Help me.....

Ok, I'm stumped and need help. I have just drawn away to leeds. It's about the 10th or so time I've drawn or lost to bottom 4 opposition in 2 an 3/4 seasons. They have won 2 drawn 4 all season and I am currently 2nd and was playing well. Of my 4 season defeats so far 2 are from bottom teams and I've drawn about 3.

I play: 4-2-3-1 balanced control, short passing through the middle, fairly quick, expressive, zonal, high defence, mixed closing down and tackling.

Team:

Wadyucalhim schnezney GK

K.Walker FB

P.Jones CB

Vermalen CB

Baines FB

Y.Mvila DM

Ramsey BBM

Hamsik AM

Wilshire AP

Tevez IF

RVP AF

Subs:

Niyang

Chamberlin

Affalay

Sagna

Shelvey

Walcott

Shawcross

Gibbs

Song

E. Zidane

Help on how to play these sort of games will be much appreciated.

Cheers.

I can only think that your team are getting complacent against seemingly weaker opposition. You either need to be expecting a win, be assertive and ask the players to show what they can do or play down your chances in the pre-match conference so the players prove you wrong.

I have team talks fairly sussed with my team. That's not the problem, I have no worries getting them all fired up.

you could try and play a more offensive style against these lower teams? maybe they just park the bus and try to suckerpunch you from counter-attacks and set pieces?

Slow it down, the other teams are putting 10 men behind the ball so your players rushing around at 100mph just leads to the ball being given away which allows them to counter attack.

Try switching between counter, standard & control, maybe use a fluid philosophy so your attacking players will drop a little deeper while your central players will push on past the attacking ones.

Open the passing range so your players can hit longer balls and use shouts like play wider, look for through balls, work ball into box. If the opposition pack the centre shouts like exploit the flanks or look for overlap.

I play Arsenal too, I think with the array of talent you have at your disposal, you might be playing a tad too conservative thus lacking the cutting edge to finish of weak teams as well as a lack of width. Try experimenting with wingers, Chamberlain is a Great Right Winger once the season progressed into its 3rd / 4th season

I would suggest the following 2 formations:

............SC...........

AML.....AMC.....AMR

........MC...MC........

...........................

DL.....DC...DC.....DR

or

........SC...SC.........

AML................AMR

........MC...MC........

...........................

DL.....DC...DC.....DR

Try setting Team Instructions to Attacking, Fluid, Quick Tempo, Push Up defensive line, Wide width, Mixed Focus Passing. I set More Agressive tackling, Press More and Zonal Marking, the rest I put as default. I also play Counter-Attack and Plays Offside.

The only thing you might lack is a Left Winger, with Hamsik playing as the playmaker, you can try re-training Wilshiere into a left winger or simply buy one. If Y. M'Vila can't play in the central Midfield position, just re-train him, should only take half a season or thereabouts.

Now, if you choose to experiment with the above, do remember that the team will need awhile to get the 'Familiarity' Bar in the selected tactics to become full.

I myself, use the 2nd formation with great effect on my Arsenal team. I only use the 1st formation with my England Team with faced with the likes of Spain, Brazil or Spain

Good Luck