Sonic Youth Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Cup double? Check! Sign for Italian club? Check! Decent team, though not sure how easy they will be to turn into the Miracle of Sussolo(?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Congratulations on the new job. On 26/02/2023 at 21:38, _Ben_ said: The biggest concern for me though is the ridiculous 111 players that are on our books! This seems to be a feature of Italian teams. I'm sure there's a logic to it beyond trying to build an economy from loans/sales, because it seems like such a scattergun approach that looks like more effort than reward. On 26/02/2023 at 21:38, _Ben_ said: I'm guessing that's from your regen facepack. If so, I hope you consider reusing this one: Not sure it's got much legs as a running joke, as I can't imagine you'll manage many mor (pun intended) players named Mor, but it would be nice to see the same wrong image repeatedly used. Jokes aside, looks like a solid squad with a lot of players who should be able to adapt to your play style. Very interested to see how well they can compete in Serie A, though - as there definitely seems to be a sizeable gap between the top teams and the next group down. Finally turning your eye to your home country seems appropriate and should hopefully inject a bit more quality, as well as putting your stamp on the squad. Looking forward to it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 1, 2023 Author Share Posted March 1, 2023 On 27/02/2023 at 10:52, john1 said: Superb move to Sassuolo Will be interesting to see who you bring in for backroom staff, Thanks! Yep. Working through the process in a nice natural, realistic way right now... On 27/02/2023 at 12:27, SixPointer said: Just catching up Ben. What a way to bow out on the Black Sea! Love the new club as well. A team fitting for your philosophy and recruitment prowess! I loved it there and will hold Trabzon in high regard in FM and real life from now on. But now I'm back to my first second footballing love, Calcio. On 28/02/2023 at 02:37, Sonic Youth said: Cup double? Check! Sign for Italian club? Check! Decent team, though not sure how easy they will be to turn into the Miracle of Sussolo(?) The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a great read. They've a population of just over 6,000 so it's on a slightly different level to them but I hope to over achieve in a really small town, absolutely. On 28/02/2023 at 11:54, GIMN said: Congratulations on the new job. This seems to be a feature of Italian teams. I'm sure there's a logic to it beyond trying to build an economy from loans/sales, because it seems like such a scattergun approach that looks like more effort than reward. I'm guessing that's from your regen facepack. If so, I hope you consider reusing this one: Not sure it's got much legs as a running joke, as I can't imagine you'll manage many mor (pun intended) players named Mor, but it would be nice to see the same wrong image repeatedly used. Jokes aside, looks like a solid squad with a lot of players who should be able to adapt to your play style. Very interested to see how well they can compete in Serie A, though - as there definitely seems to be a sizeable gap between the top teams and the next group down. Finally turning your eye to your home country seems appropriate and should hopefully inject a bit more quality, as well as putting your stamp on the squad. Looking forward to it! I will try and dig it out of the pack - but there are like 12,000 faces of that ethnicity! I don't know how long it'll take to do anything but I can say for certain that my Trabzon side last year would beat these comfortably. Whether that leaves us as mid-table Serie A, I don't know... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 1, 2023 Author Share Posted March 1, 2023 (edited) Early July 2028 Meet the Team: Quite the lineup of mugshots that is! Since I've turned my back on the days of ensuring 5* coaching and, instead, look to ensure I have the right backroom staff at the club, I've felt like I've taken another step towards the realism I crave. Four of the backroom team remain from previous management. Baldini is the Head of Youth Development and, despite not being too Disciplined, is great at Working With Youngsters and has an eye for picking out young talent. He's Fairly Determined and, just by looking at the players that have come through here lately, has been doing a good job. Riggio is the man in charge of analysing the opposition and, despite also lacking some Discipline, gets tactics (probably has a niche Twitter that I would definitely follow, too!) as well as knowing how good a player is and could be. Giovanni Rossi has overseen a lot at this club over his twelve years and, when asked at the interview if I'd work with him, it felt like a no-brainer. Moving to a new country without the support of a man who knows the club was an ideal move. He also drives a hard bargain and that'll come in handy when he links up with myself and Davide Cangini, my Head Scout. Another one lacking in discipline but really good at Judging Ability and Potential who can build on the eight years he's already been here. I did make one new addition to this Core Team: Fabricio Coloccini. It is important to me that I both surround myself with countrymen, for language purposes if nothing else, and ex professionals, who can inspire the youngsters in the dressing room. Whilst not the best coach, yet, the Argentine was the leading candidate to respond to my advert and brings with him a strong Disciplined persona and a want to develop Youngsters. The ex-Venezuela youth coach has immediately started a coaching course, too, which further vindicates my want to sign and develop staff, too. I then used adverts to bulk out my other staffing needs, leaving me a rounded coaching team, including famous ex-players Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi as, like before, there is an onus on developing the staff too. --- Assess the whole squad: I utilised the opportunity to spend time with the squad, looking at the squad depth as well as assigning every player a training schedule, position and focus. Whilst I am not dealing with world class youngsters, yet, there are some players who could absolutely go on to make a living somewhere in the professional game and, if not for us, they could fetch some income for the club. This is one of the most satisfying areas of the game - developing youngsters, regardless of whether they are the most known wonderkids or whether they are 5* potential and I will dive deeper into the individuals as I go on, ensuring that they have enough - and appropriate - game time to develop. Emanuele Cagnazzo Lorenzo Mazzantini Mario Novello Jonathan Agazzi Francesco Mari Matteo Maset With the €7m for the Locatelli clause, I decided that using nearly €4m to release players would make sense in the long run: the time I can now dedicate to their development will surely pay off in future sales, offsetting this cost. We now have 55 players on the books, cutting over 50% of the playing squad - both reducing the wage bill by over €300k p/w but also providing space and opportunities for the players above to get game time and develop. I much prefer running with smaller squads to lighten training loads, prioritise game time and - obviously - save money. One potential issue that will now arise, though, is the match conflicts, as seen in the calendar, marked in grey: A lot of U20 and U18 games will take place on the same day, meaning that I can't use the same twenty players to get two games per week and need two squads of fifteen, at least. I have nineteen and seventeen in the U20 and U18, respectively, and I envisage that they'll get quite full on seasons, which implicates the depth of training that they receive. That leads, nicely, onto the area where I talk about training. However, I have recently had my work life turned upside down by the introduction of AI technology and ChatGPT, so I'll let that explain to you how my ideologies work: "Tactical periodisation is a training methodology in football that was developed by Portuguese coach Vitor Frade in the 1990s. It focuses on organizing training sessions in a way that mimics the tactical demands of a game, with specific attention paid to the physical, technical, and psychological aspects of the