Why is a narrower tactic weaker defensivly then a wide one?

[MickeyFelipe]

Hey,

so 2 exact tactics with just one difference. One is narrow (6), the other wide (14, or 16) and the wide on conceded only 0.2-3 goals per match. Practically bulletproof. I change it to narrow and it just starts leaking all over the place. I expected it to be weaker on the sides, but i'm leaking goals through the middle!!! My pitch in now the biggest, because i played wide for a while. I will change it to narrow, but what the hell??? If anything it should be even more safe defensivly.

Can someone explain?

[artimahbuhs]

Getting it up the arse down the flanks is okay in terms of logic here. But getting hit down the middle is incomprehensible...

[MickeyFelipe]

But it happens all the time. Before i changed it to narrow my defensive line was perfect. My fullbacks would cover my cb. nothing would go through. I'm dinamo zagreb and clubs like real madrid couldn't score a goal. I actually had 0.2 goals per game against me for a while. Now the losers form the croatian league score goals. I just don't get what needs to be adjusted when going narrow. Maybe less closing down?

[phnompenhandy]

Check your match preparation screen. Has the 'width' bar taken a hit? It maybe that the players need to relearn that part of your tactics, and so it will take a few weeks for them to become fluid.

[NakS]

Just a thought.

Sometimes play too narrow can be tricky especially regarding marking system and closing down. Basically when you defend and the opponent has the ball since a long time and play possession football, width doesn't matter that much, it matters when in transition from offense to defense, when opponent has just regained the ball.

Do you use high closing down? Or OI instruction on opponent winger while playing a narrow formation?

Because what you are describing reminds me the way Dortmund IRL defend, they play quite narrow with their 3 AMs and the lone forward, fullback provide width. When they lost the ball they close down heavily as a team and tackling is hard as well, what is happening is they sometimes lost shape...in the middle! Due to over agressive closing down from the center to the touchline, player get dragged out of position.

I found myself in the same situation but using a 41212 (narrow diamond), facing a wider formation I actually increase width to make my players a bit closer to the opponent on the break and slow down thing before they get the ball. Before I played quite narrow, my 2 shuttlers were late on the closing down and opponent has the time on the ball to hit me through the middle if they are good at passing and play a quite high tempo, and let me close them down. They are just passing around your player coming from the center to hit you through the center.

So too narrow is not always defensively sound, you have to found the sweet spot. But lot of specualtions as I don't know the way you are playing and which kind of formation you are facing

[MickeyFelipe]

It seams that the fullback close down way too much when i switched to narrow, but i tried everything now. Lower dl. Higher dl. Less cd. More cd. Nothing works!!! The defense is basically **** and if anything it should get better when tighter. Please note that my defense beofre switching to narrow was the best one i ever saw. 0.2 golas per game against me. Arsenal, real, inter... couldn't score a goal against me. Everything perfectly set up. As soon as i switched to narrow leaking all over the place. First big game lost 3:0 against atletico madrid, whom i beat 2:0 just a short while ago.

Nice work SI. You actually did something that is baffling to anyone that uses common sense.

The only reason why i switched to narrow is because this ****** game doesn't allow side midfilders who are set up as inside forwards to move into channels and go score goals, but as soon as you switched to narrow, the game allows it, but hey then your defense is crap. God damn you people It's a wonder how this game got this far.