Explanation of the use of arrows!

[Mosin]

So why bother with blue arrows on defenders? or red arrows on striker they can't go anywhere...

I think it's the other way around:
Red arrow - player stays forward even when the opponent has the ball.
Blue arrow - player stays back even when you have the ball.
No arrow - players moves back and forth depending on possession.

examples:

blue arrow on defenders : they fall back even further the moment team loses ball while giving minimal help to mid.
Pro : Good at stopping longball or/and counter plays, or when having to mark that pacy player who are stacked with stats.
con : Your mid-defense line starts stretching and thins out. You lose possession.
fix : have team on defense so it doesn't stretch in the first place.
extra : but you lose control of the field in some critical areas. DM is a good idea to fill the gap, but can't help team turning into defense mode.


Red arrow on defenders : they go foward with the ball. Your mid gets crowded.
Pro : more players in mid. easier for you to retain possession.
Tradeoff : huge space behind you.
when : if you need to overwhelm their field. short pass, challenge on whole pitch, attacking.
Fix : pacy defenders or offside trap.
extra : go for it if you are sure you can contain them.

Red arrows on AM : turns them into shadow strikers.
Pro : good at breaking offside traps or getting passes from your upfront striker
con : mid starts losing possession.

striker
red : gets upfront and challenges. Whatever you do, you are gonna do it with their defender.
pro : if you can kick a ball, it's a shooter.
con : offside traps are gonna piss you off, everything and their mom is gonna get in the way when pass comes by.
when : if you can contain your opponent and your wings are dominating. Just keep pumping the ball.

NOTE : A lot of my FM experience are mixed in. I'm sure I'm a noob in t11 than most of you guys. Take it with a grain of salt, but if the system IS based on FM, it's how the arrow works.

basically
red = this player is gonna exploit this space/player only if I get the ball.
blue = oh **** backup plan.

edit : just to clarify. every player falls back when you lose the ball, and they go forward when you retain it. There's no 'let's ignore where the ball is going cuz I'm cool like that' move. The arrow determines how you act the moment your team loses/gains the ball, not when the ball comes nearby. A winger with red will be running at their wingback the moment you gain the ball, allowing your DM/CM to try a long ball at him right after interception instead of waiting for him to get into the spot. It gives you option to time your players. Arrows can also sometimes be toxic because your Red AM could have just stuck around and distributed the ball instead of charging to their defense every time you intercept. Again, I really don't know how much of FM engine they incorporated. I'm just saying this based on FM, so take it with a pinch of salt.

[Sxrenity]

examples:

blue arrow on defenders : they fall back even further the moment team loses ball while giving minimal help to mid.
Pro : Good at stopping longball or/and counter plays, or when having to mark that pacy player who are stacked with stats.
con : Your mid-defense line starts stretching and thins out. You lose possession.
fix : have team on defense so it doesn't stretch in the first place.
extra : but you lose control of the field in some critical areas. DM is a good idea to fill the gap, but can't help team turning into defense mode.


Red arrow on defenders : they go foward with the ball. Your mid gets crowded.
Pro : more players in mid. easier for you to retain possession.
Tradeoff : huge space behind you.
when : if you need to overwhelm their field. short pass, challenge on whole pitch, attacking.
Fix : pacy defenders or offside trap.
extra : go for it if you are sure you can contain them.

Red arrows on AM : turns them into shadow strikers.
Pro : good at breaking offside traps or getting passes from your upfront striker
con : mid starts losing possession.

striker
red : gets upfront and challenges. Whatever you do, you are gonna do it with their defender.
pro : if you can kick a ball, it's a shooter.
con : offside traps are gonna piss you off, everything and their mom is gonna get in the way when pass comes by.
when : if you can contain your opponent and your wings are dominating. Just keep pumping the ball.

NOTE : A lot of my FM experience are mixed in. I'm sure I'm a noob in t11 than most of you guys. Take it with a grain of salt, but if the system IS based on FM, it's how the arrow works.

basically
red = this player is gonna exploit this space/player only if I get the ball.
blue = oh **** backup plan.

I really think you're looking too much into it, If you refer to my previous explanation, I assume it just makes the player either move up the field in a more attacking role, or track back in a defensive role, in other words:

Red arrow DMC = Shadow MC
Blue arrow DMC = Shadow DC

Thats my experience over 4 seasons.

All we can do is assume as Nordeus doesn't provide much in the form of a game manual, most of the stuff we know has been determined by experience and trial and error by fellow managers.

[cracicot]

I really think you're looking too much into it, If you refer to my previous explanation, I assume it just makes the player either move up the field in a more attacking role, or track back in a defensive role, in other words:

Red arrow DMC = Shadow MC
Blue arrow DMC = Shadow DC

Thats my experience over 4 seasons.

All we can do is assume as Nordeus doesn't provide much in the form of a game manual, most of the stuff we know has been determined by experience and trial and error by fellow managers.

No, he is not looking too much into it.

The way it was explained to me by a vet was this:

Red arrow: moves forward when YOU have possession.
Blue arrow: moves back when YOUR OPPONENT has possession.

