Game Log | PES2021 – 002 | Hole Player vs Creative Playmaker 🎮⚽
Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek, both have the Creative Playmaker playing style now in my Master League season. What a welcome change it has been for my 4-4-2 diamond formation.
Previously, both players had the Hole Player playing style. This meant that once we get the ball on offense, they would try to rush forward to get into an attacking position. This leaves my CMF/DMF with no one to pass to in the center of the field. Without being able to get it to my AMF, I cannot do play-through passes to my CF or SS. But with the Creative Playmaker playing style, they would actually get into a position to receive a pass from my CMF, LMF or RMF. This allows my offense to flow through the middle. And it allows me to use them to make the final through pass that can lead to goals.
This is not to say that having a Hole Player AMF is useless in a 4-4-2 diamond formation. You just have to play a little differently. Meaning you have to anticipate the forward run by your AMF and play the long ball, or play through the wings.
As mentioned above, one possible way to utilize an AMF with the Hole Player playing style, is to rely on your wingers to bring the ball forward and deliver the ball to the center. This is because the Hole Player AMF will be pushing up as far as he could, almost as if he was a striker. If the opposing midfielders don't track his run, a Hole Player AMF will end up splitting the opposing team CBs. They will have to choose whether to mark the strikers, or the surging AMF. So attacking from the wings is a good option with a Hole Player AMF.
The video below shows Bruno Fernandes splitting the defense, allowing Rashford an easy shot at goal. The long ball came from Luke Shaw (not exactly a winger but you get my point) who was playing LB. It does help that Cavani opened up the defense by drawing the defenders to the wing, which opened up the middle of the field for Bruno Fernandes to make his run.
Another option of playing with a Hole Player AMF, is having a player in the SS position with the Creative Playmaker playing style. Having both in the lineup means your SS will actually drop back into a position to collect the ball, negating the problem of your AMF always running forward.
After a few months of play, one thing I noticed with the Creative Playmaker playing style, is that when the ball is right in front of goal, just outside the box, my AMFs would often times just sit out there not trying to attack. Whereas before when they had the Hole Player playing style, they would try to make runs to get into a scoring position. Just something to take into account when building a lineup.