FM24 Player Roles: Part 2 - Wide Defenders

Summary

This video script delves into the intricacies of football tactics, focusing on the role of wing backs in various formations. It discusses how wing backs, exemplified by players like Alexander-Arnold and Robertson, can dictate play in the wide channels. The script explores different player roles, such as inverted wing backs and fullbacks, and their impact on team shape and attack. It also touches on how to utilize these roles effectively, considering factors like player traits and instructions to optimize performance on the pitch.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses the role of wing backs in football tactics, emphasizing their importance in covering the wide channels on the pitch.
• 🏟️ The speaker uses a tactic with two wing backs, one on support (Trent Alexander-Arnold) and one on attack (Robertson), to illustrate their functions in the team.
• ⚽️ Wing backs are chosen for their ability to provide width to the team, especially when paired with inverted wingers or forwards who play more centrally.
• 🔄 The video demonstrates how wing backs overlap traditional fullbacks, being more aggressive in moving up and down the flanks.
• 📊 A key difference between 'Wing Back on Attack' and 'Wing Back on Support' is the former's tendency to get closer to the byline and cross more aggressively.
• 📝 The script mentions the use of tactical drawing boards to analyze and adjust player roles and instructions during the match.
• 🛑 The 'Inverted Wing Back' role is explained as one that brings the player slightly infield, potentially playing like a central midfielder, especially when there's an inverting player ahead.
• 🔄 The 'Inverted Fullback' role is described as a shape changer, effectively acting as a center back and contributing to a back three or a double pivot with a defensive midfielder.
• 📈 The video highlights the importance of player traits and stats, such as acceleration, stamina, and crossing ability, when assigning wing back roles.
• 🛠️ Player instructions are discussed as a way to customize a player's behavior on the pitch, with examples given for adjusting crossing, shooting, and dribbling tendencies.
• 📉 The contrast between 'Wing Back' and 'Fullback' roles is made clear, with the former being more specialized for attacking and the latter being more generalist and customizable.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is discussing the roles and tactics of wing backs in football management, particularly in the context of a football game like Football Manager.

Why are wing backs chosen in the discussed tactic?

Wing backs are chosen to provide width to the team, especially when the forward players are inverting, occupying the half and central spaces, allowing the wing backs to control the wide channels.

What is the role of an inverted forward in the tactic?

An inverted forward plays a bit more narrow, allowing the wing back to overlap and provide width. This helps in generating more attacking options in the wide channels.

How does the wing back on support differ from the wing back on attack?

A wing back on support might not be as quick to move forward and is more focused on providing width and support in the attack, while a wing back on attack is more aggressive, often getting to the byline and crossing the ball.

What is the significance of the 'cross from byline' instruction for wing backs?

The 'cross from byline' instruction is significant as it dictates that the wing back will move all the way to the byline to deliver crosses, which is a key part of their attacking role.

What is the role of an inverted wing back?

An inverted wing back brings the player a bit more into the field, potentially playing like a central midfielder, especially when there is no one in the wide space due to other players' inverting roles.

How does the complete wing back role differ from the wing back role?

A complete wing back has a free role, meaning they will roam from position more, hunt for space, and are generally more aggressive in their attacking play compared to a standard wing back.

What is the purpose of the 'stay wider' instruction for wing backs?

The 'stay wider' instruction ensures that the wing back keeps as close to the touchline as possible, providing width and stretching the opponent's defense.

How does the 'shoot less often' instruction affect a wing back's gameplay?

The 'shoot less often' instruction discourages the wing back from taking shots, especially if they have low finishing or long shot stats, and encourages them to focus more on crossing and providing assists.

What is the strategic advantage of using an inverted fullback?

An inverted fullback can act more like a center back, providing defensive solidity and also participating in building up play from the back, especially if they have good passing abilities.

How can the choice of fullback or wing back impact the team's attacking strategy?

Choosing a fullback or wing back affects how high up the field the player operates and their role in the attack. A wing back will generally be higher up and more involved in crossing, while a fullback can be customized more freely and might be used to provide deeper crosses or support the attack from a deeper position.

Outlines

00:00

🏟️ Football Tactics with Wing Backs Explained

The script begins with a light-hearted reference to a previous video, then dives into a detailed analysis of the role of wing backs in football tactics. The author discusses the importance of utilizing the five vertical channels on the pitch and how wing backs, such as Alexander Arnold and Robertson, provide width to the team when paired with inverted forwards. The video script illustrates the movement and positioning of wing backs during a match, emphasizing their aggressive overlapping play. The author also explains the tactical differences between wing backs set to 'support' and 'attack' duties, highlighting how these roles affect the player's behavior on the pitch.

