[FM22] A Day Without Football is a Day Lost

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, _Ben_ said:

I too think this and, again (without pushing my own narrative) would use it as a catalyst to move Hassenhutl to an offensive centre back. Aramburo, for his age, looks good enough to be getting serious minutes!

You've basically conceded the title, in your own words, but are you not happy to seriously be exceeding expectations right now?! Ajax scare me as they're clearly a good side but what are your thoughts on 2nd?

Hasenhutl extremely good defensive displays really do give it serious consideration but he then has a world class wing back performance, plus Nagalo would be very tough to displace. It could however bring about a back three. Something I’ve been trying to hold off doing but feel it coming on more and more.

I’ve conceded the title purely on the basis that I feel Ajax and Feyenoord are tried and tested and will most likely up the ante going into the business end. A good run of results in the next games could well provide us with the catalyst to match it, so by the end of the month I will have a better idea. Regardless it’s progress and looking like at least a top 3 finish. 

[SixPointer]

51 minutes ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

It really is a pleasure to see how this team continue to grow and improve. Some of the football captured in the clips looks brilliant and highlights the class that Howedes has brought to the club. It's somewhat of a shame that the top three are 'locked' for another year but there's absolutely no reason why Sparta can't assert themselves into the top three at the end of the current season and upset the apple-cart.

I know all too well from my time at Toulouse just how frustrating it is when you lose a player for a good fee but are restricted in terms of reinvesting it thanks to the board taking the majority of the money. However, with that said, you have still used the available cash to recruit effectively once again. You have a good eye for talent, even if that eye can often be as a result of poaching like you mention!  

The football is certainly very easy on the eye when we are in full flow, and considering we have failed to finish of a bucket load of other great moves it could be a bigger catalogue to pick from. I really do however need to find inspiration for a third system, my problem is I just really don’t know what I need. But hopefully next season pre season can be extended and give me time to get something solid worked out.

Suppose it’s the business needed in the end, both players come in for half the cost of the outgoing so if we continue operating  like so and keep turning a profit I feel it’s very realistic especially for a team like Sparta. 

[SixPointer]

March 2024

Mixed month in March backs up what I had been saying about our title credentials, a flying start marred by two poor results shows that we are close but yet so far. Simply put, we can't afford to drop points especially at home. I still feel we are in the mix but again I think it's more to do with the big three being poor rather than us being at their level.

Roda Jc are completely dismantled as Emegha starts to find some goal scoring form with a nice hat trick, set up twice by Ugalde who much like the hatrick hero has excelled in the wider role, this is another reason why am considering a system with flat front three as these two could become lethal much like @GIMN is shown in italy. A poor error from young Bart Verbruggen cost us the clean sheet and took a little bit of shine off the performance.

Verbruggen redeemed himself with a clean sheet at Go Ahead Eagles not that he had much to do but its good confidence building for the young man. This time it was Ugdale finding the net as he showed his versatility as he was deployed through the middle, his first goal laid on by Emegha who returns the favour from the Roda Jc game with a delightful through ball after a lovely left hand side overload pulls the centre backs apart for ugdale to run clear and finish well.

The wheels come off against Willem II and it's so frustrating as its never a 4-1 game in its life, two goals coming totally against the run of play as we chased the game but more concerning than the goals against is the goal for a yet again our inability to find the net at crucial times is killer, scoring 8 goals in the previous two fixtures then it's like we forget how to finish. 

It's another defeat against a side playing the 4-4-1-1 which Alemre had previously inkflicted our first defeat of the season using therefore I tried a 4-2-3-1 to overload the AMC but it was a disaster, it again points at the need for a more solid option against AMC, Im starting to think a flat midfield three could in fact be the answer and being spread to block the passing lanes into the AMC.

I feel like a broken record but yet again we fail to turn our dominance and chances into goals which is a costly trait to have, don't score goals you won't win games which is ironic after the start to the month. 5 shots on target from 16 is a poor ratio especially when you consider our goal came from a superb freekick and we made 5 half chances and 1 clear cut. Groningen on the other hand are clinical and score from an XG of 0.51 and secure themselves a valuable point.

Egeris and Hasenhutl make the top 10 of the next gen talent list, Schiefefr and Verbeek round off our involvement as they sit 30 and 36 respectively which is a nice bonus considering the are from our very own academy which leads me on nicely to the next batch of talent coming through at the club. Three new elite talents coming from Piercey van Lierop's first intake, will be interesting to see if there is much of a difference in type of player.

Roderick Staal looks the brightest star in the new batch with his only real weakness being his vision, in terms of DNA he sits at 99 which at 15 is a good starting point, the 4 for vision is a concern but with the current training program i envisage that improbing quickly. You can see the influence of Lierop in his physical attributes and attributes linked to the gegenpressing side of the game, along with his fairly professional personality. Kurger and Fabbro still have a long way to go, so Staal is the only real talent in my eyes for now.....

Unfortunately Ajax flexed their muscles and poached on of our potential young stars now i know i've swooped for hasenhuttl but i paid a good fee these have come and swept him from my academy am not even sure it's possible for us as players to do this, however it is very realistic and adds to the game massively as this is rife in real life.

April 2024

Well surprise surprise the first game in April and this headline raises its head again as Vitesse run out 3-0 winners in Rotterdam as well which makes it back to back home defeats in as long as i can remember, not quite time to panic but i'm certainly starting become very uneasy at the amount of goals conceded on our own patch, i do however feel its coming from my desperation as we are struggling to find the net when dominating which leads me to overcommitting and then we pay the ultimate price.

I'm very honoured to be mentioned in a title race. I however feel 8 points is quite the swing to turn around and if there was to be such a challenge it's simple we need to win everything including the Rotterdam derby on the final day of the season. Ajax and Rotterdam have relatively simple fixtures to navigate except for the game against each other, whereas our final two fixtures are very tough, there are no easy games in the league but there are tougher ones.

Job done as we finished April very strong, a penalty was needed in Almelo but with a much needed clean sheet it was enough to bring home the three points and and with a man of the match performance from young Bart Verbruhghen who replaced van der hart after he conceded 3 against vitesse.

FC Twente were put to the sword with three very good goals, one from pressing high, the second from a nice pass and move and third man run and the final coming from a fantastic cross from Axel who set up his first goal for the club after a nice sweeping move.

Gap has been reduced to 5 points so now there is a glimmer of hope that Howedes men can snatch the title from under the noses of the dutch giants also we've secured not only europa league football at this point we have also insursend that we split the big three, again it's more about a poor PSV than us being miles better we have taken advantage off there poor showings, FC Utrecht have also jumped on the bandwagon and kept PSV out of the top 4, but with Ajax winning the KNVB Beker it's opened up another European slot for the league.

May 2024

In true Sparta fashion the season is rounded off in the most inconsistent fashion possible, revenge victory against Almere city helped keep the dream alive and done it in some style with Emegha bagging another htartick in the process. The pick of the goals however came from Lennart Thy who finished off a lovely team move finishing off Mijnans cut back, scoring 5 seems to be a bad omen as every time we do we seem to fail to find our shooting boots later in the month. FC Utrecht scored late on and crushed the very slim chances of any title shot.

The headlines just seem to get worse and worse, Ajax were beaten against Feyenoord and they couldn't recover and now Feyenoord win the ultimate Rotterdam derby which is very painful for me. I'm sure everyone now knows my passion for football rivalry so this is a tough one to swallow.

The final table makes for good reading as we secure a UEFA Champions League qualifying place. I was asked if I would accept 2nd place if it meant Feyenoord winning the title in order to secure UCL. Well, I have had to do so in the end settling for third but a UCL place does soften the blow of the last day of the season and also throw in the fact it's a new Eredivisie recordfor the club.

