retired_luvIron

Ok.

The situation is...bad.

My nerves are...exploding ATM.

Why? Simple.


I'm playing as Lille, and I'm currently lying on 15th place...my team is, IMO, fairly good. Definitely good enough for top-mid position in the league (Europe Q place)...

http://img160.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lilleko2.jpg

Now...there are a few problems...no, actually, there is many of them.

-----------------------------------------

OFFENSE:
My team is literally INEPT when it comes to scoring...I score 1 goal/game or less, with 2, MAYBE 3 goals being MAXIMUM I ever scored in one game...(recently I scored only one goal against a 2nd league team...they scored 3)

[bashing, whining...]-Important to read!
Now, I agree with you that I myself am inept when it comes to playing this game, or at least when it comes to making tactics and stuff...but I was playing FMs since the year of 2001! (well, CMs in early years)
And, for some reason, with FM2007, and now with this, I have HUGE problems winning ANYTHING with a team that is not considered to be elite!

The worst thing is of course that it takes ALL fun STRAIGHT out of this *bleep*ing game!

My forward are missing EVERYTHING, wingers are NOT making dangerous forward runs with the ball (although I DO have that instruction for them), my Target man doesn't convert ANY cross (if ANY cross even GETS to him!) in scoring chance, there are no decent crosses int he box, my midfield is rubbish at making Through Balls etc.!
[/bashing, whining]

My offensive tactics: I respect a rule of one, or whatever that is, for my mentality and passing...so, that would mean, GK has mentality of i.e. 10, then forwards have mentality of 15...so, every position higher up the pitch gets additional notch on mentality.

Same for passing, except that it's used vice-versa...forwards 5, GK 11.

Slow tempo, narrow, short passing, normal-push up defense line when at home...away, I use a more direct, quicker style, counter attacking style...also depends on scout reports.
Tall Target man in Fauvergue, with supply obviously to head.
Wingers cross from byline, and aim to Target Man.
Personal instructions are default for positions with tweaks.

Result:
- Few very good scoring chances, many times players are OPEN but decide to shoot from a distance (it goes wide obviously)...my opponent likes to do the same...except that they score. (I have mixed Long Shots ONLY on players with long shots attribute higher than 15!)
- Crosses? None. At least not useful...my opponent gets LOADS of 'em, obviously.
- My strikers are rubbish when it comes to finishing scoring chances...and finishing of 15, composure of 13 should be enough to score most of 100% chances!
...



DEFENSE:
Yee, defense is struggling too! Hooray! At first, my defense wasn't bad really...I gave up 1/1,5 goal(s) a game, which I could survive (or, I would if I would SCORE)...
But in my attempt to improve offense, defense got quite worse...and guess what? Offense didn't work either! (as you could read a bit higher up in this post)

[bashing, whining...]
I was playing against Sant-Ettiene (at home)...a team that is known for its good, solid, organized defense...BUT, my team is too! Anyways, they ALWAAAAYS cleared the ball as soon as it got to feet of my forwards...their defensive line was VERY solid, like a WALL. NOTHING could possibly get through!

When I was in domination, and got close to their penalty box, they immediately tightened my players up, gave 'em absolutely NO space, and I lost the ball which they immediately cleared to their forwards. Almost EVERY cross from my wingers (that have, BTW, crossing att. of 16 and 18) ended up being cleared before it could even reach my forwards' legs/head.

My team, however, was sluggish, non-disciplined, and VERY ineffective at preventing opponent from shooting/running with the ball, and at clearing our defensive zone...INEPT!
Meanwhile, their crosses almost easily got to their strikers, and their wingers/strikers were willingly running and dribbling to my goal with hand full of joy! AND, they had scoring chances, ACTUAL scoring chances!

My defenders DID NOT actually CLOSE the gaps/tightly marked opponents/cleared the ball from opponent's legs. Noooonono...they just waited there, with NO lateral movement at all, for opponent to shoot a deadly screamer or run to the goal or pass to an open teammate of his!

And my midfielders WERE actually closing down, but very ineffective, and if instructed to close down less, they were just standing there and waiting until an opposing player gets past them, and THEN the start slowly running after him... (and opponent's player gets in that time through my "defensive" line, too...thank God Sylva can actually make a save or two!)

And St.Ettiene's midfield? Well well, THEY were forming, with their defensive line, and unbreakable wall, tight, no gaps, if any, closed down immediately, and they were constantly clearing the ball and making good tackles and all...and marking as Hell!
[/bashing, whining...]


My defensive tactics: DC's Man marking. My defensive line is deep away and normal-push up at home (depends on opponent's strikers' speed and pace). The rest of the team is set to Zonal marking. My whole defensive line is set to Tight marking, + my DMC(s)...
Closing down: DC's on 5, FBs on 10-13, DMCs on 15-20, Wingers 13-15, AM 15, Strikers 15-20 when playing offensive football, 5-10 when playing defensive football.

Result:
- My defense is getting worse and worse...
- My defense (NOT just defensive line, overall defensive play) is WAY to passive and ineffective and non-mobile.
- No effective clearing of my defensive zone, and few tackles...
- Opponent's (in this case, St.Ettiene's) defensive movement (Defenders+Midfielders) works as a solid group, hard working, and consistent, while my defensive movement consist only of headless running/standing of individuals, not knowing what to do, although I instructed them to mark tightly and close down (but not too much).

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This would be it.

WHY so big difference? The score was indeed only 0-1 for St.Ettienne, but they had fewer but MUCH better chances, my goaltender was brilliant, and I had MILLIONS of mild offensive actions, and maybe 2, 3 serious attempts to shoot on goal. Their players were moving well around the pitch, mine were lost...and so on. Not to mention that my team is better on paper...



What on Earth am I doing wrong? I know I'm not good at making tactics, but for a guy like me, a guy that does not want to spend his whole time behind computer just to figure out the "Secret Formula for Winning", this just SUCKS. What about a refund?! Damn!



Please, DO write in English, and DO NOT ask me what skin I'm using, just go to sortitoutsi and find it.

I AM using patch!