05:00

🔄 Inverted Wing Backs and Their Tactical Implications

This paragraph explores the concept of inverted wing backs and their impact on the team's formation and play style. The author contrasts the roles of standard wing backs with inverted ones, explaining how inverted wing backs can function similarly to central midfielders. The script discusses how these roles can create a double pivot in the midfield, especially when paired with certain player traits and tactics. It also touches on the defensive responsibilities of these roles and how they can adjust the team's shape during different phases of the game, such as when in possession or defending.

10:03

📊 Analyzing Player Roles and Duties in Tactical Setups

The script continues with an in-depth analysis of different player roles and their duties within the tactical framework. It discusses the importance of player instructions for wing backs, such as 'stay wider' and 'shoot less often,' to maximize their effectiveness based on their attributes. The author provides a comparison between wing backs, fullbacks, and complete wing backs, detailing how each role can be tailored to suit different tactical needs. The paragraph also covers how to use tactics maps to understand the positioning and mentality of players on the pitch.

15:05

🛡️ The Role of Inverted Fullbacks and Their Defensive Impact

This section delves into the role of inverted fullbacks and how they can change the defensive structure of a team. The author explains how an inverted fullback can act as an additional center back, forming a back three when in defense. The script also discusses the positioning and movement of other players on the field, such as wingers and midfielders, in relation to the inverted fullback. It highlights the importance of understanding player traits and how they can be utilized within the team's tactical setup.

20:06

🤔 Choosing the Right Fullback Role for Your Tactical Approach

The paragraph focuses on the decision-making process when selecting fullback roles in a team's tactics. It discusses the differences between fullbacks and wing backs in terms of their positioning, aggression, and crossing abilities. The author provides insights into how to choose between these roles based on the desired attacking style and the specific attributes of the players. The script also touches on the concept of 'overlap' and 'underlap' and how team instructions can be used to create these effects during a match.

25:08

🎯 Crafting Custom Tactics with Fullbacks and Wing Backs

In this final paragraph, the script wraps up with a discussion on the creative aspect of designing tactics with fullbacks and wing backs. The author suggests various combinations of player roles that can be used to achieve different tactical outcomes, such as overloading the wide areas or creating a double pivot in midfield. The paragraph concludes with a humorous anecdote about how experimenting with these roles can lead to discovering new and effective tactical formations, even those used by renowned football managers like Pep Guardiola.

Keywords

💡Wing Back

A 'Wing Back' is a versatile position in football, typically played by a full-back who pushes far up the field to support the attack, while also tracking back to defend. In the video, the role of Wing Backs like Alexander Arnold and Robertson is emphasized, particularly in how they provide width and overlap in the attack, as seen when discussing their positioning and movement on the pitch.

💡Inverted Winger

An 'Inverted Winger' is a player who starts wide but cuts inside to create chances or score goals. This concept is highlighted in the video in relation to how Salah and Diaz play, moving into half spaces to create opportunities for the team, which in turn affects how the Wing Backs behind them adjust their positioning.

💡Five Channels

The 'Five Channels' refer to the vertical lanes on the pitch where players can operate: the wide spaces, half spaces, and central space. The video discusses how modern football tactics aim to exploit all these channels, with formations like 235 or 325 designed to have players in these areas, as seen in the analysis of the tactic where the Wing Backs and inverted players interact.

💡Attack Duty

'Attack Duty' in the context of the video refers to a player's aggressiveness in moving forward to support the attack. The script mentions how a Wing Back on Attack, like Robertson, will push up to the byline or near post, contrasting with a Wing Back on Support, who might be more cautious in their forward movement.

💡Support Duty

A player with 'Support Duty' is tasked with providing a more measured approach to attacking, often staying slightly deeper to offer passing options. The video uses the example of Trent Alexander Arnold on Support, who might not rush as far forward as an Attack duty player, emphasizing his role in building play from a deeper position.

💡Inverted Fullback

An 'Inverted Fullback' is a player who starts as a fullback but moves inside to function more like a central midfielder or defensive midfielder. The video discusses this role in the context of how it can change the team's shape, with examples of how it affects defensive and attacking setups, such as forming a double pivot with a defensive midfielder.

