Defenders scoring - It feels like I'm cheating

Nemanja Vidic just scored a hat trick for me. 2 were headers from corner kicks (far post) and 1 was a header from a indirect free kick. Of course this wouldn't be impossible in real life, but extremely unlikely.. In FM, defenders score so many headers it feels like I'm cheating. My centre backs get around 7 goals per season and that's on mixed delivery. Vidic is on target to reach double figures for the current season.

Anyone else feel the same way? :o

I have a defender who scores 7-15 goals a season - its not unheard of, vermalan did the same last year.

but it does appear to be a bit high - I think the main issue is that we have 1 fixed corner routine (unless we manually change it) and thus if you are aiming for the same guy every game, he gonna score more than in real life.

Realistically you would change it around, with a good striker being at that post, or another defender, or taking short corners and such. I think the lack of realism comes from having this fixed corner routine in every game, rather than a battery of routines that your players pick from each time a corner is taken.

I get the same thing on FIFA, I always aim my corners at the far post and my centre-back scores at least every 2 games.

Don't worry about it, a goal is a goal.

Like I said, I have mixed delivery for corners but still my 4 centre backs score about 17 goals between them per season.

Like I said, I have mixed delivery for corners but still my 4 centre backs score about 17 goals between them per season.

I see what you mean, but I dont think that a 'mixed' delievery takes it far enough in the context of real life corners, if you look at defenders in real life from game to game, they will be all over the box - whereas my right sided defender always stands on the far post and no matter what I set my corner taker to at least 50% of the corners are aimed at him. It helps that he has 18/19 for heading and jumping - but it makes him utterly lethal.

Its better than last year where I couldnt score from a corner for toffee (unless using the corner bug) - but like many things I think it has gone too far this year.

the corner bug is back

the corner bug is back

just at the far post as apposed to being at the D...

SI are aware and its sure to be patched in 11.3

Its one of the few bugs that people will not complain about

i have been dreading this it is back the feared corner bug i have been in denial for a couple of weeks but my defenders are scoring to much from corners:o

put your DC's on Stayback at corners and one of your full backs on the far post. This may help

If they fix this my teams will lose about 20 league goals a season as I have some very dangerous defenders in the air.

SI are aware and its sure to be patched in 11.3

Its one of the few bugs that people will not complain about

Ah, but is it a corner bug that the AI can use?

If the AI use it then its fine for the player to use it, otherwise he is at a disadvantage. The corner bug from FM10 was so wrong because the AI could neither use it nor defend against it.

You can always check the stats for the league and check to see if the number of goals you are getting from corners are in proportion to that of the other teams. If you've stumbled upon an exploit that the other teams are not using then this screen will make it pretty obvious.

I haven't changed my corner routine and up until January I had 3 goals from corners all season, then suddenly I score 10 in about 8 matches, including 4 in one game (2 for each of my DCs).

I've done 2 seasons since the patch, so this dosn't explain it.

You can always check the stats for the league and check to see if the number of goals you are getting from corners are in proportion to that of the other teams. If you've stumbled upon an exploit that the other teams are not using then this screen will make it pretty obvious.

Its a definite exploit

I'm not intentionally exploiting it though, I just created a corner routine that makes sense. My 2 DCs go up to the near and far post, my taller ST challenges keeper and my other ST and 1 MC also go forward. A winger offers a short option and my MC with high long shots lurks outside the area, my 2 full backs stay back.

Realistic. It's not my fault the game is unrealistic when making my defenders scoring machines.

I'm not intentionally exploiting it though, I just created a corner routine that makes sense. My 2 DCs go up to the near and far post, my taller ST challenges keeper and my other ST and 1 MC also go forward. A winger offers a short option and my MC with high long shots lurks outside the area, my 2 full backs stay back.

Realistic. It's not my fault the game is unrealistic when making my defenders scoring machines.

That's part of the problem, the so called 'exploit' routines are often very realistic setups that follow common sense, they are nothing out of the ordinary. A bit like the 'challenge GK' one from FM08, it was an obvious thing to do but the results were insane.

I'm happy as long as the AI teams don't look to use these routines, although it is a pain to have to keep checking to make sure your routine is good, but not 'too good'.

agreed - I discovered it simply because it makes sense to have a good jumper at the far post and to target him

I just didn't realise I'd get so many goals

I haven't changed my corner routine since FM09 (not changed my tactics either...) and my 5 foot 7 inch centre back is scoring loads from corners (mixed delivery) because he 'attacks far post' the 5'10" CB hasn't scored as many (stand far post) but he has one or two, I forget and the game isn't running atm...

It would be nice if the AI could learn to defend against set piece routines. E.G if you use the same routine for ten games in a row then all teams that scout you double mark your danger man or defend the far post in numbers or both.

