{"id":23711,"date":"2020-08-26T13:43:37","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T12:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thehighertempopress.com\/?p=23711"},"modified":"2020-10-02T11:21:58","modified_gmt":"2020-10-02T10:21:58","slug":"know-your-role-wide-target-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehighertempopress.com\/2020\/08\/know-your-role-wide-target-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Know Your Role: Wide Target Man"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
One of the most underused but exceptionally effective roles in Football Manager is the Wide Target Man. Perhaps on of the key reasons for its lack of usage is that is hard to find the right player for the position within the game, but this brief guide should give an indication as to which player attributes to look out for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FM description of the role is outlined below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Wide Target Man will be the main outlet for clearances and long balls from the back. Ideally positioned against a smaller and weaker full-back, he will be asked to get hold of the ball and keep it before recycling it to a team mate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This means finding an attacking player who is both big and strong in the air, but is also quick and fit enough to patrol the wing, and is also good enough on the ball to help create moves from a slightly deeper position than the main centre-forward role. It is niche, I grant you, but the right players can be found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first thing to say about the role is that is isn\u2019t necessarily to be used in every game. It would be best deployed against perhaps tougher opposition, in order to find an extra out-ball in the wide areas. As the description says, \u201cIdeally positioned against a smaller and weaker full-back\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t know about you, but all I can think of is Alexander-Arnold, and how this would be the perfect way to sneak a 1-0 win against Liverpool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An example would be Oli McBurnie, shown below. His solid physical attributes, combined with great heading, good dribbling and first touch, makes him the ideal option out wide, that you need to hold possession high up the pitch and drag the rest of the team forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBig Game Plays<\/h3>\n\n\n\n