💡Complete Wing Back

A 'Complete Wing Back' is a player who has the freedom to roam and contribute both offensively and defensively. The video explains how this role differs from a standard Wing Back, with a focus on their mentality and positioning, and how they might pass through balls or make runs into the box.

💡Non-Nonsense Fullback

A 'Non-Nonsense Fullback' is a player who focuses primarily on defensive duties, such as tackling and marking, without venturing far up the field. The video suggests using this role in lower leagues or when a team needs a more defensive-minded player in the wide areas.

💡Overlap

An 'Overlap' in football is when a player, typically a fullback, runs beyond the player in front of them, usually a winger, to provide an additional passing option. The video discusses how team instructions like 'Overlap Left' can be used to create these opportunities, as seen in the analysis of how Salah and Robertson interact.

💡Underlap

An 'Underlap' is the opposite of an overlap, where a player moves inside to create space for a teammate to run beyond them. The video mentions using team instructions like 'Underlap Left' to achieve this, allowing a player like Robertson to move inside and create space for a winger to exploit.

Highlights

Introduction to part two of player roles in football tactics.

Explanation of choosing Wing backs in the tactic for attacking all five vertical channels.

Demonstration of Wing backs providing width to the team in the match engine.

Analysis of the movement and positioning of Wing backs compared to fullbacks.

Difference between Wing back on attack and Wing back on support in terms of crossing and aggression.

Tactical drawing board analysis of Wing back roles and their impact on the team's shape.

Introduction of the concept of inverted Wing backs and their role in the team's defensive and attacking phases.

Discussion on how inverted Wing backs can create a double pivot with the defensive midfielder.

Exploration of the role of inverted fullbacks in creating a three at the back formation.

Insight on how player traits and roles interact to influence on-field behavior.

Theoretical discussion on the strategic use of Wing backs and fullbacks in different formations.

Practical advice on player instructions for Wing backs to maximize their effectiveness.

Comparison of Wing back versus fullback roles and their impact on team tactics.

Discussion on the versatility of fullbacks in customizing their play style through instructions.

Explanation of how inverted Wing backs and fullbacks can change the team's shape and tactics.

Strategic considerations for combining player roles with team instructions for optimal attack design.

Final thoughts on the importance of player role selection in achieving tactical goals in football.

