Leoforos Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hello everyone. For the past season or two I have been using a 352 system. This formation has brought me great success as it combines a very solid defensive structure with good offensive potential. This is the layout ( I don't have the game in english so sorry for no screen) .............AF(a)...............DLF(s)................ ............................................................ ............CM(s)................CM(a)................ .CWB(a)............DLP(d)...............CWB(s)... ............CD(d)....CD©......CD(d).............. The DLF and CM(s) are both instructed to move into channels and both strikers and central mids are instructed to close down much more. A couple more PIs here and there but these are mostly situational. My TIs usually are : play out of defense, play ball into box, close down more, stay on feet and prevent GK distribution. I sometimes use higher tempo. I play on normal mentality with flexible fluidity. The system works great. I love the way the CWB behave, especially the attacking one as he's basically a winger at this point, getting into the box and scoring the occasionnal goal. As I've said I have had great success with this system as it suits my players really well, but because of this success the opposition often parks the double bus against me. My last game was against a 343 formation with 3 CD and 2 DMs and WBs !! That's 7 players in their own half. I ended up winning but only because I was awarded with a penalty after intense camping in their area. My question therefore is this : How do you deal with extemely defensive teams? I usually tend to drop a bit deeper and control possession, as I find it pointless to try and pierce that kind of defensive set up with through balls. Basically my hope is that I keep the ball and just keep shooting close to their penalty spot hoping that at some point one of the rebounds is going to be favorable ( or that I might win a penalty). This, however, is extremely frustrating. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any and all suggestions. Also sorry for any mistakes:o Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rninejr Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Your decision to drop deeper is quite a logical solution n mostly regarded as a correct response. That way u can try to lure opposition away resulting on mistake. But if your opponent is so stubborn to the point they refuse to break their defensive shape, there, is the time to maximize your player's flair by playing more fluid n encourage more self-expression. The method I use the most to break that kind of stubborn defense is by overloading one flank then 1-2 players from the opposite flank will attempt to run forward to receive risky pass from the overloaded flank. The other method is to use set piece. Free-kick, throw in, or corner whatever is fine. This can be achieved via individual dribbling or more longshot than usual. U shouldn't need to worry about counter attack if facing this kind of defense as long as u have enogh player on the back compared to their attack-minded players. But using any set piece exploit is not recommended (come on it's not fun) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOG Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 B]How do you deal with extemely defensive teams?[/b] I usually tend to drop a bit deeper and control possession, as I find it pointless to try and pierce that kind of defensive set up with through balls You are generally correct to conclude that through balls and passes into space are ineffective against a deep-lying defence. From there, you need to consider your options to achieve penetration and build from there. The basic three options against a very deep defence are: Crosses Distance shooting Dribbling Now, for each of these options, you will want to make the following considerations: a) Crosses Who will be delivering crosses? Are they good at dribbling into good positions and playing an accurate cross under pressure? If no, you may need to play crosses from deep and push attackers into the area earlier. Do I have multiple targets in the box to aim crosses at? Do I have players who can win the ball in the air? Do I have players with the mentality and balance to fight for loose balls in a defensive melee? What kind of keeper is the opposition using? Crosses will tend to be more effective against keepers with poor aerial ability and command of area? b) Distance Shooting Who will be shooting from distance? If forwards, are they dropping off to receive the ball at their feet? If midfielders, is the opposition being pushed back deep enough to open up space at the edge of the area? Are wide players instructed to avoid crosses and pull the ball back to midfield? Are the distance shooters in roles that encourage them to look for a shot? Playmakers, for example, will normally look to pass and find options for through balls instead of testing the keeper. Do you have attackers in the box who can pounce on a parried on a ball? Again, look at the opposition keeper. Distance shooting will tend to be more effective against keepers with poor reflexes and handling. c) Dribbling Are the dribblers dropping off to receive the ball or just moving into the box (and thus removing themselves as a reliable passing option)? Players like Robben and Hazard aren't necessarily going to be more effective with an attack duty if it nullifies their dribbling ability. Are there players ahead of the dribblers creating depth (space) into which they can dribble and find space for a shot? How is the opposition lining up? Can your dribblers cope? If they're crowding the middle, the demands on your dribblers' technique, agility and balance will increase. One other point to consider is the switch of play (moving the ball laterally across your midfield when you are in the attacking third). Against a very defensive opponent, you do not want to get railroaded down a single flank, even if you are mainly basing your attacking on crosses. Moving the ball laterally can help draw out defenders and open up space in the channels. Having deeper midfielders with good passing and vision can be an asset in quickly shifting the ball whereas limited, creatively restricted roles like the BWM can give the opposition time to reorganize if the ball is played back to midfield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leoforos Posted August 16, 2015 Author Share Posted August 16, 2015 Thanks a lot for the replies. I took your advice into consideration and tweeked my system as well as role/duty allocation to reflect some of your ideas. I really liked the idea of introducing more dribbling and putting emphasis on switch of play ( plus, it's beautiful to see !). As for crossing, I don't have the type of strikers who are able to consistently win an aerial duel ( the Mandzukic type of player) therefore I would have to go with whipped crosses and just hope to create confusion but that just seems messy and mostly unreliable to me. For dribbling I first tried to use a more dribbling orientated role so I changed the DLF to a Treq, keeping him in the striker slot. I wasn't too happy with the results, as he would drift wide and find himself isolated on the flanks. That could have been a good thing if he had managed to drag a defender or two with him but that didn"t happen. Anyway, he was mostly invisible during my test matches. I then moved him to the AM position, and switched my lone striker to a CF. I instantly saw some changes, as starting deeper allowed my Treq to get the ball earlier but he was then marked out of the game by one or two DM. He was again find himself out wide away from any form of action and when je received the ball he didn"t have enough support around him. This is the main problem with not having any players in the AML/AMR slot, CWBs can give you width but they still play a lot deeper. I can"t get the Treq to work. So I went with a simple AM on attack combined with a CF on support and it has been working well so far even though I don't understand why as this combination seems very close to the initial set up with the DLF.. I'm currently toying with the idea of using an engache in the AM slot, and adding more forward runs to my CMs. I'll get back to you if this yields any results. As for switch of play this has been a revelation so far ! The only thing I did was to change my DLP from a defend to a support duty and voilà ! He plays slightly higher, is more involved in the passing game and already has the appropriate PPM. I'm not saying all my goals come from here but this has really made my play a lot more dynamic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagullfan Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Great thread and some really useful insights Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dngrs Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 b) Distance Shooting Who will be shooting from distance? If forwards, are they dropping off to receive the ball at their feet? If midfielders, is the opposition being pushed back deep enough to open up space at the edge of the area? Are wide players instructed to avoid crosses and pull the ball back to midfield? Are the distance shooters in roles that encourage them to look for a shot? Playmakers, for example, will normally look to pass and find options for through balls instead of testing the keeper. Do you have attackers in the box who can pounce on a parried on a ball? Again, look at the opposition keeper. Distance shooting will tend to be more effective against keepers with poor reflexes and handling. so to push back the opposition u need a striker like a poacher or af? for wingers you need IF to cut inside and shoot? Having deeper midfielders with good passing and vision can be an asset in quickly shifting the ball whereas limited, creatively restricted roles like the BWM can give the opposition time to reorganize if the ball is played back to midfield. so you want the defensive midfielder/anchor or w/e it is to be given a more support/balanced role? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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