Having problems with my full backs

[nicobile]

Well, i ve been playing FM14 for a while, and now im playing a save which i started when the game came officially out. At first there was a problem with fb ratings, which supposedly was fixed quickly. While my two fb were getting low rating from day one and it didnt really change with the patch, i was winning almost all my matches, and playing really well. Now im in a dry spell, my team is playing crap so my results are suffering a lot. The thing is that now that im not winning, my fb are getting really low ratings, almost never above 6.3. In fact, i played 22 matches, and between the 4 players that can play in fb position, only one got one time an av rating of more than 7. Its was a 7.1, and he scored a goal in that match, so probably was because of that. That means that 43 ratings (not counting the ones where they were subs) they got at most 6.9. Thats including matches where i won by more than 3 goals.

As it seems that this problem was solved and ppl are not complaining about it anymore, i suppose its my tactics. So i came here for same help.

Right now im playing like this:

In the beta i was playing a similar tactic and i was destroying everyone. Now im really struggling, specially because my defense in sucking really bad and my players are shooting from distance all the time despite they having better options.

Any helpful, not condecending tips are welcome. Its the first time in my FM history that im not happy with the way my team is playing, i thought i understood the new tactics system, but i guess not so much lol.

Thanks in advance!

[HTC]

Unfortunatelly i had to leave home and i dont have the stats in that pc to confirm that but can you see where is the problem when they have low ratings?

Is it headers he doesnt win or tackles or anything else?

I am using a tactic from FM13 and my full backs finished season with 6.80+ rating.

But i remember in one game one of them had 5,someting rating it was the headers he lost. (he lost 5 of 6)

Another thing i saw was that full backs with low positioning/marking/tackling tend to be bad (which is logical)

[Guest]

There is a known defending problem which is being worked on yada yada yada. Some people have found 3 at the back with wing backs helps.

[bababooey]

I can tell you from personal experience that fullback defending has not been as bad as some people on here claim it is.. I had a fullback from Carlisle (a league 1 side) go 18/18 in tackles against my Fulham team. Mind you he was matched up against an above average winger. The AI cannot do anything that we the users cannot do. It's the same. Now it's possible that he had the game of his life, but I think it still shows defending isn't necessarily broken. It could be improved, and will be, but it's not broken.

As far as your situation goes: you're using fullbacks on support in an attacking system, so they'll be positioned decently high up the pitch. Perhaps they don't have the quality to cope with that much space left in behind? I don't know what their ratings are but obviously that would play a big part in their success/failure relative to their opposition. You're also "pushing higher up" despite already having a high Dline from the attacking strategy, and playing wider too which could isolate your fullbacks from the rest of the team. You've got 3 attacking duties up top + a 4th on the right side midfield. I would suggest changing at least one of those 3 up top to a supporting duty. Better link play between all the players should result in better performance from your fullbacks. Right now they've got a hefty duty even with those wide mid's in front of them, simply because you don't really have anyone in the centre of the park. the AMC's are on attack, and the BWM in the DMC slot is going to be closing down all over the place, not helping your fullbacks.

Hope this helps!

[nicobile]

In the pics i linked in the first post you can see the stats of the two first choices for the two positions. They are not bad nor good, but take into account that im playing in the second div of Argentina. Im just trying to play to my team strengths. I dont have a balanced squad. What i try to do with the wide setting is to give more spaces for my two AM, or if they defend them well, having the wide midfielders take advantage of this. Also, i thought it would help the fb be closer to the opp wingers as normally they cant stop any cross.

With the pushing higher up, i try to make the team more cohesive, try not to play like two units, the 4 defs and the def mid are really far from the rest of the team without this instruction.

Having say that, i know i should make my team defense line stay deeper because they are all really old and lack any kind of pace. But because my team media prediction is to finish first, and is by far the one with the biggest reputation, the opponents normally sit back, making really dull games were nothing really happens. Im trying to get new defenders, but its hard lol. I was able to pick one pretty descent for free, just one match away from him joining.

They dont really play bad, for example, the one that is bugging me the most with his sub par performances (he is by some margin the player with the best CA of the team) is the one that is getting the worst av ratings. His tackes % is 96 (only one missed), only one mistake led to a goal, just one yellow, no red, 84% of passes, running a lot per match (12 km). About headers, the game doesnt give you this info easily, just looking at his form, he more or less wins 75% of them, with i think is a lot for someone so little (tho hes stats are descent for this, jumping 9 being the worst by far).

Now i started using the work into box instruction, with mix results, but that makes me able to play the playmaker in support role (he has the ppm tries long shots, and he takes at least 8 each match with shoot less, which in support i cant choose. Hope that helps a bit, tho im not sure.

[nicobile]

Well, im still having the same problems. I changed the mentality to counter (in some specific cases i still use attacking), i also change to support the advance playmaker and to attack the right left back. Still the same, getting all matches an averange rating of less than 6.8.

Normally if im 0-0 they are between 6.4 and 6.6, and when i concede they automatically go down to 5.1 or 5.4, doesnt matter if the goal was score nowhere near their area of influence. If i win, they might get a 6.8, but no more (unless they score). I dont know what else to do, any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

[ajsr1982]

Wouldn't worry about it too much. The full back ratings seem a little volatile. My LB has been getting some shocking match ratings, and looking at his statistics, I can't work out for the life of me why that is the case.

There are known issues, I hear.

[j4y_z]

No surprise at all. You're playing the christmas tree formation. They are all waiting for presents.

[nicobile]

No surprise at all. You're playing the christmas tree formation. They are all waiting for presents.

Hahahaha, you made my day. One is having one of those days where you think you should have stay in bed, and pum, someone with something so small makes you laugh like you are the happiest man on earth hahah.

I thought the problem with the rating was fix at least to some extent. I dont see other posts talking about this like in the beta. Thats why im so baffled about this. The thing is, that the ratings are so low that the supports are ranting, the president is ranting, club legends too.