retired_heather

I've been giving this a go with my liverpool side in the second season, and haven't done great. my main problem is the defence, it's been leaking goals the whole season. I've conceded 36 goals in 30 games so far.

I can't seem to find the problem either, everything I've tried so far hasn't worked out. I've tried tight marking, or lowering the defensive line, even playing quite narrow with a defensive mentality sees the ball ending up in my own net more than in the oppositions net.

my centrebacks are carragher and agger. I tought they'd be suited enough to play man marking. guess I was wrong. I can't really pinpoint where most goals come from, they seem to be equally often wingbased or balls through the centre.

I'm going to finish the season with it, and then have a look at it in pre-season on how to shape up my defence. any ideas?

retired_blynch

im giving it a go.
will report back with the results.
there is no need for a targetman right?


cheers..

retired_Markpdoody

How have you set thier closing down? My DC's are equal to whatever my defensive line is. Also how low is your defensive line? It might not be low enough against a high tempo opposition, a direct pass attacking opposition, a long ball with fast attackers opposition or a counter attacking opposition. Personally the lowest I'll go is a notch above LOW and I always play that line because I am not a superior team (Cardiff, one day).

:cool:

retired_heather

well yes, I've tried all that before, and it just doesn't seem to click with my team. I can't keep a clean sheet, no matter what. teams come at me both home and away, and very often score within the first 5 to 10 minutes.

very odd.

retired_thedizzyangel

Very odd indeed, I have absolutely no idea why it would leak goals when it's been watertight for me in comparison to everything else before it

retired_monica90

Therein lies the problem. If you're consistently conceding goals, it should be clear via the 2D engine why and how the goals are conceded. It often isn't clear at all.

retired_heather

yes that's the problem, I can't seem to figure out where it's going tits up at the back. I've had times when I suspected the centrebacks for not having enough quality. I mean, james beattie dribbled past carragher for both goals he scored away at everton. come on, beattie dribbling carragher? it makes no sense whatsoever.

currently playing my 4th game of the season against sunderland. I'll have a look where the goals came from this season so far after this game.

retired_heather

so, first game of the season against everton. 2-3 away win. came back from 2-1 in the last 70 minutes by going all out attack.

their first goal: goalkeeper with a long kick up the field to the left side of the pitch. my right back misjudges the flight of the ball and their left winger controls it. he hits a cross to the advanced tim cahill who loses his marker (steven gerrard) at the near post and heads it home.

their second goal: horrible positioning from anton ferdinand as he lets anichebe control and fire home from a cahill pass through the middle.

the away game against watford was a 1-1 draw. their goal was a 25 yard direct free kick from a player with a free kick stat of 11, but that's a whole other rant.

lost 0-1 at home to portsmouth. their goal: a lovely through ball diagonally lofted over my defence which finds lua lua who misses, only for giovanni torre to pounce home the rebound. all of my defence just standing there not thinking about how important second balls can be.

there you go.

retired_aohlin

what if you don't have your 2 small quick strikers, martins and owen? If you play a big man small man combination, say martins and ameobi, do you have ameobi holding up the ball etc...

retired_Markpdoody

Have you tried using team defensive mentalities. Opposition instructions? set tight marking to thier strikers. Are they barging your penalty box with the entire center midfield joining the strikers (quick tempo, attacking and midium closing down can tackle this or tick counter attack)? This is because they are going Gung-Ho. I always check which of my DC is facing up to which of thier striker, I'll rotate my faster DC to thier faster SC or my high jumping DC against thier high jumping SC. At time the AI will rotate thier SC make thier combination work and it needs monitoring. What abpout your full-backs. If they are set to join the build up, it would leave the defence vunerable to counter attacks.

:cool: