Defence being pulled all over the park

[Sharly1989]

Ok so hopefully there will be a quick and simple answer... But my defence is just very leaky (especially away from home) and I think it is because my CBs are being pulled out of position by the oppositions attack.

My current settings are:

Team Zonal Marking

D.Line in the Middle

Closing down own Area for CBs and Middle for FBs

Mentality and Creative Freedom Far Left of slider for CBs, Nudge to the left of both for FBs

Tight Marking ticked (think this may be the problem, not sure!?)

4-4-2 with Blackburn

Asenjo/Robinson

Steinsson---S.Taylor/Samba---M.Turner/M.Radoi---Mattock/Warnock

Leanardo Ponzio CM with a Barrow mopping things up

Cheers in advance with any help appreciated

[phnompenhandy]

Do you use OIs? Do you tight-mark or close down oppo players?

[isuckatfm]

throw up a pkm.

but generally CBs get drawn out in one of 2 ways.

1. Balls in behind FBs to advanced wingers who head for the byline draws them out. Having their mentality at 1 and FBs at 11 probably isn't helping (my own issues with defender decision making in this regard aside).

2. midfielders getting into the gap, which is a problem not with your defence but with your midfield set up in that they aren't tracking aggressively. But I would have thought your closing down staggered would prevent that (unless their wingers attack your FB from deeper positions, their MC pushes up almost in line and as a result your FB isn't there to prevent the CB coming out to close). Incidentally one possible solution to this will also help with scenario 1 as a more defensive minded central midfielder will drop back to plug the hole left by your CB (tight arking can mess with this if the opposition midfielder gets close enough to trigger, causing him to run away from your goal to pick up as their winger attacks the byline)

Both paragraphs above purely hypothetical. Looking at pkm(s) should reveal the issue to you.

[Bigshow1]

Try first notch of defensive for your central defenders. I have one at this and the next one on the next notch up. Fullbacks at about one notch below the middle.