Transcripts

greetings fellow football managers and

welcome to part two of player roles the

Frog I swallowed last week remains

intact so you'll have to bear with me on

that but we go ahead with this if you

miss part one I'm going to put a little

link up on the top right of the screen

so go ahead and check that out but it's

not required reading so to speak if we

just take a look at this tactic right

here you'll see that my fullbacks are

both Wing backs on the right hand side

we've got a wing back on support that's

Alexander Arnold on the left hand side

we've got a wing back on attack that's

Robertson the face of this video so why

have we chosen Wing backs in this

particular tactic now a lot of the time

we talk about these five vertical

channels the wide space down here where

Salah and Diaz currently are you've got

the half space and then you've got the

central space where nun is a lot of

modern football tactics look to attack

all of these five channels hence why a

lot of formations end up in a 235 or 325

kind of setup where you have five

players in those five channels right up

the end of the pitch because my two

forward players are inverting that's the

inverted Winger and the inverted forward

up top the theory here is that my wing

backs are then going to be in the wide

channels providing the width to the team

so let's jump into the match engine and

see if we can figure out what exactly

the wing back

does so immediately here you can see

that Robertson's in a very very wide

position and so is Trent their strength

string the pitch as much as they can

although the forwards ahead of them are

pretty wide as

well and now immediately you can see

things start to shake out you can see

the forward ahead of Robertson has

started to pull inside just a little bit

while Robertson goes all the way to the

touch

line and this is the kind of movement we

want to generate when we choose the wing

back in this position and we choose an

inverted forward in front of them or an

inverted Winger in front of them because

those players will play a little bit

more narrow and then the wing back will

overlap a fullback would also do this

but a wing back tends to be a little bit

more aggressive on the

overlap so unfortunately Robertson got

tackled there but you can kind of see

immediately what the wing back is trying

to do as we go forward as we throw in

now these throwin are something you'll

set up in your set pieces so the team

needs to get back into shape immediately

Robertson is staying as wide as he can

Trent on the other side as a wing back

you can see he's the widest player on

that right hand side too so let's see

what happens when we recycle the

ball now we're kind of Shifting towards

the right hand side and immediately

you're seeing Salah who is the inside

forward come into a more inside kind of

position and Trent Alexander Arnold on

that far side is again providing the

width as a wing

back now you see Tren start to make a

run he's holding it there because

Newcastle are pushing up their defensive

line but again the same thing that we

saw in the the left hand side is

happening on the right as

well here we go so he is a wing back on

support remember he's not on attack so

he might look a little bit slower to the

eye as he moves forward an attacking

play is very attacking uh I know that

sounds like an on seor or whatever you

call it but on support the player may

not always be as quick on the ball

seemingly because their mentality is not

quite as high as the attack-minded

player who just wants to dribble run and

shoot but you can see as a wing back on

support he's gone all the way to the by

line and that's a pretty awful Cross

Point being he did get up to the by line

he then weighed his options he wasn't in

the best of positions but he did try and

play in the

cross so I'm jumping into my tactical

drawing board just 90 seconds into the

match which is the sign of any great

manager and we're going to analyze this

a little bit from a drawing board

perspective the wing back on attack

versus the wing back on support what is

the difference immediately you can see

cross from by line is the main

instruction difference between the two

roles so your wing back on attack as you

let this match progress you'll see this

Wing back on attack go right up to this

by line in fact come all the way to the

near poost on some occasions you'll find

your wing back on attack Crossing or

just driving anywhere between the corner

flag and the near post it does depend on

what your other players are doing it

also depends on your mentality your

shape all kinds of things it also could

be just that particular phase of play

but generally speaking a wing back on

attack will get to that by line they'll

also try and get fairly close to the

goal because they are on attack

mentality whereas Alexander Arnold in

the phase that you just saw on the field

he wasn't too fussed about getting

towards the near poost he kind of went

outside the box just a little bit and

then when he had a lot of pressure on

him he actually moved away a little bit

that's the difference between attack and

support the attacking player would have

been more aggressive in that situation

maybe try and cut inside maybe play the

cross a little bit earlier something

like that if I switch however to

something like an inverted Wing back

let's put Trent on support as usual and

let's have Robertson as a complete Wing

back and attack so these are going to be

two completely different roles let's

have a look at how it plays out so we've

just won possession after Newcastle

Corner the new tactics are in effect

again Robertson's a complete Wing back

on attack and Alexander Arnold is an

inverted Wing back on support let's see

how it

looks as Allison gets the ball looks to

distribute he goes to one of the center

backs because that's what I want him to

do

if you look at it right now there's not

too much going on that you wouldn't

expect although again you do see

Alexander Arnold maybe a tiny little bit

further inside than you would expect

from a standard Wing

back Salah takes the ball and again

Alexander Arnold is a little bit further

in field than he would be if he was a

wing back or a fullback so that's what

an inverted Wing back does he brings the

