Match Engine Repitition

I can't help but feel I'm watching the same match over and over.

I watch matches on 'Extended'. 70% of the highlights are of the opposition knocking the ball around the wings, before attempting a cross that'll be deflected out for a corner.

I don't think it's his tactics.

I don't feel I'm really managing if I just watch highlights. I watch all matches on full time, and this is pretty much how the AI manufactures goals - along with highly improbably long shots.

Say what you will about conspiracy theories, but after having played quite a number of seasons over two versions of FM with 4 different teams all the way from the BSS to the EPL, using a pretty diverse array of tactical and manpower configurations... I see this:

When the AI can't break you down tactically, it "generates" goals by sudden periods of the game where your squad inexplicably begin to allow lots of crosses and corners, regardless of tactics/relative condition/subbing/anything else. This usually results in the dreaded center defender slam dunk header into your GK's face ("That's his first goal of the season!"), off the inward-swinging corner into the 6 yard box. Less often the goal will come off a sloppy trash tap in after the corner or a misplayed cross. Third most common is the long-shot-from-nowhere.

Anectdotally, I'd say the AI scores goals at about this breakdown:

Centerback slam-dunk corners off the infamous ME exploit: 40%

Highly Improbable Long Shots: 20%

Tap-ins after missed corners: 15%

Maddening floating crosses that should have been stopped by the fullback or caught by the GK: 15%

Other: 10%

So yes, I'd say that I see a good 60-70% of the AI's goals coming off the Pound In Those Crosses mode, one way or another. Noticed it for a long time now.

When the AI can't break you down tactically, it "generates" goals by sudden periods of the game where your squad inexplicably begin to allow lots of crosses and corners, regardless of tactics/relative condition/subbing/anything else.

Couldn't agree more. I think the ME in this version of the game is simply horrible.

So...in real life when teams can't break their opponents down, don't they also usually score by freekicks and longshots from nowhere? @_@

Not that I don't have problem with the ME and of course I haven't full match view my every match (did it about 4 to 5 times in 2010)...but surely sometimes we feel cheated by the AI when it goes both ways? My team has scored these goals under intensive pressure too and now and then my fringe/defensive players would score their first goal of the season...

Beautiful posts here, with statistics and percentages made up on the spot.

In my opinion, 88.4% of people who hate the new match engine, are confused/angered by their lack of understanding of the match engine.

99.27% of people who hate the current ME would probably say the match engine is great once they realise that if they are playing the new tactics system, to leave the team instructions as default, in order to make the in game shouts have an effect. They would also be more successful if they put their defensive line higher, to link their defence to midfield and even play with one DM and one Support Striker.

Also try keep your defenders and goalies to short passing, so they don't lose posession.

Also they would have a 65.4% greater success rate if they used the KISS method. Keep it simple stupid. Unless you have World class players, don't go using tight marking, man marking, free roles, box to box, complete forward for average players. The simpler the tactic, sometimes greater the effect.

In my opinion, these are the most common errors that people do, which inadvertantly leads to lots of defeats, anger and clueless posts and threads.