sport. Tactical periodisation is used by many top coaches, including Jose Mourinho, who is known for his success with teams like Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid. In this report, we will examine the principles of tactical periodisation and its effectiveness in improving team performance, with specific reference to Jose Mourinho. Principles of Tactical Periodisation: The core principle of tactical periodisation is that training sessions should mirror the tactical demands of a game. This means that drills and exercises should be designed to improve the team's ability to execute specific tactics and strategies that will be used in a game. The key is to break down the game into its component parts and design exercises that focus on those parts. In tactical periodisation, the training week is divided into several phases, each with a specific focus. For example, the first phase might focus on physical conditioning, the second on technical skills, and the third on tactical drills. Within each phase, specific drills and exercises are designed to achieve the desired outcomes. Jose Mourinho and Tactical Periodisation: Jose Mourinho is a well-known proponent of tactical periodisation and has used it extensively throughout his coaching career. Mourinho is known for his tactical flexibility and his ability to adapt his team's tactics to the specific strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. Mourinho's approach to tactical periodisation is to focus on a few key principles. First, he emphasizes the importance of defensive organization and compactness. This means that his teams are designed to be difficult to break down and are organized around a solid defensive structure. Second, Mourinho believes in the importance of set pieces. He believes that set pieces can be a significant source of goals and that they are an excellent way to exploit the opposition's weaknesses. Finally, Mourinho emphasizes the importance of team spirit and psychology. He believes that a team's mental preparation and psychological state are just as important as their physical and technical abilities. Conclusion: Tactical periodisation is a proven training methodology that has been used successfully by many top football coaches, including Jose Mourinho. By focusing on the specific tactical demands of the game, coaches can design effective training sessions that improve their team's physical, technical, and psychological abilities." How utterly ridiculously accurate is that?! My periodisation is built, right now, around the concept of attacking and defending weeks, as seen below: I want to further this by creating more customised approaches for teams who are stronger (we use the defending week) but also better in the air (aerial defence rather than ground defence) for example. This will come with time once I have a better handle on the opposition strengths and weaknesses. --- Recruitment foci: One of my favourite areas to dig into... The plan is simple here - I have set the bar low to find more players, just 2.5* potential ability. From there, I will be able to dig down into the players I have and use the statistical analysis and tools at my disposal to find the best possible players. The ideology is simple - Italians, to meet the boards demands, and South American players with EU passports. I will, obviously, be on the look out for bargain or two but I want to create a development path for cheap, young Italians and know that the lower leagues are also a gold mine for them. It's also important that I utilise the knowledge that the DOF has, by requesting players to sign: We are short of a DM, so I asked - initially - for all roles before specifying a little more to try and dig into things. It appears, at this stage, that Rossi hasn't quite got the board's instructions on board - these players are not young and the majority of them are not Italian: I have some way to go on perfecting this approach... --- I now need to get some friendlies arranged and really dig into the tactical and performance side of this whilst waiting for my scouts to come back on some players. Once I've assessed the playing ability of the squad - I can set out foci that look for specific positions or roles to strengthen the side. Edited March 1, 2023 by _Ben_ 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 14 hours ago, _Ben_ said: Early July 2028 Meet the Team: Quite the lineup of mugshots that is! Since I've turned my back on the days of ensuring 5* coaching and, instead, look to ensure I have the right backroom staff at the club, I've felt like I've taken another step towards the realism I crave. Four of the backroom team remain from previous management. Baldini is the Head of Youth Development and, despite not being too Disciplined, is great at Working With Youngsters and has an eye for picking out young talent. He's Fairly Determined and, just by looking at the players that have come through here lately, has been doing a good job. Riggio is the man in charge of analysing the opposition and, despite also lacking some Discipline, gets tactics (probably has a niche Twitter that I would definitely follow, too!) as well as knowing how good a player is and could be. Giovanni Rossi has overseen a lot at this club over his twelve years and, when asked at the interview if I'd work with him, it felt like a no-brainer. Moving to a new country without the support of a man who knows the club was an ideal move. He also drives a hard bargain and that'll come in handy when he links up with myself and Davide Cangini, my Head Scout. Another one lacking in discipline but really good at Judging Ability and Potential who can build on the eight years he's already been here. I did make one new addition to this Core Team: Fabricio Coloccini. It is important to me that I both surround myself with countrymen, for language purposes if nothing else, and ex professionals, who can inspire the youngsters in the dressing room. Whilst not the best coach, yet, the Argentine was the leading candidate to respond to my advert and brings with him a strong Disciplined persona and a want to develop Youngsters. The ex-Venezuela youth coach has immediately started a coaching course, too, which further vindicates my want to sign and develop staff, too. I then used adverts to bulk out my other staffing needs, leaving me a rounded coaching team, including famous ex-players Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi as, like before, there is an onus on developing the staff too. --- Assess the whole squad: I utilised the opportunity to spend time with the squad, looking at the squad depth as well as assigning every player a training schedule, position and focus. Whilst I am not dealing with world class youngsters, yet, there are some players who could absolutely go on to make a living somewhere in the professional game and, if not for us, they could fetch some income for the club. This is one of the most satisfying areas of the game - developing youngsters, regardless of whether they are the most known wonderkids or whether they are 5* potential and I will dive deeper into the individuals as I go on, ensuring that they have enough - and appropriate - game time to develop. Emanuele Cagnazzo Lorenzo Mazzantini Mario Novello Jonathan Agazzi Francesco Mari Matteo Maset With the €7m for the Locatelli clause, I decided that using nearly €4m to release players would make sense in the long run: the time I can now dedicate to their development will surely pay off in future sales, offsetting this cost. We now have 55 players on the books, cutting over 50% of the playing squad - both reducing the wage bill by over €300k p/w but also providing space and opportunities for the players above to get game time and develop. I much prefer running with smaller squads to lighten training loads, prioritise game time and - obviously - save money. One potential issue that will now arise, though, is the match conflicts, as seen in the calendar, marked in grey: A lot of U20 and U18 games will take place on the same day, meaning that I can't use the same twenty players to get two games per week and need two squads of fifteen, at least. I have nineteen and seventeen in the U20 and U18, respectively, and I envisage that they'll get quite full on seasons, which implicates the depth of training that they receive. That