How are you organising your defence?

[Sonic]

More specifically - what instructions are you giving your fullbacks? It doesn't seem to matter what I try, the wide areas are where my defence is being exploited time and time again. The only time I lose a goal through the middle is when one of my centre halves dithers on the ball too long and gets it taken off him, but even if I'm marking opposition wingers, my fullbacks always either seem to get dragged inside, get caught too far forward, or let players in behind them.

Any advice? :sorry:

Edit to say that I actually have relatively strong fullbacks, they don't have poor defensive stats and are relatively fast.

[MartinSAFC]

On the tactics creator thingy, I have them as "Support Full Backs".

Then I have moved them further to the right on the "Closing Down" slider than on previous games. Also, I have put them on Hard tackling.

I think it helps if you play with a quite defensive minded MC (or even a DMC) and that negates the need for them to get dragged inside.

Even with doing this, it doesn't appear to be working very well. I am seriously thinking of playing with three central defenders.

[diljeet]

I noticed my fullbacks they go to close the opp player, then they back off, then close again & by the time they do that they have giving them room to cross.

[DonHutchison]

Anyone notice fullbacks being completely incompetent with the ball? I let my keeper throw the ball the fullbacks so I can build an attack from there, but no matter how good my fullback is, they can't seem to control the ball and it looks the just run into it and let bounce 20yards or so before running to it, which has cost me a dozen goals or so already.

[Leroy1500]

My Ipswich defence is Epic...ly bad. I thought signing Glauber would strenghten an already decent lineup, wtih Rosenior, Bruce and Delaney. They have conceded 43 goals in 24 league games, which is shameful. Good job my strikers have been saving me really. Some ridiculous results, 3-3 or 4-4 is pretty regular in my season. I'm not playing attacking either, just a flat 4-4-2 with balance mentality! What the hell is happening

EDIT: Holy lord, no clean sheet for 23 games, then 2 come along at once, followed by only conceding 1 to WBA. I have changed nothing aswell.

[bazaul]

I've found that since changing my 2 centre backs = 1 def cover + 1 def blocker and the 2 fellas are getting over 7.1 average (not bad). I use Rivas (blocker) & Mikel Gonzalez (Cover) and they have only conceeded 2 goals in 6 games (won 5 lost 1). Before that I was leaking plenty.

The one operating as Cover needs to be a bit more of a creative ball player, Blocker is just a rock (ala Ferdinand & Vidic at Man U I guess)

[caifanht]

For me, full-backs are set to high closing down, same or one-click more mentality comparing to centre-backs, tight marking on, zonal marking on.

[diljeet]

I tend to use tight zonal too.

Also my fullbacks make no runs, but the have go forward on the PPM skill.

Also play offside.

[Millie]

If you're getting hit down the flanks all the time: anyone tried the simple thing of using the "play wider" shout and Opposition Instructions on the opposition wingers? That would be my first attempt before anything more complicated.

[caifanht]

To me, the best way to defend attacks from the flanks is not to play wider but play narrower. All of your four backs will defend inside of box (deep defense line + narrow formation) marking attackers, and closing down job is done by midfielders. You need decent tall defenders with decent positioning though.

[CheeseElemental]

Try man marking, tight marking off. My fullbacks are doing decently set up with a flat back four and a defensive midfielder on support.

[Bolle]

These are the settings for my fullbacks:
http://i33.tinypic.com/1pjmoi.jpg

They do what they're expected to, putting pressure on wide players and blocking most crosses.

My CB's are set to "Cover" with loose marking and "Stopper" tightly marking respectively, both zonal marking. The idea is for the stopper to stick close to the final man/receiver of the ball dealying his run while the cover snaps up the ball. Been working wonders so far, far better compared to both CB's on "Defend".

[coolcup69]

I also used to have my full backs on high closing down and tight marking, but I found that most wingers tore them to shreds. I then watched a few games IRL and most full backs do not charge up at a winger to try and win the ball, they keep a gap between themselves and the winger and keep backing away until they absolutely have to make a challenge. The aim is to not let the winger get behind them to drill a cross in and hope that they end up making a mistake due to the good positioning of the fullback (ie don't let them cut in and don't let them hit the byline without being able to block a cross).

I tried this on FM by toning down my closing down, not having them on tight marking, keeping man marking on (although this is prob not necessary) and if the opposition wingers aren't world class style / two footed asking them to pressure the wingers onto their weaker foot. This seems to have worked a lot better and my fullbacks seem to play more like in real life, causing crosses to be blocked or wingers to track back and play the ball back to central midfield.

My two cents anyways!

[mc7386]

I then watched a few games IRL and most full backs do not charge up at a winger to try and win the ball, they keep a gap between themselves and the winger and keep backing away until they absolutely have to make a challenge. The aim is to not let the winger get behind them to drill a cross in and hope that they end up making a mistake due to the good positioning of the fullback (ie don't let them cut in and don't let them hit the byline without being able to block a cross).


Agree with u on that one. All you need your fullback to do is preventing crosses into the box and not having opposite winger getting past you (which then they can outnumber your defense). What I would do is set my my fullback on normal close down (or lower) to prevent the winger getting past me and showing him onto weaker foot to prevent him using his stronger foot to make a dangerous cross into the box. You can also use tight marking if your fullback are relatively stronger than the opposite winger.

I always think people are setting their close down for their defense a little too high. You don't necessary need to close down to win the ball back. Limiting the opposition's options is just as effective. Let them give the ball back to you. Quick and skillful wingers can get past your fullbacks easy if your close down is set too high.

