Episode 11 - Defending Back Line & CDM Theory

I am struggling with the running jockey. I try and cut passing lanes but opponent still seems to dribble past me no problem. It's very sensitive so I think I am trying to run back and mimic but I see to way over commit. So if my opponent is 40 yards out, do I hold my ground with CDM or run backwards and wait till they run into me? Right now, they run past with ease and I don't have much control. I am in Div 6 after the relegation from Div 4 a few days ago.

Tim Edmonds

Hello Łukasz, you can type these in the VIP patreon as we answer all the questions there. Defending with cdms works for everyone single person, even if they applied pressure you are in a defensive state and your opponent is in an attacking state, even if you receive the ball, you will still have pressure, see my videos on controlling the situation, im not saying defend with CDMs when you are 6-0 down, of course then you must press, but if you are winning 1-0, its 1-1, or its 1-2 even, why go all out then its 1-3 and its game over

Neal

Yes you have to do that yourself, otherwise it wouldnt be viable as you wouldnt need to do anything to defend, so most of AI positioning defensively line is good, but you need to control the CDMs both of them together and put them in position, otherwise it would be only an attacking controlled game :D

Neal

Hi, I don't know if this is rigth place to comment because this concern few more things than defending only but I have no idea where to post it. Is this defending with CDM works for any one here? It's working on Neal video but there is never Constant Preassure used by opponents. Only Heavy Preasure is showed when no all Your players are covered by opponents players and You don't even have time to touch the ball or if You receive the ball You are attacked by 2-3 players. You can only pass to the goalkeeper and next long pass where opponents receive the ball. Maybe in DIV1 nobody play Constan Preassure but I play DIV 5 and after new seson begins I'm unable to win more than 2 of 10 games (more like 1 of 10) Even when I see my opponents is "weaker" (I controll the ball etc) when he put Constant Preassure I loose 2-3 goals in 10 minutes. I can't agree whit You Neal that loosing 6 golas when defending CDMs is good thing. I don't have Mbappe and I still learning how to score so I'm unable to get back to draw or win game in last 10 minutes of match. I still don't know why (is this tactics or player choose) but usually when I attack with my winger/striker my opponents RB,CB,LB attacks me and they are active and offen get the ball. When my opponents attacks me, usually my defenders are standing and whatching what will happen and my opponents just pass them like sticks. Usually I loose game when I have 2, 3 times more situation to score but goalkeeper is defending almost all my shoots and my opponets score almost every shoot. Everybody can see that offensive play is more promoted than defending and I think there is not enough movies about scoring, attacking schema etc. But this is only my opinion.

My second CDM (the one I’m not controlling) doesn’t seem to be contributing much to the defensive shape in a 4231. I often find myself controlling the first CDM into position and switching to the second to more actively defend. Is this a good tactic? Should I set one or both of the CDMs to “drop between defenders”? Thanks for the useful content.