Too little difference playing with or against 10 men ?

Is it just me or does it seem as if games don´t really change much if a team has a player taken off ? Not scientifically tested, but from gut feeling i´d say my success rate doesn´t change either way, if i have a man go down i am still playing pretty much as good and if i´m up a man the oposition as well.

Just now i got a win at 3rd place Vitesse (myself being 5th) despite getting a red card in the 30th minute. Was 0:0 then, i won 3:0.

There isn't a lot of difference between 10 and 11, and as long as you know what you are doing tactically you can make the most of it, whichever side you are on.

Having a man sent off can be an advantage in some other way, morale-wise for example. Or if you look at Chelsea two days ago, it allowed the team to really just defend instead of hinging on two thoughts, simply because they didn't have the extra player anymore.

That's real life, at least. I don't know how FM translates it exactly, but the 11-player team should probably just try to exploit small 2vs1 and 3vs2 situations in order to create more chances. Almost every team will still have a back four, so at least that part doesn't become easier to exploit (unless you commit more men forward).

.....Almost every team will still have a back four...

I find that if i go a man down at the back i pull them all in so have a back 3. I am yet to see this adversly affect my time, so I don't even think not having a back 4 would matter if the back 3 is arranged well.

When you play against a team who get a player sent off they usually turn ultra defensive making it harder for you to get the ball in the net. However I find when my team has a player sent off we concede loads.

The effects of going down to ten men tend to be that you tighten up defensively, and your players appreciate that they're undermanned and concentrate more. And if the opposition is desperate to press the advantage, they can overextend and leave themselves vulnerable to a counter.

On the other hand, it can be tough, particularly if you're trying to win the game, but if you're patient you can often make the most of it.

If you have a player sent off then defend well and counter.

If your opposition have a player sent off then play wide and stretch them.

Having said that, it depends on the situation and the team your facing. I rarely get players sent off, but when we have we normally win by countering.

It's because 9/10 times the game just becomes really tight, ie the team with ten men becomes defensive, so no, nothing appears to change because there is going to be less chances.

I have just had a bizarre one. My West Ham, 2nd in the Championship against top placed Southampton at St. Mary's. I go 3-1 up and am absolutely cruising. They get one sent off and I end up losing 4-3. Work that one out!!!!!

Oh, forgot to mention I hadn't conceded in my previous 5 games!!

Often I don't think it makes that much of a difference in real life tbh.

Do you check up how the opposition are set up formation-wise after the sending off?? That would be my first port of call, and tactically and formation-wise you can try to exploit that.

Obviously not a 'armageddon button', and like said above ^ often teams with 10 men can be harder to break down.

I'd say it's still generally an advantage to be a man up on the opposition (and vice-versa a disadvantage to be a man down). However there are certain situations where you feel like it is actually counter-intuitive, as it can be harder to defend against the 10 men than the 11.

I never like losing a player to a red card either, but I always make sure to be prepared for the possibility of it. If you're smart about it there are ways to still compete with 10 men, so you don't have to set-out your stall and just defend what you have. One I like to do is which between levels of intensity every 10 minutes or so. That way you have periods of trying to compete and trying to score a goal, as well as periods of rest so the 10 men don't get tired out too much, so energy can be regained for onslaughts later on in the game.