Keep getting thrashed

[locodice]

I'm currently in my second season in the premier league with sheffield united, who i got promoted from league 1, then the championship. The problem I find is whenever I face a top 6 side, I nearly always concede a ridiculous amount of goals, regardless of the tactic. I usually set a defensive, wide 4-4-2 formation, rigid, normal defensive line, normal tempo, with a advanced playmaker and ball winning midfielder, or a defensive 4-5-1 when I'm the underdog but have tried attacking mentality as well as control because I wasn't getting any success.

This season, I've lost 7-2 to Tottenham at home, and then 5-2 to Liverpool, then played Arsenal and was 5-0 down within the first 35 minutes so ended up rage quitting as I couldn't take the frustration of not being able to do anything about it, lol. All the goals are either a through ball through the middle, or low crosses across the face of goal from the wings on counter attacks - I keep getting r*ped on the counter despite setting a defensive formation. I've tried setting a v. deep defensive line, man marking, closing down and tight marking on opposition instructions, yet still the opposition finds easy gaps in my defense every 5 minutes. Against Liverpool, Cavani and Suarez were just simply running round my defenders and they'd be through on goal. I've tried choosing very high match preparation on defensive positioning, but have still succumbed to heavy defeats even when doing this. anyone know what the best tactics are to use as an underdog to avoid letting in a ridiculous amount of goals?

 

[kazm]

Playing wide opens the centre for throughballs, try narrowing your tactic?

Also maybe play 4132 (with wingers) to make long shots harder for them.

Play a defensive, short passing, slow game to contain the ball, that should mean less possession for them.

 

[locodice]

Ok cheers, i'll try that

 

[elbonf]

i agree with Kazm try to play narrow & slow against the top sides.
contain & use hassle opponents & get stuck in shouts.

 

[Turnburger]

happend to me aswell with my walsall team i wern't to fussed about losing to the big teams as long as i beat the teams in and around me... remember its your first year back in the premier league as long as you finish 17th or higher its an achievment but second season in the prem you should really looking to push on with all the money you make and players you can attract

 

[dellboy100]

like other have said use slow tempo, short passing, hassle opponents, hard tackling and stick to postion so your players dont run around all over the place (it worked for me) i was getting smashed week in week out against everbody and was trying every tactic under the sun and wasnt getting any luck, so i changed to the above setting and managed to finish 12th in the premier league last season with boro

 

[locodice]

Ok... I seriously don't know what I'm doing wrong

I think the fact that nearly my whole squad has really low - abysmal morale is causing this, after getting thrashed 5-2 at home by Liverpool.

I've tried the tactics suggested - narrow width, short passing, slow tempo, and then touchline instructions - hassle opponents, get stuck in. I've used 4-4-2, and then a 4-5-1 with an Anchor Man.

Kind of worked against Arsenal, I lost 2-1. Against Man U it was ridiculous - they had a chance on goal literally every 2-5 minutes of game time, I was 6-1 down in just the first half, and I had no chances whatsoever, my goal was an own goal. They play a 3-5-3 formation, and my team just couldn't deal with it, passing it for fun around the final third and constantly finding defence splitting through balls even though I set my defence to man mark their players before the game.

 

[kazm]

Loco compare your dc's pace/acceleration to their strikers p/a, they probably just laugh and run past them.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Play a deeper line, last notch of deepline before Normal. and drop a CM to DM to cover the gap between the midfield and defense. If you don't want to do this then take off runs from deep from both CM's and keept he mentality around middle.
Play on the last notch of Narrow.

Don't use Man marking, Don't use Tight Marking with CB's. I find both are often suicidal. Tight marking makes your CB's step up to their players leaving massive holes in behind the defence, something that cost me a few times before I realised what it was doing to me. Keep both Fullbacks back, don't let them go charging forward. Take off creative freedom for all back four and the DM. put their mentality too defensive. And put tackling on HARD for every player. (Runs the risk of Red cards but often helps shutting down attackers) Keep Closing down to the last notch of Own Area for the back four and put the DM at middle (own half)

Thats pretty much all I can give, I've been taken down so often as well