retired_gwenlyn

At the end of each season I make some small changes to my tactics just to get the most out of my team.

On average over the past 6 seasons, I have scored 80+ goals and conceded around 15-20. I realise this is quite good but I want it to be better, so I've spent some time looking at the cause of the goals I've lost. My full-backs are caught out of position terribly. I have them on the following settings:

- Zonal marking
- Defensive line - deep (6 notches from left)
- Closing down - one notch from left
- Creative freedom - one notch from left
- Mentality (normal as has everyone in the team)
- No forward runs

The problem is that I cannot get my full-backs to contain the wingers. They always seem to close down (even as far up as the half way line). Why do they do this? (I'm hoping it is something simple, but if not, could SI take a look with a view to further tweaks in the engine). I lose 7-10 goals a season because the full-back is out of position and they just pass the ball through them as if they're not there.

Here is an image showing the problem.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Any help would be appreciated.

retired_elpata

When you say this, do you mean from the middle?

It could actually be a player stats problem, have you check what his stats are? And does one of them do it more often that the other.

What about your midfield, do they not track the wingers back? Maybe the fullbacks think they need to compensate for the midfield.

retired_gwenlyn

When you say this, do you mean from the middle?

It could actually be a player stats problem, have you check what his stats are? And does one of them do it more often that the other.

What about your midfield, do they not track the wingers back? Maybe the fullbacks think they need to compensate for the midfield. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Cleon:

When I say "from the left", I mean from the very left (i.e. almost no closing down at all). That's why I am finding it strange.

I am having the 3 central midfielders (I play a 4-5-1 with two wingers at AML and AMR) close down their opposition (3-4 notches from VERY left position).

In other, words, I don't want my full-backs to close down until they get close to the edge of the box (or at the most within 25 yards).

As for the attributes of the player, it could be. I have Criscito playing at left back (I trained him there about 3 seasons back), so he's not a bad players. I checked his attributes and he has:

- 16 for concentration, positioning (although I think this is an attacking attributes ??) and off-the-ball
- His other attributes are reasonable to good
- His decisions are at 18 ****

**** This makes me wonder if he's thinking to himself .. "This manager knows nothing and although he's telling me not to close down, I really think I should".

You are right of course to ask me if this happens at one side more than the other and it does. It happens more with my left back, but I thought this was down to the fact that in La Liga, the best players are the right sided wingers (Messi, Odonkor, Jesus Navas, etc). This may be an incorrect assumption of course.

If I could just work this out, I could get the DMC forward a bit more because at the moment, I need to keep him back because they always get past the full-backs with a cross.

Any other thoughts, although I do take the current ones into account also. Thanks.

retired_elpata

What happens if you lower your fullbacks mentality, from normal to defensive for example? This should help in closing down on the edge of the box. Also whats your d-line? This could be forcing them upfield a bit too high.

The stats don't seem too bad from what you've said. So id go as far as saying its not that (atleast for now anyways).

It could just be down to good players on the right, but id be interested to her what happens if you play a different fullback instead of the one who makes the more mistakes.

As you retrained him, whats his natural position? and what does he have for DL?

You could disregard the above and see if a simple back arrow fixes it. It should at the very least help with crosses going over the top. This was something I felt needed to be done in 07 more than 08, but its worth a try for you.

retired_gwenlyn

Thanks again Cleon:

The mentality does help a little so thanks for that. I've just tried it a couple of times now and it does make a difference (more of a difference than I thought).

I've just worked out the main issue now (I think), but it's strange.

I had the full-backs with forward arrows (I realise I should have told you this) onto the DML and DMR positions. I removed this forward arrow and it now happens much less.

I thought forward arrows had no impact unless my team had the ball !?!

I realise that if my full-backs were in their slightly forward position that they would then be more likely to close down, but I expected them to immediately retreat to their more defensive position when the opposition had the ball. Maybe this is just something I've assumed from playing the previous versions.

p.s. I'm playing a defensive line which is deep - i.e. 4-6 notches from the very left (depending on the opposition)

retired_elpata

They don't, but it means your players are more prone to getting caught out should you loose possession. I.E balls over the top, crosses and through balls.

They should revert back, but hes either got no pace and acceleration. Or he's too advanced when you loose possession and the opposition are using this against you, which seems to be the case.

The arrow coupled with his normal mentality is making him play more aless as another winger.

If you want to keep the arrows put him on defensive and see if it helps. But I avoid forward arrows if possible I hate em especially on wingers they become too advanced. But thats just my personal preference

retired_kellyk

Try this:

Barrow the fullback, set his mentality to defensive and make sure he has no forward runs. Now that will make him a non attacking entity. If you still want him to play an attacking role set his forward runs to mixed