player a little bit into the field and

can have them playing like a central

midfielder I say can because it depends

on what's going on on Salah in this

tactic ahead of Alexander Arnold is also

an inverting player which means there's

nobody in that wide space because of

that fact the game will try and push one

of the players out there so an inverted

Wing back when there isn't anybody in

the wide space will actually try and

push out into that wide space now and

then so you could design it that way you

could play the inverted Wing back and

have him move into that wide space and

have him stay inside based on the match

situation it's absolutely possible just

picking up with Newcastle on the ball

again to point out that an inverted Wing

back on support on attack whatever it is

he's still going to be in your defensive

phase of the game as you can see like

this in a standard fullback position

that's again the difference between the

roles and the actual starting positions

the starting positions are where the

player is on defense the roles then

adjust what they do when you have the

ball like this now we're going into a

possession phase and the player roles

will show so Robinson already is pushing

really high up even though the ball's on

the other side side look what he does

now he's

off he is

going aggressive run he tries to beat

his man he's powering past another

unfortunately he couldn't beat the other

right back but you can see the

aggressiveness immediately he's got one

thing on his mind when he's a complete

Wing back and that is to

attack on the other hand if I just pause

it right here you can see what Alexander

Arnold is doing he's coming straight

into defense that is the inverted Wing

back

beyan into Midfield he's now in the

position of a basically a number six

right next to my other number six so I

have created a double pivot if you look

at it now where my DM on defend and my

iwb on support have actually formed a

double pivot whereas my complete Wing

back on attack is running

around so if you want to create this

shape if you want to create a double

pivot using your defensive midfielder

and your right back you can use it

inverted Wing back on support even an

inverted Wing back on defend will do

this

job so look at where Trent is he's

absolutely not providing any width and

in fact Salah is now the one who's

providing a little bit of width this is

kind of what you see from real Liverpool

in real life as well so if you want to

play real life Liverpool or a team which

brings their wing back in and makes them

play as a midfielder this is how you

would do it the complete Wing back

meanwhile you can see on this left hand

side down here Robertson is looking for

space he's trying to push as far as he

can but he's also looking for space he's

getting as far away from the Defenders

as he can although their Winger is on

top of

him again if I just pause it here you

can see how far he's pushing

up the advantage of the inverted Wing

back on support is as you can see it

gives you one more man to build up play

and to push the play forward so if

you're strugging struggling with

possession you can actually play an

inverted Wing back and try and use that

player to just be another body for those

short passes in your Midfield also again

I want to draw your eye towards Salah up

there he is an inside forward and yet

he's being pushed out there because the

wing back is coming in so somebody

actually tries to occupy that wide space

up there all right 5 minutes in and

we're going to try a little change again

this time Robertson is going to be an

inverted fullback on defend and

Alexander Arnold is going to be an

inverted Wing back back on attack this

is going to be absolutely crazy just to

actually be slightly logical I'm going

to change Salah to be a Winger on attack

instead of a inverted forward on attack

actually let's make him a Winger on

support that might be even more sensible

let's say all right we've just won the

ball in Midfield curtsy of soos he's

going to give it up to Nez now and we're

going to try and start an attack let's

see how things look with the new Ro

setup Robertson Now isn't interested in

running with the ball too much even

though his player traits show that he is

a run with ball kind of guy and we have

possession again with a little throw in

so let's see how our possession shakes

out with this new rooll selection as you

can see Robertson isn't really

interested in going forward very far as

an inverted fullback you can see that

he's now forming a three at the back and

what he's actually doing is if you look

at exactly where they are he is pushing

them a little bit further to the side so

it's going to be a flatback three in a

nice Central Area if you played him as a

fullback on defend or no on fullback on

defend he would be still in the left

back position not a center back position

but an ifb an inverted fullback actually

brings him into the center back position

even though his starting position is

left back so let's see how this

goes immediately we can see Salah is

holding a wide area and Alexander Arnold

is inside him now because Salah is a

Winger on support he's looking more

defensive he's looking to pass it back

Trent is much more aggressive because

he's on an attack that Duty we're going

to recycle the ball again and see how

this goes again there we go Salah is

wide and Trent is coming in look at this

run now Trent is moving into that half

space again you can see the channel of

five now you have Luis Diaz who is our

inverted Winger he is now providing the

width because Robertson is not

interested in that Robertson is

effectively a center back with these

three guys look at the Symmetry in that

back line we have our Striker pulling

short obviously and in that sense we've

got the two number eights

making runs forward and we've got Trent

coming into the half space in a very

very aggressive

manner again as we start moving the ball

forward Trent is running at that back

line look at that run there and Salah

isn't trying to run in behind he's

actually coming short for the ball so

your support duty is more about

possession play keeping the ball giving

you that possession option whereas your

attacking duty is always going to try

and make the run in behind first before

look looking for

possession so salah's just played it in

behind Jones is moving on and let's look

at where Trent gets to on this

move look at that Trent is in the number

eight position there this is exactly

where he scored from against Manchester

City the other day in the 1-1 draw there

so if you want to replicate that

particular move from Trent we've kind of

just seen it here where Salah plays the

ball inside and now Jones has taken it

but Jones is a little bit more

interested in attacking rather than

cutting in and playing in Trent but

Trent is in that position where he

scored from which was your inverted Wing

back on attack inverted Wing back on

support could get him to a similar

position too but attack will get him to

that position more often previously in

the video we saw him as a wing back and

he was kind of there as a wing back on

support as an inverted Wing back he's in

this area so choosing your player role

and duty is all about the movements you

want to see and where you want your

players on the pitch if you want your

fullback to be a genuine goalscoring

threat if he has finishing and long

shots you can put him on inverted Wing

back and make use of

that so now that we've seen how these

roles perform on the pitch I'd like to

just drill down into some of these roles

and tell you here in a more theoretical

fashion what we can do with them so

first of all I started this video with

two Wing backs and that is because one

of the most important things about the

players in the white areas is that

they're going to link up with the

players in front of them generally

speaking Wing back is the role where you

want to take command of the entire flank

essentially you could be playing a

narrow formation let's say something

like this in this case you would want

your players to be Wing backs because

you've got nobody else on those flanks

and essentially I had it like this

because these two inverting roles will

look something like this on the field so

when Salah starts as an inverted forward

on the right side or an inside forward

he's essentially getting into this half

space which means Trent needs to get

outside him the same thing for Diaz who

has an inverted Winger will come into

this half space which means Robertson

needs to get outside him one of the main

differences you saw between the wing

back and attack and the wing back on

support you saw with Trent where he was

happy to play in this kind of area

whereas Robertson I will tell you

especially with a support Duty player in

front of him here he will get to here

he's going to get all the way to that

near poost so that is something you do

want to think about when you're trying

to figure out what the player is that

you're playing there and what kind of

instructions you want to give him I

normally don't mess around with player

instructions all that much but I do very

much in this position because Robertson

is a very unique player if we look at

his card so that's Andy Robertson there

let's look at those greens that are

jumping out acceleration stamina pace

and fitness which means he can play as a

wing back he can cover the flank he can

run up and down all day no problem at

all work rate and teamwork are there too

Crossing 16 the key thing to consider is

what is he going to do when he gets up

the pitch now I said that the wing back

attack especially with with a support

cutting inside kind of player in front

of him might get all the way to the near

post so definitely to the by line as you

can see on the left hand side the

instruction is crossed from by line so

he will get to the by line because of

get further forward the player gets

further forward as well gets forward

whenever possible he has an attack Duty

he will absolutely get to that by line

and because of that attack Duty as well

he'll get a lot closer to the goal what

does he do when he's there let's look at

his finishing stat oh dear he has

finishing of five and long shots of five

so Robertson is actually not the guy you

really want to get into the box at all

you want to kind of keep him as wide as

possible you want to use his 16 Crossing

not his five finishing and five long

shots so to do that we can go into his

player instructions and do something

like stay wider that'll take him a

little bit further away from that near

poost it won't stop him from getting

there all the time but it will keep him

as wide as possible that can also help

if you want to stretch the pitch the

wing back is the right role for

stretching the pitch because they will

stay wider in any case but just clicking

that stay wider will make sure that he

keeps as close to the line as possible

for as much of the time as possible

another one is shoot less often when you

have a guy with finishing five long

shots five you don't want him to shoot I

mean he scores two goals a season with

his feet but he misses so so many

chances that it can really get you down

you want him cutting the ball in or

crossing it so to encourage that kind of

behavior you can go with shoot less

often you could also select cross more

often if you want to but what you're

going to lose is the ability of the

player to get to the Bine and kind of

cut it back he's not going to get all

that way all that often if you choose

this option because he's probably going

to deliver it a little bit earlier if

you have a really good dribbler you

could go for dribble more as well

another thing to think about from these

wi players is where you want them to

cross it so if you are playing a Target

man or you you know that you have a

really good forward in the center or at

the far post or something like that

you've got a big tall Winger at the far

post you might go for that far post if

you want to go more for cutbacks and

things you might go for near poost so

that's something you can do yourself I

like to leave it to the player because

these are elite players they can kind of

take the decision by themselves most of

the time but for Robertson I do want to

reduce his shooting that's why I click

that and I do want to ensure that he

gives my team a lot of width so I do

click stay wider most of the time so how

do we contrast a wing back versus a

fullback so a fullback on attack if we

just switch it here you can see

immediately that the fullback on attack

