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I'm having a lot of troubles defensively in managing my teams, regardless of who they are. For some inexplicable reason my team is always completely inept at defneding crosses. 90% of all the goals we concede are from crosses or set pieces, and 99% of the goals we concede include goal kicks which are immediately headed back from the opponent and it catches my team completely out of formation and leaves a direct path to the goal.
To defend against crosses I've tried various methods mentioned on this board that were supposed to help defensively. I have my fullbacks rarely making forward runs, and barrowed them to keep them in position, and tried a variety of defneding options from tight marking to man marking, different mentalitities and closing down from 5 to 15. Nothing seems to stop opponents wingers raining crosses down on us. On the other end, I seem to have no problem getting a man, sometimes two or more on the receiving player, yet he somehow always wins the ball. I've had sheffield utd strikers winning 90% of incoming crosses against defenders like john terry.
If I cant stop the crosses flying in, how can I improve my chances of defending the incoming ball?
Also with regards to the goals conceded because of goal kicks, what do you recommend I do with that? Are there any passing options that work to get the goalkeeper to play shorter/safer passes?
Maybe consider putting your GK to somewhat short passing and distribution - Defender collect. Quick Throw if he has good throwing. Even consider using a target man with good jumping if your GK has good kicking.
As for defending crosses, try having your wingers man mark, and possibly play a bit wider? Tbh I don't get many crosses against, but my defenders and goalkeeper tend to make a horrible meal worthy of Jens Lehmann of the ones I do get against me. This is especially long crosses to the far post from their fullbacks for some reason.
i had the same problem pyrow, but i fixed it by always putting the opposition wingers on tight marking at the begining of every game. it helps if you have Full backs who have very good marking.
I play zonal so the opp. wingers r always tightly marked and it limits how many crosses come in. I have conceded half the goals i did last season once applying this tactic (from 41 goals conceded to 18 with 5 games left this season).
Defensive Woes 
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