Luketi

I have attached a .pkm file where is more than clear that the defensive line is USELESS. I am managing Atletico Madrid and faced Chelsea at Stanford Brigde. My team mentality is ULTRADEFENSIVE, my defensive line is set to 0, no forward runs for the back four, Normal to low closing down for defenders.
Please, take a few minutes to observe the first and third goal of Shevchenko. My defensive line is stood at the half of the pitch, and then both through balls from Chelsea end in perfect counter-attacks and of course....goals for Chelsea. So, if I am playing and ultradefensive approach, with a 0 defensive line, how on earth would I suffer from a long through ball???? How on earth my defensive is so far from my own box with such set of instructions? It is totally annoying.....

prince_capri

Where is the pkm?

Luketi

The .pkm is on FM downloads.

http://www.fmdownloads.net/index.php?


Chelsea v Atlético.pkm

Leroy1883

Had a look at the match, here is what I thought.

Formation
With you playing 4-4-2 and Chelski playing their 4-1-2-2-1 you will have had problems keeping possession in midfield. I am assuming that this wasn't a test and you intended to hold your advantage from the home leg. I would have played 4-5-1 or similar formation. This would have allowed you to compete numerically in the midfield and not give the likes of Essen the room he had to put in the quality through balls.

Width
Did you narrow the width significantly? I know that you were not playing wide from viewing the match but it looked like a normal with to me. I you want to play ultra defensive football you need to play very narrow to increase to chances of interceptions and also to decrease the distance your defenders will need to run to reach the runner.

Marking System
This was a cardinal sin here. You were allowing Cheski to come at you and still playing with a zonal marking system. Shevchenko enjoyed his hatrick because you did not man mark him. I would have recommended the whole team be on man marking, except your lone striker in a 4-5-1. It was worse because as you said you were closing down rarely with your DC's, but neither knew which of them should have been picking Shevcheko up. This is always a problem when the number of DC's is not equal to the FC's.

Conclusion
Even if you had done the above, it would not have guaranteed success. Chelski are a formidable opponent in this game. Also I would never recommend trying to hold onto a 1-0 advantage for 90 mins. Try to implement some form of counter-attacking. If Chelsea score first then you would have a problem, but if you could stifle them, the longer the match went on the more likely they would expose themselves at the back. If you scored first then rinse and repeat.

Hope this give you food for thought.

IV

It should also be noted that the defensive line-setting only kicks in after your team loses possession. Unfortunately, this also means that no matter what you tell your defenders they will push up when you get a goal kick or when the opposing team also plays with a low d-line.

Also, doesn't width only kick in when your team is already in possession? With an ultra-defensive team you're probably looking at trying to hoof the ball upfield, so wouldn't a narrow formation would work against that?

Leroy1883

The main aim of playing narrow is to deny the opposition space through the middle of the pitch. Specifically this relates to through-balls.

If you choose to play direct then yes, by playing narrower you may cause you wingers to be closer and so not a suitible choice for your players to make a direct pass, this is okay as they will pick out your forwards, which is what you probably want.

Your wingmen should be more defensively orientated anyway in this scenario as you are trying not to conceed.

Yes, D-line kicks in when you loose the ball, in the Chelsea vs Athletico game you could see that when Athletico lost the ball in midfield, the defenders started to move back, but as Chelsea were playing with such a quick tempo, when Essien got the ball he played the thoughball straight away to Shevchenko. If the defence was playing narrower or if a DMC was used this type of threat would be reduced. Also as I pointed out above if Athletico were man marking then the defender making Shevcheko could have challenged him for the ball.

Luketi

Leroy:

Thanks for taking the time to watch the .pkm. You have pointed out some very interesting observations. Though, my problem is not the result itself as well as my performance: I`m stating that there is no way in this game to avoid the fact that the defensive line will push up, even when I set the slider to 0. Bearing in mind that the other team has Shevchenko, which pace and acceleration are 18, the defensive line stands in line and in half of the pitch at goal kicks and when my team has the ball upfield. What I`m trying to implement is this: I want my back four and midfield to stay deep at any circumstances, and only my strikers and maybe one more player joining the attack. Is it possible? I have serious doubt.

Luketi

Ok, this is getting annoying:

New .pkm: .Pkm

89 minute: my team is qualifying for the ECL final at Stanford Bridge. Again, ultra-defensive and 0 defensive line, but with some changes: 4-5-1 formation.
I have my back four and DMC set to "stay back" in free kicks, also low creative freedom.
As I pointed above, there was 1 minute left for the miracle: a 0-0 at Stanford Brigde. But then... the same story...over and over. The game decides that is not fair to loose. I have a free kick in 89 minute. Incredibly, given the circumstances, my whole team "decides" to go forward, except for two DCs. My fullbacks standing near Chelsea`s box. My DMC in the penalty area (???), why I mean, WHY??? And, of course, this situation led to perfect Chelsea`s counter attack, an amazing run by Essien (superb long range goal included) and the 1-0 plus extra-time.

Ok, some people says that they expect constructive critics: this is certainly one, with proof included. Why the heck the players override their instructions in such ridiculous way? This is an old story in FM... so I waiting for thoughts. Thanks.

Luketi

The pkm in question is "Chelsea vs Atletico2"
(Chelsea vs Atletico part2)

Miguel Damas

Despite there are people saying this is by far the best game in cm\fm saga i said it´s the worst. Because the most important the game , is full of errors and the AI always cheats with annoying plays. Players giving the ball away like juveniles in some of ridiculous fashions occur all the time.
Is useless i love this game but i have to realize is time to give up the game because is giving me the nerves! Things like that Chelsea-Atleti happens all the time in the game. Like the nr of times your full back put the ball back in the gk in a goalkick making the gk to kick the ball to someone of the oposition in the midfield......the nr of abnormal things in this game is freak. And i never saw a team having 5-6-7 different tactics in a season.......I don´t want to change all games. If you have a good team i want to make minnor changes and that´s impossible.