leads, nicely, onto the area where I talk about training. However, I have recently had my work life turned upside down by the introduction of AI technology and ChatGPT, so I'll let that explain to you how my ideologies work: "Tactical periodisation is a training methodology in football that was developed by Portuguese coach Vitor Frade in the 1990s. It focuses on organizing training sessions in a way that mimics the tactical demands of a game, with specific attention paid to the physical, technical, and psychological aspects of the sport. Tactical periodisation is used by many top coaches, including Jose Mourinho, who is known for his success with teams like Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid. In this report, we will examine the principles of tactical periodisation and its effectiveness in improving team performance, with specific reference to Jose Mourinho. Principles of Tactical Periodisation: The core principle of tactical periodisation is that training sessions should mirror the tactical demands of a game. This means that drills and exercises should be designed to improve the team's ability to execute specific tactics and strategies that will be used in a game. The key is to break down the game into its component parts and design exercises that focus on those parts. In tactical periodisation, the training week is divided into several phases, each with a specific focus. For example, the first phase might focus on physical conditioning, the second on technical skills, and the third on tactical drills. Within each phase, specific drills and exercises are designed to achieve the desired outcomes. Jose Mourinho and Tactical Periodisation: Jose Mourinho is a well-known proponent of tactical periodisation and has used it extensively throughout his coaching career. Mourinho is known for his tactical flexibility and his ability to adapt his team's tactics to the specific strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. Mourinho's approach to tactical periodisation is to focus on a few key principles. First, he emphasizes the importance of defensive organization and compactness. This means that his teams are designed to be difficult to break down and are organized around a solid defensive structure. Second, Mourinho believes in the importance of set pieces. He believes that set pieces can be a significant source of goals and that they are an excellent way to exploit the opposition's weaknesses. Finally, Mourinho emphasizes the importance of team spirit and psychology. He believes that a team's mental preparation and psychological state are just as important as their physical and technical abilities. Conclusion: Tactical periodisation is a proven training methodology that has been used successfully by many top football coaches, including Jose Mourinho. By focusing on the specific tactical demands of the game, coaches can design effective training sessions that improve their team's physical, technical, and psychological abilities." How utterly ridiculously accurate is that?! My periodisation is built, right now, around the concept of attacking and defending weeks, as seen below: I want to further this by creating more customised approaches for teams who are stronger (we use the defending week) but also better in the air (aerial defence rather than ground defence) for example. This will come with time once I have a better handle on the opposition strengths and weaknesses. --- Recruitment foci: One of my favourite areas to dig into... The plan is simple here - I have set the bar low to find more players, just 2.5* potential ability. From there, I will be able to dig down into the players I have and use the statistical analysis and tools at my disposal to find the best possible players. The ideology is simple - Italians, to meet the boards demands, and South American players with EU passports. I will, obviously, be on the look out for bargain or two but I want to create a development path for cheap, young Italians and know that the lower leagues are also a gold mine for them. It's also important that I utilise the knowledge that the DOF has, by requesting players to sign: We are short of a DM, so I asked - initially - for all roles before specifying a little more to try and dig into things. It appears, at this stage, that Rossi hasn't quite got the board's instructions on board - these players are not young and the majority of them are not Italian: I have some way to go on perfecting this approach... --- I now need to get some friendlies arranged and really dig into the tactical and performance side of this whilst waiting for my scouts to come back on some players. Once I've assessed the playing ability of the squad - I can set out foci that look for specific positions or roles to strengthen the side. Do you feel SI does enough for us to implement tactical periodisation? I try my best but I feel it comes up short. Mainly because only match prep have a direct effect on the next match. I think the way the game is played these days (real life and fm) most teams follow it to a certain degree wether it be analysing opponents from previous game then planning for the next tactically. Some will apply training to match this some may not and of course to different degree of precision. I love the work SI put into the training module a few years back it’s one of my favourite screens. I just think it lacks a certain element of effect on match. I agree that giving someone shooting training through the week is a longer process and takes time to progress. But I feel match preparation is very vague. examples Def positioning covers a whole way of how you defend but say you want to tweak it for a fast striker. Could you then have a session developed for dropping off. attacking movement again very vague, saying your up against a team with weak fullbacks could you have a match prep with attacking wings rather than a session that’s just aimed at attribute growth. This is by no means an attack on SI as I think they have done a excellent job but I think in the way we want to train and prepare for individual matches it’s a area that could be improved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 On 02/03/2023 at 12:05, SixPointer said: Do you feel SI does enough for us to implement tactical periodisation? Short answer is no. I have four schedules - Sat/Sun and Attack and Defend but they don't really periodise the way that it is intended. What it does do is use the weekly structure where it tapers towards game day. However, I do agree that Defensive Positioning is not a one-size-fits all in real life but appears to be in FM. I would love to dig into that but, realistically, I don't feel it's in SIs plans to create a training schedule that managers each minute. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 Late July 2028 Sassuolo vs Lecce A nice start to my tenure with a solid victory over Lecce as my new-look, and very, very thin side overcame our Serie A mid-table rivals with some nice bits of football. There is such a lot to learn about this squad and this country that I have no knowledge of the players in, so I spent a good time watching and analysing. Naumov: Made a good save in the second half from close range but mostly tested from range before that. Brighi: Caught with balls through his channel on a few occasions as I felt Lecce tried to create chances down their right. Looked assured on the ball though, creating a key pass. Valenti: Solid but rarely tested. Martinez Quarta: Solid but rarely tested. Did only manage a 66% Header Win ratio Sampsted: Final ball let him down on several occasions but had the pace to get himself back into defence. Literal opposite of Brighi. Gedson: Completed his passes and did what he was supposed to do - completing fourteen progressive passes but can't help but feel that he was too deep to be of real use to us. Also, I can't help but feel his lack of defensive ability left us more open that maybe we should have been. Mor: Quiet. Two key passes and three dribbles but in and out of the game far more than I'd want. Berardi: Delivered a devilishly curling corner that led to a penalty that he then converted. Ran the show from the middle of the park with everything positive coming through him. Made the second with a neat through ball. Five key passes, two chances created, four dribbles