has crossed more often and get further

forward rather than cross from by line

so I've opened up this selection so that

you can see this little graphic roll

down at the bottom there the fullback

will receive the ball wide and he won't

necessarily drive to the by line before

playing in the cross he will cross a lot

more often as the instruction says so he

will just launch those crosses across it

could be a good position for a guy like

Robertson because he's not as much of a

dribbler so he might get tackled before

he can get to the by line he does have

the pace to kind of dribble he can knock

the ball past a man and then go so

that's not bad dribbling 11 with that

much pace is a good thing that's good

enough really but if you want to take no

chances you you might actually put him

on fullback attack for example because

you don't trust him to beat that last

player Let's cross it as soon as the

opportunity arises so a fullback and

attack won't get to the by line he won't

play those cutbacks as much he's going

to look to drive up the field as far as

possible he'll still make the same runs

but he will deliver the ball a little

bit sooner if you're relying more on

things like cutbacks you might want a

wing back a little bit more by the same

token when we look at complete Wing back

the difference between complete Wing

back and Wing back isn't huge the main

thing is that the complete Wing back is

given a free roll so the roam from

position instruction is on for the

complete Wing back whether it is support

or attack if we have a look at this he

has roam from position he also has stay

wider so I've gone in here to double

check yeah they've got get further

forward stay wider and roam from

position so complete Wing back will try

and keep the width as much as possible

but he does have that free role moving

to the wing back for just a second in

support you can see stay wider is not

there on either attack or support Duty

whereas when we look at complete Wing

back they do have stay wider but they

will come inside a little bit to search

for space if that space is there so if

you want a player to really be your

attacking threat if you want them in

space that you want them to get the ball

and try and cross that is going to be

your complete Wing back the complete

Wing back on attack is very very similar

to the wing back on attack the

difference is the mentality now we've

talked before about individual player

mentality you can see attacking here and

if I switch it to Wing back you will

still see attacking so you're going to

tell me no there's no difference with

mentality actually there is if we just

close this here and look at the player

on the pitch Wing back attack exactly

where he is and now switch him to

complete Wing back and attack you can

see that slight gradual shift up the

field the players positioning on this

map can give you an idea of exactly how

attacking their mentality may be

football manager back in the day it used

to have I think a one to 10 scale of

mentality where you can shift it up jot

by jot therefore the complete Wing back

is just a tiny little bit higher than

the wing back in mentality and that is

something you can absolutely see from

these tactics screen in fact if you look

at the opposition screen we can see here

that Joe Linton is higher than tonali

even though they're both in the central

Midfield area and tripa looks like he's

slightly higher than the rest of the

defense Dan burn looks like he's on

defend the point there being from these

Maps these tactics maps you can

absolutely get the difference in

mentality if you look at this here you

can actually see that Alexander Arnold

is more advanced than Silva and

Robertson is even more advanced than

Alexander Arnold so if you want a really

quick look at the opposition to figure

out their mentalities you can actually

see that from the alignment because of

those one by one jots so why would you

pick complete Wing back over a wing back

your complete Wing back is going to hunt

for space a little bit by default they

will also stay wider I personally prefer

putting the wing back on attack and then

giving him stay wider for that width

really really stretch the the field

complete Wing backs are absolutely

specialist positions you do need a

player who can carry it out and one of

the big things a complete Wing back will

do is he will pass he'll make through

balls and stuff which is another reason

why I like to play Robertson as a wing

back not a complete Wing back whereas I

sometimes do play Alexander Arnold as a

complete Wing back because he can pass

obviously Wing backs and complete Wing

backs are very mobile roles they're not

ball magnets in fact none of the players

in these wide areas are ball magnets at

all in terms of shape changes complete

Wing backs a little bit because they do

roam from position but they're not going

to dramatically change the shape of your

team your wing backs on the other hand

are slightly more generalist than

Specialists they are also very mobile

because they're going to be motoring up

and down that flank your fullback is the

ultimate generalist role if we go for

fullback support here you can see that

he has no Specific Instructions what

that means is you can absolutely

customize this guy however you want you

can click all of these different

things and now suddenly you've got a

super custom fullback so if you want to

give the player individual instructions

if you want to make him do something

super specific you can actually do it

from a fullback base because he's not

going to have so many things hardcoded

so this is your this is basically your

central Midfield on support as well it's

the same thing they have nothing special

you can program the player however you

want and make them more of a specialist

if you choose to fullback versus Wing

back how do you decide your wing back is

going to be higher up the field they're

going to try and get to the by line more

they will be in Crossing positions more

on the same Duty what that means is a

fullback on defend versus a wing back on

defend your wing back on defend will be

slightly higher up the field and might

have a chance of Crossing from Deep he

will have crossed from deep and hold

position fullback has kind of the same

instructions but the wing back will just

