retired_aepressler

id rather use both (close down hard and tackle hard) as etoo, messi, rooney, ronaldo and henry to have a quiet game against me. However, i still lose though. The best match rating these players ever had was 6.

retired_jfarleymeade1

The only time I drew Barca in the Champions League Eto'o was injured for the first leg and not fit for the second. But I've handled Henry (except when they've played him as a AML in a 433 and he cut me to shreds...)

I play a back four a normal line with barrows on the centre backs. CDs pressing is highes rarely or lowest mixed. I hate close marking and a high defensive line...nothing pains me more then seeing a striker get past my defenders and in on goal...I always play positional defensive. This seems especially important against a player as fast as Eto'o. I use a DMC on a defensive mentality with hard tackling and high closing down. FBs hard tackling and mixed closing down (should have backed it down a bit when Henry was on the wing!)
The key with Arsenal is Fabregas, man mark him with a quality midfielder and they can't get anything going. I'm guessing it is the same with Villareal and Riquelme.
I would think Barca is more problamatic, Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Deco, Iniesta and whoever else they buy. It is much easier to shut down a team that uses a playmaker in the middle.

retired_tparker1

Yeah, I like Fabregas too. I believe this guy is underated in FM2007 comparing to Eto'o's states.

And for Barca who have numbers of dribblers, playmakers, goalscorers and wingers, it's almost imposibble to defend. Anyway, I think I can live with being owned by them--reality in real life!