21 replies to this topic

[jones.]

Hey guys.

I was wondering if someone would be able to help me.



I'm Liverpool and I'm in white.

Basically, this keeps happening a lot, My left centre back keeps dropping deeper, thus playing everyone onside. How can I fix it?

[dankrzyz]

How deep is your Defensive Line set to? Is he set to tight marking?

[CFCJames]

Put his mentality higher.

[jones.]

set as high defensive line and as far as I'm aware he isn't. Playing default marking as well.

Cheers James, I'll try that.

[Game]

Two things:

1. Check that his Mental stats aren't the problem. If he's got shite Concentration and Positioning, then there's your problem.
2. He might be playing as a covering defender, but if he's not, put him as a Stopper and have him do the closing down (thus keeping him from dropping deep).

[Game]

Also, are you actually playing the offside trap? In that screenie he looks like he's marking the threat well. If he's a slow player, being in that position allows him to make the ground up on the United number 9 when he receives the ball.

[Game]

Sorry for the triple post. Yeah, I'd say in that instance the number 5 is the problem. He's on the wrong side of their number 10. With 23 being deeper, 5 should drop to make sure his man is marked, he's not done that, instead he's opted to try and execute the offside trap. The other guy (23) is in a position where he'll not be outpaced by United's number 9 should 9 get the ball and run at him.

Post the defenders' attributes up and their positions/roles.

[Sheriff Skacel]

It could just be him getting used to your tactics, but it could also be him trying compensate for a lack of defensive cover from your FBs and Midfield.

When I play really attacking formations sometimes my CBs will take it upon themselves to try and play CB and FB at the same time, so they get dragged all over the place and end up miles apart. That could be whats happening here.

[Game]

Sheriff Skacel, on 18 August 2011 - 10:24 PM, said:

It could just be him getting used to your tactics, but it could also be him trying compensate for a lack of defensive cover from your FBs and Midfield.

When I play really attacking formations sometimes my CBs will take it upon themselves to try and play CB and FB at the same time, so they get dragged all over the place and end up miles apart. That could be whats happening here.

You talking about 5?

Looking at the screenie, 23 is in the right position. If 23 goes in line with 5, then 9 can get on the end of a diagonal ball over the top and be through on goal. 5 looks like he's abandoning 10 (might actually be 11, can't tell very well) in order to anticipate a pass from the man with the ball to 24. It's hard to tell with one screenshot, but if 4 was marking 24 properly then I don't know if 5 would abandon his man to close that gap.

We need more screens really. A video would be much more useful as well, but if you can't be arsed you should look at how players 4 and 5 are handing their marking duties. I think that's the issue, not 23.

[Sheriff Skacel]

THESE NUMBERS CONFUSE ME.

I think TG should copy the image, put it in paint and label it with his thoughts, because he's confused me to fuck. A lack of sleep is probably doing my understanding of his post no good mind.

[CFCJames]

Id imagine the cbs are Agger and Carragher.
So Game is probably correct that Carragher is droping back to make up for his lack of pace to make sure he doesnt get outpaced by 9.

[Game]

Sheriff Skacel, on 18 August 2011 - 10:35 PM, said:

THESE NUMBERS CONFUSE ME.

I think TG should copy the image, put it in paint and label it with his thoughts, because he's confused me to fuck. A lack of sleep is probably doing my understanding of his post no good mind.

[attachment=2370:Screen Shot 2011-08-18 at 23.37.57.png]

[Game]

WHAT THE FUCK?

[Sheriff Skacel]

Trying to make me have an epileptic fit?

[Game]

IT WAS A PIECE OF SHIT SCREENSHOT THAT FUCKED IT ALL UP. SAVED THE PICTURE THIS TIME AND IT WORKED.

[attachment=2372:manutdvliverpooltvview.png]

Basically, 5 is out of position and 4 should be man marking 24 much better. If 4 marked 24 I don't think 5 would step up to anticipate the pass. It's hard to tell with one screenshot, but I'd say 5 is the problem there. He's closing down and leaving his man which can catch the defence out with a ball over the top (where 23 would cover 9, but 9 could play a ball into 10/11 and they're clean through). So for me, 23 is in the right position to stop 9 breaking away, but because 5 is on the wrong side of 10/11, if 9 gets the ball he can play 10/11 in and 23 can't do shit about it.

[Sheriff Skacel]

We definitely need more pictures or a video like you said, we need to see what was happening leading up to that picture and what happened after it.

I agree with your analysis of that picture though, I'm just musing here but maybe its some sort of PPM? Are there even any defensive PPMs?

[Game]

Could be a number of things;

1. 5 might have shit positional attributes.
2. 5 might have a high closing down setting.
3. 5 might be told to mark 24.
4. 24 might have an individual instruction dictating he's closed down at all times.
5. 5 might be set to a Stopper role, which could have him anticipating and closing down that pass since 4 isn't doing shit about it himself.

That one screenie makes it very difficult to tell, but we do at least know that 23 isn't the problem and that 5 needs to be looked at. From the opening post Jones had not considered 5 being the problem and it was assumed 23 needed to be adjusted to fix the offside trap; So, at least Jones now knows who to focus on, whether we get more information or not.

[Sheriff Skacel]

The players' understanding of the tactics could also be an issue. I remember when I'd actually make use of the Ast Man Feedback feature and when I would first arrive at a club he'd often say

'Player XXX is used to playing at a higher tempo then asked of him today'

So this could be a case of

'Player XXX is used to playing a deeper line'
'Player XXX is used to playing a higher line'
'Player XXX is used to being asked to mark tighter'

Nightmare scenario if one CB wants to play high and another wants to play deep, will take them a while to get on the same page.

If we sat here we could probably come up with two hundred million different possibilities, I love that side of FM \o/

I might make it my mission to pin the blame on the Liverpool strikers.

Edited by Sheriff Skacel, 18 August 2011 - 11:27 PM.

[Game]

I have it on split screen (advice | stats) when it cuts away from a 3D highlight and I've only ever seen the remark about tempo or being out of position. I don't think you get any other ones, or at least not that I've ever seen.

I think the tactics is a good shout. Maybe the Match Preparation is not up to scratch or maybe the player needs more work on Tactics in his training schedule...

There's definitely a lot of things that could affect it though. Thinking about it after I posted that screenie, who knows if 5 is actually closing that ball down? He might be trying to execute the offside trap, which as you mentioned earlier on, could be due to a PPM.

Need Jones to clear this up really. He could rule out a load of possibilities.

[Sheriff Skacel]

Here's a tip for Match Prep for all you cunts, set that shit as high as you can during pre-season and have it set on Team Blend. Try and have a pre-season of 10+ games and when it comes to the season starting your players will be far better prepared than normal, they'll know your tactics and each other.

You might think playing 10+ pre-season games will burn your players out but it won't aslong as there are a few days between each game. In fact in Korea one season I played about thirty pre-season away games to raise money, my schedule was

Game
Rest
Game
Rest
Game
Rest

And there were no adverse effects at all, no extra injuries and no shit conditions. Needs looking at by SI. Dunno whether its a South Korea specific bug mind.