Hard defending

[Iridensys]

In these last 2 seasons, I have many difficulties to beat weaker teams playing with hard defending; any suggestions? Normally I use normal mentality, no counter, no high press and short pass to avoid counter opponent, but it seems not best tactic to play against this mentality...

[nikolgiorgos]

They are not playing hard defending.
It's just the game engine that favors lately the weaker (and with no oppo manager attending) teams.

[Iridensys]

They are not playing hard defending.
It's just the game engine that favors lately the weaker (and with no oppo manager attending) teams.

Of course, this is a big problem; but I find weaker teams, with opponent manager present that play with hard defending, their action starts from their defense.

[pele]

In these last 2 seasons, I have many difficulties to beat weaker teams playing with hard defending; any suggestions? Normally I use normal mentality, no counter, no high press and short pass to avoid counter opponent, but it seems not best tactic to play against this mentality...

When I can't score against weaker teams, I always go hard attacking in the second half + attacking bonus. Turn off counter attacking and offside trap. Listen to the AM for the rest of the setup.

[pcmacdaniel]

In these last 2 seasons, I have many difficulties to beat weaker teams playing with hard defending; any suggestions? Normally I use normal mentality, no counter, no high press and short pass to avoid counter opponent, but it seems not best tactic to play against this mentality...

I think you have the correct idea about how to play against defensive teams.

A couple things I would recommend trying.

1. Experiment with pressing high and/or using m2m marking. Khris explained in a different thread on the forum that pressing and marking are only linked to condition loss and a defense bonus. I think Khris is correct about this.

2. Experiment with turning the offside trap ON against counter-attacking managers. And leaving the trap OFF against managers that don't play on the counter.

Logically, defense/normal + low press should be the solution against counters. But logic is a foreign concept in this game.

[khris]

The main idea is to find the order that gives you the possession, if not from the beginning, by switching the orders during the live match.

I used Hard defending with a line of 5 in my North Bot team and without attend it really surprised me...

I really would select few starting orders that can be easily tested and you can see if the game chose them as determinant or nope, like start with long passing, try it in one flank or the other, if you start the match losing the ball, you know that switching to short will be needed.
These orders don't have a "fixed guide" really, or the game selects the 1 as successful or the 2.

Start with High Press for the bonus, despite we've been talking with Nik about this option, and he mentioned that the defense with high press goes to the oppo field -I believe in you @Nik despite that honestly since I paid attendtion to the mentalities Ive not tested stuffs again lol--- it can happen that this simply is the "visual effect", so like when you chose Defending mentality visually the animations start from your field, and this can be one day good and the next one something horrible...
so if Im right, maybe High press can have associated a "visual effect" that matters 0 in the 1vs1 orders, but as it have the Attacking Random Bonus I believe that gives a + .
Like the MtM... there's a clear visual differance between zonal and MtM but there's no strategy action associated, more far away than a different visual displaying and a defense random bonus.

aaand... the same with all options really.

[Ποσιδονας]

@Iridensys what do you mean weaker teams ?
Because many people think that with a +5% they are the favorites.
Only if you have at least 1* difference you can consider your self as the strong team.
This also depending from the quality of the teams.
Team A with 120% is the favorite vs team B with 100% but the B manager is an active one.
Team A with 100% vs team B with 80% is a different case because B isn't so active.
Also is a different case when opponent watching the game or not.

[KenoticFC]

I had the worst league start this season with 4 draws 1 victory and 1 loss. Today I destroyed 7-0 the team that stopped me with a 0-0 draw in the first leg. And by the way I am still leading despite the awful starts it just shows you the game favors one over the other and the trolls are there just to throw sand in our eyes.

[Iridensys]

@Iridensys what do you mean weaker teams ?
Because many people think that with a +5% they are the favorites.
Only if you have at least 1* difference you can consider your self as the strong team.
This also depending from the quality of the teams.
Team A with 120% is the favorite vs team B with 100% but the B manager is an active one.
Team A with 100% vs team B with 80% is a different case because B isn't so active.
Also is a different case when opponent watching the game or not.

Weaker team is the first case; me 120%, him 100%.