Observation about playing off-the-ball defence:
If you're playing positional, off-the-ball defence with the two sticks and cursor switching, you may have noticed the effect the player you are controlling has on other players in your defensive unit. This can be problemmatic when inadvertant but also useful when intentional.
So, for example, if I am in control of my LMF and I drop him down into my defensive left wing to try and double up (with my SB)on the CPU ball-carrier, I notice that, at times, my SB will feel "displaced" from the zone. I think he feels that if I fill the zone on the defensive wing with my LMF and track a ball-carrier, that he should vacate the zone because he is not needed. Sometimes, when I had hoped to double-team, the effort is lost because the SB leaves unless I press square to force him to join the player I am controlling (but I don't like to press the buttons on defense). However, this can also be useful. If my LMF has high defensive attributes I can find success in my defensive wing and allow my SB to drift into the box to defend the near post cross or to drift to the edge of the box to defend a late-arriving CMF for a long-shot. Very useful (but totally ineffective if you try this with a WF as his defensive attributes won't be high enough, he will likely get beaten, and then your SB will have to rush to your aid, if available.)
On the problem side, I've noticed that if you are in control of your SB and are tracking a run or whatever and your drift inside such that you cross beyond the near CB, your CB will often vacate his position and drift into the defensive wing. Inadvertantly, you have forced your CB out of position (because he is trying to "cover" the zone vacated the SB you are controlling). This leaves you very, very vulnerable. The CPU is too smart and you will get killed. Although it seems nice that the CB covers the vacated wing, you end up with your SB trying to defend straight up in the box.
This displacement seems to happen more subtly when you are defending with midfielders and you move into another team-mates "zone", though I have found that my SB will displace if I track a run into the defensive wing using a midfielder. As I said, this can be very useful because it pushes the now-extra man (in the zone) into another zone as an extra man. In fact, when the CPU is barrelling down the wing, I try my best to track that run with a SMF to allow my SB to attend to other duties.
Of course all of this requires that you have Pressure on a reasonable level and not some insanely high number where everyone is running everywhere all the time.
I don't know if that made sense.
Caveat: at times I find myself by chance controlling one of my forwards in the defensive zone. So I might be controlling an second striker or attacking midfielder (in a formation with a single CF) in my defensive zone. At the moment it seems like a reasonable idea because I now have an extra man on defense and my odds increase. But if you might have read my previous post on the necessary failures of parking the bus, this is hardly ever a good idea. The CPU is just too good at times. So yes, I might regain possession on defense but when I turn to play out I have almost no options. I can probably get the ball to my other forward, but then they have no where to go. You've got to have the opportunity to give and go beyond the circle. I can't tell you how many times I've felt a glow of pride having won the ball in the defensive end with a forward and then been dispossessed in a matter of seconds somewhere around the center circle. In short, leave your forwards to pick their noses...
If you're playing positional, off-the-ball defence with the two sticks and cursor switching, you may have noticed the effect the player you are controlling has on other players in your defensive unit. This can be problemmatic when inadvertant but also useful when intentional.
So, for example, if I am in control of my LMF and I drop him down into my defensive left wing to try and double up (with my SB)on the CPU ball-carrier, I notice that, at times, my SB will feel "displaced" from the zone. I think he feels that if I fill the zone on the defensive wing with my LMF and track a ball-carrier, that he should vacate the zone because he is not needed. Sometimes, when I had hoped to double-team, the effort is lost because the SB leaves unless I press square to force him to join the player I am controlling (but I don't like to press the buttons on defense). However, this can also be useful. If my LMF has high defensive attributes I can find success in my defensive wing and allow my SB to drift into the box to defend the near post cross or to drift to the edge of the box to defend a late-arriving CMF for a long-shot. Very useful (but totally ineffective if you try this with a WF as his defensive attributes won't be high enough, he will likely get beaten, and then your SB will have to rush to your aid, if available.)
On the problem side, I've noticed that if you are in control of your SB and are tracking a run or whatever and your drift inside such that you cross beyond the near CB, your CB will often vacate his position and drift into the defensive wing. Inadvertantly, you have forced your CB out of position (because he is trying to "cover" the zone vacated the SB you are controlling). This leaves you very, very vulnerable. The CPU is too smart and you will get killed. Although it seems nice that the CB covers the vacated wing, you end up with your SB trying to defend straight up in the box.
This displacement seems to happen more subtly when you are defending with midfielders and you move into another team-mates "zone", though I have found that my SB will displace if I track a run into the defensive wing using a midfielder. As I said, this can be very useful because it pushes the now-extra man (in the zone) into another zone as an extra man. In fact, when the CPU is barrelling down the wing, I try my best to track that run with a SMF to allow my SB to attend to other duties.
Of course all of this requires that you have Pressure on a reasonable level and not some insanely high number where everyone is running everywhere all the time.
I don't know if that made sense.
Caveat: at times I find myself by chance controlling one of my forwards in the defensive zone. So I might be controlling an second striker or attacking midfielder (in a formation with a single CF) in my defensive zone. At the moment it seems like a reasonable idea because I now have an extra man on defense and my odds increase. But if you might have read my previous post on the necessary failures of parking the bus, this is hardly ever a good idea. The CPU is just too good at times. So yes, I might regain possession on defense but when I turn to play out I have almost no options. I can probably get the ball to my other forward, but then they have no where to go. You've got to have the opportunity to give and go beyond the circle. I can't tell you how many times I've felt a glow of pride having won the ball in the defensive end with a forward and then been dispossessed in a matter of seconds somewhere around the center circle. In short, leave your forwards to pick their noses...
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, with PES5/6 I'd know the patching methods inside out!
Fox engine become to look really really good..
