help with tactic:- Defending and Scoring

[Robbiethedoggie]

Hey all

I have some questions and need some help. I am on the verge of quitting, but really dont want to. I know you guys always want lots of info, and as I cant provide screenshots, I'll do my best to give you as much info as possible.

I am playing as Spurs and I have set up in a 4-2-3-1. I have tried many other formations in other saves but none have worked very well. I beleive this will give me the best chance.

Team Instructions

Lower tempo
Fairly narrow
Slightly higher line
Closing down much more
Play out of defence
Shorter passing
Retain possesion
Hit early cross
Stick to position

My thinking here is to keep the ball. Plain and simple. I have put on early crosses as the FB's never cross and this is the only way I can think of making them fo it. They also have "cross more often" on their player instructions.

My build up play is perfect and works exactly how I want it to. I have not played about with player instructions, so here they are:-

Sweeper Keeper
FB x 2
BPD defend and CB cover
BWM defend and CM support
IF atrack (right side) and IF support (left side)
AM support
CF attack

Im set up
Lloris, Walker, Rose, Vertonghen, Alderweireld
Dier, Dembele
Barbosa, Eriksen
Alli
Kane

As I said, I have not changed much of the player instructions except to keep passes shorter and closing down high where possible. For some reason the AM tole, you cant change from low, which is odd.

My big problems are that my CBs cannot defend. At all. I dont see why they cant just mark a player in attacking areas, or be able to see where a through ball is going. Often they just stand still. It is infuriating when teams such as Philadalphia, who we just played, are able to cut through us playing 5-4-1. A few times one through ball to a lone striker has confused both CBs and balls into the box are just not dealt with.

The story of most of my games is I dominate possesion and create plenty of chances but am often beaten because of the above on the rare occasions teams attack. The other reason being I cant score. Well that is to say Harry Kane cant score. Or whoever my striker may be in whichever team I am managing...

I find the player instructions insane for Strikers as only Target Man support allows you to select hold position. I want my striker to get in and then stay in the box. But this doesn't happen. They pop up all over the place! I want my striker to be in the box available for lay offs or crosses from the IFs or through balls from the AM. I have tried to select Poacher, but this leads to the Striker playing as a winger almost and then no one is in the box.

Any advice on what Im doing wrong would be very welcome as I am at the end of my tether and my Wife is sick of me swearing at a computer screen.

Thanks

Rich

 

[WJ]

There are a lot of issues already, but first clarify Mentality and the fullback duties.

 

[Robbiethedoggie]

Mentality standard and flexible
fullbacks are FB Support

I have had a bit more success in pre season and yet Kane appears never to have seen a football before!

Any advice is very welcome

 

[WJ]

So what you've done is asked for extremely short passing, no risky passes and players to really take their time on the ball, but you want aggressive crosses? Your entire tactic is slowing play down a massive amount and crosses are quite risky as well, so you won't see much.

You have zero attacking threat due to Retain Possession that has been instructed. You're shortening passes (which you're already doing with TWO other instructions) and you're preventing any creativity by telling players to pass to feet ONLY.

The defence will be **** because there's no one helping them. The BWM leaves his position far too easily to go ball hunting and that will leave huge gaps.