Player Closing Down

[wolfie77]

Just wondered how you set up the closing down for the individual players. I currently have all of my players on zonal loose marking and set up the closing down as follows.

GK - 10
CB - 10
FB - 14
DM - 16
AM - 18
W - 18
FW - 20

I'm not sure whether to reduce these to the following:-

GK:- 6
CB: - 6
FB: - 10
DM: - 12
AM: - 14
W:- 14
FW:- 16

Or even increase them. So The main question is should my team be closing down a lot or very little based on their marking.

 

[I Hate Fish]

Everyone to whole pitch (20) except for the goalkeeper (11) and center-backs (18).

 

[izzice777]

Just sharing...

Pressing more will cause the opposition to make more mistakes and increase the likelihood of winning back possession and starting a counter attack. It is therefore most suited to an attacking strategy. However you should make sure that central defenders are still set to only close down in their own area through individual player instructions so that potential gaps in the defence are not so easily exploited. Closing down more requires players with high Stamina, Work Rate, and Determination. However, it may be less effective against technically skilled and intelligent opposition who will retain possession and take advantage of any gaps created.

Despite this, closing down is probably still preferable to giving too much space to such teams. If your players have low Stamina or are unfit, then closing down more will tire the team out, which could be exploited by the opposition late in the game. Therefore, leaving as default or standing off more would be preferable.

Standing off more will help your defensive line keep its shape and restrict passing options for opponents, forcing them to shoot from range, but they will also have a lot of space and time on the ball. It is therefore more suited to a defensive strategy where your team are mainly focused on soaking up the pressure.