On a related note I would love to be able to change my set piece routines all in one go with out going to each player individually or changing my saved tactic. So I could leave more me back on corners when I have a lead but still keep my overall tactic.

You can always check the stats for the league and check to see if the number of goals you are getting from corners are in proportion to that of the other teams. If you've stumbled upon an exploit that the other teams are not using then this screen will make it pretty obvious.

Well this year I am third from goals from corners - so it looks like Aston Villa also know the cheat

agreed - I discovered it simply because it makes sense to have a good jumper at the far post and to target him

I just didn't realise I'd get so many goals

Totally agree with you, as I write this my CB has scored 11 in my last 13 games

I'm beating Norwich 5-1, and my DC has just got a hat-trick, all headers from corners !

yes.. it happens to me too, my DC ,who scores a lot of goals, won the Best Defender of they year trophy

Waiting for this to be fixed to start my long-term save on 11.3.

Waiting for this to be fixed to start my long-term save on 11.3.

Why? If you think there is an issue just dont put anyone on the far post.

I'm in two minds about this.

On the one hand, it exploits a weakness in the ME, so it is an exploit.

On the other, how can I NOT attack the back post?

At the moment I am using it, because I'm not doing anything I wouldn't do anyway. It's not my fault the AI's too thick to work it out.

I'm in two minds about this.

On the one hand, it exploits a weakness in the ME, so it is an exploit.

On the other, how can I NOT attack the back post?

At the moment I am using it, because I'm not doing anything I wouldn't do anyway. It's not my fault the AI's too thick to work it out.

I think the problem happens because corners are too accurate, in real life it just isn't possible to place a corner on a certain player's head time after time, as it is in FM. Setting the corners to mixed should give you a bit more variety and more realistic looking results.

Then-centre back Ian Harte scored 18 (iirc) goals for Carlisle last season. That may have been in League 1, and about 8 were from free kicks and penalties, but that's still an impressive haul, and there's no reason why a defender who is amazing in the air (like Vidic) shouldn't be able to recreate this in FM.

I think there are several reasons why exploits come up in FM:

• As dafuge has touched upon, deliveries are too robotic, making it easy to target your best header consistently throughout the season.
  
• I also think the movement of attackers is too robotic, though this is definitely improved on FM11. Previously, there was a sort of repetitive movement that initially looked fluid, but was the same for pretty much every corner. FM11 has what seems to be a genuine attempt to simulate movement at corners, though it still needs improvement. The paths of runs should be situational, there should be more interacting between players, more creative "pre-set" routines, and more spontaneous movement.
  
• Goalkeepers don't do enough with high deliveries. They don't claim nearly enough deliveries.
  
• The near post player doesn't block nearly enough deliveries that are driven to the near post so the goalkeeper can't get to them.
  

I think the problem happens because corners are too accurate, in real life it just isn't possible to place a corner on a certain player's head time after time, as it is in FM. Setting the corners to mixed should give you a bit more variety and more realistic looking results.

I agree with this. I have set my corners to mixed delivery but 9 times out of 10 my corner taker pings it right on the head of my far post man. The accuracy is deadly.

[*]Goalkeepers don't do enough with high deliveries. They don't claim nearly enough deliveries.

Yeah, I agree with that totally

Maybe it is an exploit. I tried it with Man Utd, Vidic attacking the far post & he got 6 or 7 goals in 9 or so freindlies albeit against weaker opposition

I tried it with my Birmingham save with various CB's attacking the far post & it's less effective, Dann & Johnson scored none between them in 5 or 6 games, the player would foul his marker, he'd miss the header or the corner would be simply off target.

It seems to work with Wheater, he's scored 3 in 7 games & picked up a couple of assists but much the same happens with Dann & Johnson, it's not a guaranteed goal/ shot on target 100% of the time

In 15 games the AI has scored two of these against me, but I imagine if they had corners aimed at the far post with a player attacking it they'd have scored more

my centre back scores 15 to 20 a season - he's currently on 19 with about 9 games left so he might even break past 20

Similar thread here about this:

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/246862-Scoring-from-Corners

It's not just corners, its free-kicks also. And to confirm what others have said my centre back scored a hatrick with his head from set-pieces.

I think part of the problem is also that the defenders doesn't seem to head the ball clear often enough.

The number of missed headers from Vidic is quite extraordinary, resulting in skewed statistics in Shots Off Target and Crossing % (we should petition SI to split those statistics into Set-Piece and non-Set-piece stats)

Though I find it strange that there are some games that the defenders do defend properly,

but there are some games where you KNOW that you'll score 2 or 3 from set pieces (usually after scoring the 1st or 2nd one).

Maybe put a player with low corner taking attributes as your corner taker?

Terrible cheat! You should keep all your players back to avoid scoring from corners!