janssm

I'm currently playing as Reading in my 3rd season, and right from the beginning my defense has been leaking heavily.

I feel like I've tried practically everything written on these forums, yet I seem to always let in 2-3 goals per game, which puts an enormous pressure on my attack to score lots of goals. Naturally I've not been too successful because success is nearly always built on a solid defense.

I was hoping someone could point out things I am doing wrong.

My squad looks a bit like this:

GK: Hahnemann
DR: Drouin, Szetela (retrained)
DL: Andujar, Armand Traore
DC's: Mokoena, Hector Moreno, Araujo, Gunnarsson
MFs: Fabian Vargas, Gamst Pedersen, Dicã, Gavilan, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Chris Cohen, Szetela, Federico, Golbourne, Kolehmainen
FC's: Claudio Pizarro, Cieluch, Vestergaard, Dicã, Federico, Doyle

I usually line them up like this:

----------Hahnemann----------
-----------------------------
Drouin-Moreno-Mokoena-Andujar
-----------Vargas------------ (Sometimes Araujo)
Gavilan-----Dica--------Gamst
-----------------------------
------Cieluch-Pizarro--------

Now, these are mostly players who have played together for 1, 2 and even 3 years now, apart from Pizarro and Gamst. My attack is very free scoring, and the last 2 seasons I've rivaled the best for goals scored in the EPL even before the arrival of Pizarro, yet I usually end my season something like 14th because of my defense.

These are my instructions atm, willing to listen to any suggestion to improve my defense.

Team instructions:

Team mentality: 10
Passing style: 6 (sometimes direct away, but then again scoring isn't my problem)
Tempo: depends on opposition, usually 7 or 14.
Width 8-12
Time wasting: mirrored to be the opposite of width
Defensive line: 6-10 depending on opposition
Counter attack ticked

GK

Mentality: 8
Creative F: 1
Passing: 6
Closing down: 4
FWR: rarely
RWB: rarely
TTB: rarely
Crossing: rarely

DR/L

Mentality: 8
Creative F: 1
Passing: 14 (to try and exploit the channels)
Closing down: 13
FWR: rarely
RWB: rarely
TTB: rarely
Crossing: mixed (from deep)

DC's

Mentality: 6
Creative F: 1
Passing: 1 (they seem to lay it off to the DM better then, and I never get goals against from giveaways)
Closing down: 7
FWR: rarely
RWB: rarely
TTB: rarely
Crossing: rarely

DMC

Mentality: 8
Creative F: 1
Passing: Team (6)
Closing down: 15
FWR: rarely
RWB: rarely
TTB: rarely
Crossing: rarely
Tight Marking

MR/L

Mentality: 12
Creative F: 10
Passing: Team(6) for the right one, 3 for Gamst on the left
Closing down: 14
FWR: mixed
RWB: often
TTB: mixed
Crossing: often (aim for target man)
Man marking so they track back and pick up wingers

MC

Mentality: 12
Creative F: 15
Passing: Team(6)
Closing down: 8
FWR: often (mixed away)
RWB: mixed
TTB: often
Crossing: rarely

FC

Mentality: 14
Creative F: 14
Passing: 6
Closing down: 15
FWR: mixed
RWB: often
TTB: mixed
Crossing: often (byline, aim for target man)

ST

Mentality: 16
Creative F: 14
Passing: 4
Closing down: 15
FWR: mixed
RWB: mixed
TTB: mixed
Crossing: mixed (byline)

I feel like setting up marking and closing down right could be the key, especially for my DC/DMC triangle at the back. So far I've experimented with tight marking on the full backs, tight marking on the DC's, tight marking on all of em, loose man marking, everything basically, but I don't seem to be having much success. Any suggestions?

I just feel really clueless, like nothing I do tightens up my defense. Hopefully someone will find some sort of fault in my defense and point them out to me.

Acmilangy

hi.. i use the bars rather than numbers and i also have 3 Mc and a DMC rather than ML Mc MR & DMC. i too have a similar situatio with regards to leeking goals. i put it down to my amazing 2006 version not working on the new game (previously got Hartlepool to the PRem in straight seasons)- im working on the disk i bought with no patchs. this could be our problem.

I am playing with Liverpool so the defense should be reasonable. i have also been knocked out of Champions league and Euro cup... even though i battered all the teams.... its is confusing!

Have you tried bringing one of the FCs arrows down a bit... i do this against the top team and have been doingwell.
ive only played for 12hrs on this version so any help is required.... thanks

janssm

Bars and numbers are basically the same thing...the number is just text language for where you put the bar.

and also - what do you mean bringing the FC arrow down a bit? Like putting a backwards arrow on one of the forwards? Can't really see how that would stop me leaking goals at the back

Acmilangy

Yes if you bring the strickers arrow down a bit (on the bigger/stronger/slower of the two)it means your midfields keeps the ball a bit better so the opossition doesnt have the ball as much. As we know if they dont have the ball they cant score :-) ( I only use this against the big teams or to secure a lead)

I also tried changeing a few things last night... i changed my tacking to normal and there was no silly freekicks that conceeded goals... i went on a 14match unbeaten run.

In the first season i ended up second (on the last game) with liverpool, runners up to arsenal. i think the tackling made the biggest difference.