My opinion

[BluLion]

i play man city.my backline is rafinha-toure-nesta-bridge.both fullbacks set on man mark ,not tight.nesta is set as stopper ,zonal,tight and toure is set as cover,zonal,loose.after 12 games i am 2nd in the league with 9 wins, 2 draws,1 defeat.

[Dr Barry]

I use support fullbacks with mixed forward runs and cross from byline, to make them offer more up front, I find mixed runs tends to mean one or other goes.

I've not really noticed myself being exploited on the flanks although I do have Milner as a defensive winger, which helps tighten things up.

On the last one I used to have fullbacks man mark for this reason, perhaps you should try it.

[Meoconcarne]

FBs are set to mixed on all instructions. Wide play is set to hug touchline. Zonal marking, NOT tight marking. Cross from deep. Mentality is set two notches above CBs. I set the passing to short (just before it switches to mixed) because I dont want them to cross the ball, but pass to the CM or CB.

I always set my defensive line to about two notches under normal.

[Cirdan]

From what I understand of reall football, closing down is used primarily on less technically skilled players to deny them the freedom they need to feed good passes to team-mates and pressure them into giving away possession, but against great players it should be avoided because the likes of Messi will then have an easier time dribbling past your defender. Remember that the fundamental idea behind dribbling is to feint a move and then reverse it rapidly to catch the defender off-balance and run past him; if the defender closes in, once fooled into launching into a challenge he won't have the space to recover his footing and block the attacker, which is why he should maintain space between himself and dribblers.

So, closing down should be more a factor of the opposition and your players' attributes than a general rule, IMO. If we try to translate real tactics to FM, then general closing down should be used when you intend to dominate a less technically skilled side, while a more conservative and deep defence should be used against skilled and creative sides. Individual instructions should also be used extensively; I'm not sure what all the FM attributes do exactly, but I figure players with high strength, aggressivity, anticipation and determination will be more effective at closing down on the opposition, while players with high dribbling, technical, style, creativity (still not really sure on the difference between these two?), and maybe determination will be better at getting past a closing down defender.

[Mazuuurk]

You're pretty much spot on, yeah. However to close other players down strenght isn't really important. Pace, Acceleration, Anticipation and to an extent Positioning are more important.

[Forza Hellas]

At the moment I am having most success using zonal marking for my teams. It is important however to get the settings right within the framework of your tactic. If you use zonal marking then closing down and creative freedom have to be kept around the 7-8 mark to stop your players leaving their zones and creating big gaps for the oppostion to exploit.

Man marking makes it too easy for the opposition to exploit weak points in your defence and I tend to get overloaded on the flanks using man to man.

I am actually considering writing a guide to the defensive side of tactics since the majority of those I have reviewed seem to be struggling with that side of things.

If there is any interest I will get to work on the guide.

[Plastic Manc]

At the moment I am having most success using zonal marking for my teams. It is important however to get the settings right within the framework of your tactic. If you use zonal marking then closing down and creative freedom have to be kept around the 7-8 mark to stop your players leaving their zones and creating big gaps for the oppostion to exploit.

Man marking makes it too easy for the opposition to exploit weak points in your defence and I tend to get overloaded on the flanks using man to man.

I am actually considering writing a guide to the defensive side of tactics since the majority of those I have reviewed seem to be struggling with that side of things.

If there is any interest I will get to work on the guide.

I'd imagine that there will be a great demand for this. I've tried a number of methods to sure up my sides defence but little has worked.

The best so far for me has been playing rigid with a back 4 closing down and going man to man.

[Mazuuurk]

I think a general major fault in the tactics creator is that when you play attackingly and fluidly it gives even the players with purely defensive roles way too much creative freedom.

[Forza Hellas]

I agree 100% that's why I would always advise people using the TC to tweak their tactic to make sure it is not completely unbalanced.

[Nick]

If there is any interest I will get to work on the guide.

I'd be very interested in hearing what you have to say, Forza. My defences are like swiss cheese.

[Mazuuurk]

The Closing Down of the fullbacks and to an extent also central defenders is still doing my head in.

Do you have any tips for that Forza, Guido?

I play short, attacking, fluid. I've reduced the creative freedom given to defenders quite a lot though, and the closing down the TC gave to my fullbacks was somewhere around 18 which seemed way too much.

I've reduced that to something like 8 which now instead means they stand off opposing wingers so much they often get crosses in around them anyway. I'll have the rare intercepted cross but not often enough.

[Coyote of the Sea]

wanting to straighten out my usual problem i run into: Setting up my defense to not be idiots. So just wondering if since the last post anyone has some tips? particularly zonal marking. in my current team we use zonal with low closing down and low freedom but they still are getting beat like crazy.

Also, i love having a straight back 4 line with everyone mostly defending (okay if an FB comes forward now and then if the attack his to his side) and zonal. any ideas how to make it work?

[Cirdan]

The problem (at least with this FM) is that if closing down is to low the players simply don't defend. I think one or two ticks above the default is what I'd consider to be "low" closing down, with the back four remaining mostly in position and willing to back up to the edge of the area and defend there if they have to. More closing down will result in more challenges higher on the pitch, which is good when you're suffering from long shots or when you want to win the ball rapidly and retain possession, with the caveat that against a good side your defence will come apart more often.

I play with zonal marking (tight marking off) and generally give my centrebacks zero creative freedom (slider all the way left) and matching instructions (although I've known success with a ball-playing cover and limited stopper combination), which seems best against two strikers (since the defence will remain strictly zonal with one man covering the left of centre position and the other the right of centre). Against one striker I man-mark him, which results in a "spare centreback" who can then be given more creative instructions.