Right back keeps randomly charging out of position

[Nehruviandoof]

Hey guys, I'm a long way into a FM19 save with St. Albans City, we're regular title challengers/winners now but I have a problem that I can't quite solve. Occasionally, when the ball is out on the left wing, my right back will charge out of position to literally the other side of the pitch - as shown in the video I've just uploaded. I'm used to this happening maybe once or twice a season, but I jut put it down to a weird glitch in the game engine, but this season it's happened 4 times already in 8 games (2/4 times have been following throw ins, such as in the video, but the other times have not been following set pieces/throw ins).

Whenever this happens, we obviously end up conceding so it's quite frustrating as I can't really fathom why it occurs, especially since it has occurred with three different players playing at right back. I've uploaded my tactics, and the players I have used at right back, can anyone offer any advice as to why this is happening and how to stop it? 

I'm not very keen to use my full backs to mark opposing wingers as this will risk them getting drawn out of position even more.

[DarJ]

maybe take out extremely urgent pressing and see what happens and are you sure the person in question us your RB?

[Nehruviandoof]

It's definitely my RB, my apologies that the video I've uploaded isn't the clearest but if you look at the back 4 at the start and focus on the RB, you'll see him charge out like a mad man. I'm open to giving your suggestion a try, but surely having extremely urgent pressing wouldn't cause one player to run 20 yards out of position to opposite side of the field while the rest of the back 4 stay in the line. 

[Experienced Defender]

In the video you uploaded, it is a set-piece situation - i.e. an opposition throw-in on your left flank - as opposed to an open-play situation. Therefore, what is shown in the video is not relevant enough that the behavior of your RB could be properly analyzed.

Apart from that, I agree with Darj that extremely urgent pressing can cause players to charge out of position, and I think the reason is obvious. The more aggressive pressing style, the more likely players will generally be to leave their position to press.

[Nehruviandoof]

As I said in my opening message, of the 4 goals I've conceded via my right back charging out of position, only 2 have come following set pieces, so unfortunately the issue (whatever it is) is a bit deeper than just set pieces.

I'm also not sure that using an aggressive pressing style makes it "obvious" that an elite full back (in fact three separate full backs, as this scenario has happened with three different players, sometimes from set pieces, sometimes from open-play) would run 20 yards laterally, across three of his team mates. I'll give a slightly less aggressive pressing style a go, but I've had this scenario happen in previous seasons when I've been using a slightly less aggressive pressing style, so I think the issue lies elsewhere - I just can't figure it out.

Edited April 8, 2021 by Nehruviandoof

[Domus Clamantium]

IMO there's two main things going on here which affect the decision of your right back, whoever is selected to play there, to charge out.

One is that as already mentioned you have a high pressing system.

But the other is that the other nearby players have roles and or duties which are not inclined towards defence, therefore leading the full back to act as if he is on his own. A roaming playmaker doesn't have much interest in defending and neither does a winger on attack. Furthermore I'd wager the players you deploy here are unlikely to have good positioning or tackling, although I'd hope otherwise particularly for the MCR. If you look at the opposite flank, your IF is on support so he will track back, and your DLP is on defend so he will shield the defence somewhat and mop up the left from time to time so it makes sense that side is more solid. By the way, the right back being on support also makes him more likely to close down to support his teammates.

Naturally the solutions are that you need to change the way your team closes down and/or at the very least alter your right flank to be of more assistance without the ball to your right back.

For example you could put your winger on support and you could change your roaming playmaker to be a deep lying playmaker on support and then switch the other CM to a CM(D) or BWM(D).

Personally I'm of the view that the 4231 is designed to press high up the pitch and be used by a dominant team in the league so you'll want to maintain your pressing if you are in fact a dominant side, but that comes at the price of your central midfielders being assigned conservative roles and duties. The idea is that the central two hold position to temper any counter attacks and allow your front 4 and possibly full backs to get forward. If you are not a dominant team you would likely benefit from using a 4-4-1-1 which is almost the same formation but more solid defensively due to the wingers being closer to the full backs out of possession at the cost of not being able to specify a role like Raumdeuter, Wide Target Man or IF(A). Wide midfielder roles offer very little preset instructions so offer a lot of versatility and customisation to counter that cost.

When it comes to closing down my view is that teamwide instructions are more of a hindrance than a help. I prefer to go with individual instructions. In your case if you really want to persist with the roaming playmaker and winger on attack, set your full back to defend duty or possibly even set him to Limited Full Back to highly encourage that he stays in line with his defensive teammates. If you're interested in doing closing down on an individual level, scrap the teamwide instruction and then it makes sense for your full backs to be set to close down less and have your midfielders close down more.

I have been experiencing the exact same problem you have except in FM18, and telling the full backs to close down much  less and making my midfielders more defensive in roles and duties (changed from DLPs and MEZs to 2x CARs) and also in terms of the personnel I employ there helped greatly. The leakiness of my team's defence was particularly laid bare this season in my save where I went from having expectations of finishing in the top half of the Prem and for the first third of the season I was fighting relegation losing heavily even to the bottom teams and we went out of the league cup against a L1 team. Having made the above changes and signing a better centre back, we are now in 7th place in March, meeting expectations.

Edited April 10, 2021 by Domus Clamantium

[Experienced Defender]

9 hours ago, Domus Clamantium said:

But the other is that the other nearby players have roles and or duties which are not inclined towards defence, therefore leading the full back to act as if he is on his own

This is a very good observation  

[Domus Clamantium]

14 hours ago, Experienced Defender said:

This is a very good observation  

Thanks. Couldn't have said all that without experiencing exactly the same problem myself.