The team goes down without a fight - FM2013

[SpartanUTD]

Team: TSG Hoffenheim

Competitions: Budesligua, Champions League, German Cup

Expectations: European qualification, 1st knockout round, Semi-Final

Formations: 4-2-3-1 balanced/attacking and sometimes 4-2-3-1 balanced/control.

Squad: Highly ambitious, higly determined players but low in teamwork.

Pitch dimensions: 105x68m (from 101x65m)

I am using this formation for the past 10 seasons that I am coaching the team and won one Cup, a few 3rd and 2nd positions, never the League.

Most seasons, it provided me with one of the 5 best defenses (my culture is that a good team starts from a good defense) and in the top half of attacks.

This season, I decided to make minor changes to the squad, even if my club is rich, and even less in tactics. I only increased the width by 2 for the attacking version and 4 clicks up from narrow setting for the control version.

I only made 7 transfers, of which only 2 were 2 19yo (signed for free) for the 1st squad for future investment. I have 3 players for most of the positions, mainly promoting youth back-up players from the reserves. I have only sold 2 players I was using a lot and one more because he asked for transfer. Still have a 34 players squad with a few long-term injured.

The problem:

I started with a 2-5 win against AA Gent in the CL best placed and it all seemed nice, till the league kicked off. I struggled to get a 1-2 win away to newly promoted Werder Bremen and only won once the weak Bayer Leverkusen in the next 7 games.

My defense leaks from left, right and center. The opponent wingers and strikers literally walk in the penalty area, pass the ball like if my players are not there and they score easily and comfortably.  In the attack, my strikers seem to love the posts at the moment and they struggle to get shots in.

What I think might be wrong, but not sure:

Sometimes, increasing the width of the tactics, as I increased the pitch width by 4 meters, overloaded my center-backs who could not always cope well, especially with fast and agile strikers. But instead, my full-backs are the ones who struggle and I noticed a few times my CBs running outside the penalty area to cover the skinned full-back. In some other cases, it looks like my players are in position but not willing to put-up a fight and this is what frustrates me! The opponents look like they just walk through them!

Next, I am playing Barcelona away and I don't want to think what will happen if I don't make some positive changes.

What do you suggest guys?

[Experienced Defender]

I haven't played FM13, so I cannot tell you for sure what is the cause of your issues. But logically speaking, your defensive vulnerabilities may well stem from the "Press more" team instruction (in both tactics) and More aggressive tackling in the second one, especially given that you use a top-heavy system, and with nobody in DM to more directly protect the defense. More aggressive styles of defending tend to make your players - including defenders - move out of their defensive positions to press the opponent and thus disrupt your defensive shape, creating extra pockets of space for opposition to exploit.

[SpartanUTD]

This is a good point, I will reconsider and see how it works, thank you.

[SpartanUTD]

As expected, I am pulling my defense back, I never score and my strikers get a max of 6.7 AR.

I try to play wider/control, my defense in the middle looks hollow.

I can't even win small to average teams in the league.

I tried counter attack and team is only defending.

I am desperate, suddenly it looks like the whole team gave up on me.

I haven't even given a single warning for a fine this season, which is really good compare to other seasons.