and a goal is a great return - considering he was somewhat unhappy about his new position. Bruno: Very poor and looked well below the required quality for the team. Misplaced a lot but that didn't even come from ambitious chances. Doan: Quite invisible but popped up with a lovely goal, finishing from a tight angle on the left hand side. Pinamonti: Took a fair few kicks in the first half but didn't really get involved. Subbed off in the forty-seventh minute with an injury. Simeone: On to replace Pinamonti and spurned a great chance as he was unable to bring down a through ball. Edson Jose: On for Bruno and looked lively, finished expertly in injury time. --- Sassuolo vs Chievo Verona I think that I've said this with all of the clubs I've been at but things do take such a long time to embed. Part of this was the fact that, given it was a friendly cup, this fixture was a day after the Lecce game and I have literally no squad depth, but I'm also asking them to play a somewhat foreign style and still expect results. We were never second best again third tier Chievo but, also, we never were able to stamp our authority on the game in a way that I really wanted. Following on from the thoughts on individual performances from the last game: Gedson and Berardi really failed to get a grip on the game whilst Erlic was poor and Doan was, too. It is the youngsters, however, that have caused me the most issues as very few of them appear to be at the right standard, although Cagnazzo did lay on a beautiful cross for Kouame, the standout on the night, to open the scoring. With us still being short of players, I can't even begin to really experiment with shapes and styles. Our three strikers could allow the 4-2-2-2 shape again but I don't have the sufficient force in the DM role and it'd leave Berardi out of his new role, too. My plan is to finalise my really, really early business and then continue to evaluate the squad - maybe even until January, before wholesale changes happen. By then, they'll understand the concept of Baretto-ball and hopefully will be playing it! --- I have used Giovanni Rossi to complete three early signings for me and I must say that I'm quite happy with both the fees paid out and the wages. I need to further this by creating Target Lists but, at this stage, with this small amount of data, decided to act upon scout and analyst reports for single players. To see the full profile of the three players, you can click on their thumbnails, below. Drawn to his scout report just a few days after I arrived, I was shocked to see a man, plying his trade in Serie C who was consistent, Enjoyed big matches, naturally fit and - alarmingly - good enough for Serie A. I know that there is a lot of depth in the Italian game in terms of quality but to see a man with his quality at such an affordable - his release clause - price. Furthermore, he'll fit into the core group of the team as I've gone from trying to find a rotational option to actually finding an option that would allow Gedson to operate further forward. In terms of the player he is, my newest skinning experiment gives me four years worth of data showing good or elite levels of tackles, sprints and presses. Back that up with the percentiles, as seen above, that he showed in a team fighting relegation last year and I think I've found myself a good ball winner - but also one who can use the ball when he has it. Digging back to his first year, on loan at Pescara in Serie C, he's demonstrated a good ability, when compared with players at that level, to use the ball. Just to solidify my choice of signing, I went back to watch some Ascoli games from last year. Normally, I'd do this by being able to use the fact that the matches are on full detail, but, being as they were not, went back to an old save and used that angle to examine his match to match performances. I watched a man who, whilst playing in a two, was the less adventurous part of the pivot but a man who held his shape well and was strong - but fair - in the tackle. At 5'10", he's never going to be immense in the air but I can look to mitigate that weakness in his game. At €1.6m, he'll not be the most expensive signing I make, nor the most glamorous, but, in just two games - I've identified a real need within this side and I hope to have plugged it. I'm quite excited to announce the €1.2m signing of Aldo Florenzi from another relegated side - this time now-Serie B side Brescia. Aldo was quickly snapped up when it was identified that he was a really strong ball carrier in the centre of the pitch (I checked, he played centrall last year despite the ability to play wide) and is another player who is really well rounded and, hopefully, suited to the job. Looking at his stats from Serie A 2027/28 (left) and Serie B and 2026/27 (right), I'd go as far as saying he was not far from a standout creator in the league despite his team finishing eighteenth, which really gives me hope. I often find myself looking at these stats and telling myself that a player isn't good enough if I can't see a 90%+ percentile bar, but I've got to learn to really understand that he's in a poor team that does not attack much and is weaker than the others. So, to see outputs like that is wonderful. As a former youth international, I think that there is certainly some potential in there and I hope to be able to utilise him, firstly as backup for Berardi in the Mezzala role, to good effect. Furthermore, to snag the captain of the side feels to me like an absolute coup. In a similar vein to Gyabuaa, I wanted to have a more detailed look at his game to game performances from last year - with particular attention to see if I could find how they utilised him to get his ball carrying numbers so polished. I know that, in my shape, the CM(a) and Mez(a) are good ball carriers so see this, potentially, as an added bonus if he's in a different area. What I found was a man out of form! Whilst he was cultured on the ball and moved nicely into the spaces that I'd a player like him too, he looked bereft of confidence in the two games I viewed. Saying that, he still created some key passes and probably would have created some better chances of Pietro Pellegri wasn't also in a massive confidence rut. Despite having a resolute personality and plenty of match experience, I think that he is a player I will absolutely need to manage really well to ensure he's in good spirits and feeling supported throughout his time here. Bad form manifests from a variety of reasons and I hope to never have to dig too deep to find out but he's one to keep an eye on! The last player joining before our short tour to Singapore is Niccolo Pierozzi, for just €110k from Serie B Cittadella - again, fitting in with the Italian ethos but also looking for bargains. A consistent, versatile player good enough for this league and in his peak who enjoys big matches makes this deal feel like a no-brainer, even if I did have some reservations due to his preferred role as an Inverted Winger and not a huge amount of understanding of his defensive capabilities. However, statistically he's doing well up and down the pitch although has proven to be somewhat wasteful. I do not mind this, necessarily, in our high risk offensive play, but will want to monitor - especially as his trait of 'Likes Ball Played Into Feet' can make him a de-facto playmaker at times. We're still very much a small fish in the big pond of Serie A money but, at least, I'm starting to flesh out the Squad Planner, which Gennaro Gattuso left decimated. I still want a winger and a centre back, but there are two fixtures to play first... --- Albirex (S) vs Sassuolo You can only play against the opposition that are in front of you and, given that I didn't decide to tour Singapore, can't really moan in what was a relatively easy fixture. What I can take from it, though, was a stellar performance from Aldo Florenzi, on debut. The midfielder created five key passes and three chances as well as getting on the scoresheet himself as he found fitness and form. I must say that, from just three friendlies, there is a lot that needs to change in this team with just a small handful of the players actually good enough to move us forward, based on my initial thoughts. --- Johor Darul Ta'zim First appearance under my tenure for Liberato Carcace, who had been on Olympic