CB underperforming

My Center Backs are constantly underperforming, making many major mistakes each season of which a lot leads to goals I am one of the teams with most mistakes leading to goals each season, despite having the best center backs. The weird thing is that they play magnificently for other teams. Some examples (I am managing Wolves):

Alberto Masi (Sold him after four seasons)

Average rating (Wolves):

Season 1: 6.93

Season 2: 7.00

Season 3: 7.09

Season 4: 7.09

Average rating (Shaktar):

Season 1: 7.40

Season 2: 6.86

Season 3: 7.28

Season 4: 7.51

Season 5: 7.83

Season 6: 7.65

Luca Cipriani (Sold after seven seasons)

Average rating (Wolves):

Season 1: 6.90

Season 2: 7.06

Season 3: 7.19

Season 4: 7.19

Season 5: 7.27

Season 6: 7.23

Season 7: 6.99

Average rating (AS Monaco):

Season 1: 7.29

Season 2: 7.04

Stefan Strandberg (sold after 5 seasons)

Average rating (Wolves)

Season 1: 6.83

Season 2: 6.87

Season 3: 7.03

Season 4: 7.22

Season 5: 6.77

Average rating (Stromsgodset)

Season 1: 7.45

Season 2: 7.39

Season 3: 7.29

Demir Durmus (brought in after being brilliant for AS Monaco)

Average rating (AS Monaco)

Season 1: 7.87

Season 2: 7.80

Season 3: 8.09

Season 4: 7.87

Average rating (Wolves)

Season 1: 7.15

Season 2: 7.03

As you can see the difference is shocking, even Cipriani who has the smallest difference played the best season of his career after a poor season with me. I have the best center backs in the world (one of them is even valued at a shocking 48M pound, the other a measly 42M) and they can't even head a ball consistently. I have a theory that since the match engine handles player marking so poorly the opposition AI is just really good at exploiting that weakness, but if that's the case then it should have been fixed during beta. Any thoughts or tips on what i might be doing wrong?

If they are playing better outside your club, and all centre backs are struggling in your team, it may suggest something tactical, head over to the tactics forum, and be willing to share tactics, and PKM files and im sure someone can point you in the right direction of getting your DC's working

I am playing quite an aggressive tactic so i am prepared to let in more goals than i otherwise would, but despite this the defenders are rarely caught out of position or outnumbered by the opposition. They simply make a lot of mistakes such as missing headers (that they clearly could have reached if they just jumped), refusing to tackle, giving away possession and as i mentioned, not marking the opposing forwards despite specific instructions to do so.

It's worth keeping in mind the quality of opposition at their other clubs.. I imagine with players worth £48m you're in the Premiership playing against some top quality teams on a regular basis - whereas they've previously played against teams in Ukraine, Norway and France where the competition isn't quite so fierce, thus making them look better and achieve higher ratings.

I am playing quite an aggressive tactic so i am prepared to let in more goals than i otherwise would, but despite this the defenders are rarely caught out of position or outnumbered by the opposition. They simply make a lot of mistakes such as missing headers (that they clearly could have reached if they just jumped), refusing to tackle, giving away possession and as i mentioned, not marking the opposing forwards despite specific instructions to do so.

What you're seeing and what is really happening might be two different things. Maybe your guys aren't in the great positions they appear to be in. The 3D view is limited and sometimes doesn't show you what's really going on so the stuff that doesn't make sense or seems extreme may actually be showing you more than the obvious positioning is.

Interesting as I have never thought of that with regards to the 3D view. So would you suggest watching highlights in one of the 2D views to work out tactics etc?

When it comes to working out tactics I always go 2D. In the OP's case, 3D may not be a good thing, that's all I'm saying.

While it is true that the 3D might not be 100% representative for the actual game being processed, the defender (or should i say offender) in question's rating drops to a 6.2 and they are called out after the game (i.e. X seized on Y's mistake...). In the season I just ended I conceded 32 goals of which 13 (40 %) was by mistakes and 11 of those 13 was by my three CBs. 11 of the goals i conceded was also from headers which regardless of match engine precision is a bit too high if you ask me considering all my CBs have 18+ strength, positioning and jumping reach. Or is there a stat I'm forgetting to take into calculation. Btw only 13 mistakes is actually the lowest I've ever had.

While it is true that the 3D might not be 100% representative for the actual game being processed, the defender (or should i say offender) in question's rating drops to a 6.2 and they are called out after the game (i.e. X seized on Y's mistake...). In the season I just ended I conceded 32 goals of which 13 (40 %) was by mistakes and 11 of those 13 was by my three CBs. 11 of the goals i conceded was also from headers which regardless of match engine precision is a bit too high if you ask me considering all my CBs have 18+ strength, positioning and jumping reach. Or is there a stat I'm forgetting to take into calculation. Btw only 13 mistakes is actually the lowest I've ever had.