Defending away from home

[claretonmyshirt]

No matter what i do i seem to concede goals, i've tried about everything i know and i have been playing this for years and just about had enough of playing this version, can anyone advise what i am doing wrong please, thanks?

[Dotsworthy]

If you are playing compact like you are you could try adding a split block (putting your advanced players on high pressing) or flank pressing (high pressing on your wide players and forwards, tighter marking in the middle).

Secondly, how are you doing in possession? If your players are getting extremely wide and knocking the ball into space, you might find you are losing possession in areas where your players are finding it hard to get back into position, or keep losing possession and putting themselves under pressure.

I'm intrigued to know what kind of football you are trying to play. Your possession instructions seem counter attack focused but your in transition seems to contradict this.

[Pipster]

That’s a lot of instructions. Try taking them away or look at each individual one and think how it’s going to affect your team and they way they play. You’ve got the team holding their shape when they win possession but are asking them to run at the defence and be more expressive.

 

I always find playing this system is very top heavy. Personally I would drop the the AML and AMR back to ML and MR but still keep them on Inverted Wingers. Or another option if you want to keep the 2 high wingers is play Mezzala as they link up well with the Inverted Winger. 
 

What other positions can your forward play (sorry I don’t the players as I tend to play lower leagues)?

 

My tactic isn’t too different and is basically a 4-4-1-1 and I use DLP in the centre alongside a BWM and his aim is to simply win the ball and give it to the DLP who then will look at passing to the 2 inverted wingers, the shadow striker or my poacher up top. Away from home I tend to drop the defensive line to lower but keep the attacking line at standard. Change the BWM to a Defence duty.

 

if I’m struggling to score I tend to play wider, pass into space or hit early crosses and as a last resort will play counter. If the oppositions defence aren’t very fast and have poor first touch then I might use mark tightly. 
 

every instruction I use is for a reason and I’ve built it up from working it as base tactic with no instructions. The other key thing is the players need to have tactically familiarity with the tactic.

[Experienced Defender]

31 minutes ago, claretonmyshirt said:

what i am doing wrong please

- virtually no penetration at all

- on both flanks you have a fullback role that is too conservative to properly support their inside-oriented wide partner, especially in a short-passing possession-intended tactic

- (too) one-dimensional setup of roles and duties = no variety in attack

- potential competition for space between the BBMs and IW/IF in the final third (needless congestion of attacking play)

- a lot of contradiction between instructions (possession-friendly ones paired with anti-possession ones)

Your main question may be defense-related, but you need to know that defending and attacking directly affect each other and the game tends to punish poorly designed tactics, no matter in which phase of play your tactical weaknesses are more pronounced. 

[claretonmyshirt]

trouble is if i drop the AML and AMR to ML and ML they are out of position? thanks for the replies

[Pipster]

7 minutes ago, claretonmyshirt said:

trouble is if i drop the AML and AMR to ML and ML they are out of position? thanks for the replies

Do you think they have the attributes to play there? I had a really good right sided inverted winger who played AMR only but I wanted him to play MR in the same role. So I played him there and trained him there and he learnt to be accomplished with that position. 
 

You won’t be able to retrain every player to a new position but I do feel the position is very similar and the role is the same. Bit harder with an older player as I always look to buy youth.

[claretonmyshirt]

13 minutes ago, Experienced Defender said:

- virtually no penetration at all

- on both flanks you have a fullback role that is too conservative to properly support their inside-oriented wide partner, especially in a short-passing possession-intended tactic

- (too) one-dimensional setup of roles and duties = no variety in attack

- potential competition for space between the BBMs and IW/IF in the final third (needless congestion of attacking play)

- a lot of contradiction between instructions (possession-friendly ones paired with anti-possession ones)

Your main question may be defense-related, but you need to know that defending and attacking directly affect each other and the game tends to punish poorly designed tactics, no matter in which phase of play your tactical weaknesses are more pronounced. 

so BBM to CM?

Fullbacks get further forward anything else there?

Take out the run more and pass into space?

Should i stay balanced or go to cautious?

Anything else you would suggest please, thank you by the way

[Os]

Too passive with 3 up top, you might as well bring the wide players back into a 451

[Luizinho]

To echo those before me, you don't have anyone in your system who's primary objective is to attack the box (which is one the basic necessities of any tactical system (generally speaking))

Ask yourself, "who is going to score my goals?"

If you don't have anyone, then the best case result you can really hope for is a 0-0.

[Experienced Defender]

31 minutes ago, claretonmyshirt said:

so BBM to CM?

Fullbacks get further forward anything else there?

Take out the run more and pass into space?

Should i stay balanced or go to cautious?

Anything else you would suggest please, thank you by the way

All these questions cannot be properly answered without context, because tactical elements work in conjunction, not isolation. So I first need to know what is your intended style of play. Only then I'll be able to tell you more.

[bibird.]

3 hours ago, claretonmyshirt said:

trouble is if i drop the AML and AMR to ML and ML they are out of position? thanks for the replies

I’ve just spent the best part of 6 months playing a left back at centre back. He had no familiarity in the position initially, but has been excellent there, with an average rating of 7+ because of his attributes and how my tactic is set up to emphasise his qualities. With training and constant game time at centre back, he’s now accomplished in that position and I have the best defence in the league in terms of goals conceded.

If your player has the attributes to  work in the role and the role fits your tactic, you’ll be fine to use the player there.

Edited February 19, 2021 by bibird.

[claretonmyshirt]

appreciate the helps guys