I have been banging the drum about the big three non performing. Our points total from last season was 72. This season it's 71 and it secured us a place higher in the league. It shows the plight of the mighty PSV but also we are only 8 points shy of the title and last year we were 11. Hopefully this is a sign of the big three being rained in and ourselves and the likes of FC Utrecht closing the gap.

In terms of an inquest into our performance Goals scored 63 up from 58 last season but still not enough to lay a glove on the gap to the big guns, we do however create plenty chances only 6 less that our city rivals which again makes me consider our finishing but then when looking at how often we hit the target i'm more concerned goalkeepers just love ruining our day. Our goals from corners is still a real strong point which makes the hard work that goes into setting them worthwhile. 

34 goals against which is up from 25 which is very alarming considering our two previous seasons our solid defence was our strong point, had we maganged this better this year perhaps it would be the other half of Rotterdam celebrating. Interestingly, we faced the third lowest amount of shots on target agaisnt which makes me wonder about goalkeeping performance with Bart and Mickey both sealing 5 clean sheets each after Okoye being moved on, I have seen enough from Bart to be positive about the future but I do need to go deeper into the defensive issues and this is a big area for improvement next season.

All things considered when you look at the XG Table we are scoring and conceding as expected therefore i can't be too disappointed the boys are doing there job it would just be nice if they could push the boat out and start out doing themselves, that said the XPTS is a real plus point as we secure 8 points more than expected.

Third Season Summary

Certainly a progressive season as we break a league position record and again qualify for Europe this time with a chance of making the big time, most importantly breaking up the big three is a big moment for the club and hopefully the nation as others see that it's possible and follow suit like FC Utrecht and ourselves. KNVB Beker was much more positive this year and still remains the first rung on the ladder. I certainly feel we can challenge for it again next year.

I still feel i need to take some time now to really take a deep dive and review the season mainly tactically and player performance wise and start to work out what really went well and what never, this update will probably arrive at the weekend as i'll be coupling it with the summer recruitment which is a must to get absolutely spot on.

Third system is another area im going to be working on closely over the summer, the only issue being the UCL qualifiers being wedged in pre season, so won't make for a good testing time but it's something that needs to happen as it could well be the final piece to the jigsaw, i'm also considering moving away from my set saved team instructions and make each system with its on set of desired instructions and go down a more specialist route again this will be covered in great detail further down the line. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by SixPointer

[GIMN]

Oof!  Must be tough to see Feyenoord lift the trophy, but what a sensational season, and ultimately that last day draw appears to have secured you the CL place!

[13th Man]

Tough tough ending, but has to go down as progress and success when you’re in the UCL even if just the preliminary rounds.

That keeper though…maybe a weak link?

Ive found the 4-2-3-1 to really struggle against a 4-1-4-1. Funny that your 4-3-3 is too, but the four across midfield and the DM help nullify both the wings and the central attack. I would have also thought your double MEZ would pull that DM around, but maybe not enough. What’s the off the ball and workrate of your MEZs? That off the ball is massive when it comes to success against DMs…

No easy solutions, just thoughts!

[SixPointer]

10 hours ago, GIMN said:

Oof!  Must be tough to see Feyenoord lift the trophy, but what a sensational season, and ultimately that last day draw appears to have secured you the CL place!

Was hard to take but like you say the vital point gives a shot at making it to the money fountain that is the champions league! 

 

10 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Tough tough ending, but has to go down as progress and success when you’re in the UCL even if just the preliminary rounds.

That keeper though…maybe a weak link?

Ive found the 4-2-3-1 to really struggle against a 4-1-4-1. Funny that your 4-3-3 is too, but the four across midfield and the DM help nullify both the wings and the central attack. I would have also thought your double MEZ would pull that DM around, but maybe not enough. What’s the off the ball and workrate of your MEZs? That off the ball is massive when it comes to success against DMs…

No easy solutions, just thoughts!

The keeper is still settling in and both have had good days and bad. I think a pre season for your young Bart and being made official first choice should see him prosper. I will however keep my eyes on the market Incase  a target becomes free which may see me send him on loan.

The 4231 was purely a trial to try overload the dangerous AMC. It’s not a 4–1-4-1 thats the issue, it appears to be formations with an AMC other than the 4-2-3-1 which we a very strong against. The issue isn’t the double MEZZ they pull apart the 2 or the 1 in most formations. I think making a 3 man flat midfield can help as we look to block passing lanes into the AMC.

I don’t think it’s a major issue but having looked back at games we suffered defeat teams often had bottom heavy formations so it’s something definitely to be wary off. Both current systems offer different threats while sticking to core principles it’s about finding a third and final system that will do the same. 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

All-in-all, there’s plenty of positives to take from this season but there’s some improvements to be made to ensure that progress is maintained, if not bettered. Congrats on a great season!

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

All-in-all, there’s plenty of positives to take from this season but there’s some improvements to be made to ensure that progress is maintained, if not bettered. Congrats on a great season!

Thanks man. Yeah certainly a progressive season considering we split the big three up and have a shot at the UCL there isn’t to much to be unhappy about but certainly feels like we could have been sitting talking about something abit more special had we found that extra gear or two

[Sheriff7]

Beautiful league battle and your team was a member of it.This is the most important right now.

[13th Man]

5 hours ago, SixPointer said:

I don’t think it’s a major issue but having looked back at games we suffered defeat teams often had bottom heavy formations

Oops, I switched a 4 and a 1 - read it as 4-1-4-1 not 4-4-1-1! I’m surprised that a 4-3-3 didn’t do the job there - seems like having the DM in place should disrupt the AMC. I can see how two holding CMs might struggle a bit, as the AMC can find those pockets of space between them, or between the midfield and defensive lines OR pull a CB out of position. I sometimes had my deeper CM specifically mark the AMC to ensure that we always had one more defender than attacker, but sometimes that disrupted shape too much.

I think the flat 3 can really do well, both in a 3atb like I’m using now, or a 4-3-3. I find it especially good against a bottom heavy shape as the runners from deep can cause more problems than, for instance, an AMC that’s already high. It can also, as you say, disrupt the passing lanes really well.

[SixPointer]

Sorry for the lack of update…. Was very busy last few days at home before I returned to Norway today.

Will still be sometime before something is out as I looked to collect my training data for a comparison on last year along with a look in-depth at performance and a update of my shortlists and scouting targets.

Bare with me hopefully Wednesday I should have something together 

[SixPointer]

Training Performance 2023/24

After revisiting training after the first season the reviewed method and schedule adjustment paid dividends as our total attribute growth shot up from 91+ to 144+ with the DNA rising from 40+ to +77, a huge improvement which was welcomed after the effort put in. With that in mind the schedule remains the same for the core part of the season, so it will be interesting to see if the standards can be maintained or if it was a one off and down to the right players with the right potential at that time. 

Total attribute growth continues on an upward trajectory with a 45.1% increase from the first season and 13.2% from the second season. sadly the DNA is - 7 this year. The DNA loss is intriguing and not alarming had it dropped of by a greater amount i would have considered looking into things, but the fact our overall growth remain positive i can accept a little drop on the targeted area what i'm more interested is too see what was affected directly from the previous year and what players as well.

The only real difference this year was implementing a strict pre season routine albeit a short one, this was my first real foray into making a dedicated pre season with a clear plan in mind to build tactical familiarity and conditional fitness which was reasonable success. The players were ready to go and there were no issues with jaded players throughout the season, but I am intrigued to see the effects on the physical attributes to see if we gained more growth.

On the whole its a positive return on the physical attributes with all increasing except for jumping. The biggest improvement is in balance, which is crucial as i feel balance to be particularly key in possession football especially in playmaker types who receive the ball in tight areas, so not a DNA but still a key cog, as DNA stamina had a 3 point increase going from 5 up to 8 which says to me job done on that front. I think i'll carry on with the same pre season as i feel this is a reasonable gain overall, i do however know it's not just that change that is the only factor but all i can do is best apply myself towards improving every year.

