Need Help...

@kendogg89

Couldn't agree more.

The long ball / crossing mechanics are extreamly overpowered and is beyond irritating to play against.

The amount and frequency of long ball passes that would be next to impossible to pull off is insane, and appear to be extreamly easy to pull of if you equip your pro with the right set up.
Players shouldn't be able to hit perfect passes 120 yards while facing the wrong way, only for the ball to land between 2 defenders, perfectly on the strikers toe, over and over again, many times a game - if ever.

Defenders will often totally switch off on crosses, run the wrong way, away from who they're are marking, or barely even jump to try and head the ball, just so the attacker will score a header.

The fact that Ai goal keepers are generally awful at shot stopping  doesn't help either.

For me, it fundamentally comes down to the whole pass & "lock on" effect receiving players have. The game is so 'on the rails' you can almost press any direction as the receiver, and your Pro will still go the direction needed to be perfectly in position.
It's especially noticable with long balls and crosses/headers.

That effect either needs to be toned way, way down, or totally removed. Perhaps then we see less of the impossible passes turning into perfect homing missiles.

Long balls and crossing should still be a viable option, but it's should be far less successful and far more difficult to do.

It feels like a mechanic that is fitting for a mobile game, not console & PC.

I play with manual passing as I like being able to have control, and have always felt that gave me an advantage. However this is the first year I feel at a disadvantage as the long balls these teams are doing are absolutely impossible to do if you actually have to control any aspect of it.

Long balls in really life are a skill , and even the very best in the world at them do not hit the receivers toe within an inch 100% all the time. virtual pros, no matter what abilities they assign, should be able to do that either. Assigning abilities in the menus is not skill, nor is pressing a vague direction and 1 button combo.

As a suggestion - perhaps EA should make the different divisions have different restrictions for assists, "lock on mechanics" and other things that make the game super casual / arcade / mobile -like.

Have things be easy in the bottom division or two, and then gradually get harder, so players have to improve their abilities to move up the leagues. I'm not suggesting the top leagues are full manual - but they should be devoid of any automation.

Anyhow, rant over - but yes, the whole long ball and crossing/headers thing needs to be addressed.

It really needs to be toned down.