Tactical advice

[Filke]

Lets assume im playing 4-3-3 narrow, 3 strikers and 3 mc's. Which players should I mark against 4-2-3-1, 4-1-2-3, 4-4-2? Should my outide strikers mark their fullbacks ?

[robot_skeleton]

If you do not have a player naturally in the DM strata then you should instruct someone (preferably a defensive minded players) to always mark the player in the AM strata. Other than that you should be aware of the wingers doubling up with fullbacks which they will do if you play with 3 strikers, that's the risk you take with using that formation. You can instruct those strikers to mark but they probably won't.

[Filke]

Thanks.

[Snorks]

Mark whoever the threat is in the opposition - I wouldn't have any 'set' marking instructions as each opponent is different. Close Down or Mark Tighter, or individual player instructions would all depend on the opposition.

Remember, to man-mark you are effectively removing one of your tactical pieces from the game to nullify an opponents tactical piece. If it works really well, you effectively turn it into a ten vs ten scenario.

Who is the playmaker in the opponent's set up? A 4-2-3-1 for example may have deep playmaker in MC strata, AMC strata or on the wings (or more than one) so to stop the ball getting to him a marking job may be required to stop the ball getting to him.

A deeper playmaker, I may let him have the ball, but press aggressively to make it difficult for him to do anything with it. A wide playmaker or very mobile one could pull your defense apart with his movement if you have a player tied to his shorts string, opening gaps for others to exploit.

It really is horses for courses to my mind but I find I rarely, if ever, need to set specific marking instructions as part of a tactic - only using it in game as and when I feel it s needed.

To simplify, Close Down stops a player doing much with the ball, Man-Marking stops other players giving to him in the first place.

EDIT: How good are your players Marking attributes?