Overall attribute growth is essential, but of course my focus on DNA is crucial as i look to install these key principles from the top to the bottom of the club, so to lose 7 points is disappointing so it's vital to see where we lost and gained as it wasn't all bad news

First touch takes a one point gain which is pleasing as it is low on both cycles so any gain there will be welcomed and the change has slightly helped it. Composure also gains one attribute whereas passing is the opposite and loses a point. Technique, anticipation and decisions are all the big losers with a total of -17 across all three this is clearly the problem, but with an extra ten points boosted elsewhere it can be accepted. On the plus side vision, work rate and stamina all take good gains. I'm delighted with stamina and work rate which are areas that I feel are hard to have a great influence on so it's testament to the pre season schedule which has no doubt helped boost them.

While I don't want to lose attribute growth it has brought a more balanced feel to growth across the board besides teamwork which is proving the most difficult to have an effect on and if I could get the perfect balance and consistent growth at that level I would be delighted. Of course this is not all down to the schedule there are other factors at play the main one being players potential to grow.

One of the biggest benefits from my increased focus on training is being able to track individual player development in a lot more detail. I'm no guru when it comes to this area of the game. In fact, this is probably the area I would like to improve the most. I now have records of each player for every season which gives me a quick comparison to see who continues to grow or who has stunted or who has actually declined. What has already become apparent is player potential is massive from the tracking, it's a lot easier to tell when a player has reached their ceiling or if it's because of my personal program for them plus game time that has caused them to stagnate or if they have just reached potential. I only have three seasons of data. I am already noticing a trend so I'll be keen to see how this develops to see if it's down to my training or player maxing out indeed.

This is also vital in squad building and offers great value in the transfer market as it can help pinpoint when a player is needing to be replaced or when it's time to sell because a player is declining or have reached their peak, it will also help for buying a player as there is someone already at the club ready to make the step up, as of next year i'll potentially pick 5 players from the under 19’s who will train with the first team and add them into the data so i can help monitor their progress as i said not my strongest area of the game and i should have been doing his from the offset but it's all a learning curve at the minute.

Player Devlopment Table

It was another good year for the younger players which is to be expected due to the fact they have the potential to improve the most which is also a trend albeit an obvious one. Verbeek is top of the class with huge progress the most from one individual in all three cycles he has seen some more game time but now this season it's time for him to hold his own and be the main challenge to the DMC slot. It's back to back gains for Scheffer who much like Verbeek now has to step up and really throw his name in the hat for a more prominent role in the front line. Nelson De Bodt has a much better year and now i think it's actually time for a loan deal for him so he is playing first team football all the time, same for El Dahri who has went from being a massive improvement last time round to being a real disappointment so i'm putting this down to game time, interestingly enough we did qualify for Europe last season which in the second season was exclusively given to the youths/backups and El Dahri was a big performer there.

Mijnans shows why he is the best player at the club as he has another solid year and takes his overall growth to a staggering +44 and he is joined with Mario who had a great cycle the decision to move him to the attacking unit for the season paid dividends as his DNA takes a real boost. Bart Verburggen, who only has 6 months at the club, gets a nice lift and it reassures me that he was a good move and has the tools to reach his potential. While there are many other positives i want to zone in on Bright Arrey-Mbi who for the first two cycles was my biggest frustration only gaining +2 this season he begins to realise his potential with +12 improvement a late bloomer but he has always performed on the pitch now he is doing it on the training pitch.

Now for the negatives any player not on the table simply never improved or in fact declined, on that front the player am most concerned about is Jacob Christiansen who had a reasonable first season but has failed to improve on the training pitch now this is when potential plays its factor, he is already a very good player and has a good attribute spread he has most likely started to hit his full potential but another factor i need to consider is the training of a new role of regista may also have stunted potential growth, certainly a player that's development i'll be keeping a close eye on.

Hojer, Van Der Hart, Clasie and Thy are all senior pros so i don't expect them to grow but sadly Thy is now really starting to decline and it's not just on the physical front his technicals are declining and with his goal return slowing it may perhaps be time to cash in on him, and with Scheffer looking to stake a claim and the sublime goalscoring form of Egeris in Denmark who backed up my decision to loan him back and the good opening season from Ugdale i'm in a strong position to move a cult hero on, Clasie will follow suit as i clear a path for the much improved Verbeek. Hojer is coming into his prime so i feel no need to sell and Hart is the mentoring back up keeper.

Every season I feel like I'm growing more and more into training and starting to enjoy it more and more as it's so rewarding, I can't believe I've taken so long to get my teeth into it. Another good cycle over all and with a few lessons learned but i won’t be making any adjustments mainly because i want to see if i can build up some consistency.

Finally getting round to updating from last season it's been a hectic period for me and i had planned to cover player performance here but ill merge it into next seasons developments as we hit the transfer market and the training pitch to work on some new tactical ploys, thanks for your patience i am a slow player but real life has taken this too a new level at the minute (who's idea was it for this guy to do a journeyman challenge)

Edited April 2, 2022 by SixPointer

[Hootieleece]

That looks like great work! Do you ever change things up and work on Set Piece's?

Is that training Schedule for Regular Season or Preseason?

In Preseason, I often play Two matches a week......but it has drawbacks......The Team starts out playing great, but tends to fizzle in January now that fatigue is more of a thing...as well as injuries since the update.

Not that I mind.....it is more realistic.

I'm going to have to join all the players like you, 13th Man, and _Ben_, who really delve into training to have consistent success.

[GIMN]

Fascinating insight, and shows your getting the fruits of your labour by spending time setting up and considering your schedules carefully.  Great stuff!

[SixPointer]

4 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

That looks like great work! Do you ever change things up and work on Set Piece's?

Is that training Schedule for Regular Season or Preseason?

In Preseason, I often play Two matches a week......but it has drawbacks......The Team starts out playing great, but tends to fizzle in January now that fatigue is more of a thing...as well as injuries since the update.

Not that I mind.....it is more realistic.

I'm going to have to join all the players like you, 13th Man, and _Ben_, who really delve into training to have consistent success.

That schedule is for throughout the season. I have a Saturday match day and Sunday match day. But there same other than game day. And if I have midweek games I fill everything with match preparation as it’s limited time.

Set plays I don’t often train to be honest, I spend lots of time setting them up so I see that as my marginal gain by taking time there. The only time I do train it is if I notice myself conceding lots of goals from corners due to just being out jumped I will have a couple of sessions on them.

If you want a look at what I done pre season I covered it in a bit of depth at the start of the season if your looking for some ideas. Glad to see your getting inspiration of the likes of Ben and 13th man, I’m personally just getting there with training myself I’m sure there is others out there better but the tactical periodisation idea seems to be working so I’ll stick to this route for now my man!

3 hours ago, GIMN said:

Fascinating insight, and shows your getting the fruits of your labour by spending time setting up and considering your schedules carefully.  Great stuff!

By now means perfect but it’s certainly worth the effort like you said and it’s rewarding considering it’s an area very new to me in am chuffed to bits with how we are progressing. 

[Hootieleece]

1 hour ago, SixPointer said:

That schedule is for throughout the season. I have a Saturday match day and Sunday match day. But there same other than game day. And if I have midweek games I fill everything with match preparation as it’s limited time.

Set plays I don’t often train to be honest, I spend lots of time setting them up so I see that as my marginal gain by taking time there. The only time I do train it is if I notice myself conceding lots of goals from corners due to just being out jumped I will have a couple of sessions on them.

If you want a look at what I done pre season I covered it in a bit of depth at the start of the season if your looking for some ideas. Glad to see your getting inspiration of the likes of Ben and 13th man, I’m personally just getting there with training myself I’m sure there is others out there better but the tactical periodisation idea seems to be working so I’ll stick to this route for now my man!

By now means perfect but it’s certainly worth the effort like you said and it’s rewarding considering it’s an area very new to me in am chuffed to bits with how we are progressing. 