Very simple.

so a DC/DMC playing in 3-1-4-2 with red arrow:

When opponent has possession:

------ST---ST-------
---------------------
-ML---MC--MC----MR-
--------DMC---------
----DC--DC--DC------


When you have possession:

------ST---ST-------
---------------------
-ML-MC-DMC-MC-MR-
---------------------
----DC--DC--DC------

I have also been told that it is not useless to put blue arrows on defenders and red arrows on strikers:

Blue arrows on DC - Apparently you can keep DCs from advancing and getting caught out, but they also wont go out to block the long shots.
Red arrows on ST - Apparently you can keep STs up in the box with a more attacking mentality.

I have been trying putting blue arrows on my left and right DC and leaving my middle DC with no arrows to test this. I consistently have the best GA in almost every season that there are no token buyers in my league.

Otherwise, it is useless to put red arrows on STs and blue arrows on DC.

ALSO, I heard that you put blue arrows on your defenders to keep them from running all the way up and accepting passes from your attackers. Most of the time, its a pass to an open player and its your DC who facking misses! I cant confirm this but I know there is a thread on this and someone knows for sure.

[Razz]

No, he is not looking too much into it.

The way it was explained to me by a vet was this:

Red arrow: moves forward when YOU have possession.
Blue arrow: moves back when YOUR OPPONENT has possession.

Very simple.

so a DC/DMC playing in 3-1-4-2 with red arrow:

When opponent has possession:

------ST---ST-------
---------------------
-ML---MC--MC----MR-
--------DMC---------
----DC--DC--DC------


When you have possession:

------ST---ST-------
---------------------
-ML-MC-DMC-MC-MR-
---------------------
----DC--DC--DC------

Based on my experience and observation the actually effect seems to be to move the player HALF a block.
So red arrows on a DMC would be Visually thus:
x M x M x TO x M x M x
- - - - - ....... - - D - -
x x D x x ..... x x x x x

I have also been told that it is not useless to put blue arrows on defenders and red arrows on strikers:

Blue arrows on DC - Apparently you can keep DCs from advancing and getting caught out, but they also wont go out to block the long shots.
Red arrows on ST - Apparently you can keep STs up in the box with a more attacking mentality.

I have been trying putting blue arrows on my left and right DC and leaving my middle DC with no arrows to test this. I consistently have the best GA in almost every season that there are no token buyers in my league.

I agree. I use blue arrows on my left and right DC as well, and it seems to be very effective at stopping flank attacks from AMR/AML. And it certainly reduces (but does not eliminate) the number of times that they end up far forward on attack.

I've never really tried using red arrows on strikers

[

[cracicot]

Based on my experience and observation the actually effect seems to be to move the player HALF a block.
[

I am only repeating what the developers themselves intended for the arrows to work. your experience and observations seem to be a bit skewed from what the devs say and intend. Who am I going to believe...you or the devs?

[Razz]

I am only repeating what the developers themselves intended for the arrows to work. your experience and observations seem to be a bit skewed from what the devs say and intend. Who am I going to believe...you or the devs?

Maybe they are. The only statement I've seen from nordeus is that an AML with red arrows is equivalent to the winger position someone had asked about. Of course, it's quite possible i've missed further official information. Do you happen to have a link?

[cracicot]

Maybe they are. The only statement I've seen from nordeus is that an AML with red arrows is equivalent to the winger position someone had asked about. Of course, it's quite possible i've missed further official information. Do you happen to have a link?

Ask the Devs

Here are the ones in question:

Can we have wing positions, would be ahead of AMR and AML to each side of the strikers?

There are multiple ways to define roles in football, and the current one is the one we chose. AMR and AML with arrows set to forward would be the wing positions you are asking for

**** So based on this statement of the devs, you would use red arrows to have ANY player act as the position ahead of them, and blue arrows to have a player act as the position behind them. The question is when: when you have possession or not.

I’d like to know why it is an illegal formation to have only 2 defenders. I want to play the old style formation of: Left and Right back, Left, Centre & Right half-backs, Inside Right & Left, and Left & Right Wing supporting Centre Forward. Virtually all teams used to play this way until the 1970′s. Why should I be at a disadvantage because I like this formation.

You can either have DL and DR or centre DC to move forward (by using arrows), and let them organize the game as such. It’s very uncommon for wings now to organize matches, so it is usually done by DMC.

**** They still dont give a 100% answer but this should be enough to confirm what I have been saying.

[itayfranko]

edit : just to clarify. every player falls back when you lose the ball, and they go forward when you retain it. There's no 'let's ignore where the ball is going cuz I'm cool like that' move. The arrow determines how you act the moment your team loses/gains the ball, not when the ball comes nearby. A winger with red will be running at their wingback the moment you gain the ball, allowing your DM/CM to try a long ball at him right after interception instead of waiting for him to get into the spot. It gives you option to time your players. Arrows can also sometimes be toxic because your Red AM could have just stuck around and distributed the ball instead of charging to their defense every time you intercept. Again, I really don't know how much of FM engine they incorporated. I'm just saying this based on FM, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Sure there is... if you're leading and want to play safe, you tell your defenders to stay back no matter what,
and if you play counter attack, you tell your striker to keep forward and not help with defense.

Also, this games is just mimicking FM, and in no way anyway nearly as sophisticated as you make it...