duty. A tried to rotate and bring players off when we started dominating but it didn't change the outcomes. Both centre backs absolutely dominant from corners and another walkover. One thing that I have noticed - albeit against weaker teams - is that we have a far higher ball share and press far more than we did at Trabzon. I want to continue counter attacking teams and defending rigidly rather than play keep ball but it's not an easy metric to dig into right now given the opposition's terrible ball retention ability. --- Two more deals through the door to end the month as I feel that my hard work and research has really paid off. Again, full profile can be found by clicking the thumbnail. After being incredibly unimpressed with Bruno, the scouting team were quick to pick up on a peak-Italian player, in OB midfielder Franco Tongya: a dual Italian-Cameroonian from the Juventus setup and once the subject of an €8m move to Marseille. Since the game started, he's been a regular in the OB midfield and, last season, put up some electric ball carrying stats as well as scoring a nearly one in three. As much of my recruitment has been built around - Franco is consistent, doesn't mind big matches and is good enough for Serie A, hitting three of the four key attributes to the threshold I want. At just €2m, he represents another bargain player in the peak of his career, coming in with strong statistics in the metrics that matter most to my own style of player. He could be quite the bargain! An analyst report (ignore the broken polygon - thanks 23.3 update!) indicated that I really should be taking a deeper look at Federico Torres, a man who, for me, shares a lot of similarities with Man Utd centre back Lisandro Martinez. The game rates him as a full back based on his height but his tenacity in the tackle and ability to win the ball back will add a different style to my defensive team and he's shown that he's among the best in Brazil, for a Bahia team that aren't particularly strong. At €1.5m there is little risk but he's never played outside of South America so there is a possibility that he struggles to adapt, although he becomes the third Argentine centre back at the club, which may mitigate that factor. With that, I have potentially completed my transfer dealings, for a total outlay of €6.5m, a net spend of nearly €5m. Looking at the list, there are certainly some commonalities. Players in their peak who are well rounded and, given their current transfer value, have been purchased at, or below, their market value. There is nothing flashy and the total wage bill adds up to just a small amount less than Andrea Pinamonti, my top earner. Whilst there isn't much wiggle room in terms of developing these players, I feel that, should I have the magic touch to get them to perform well, they could be sold for significant profit or become solid squad players for the foreseeable future. The moves are happening like this because I am simply being priced out of other players - either in terms of wages: take Luis Lopez, a youngster who'd be happier in Man Utd's youth team than our first team or by asking price: These are the highest rated players right now and their asking prices (or wages in Valdes' case as big clubs are interested) and we simply cannot play ball with them. It's a million miles from Turkey where squads could be built for a fraction of this price and something I'll have to learn. This will, hopefully, be made much easier in January onwards when I have built up a scouting database. --- There is a big job ahead. Hopefully I have what it takes... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 Gyabuaa looks to be a fantastic pick-up. Especially from Serie C. Tongya looks solid, too. Definitely looks like you've improved depth with a lot of players at a similar level. I noticed that Trossard didn't play in any friendlies - is he on his way out? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 2 hours ago, GIMN said: Gyabuaa looks to be a fantastic pick-up. Especially from Serie C. Tongya looks solid, too. Definitely looks like you've improved depth with a lot of players at a similar level. I noticed that Trossard didn't play in any friendlies - is he on his way out? I agree. I looked back at some previous seasons and he was listed as their key player. It seems like their relegation was a shock as they were predicted to finish around the playoffs but just could not score, despite a pretty resolute defence. I can, therefore, consider myself pretty lucky to have got him. I'd have been more excited about Tongya if I didn't have Florenzi as well but those two with Gedson and Berardi are certainly better than what I'd been left with. We have a core of about four of five top players: Pinamonti, Berardi, Quarta Martinez and probably Gedson, although he's not done it yet, and then very little beneath that. Over time, I'll upgrade those top players and bring more and more in but, initially, I just needed a squad of twenty-odd players who could perform - which is why there was such a big onus on Consistency and Important Matches in this crop of player because it allows them to perform at that level, week in, week out. Sadly, Trossard has been injured since about a week after I took over... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 August 2028 Friendly: Udinese vs Sassuolo Friendly: Spezia vs Sassuolo Two more important run outs for the team, in order to gain tactical familiarity and match fitness. However, the issue has more been the injury list, which keeps growing: --- Coppa Italia Fanta: Palermo vs Sassuolo Goalscorer: Paolo Mor. My first competitive game in Italy ends in a rather annoying penalty defeat... One thing I want to become is far more tactical aware, changing the shape and style of the team to get the best against certain shapes. Palermo's tactical shape, a 5-1-2-2, is not one that I'm overly common with. I fielded a strong line up with Berardi at the tip o the midfield triangle, hoping to use his Off the Ball ability to create space against the three defenders for the central midfielders to exploit. I'm also a big fan of the need for a spare man at the back, so have changed the DM(d) role to try and pull him back to make a three without the need for a HB(d). As the match progressed, the idea of finding space for my attackers was an issue and largely the reason why, despite 25 shots, they were worth, on average, just over 0.04xG/shot. We could not break through, despite our attempts to stretch the play. We did break through once, getting 3v3 against the Palermo defence, which was marked by Paolo Mor's debut goal. I set about seeing the game out, slowing the tempo down and being safer but, in the dying seconds of injury time, we shot ourselves in the foot. We were left in a 2v2 situation - not inherently dangerous but, for me, not ideal - but then a terrible decision and missed header from Martinez Quarta allowed them in to score the equaliser. I put on Christian Kouame late into injury time, knowing he was a good penalty taker but, in the end, it was Florenzi who missed the decisive kick, knocking us out at the first hurdle. In fact, I used Chat GPT to sum up my thoughts. Alex Barreto, who had been hopeful throughout the game, was left in despair at the loss. Speaking to reporters after the game, Barreto expressed his disappointment and frustration, stating that Sassuolo had played a great game but were unlucky to lose on penalties. Barreto also acknowledged the fact that penalties were always a game of chance, and luck played a crucial role in determining the outcome. Despite this, he was heartbroken that his team was not able to progress further in the tournament. The loss to Palermo means that Sassuolo has now been eliminated from the Coppa Italia, leaving their hopes for silverware in the season solely on their performance in Serie A. Barreto and his team will have to bounce back quickly from this defeat and focus on their upcoming league fixtures. To be honest, I saw very little I liked from the team over the course of the two hours and penalties. Our shape was pulled apart too easily and we lack flair and urgency in our counter attacks. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Parma Goalscorers: Domenico Berardi,Paolo Mor, Lautaro Valenti. Sassuolo's nine game winless run is over and I taste victory in my first Serie A game. Spurred on by the pretty shambolic cup tie, I was adamant that I needed a response and, I got that. Immediately, we looked sharper in our 2-3-5 shape to build up and we took the league thanks to a cracking strike from Berardi, cutting in from the right. I've not earmarked him to play there but, given the injury crisis - more on that later - had little other in the way of options. Paolo Mor met Berardi's cross and we were two up inside the first fifteen with a league debutant netting his first goal: wonderful stuff. Valenti added a third from a Berardi corner, topping off his performance as we started our campaign in the best possible way against a newly promoted side. The bad news, as seen in the screenshot attached, is that Pinamonti has got injured again. This time he'll miss the next three to four months, which is going to put real strain of Simeone and Kouame up top. There needs to be goals from elsewhere. --- Serie A: Monza vs Sassuolo Goalscorer: Christian Kouame. Another newly promoted side up next in Monza with a different shape to the usual 4-2-3-1 from Turkey: the 4-4-2. Therefore, I went with the adapted shape in order to give me the 3-3-3-1 shape with the ball and the spare against their two forwards. It also utilised a rarely used role for me - the DW(s) - in order to counter the perceived threat of a highly attacking wingback down their right hand side. We got off to the best possible start with Kouame netting inside two minutes and then having the ball in the net again within sixty seconds, only to be ruled out for offside. Their goal came from a silly bit of play - we stood off for far too long, which, is ok usually, but, given my trust in the high line, left us way too open and the ball over the top was converted by Aaron Connolly, the PoTM. The lads will spend the week working on a lower defensive line as none are truly blessed with immense pace. Despite the draw, I'm really happy with our overall play. xG/shot is now around 0.1, which is far more in line with the average and our OPPDA, sitting at eight for this game, is a real indicator of where I want to be in terms of the compact, strong line that - in this case, was only really tested from their goal. It's going to get much harder but an unbeaten two to start isn't too bad. --- Very little to see in the early season table but, looking at the names in the columns next to it shows a harsh reminder of the quality on show in this league. Next month is genuinely terrifying. I'd love a point, or better, on the road at Sampdoria, who only stayed up by virtue of a Playout win over Brescia and I will also target the Bologna game but everything else there is just a free hit. However, it's not like we are a newly promoted - we face off against the big boys regularly and, even if our record isn't amazing (three wins in fourteen against Roma, one in fourteen against Inter and two in fifteen against Juventus), I will approach the tie with the same meticulous planning as any other game. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielgear Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 Just caught up Ben, great final season in Turkey, and the move feels like a realistic step up. Great in-depth posts since explaining the state of play since the move and your thought process behind your plans and decisions so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 Solid transfer business, clever process to find some players undervalued something I would call you godlike at 🤣 Interesting to hear you speak about using different shapes for different teams it’s something I have opted to do this year. While you seem to use role changes I prefer two systems. One setup with a double pivot and overload on the right one with a single pivot and overload on the left. It’s paid off this season. Game time is killing me. I think I’m going to have to accept a change to yearly updated to make a dent in the challenge with my work schedule looking like 12 hours for the foreseeable. However every time I read one of your and @GIMN updates it’s just makes me want to delve into so much detail! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 12 hours ago, danielgear said: Just caught up Ben, great final season in Turkey, and the move feels like a realistic step up. Great in-depth posts since explaining the state of play since the move and your thought process behind your plans and decisions so far. Thanks, Dan! It's a case of justifying them to myself sometimes but I feel that I'm making the right decisions. Only time will tell though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: Solid transfer business, clever process to find some players undervalued something I would call you godlike at 🤣 Thanks! I think that this is something I am good at but I believe that my ceiling will be hit when managing in the biggest leagues. Coming from Turkey, and then Netherlands and Russia previously, I think I've managed to do so with the lower quality and more even playing field but I think to succeed here, I am going to have to spend bigger. However, when the process is scaled up - signing a player for €25m who performs better than a player who costs €80m is still the undervalued identification that I crave, just on another level. 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: Interesting to hear you speak about using different shapes for different teams it’s something I have opted to do this year. While you seem to use role changes I prefer two systems. One setup with a double pivot and overload on the right one with a single pivot and overload on the left. It’s paid off this season. I love reading this kind of thing in relation to my playing because it means I can really explain my thought process, which, sometimes, can be somewhat erratic! I think the easiest way is to bullet point as there is little cohesion between my thoughts here: I like the same tactical shape because it means that I can always defend in the same way. I don't like wingers in the AM strata as I feel that they contribute a lot less to my defensive play. The 4-1-4-1 can be adapted to face wingers (WB), Inverted wingers (IWB) and narrow shapes (CWB) - which builds a more solid rest defence, in my opinion. I can create many different build shapes from the same 4-1-4-1 defensive shape - e.g. 2-3-5, 3-2-5, 3-3-4. This, again, can be altered for different opposition. I tend to run smaller squads, so would really struggle to have three standalone DMs and three standalone AMs, for example. I'd rather have a player (Mac Allister is my current real life favourite) who can play the 6, 8 and 10. I really prioritise rounded and versatile players: ones who can play as both an IWB (passing, vision) and a CWB (pace, crossing). Whilst I accept that having a player, at this level, who can do both will more than likely mean they're not as good in either discipline, it allows me to run that smaller squad. The only change I have is a double pivot (4-2-2-2) because I love the concept of the extra spare man in defence but don't turn to this permanently because a) I have three strikers at the club (and they are the most expensive player and that fits in less with my recruitment policy) and b) it means that my central midfielders have to be repurposed. Linking to strikers being expensive - that is why I have one! Also, wingers, in my experience, are also expensive, so I can get away with repurposing creative midfielders in what is - essentially - a WP role or using really attacking full backs in a DW(s) role. 4 hours ago, SixPointer said: However every time I read one of your and @GIMN updates it’s just makes me want to delve into so much detail! His updates are amazing, aren't they! I know that - deep down - I need to tone down the time spent writing and increase the time spent playing if I want to actually complete my intended goals but I often feel that I need to write down my thoughts, if for nothing else other than to check their credibility! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 3 hours ago, _Ben_ said: Thanks! I think that this is something I am good at but I believe that my ceiling will be hit when managing in the biggest leagues. Coming from Turkey, and then Netherlands and Russia previously, I think I've managed to do so with the lower quality and more even playing field but I think to succeed here, I am going to have to spend bigger. However, when the process is scaled up - signing a player for €25m who performs better than a player who costs €80m is still the undervalued identification that I crave, just on another level. I love reading this kind of thing in relation to my playing because it means I can really explain my thought process, which, sometimes, can be somewhat erratic! I think the easiest way is to bullet point as there is little cohesion between my thoughts here: I like the same tactical shape because it means that I can always defend in the same way. I don't like wingers in the AM strata as I feel that they contribute a lot less to my defensive play. The 4-1-4-1 can be adapted to face wingers (WB), Inverted wingers (IWB) and narrow shapes (CWB) - which builds a more solid rest defence, in my opinion. I can create many different build shapes from the same 4-1-4-1 defensive shape - e.g. 2-3-5, 3-2-5, 3-3-4. This, again, can be altered for different opposition. I tend to run smaller squads, so would really struggle to have three standalone DMs and three standalone AMs, for example. I'd rather have a player (Mac Allister is my current real life favourite) who can play the 6, 8 and 10. I really prioritise rounded and versatile players: ones who can play as both an IWB (passing, vision) and a CWB (pace, crossing). Whilst I accept that having a player, at this level, who can do both will more than likely mean they're not as good in either discipline, it allows me to run that smaller squad. The only change I have is a double pivot (4-2-2-2) because I love the concept of the extra spare man in defence but don't turn to this permanently because a) I have three strikers at the club (and they are the most expensive player and that fits in less with my recruitment policy) and b) it means that my central midfielders have to be repurposed. Linking to strikers being expensive - that is why I have one! Also, wingers, in my experience, are also expensive, so I can get away with repurposing creative midfielders in what is - essentially - a WP role or using really attacking full backs in a DW(s) role. I like your tactical thinking breakdown. my second system doesn’t differ drastically and I often like you look for players capable of multiple roles. But I like to have two pre made systems which match my philosophy but offer slight differences. 3 hours ago, _Ben_ said: His updates are amazing, aren't they! I know that - deep down - I need to tone down the time spent writing and increase the time spent playing if I want to actually complete my intended goals but I often feel that I need to write down my thoughts, if for nothing else other than to check their credibility! This is me down to the ground. Plus a my 12 hour shifts limit me drastically. when vessel comes. I only have and hour of game time a day maximum. This is why I think I’ll go to three large updates. Try and get the challenge finished. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 Results against Monza and Palermo might not have been ideal, but some encouraging signs - 68 shots compared to 20. Once players have adapated, there's the potential for it to really fly. Maybe not in September with those fixutres, though! 5 hours ago, _Ben_ said: However, when the process is scaled up - signing a player for €25m who performs better than a player who costs €80m is still the undervalued identification that I crave, just on another level. This is the bit I struggle with. I know that player values have gravitated, and whilst I can (barely) reconcile with the idea that for elite players you need to be paying €60m+, I can't quite wrap my head around spending €25m for a good player. I should be thinking of it as 1/9th of a Neymar, but to me it will always be 1.6 Alan Shearers. That area between about €10m and €30m is kind of a blind spot. 5 hours ago, _Ben_ said: I tend to run smaller squads, so would really struggle to have three standalone DMs and three standalone AMs, for example. I'd rather have a player (Mac Allister is my current real life favourite) who can play the 6, 8 and 10. This is an approach I'm finding harder and harder to adhere to in more recent years. I prefer having a squad of say 18 players with flexibility, than 25 specialised players, but fixture congestion kinds of forces your hand. Do you prefer having rotation pieces that can play multiple roles, or do you like to tweak the tactical approach depending on who's available? 5 hours ago, _Ben_ said: I need to tone down the time spent writing and increase the time spent playing if I want to actually complete my intended goals but I often feel that I need to write down my thoughts, if for nothing else other than to check their credibility! 2 hours ago, SixPointer said: This is me down to the ground. Plus a my 12 hour shifts limit me drastically. when vessel comes. I only have and hour of game time a day maximum. This is why I think I’ll go to three large updates. Try and get the challenge finished. I look forward to both of your updates - I've deliberately been selective in only following a half dozen or so threads, because 1) I can easily get sucked into reading too many and losing days and 2) they make me want to continue playing. As much as I'd love to encourage you both to post more often...take your damn time. You both produce great quality, and as long as you're able to enjoy playing that's all that matters. That will come through in your writing, too! I keep thinking of the winter patch as being the half way point in FM's life cycle, but realistically there's another 8 months until FM24 - we've barely made it a third of the way through. As for 12-hour shifts, my deepest sympathies. Even if you're used to it, that's brutal - when you do have free time, I expect a reasonable amount of it is lost to just recovering!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellico73 Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 When it comes to squads people have their own ideas on what works for them, with me I tend to run probably slightly than 'usual', around 30 or so for the first team. But there's starting XI, second XI, and the rest. Starting XI are players who are really good at one position, say Forward, but can slide over to another position, AM(L) and do a competent job. Second XI are usually players who are good at more than one position, your classic AM(RCL) type of player, but they aren't as good as your starting AM(L) or AM(R). Your comfortable if they have to start a game or three, but after that....maybe not so much. The rest are either a young player your willing to give time of the bench to improve, or the 30 year old 2 star D(C) you need to come in and do a job during the run where you have 7 games in 28 days. The "Lunch Pail" sort of players. And it gets harder to juggle the lower you go. Pre pandemic, the CN in France was 11 starters, and 3 of 5 subs. You looked for guys who were D(RLC), M(RLC) and AM(RLC) because you didn't have a choice...and I am positive that's influenced me ever since. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler16 Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 Sassuolo was the perfect move IMO. Curious to see how you compete in the upcoming fixtures and sort out the squad long term. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 1 hour ago, GIMN said: Results against Monza and Palermo might not have been ideal, but some encouraging signs - 68 shots compared to 20. Once players have adapated, there's the potential for it to really fly. Maybe not in September with those fixutres, though! Not in September, no... 1 hour ago, GIMN said: This is the bit I struggle with. I know that player values have gravitated, and whilst I can (barely) reconcile with the idea that for elite players you need to be paying €60m+, I can't quite wrap my head around spending €25m for a good player. I should be thinking of it as 1/9th of a Neymar, but to me it will always be 1.6 Alan Shearers. That area between about €10m and €30m is kind of a blind spot. Always been a Finance Manager, too, and refuse to spend where not necessary. It is, probably, the reason behind the smaller squads. 