I have already "borrowed" your both your Old and New Saturday Schedules, but I only use them when I have ONLY one match in a week or I am coming off of Mid-Season Break and need to radically change tactics.

I have been quietly tinkering with a 4-3-3 Gengenpress in Italy's Serie C/B! in Preparation for my summer save.

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, Hootieleece said:

I have already "borrowed" your both your Old and New Saturday Schedules, but I only use them when I have ONLY one match in a week or I am coming off of Mid-Season Break and need to radically change tactics.

I have been quietly tinkering with a 4-3-3 Gengenpress in Italy's Serie C/B! in Preparation for my summer save.

Are you writing about the save?

[Hootieleece]

4 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Are you writing about the save?

I am not writing about this save. I am trying to learn the formation so I can make better choices when I do. Which will be this summer.

I was going to write about Preston North End, but thinking about a Journeyman save about bring the Gengenpress to the far reaches of the world maybe......

 

[SixPointer]

12 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

I am not writing about this save. I am trying to learn the formation so I can make better choices when I do. Which will be this summer.

I was going to write about Preston North End, but thinking about a Journeyman save about bring the Gengenpress to the far reaches of the world maybe......

 

be sure to tag me in when you decide

[SixPointer]

Summertime

The time has come to finally begin our preparations for next season taking what we achieved last season and learning from it is crucial, with potential champions league football at stake on the back of splitting the big three last year. If we can get this summer right it could take the club onto the next level for the long term, and not just a flash in the pan that's happy being best of the rest. With all this in mind I'll be taking a closer look at tactics and player performance to identify key changes that need to happen in order to make that step. 

Goals scored is the first area i want to tackle, in order to bridge the gap i feel we need to be more equipped to take our chances and while attacking efficiency isn't the worst to take us to the next level its needs to improve, ultimately a lot of the burden comes down to player personnel but i'm keen to get a deeper look at this to see if i can also help boost our tally. First stop is a chat with the analyst’s which points out a few things and backed up by my stats for the season I can make some informed decisions.

Our goals are well spread across the team with Ugalde, Thy, and Emegha all hitting 12 goals which is a reasonable return, Ugalde played on the right of the three at times so he contributes to a lot of the goals coming from there with Dardai hitting 5 in all competitions which isn't the worst, Pflucke got 2 and i think it's time to move him on going with his performance for the season. The right sided players are more a creative types while the left a more direct and more striker like.

Salida - Now features CM(A) a role much loved in this edition so i thought it was time to utilise its great runs and with a IW(S) *stay wide hold position & WB(S) *who is told to overlap im aiming to use them to overload the flank and open up the channel for him. On the other side the wide drifting Mezz(S) & WB(S) with a focus play should create a deeper overload again with the intention of drawing players to them which should open up space for the IF(A) to attack. The BPD is added to the LCB slot as I look for him to potentially unlock the IF as well with a big diagonal pass, or even down the flank into the CM(A).

Conductor - Not a lot has changed here in all honesty other than i now see this as my more patient approach to things as we look to build up a little slower and draw the opponents out to the unlock space behind the back line for the double mezz to punish. I have added focus play through the middle and set the width to extremely wide in order to stretch the pitch so much and open the channels up for us to overload with the focus of play. I have toyed with the idea of a F9 leading the line and the wingers becoming IW (stay wide hold position) to still hold width but cut in late on.

Nameless - Im yet to come up with a name and it did start out as a flat 433 after @GIMN displayed at Sassuolo how lethal it could be but for now i've settled for a flip of salida with the exact same thinking in terms of attack just down the opposite side. The flat midfield three is to try and stop teams playing through the lines i noticed at times defending with a DMC creating too much of a gap between the lines so this is something i'll be monitoring closely through pre season.

Hold shape has been removed from the two more attacking systems as I now aim to try and camp more in the opponent's half and get away from passing too much in our own half. I consider raising the defensive line as well but I'm wary considering how many goals we concede from through balls already. The changes aren't drastic but its enough to have me tactically engaged again and i think the slight role changes and ideas can add a lethal dimension to our game.

The switch to IF now means I need a creative type and goal scoring type for each side. I'll certainly need to delve into the market. Luckily, I have been tracking certain players since January after they performed well in the first half of the season. I require an Inverted winger type on the left and a more inside forward type on the right but I really want players capable of both roles as I look to have flexibility but I certainly need to lean them towards these areas as I offset against Emegha and Dardai.

Right Side

Mihani Isfan - is certainly the statistical favourite but i have to take that into context with him playing in the Romanian league, he does excel but his attributes certainly do lean more towards a creative type regardless of his ten goals this season the scouts also have reservations so at the moment ill keep an eye hoe how things develop with other targets as i don't see him as being majorly expensive, had his finishing and composure been better he most certainlywould have been first choice. 

Daleho Irandust - tried and tested in the league he certainly out scores his XG and with 0.37 created chances per 90 he still offers a creative influence, at 26 he is approaching his prime years he is however the most expensive option on the list and scout has reservations about his work ethic, if i can tempt Groningen into lowering their asking price he is a serious candidate.

Carlo Holse - I've long admired the dane after his sublime performances in my Odd save last season and attribute wise he is the prime candidate as he tops the charts in everything record for the inside forward role my only concern is his form in norway the last three season has not been inspiring and while not the most expensive we face competition for his signature and around 5 million definitely a contender.

Hakon Evjen - scored ten goals the year i took over at Sparta but since then it's tailed off and he has poor decision making out with that he has really strong attributes but with a 7 million release clause he is out of the range at the minute. Had his form last season been more inspiring I would consider him target number one.  

Patrik Walemark - intrigues me the most at 22 he is the youngest of the group, while his stats are nothing remarkable he is certainly balanced across the board doing well in everything except key passes but at the end of the day i'm looking for him to be on the end of the key passes. He is affordable, has potential to grow and the scout report points to some very key personality traits (enjoys big matches and fairly consistent) his attributes align with the role and so does his player traits as he likes to move into channels and cuts in from right hand side.

1. Top target - Walemark
2. Second best - Irandust
3. Outsider - Holse

Left Side

This side was a far simpler process only two players caught my eye out of the five I had been tracking and one was being completely priced out of a move that left only one target. Mattsson at around 3.5 million will be good business while he hit 11 goals for basement boys NEC Nijmengen, i was more drawn to his creative attribute spread and the fact the scout report  mentions his ability to cross the ball and the fact he is fairly skillful all this makes him number one and with reasonable price tag i don't see their being an issue securing his services.

Sven Mijnans

A stellar season for the best player at the club, the heartbeat of the team by no shadow of a doubt. 11 goals and 10 assists from the middle of the park is most impressive, when compared to his midfield partner who did play significantly less games it's clear there is a real guy in class here. The Icelandic man still offers value and I believe if kept fit he is still an asset but if we are to make the step to the next level it was crucial that I sourced someone capable of matching Sven in the middle, this was my number one priority and with Chelsea circling my top target and a 8 million release clause I had to act fast.

Delighted to get this one over the line so soon and secure my number one target of the summer before the window is open, 6 million upfront is a large investment but he can take us to the next level i'm sure.

21 year old with a great attribute spread with only decisions looking remotely concerning and a DNA value of 128, he suits the roles down to the ground, his traits, personality and fairly consistent performer help round off the package. The scouts are excited by him also with only marking a concern from their side, and his pros certainly outway the cons by some distance (i love the unexpected).

His performance levels have been great and again context is needed as he plies his trade in Croatia however 11 assists and 13 goals is something to take note of and with an average rating on 7.28 he certainly has performed, 0.33 assists per 90 matches Sven and while his chance creation need to improve i think playing in our system is only going to further his game. Seeing as i've tracked him for some time i watched him score a  goal in Europe his movement of the ball running from deep to get on the end of a through ball was very pleasing and is something i look forward to him doing at the castle.

