I noticed most everyone recommends using the manual control setting to cycle through players via L1 button.

Yet, one can still select players with L1 even if you're on the semi-automatic or automatic setting. Aren't there benefits to using that "safety net" setting rather than going at it fully manual?

Originally posted by Paco de Lucia
I noticed most everyone recommends using the manual control setting to cycle through players via L1 button.

Yet, one can still select players with L1 even if you're on the semi-automatic or automatic setting. Aren't there benefits to using that "safety net" setting rather than going at it fully manual?

It really depends on you. Even with "manual switching" there is still some automatic switching going on. I mean when the ball is cleared long, you don't switch thru the players as the ball is in the air to the player under the ball, the CPU does that for you. So as far as saftey net is concerned, it is still there with "manual switching"

The first problem of automatic comes from when the CPU decides to switch because a player is closer to the ball whereas you want to use a player that has a better angle to thwart the threat. The second problem is a reaction thing. You don't know the moment the CPU is going to switch players for you, so when you see it on the screen you react to it. Players that play with the "manual" know when they are going to switch and know who it's going to switch to. With that in mind they can plan the slide tackle or nudge tackle or run, whatever that needs to be done immediately after L1 is pressed, as opposed to reacting to seeing the switch and then doing a move.

In a short sentence, defending is a lot less painful when you have your settings fully manual.