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Best way to close out a tight game?


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I'm managing Arsenal and we tend to be sloppy in the last 5 mins of the game! But don't know a consistent successful way of doing so....

Any idea's guys?

It's tricky, sometimes playing really defensive with time wasting does the trick but it can also let the opponent back into the game as you are not putting pressure on them anymore. Sometimes playing more attacking with more pressure is actually more effective to close out a game. By the same principle taking a fast striker off can give the opponent the ability to play higher up with more defensive players joining the attack as you just put only way to punish them on the bench.

I am usually to scared to make any changes (especially if it's going reasonably well). If the opponent is already creating chances and putting the pressure on you it's probably best to get more defensive and sit deep. If you are still in control of the game and having the majority of the ball without giving away chances at the back it's probably better to keep things as they are or even up the pressure another notch. In the end it's always a gamble. I bet Co Adriaanse would put an extra striker on the pitch to see out a game :p.

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I am usually to scared to make any changes (especially if it's going reasonably well). If the opponent is already creating chances and putting the pressure on you it's probably best to get more defensive and sit deep. If you are still in control of the game and having the majority of the ball without giving away chances at the back it's probably better to keep things as they are or even up the pressure another notch. In the end it's always a gamble. I bet Co Adriaanse would put an extra striker on the pitch to see out a game :p.

Im same, if im winning never usually change anything for the simple fact that I dont want to unbalance the team that is winning. Usually just edge of my set praying does the trick

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I personally just switch my mentality to counter and get fresh legs in key areas onto the pitch. A tiring defender is worse for the team in this case than a tiring striker, so prioritise your substitusions. Also try and match the changes in formation made by the AI to prevent them scoring by having 4 players up front. Change some roles to more defensive minded settings e.g. Inside Forward Attack to Defensive Winger Support.

Oh, and horde the ball like the mean kids who won't let you play with it. Knock the ball around, restrict through balls to those who can actually play them. Just anything to stop them getting the ball into a promising position

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  • 2 weeks later...

There's no blanket answer to this one. It depends on your tactics, as well as the opposition's. For example if you have a 4-4-2, the obvious thing is to drop a Striker, but for what? Depends on the resources at your disposal.

I play as Arsenal too, with a 4-2-3-1 deep formation. If I'm getting to the last 10 of a tight match, away to a big team (at home I keep attacking), then I'll drop my Trequartista into a lone CM on Ball Winner - Support, he'll still get up the pitch but he'll put pressure on the creative heart of the opposition. For me, this is dropping RvP or Arshavin for Song, Diaby or Vertonghan. Leaving the wingers and Advanced Forward free to counter. Depending on the opposing formation, I might turn the wingers effectively into Trequartista's, by telling them not to run from deep, but to sit in front of the opposing full backs and look for through balls to Theo.

Increasing time wasting is just good sense, I'm not sold on this having a big effect on the way you play.

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