6 million outlay certainly wasn't going to go unnoticed in our relatively tight budget so naturally I had to move players on to get more funding for the wide areas that I've established as my next area of concern. Sadly it's Thy who will make way for a 4.1 million move to Mexico for the German hitman, he probably had one more season in him but like i touched on earlier it was time for him to go. As does Clasie as he joins Verona for 1.6 million  which makes us 600k in profit from a player on his way out. On the opposite front four key players all signed new long term deals to stave off interest growing in them.

The final piece of news from summer the board have decided that the legendary Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel that was built in 1916 is no longer fit for purpose and that Rotterdam is going to see a brand new modern stadium replace it, a sign of the times for the Netherlands oldest professional clubs and as a man of tradition i'll be very sad to see it go if the plans go through. The board clearly feel the club is ready for that step up now it's time for Benedikt Howedes to take them there..........

Edited April 3, 2022 by SixPointer

[GIMN]

9 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Nameless - Im yet to come up with a name and it did start out as a flat 433 after @GIMN displayed at Sassuolo how lethal it could be but for now i've settled for a flip of salida with the exact same thinking in terms of attack just down the opposite side. The flat midfield three is to try and stop teams playing through the lines i noticed at times defending with a DMC creating too much of a gap between the lines so this is something i'll be monitoring closely through pre season.

Chicken!  Just joking.  It looks very balanced, and I like the idea of having mirrored formations, so you can change the point of attack easily in game.  The squad's coming together nicely, too.  Although I have to ask about Irandust - that goal output to xG is astonishing - is there any indication to how he's achieving it?

[Deisler26]

Ooh, new stadium! Fingers crossed it's named after you!

[SixPointer]

2 hours ago, GIMN said:

Chicken!  Just joking.  It looks very balanced, and I like the idea of having mirrored formations, so you can change the point of attack easily in game.  The squad's coming together nicely, too.  Although I have to ask about Irandust - that goal output to xG is astonishing - is there any indication to how he's achieving it?

Chicken indeed but there is still time for it to happen. I actually used a flat front free in fm 21 but I used a poacher on the left and DLF on the right with a CF in the middle to create lopsided overloads

Irandust would 100% have been my number one target on that stat alone, but looking at his cross attempts i soon realised he had actually been playing in the number 10. I watch a few of his goals and most come from knock downs from Strand Larsen who is a big handful who seems to pin both CBs and Irandust is taking advantage of it, however it's still very impressive.

1 hour ago, Deisler26 said:

Ooh, new stadium! Fingers crossed it's named after you!

That certainly would be nice but i somehow feel i would need to do more in order to be held in such regard,

[haier_fm]

On 04/04/2022 at 02:26, SixPointer said:

Patrik Walemark - intrigues me the most at 22 he is the youngest of the group, while his stats are nothing remarkable he is certainly balanced across the board doing well in everything except key passes but at the end of the day i'm looking for him to be on the end of the key passes. He is affordable, has potential to grow and the scout report points to some very key personality traits (enjoys big matches and fairly consistent) his attributes align with the role and so does his player traits as he likes to move into channels and cuts in from right hand side.

I completely agree with you. Taking into account his price and his high levels of consistency, it should bode well for you. 

On 04/04/2022 at 14:36, SixPointer said:

Fingers crossed it's named after you!

The "Benedict Hoewedes Arena" - just need to decide on the location of the stadium (District, Street, Closest Metro Station). Will it be across the river from De Kuip? A possible redevelopment of the docks around the stadium? I know it isn't the main focus of your save, but it would be a seriously cool thing to do and post.

[SixPointer]

3 hours ago, haier_fm said:

I completely agree with you. Taking into account his price and his high levels of consistency, it should bode well for you. 

The "Benedict Hoewedes Arena" - just need to decide on the location of the stadium (District, Street, Closest Metro Station). Will it be across the river from De Kuip? A possible redevelopment of the docks around the stadium? I know it isn't the main focus of your save, but it would be a seriously cool thing to do and post.

It’s definitely something I can get on board with tbh. I love football geography and the fact I’ve travel a lot of the world for work I’ve had my fair share of unique visits. For instance a pahang derby in Malaysia was interesting!

I’ll certainly add some flavour to the new stadium if it’s get finalised! 

[SixPointer]

Rounding Off 2023/2024

Before getting stuck into pre pre-season a few things to be mentioned about last season. First of all a record high finish since the Eredivisie was formed which although the game thinks is the case i know otherwise, the club won the title in 1958 and the league was formed in 1956 however it's nice to be recognised. The same couldn't be said about manager of the year as Arne Slot from that other team in Rotterdam takes it home which is frustrating as in the Athletics article which was reviewing the league season we were seen as the biggest overachievers.

Best to finish off last season with some positive moments after all it was a great season. Three of our players are nominated for the talent of the year with Mario Hasenhutl, Bright Arrey-Mbi and Nagalo making the top three with Hasenhutl taking home the award for the second year running and following up on Emanuel Emegha’s previous award to make it three in the row for the club, i've given youth a chance and their being rewarded for it. 

And finally Manfred Ugalde becomes a massive plus point as his transfer is awarded, most pleasing thing is he came from using the stats something that I have only really been learning to use since @_Ben_ and @Shrewnaldo started to highlight how vital and useful a tool it can be. The fact it was his historical goal scoring record from when he was on loan at fc Twente which was highly impressive he had tailed off on his return to Lommel but closer inspection showed he wasn't being created enough chances, so i moved for him at 400k (1.4m with performance bonus) he is now valued at 14-16 million after a great first season breaking into the team and getting 18 direct goal involvements (11 goals 7 assists) and average rating of 7.07. So rewarding when it comes off.

Pre-Season Teaser

1st Goal - lovely off the ball movement and interlink passing in the left half space.

2nd Goal - Ball worked from left hand side overload side and played in behind for the IF on the otherside to smash home.

3rd Goal - The overload on the left again drags the opponets over and RWB maurding forward into open space cuts back for the IF who has drifted inside to smash home.

In the end the catalan giants pulled three goals back, the subs rained on and we still attacked freely just like we had previously, the tragic thing is conceding all three goals from corners which in a way is a good thing as it allows me time to revisit  them before the season starts.

The big plus is how freely we managed to get in behind and how good our movement on and off the ball was to drag them out of shape and to get the net three times was icing on the cake. Hopefully a sign of things to come on the attacking front.....

Edited April 8, 2022 by SixPointer

[SixPointer]

Transfer Business

Three arrive as the window opens, Baturina has already been covered in great detail and is the marquee signing of the window.

Walemark  was lined up as the number one target for the IF role on the right and signs on the dotted line he could well prove to be a bargain, interesting fact on the Swede he has signed for city rivals Feyenoord in real life, hopefully it can prove to be a omen and he destroys them in the game. He already tucked one away in the draw with Barcelona, hopefully a sign of things to come.

Laranjeira was picked up from our new brazilian scout and it was a no brainer to activate his 210k release clause, his stats are non-existent as Brazil has not long become playable. He now comes in as back up to Mijnans on the left of the centre, very complete in his attribute spread which could see him play any role in the middle of the park which could prove useful when looking to shut a game down. He's an unknown quantity but with very small outlay worth the risk.

A raft of youngsters that have failed to make the grade leave, Hillen and Boumenjal joined for free previously but failed to make an impression. The most notable sale Schoppema is of the same vein but i never ever had aspirations of him making it at the club, he never ever suited the style but i knew he had great potential as a poacher and after two good spells at Den Bosch on loan he brings in a tidy 1 million euros profit shrewd business on my part investing in a young player and growing him purely for money making. 

Patrcik Pflucke returns to Germany after four reasonable seasons in the netherlands, he done a job for Howedes but he now falls short as the clubs looks to progress to the next level, brining in 700k in profit is not to be sniffed at and he clears the way for Walemark keeping the squad tight but full of better quality is a necessity as we aren't flush with cash so can't afford to have bit part players hanging around.

