Woeful Defence

To put my situation into context, this is my second season at Fulham, approaching New Year's Day 2012 with my team below mid table. In my first year I won the FA and League Cup and finished 8th in the league.

However, this season has gone slightly worse, and these are some of the problems, specifically with the defence:

- Simon Poulsen (LB) is decent at times but has already recieved 11 yellow cards and doesn't seem to be able to improve his discipline

- My central defenders (Bramble, Hughes, Halliche, Baird, Senderos) have one good game and then part or let the ball over their head in the next one

- My full backs have no concept of moving towards players on the side, eg: when corners are taken short

- Last season Eddie Johnson scored 15 goals, this season he's scored 1

- There is no shape in midfield, if I lose the ball in attack they run straight through at the defence

- When I take a corner and it's headed out they're on the break, when I head out one of their corners they have someone on hand to knock it back into the box

- Impossible to keep a clean sheet

- I always concede, usually immediately after I've scored

If anyone knows any soultions to these problems they would be greatly appreciated.

To put my situation into context, this is my second season at Fulham, approaching New Year's Day 2012 with my team below mid table. In my first year I won the FA and League Cup and finished 8th in the league.

- Simon Poulsen (LB) is decent at times but has already recieved 11 yellow cards and doesn't seem to be able to improve his discipline

PUT HIM ON LESS AGGRESSIVE TACKLING

- My full backs have no concept of moving towards players on the side, eg: when corners are taken short

I USUALLY HAVE MY PACEY STRIKER STAY WITH THE CORNER TAKER OR IF I PLAY ONE UPFRONT, I HAVE A WIDE MIDFIELDER DO IT.

- There is no shape in midfield, if I lose the ball in attack they run straight through at the defence

CHANGE YOUR TACTIC AND HAVE A PLAYER IN THE DMC POSITION?

- When I take a corner and it's headed out they're on the break, when I head out one of their corners they have someone on hand to knock it back into the box

I ALWAYS HAVE A PLAYER LURK OUTSIDE AREA FOR OFFENSIVE CORNERS. IF I'M PLAYING WITH A DMC, I ASK HIM TO DO IT.

Other than that, all I can say is go to the good player forum and see if you can't find some better players to sign.

Here .......... http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/230189-FM-11-Official-Forum-Links-Thread

**TACTICS SPOILERS**

No shape in midfield, opposition running right through

If this is what you mean

then consider the following

1. Tight Man marking on an MC is more likely to cause him to stick behind the ball as illustrated above, leaving a giant gap. Be aware of how marking functions in FM whereby it predominantly seems to be a mirroring effect which has an impact on positiioning/covering e.g. in above screenshot 'real life' left MC in a 442 would shift over but FM version may not do it. In that case you want to look at the lines and the settings e.g. for me I want my striker in a 442 dropping back to pick up the opposition holder and my two bands of four so I tweak marking/mentality accordingly

2. Defensive Line sets how your back line (and rest of the team) react to the opposition bringing the ball forward (lowering it = drop off more). Closing Down comes into play in relation to the distance to the ballcarrier i.e. increasing CD => player will press a man in possession further away. Hence the two of these are interlinked. This relates to running at your back line in a common sense way e.g. you can tweak it alongside the other settings such that your back 4 collapse back with your midfield chasing down the ballcarrier

3. Mentality of midfielders plays a part in dropping back but does so in conjunction with marking settings hence if they trigger to get tight to an opponent they might not drop back even with a very low mentality (a higher D Line will contribute in terms of spacing)

Of course I'm just speculating based on the info you've given. Morale etc. may be contributing to 'dumb' player behaviour but the relatively successful first season may contribute to flaws appearing in a tactic due to changes in how AI teams approach you which alters their typical shape etc. and by extension can cause a tactic to 'malfunction'. Then again those random malfunction moments can happen in ways that are out of your control thus you could just be unlucky in how things are playing out (strikers missing chances, defenders losing their man for no apparent reason, set piece effect randomness etc.).

This seems to be what I was looking for, thanks for the help!