Closing Down, Tackling Hard, Tight Marking, Weaker Foot

[Clean_Up_Kid]

What factors do you normaly consider when employing these tactics before and during the match? Normally just the star players?
Interested to see what everyone else does

Cheers

 

[BoundedCascade]

for me it depends on the team, if its a team like Man U or Chelsea, I will close down the wingers and put the strikers on weaker foot and always close down rooney. I rarely employ the tight marking.

And if its a low team like Stoke, I just typically do what my assistant tells me to.

 

[Zebedee]

Hard tackling is useful against players who can be bullied off the ball. I'll take a peek at the referee too because if he's card happy my high aggression low tackling skill winger is going to get his instructions set to normal.

Closing down is something which I use the TT&F general principles for - wingers when needed, DMCs always, and AMCs never without a man marker also being on the player. Also useful for opposition FBs too if they are getting forward too much.

Tight marking is set for players who have a lot of skill. I tightly mark as standard but not every player gets the tight mark instruction in his player instructions so I cover that this way so that the zonal markers won't stray too far away if they are directly facing a player who can cause problems.

Weaker foot is something I do in conjunction with the others but for wingers consider whether I'd prefer them to run at goal or get a cross in if my FB messes up.

Remember too that by choosing Oppostion instructions which actually favour the opposition player, you can get teams taking easy passes to their worst player and his next ball will hopefully be as bad as it normally is, so you'll get possession back. 2-1 up and have shut up shop? Set their 'worst' footballing DC to loose marking etc while putting the pressure on other passing options and watch him punt it into the stands every time he gets the ball. Just make sure that DC really is useless at everything other than defending first though

 

[Preston85]

I think it depends on your tactic.

If you have your team set to Tight Marking then do you need to set Tight Marking in the OI? I doubt it, but I can set it to Never but thats only if they have a really bad technical player in a team full of technical players. If I have it set to No then at least I can Tight Mark the appropriate players such as technical players rather than pure speed players or the most advanced "outlet" players so they don't get time on the ball to wait for support.

Closing down I think depends on type of marking. If playing Zonal and opponent is playing really wide so his wingers are on the lines then you might have to sell you players to always close them down. I try to minimise my use so players don't get dragged out of position, usually its just the most advanced forward so he gets surrounded before he can pass to support.

Show onto Foot I follow TT&F instructions although sometimes don't use it, rather the player just tackle them then trying to show them in a direction. Although I have no idea if giving a show onto foot instruction makes a tackle attempt less likely.

Tackling really depends on how the attacking/defending balance is, if they are the dominant team then Hard tackling for forward players means Free Kicks in scoring positions, probably more Yellow cards and a risk of Red/Penalties. If your the attacking team then Hard tackling on forwards means free kicks will usually be in the middle of the field so the greater chance of wining the ball back is worth it, plus you have more possession so less tackles so less chance of yellow.

 

[TheBetterHalf]

I use close down/always on all "link" players ( mostly FC and DMC), regardless if they are playing an attacking or defensive approach against me. It is especially important if you are playing a defensive team that uses an advanced forward, running in behind the d-line. Chance that you will be outnumbered in the space between your d-line and midfield when his "reinforcement" arrives. But if you instead regain possession early and higher up the field, t-balls can be more deadly as the AI defenders and midfielder might be in the middle of an movement and out of their defensive position<o></o>

 

[PaddyK94]

i close down the midfield and tight mark and show onto weaker foot on the strikers. if i remember then i close the goalie aswell cos i have got three goals this season from the goalie mis kicking it and my striker knocking it in or winning it from him lol

 

[Clean_Up_Kid]

I have tried everything, all of teh above tips. Still was losing loads of games and languishing in teh bottom half.
I decided to stop it compltely, no opp instructions whatsoever, I haven't lost a game since. 0-0 with Arsenal and Chelsea. 4-0 win over Sunderland, 8-0 win in EUFA cup.

I am gonna carry on just leaving it alone. Saves a lot of time also!

When I am more confident and can experiment I'll try just doing it on a few players at most.

 

[christophermcl]

i know you have stopped trying suggestions but anyway:

Gk - closing down and weaker foot
Fb's - one = hard tackling weaker foot and closing down
- the other = tight marking closing down and weaker foot
Cb's - same as Fb's one on each
DM - tight marking hard tackling closing down + weaker foot
Cm - hard tackling weaker foot and closing down unless it is a well known attacking cm ( like lampard or fabregas ) then i would do the same except normal tackling and tight marking
L/Rm - tight marking closing down and weaker foot
Cf's - tight marking closing down hard tackling and weaker foot

 

[Zebedee]

I have tried everything, all of teh above tips. Still was losing loads of games and languishing in teh bottom half.
I decided to stop it compltely, no opp instructions whatsoever, I haven't lost a game since. 0-0 with Arsenal and Chelsea. 4-0 win over Sunderland, 8-0 win in EUFA cup.

I am gonna carry on just leaving it alone. Saves a lot of time also!

When I am more confident and can experiment I'll try just doing it on a few players at most.

Lol

Sometimes you can unbalance a tactic if you use the Opposition Instructions too much. Good luck but keep an eye on what your Assistant Manager suggests

 

[Clean_Up_Kid]

Gk - closing down and weaker foot
Fb's - one = hard tackling weaker foot and closing down
- the other = tight marking closing down and weaker foot
Cb's - same as Fb's one on each
DM - tight marking hard tackling closing down + weaker foot
Cm - hard tackling weaker foot and closing down unless it is a well known attacking cm ( like lampard or fabregas ) then i would do the same except normal tackling and tight marking
L/Rm - tight marking closing down and weaker foot
Cf's - tight marking closing down hard tackling and weaker foot

If I did that I'd lose 5-0

Seriously weird. Teh first game I played ever on it I did really well, I never did any of it. Then I lost the game when transferring to a new comp. I then started to close, hard tackle, tight mark and weaker foot on various players and I kept getting sacked in the 1st season or first few mths of 2nd season. Now I have left it clear again and I'm in 3rd with Everton in 1st season with more stars arriving in transfer window.

What is goin on!?!

 

[Preston85]

Has anything changed to the OI instructions in the patches? Could be a different version issue that makes the results so different.

I use the OI even less than I did when I posted earlier in this topic, really its only show on foot and tackling, plus close down always + weak foot on keeper that gets used every game. I find adjusting the Tight Marking, Marking and Closing Down levels of the tactic is more effective. Sometimes i'll use Closing Down or Tight Marking to Never if that player is no risk on the ball so my players can concentrate marking and closing down the other players, pretty much never use Always since a skillful player just takes advantage of the space created by everyone closing him down.

i know you have stopped trying suggestions but anyway:

Gk - closing down and weaker foot
Fb's - one = hard tackling weaker foot and closing down
- the other = tight marking closing down and weaker foot
Cb's - same as Fb's one on each
DM - tight marking hard tackling closing down + weaker foot
Cm - hard tackling weaker foot and closing down unless it is a well known attacking cm ( like lampard or fabregas ) then i would do the same except normal tackling and tight marking
L/Rm - tight marking closing down and weaker foot
Cf's - tight marking closing down hard tackling and weaker foot

Wow, i'd never do that, you might as well set your whole team to closing down max and tick the tight marking box. Unless you don't mean to use them all at same time.....

 

[Zebedee]

9.3 is more sensitive to closing down/pressing as a player instruction - so if a tactic already has that set high then closing down further with OI might lead to holes in the defence etc.

You have to consider how your own tactics work too although it shouldn't be an issue for a well-balanced set unless you go crazy with OI.

 

[Stevo985]

I normally close down both wingers and either show them to the outside if the strikers are small and quick, or show them to the inside if the strikers are big and slow.

Use tight marking on an AMC and push the defensive line up to reduce his space.

If the opposition have a **** player then set marking to loose which directs play through him. Then tackle him hard and you can bully him off the ball.

Never close down a really good player. If you do that he'll take it round you, and if he's an AMC then most likely you're CB will close him down leaving a huge hole in your defence.

OI's used well can be very very effective.