Bright Arrey-Mbi was almost joined his fellow German back in his homeland but he knocked back St Pauli, 6.5 million euros would have represented good profit but the young german has been solid in three seasons and while Micky van de Ven is a ready made replacement and would step right into his shoes it would prove difficult to find another backup of similar quality at price.

PSV sold Noni Madueke for 77 million euros and they decided to hijack our deal to bring the number one target for the left hand side Mattsson, this was a test to see how much pull we had. I doubt they offered him a key role within the squad but financially they could far surpass us. This will also tell me what sort of player am getting is he more interested in the cash or is he wanting to play. Naturally I went in and touched up my original contract offer to try and sway him towards us.

Job done as he signs on the dotted line as a regular starter which is a massive coup for us holding off PSV, i do think they would have only offered a squad player role so gametime must have been the biggest factor.

DNA - 131 very creative player but he has a proven goalscoring record as well which means he is vertaile enough to play both roles in wide areas and the fact he is either footed he can play both sides which adds another layer to him. First port of call will be training him to play killer balls more often as I look to use him as a creative linchpin out wide.

A nice little windfall from Okoye moving on keeps the transfer window alive for Sparta but with no one in the pipeline and only million euros to spend I don't envisage any more movement, unless there was an offer we couldn't refuse and needed to replace.

Pre-Season Results

Only four games to prepare ourselves for our champions league qualifier against LASK Linz who dispatched CSKA Moscow and in some style playing some great stuff at times, it certainly won't be an easy fixture and we need to make home advantage count in the first leg. It will be a good marker to see how much we have improved as it was CSKA who demolished us 4-0 a few years back in the European conference league.

My worry is four games is not a lot and I can't seem to extend our pre season date no matter what i try, so while results and performances were good LASK have had competitive football and i didnt get the 6-8 weeks with the players that i desired. I decided to watch in person the LASK v CSKA double header and have formed my own little scout report to try to regain an edge after only a short time preparing the side.

From the four games I think this is my strongest 11 but competition for places has never been tighter. I only consider Nagalo, Baturina, Hasenhutl and Mijnans as clear starters in their respective slots but of course the challenge is still real to them. Every other position is really too close to call with two clear players battling for the position and it's so very hard to split them so it will come down to who takes the chances.

Now player roles will now play a huge point in selection especially in the wide roles as now i have players who lean towards each role, but all should be capable of doing a job at each role. The tactical shift has made squad building a lot more specific and long may that continue as we grow we can now begin to cherry pick the exact type of player we want.

The squad is now trimmed to two players per position but with quality options and vertailse players. The young guns who were on the fringes have been sent out on loan besides Verbeek who now needs to make a push for the first team. Scheffer, De Bodt and El Dahri have been sent to gain a season of first team football in the Eerste Divisie which should allow them to challenge for first team football next year or be sold on.

Edited April 9, 2022 by SixPointer

[GIMN]

Looks like a really solid pre-season.  How do you feel about your chances in the league?  

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, GIMN said:

Looks like a really solid pre-season.  How do you feel about your chances in the league?  

I think a lot hinges on what happens in Europe, If we qualify for UCL proper or even the UEL or UECL it will add a lot of games to the mix and will test squad depth but i do feel I have strengthened enough to manage having a go on all three fronts.

if we can start to score more goals I don’t see why we can’t mount a challenge, hopefully everyone gets a good run in Europe this year which will further help our case. 

[_Ben_]

On 10/04/2022 at 07:17, SixPointer said:

I think a lot hinges on what happens in Europe, If we qualify for UCL proper or even the UEL or UECL it will add a lot of games to the mix and will test squad depth but i do feel I have strengthened enough to manage having a go on all three fronts.

if we can start to score more goals I don’t see why we can’t mount a challenge, hopefully everyone gets a good run in Europe this year which will further help our case. 

Just caught up on the last few updates and I must say that you’re squad building is coming along really well!

Some nice transfer business and a clear strategy of attack here! I, genuinely, think you’ll be fighting for the title this year. How does that sit in your long term plans?

[SixPointer]

First Half of August 2024

Diego Costa signs on the dotted line, the ageing aggressive forward comes in to backup Egeris and Ugalde after Scheffer heads out on loan. His attributes are still very good all except his speed, personality was a big factor and I still feel he can offer something considering the style of play. I think he will be a great focal point to build off, especially with his supreme mentals and traits that complement the role.

Clearly he can still mix it in the Eredivisie after two solid seasons for PSV, double figures for goals, laid a few on and good average ratings in his 20 odd games for each season. Well worth the gamble of 750k and 8k a week in wages which is a snippet for a man of his experience which may prove vittal in Europe. People may think I had Lennart Thy to do the same job but his sell on value was too much not to cash in on when he was beginning to decline.

Sparta Rotterdam vs LASK UCL Double Header

The preparations for the LASK game couldn't have gotten off to a worse start as club captain is out of the first leg and after watching LASK they have a real danger man up front in Thomas Sabitzer.

LASK knocked out CSKA Moscow 5-4 on aggregate in a thrilling encounter which I decided to watch both legs to further examine our potential opponents. The winners certainly know how to knock the ball about in their 4-2-3-1 shape, playing out from the back with a high line and looking to dominate the centre. Danger men Sabitzer and Biel will be of huge focus after they were a constant thorn in the CSKA side with their interchanging movement.

The game plan will to play Salida using the half back to man mark Biel in the middle of the park, while the right hand side overload should force their AP into tracking back, pressing on the front foot will be key to disrupt their early build up play and they did get caught on the ball a few times something we can certainly expolit along with forcing them wide away from their dangerous centre.. I will also switch to cover and stopper duties in the back line to combat Sabitzers movement, one in front and one in behind with the stopper man marking him.

3 minutes on the clock and our counter pressing almost pays off as the turnover leads to a hopeful shot at goal, 22nd minute and the overlapping LWB and BPD moving wide making overloading the flank has caused the LASK defence to shift over and opens up a channel on the right. The Mezz and IF are now 2v1 and Baturina breaks through and gets his shot away, more of the same was to follow before half time as Walemark is played in behind but he skews his finish.

Early in the second half the deadlock was broken, this time our flowing move down with a neat interchange in the channel and after a lovely slide pass from Baturina, Egeris found the net with a lovely finish to score on his competitive debut for the club, great move and finish.

Unfortunately it wasn't to be as Jacob Christaiansen was sent off for a second bookable offence and ironically Biel the man he had been man marking out of the game equalised late of for the Austrian side, not the end of the world but certainly makes the trip to Linz a lot more tricky.

I am confident after the first leg that we can progress and I certainly learnt a thing or two about our opponents and feel that with the dominance of the double pivot in their passing combinations that I can afford to move to the Conductor and use the double Mezz to attack them centrally, sadly we will be without the talismanic Mijnans as he is out for 3 months with torn knee ligaments which is a huge blow.

Second Leg

The 10 hour journey into Austria's third largest city to take on last season's runners up of  the Austria championship for a place in the playoffs the sides couldn't be split in the first leg but am confident with a new game plan that we can edge them out on their own turf.

Larajiera shows early in the second leg that he can match his movement, the finish needs work and nice to see an impressive pass from young Verbeek in the Regista role. Our positional play again drew our Austrian counterparts back line out of place and created space for an excellent third man run, only thing missing was the finish. A mirror image on the opposite side attacking the opposite half space showing the variation within the system. 

The switch to the conductor has proven to be a masterstroke, the 2-3-5 shape is causing mayhem with the IWB tucking in its drawing the wide men inside with them which is leaving their full backs exposed. The 5 man front line are 1v1 right across the front and on the ball side the wideman stretches the pitch and on the far side he's tucked in do overload the full back, this is exactly what i'm trying to create numerical, positional and qualitative superiority all at once with various options to exploit the opponent.

