This often happens when you are an average side. The first season you are an unknown quantity, so the AI often has an attacking set up against you. If you are using quite conservative tactics, maybe counter attacking style, you can catch the AI of guard and give plent of teams a good tonking.
2nd and 3rd season rolls around, this time teams know what you are all about. Now because you achieved decent results in your first season, the AI now considers you a good team.
So when you play poor teams, they will play with men behind the ball, very deep, and waste alot of time. This now renders your lovely conservative, counter attacking formation useless when the AI parks the bus infront of the goal.
You need to come up with an alternative tactic to break teams down.
What works for me.
1. High D-Line - The AI is deep, so squeeze up the pitch, i couple this with high mentality aswell.
2. Increase Width - The AI will be playing narrow, with loads of bodies in the way, so trying to get through will be like threading through the eye of a needle (ala Arsenal). Go very wide, and focus play down the flanks. This will strech the opposition. This will allow you to get crosses in, get plenty of corners and free kicks aswell.
Time Wasting - Get it down, the AI will be looking to waste time, you can't afford to. In saying this i still use a slow tempo. Reasoning behind this is keeping possesion and streching the AI (tire them out) and eventually gaps start to appear in their defence.
Be aware - Now remember the AI will be looking to snatch a goal. So if you do take the lead keep an eye on the AI's formation, obviously if they go to a balanced or attacking system, you need to change all the settings pretty sharpish.
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