Defence IS broken!

10.3 version

I can´t keep a clean sheet. On the other hand I score a lot of goals. Example 46 games, 88 goals forward, 77 against... I think I had about 3 clean sheets all season and finished and 7th place

My point is it doesn´t matter if I could use John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in my Bury team in League Two – I would still concede more than one goal a game.

Kind of ruins the game

Anyone agree

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No, I'm averaging over 2 goals a game For and less than a goal a game against (between 0.8 and 0.9).

Send me your tactic!!!

Even when I play with the top teams in certain divisions, the bug is still there...

Im playing 4-4-2 by the way. I WANT to to be able to to that

As a little more info, my save has spanned all the patches (started on day of release and continued without a break). My defence is tighter in 10.3 than at any other point in the game (Career average of 1.1 goals Against).

Send me your tactics please.

Im quite sure it wouldn't make any difference if I had Terry, Vidic etc in League Two

You tried going back to a bog standard 4-4-2? I had the same problem in a save before and changed back to a 4-4-2 and a few games in I managed some clean sheets

4-4-2 with control play, not very attacking

Hmmm, try a 5 - 4 -1 and see if that helps

but I want to be able to play 4-4-2, that´s the most basic in football why shouldn't it work in this game?

It could just be your defenders, or possibly your goal keeper. I'd try the loan market for a keeper. Scout some and try to sign one who your scout says is better than the one you have now and see what happens there.

Is your keeper foreign? Could be a language barrier in communication between him and your defense, not sure if that happens in FM though

but I want to be able to play 4-4-2, that´s the most basic in football why shouldn't it work in this game?

To be fair, the formation closest to 4-4-2 that is the most basic in football has one of the strikers playing off the front man, and the wide midfielders pushed up a bit further, with fairly defensive players in the middle; which in Football Manager terms looks more like a 4-2-3-1.

But with 4-2-3-1 in League Two with Terry and Vidic I would still leak goals... Defence is broken

PA wise I have two of the best central defenders in the league... this is my last 3 games

2-4, 0-3, 2-4

But with 4-2-3-1 in League Two with Terry and Vidic I would still leak goals... Defence is broken

Defence might not be perfect but its far from broken and I would suggest before shouting BUG you make an effort to learn something about tactics.

Downloading other peoples won't help you either as you need to learn for yourself so you can identify why you are leaking goals and resolve the issue.

EDIT

For the record, my last two seasons:

2015 - Finished 3rd in a league of 16, 10 clean sheets in 30 matches

2016 - Finished 10th in a league of 16, 7 clean sheets in 30 matches

Im playing 4-4-2 by the way. I WANT to to be able to to that

...

Isnt that a bit like saying 'Im losing every game'

Response 'why'

Answer 'Because I dont use any strikers'

Response 'why'

Answer 'because I want to be able to do that'

If it doesnt work - why do you insist on sticking with it. As someone else already pointed out the 'standard' 4-4-2 is far from that I would say the standard 4-4-2 is more like 2-3-1-4 (attacking) and 4-1-3-1-1 (defending) - its still 4-4-2 - four defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 strikers - its just that in some instances the wingbacks push forward, in others the second striker drops back, or the holding midfielder drops back.

PA wise I have two of the best central defenders in the league... this is my last 3 games

2-4, 0-3, 2-4

PA makes no odds, it could be anything really, what type of goals do you concede?

4-4-2, Very Rigid, Control or Counter, very little creative freedom, much closing down, no roaming. Normal tackling, zonal marking.

Defensive centrebacks (one stopper, one cover if you have guys with attributes for that), Supporting full backs, one central mid with defensive duties and one with support duties.

Oughta be able to keep a clean sheet with that. My teams manage it on alot of different levels with such a tactic.

In my new Barcelona save, I'm about 15-17 games into the season and I've conceded a ludicrous three goals in that span, and only one in league play.

I play a very standard 4-5-1 formation with a DM set to Defensive Midfielder-Defend, Alves as a Wing Back, Abidal/Maxwell as Full Back, Pique as CD-Cover and Puyol as CD-Stopper.

