Why aren't DW working that efficient?

[vanillestorms]

Hello guys, I tried recently to emulate Dortmund High Pressing Tactic through different ways, but I am not sure where to look and see if it works, especially for a team that just promoted in Premier League.
Anyway, I have tried either with IF on attack and setting Team Instructions on Hassle Opponents, High Defensive Line etc and more recently I tried something like this.

GK (D)
FB ( A ) (my RB is quite strong) - CB (C), CB (C) - FB (S)
BMW (D) - DLP (S)
DW (S) - AP ( A ) - DW (S)
DF (S)

Basically I thought that the defensive wingers/forward would mark tightly the defenders and put pressure on them. But I am not really sure that they do that, as we're getting seriously hammered in the last few matches.

 

[Timzaar]

Nothing works that efficent

 

[lothrail]

1. You have both of your CBs on cover, this is bad. There's probably a huge gap between the defense and midfield which might well be the reason you're getting hammered.
2. Do your DWs have high workrate and determination ?

 

[rocheyb]

I don't think the FM match engine is capable of reproducing the Dortmund style high press (which I have only read about, but I assume resembles what Barcelona used to do - or perhaps Pochettino's Southampton) in such an obvious way that we would recognise it from the match animation.

But in my own Southampton team, we are often successful at winning the ball back high up the pitch or hassling the opponents into poor defensive clearances. The formation you use isn't so important in this particular issue, you just need players with high Work Rate, Determination and Stamina and - from the Team Instructions - select Hassle Opponents and Get Stuck In (which can be a bit of a yellow card magnet but suspensions can be useful for squad rotation). If your team mentality is set to Defend or Counter, then your players will drop off, but anything from Control to Attack will encourage them to step-up and challenge the opposition in their own half.