Long Balls from Back 4

[Montanaro]

Hey all, I'm having a bit of an issue with my formation.

I try to play a possession game, but half the time that my defense have the ball, they clear the ball up field (match analysis shows about 50% completion from cbs) my wingbacks do it occasionally as well, but it's not as bad.

I have them set to short passing, little creative freedom and rare crossing. How can I limit them even more?

I have two CMs who are only a couple clicks away from full defense so they should have passing options within range. I've also have my defenders set similar for defense mentality. Is this a matter of there being too much room between defense and midfield? How should I remedy?

Should I push up my defensive line? Should I set them to higher mentality? Should I tell them to run more often with ball in order to get them to make room for a pass to midfield?

 

[Mike.]

can you post some match analysis screenshots, plus in the tactics screen can you set it so it shows all the mentalities of the players and take a screenshot of that two. if your CMs are too close they may just be bypassing them, but its still a little odd

 

[Montanaro]

I noticed my one "ball playing" defender has often through balls, but doesn't explain why the opposite defender does the same behavior.

Here are some examples from previous match (just showing incomplete, as the complete ones are often short passes)






They may not seem like a lot, but half of those incompletes are not simple clearing headers. 50% of those passes could have been completed and helped my possession. The pictures only show one defender per game (often the worst) the other defender is nearly as bad as you can see from completion %.

Here are mentalities of CBs





and here is my heat map (very similar from game to game)



---------- Post added 30/05/2011 at 03:57 AM ---------- Previous post was 29/05/2011 at 08:23 PM ----------

you are such a tease mike |)

 

[Shaneckham]

How do your team play, narrow wide, slow or quick ect. Also are your fullbacks set to defend or support? Also are set up to counter attack?

 

[SS19]

Try increasing CBs mentality. Too defensive mentality makes them to play in a no-nonsense manner. They throw the ball away rather than play a "risky" short pass forward.

 

[kandersson]

not sure what formation you're using, you have to make sure your players are close to each other (especially defence and midfield) and defenders have multiple options for the pass

try having one of your CMs come deeper to get the ball (wit a lower mentality than the other), also set the GK to distribute to your most creative full back, that should help

a 3-men midfield is in my opinion the best to build and keep possession from the defence: the most defensive CM stays a bit deeper and offers an easy option in the middle, while fullbacks and MCR/L work together to give width. Always works great for me