Our goal comes from some nice interplay from our midfield three which is formed from the IWB and Regista, the patient recycling of the ball trying to move the defence about is pleasing on the eye and Egeris makes his move and drops off spins and fires into the far corner (no wonder he is so highly rated)

The tactical shift provides us with the dominance and while we should have been more clincial a welcomed first clean sheet of the season sends us into the playoff where we will face off against Sporting Lisbon, who dispatched Celtic. Time to do the homework on them all while beginning our Eredivisie campaign in a few days time. 

Edited April 11, 2022 by SixPointer

[SixPointer]

3 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

Just caught up on the last few updates and I must say that you’re squad building is coming along really well!

Some nice transfer business and a clear strategy of attack here! I, genuinely, think you’ll be fighting for the title this year. How does that sit in your long term plans?

Thanks man! Well I think a lot hinges on the Sporting game. Champions league football add a whole other dynamic and I’ll need to prioritise my goals. If we can start to find the back of the net more regularly which I hope should happen with the increased detail going into each system and how it attacks then I don’t see why we can’t mount a challenge. 
I would love to nail the KNVB cup which is the first stage of this challenge (yes no idea why I took about a journeyman challenge as the slowest one club man in the fm world 🤣)

[13th Man]

Good stuff as always.

You’ve been making steady improvements and are continuing to do so, and I see no reason why you can’t challenge for the league and/or cup. Nicely done in Austria too - would have been nervy considering they got a draw in Rotterdam.

Funny as you say - tough to do a long, career style journeyman save when tactics and such are such a focus. I know some have lots of free time, but I still can’t believe how fast some people blast through seasons! I’m usually on about a season a month at best! But that’s what you get when you tinker, watch games in more than “key” highlights, watch sections of upcoming opponents, etc etc.

Edited April 12, 2022 by 13th Man

[_Ben_]

20 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Thanks man! Well I think a lot hinges on the Sporting game. Champions league football add a whole other dynamic and I’ll need to prioritise my goals. If we can start to find the back of the net more regularly which I hope should happen with the increased detail going into each system and how it attacks then I don’t see why we can’t mount a challenge. 
I would love to nail the KNVB cup which is the first stage of this challenge (yes no idea why I took about a journeyman challenge as the slowest one club man in the fm world 🤣)

I agree. I love the effort you put into the Linz game and it certainly paid off! Sporting are going to be a different challenge but you've proved that you can mix it with the big boys, domestically at least!

Out of interest, how has Kristian Nökkvi Hlynsson developed in your save? He starts off at Ajax and is a player I am loving managing at the moment!

[SixPointer]

12 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Good stuff as always.

You’ve been making steady improvements and are continuing to do so, and I see no reason why you can’t challenge for the league and/or cup. Nicely done in Austria too - would have been nervy considering they got a draw in Rotterdam.

Funny as you say - tough to do a long, career style journeyman save when tactics and such are such a focus. I know some have lots of free time, but I still can’t believe how fast some people blast through seasons! I’m usually on about a season a month at best! But that’s what you get when you tinker, watch games in more than “key” highlights, watch sections of upcoming opponents, etc etc.

Thanks man. Yeah it was very good summer business wise, the squad is smaller as the talented boys who are not quite there yet head out on loan but the quality we now have within 23 players is the best it’s been!

yeah I’m trying to speed up but I can’t resist going into details about tactics and match plans which does take a lot of time. After the next detailed post that am in the middle of writing up I will go back to three month updates and zone in on very specific things, now that the tactical tweaks have been shown and explained in detail. 
 

11 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

I agree. I love the effort you put into the Linz game and it certainly paid off! Sporting are going to be a different challenge but you've proved that you can mix it with the big boys, domestically at least!

Out of interest, how has Kristian Nökkvi Hlynsson developed in your save? He starts off at Ajax and is a player I am loving managing at the moment!

Sporting certainly warrant just as much respect as Ajax, I will also need as detailed a game plan as i did in Linz. (I do this for every game I just don’t bore everyone with the details)

Huns son is 20 and still in Ajax B team. He already has some really good attributes and with a spell of first team football am sure he would become more rounded very quickly. He won’t make it at Ajax but certainly will get a game for a lower end club in the Eredivisie in the next year.

[SixPointer]

Second Half Of August 2024

Diego introduced himself to the Het Kasteel faithful with a debut goal in the convincing 2-0 victory league opener against FC Groningen, dominating the team from the north of Holland from start to finish. Our deep buildup was fantastic along with Diego's hold up play and our right hand side passing combinations and positional movements are excellent, the second goal came from a combination of these two this time Larajiera makes no mistake this time.

Sporting CP

Were up next and instantly on from the scout report there was a positive to draw on, their 5-2-3 shape would provide an opportunity to overload their midfield two with my two free 8's. This thinking was further backed up by the analysts who pointed out a weakness in their defending of the centre of the pitch.

In possession their shape resembles a 3-1-4-2 shape with the DLP dropping deeper and the IW on the right coming very narrow and playing more like a number 10 and the left winger becoming a second striker, the wing backs push high and provide the width but does leave a potential 3v3 on their backline.

Out of possession the WB's drop to make a back 5, interestingly the IW seems to stay narrow which makes a defensive shape of a narrow 5-3-2 this does allow us to go 2v1 down the flanks which. The IW movements is something I'll need to monitor closely he can't be man marked by one single player and will have to do a zonal job on him and allow the IWB and Regista to pass him back and forth.

Their passing combinations confirm their idea of overloading their right half space and building up through the DLP in the RCM, it also shows how the back three like to knock it about in early build up. The LWB is extremely advanced looking to exploit on the opposite side something else I'll need to be wary of.

Game plan wise it's the conductor as we look to flood the centre of the park but use the wingers to stretch the pitch and give the WB's a defensive headache, as the central overload bursts through it should split the back three. We should have enough players located to pick up second balls with the IWB REG IWB all set up for collecting cleared balls and blocking passing lanes.

The IW will be shown onto his right as we try to press him towards the touch line, DLP will be pressed and marked tight from our LCM to stifle play down their favoured left and block a route to the creative IW. For the high press I will zone in on the outside CB's further forcing them to build through the middle CB and forcing them into our numerical advantage.

Great result to take to the Portuguese capital,as we dominated large parts of the game and passed the ball incredibly well in the most perfect passing shape.

The biggest highlight was our pressing which played a huge part in keeping a vital clean sheet on our own patch. Restricting their right hand side overload was a massive part of our ploy and you can see here in the clip how well we forced the issue and made them give up possession, in the end Rodrigo passes straight into Baturina and we break forward. 

The high press was just as effective here you can see how the back three and DLP(8) are put under immense pressure and the ball is turned over and we get a shot at goal, i must praise Laranjeira as his tremendous work rate and teamwork were there for all to see as he constantly dogged their DLP and LCB.

Our high line with man marking orientation is perfect for implementing the press, yes we are 1v1 at full backs but the CB's can shuffle over to the ball side if they were to go direct, our aerial presence at the back is also strong enough to win a high direct ball.

The middle of the pitch is perfect as is the front line as we actually have a man advantage unless you bring the goalkeeper into the equation, the regista is free to cover space, block passing lanes or press onto a CM's as as the 8's press higher onto the backline.

The press is perfected and they simply have no way to play out every option gets suffocated, cutting of the supply by pressing the WCB's and midfield two but almost allowing the middle CB to have just a little more time forces him into a his last option to hit it long and we turnover, break up the park and score a great goal. (nothing more satisfying in this game than an effective game plan paying off)

Now with this tactical quest I have lent towards the attacking side of my positional play and how easy it is on the eyes and how effective it can be in scoring goals, well this is a great example of how we have used our defensive positional plan to create numerical advantage and pin our opponents and force an error that leads to a goal.

Fc Twente

The least said about this game the better, the stats above sums it up perfectly. They scored 3 from 9 attempts in our penalty area and we only scored 1 in 13 attempts inside their penalty area.

