Close down corner

Apologies if this has been posted before. I have seen a couple of threads but not a single one with a definitive answer.

I've set one of my strikers to "Close down corners" yet he's not done that once.

Also I have my full backs marking the posts on Free Kicks yet they only seem to do it about 70% of the time.

Now I've never been a pro footballer but even at Sunday league level the rest of your team mates will let you know when you're not where you should be prior to set piece being taken, even at school level this happens.

It's obviously not right so is it going to be fixed?

He'll only close down corners if the opposition tries to take it short (i.e. if the attacking team has a player come short)

He'll only close down corners if the opposition tries to take it short (i.e. if the attacking team has a player come short)

But that's not what I'm asking the player to do. I want him to stand as close as he can so that it forces the corner taker to loft the ball into the box rather than rifle it in along the ground. That's what closing down a corner means, I can't imagine how anybody who has ever kicked a ball can even comprehend why it might mean anything else. If I wanted someone to do the same only when a player moves towards the corner that would be man marking.

The players not taking positions on the posts for free kicks is even more baffling because it means that every single player on the team has also not worked out and told the players where they should be. It just wouldn't happen at any level of football. Rest assured if I was a player in this game not a single stat would be above 1 but when I play for my crappy real life pub team I know I mark the far post at corners and if the manager told me to mark the same post for free kicks I would do it and if I forgot to do so the GK, Captain and the whole remaining back line would in no uncertain terms tell me.

There are a lot of things on the 3D that wouldn't happen at any level, and they are almost all defensively.

Hmmmmmm just had my "Close down corner" player head an own goal in at the near post marking absolutely nobody !!! He's a 35 year old seasoned professional too so he'd surely know better than to be standing there and getting in the way.

Any official response from SI? I doubt it.

I'm sure the instruction used to be followed on older versions of the game and it's only this one where it's changed....maybe I dream't it. :-)

Closing down corner is, as has been said above, going down to the corner flag to press the second player coming short. In the game, that is what it is at least.

If you have a number of players on Wall duty in the Defensive Free Kicks setup, and the keeper does not set up a wall, there is nothing you can do about it. It is not programmed into the game.

There are many things that are not programmed into the Match Engine. For example:

* More than one player marking their only big, strong guy on corners

* More than one player closing down at once

* Sideways defensive lines (i.e Narrow width seems to mean that all your players are positioned in the centre of the pitch, allowing their wingers free space. This is not what narrow width is.)

Closing down corner is, as has been said above, going down to the corner flag to press the second player coming short. In the game, that is what it is at least.

Yep I understand that but shouldn't the best football manager simulation game strive to mimic real life football?!?! If it is only to close a player down then by definition that is man marking.

What makes it even more difficult to understand is that when nobody from the opposition goes to collect a short corner the player given the close down instruction just goes into the box and gets in the way. When you edit your set pieces you can drag the player into the position so how hard can it be to make him stay there? What is the point of having that position highlighted in the first place if the player does not start off there when the corner is taken?

Maybe the instruction should be "Close down short corner if needed" and then have that position highlighted on the setup screen so that you can then build the defense knowing all your starting position. The current highlighted position could then be called "Close down corner" and actually do what it says on the tin.

I appreciate that there are limitations to what the programmers can do with the match engine but to me this one just seems so simple to include because you already have the position highlighted in the edit set pieces menu. The match engine can tell your player to go to that position when an opposing player goes to pick up a short corner so why can't it tell the player to just go there and stay there?

6 games into a season I've let in 5 goals all of them from corners and one of those an own goal from a guy I want to be 20 yards away from the goal which really is a bit silly.

I'm taking the positives out of it though because if this is the only way the AI can beat my tactic then I must be doing something right :-)