I'm going to add 2 further points:
1)
All players of the same position are different. Andros Townsend is not the same as Robert Snodgrass (for example). They are both left footed wingers but one is pacy and likes to leave the fullback for dead, whilst one is sluggish, difficult to dispossess and is strong. They both have different tendencies but they both like to cut inside on attack. Some wingers prefer to head for the byline and give the keeper a heartattack, some just prefer to wander inside and cause panic. For a defensive example, if a team has a pacy RM and is attacking your LB head on, knowing that he has a pace advantage, Townsend isn't going to offer much help because he is attack-minded and will conserve his energy. Snoddy on the other hand likes to hover on the halfway line as an attacking outlet, doesn't stray far, so is in a better position to drop back and track the winger. Another example is CM's. There are a variety of different types of CM's:
- box to box - travel in a straight line up and down the pitch, will act as the pivot point for an attack that is switching wings, and on defense will usually man mark.
- ball winner - tends to float around the halfway line and stand in passing lanes, harassing opponent CM's, better defensive skills than attacking
- Deep lying playmakers - They collect the ball of the CB's and distribute it accordingly. They also tend to float around the edge of the opponents box for long shots.
You might be familiar with these types from Football Manager but it rings true to actuality. The reason why managers spend lots of time scouting is because they need to know what kind of player they are witnessing. They know their primary position, but there is more to it than that. They might be looking specifically for a ball winner in the middle of the park to put their foot on the ball and retain possession so that the team can reset their shape. They might be looking for a striker that is pure poacher, that sniffs around the penalty area looking to capitalise on a GK F up. This is why when looking at what players to buy, they have to be able to play in the system at hand. If you have a policy that 6 players must be in the box to defend, you wouldn't have 2 brazilian powderpuff midfielders in front of the CB's.
2) Tactically speaking, FIFA just doesn't hack it
BUT it is workable if one plays true to a system's fundamentals. PES 2015's fluid formation feature is a great attempt at mimicking the more advanced manner in which teams chop and change their shape depending on the phase of the game, which i define as:
- Defend - The opponent's midfield has the ball and you need to be organised and compact (watch any game on TV and i bet the players are spread out on attack and compact on defence.)
- Attack - your team has the ball and you need to get your danger men in their comfort zones. If you have a skilful CAM, make sure he gets his foot on the ball, don't mess about doing crab passing. If you have a pacy RB, get the ball to the CM and work the triangles with a forward.
- Transition - the ball has just been turned over. Players now need to anticipate whether to cancel their attacking commitment or stay put. For example a CM might pass the ball straight to an opponent CM, and your RB was on the half way line just about to provide an overlap. Said RB is out of position and the CM that now has the ball could pass it into the gap where the RB should be, giving the opponent LM and chance to attack that space. The aforementioned situation can be avoided if the RB anticipates that possession is about to be lost and sprints back to his defensive position. Thats what separates the Lahm's from the Rafael's.
IN real life - a manager might make subtle changes to their formation 5 times a match or more, and the viewer doesn't even notice. They might tell a striker to sit deeper to create a link between the midfield and attack because the opponent CB's are too dominant in the air. They might ask the FB's to push up a few metres to give some artificial width to give the team some possession or to waste time.
It may sound like I'm emphasising the basics, and borderline patronising, but one cannot grasp formations without understanding roles and mentalities.
For the past 3 years at my club (in real life) we have had terrible CB's who are very limited and just pass it 5 yards to the midfield and end their commitment to the attack. Now for the first time we have CB's who are not afraid to dribble the ball up 10 yards and ask the opposing midfield some questions. Sure they could get dispossessed and caught out, but thats the midfields job, to ensure that an outlet is always available.
The old adage "square pegs in round holes" couldn't be truer in this context.
(BTW - Snodgrass is very average, I only mentioned him because i've watched him play in the flesh for a long time, needs to stop drinking and maybe he'll not get injured as much.)
I know its tough for newcomers to understand the little nuances of any sport or game, it took me a few years of watching NFL week in week out to understand things like a nickel D and a dig route, but we all get there in the end
