Manager AI confuses me.

Playing in France as Valencienne and it is mid November time. So far, my team have been over performing and find themselves in 8th place. The next game up is against Monaco who are shockingly as low as 13th in mid November.

I'm at home and in better form so the game makes me favourites to win despite the obvious gulf in quality (I had no money to spend and my marquee signing was Frimpong on loan)

All the pre match stuff tells me I should win it but I ignore all that as nonsense and treat the match like I'm up against the wall. AI Claudio Ranieri predictably sets his team out to be very attacking initially.

I quickly find as the match kicks off that I have given Monaco too much respect. Despite all their quality they find it near impossible to break me down or make any clear cut chances. Even with a defensive set up I manage to carve out a couple of chances of my own. Eventually they do go up right before half time due to my defense gifting Falcao some space and he naturally buries it.

I've got nothing to lose so I go more offensive in the second half and surprisingly have an awful lot of success against my much higher paid counter parts. I eventually equalise with a long counter attack ball up to Anthony Le Tallec. This is where it gets strange...

It enters the last third of the match and I notice that Monaco are time wasting on every free kick and throw in. I go to check the formation screen and Ranieri is now playing super defensive with two holding players shielding his defense and only one man up top. He is holding on for a draw.

A team that was supposed to be title contenders, with a manager who needs to start winning to keep his job is holding on for a draw against the team with the second lowest wage bill in the league. It baffled me.

I started to put pressure onto them and they were looking in trouble, but in the end they got lucky and scored from a corner to win the game.

I just thought it to be very unrealistic AI. All the post match told me that I should be really disappointed to lose narrowly to Monaco in an even game. All very strange.

To give a real life spin, I actually it would be logical to go defensive if your players are having an off day and playing away from home. Add in the fact your team were giving them abit of a run-around as well, I think Ranieri was right to go defensive and then hit you on the counter/from a set piece.