Vitesse

[thinkadHi]

Please take a look at this team and this tactic and explain to me how I concede in the 94'th minute every game, how i have 5 post-hits every game, how I lose to Anji after a goalkeeper mistake in the first leg and how they beat me at home 9 games out of 10 every time.

Oh. Simulated the game with my Assistant in charge and we win 4-0, same tactic, same team.

Lost to PSV next, to be expected. Played Herenveen at home, scored for 2-1 in the 92'nd minute. 94'th minute, mistake in my OWN BOX by a defender who, for some reason, decided to dribble, 2-2.

[heliu5]

Why don't you try to change the tactic around 80-th minute if you concede late often? I always change my shape to extremely defensive setup if I'm winning with 1 goal margin (1-0,2-1 etc.) and my team plays bad or I'm playing a better opposition. Here's a screenshot of my team instructions when I do that. Note: You shouldn't do this too early, I always try to change it around 80th minute and usually it's changed around 83-84.

Mind my Fluid style, though changing to Rigid or Very Rigid doesn't change much, I would suggest you use that. From the picture you can see I have 8 people who defend 5 + 3 but their are also capable of defending (Tackling, Marking, Positioning etc.).

The most important things you need to consider are:

- Have a Contain Strategy with Short passing (if you have a good side with good players) or Direct (if you have a weaker side).

- Closing Down should be Default or Less because you need to keep shape. Same goes to Tackling.

- You need Man Marking. It's more effective than Zonal Marking when defending a result.

- No Creative Freedom, no Roaming etc.

- You need a few players capable of holding the ball (CM defend or Target Man etc.)

- If you have WBR/WBL/AM/AMR/AML, change them to FBR/FBL/MC/MR/ML respectively. You don't need players higher up the pitch.

- You need 8 or 9 "defenders". Those are the players in defense and midfield (FB,SW,DC,DM,MC). Only one ST is enough.

In the screenshot you can see I have a 1-4-3-2 formation but I have this formation because I lack wingers. If you have wide players then it's better to play a 4-1-4-1 formation or 1-4-4-1 formation if you have a Sweeper. 5-4-1 it's not bad as well. You can experiment plus you can choose the formation according to your players.

I haven't conceded until now playing this way.

[Guest]

Conversely if you are conceding whilst being ultra defensive then perhaps you are inviting too much pressure and you could do with controlling the game a bit more.

[Krum]

With your roles in midfield I'm surprised they are not beating you 10 out of 10.

Check out this thread - http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/348223-Setting-up-an-effective-4-2-3-1

It contains everything you need to know about your formation.