Getting gotten back on level terms on the 90+1 minute from a wonder strike its a tough one to swallow losing the point in the 90+3 minute. Rotated side did give a good account of themselves other than some shoddy defending and Costa made it 2 in 2.

Sporting CP

Not sure who is incharge of the headlines in the media but going to Lisbon and netting three times is not something to be played down by any stretch of the imagination.

They did control the game but Howedes' men struck at the right times when they had good spells of dominance and were clincial in taking their chances. It's the perfect away performance in Europe and delivers Champions League football for the first time since the club reached the 1/4 final of the European cup in 1959/60.

Again pressing the DLP was pivotal in our success, Stephen Estaquio completed 93 passes of those 93 only 18 were porgressive passes.

Larajiera was on the scoresheet in the match but again i have to praise his workmanlike performance and ability to stick to the task of closing down Sportings quarterback, the fact the brazilian is so versatile and can play as a ball winning midfielder as well as mezzala means i can switch it up quickly if we are being overrun and use it to kill momentum of the opponent. He looks like a real bargain!

Almere City

Five of the best at The Castle, as Laranjeira follows up his good showing in Europe with a sublime hat trick. I was really worried about losing Mijnans for so long but our samba star has stepped up to the mark and some. The shift back to salida to combat the 4-4-1-1 worked a treat as the CM(A) ran wild evidently, Costa's hold up play set up the first goal as well he appears to have been solid business as well and provide a good springboard for releasing the IF And CM(A). The fact we scored 5 from an XG of 1.24 is incredible considering that was our biggest issue last season. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

The perfect passing shape for Salida, you can see how the IF is much more advanced. The three perfect diamonds centrally is a must for ball progression when building from the back giving the player on the ball a minimum of three options. The off the ball movement is at such a high level now with the increased detail in how we attack it really has added that extra dimension to our play stopping the play from becoming too predictable and giving us that much needed variation seen in the highlight reel of all five goals.

A great way to round off a massive month for the club as we now join Europe's elite competition, Fc Twente result hands us an early blemish in the league but the positives from the other two matches outway the negatives from that one. In the five goal highlight reel it's clear to see how the attacking play is really coming together with three cut back goals and two through balls is precisely what I'm wanting from the team going forward.

I appreciate these lengthy detailed posts. I will now revert  back to the 3 month updates and plan to highlight a specific thing from each month to discuss in order to once again speed myself back up, everyone has a picture of how at least two of the systems are operating the flat 433 hasn't been called upon as of yet but when i does ill be sure to give it some detail.

Edited April 13, 2022 by SixPointer

[GIMN]

Laranjeira is tearing it up!!  Has his form had any impact on your thoughts for your strongest line-up once Mijnans is back?

[SixPointer]

5 hours ago, GIMN said:

Laranjeira is tearing it up!!  Has his form had any impact on your thoughts for your strongest line-up once Mijnans is back?

Already this year it’s became clear absolutely no one is guaranteed their staring place. It’s very much who’s on song at the time. Real competition for places is a good problem to have and with Champions league football there is going to be lots of rotation required. 
But yes he has very much gave me food for thought for when the maestro is back fit 

[GIMN]

42 minutes ago, SixPointer said:

Already this year it’s became clear absolutely no one is guaranteed their staring place. It’s very much who’s on song at the time. Real competition for places is a good problem to have and with Champions league football there is going to be lots of rotation required. 
But yes he has very much gave me food for thought for when the maestro is back fit 

Do you reckon they could play together?  Although I imagine Baturina is equally difficult to drop!

[SixPointer]

35 minutes ago, GIMN said:

Do you reckon they could play together?  Although I imagine Baturina is equally difficult to drop!

I can’t see why not I prefer to have two CM’s with opposite preferred feet though. That would mean two left footers. It could however throw up some nice inverted play from the centre mids.

RCM slot with a left footer or LCM with right footer would mean they are cutting in on there stronger foot to find the far corner. Warrants investigation I would say.

suppose that’s what Bernardo silva sort of does from that RCM slot at times. 

[SixPointer]

UEFA Champions League

The group is being touted as being very tough but we have avoided the real major hitters in the champions league but do feature the last two winners of the Europa league. I think the toughest thing is there is no easy game which you expect at this level (perhaps we are that team) also it's not like there is weaker team that we are going to be in a clear battle with for third, everyone can beat everyone in this group besides as newcomers but we might just be the surprises package who knows.

Atleltico finished 5th in La Liga but won the Europa, Arsenal finished 4th in the EPL and won Europa 2023 and Monaco Have twice been runners up to PSG in ligue 1 except for last year when they fell to third. I think it's going to be a very competitive group as it's tough to call, I think my plan will be to target our home games with the strongest team and perhaps go like lambs to the slaughter away from home, although squad quality is there now to do so and still be competitive.

This all needs to coincide with what's happening in the league, which is our bread and butter. We can't just neglect it. The fact we have qualified is a massive step up so am happy with the progress already so anything else is a bonus but i need to make sure we remain in the battle against the big three, also i need to attack the KNVB Beker again this year this is my biggest priority to open up the doors on the challenge.

As always once the promise land of the cash cow is reached its time to reinvest it into the infrastructure of the club, new training facilities granted once i see how performance is in the tournament ill then push for the youth facilities to follow up. Bank balance at the club sits at 17 million Euros which is very healthy but of course a far cry from the big three we are zoning in on.

[13th Man]

Great work against Sporting! Loved seeing them try and fail to play out of defense. There is something very satisfying about watching the opposition flail about helplessly. 
Tough group for Europe, as you say, but not impossible. All about rotation and those little tweaks to maximize points in both competitions.

[SixPointer]

2 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Great work against Sporting! Loved seeing them try and fail to play out of defense. There is something very satisfying about watching the opposition flail about helplessly. 
Tough group for Europe, as you say, but not impossible. All about rotation and those little tweaks to maximize points in both competitions.

For me nothing beats a game-plan working exactly how you want it to! Even when you get a little in game tweak right and it works to your favour it’s a great feeling. This is the main reason why am slow as I’m always going into detail in every game searching for these little things.

It’s not something that’s came easy though but watching first 15 minutes of the game on comprehensive on 2D is vital as you can see all the positioning and look for positive or negative trends.

Yeah it’s not a impossible but all three times are just below the Elite level of PSG, City, Liverpool, Chelsea etc 

[Jogo Bonito]

Good work continuing in Rotterdam. Would not have expected Diego Costa to be appearing in here, but seems to be doing well enough in the Dutch chapter of his career. 

[SixPointer]

Thanks mate progressing nicely now.

10 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Good work continuing in Rotterdam. Would not have expected Diego Costa to be appearing in here, but seems to be doing well enough in the Dutch chapter of his career. 

Diego is in the bad books, his great start ruined against AJax as he two foots the CB while we are 2-0 up and cruising. Destroyed what should have been a memorable performance and result. I did of course know he was capable of such things haha

[Jogo Bonito]

Rarely does a Di-e-go by without him doing something like that. Can't complain about the realism though 

[SixPointer]

4 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Rarely does a Di-e-go by without him doing something like that. Can't complain about the realism though 

Realism totally on point! 

[Hootieleece]

1 hour ago, SixPointer said:

Realism totally on point! 

 

6 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Rarely does a Di-e-go by without him doing something like that. Can't complain about the realism though 

Just think of Diego Costa as your Enforcer/Goon (from Hockey) and it all makes sense.....protecting your technical types.

 

Also just realize it is Diego being Diego.......

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, Hootieleece said:

 

Just think of Diego Costa as your Enforcer/Goon (from Hockey) and it all makes sense.....protecting your technical types.

 

Also just realize it is Diego being Diego.......

The Tasmanian devil cost us dearly!!

[GIMN]

12 hours ago, SixPointer said:

That is a thing of beauty.  So absolutely violent and unnecessary