Good attack but bad defense help needed.

[trueblue9877]

I'd like to find out what ways I could improve the defending in this tactic, the tactic has been decently successful as it has gotten a team that is supposed to finish in the bottom half of the table consistently in the top half but I have noticed a worrying trend where the opposition's xG is around 1.5 - 2.5 during bad games although my team averages about 1.7 xG created for  a newly promoted team in the Segunda Division, which changes would you make to help limit the opposition in this scenario? 

[Johnny Ace]

That's looks fine, you might just need to strengthen your defensive triangle. I'd change up the centre backs to plain CD(D)s, there's no real need for them to be playing risky passes when they should have easy passing options around them 

[trueblue9877]

4 hours ago, Johnny Ace said:

That's looks fine, you might just need to strengthen your defensive triangle. I'd change up the centre backs to plain CD(D)s, there's no real need for them to be playing risky passes when they should have easy passing options around them 

Which role changes do you think would help to solidify the midfield? 

[Johnny Ace]

8 hours ago, trueblue9877 said:

Which role changes do you think would help to solidify the midfield? 

I think your midfield set up looks sound mate, just a case of bringing in better players I think 

[Sharkn20]

What kind of goals are you mostly allowing?

Counter attacks?

Balls over the top?

Set pieces?

[nully29]

This could work if you had better players. But considering you have worse players than opposition, this is too aggressive.

Drop LOE a notch to increase your compactness

Drop "prevent short GK distribution". You don't want their goalie to hoof it up when opponents better players will likely win the ball. You just help them bypass your high press.

Employ opposition instructions to improve your D. Show everyone on weaker foot except for their AM and ST.

Always press their flank players

Mark their central players tight, except for their ST

Your wingers should man mark opponent wingbacks

May also change AF to PFa, however this would make your attacks too toothless, so you might change IFs to IFa or CMs to any attacking role to compensate

Edited January 3, 2022 by nully29

[trueblue9877]

On 03/01/2022 at 11:45, Sharkn20 said:

What kind of goals are you mostly allowing?

Counter attacks?

Balls over the top?

Set pieces?

Mostly balls over the top / long passes on counters and players losing the ball with bad passes high up the pitch and the opposition countering.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, trueblue9877 said:

Mostly balls over the top / long passes on counters and players losing the ball with bad passes high up the pitch and the opposition countering.

1. You need to fix that morale because it's a vicious cycle and is a killer of tactics imo.  From what I can see at least seven players on your squad are no where near match fit which will lead to onfield problems as well, there are bound to be some B team players that need fitness too so organise friendlies for the B team in midweek make those players not in your matchday plans available for the B team and get your players fit asap. 

2. You have identified how you're conceding that's great but what have you changed? You're turning the ball over a lot through bad passes but why is that happening? Who is doing it, why are they doing it and what can you do to change that? Sorting defensive issues out at the start at the breakdown of transitions are key and I can already see some of the reasons I think that might happen. Go back and watch every goal from the point of the breakdown of your tranitions and watch how it happens make a note whose responsible and then start finding the patterns of why you are turning the ball over.

3. You're being hit by passes over the top which is natural when you are playing a high line heavy pressing game. Have you analysed your defenders key attributes compared to the league average? 

Some of the key issues as I see it without seeing a game:

1. You have a dribble heavy set-up with two of your front three being below average dribblers, this leads to turnovers and counters. 

2. Valcarce has terrible composure and decision making attributes. That guy will make bad passes more often than not when pressured, yet you have him as an inside forward where he is hard coded to be making more riskier passes. You are also playing him on the right, do you have him fully up to speed on the right because the one thing that playing people out of their natural position hits attributewise is their decision attributes which are already not great.

3. Berjon has poor work rate and aggression. He really wont help your counter pressing play.

4. Where to begin with the defence. Three key things I look for in a higher line are Anticipation, Concentration and Positioning 

Then I look at pace and accelaration, and then I look at the usual defensive attributes, marking and tackling being more important. 

You can see defensively you are average to deficient in some of those areas. That's a really difficult squad to achieve what you want and you seem to be doing well all things cosidered but there are things you can do to mitigate some of the deficiencies but first off for me personally I would concentrate on the turnovers that are leading to counterattacks as your first priority. Every unnecessary turn-over is diinishing the chances of you scoring and giving the opposition more chances to score.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Crazy_Ivan

[trueblue9877]

On 05/01/2022 at 08:34, Crazy_Ivan said:

1. You need to fix that morale because it's a vicious cycle and is a killer of tactics imo.  From what I can see at least seven players on your squad are no where near match fit which will lead to onfield problems as well, there are bound to be some B team players that need fitness too so organise friendlies for the B team in midweek make those players not in your matchday plans available for the B team and get your players fit asap. 

2. You have identified how you're conceding that's great but what have you changed? You're turning the ball over a lot through bad passes but why is that happening? Who is doing it, why are they doing it and what can you do to change that? Sorting defensive issues out at the start at the breakdown of transitions are key and I can already see some of the reasons I think that might happen. Go back and watch every goal from the point of the breakdown of your tranitions and watch how it happens make a note whose responsible and then start finding the patterns of why you are turning the ball over.

3. You're being hit by passes over the top which is natural when you are playing a high line heavy pressing game. Have you analysed your defenders key attributes compared to the league average? 

Some of the key issues as I see it without seeing a game:

1. You have a dribble heavy set-up with two of your front three being below average dribblers, this leads to turnovers and counters. 

2. Valcarce has terrible composure and decision making attributes. That guy will make bad passes more often than not when pressured, yet you have him as an inside forward where he is hard coded to be making more riskier passes. You are also playing him on the right, do you have him fully up to speed on the right because the one thing that playing people out of their natural position hits attributewise is their decision attributes which are already not great.

3. Berjon has poor work rate and aggression. He really wont help your counter pressing play.

4. Where to begin with the defence. Three key things I look for in a higher line are Anticipation, Concentration and Positioning 

Then I look at pace and accelaration, and then I look at the usual defensive attributes, marking and tackling being more important. 

You can see defensively you are average to deficient in some of those areas. That's a really difficult squad to achieve what you want and you seem to be doing well all things cosidered but there are things you can do to mitigate some of the deficiencies but first off for me personally I would concentrate on the turnovers that are leading to counterattacks as your first priority. Every unnecessary turn-over is diinishing the chances of you scoring and giving the opposition more chances to score.

I have tried to address the long balls behind the defence but the same thing still happens  when I use standard DL + Standard LOE + more urgent pressing, I would prefer to use a mid block as my team is expected to be one of the worst  but I'm not too sure how to set one up effectively,  the  advanced analytics for my team at the end of the season usually says " good attack, shaky defence" but I'm not sure how to improve the defending against better teams.

Edited January 8, 2022 by trueblue9877
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