HELP: My players aren't running back. Man marking-problem?

[Mikkelma83]

Hello people,

I got a huge problem. Started a game with Southampton and things went okay at first (i think), but now suddenly theres something wrong. My players aren't running back after attacks, and my opponents have miles of space to run at my goalie. Often they are outnumbering my defending players. I think the problem is that my players are man marking opponents, even when the player they are man marking aren't attacking. Sometimes it looks like two of my players are man marking the same opponent, and sometimes they let the opponent run past them to mark the man they think they should mark.

EX. Wanyama (ball-winning midfielder, defensive) and Schneiderlin (field-to-field midfielder, support) stay with same man, while the rest of the opponents are running past them. This means that my teams breaks in two, cause Osvaldo, Lambert, Ramirez and one or both of my fullback are staying forward as well, and leave the rest of my team outnumbered.

My assistant tells me that we are man marking, but I have no clue how to change this, and how I apparently changed tactics into man marking in the first place.

What seems to be the problem? And what should I do?

Please help me, cause this is destroying me.

 

[Ursulla]

Go to tactics -team- Instructions edit -Tick off tight marking-Also don't instruct any player to tight marking...You put tight marking only on one or two very dangerous players...The one who covers him would follow him like shadow and would try to prevent him getting the ball...put your best marker to take care of him...The person you choose to do tight marking should be in a position close to the dangerous man like right cente back on left striker..now you go to opposition instructions and put on the dangerous player the name of your player who you instruct to do tight marking...that way he knows exactly who you mean..And let the dance between them begins...

 

[Mikkelma83]

Thank you for your respons, Ursulla.

Tight marking is already ticked off. Don't know how to, for example, select Wanyama for marking a specific player like Eriksen?
At the "Opposition"-menu right before the game, i'm not usually marking players tight. Still doing it. And why does my assistant tell me for example that Shaw is man marking someone, when I haven't done anything?

This might sound silly in your ears, but I haven't been playing FM for years. A bit newbie I guess.

 

[Ursulla]

Thank you for your respons, Ursulla.

Tight marking is already ticked off. Don't know how to, for example, select Wanyama for marking a specific player like Eriksen?
At the "Opposition"-menu right before the game, i'm not usually marking players tight. Still doing it. And why does my assistant tell me for example that Shaw is man marking someone, when I haven't done anything?

This might sound silly in your ears, but I haven't been playing FM for years. A bit newbie I guess.

OK Let's get to business...
When you start a new game before the match actually start you advance one screen at a time...with each screen you should observe what is needed of you...I think the last one .just before match start you should look for opposition info...When you enter that, EACH of them opposite players has 4 different instructions you could make...One of them is tight marking...So you go the player you want to mark...And use the option Tight marking... A drop down menu should open with all your players names...You choose the person with the position most close to him...Before/after that make sure you instruct your specific player to do tight marking...
There is even another option beneath each opposite player for a position...Which means that if you instruct to do tight marking to a opposite right winger...WHOEVER would play as a right winger will get the royal escort of tight marking...
There is a another option during match to go to one of your players and instruct him to tight marking ,then a drop down menu should open and ask you which opposite player you want to tight marking... But don't expect good results if you appoint poor marker....
If you can't do it before game start...Start game for one second...pause it..And do all the above...

 

[Mikkelma83]

It works better now. Not exactly sure why, hehe. Was more focused on not marking tight, i think. When i come to to the last screen before match and choose to Tight Marking a player, i have no possibility to option to choose any of my men. That drop down menu doesn't show. Don't know why

 

[Ursulla]

It works better now. Not exactly sure why, hehe. Was more focused on not marking tight, i think. When i come to to the last screen before match and choose to Tight Marking a player, i have no possibility to option to choose any of my men. That drop down menu doesn't show. Don't know why

If you can't do it before game start...Start game for one second...pause it..And do all the above... You can't do it since the game hasn't started yet...Which is why I put my last sentence in my previous post as the first one now...When I wrote my last post I couldn't also use the drop down menu...Only when the game starts you can do it...Try first go to your own player and tell him to do tight marking...Now it should open a drop down menu who you want him to tight marking...If this option does not exist go to your oppositon info and do it as explained in my previous post...If you want me to explain to you how to choose for each player what is best for him a zonal marking or tight marking all you have to do is just ask...

