Card Crazy

Another tale of second season woes...

First season, my teams discipline was good. They averaged less than 2 yellow cards per game. I think I finished somewhere around 50 yellows, or maybe just a little over, and had 0 red cards.

We are now 7 games in to the new season and I have picked up 15 yellow cards and 2 red cards in 5 league games, and 8 yellow cards in 2 Champions League games (including 6 in 1 match).

The only change I have made at all to my squad is the addition of 2 new first team players. My tactics are the same, formation is the same, and most of the players are the same. So why am I consistently being pulled up on fouls, and being given so many yellow cards in comparison to last season? I've already picked up over one-quarter of the yellow cards that I got in the league in 38 games last season in just 5 games this season...

So I guess my question is going to be, do you think this will even out, and this is just a freak patch? Or am I going to need to tell my players to tackle easily and stay on their feet just in an attempt to not constantly finish each match with 10 men? (or potentially worse)