Forth season and my tactic is falling apart

[ElectricBoogaloo]

As the title says, I'm in my forth season with Southampton and it just feels like the AI has figured me out. 

In my first season I was prolific, scoring 90 goals in the league on the road to a 4th place finish. In the second season I scored slightly less, but my defence improved and I finished 5th after drawing a few too many games (with the highlight being a 6-1 win over Barcelona in the Champions League quarters finals). The third season was my best yet, notching three more points than I managed in the first season, and ending in a Europa League victory that included big wins over Bayern and Napoli in the semis and the final. My goals dropped again after only scoring 65 in the league, but my defence improved once again, and I only lost six games.

Now, in the forth season, my defence is pretty much the same. I still concede far too many goals from crosses (which are normally carbon copies of each other) but that seems like a problem with the match engine rather than my tactics. Normally I would attribute this to only having full backs on the wing, with no one else to back them up, but I've still conceded loads from crosses in other saves using a flat 4-4-2. My main problem is my scoring record. I've only managed 19 in 16 games, and have lost 1-0 five times. In fact, I've lost eight times already, which is one less than I've ever lost in a single season in the league. So I'm just looking for some advice to get this team scoring again. I can still create chances, but more often that not my players either blast it wide or hit their shots tamely at the 'keeper. So I'm at a loss for what to do, especially after I used to score with ease.

Here's the tactic:

 

I usually stick the fullbacks on support and drop my defence deeper when I'm up against big teams. That has been successful for the most part (I've only lost once to Man Utd, for example, beating them pretty much every other time), but against weaker teams, especially at home, I leave them on attacking and occasionally push the defence higher as well. But otherwise that's it. The only PIs I have on are on the CMs to move into channels, and I have my back 4 closing down less.

[jorgvandervloed]

@ElectricBoogaloo

Because you play without wingers, your flanks will be the most vulnerable spots in your tactic. instead of two players defending, you only have one player defending at the moment. So this is something you should look out for!

Your team-instructions indicate that you want to play a pressing game, but then you play with a ''kind of in the middle'' defensive line. Might be worth looking into rising it so you put some more pressure on your opponents and your players won't have to cover as much space either. 

Nothing wrong with generic roles, but your team attacks the same all the time. There are no roles in your team that mix things up a little bit, but then I did work for about three seasons...

[summatsupeer]

On 1/22/2017 at 14:29, ElectricBoogaloo said:

As the title says, I'm in my forth season with Southampton and it just feels like the AI has figured me out. 

AI does no such thing.

Quote

In my first season I was prolific, scoring 90 goals in the league on the road to a 4th place finish. In the second season I scored slightly less, but my defence improved and I finished 5th after drawing a few too many games (with the highlight being a 6-1 win over Barcelona in the Champions League quarters finals). The third season was my best yet, notching three more points than I managed in the first season, and ending in a Europa League victory that included big wins over Bayern and Napoli in the semis and the final. My goals dropped again after only scoring 65 in the league, but my defence improved once again, and I only lost six games.

Sounds like you've been successful and teams are now treating you differently as your stature has increased. Rather than expecting to beat you they might now be happy to just avoid losing.  Thus leave you less space to attack so you have to create the space.

Quote

Now, in the forth season, my defence is pretty much the same. I still concede far too many goals from crosses (which are normally carbon copies of each other) but that seems like a problem with the match engine rather than my tactics. Normally I would attribute this to only having full backs on the wing, with no one else to back them up, but I've still conceded loads from crosses in other saves using a flat 4-4-2. My main problem is my scoring record. I've only managed 19 in 16 games, and have lost 1-0 five times. In fact, I've lost eight times already, which is one less than I've ever lost in a single season in the league. So I'm just looking for some advice to get this team scoring again. I can still create chances, but more often that not my players either blast it wide or hit their shots tamely at the 'keeper. So I'm at a loss for what to do, especially after I used to score with ease.

Just because you use a different formation doesn't mean its the games fault, maybe your preferences on players attributes or you have similar tactical vulnerabilities that affect how all your teams+tactics?

Assuming teams are being more cautious against you, are you creating the same type of chances with two central players making runs (AF-A + AM-A)? Are the chances they get of the same quality?  Sometimes when I watch them back I wouldn't class some of them as a CCC, i've seen shots from outside the 6 yard box near the byline whilst under pressure for a defender + GK be classed as a CCC.  If not then is the problem that the players aren't good enough to create/find the space or that your instructions aren't putting them in good positions?

Quote

Here's the tactic:

Looks ok, my only worry is with a very narrow formation and very fluid is the midfield will be very close together.  

Quote

I usually stick the fullbacks on support and drop my defence deeper when I'm up against big teams. That has been successful for the most part (I've only lost once to Man Utd, for example, beating them pretty much every other time), but against weaker teams, especially at home, I leave them on attacking and occasionally push the defence higher as well. But otherwise that's it. The only PIs I have on are on the CMs to move into channels, and I have my back 4 closing down less.

If you make them FB-S your probably lacking width so will be relying on them leaving you a lot of space since you won't stretch them.  Against weaker teams you might be contributing to the lack of space behind them since your pushing up more and pinning them in, making your players have to create + find space rather than letting the opponents out more.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will heed some of this advice if things go wrong again, but after posting this yesterday I changed my general training focus from balanced to attacking and my team just started scoring again. I've also left the defensive line on normal and the full backs on support, which seems to be working. 

[MattP100]

On 1/24/2017 at 13:18, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Thanks for the replies guys. I will heed some of this advice if things go wrong again, but after posting this yesterday I changed my general training focus from balanced to attacking and my team just started scoring again. I've also left the defensive line on normal and the full backs on support, which seems to be working. 

I play with Saints too. You could be drastic and move to a 3-4-3 (5-2-3 WB). Ward-Prowse is great as a WBR and with the wealth of strikers you have three up front would peg teams back and (hopefully) smash teams into submission.

[eriktous]

On 24-1-2017 at 01:18, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Thanks for the replies guys. I will heed some of this advice if things go wrong again, but after posting this yesterday I changed my general training focus from balanced to attacking and my team just started scoring again. I've also left the defensive line on normal and the full backs on support, which seems to be working. 

I'm a bit surprised no one responded to this earlier, but as far as I'm aware general training focus has no direct effect on how your team is performing on the pitch. It only influences in what area of their attributes your players are more likely to see increases.

The more likely explanation is that you may have just hit a rough patch, probably influenced by a combination of opponents playing more cautious against you because of your increased reputation, your players becoming complacent after a couple of good seasons, lower morale after a couple of unlucky results in a row, and general randomness.