 

[Mikkelma83]

Cant do that either. Same problem now. This is getting depressing. My assistant manager tells me I shouldnt man mark that and that player event though i havent done anything.

 

[Ursulla]

Cant do that either. Same problem now. This is getting depressing. My assistant manager tells me I shouldnt man mark that and that player event though i havent done anything.

During match You go to each one of your players and through edit (inside their usual instructions) there should be one more instruction to mark a specific opponent..it is another instruction available only during match...I just used it now...

 

[Ursulla]

Go to tactics -team- Instructions edit -Tick off tight marking

If there is anyone who's team instruction is always ON tight marking explain why you are doing it ?I really don't see any reason to do it as a general instruction which is good for all matches...According the official guide and I quote "It may be best to leave the team instruction unselected in order to gain more control over marking using player instructions"....

 

[Ursulla]

Few pointers : Tight Marking
Opposition instruction OVERRIDE individual players instructions.
Too many Opposition Instructions will cause to loose shape of discipline.
Instead a few particular opponents should be targeted.
Pay close attention when you instruct on oppenent tight marking ALWAYS...It means whoever be close to him would stick to him BEFORE doing his indivdual instructions...
So if you instruct someone to do ZONAL marking and the other opponent would come close to him he would follow TIGHT MARKING and would forget all about zonal...

ALWAYS
Use against high technical player to give them less room when receiving the ball.He will have to move into LESS dangerous position to find space.
A very skilful opponent may be able to beat your marker but still is better than giving him too much space...
It can be useful against Attacking Midfielder when you dont have a Defensive Midfielder...
The man close to the area doing tight marking should have good marking skill or it will be ineffective...
Man markers need to be good at : Marking-Tackling-Concentration...
Zonal markers should ALSO have good Anticipation-Decisions-Position...
You should consider also how tall the marker and how tall the one to mark...If the opponent taller he would win flick-ons from aeriel balls to take marker out of the game.

NEVER

Use against players with high acceleration & pace.
Use against players with very good Anticipation and Off the ball.
Those players can easily shake off any marker...
Use against Tall players with less technical skill so they not going to take defenders out of the game while winnning the ball in the air,unless those who mark them are tall and have good enough Jumping reach to beat them aerially...

Team Instruction : Tight Marking
Your players who are not closeing down on the opposition player with the ball ,will stay closer to the oppsition players they are marking...
With more defenseive mentality your players will mark more tightly by default.
With more Attacking mentality they will mark less tightly.

As part of tactic :
It can be useful with more defensive mentality to encourage your players to mark more aggressivly while still being defensivley cautious...
It can be usefull with more attacking mentality to encourage your players to mark more tightly...
It can be less suitable if you want your supporting and attacking players to be in more space after possession is won to counter attack...
It can be less suitable if you want your team keep its shape defensively...

To get more control over marking using player instruction:
If using tight marking with a deeper defensive line,then you would benefit from defenders with good Jumping reach so they are less likely to be taken out of the game by opponent's headed flick-ons.
If using a higher defensive line you would benefit from defensive players with good speed and overall marking ability ,so quick and skilful opponents are less likely to get away from them and leave your team defensevely vulnerable...

As match strategy :
It can be useful against opposition with supporting and attacking players who have poor OFF THE BALL movement and skill...And are slower than the defensive players...
It can be less useful if the opposition has an attack with better AERIEL abilty then his marker...
There are 4 ways to effect Man marking
1)through team instruction
2)through general tight marking for a player
3)through a specific instruction to tell your player exactly who you want him to mark
4)through Opposition instruction by setting Always or Never instruction...

It may best to leave The team instruction unselected in order to gain more conrol over marking using player instruction...
Being a manager is not only knowing your team...It is knowing who you are dealing with...
Get as much as more info from your scout report to prepare better against your next opponent..
Good luck and God help you, to not get sacked because you didn't read all this...