Maintaining a lead/ time wasting?

[rsnjg]

this is the problem i am at the business end of the season and i am finding difficult to hold on to a lead, especially in the last 20 mins. So does anyone have any tips to hold on to a lead or to waste some time just long enough to seal a win?

 

[Zlatan]

Maybe a strongly defending tactic. Can work but you must've many (good) defenders to be able to do that.

Or you can go the other way and go as mister Cruijff would say for a very offensive style a play to grab one more and leave the opponent on a mountain to climb.

Your choice. I'd do the first one as in FM offensive styles of play aren't always reliable.

 

[Socrates]

Usually i slow the tempo down to slow and play counterattack alwyas work plus i score some too.

 

[PSVFOREVER]

When i desperatly need to keep a lead (or maybe even a draw) i always go to my ultra-defensive 5-4-1 tactic. 5 central defenders, 2 defensive mids (man marking the 2 strikers/ 1 striker and 1 AMC), 2 attacking mids and 1 striker.

This works very good for me. Their strikers wont get any chances, as they are extra marked. This means the mids/attacking mids have to score. This leads to a lot of long shots, which almost never go in.

 

[Dreath]

Putting tackling on "hard" also works as long as your players aren't booked either. It means your players will be willing to make tackles.

 

[rsnjg]

thanks for the replies, i had tried the 'best defence is offence' method but that wasn't that successful. i think a hardtackling, strong defensive formation playing at a slow tempo and tight marking with counter attacking football is the way to go then.

Cheers.