Solid Defense (low block) question

[Het2]

Hi guys!

Just finished a season in the MLS playing a 4231, with quite sucess, winning the Supporters Shield. But still conceding a few, and I am the type to love a hard thought 1-0, 2-0 win over 3-1 etc.
My tactic this year was:
GK
FBs CD BPD FBa

DLPs CMd/BWMd Flexible - Control

Wa APa IFa

TMa


So I would say that is rather balanced, I love to player much wider, and get the ball zipping side to side vertically opening up spaces before a cross to come in. I mixed this with high line/pressing combo which seems to always work.

But enough jibber jabber, my question is how can I revert this to a low block, so solid deeper defense with standing off. Those two instructions alone dont do much help. Will I need to drop my wide attacking midfielders to the MC strata or do I just go more fluid with the hope that the attacking mids drop back into defense? Anyone having success creating a well organised defense?

Also, since im playing much wider, Im guessing I may have to take this off so I can create a compact defense. If this is the case, should I go with much narrower, then exploit flanks with PI for FBa and Wa to stay wider?

Any help much appreciated! Especially rocheyB if you are reading this as I know you have helped me play this 'attack the flanks style' in the past.

 

[CaptiveBridge]

With defence, a lot of it depends on how/where you want to defend. Do you want to be strong in the middle forcing crosses that your back line can stop or do you want to force them inside and clog the middle? Note, you can switch between the two depending on how the opponents are lined up.

Will I need to drop my wide attacking midfielders to the MC strata or do I just go more fluid with the hope that the attacking mids drop back into defense?

You can go more fluid, but you would have to drop the mentality of the positions, so dropping them to support. If you want to keep player mentality, then you would want to drop them into the wide midfield positions. You can customise a WM(a) to mimic IF(a). Additionally, the more fluid you go and dropping the players into wide midfield would also cause them to drop into the defensive line to cover the fullbacks if they move out. SO the mentality question really comes down to whether you prefer keeping position defensively (more structured) or gambling on a defensive overloads (more fluid).

Also, since im playing much wider, Im guessing I may have to take this off so I can create a compact defense. If this is the case, should I go with much narrower, then exploit flanks with PI for FBa and Wa to stay wider?

Yea, you'd want to go narrower, and exploiting the flanks TIs. Counter and Defensive will already make you play narrow, so the width really comes down to much you want to control the middle and how much freedom/space you want to give to your wide players.

I've been running a 4-4-2 Counter on and off since 15. TIs that make the base are:
Much Narrower,
Higher Tempo (because I have good decision makers, so when the counter is not on we can still do something decent),
Shorter Passing (when the Counter is not on, since COunter makes us cautious no need to go against that),
Play Out Of Defence/Clear Ball To Flanks depending on how the opposing teams wide players are set up and that would coincide with the goalkeeper's distribution,
Stay On Feet to encourage zonal defending.

 

[Het2]

Thankyou so much CaptiveBridge! Couldn't of asked for a better break down, so thanks for that will definitely start tweaking around with some of your suggestions and will get back to you on here.

Just one thing, you first mentioned where you want to send the opposition ie. force them out wide or through the center. How do you achieve this? For example if I want to protect my center so show them down the flanks would that be done in opposition instructions or is there another way?

 

[CaptiveBridge]

If you want to send them down the flanks, you'd want to play (Much) Narrower, set up specific man marking of opposing central players to deny a central passing option, show wide players to their outside foot (showing central players to their outside can help as well, but it may be more effective to mark them out of the game or win the ball from them), making the width of your midfield narrower than your defence (assuming you're playing a flat 4-4-2).

Note you'll be inviting crosses that way, so you'd also have to think how you will deal with crosses.

 

[maxchaplin55]

The Team Instruction 'Play Narrower/Play Wider' is just on the ball though? Off the ball, by default, your team shape will adapt to the opposition team shape, depending on your marking instructions.

 

[WJ]

It is indeed.

 

[CaptiveBridge]

I'll disagree slightly. While yes your defensive width is set by your mentality, my reasoning is more to do with transitions. If I've lost the ball with my players being narrow, it gives the opponent the easy decision to play out wide. Then as the transition phase becomes the defensive phase, your players are now choosing to stay narrow due to the Counter mentality.

Am I wrong in thinking that?

 

[WJ]

The instruction itself is an in possession instruction, but of course it'll affect the transition period. With a Mentality that doesn't take risks, you're going to be narrow and deep anyway though, so like with a Counter Mentality, you won't ever be wide as it is.