retired_fdsjr5765

In the few friendlies I have played on the FM08 demo I have found that my players are shying away from tackles and leeting the opposition walk past them. I know I am not the only one that has this problem. So, the team I was playing as was Manchester United and I came up to a match versus Barcelona, one of the best teams in the game...

In the first ten minutes the individual skill of Messi, Ronaldinho and Henry tore my team to pieces because my players were letting them walk past them. This was with high closing down! After 10 minutes I found myself 2-0 down and understandibly felt like a change....

So, I tried individual instructions. Firstly i put close down always for Messi, Ronaldinho and Henry. They were playing that 4-3-3/4-5-1/4-1-2-2-1 formation. I noticed a fair difference but the fullbacks were now getting more time on the ball and they were still dominating, this brings me to my next couple of changes.....

I put close down always on Abidal and Zambrotta. This helped but due to the loose zonal standard making setting they were open fro passes before getting closed down, my next change.......

I set man marking instructions, not on the opposition instructions but in my own players individual instructions. I had my fullbacks mark their wingers and my wingers mark their fullbacks. My two central defenders were left on zonal as were the two central midfielders, I was playing 4-4-2. My strikers were left on loose zonal of course......

There was still a problem: Their midfielders still had time on the ball so I put tight specific man marking on them two too! What about their dm you ask? Well, because i had high closing down in the first place one of my central midfielders would usually come out to tackle their dm, leaving his man open. But because they were playing with one striker i had a spare central defender at all times. This kind of countered the effect their extra man in midfield was having. This was the last of my changes, i think!

So to sum up my tactical changes:

I had opps instructions close down always on their st, amr, aml, 2 cm's, dm and full backs.

I had specific man marking on their amr, aml, 2 cm's and fullbacks.

Everybody except my strikers was on tight marking.

I had 15 closing down if that is the first notch of high.

So the match played out as it should have, Barca not really getting anywhere but us not having anything in attack either. Just before half time Barcelona finally got a breakthrough from Iniesta and they went 3-0 up. We created a few chances but due to Saha and Michael Owen being injured I had Fraizer Campbell up front and he squandered a few good opportunities. In the second half we were better and shut up shop, still creating a few chances and Rooney scored on 61 minutes! I was sick of Campbell so brought on an unfit Tevez and after 70 mins of watching the full match i was happy with my team and switched to key highlights for the last 20 mins. Barcelona didnt have a single chance and Tevez scored on 82 minutes. The match finished 3-2 but i really feel that if i had better then Campbell up front that i could have won the match.

In the end it felt like a 2-1 win for me as after i fixed my tactics we scored 2 and they scored 1! Anyway i would like some people to try out parts of this if they would be so kind and let me know what you think. I wouldnt go to such drastic measures but i was playing Barcelona. This isnt guarenteed to work but i think it could be the start of a good target man couter attack tactic i think. Please try and let me know if this was a fluke or what. It was only one match but bear in mind it took about 45 minutes to do!

retired_fdsjr5765

A bit to add:

Having closing down at 15 or 20 did nothing of note, players got close to the opposition but they did not make the tackle.

In opposition instructions setting closse down always in conjunction with high closing down had my players getting clos and making the tackle. The opposition were still in space when they got the ball though.

Having set specific man marking with tight marking meant that the players didnt have space in the first place so the opposition players were forced to either play a quick pass or lose the ball.

There is an obvious lack of attack for your own team using these instructions which is why i think a quick direct type of play with a target man and counter attacking could work well.

retired_kellyk

Not an ideal solution, it shouldn't have to be like that. What we should be seeing is those players told to tightmark from the tactic screen..tm their zones well. Those players told to close down well make sure the passing options are limited.

retired_fdsjr5765

I agree that its not what we should have to do but i havent found any other way to get my players to make tackles yet.

retired_kellyk

I think the default dline is too low..I agree the closing down is hardly ideal..players stand off too much. I pushed up the dline to normal for most of my formations..deep is out of the question as they just invite pressure..the closing down by the fullbacks is another option + tight marking and perhaps a defensive/normal mentality for the dcs to make sure that they use the ball sensibly

retired_fdsjr5765

OK decided to start again and use some new ideas. Its looking much beeter after just one half but we havent got as many goals. Still better IMO though.

Better!

retired_fdsjr5765

Talk about a breakthrough!

Thanks rashidi, I used some of the advice in your last post and the team came up with that performance!

retired_kellyk

The thing to remember about closing down is :

The goal is not to win the first challenge but to make sure there is someone always around to win the second ball. Even if you win the challenge and no one is around its hopeless.

The second thing to remember is that closing down in and around the box is not = tackles. Its blocks, you want as many good blocks first then if need be a tackle...I was thinking along those lines when i was offering you the advice.

The formula appears to be this:

DCs if possible manmark non-specific
FBs close down and tight mark..but do not close down too much. If the FBs CD too much, open spaces to exploit.
You need to play on a normal dline..too dangerous to be deep.
defensive players need to be on tightmarking and neutral mentality so that they will drop...neutral or even defensive.
Most impt...DCs...mentality around defensive/normal.

Seems to make a lot of sense for me...ok now that that's solved time to sleep.
Closing down still needs some small tweaks...it'll be very hard to play a defensive formation...though theoretically it could work...with lowish closing down on wings from the wingers..and a normal mentality with tightmarking. That will allow you to keep your shape on the flanks...

enough think you guys can figure out the rest..

retired_kellyk

what was i saying????? the goal is to win the first challlenge if you can but more importantly to make sure you win the second ball.

retired_thehpsleb

After more and more games my team finally begin to play better..my midfield work as a unit and close down faster. Last game vs Sevilla Gattuso had 10 tackles !