be a tiny bit higher up the field and

therefore more likely to cross same

thing again if we look at the support

Duty the fullback on support has nothing

Wing back on support just has get

further forward so again this guy will

be in a better position to cross

choosing between fullback and Wing back

very much depends on where you want the

player to patrol if you want them to get

a little bit higher but keep the duty

the same choose Wing back if you want

them a little bit deeper but also not

change the duty make a fullback and then

if we recap those shape changer roles we

have again the inverted Wing back and

you have the inverted fullback these are

very much your shape Changers they're

also very much Specialists because your

inverted fullback is basically a center

back so you need a player like a center

back ideally with some passing as well

to recycle the ball your inverted Wing

back is going to be much more aggressive

they might be something like a playmaker

type player so again you need more of a

midfielder profile with the inverted

Wing back not so much Crossing you need

more passing creativity even shooting so

these two roles are very much in your

shape changer mold they're also

Specialists Mobility depends on their

Duty so the inverted fullback is

absolutely not mobile once he gets into

that defensive line and becomes another

Center back he's not going to be mobile

at all whereas your inverted Wing back

especially on attack Duty will run

basically straight at the goal from his

starting position your non-nonsense

fullback is basically just like your

non-nonsense Center back which we looked

at in the last video except in the wide

area so if you are playing maybe lower

league and you just have a guy who can

tackle and Mark maybe play him as a

non-nonsense fullback where he makes

tackles and just punts the ball out

that's it in terms of roles and

combinations especially with the players

up ahead of them again it goes down to

that five channel kind of behavior those

vertical channels the wide areas the

half spaces and the central area if the

player in front of the wing back for

example we have DS here as a Winger now

they're going to be in the wide area

normally you have several options with

your fullback behind them you can have

them supplement the attack you can have

them overlap you can have them underlap

or you can just have them stay back so

if you want them to stay back you can

put No Nonsense fullback if you want

them to stay back but join the defensive

line or become a new center back you can

go with inverted fullback you can go

with inverted Wing back if you want them

to be more of a midfielder while the

other guy holds the width that would be

kind of the underlapping role if you

want to actually overload that wide area

you do have two choices again you can go

with fullback or Wing back that'll keep

them both in that wide channel so what

you do then is up to you you can kind of

mess around you can go with a Winger on

attack in which case it doesn't make

sense to have a fullback on attack for

example this doesn't make too much sense

because the players will eventually get

on each other's toes so with a Winger an

attack I would generally combine a

fullback on support because they're

going to be a little bit further back

they'll provide that deep Crossing

option whereas it'll be the Winger who

actually gets to the by line if you have

a Winger on support and you actually do

want to generate the overlap you can

probably go with something like this

Winger on support Wing back on attack

you will see more overlaps if you want

to make sure of it you can have overlap

left what does the overlap instruction

do I want to do a different video on

team instructions but overlap will

basically try and tell Diaz come back a

bit so it'll lower his mentality and

it'll increase Robertson's mentality to

actually generate that overlap you can

also go and say underlap left so instead

of Designing the underlap using player

roles you can actually use the team

instruction and then have Robertson kind

of make this move so the game will

basically tell him stay a bit narrow and

it'll tell Diaz stay a bit wide so he

stays here so how you choose the role of

your fullbacks is very much what kind of

attack you want to be designed what role

you want them to play in the attack how

active you want them to be so your wing

back attack will be very much a primary

Creator in your team they're going to be

very aggressive in getting up the field

and you probably want to support that

motion by having some cover you might

want a number eight playing a little bit

more of a supporting role so that they

can jump out and block any kind of

Counterattack when your wing back gets

stuck up there for example on the other

hand if you want to do interesting stuff

with your central midfielders if you

want to have something like a matala on

attack you probably want to bring your

inverted Wing back into the party to get

them cutting into that Midfield and

using that vacated space while your

number eight plays something like a

Winger then you can have your wing back

stepping inside to take care of the

Midfield role so there's so many roles

and combinations that work here in the

end it's up to you to decide on your

player role for your fullbacks and Wing

backs based on what you want to do

further up the field just as an example

the shape that you see right here on the

field which I have arrived at just by

clicking stuff is actually a

325 where you have your Winger up here

you have your misala working into the

half space you have a boxto boox well he

does have Ram so he might get into the

half space you have this guy up here and

you have this one in the middle so

that's your attacking five already you

have your inverted Wing back coming

inside to join the Midfield which will

push the uh defensive midfielder a bit

to the side there forming a double pivot

and then you have your inverted fullback

who will join the three Central

Defenders as another Central Defender

making a flat three at the back so I

have actually randomly stumbled upon pep

guardiola's tactic just by clicking

stuff to show you what fullbacks do is

this how pep quola came up with his

tactics let me know in the comments

below cheers