I didn’t feel like playing PES today. Let me correct that: I didn’t feel like playing PES2008 today. I almost didn’t play it. I had my copy of PES5 in my hands and was about to uncork it (a very fine vintage), when I remembered that I’m only two games short of the mid-season Negotiation Period in my PES2008 Master League career. I might as well get them out of the way.

It never used to be like this. It used to be the case that my PES disc lived in my console for months at a time and saw daily action without me giving it a second thought. PES2008 has a lot to answer for.

To be brutally honest, I think I have almost given up on PES2008. I don’t play it with any kind of enjoyment or involvement. There’s little or none of the sheer joy that’s sustained my Master League play for almost a decade now.

There are lots of reasons for this. I’ve spoken of them ad nauseum over the past few months. The primary reason is the game’s ease after you get some good players. I’m struggling with the default squad, but I know that these struggles are almost worthless. All I have to do is make it to the negotiation period, and then everything will be different. There’s no sense that I’ll have to start playing well or anything.

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In my last two games before the mid-season period, I played Feyenoord and Parma, two teams who presented my Default players with a formidable challenge.

I came into these games on a run of nine consecutive defeats.

Something was different today. Perhaps it was the pervasive bank holiday ambience that is still very much in the air. I was relaxed, and instead of playing with the defaulters as if they are the world-beaters that I will soon (too soon) be playing with, I played very much to their strengths and taking account of their weaknesses.

The first and most important thing with the default players is not to concede goals. You have to defend doggedly, with discipline. This is advice I have singularly failed to heed for most of this season so far. (Largely because I’m just not bothered.)

It is possible to defend well with the likes of Stein, Ceciu, Baumann et al. It’s tough and it’s hair-raising at times, but it is possible. You have to maintain a low attack/defence posture, and ensure that you don’t drag your defenders out of position when chasing a pacy winger or tracking a midfielder running through the centre.

The second most important thing is to keep possession as much as possible. This is easier than it sounds, even with the default stiffs. Post-match possession stats of 65% or so in your favour are easily achievable. One-touch and two-touch passing is the key. Never try to run with the ball, unless there are no CPU players within 10 yards. Lay the ball off as soon as a CPU player comes within 5 yards. You need to lay it off ‘early’ because of the way the default players handle. There can be an appreciable delay between pressing the pass button and the action being carried out; there can also be a loss of passing accuracy with a CPU player very close by.

Using these techniques, and being patient, and being content with 0-0 scorelines if that’s what I had to do, I had two very good games against Feyenoord and Parma. I beat Feyenoord 2-1, and drew 1-1 with Parma. I’ve stopped the rot, and now I’m about to enter the mid-season negotiation period. I decided to save it for tomorrow.