I get most of my goals by passing the ball around the field and then sending a good through ball (always on the ground, haven't figured out how to send a good ball in the air) to someone making a run. Or passing and then a bit of dribbling and a well-timed shot with my strikers. But I never get goals from a cross (sometimes from a pass on the ground from the wing to the striker), and the only headers I've ever scored on have been from corners. My guess is that the 4-3-3 is more designed for play from the wings.

I'm in a ML with Sporting Lisbon in the first year, I sold Pereirinha, Liedson Muniz and Romanogli and I bought Gourcuff, Benzema, Guardado, and Obertan (I play a patch with the French league in Leagues B). I'll probably buy Diego at the end of the year. I play a 4-3-3 with Veloso as the DM, Gourcuff and Moutinho as AMs, Obertan and Izmailov (or Vukchevik) as WFs, and Benzema or Postiga as striker. But I am having a hard time scoring and am playing worse than I did with the 4-4-2. My wingers don't do anything, and Gourcuff and Moutinho's runs are always well marked. I want to stick with the 4-3-3 because I always use the 4-4-2 and I want to learn something new. I play on regular but probably am ready for Professional. Any advice on how to play it? Should I make Gourcuff and Moutinho CMs?

 

[itfc]

what I would do would be to put the wingers as far wide as possible and push them higher than the full backs to avoid them, play a dm and 2 cm's maybe one amf if you want. If you want to score crosses hold down the cross button to the far post and it usually goes to your other winger, bare in mind you want the winger to have reasonable heading stats. quite often you can play massive long balls to them if they're in space

 

[TechGuyatNY]

for me it's the opposite. in FIFA i always play 4-4-2 diamond and 4-3-3 doesnt work for me. in PES i can't play 4-4-2 for shit. i need to play 4-3-3 or 4-5-1.

the way i have my 4-3-3 set up is by having my full backs play wide, my midfield play narrow, and forward wingers play wide. playing your midfield narrow keeps possession as long as you keep short passing. slow build up play is the key > when a gap opens up for your winger, shoot a lobbed through pass to him (LB + Y)

you don't always have to cross when you're a winger you know. i love dribbling my way in. here's one of my recent goals with a winger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ1BFZJC6V4

another thing you can do is when your winger gets possession, do a 1-2 pass to your CF so that your winger can dribble the ball past the back-4

i only cross with my wingers when my CF is unmarked or is running faster than the opponent CB's. and i never low cross, they always get intercepted for me... i dont think i've ever scored from a low cross since PES7. the most successful crosses for me are the high crosses (right trigger + B). they always land in the perfect angle

 

[dolcem]

Thanks for the tips guys! When you say having the WB's and WF's play out wide, do you mean moving them out to the side on the Edit screen under Set Formation?

 

[TechGuyatNY]

Thanks for the tips guys! When you say having the WB's and WF's play out wide, do you mean moving them out to the side on the Edit screen under Set Formation?

correct. this is how i play my 4-3-3. extra wide WB's or SB's. wide WF's. narrow DM's CM's and AM's. my left and right defensive midfielders are set to high defense in order to keep possession and protect the back 4 especially when i run up with a SB or WB

if i need to switch to a more attacking formation, this is what i switch to. again extra wide defense, and wide forwards, and only the center midfielder put on high defense while the left and right attacking midfielders push up alongside the wingers. it makes for killer 1-2 passes but the downside is that it exposes your defense a little bit.

oh yeah, when you're doing 4-3-3, don't forget to do opposite side attack in the set tactics selection. doing so, the opposite winger will do a parallel run with your winger. sometimes it's better to cross to the far side, then cross again to the middle. it really loosens up the defense because usually the opposite winger is left unmarked

example (keep your eyes on the red uniformed winger on the far side):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcPPhHNKJdo