Help: Defensive strategies when using a high line

Scotty98TR

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I am using Arsenal, and I am top of the league in February. My attack has been brilliant all season (Top scorers in the league with 89 goals already) but my defence is not as good. I varely rarely keep a clean sheet, and I play with a 4-4-2 formation, a high line and using the offside trap. At the moment I use stand-off the opposition.

Is there anything you think I could change to improve my defence?

P.S. I starting back 5 is:

Mandanda: Sweeper-Keeper (D)
Baines: Wing-Back (S)
Vermaelen: BPD (D)
Mertesacker/Koscielny: Limited defender (D)
Sagna: Fullback (D)
 
If u use a very high line then press more would be better than stand off more and players have more of an urgency to get the ball back while stand off soaks pressure from the other team.
 
Vermaelen and Bosscielny are too slow to play high up ? Their the perfect partnership to play high up
 
If u use a very high line then press more would be better than stand off more and players have more of an urgency to get the ball back while stand off soaks pressure from the other team.[/QUOTE

When playing with a high line, you definitely want to press more. Also, to keep it a little tighter, I would setup the back four like this:

DR: FB - Support
DC: CD - Defend
DC: CD - Defend
DL: FB - Support

This might help - http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...ow-set-up-effective-defence-centre-backs.html

Yeah, suspected that might be the case to be honest, I noticed that my players were just standing there letting the opposition forwards pass it around between them.

Shiraz, I like playing with a BPD though as I always have done with big teams + It means when Mert does play he can't **** it up with his awful passing :p :L Also, since Cazorla cuts onside from the Wing, and Baines main quality is his 18 crossing, (+13 assists this season!) don't really want to mess with that! Agree with setting CD for when Kosc is playing though :D
 
Yeah, suspected that might be the case to be honest, I noticed that my players were just standing there letting the opposition forwards pass it around between them.

Shiraz, I like playing with a BPD though as I always have done with big teams + It means when Mert does play he can't **** it up with his awful passing :p :L Also, since Cazorla cuts onside from the Wing, and Baines main quality is his 18 crossing, (+13 assists this season!) don't really want to mess with that! Agree with setting CD for when Kosc is playing though :D

Fair enough but I am pretty sure that playing a DC as a Ball Playing Defender will cause him to try more difficult passes and therefore give the ball away? But yeah, a BPD + LD combo works too :)
 
Fair enough but I am pretty sure that playing a DC as a Ball Playing Defender will cause him to try more difficult passes and therefore give the ball away? But yeah, a BPD + LD combo works too :)

So far Vermaelen has been probably the best player in the league, turned down ?28m bids from Man city and Barca for him in winter! he has scored 20 goals this season, with only 6 coming from corners!!! (He has 5 from free-kicks and get's quite a few from his long shots and long range freekicks!!)

However, I will keep an eye out more to see if he is giving the ball away a bit, thanks for the advise :)
 
One thing to consider is that when you are 3-0 up, your team starts to feel that the game is already won and here one often conceede unless switching to an approach that focus om closing out games. Why not try to develop such an approach. Hava ? look at My Cautious version in my latest tactic thread for some inspiration as how its set up.
 
One thing to consider is that when you are 3-0 up, your team starts to feel that the game is already won and here one often conceede unless switching to an approach that focus om closing out games. Why not try to develop such an approach. Hava ? look at My Cautious version in my latest tactic thread for some inspiration as how its set up.

Thanks I will do, but it isn't normally late in games when I concede, I normally concede first or get equalised against, but quite often have got late winners... :/
 
Thanks I will do, but it isn't normally late in games when I concede, I normally concede first or get equalised against, but quite often have got late winners... :/

Then its the " stand off , high d-line" issue already mentioned. Its just wrong.
 
Then its the " stand off , high d-line" issue already mentioned. Its just wrong.

Okay thanks. As I said, I had suspected this was why from looking at the goals I conceded etc. Got a few big games coming up so hopefully I can keep clean sheets in them :D
 
Okay thanks. As I said, I had suspected this was why from looking at the goals I conceded etc. Got a few big games coming up so hopefully I can keep clean sheets in them :D

G.Luck. When it comes to the main settings within the Tactic Creator regarding the formation+d-line+press, they are Pretty much spot on so dont try to go too far away from them. Even if using Classic mode or tweaking sliders, always look at " what the TC would recommend " rearding those settings.

When it comes to the marking, Width, passing and overall mentality, then one is free to experiment more though:
 
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