Defending Issues

Essentially, I have one stand out central defender for my Cardiff side (first season) in Craig Cathcart on loan. I've got 3 other centre halfs to partner him, all roughly the same level, and not bad players for the championship (hudson, gerard and gyepes) but whoever I partner cathcart with the other guy always has a terrible game. I'm five games in now and I've thrown away three 2-0 leads because of the centre half partnering cathcart messing up. I don't know whether to chop and change until one finally has a decent game or still with what i think on paper is the best partnership and hope it works eventually. Any advice?

It happened again :-(

Get rid of those 3 and get a good one, or adjust their role abit to suit how they play

If replacements always play poor then either the players are absolutely dire, your rotation policy is disrupting your team, or the position they play in is constantly exposed and produces poor ratings no matter who plays.

It will be one of those three options.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I looked back over the goals I was conceding and looked like one player was always breaking the line in order to close down an oncoming player leaving a gap in behind still onside. I think in the championship players won't regularly put 25 yarders into the top corner, particularly not past my keeper so I set my centre backs 'closing down' setting right on the bottom.

Played 6 games since and I've only conceded 3 goals and my other centre back's performances are improving. So I think I've solved the problem for now, even if I will have to rethink if I get promoted where players may more regularly score long range efforts.

I swear by the stopper/cover combination. Highest aggression stopper, highest anticipation cover, with cover as priority if they're both the same player.

I once drew SIX consecutive games 2-2 before I adopted this system, since then I've become a 1-0 specialist.

(It doesn't work for everyone.)