Game of two halves

Five seasons in with Athletic and I've gotten to the point that I now dominate the lesser/struggeling teams in the league. However, whenever I get an early and comfortable lead my team will stop playing.

Examples from this season (I'm only in October)

v Valencia (h) | HT: 3-0 | FT: 3-1

v Anderlecht (a) | HT: 3-0 | FT: 3-0 (Andelecht got a player sent off 30 minutes before FT)

v Sevilla (h) | HT: 4-1 | FT: 4-2

v Ousauna (a) | HT: 3-0 | FT: 4-2 (My team started playing football again after their second in the 84 minute)

v Racing (h) | HT: 3-0 | FT:3-0 (Racing with ten men for the last 30 minutes)

I've tried changing tactics at half time. Changing to both counter attacking football and gung ho. I've tried telling them I'm pleased, delighted, don't want their performance to drop. I've tried saying nothing and I've tried saying a mix of nothing, pleased, delighted and I have faith.

Basicly my team will be all over them 1st half and completely dominate. In the 2nd half, unless the opposition scores, nothing will happen.

Any tips to improve?

Dunno, but you're still winning!

This is mostly down to team talks. They have basically destroyed the second half when you are 2-0 up or better except in a few cases when you manage to still score a hatful more.

Say you are pleased and they get complacent and don't play in the 2nd half, say not to let their performance drop and they get angry and don't play in the 2nd half.

Your players still dont seem to have slacked off that much. But try different team talks, try say not to get complacent etc.

Dunno, but you're still winning!

Yeah, obviously I'm delighted that things are going well and I might be in for my first title on this save if it continues. I'm a bit of stats-whore though. I want more goals

Team talks are probably the answer. There doesn't seem to be an option for the leading team though. Encourage of For the fans would probably work, but they are not there. My team looks like they don't care any more, which is such a high contrast to what they ordinarily do. It's frustrating, cos I know that it's gonna cost me sooner rather than later. Osasuna hit the post at 3-2 and could have gone on to win it.

Fair enough! I'm happy as long as I get 3 points! Also going Athletic I do one every year cos it's a proper higher league challenge!

I have a game with them every year too. I was looking forward to playing with them this year because of the improved regens. I was surprised by the fact that I could now sign any u-18 spainard. A striker paring of Bojan and Aquino certainly makes Athletic more likely to win something this time around

I never knew that either, that's my next game then!!! Those two would destroy!

The stats-whore in me is hoping that Bojan will beat Zarra's record of 251 league goals. If he continues with the same average of goals he will get it when he's 28 This 2nd half syndrome is slowing him down though, because now my entire team is scoring goals, when before he would score about 50% of all goals. Now it's more like 20%.