4-1-3-1-1

3 Centre midfielders, a thin(ish) pitch, play set to "control" My first choice keeper has only conceded 38 goals in 63 games, I'm happy

sorry but i don't agree. in 10.3 i managed to win my league with all victories and get the champions league with AEK. All that with a great defence

10.3 version

I can´t keep a clean sheet. On the other hand I score a lot of goals. Example 46 games, 88 goals forward, 77 against... I think I had about 3 clean sheets all season and finished and 7th place

My point is it doesn´t matter if I could use John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in my Bury team in League Two – I would still concede more than one goal a game.

Kind of ruins the game

Anyone agree

YOUR defense might be broken, mine's fine.

I agree!!!

Have to say that with my current tactic i have no problems with my defence. I had the least goals scored against me in this season. I can't score that many goals though. So I suggest you look a little more into your tactic.

It's a ridiculous assertion. Sorry to be so negative but I keep tons of clean sheets. Four games into my second season with Leeds, in the Championship, I'm 12 scored and 1 conceded. Back line is Onuoha, Sheehan, Caldwell and Bromby. Admittedly Caldwell was obtained via the 48 months scenario and Onuoha is on loan with an arranged fee, but they're not Terry and Ferdinand.

Perhaps you need to look to midfield as well as your back line. I frequently get MoMs for Ferrie Bodde my DMC, so I guess I've got some decent tactics, if an unspectacular team.

I've broken my teams previous clean sheets record twice. backpackant makes a good point about DM's btw, defensively i'm a lot stronger if I have an out and out DM than a more creative DM, who is more of a midfielder than tackler.

But with 4-2-3-1 in League Two with Terry and Vidic I would still leak goals... Defence is broken

It is "nice" of you to keep repeating these couple of words, even when other users point it out that they've managed to have a solid defense. Well, I'm playing flat 4-4-2 and I get 20-25 goals a season in Premier League (it was between 10-15 with 10.2 patch, but with another tactics). So, yes it is possible to have a solid tight defence in 10.3, no I will not send you my tactics and yes, I know that your reply will be "Defence is broken, I would still leak goals even with Terry and Vidic/Ferdinand"

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I play 4-1-3-2 control/short passing and I had many streaks of clean sheets - 360-450 minutes. My goalie is a bit above average (Victor, Brazil) and I manage an Italian mid table team in Serie A.

10.3, season 1, Liverpool, conceded 15 PL goals and 33 in all competitions (some 63 games). About 34 clean sheets, including 11 consecutive PL games at one point. Defence is not broken. Oh, and that's with a 4411 with very attacking fullbacks and two box-to-box midfielders without a DM (or ball winning, or anything else) in sight.

Also okay here and I often play with 3 men at the back (well not often, but occasionally), last season I conceded 25 league goals and this season I have conceded 4 after 12 league matches.

My defence is tighter in 10.3 than at any other point in the game.

Agree with this very much.

My defense seems almost water-tight on 10.3. Only the odd mistake at the back, or flash of opposition brilliance seems able to breach us.

OP; try to keep the same back four together as much as possible, that they may forge an "extremely strong understanding" (according to the Ass Man feedback).

4-4-2, Very Rigid, Control or Counter, very little creative freedom, much closing down, no roaming. Normal tackling, zonal marking.

Defensive centrebacks (one stopper, one cover if you have guys with attributes for that), Supporting full backs, one central mid with defensive duties and one with support duties.

Oughta be able to keep a clean sheet with that. My teams manage it on alot of different levels with such a tactic.

Agreed. I make use of a similar set up, but it is still adventurous.

4-4-2, Rigid, Control, little creative freedom, much closing down, no roaming. Normal tackling (sometimes "more aggressive" as required), zonal marking (but with both Centre Backs on Man Marking).

Centre Backs both stay in line with each other, playing offside trap, high defensive line.

Supporting full backs, one Defensive "Ball Winning" Central Midfielder and one "Advanced Playmaker" with support duties (in a flat 4-4-2).

Provides me with a very sound platform, and it's not often I need to wash my sheets.

i had 95 goals and 10 against, and 96 goals and 10 against in the last 2 Seria A seasons respectively, not having any problems with defense here, these are both with 10.3 patch.

at a guess mate, try looking at your mentality and definately creative freedome. i was letting alot of goals in and i changed thing's slightly..

I leak shed loads of goals....HOWEVER...I know it's my tactics I come from the Kevin Keegan "score one more than you" school of management, so am happy as long as I keep winning games 4-3 etc