I'm sorry but that is elitist bollocks of the highest order. "Poor taste"? Seriously, what are you talking about and who are you trying to impress with such narrow mindedness? I actually have no issue with you focusing on the defensive side of the game as you choose, but you aren't doing it more correctly, sportsmanly, or with a better taste than I.
You defend with a laser guided focus on winning the ball off the carrier using.... oooooh, INPUTS, while drawing diagrams and alike trying to illustrate your complaints with that or talking down another, utterly valid style trying to say it is in "poor taste". I am defending primarily focusing on unit positioning, plugging gaps, man marking, cutting out passes and yes, even changing over to the player nearest the ball carrier if I feel that is best.
Fuck! It's not as if I am winning the ball with ease high up the park, well away from my goal, using secondary press, and countering my way to comfortable 5-0 victories time after time. Like fuck I am. My style, currently, likely invites pressure and for the play to get nearer my goal when I am defending. I know for a fact that I have proved a tough not to crack against well equipped players as much as they cause me grief when I am attacking, because I am mixing it up and sometimes heavily pressuring the carrier, or simply keeping them busy while I look to re-position a player, mark an opposition player, or simply bring another man back. It is proving a disruptive tactic in a fair amount of matches I have played as I can slow the opposition down. It comes with its own, entirely "tasteful" risks, but I am finding it does unsettle some players and them seeing what looks almost like an invite to cross is sometimes exactly that. I'll take them crossing into Lacazette when I have Thiago Silva, Joao Miranda and perhaps another whom I have positioned where I want them, waiting for it. I have prepared for that, but will switch to the defender nearest the ball carrier if I feel that is the best thing. That is my decision to do that. Fucking actual real life teams choose to do that, on occasion. It all requires "inputs" as well you know, maybe even with the same frequency, just different ones, and takes its own skill. It is a style that you better believe is equal to yours in terms of "taste"
Y'see this is another one of these things that grind my gears in community discussion - the assumption some have that they are playing the game properly, or trying to, while everyone else, the vast majority, are just getting by using assisted controls and exploits to the point the elitists are willing to say it is in "poor taste" instead of just trying to fucking adapt their game, or simply concentrate on their own game. But they are too busy sipping a cocktail of delusions of grandeur and outright snobbiness.
It's the same with some (not all, and certainly not most in this community as far as I can tell) manual players who bleat on about "ping-pong" passing piss, completely ignorant to the fact they are trying to attain a level of ability in which they could do exactly that using manual controls. Okay, so they would be doing it themselves, but they still want to achieve the same fucking thing. They strive for what they allegedly hate. Without doubt, if they came across an assisted player and were able to display such skill they would get a nod of approval, more than likely. Thing is, it doesn't therefore make them right, or an assisted passer wrong.
It's all just choices, all over the controller and all over the pitch, and I say all that as someone who actually wants to play with manual passing by default, but I am making a choice and taking my own path to try get to a place that I feel comfortable as well as competitive in using it. I do actually want to enjoy the game as well though, and I am open-minded enough to try use the wealth of options available to me as once purchased it is my fucking game and I can do what I want with it.
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