It seems agile players are very difficult to mark this time, while heavy and slow defenders are far more vulnerable than 2008. I used to have slow defenders even for side backs in 2008 but now its suicide. On the other hand a fast but not strong defender like Lahm for instance is much more useful now, due to what it seems is a tweaking of strength differences.
I find these changes quite realistic but sometimes I feel agile and responsive players are favored too much in contrast with slow, tall,box players like Nisterloy that now have a harder time to keep the ball or take on a defender.
This was also a problem in PES6 (PS2 Version), I defend better with fast and agile players -rather- than with Slow but great Defenders. Yes, Thierry Henry makes a better Defender than John Terry..
I think Konami MUST include New Defensive Stats because this is a disgrace, they treat the Defensive part of the game like if it was Unimportant.
I think New stats are needed to add more Depth to the Defensive Play of the game, maybe;
* Marking.
* Tackling.
* Sliding Tackle.
* Defensive Awareness.
* Defensive Midfielder Awareness.
With the current set of Stats and Special Abilities it is impossible to have proper Defenders. For one thing the greatest Defenders didn't stood out for their Pace, they stood out for their Defensive Positioning, their ability to read the game and anticipate plays accordingly.
This Reality should be in the game, it should be a Stat, just like there are Stats for Passing and Dribbling.
Bottom Line?? I think New Stats are needed, for one thing with the Defensive Stats I mentioned players would need to have those stats in order to Defend effectively. So it wouldn't just be about having Fast and Agile players -but- also about having that Defensive Ability to play in defensive Positions.
And by the way, How annoying is it to see Ronaldinho and Kaka working hard to regain possession -and- actually winning the ball. When has this ever happened in Real Life Football??
Yeah maybe Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez close done Space and Occasionally win the ball -but- most Forwards aren't "hard workers".
Plus, there is a Significant Difference between "Pressing" and actually "Winning the Ball" -wich- is Why I think more Defensive Stats are needed.
I think Konami also needs to set a Difference between "hard-working-forwards" and the "average-forward". I don't want to see Juan Roman Riquelme and Dimitar Berbatov working hard to regain Possession, that's just ridiculous.
Maybe some Stats could (also) settle that, Stats such as "Defensive Work Rate" and "Attacking Work Rate".
So that Wayne Rooney haves a Defensive Work Rate of 90 -whilst- Ronaldinho would have a Defensive Work Rate of 30. And so on..
Differences such as this aren't possible with the current set of Stats and Special Abilities.