1 hour ago, GIMN said: This is an approach I'm finding harder and harder to adhere to in more recent years. I prefer having a squad of say 18 players with flexibility, than 25 specialised players, but fixture congestion kinds of forces your hand. Do you prefer having rotation pieces that can play multiple roles, or do you like to tweak the tactical approach depending on who's available? 46 minutes ago, Jellico73 said: When it comes to squads people have their own ideas on what works for them, with me I tend to run probably slightly than 'usual', around 30 or so for the first team. But there's starting XI, second XI, and the rest. Starting XI are players who are really good at one position, say Forward, but can slide over to another position, AM(L) and do a competent job. Second XI are usually players who are good at more than one position, your classic AM(RCL) type of player, but they aren't as good as your starting AM(L) or AM(R). Your comfortable if they have to start a game or three, but after that....maybe not so much. The rest are either a young player your willing to give time of the bench to improve, or the 30 year old 2 star D(C) you need to come in and do a job during the run where you have 7 games in 28 days. The "Lunch Pail" sort of players. And it gets harder to juggle the lower you go. Pre pandemic, the CN in France was 11 starters, and 3 of 5 subs. You looked for guys who were D(RLC), M(RLC) and AM(RLC) because you didn't have a choice...and I am positive that's influenced me ever since. I have always preferred the smaller core squads with the rest supplemented by youth and found that really quite easy to do at Trabzonspor, but it feels like, in the short term, that it'll be considerably harder here. I simply cannot comprehend what was going through Gennaro Gattuso's mind as he allowed, literally, half the team to disappear and then depart himself but I will build back to it. I do like 21 first team players - one goalkeeper and two players for every other position, with a handful of youth players who can step in and get minutes off the bench, helping their development. 1 hour ago, GIMN said: That will come through in your writing, too! I keep thinking of the winter patch as being the half way point in FM's life cycle, but realistically there's another 8 months until FM24 - we've barely made it a third of the way through. Thank you! 8 months is a re-assuring time frame for someone who is becoming a slower player by the day! 11 minutes ago, tyler16 said: Sassuolo was the perfect move IMO. Curious to see how you compete in the upcoming fixtures and sort out the squad long term. Thanks! I love the team and what I've found out about them, so far. Just need to kick on with them on the pitch and see just how far we can go. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 September 2028 Serie A: Sassuolo vs Roma. The more I watch this team and learn about them, the more I am excited for what I could maybe be able to build with them. However, there is a long way to go with some of the players. I faced up against a far more familiar 4-2-3-1 shape, although against a team considerably stronger than ours. One of the things I am learning is that, given the sheer level of ability on show, I can have no complaints about their goals, when they look like this. However, I can have some complaints about our own finishing, after Simeone missed a sitter, which, without me actually knowing, was extending his barren run. Certainly something to consider for the next match. The game then got much harder for us as Valenti was dismissed for foul on Abraham, although I'd argue that he was not the last man and, despite it being a professional trip, he deserved a yellow. Again though, an example of a bad decision being made, but more on that below. Our second concession came from a situation where, again, our line may be potentially still too high and, given our lack of pressure on the ball, Roma were able to cut us apart. The game ends with the score two-nil, shots on target six-nil but, at the end of the day, we had one more clear cut chance than they did and really should have buried it. I'm learning about the style of the players and what they bring to the team and, given that - as a Villa fan - I'm currently experiencing our squad go through the changes that Unai Emery wants to bring in, feel I can empathise and understand this process. Looking at the familiarity levels of my first choice back four - three of whom started in the Roma tie and the other, Martinez Quarta, would have started had he not rated poorly the week before - you'll see that none of them are fully fluid with our style. The two centre backs are not used to being played as ball players and neither full back is quite aware of the passing demands. Sampsted has accrued a 79% pass accuracy and has completed no progressive passes, whereas Cacace has a 78% pass completion with a total of 4.97 progressive passes per ninety, the only anomalously good stat here. There is lots to be done in terms of developing the style I want. I know that I need to adapt to my players' strengths, in particular their traits (e.g. Martinez Quarta plays simple passes, so, in terms of what I want, is the BPD the best option here? or do I just want a centre back knowing that the extra creativity allowance may put us in trouble, despite the fact he's actually a good ball player?) but they also need to be comfortable with mine. I know it's not as clear cut as this but, in my (realism) head, if we train our defensive areas, there will surely be some carry-over into the match. I've built the week around the defensive side of the game. My core defensive principle is to be able to defend disengaged, but, at this point - I just want to spend time in our positions, working on perfecting the keeping the ball out of our net side of the game! --- Serie A: Sampdoria vs Sassuolo. Goalscorer: Domenico Berardi. Again, we faced a similar 4-2-3-1 shape and my only change was to alter the Mezzalas, changing them to Central Midfielders, both on attack duty, in the hope we could create a central overload and penetrate centrally now I had the extra quality of Ritsu Doan, returning from injury. The tactical change worked within ten minutes as Berardi's finish showcased a move where we made it very difficult for the defenders. There was some huffing and puffing from the hosts but that's how the game ended. For us to truly become a counter attacking team, we need to get used to this prolonged pressure but we then also must improve our chance quality. Each shot, on average, had below 0.06xG and we cannot afford to only get three of those on target and still win. I know that I'm missing Fernandes, Trossard and Pinamonti from the line up - three key players - but it is certainly an area to work on. I will attack it as I have done with the defensive structure, but probably not until after the Inter/Juve double header! --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Inter Milan. Facing up to the same 5-1-2-2 shape that caused us all sorts of attacking problems against Palermo, I opted for the 4-1-4-1, creating a 3-3-3-1 in transition - in the hope that, maybe, just maybe, we could create something ourselves. In the end, we spent much of the game defending - resolutely - until we decided that we'd rather be ball watching than defending, allowing Bastoni to finish the easiest chance of his life. We soaked up a lot of pressure, really well, actually and I'm much happier with how we are defending, although the overall ratings would not suggest that. --- Serie A: Juventus vs Sassuolo. Back to the 4-2-3-1 formation, so I went for the same shape as Sampdoria tie, hoping to get something that would class as a huge upset against a team with a 100% record to start the season. Their first goal, from Kulusevski, started like this and ended like this: not really much to say except for better organisation in the defence. Once again, the situation would have been very different if Berardi hadn't missed a sitter: 1-1 on the hour would have given us a springboard to have maybe done something in the closing stages but it wasn't to be. Three horror games with a 0-0-3 record and 0GF-5GA. Realistically, the only other teams I have to face with such daunting quality are Napoli and AC Milan, but, if we are in the game against the other fourteen teams in the league, we'll be oK! Interestingly, the analyst team came up with a few bits of feedback from these three games (ignoring the Sampdoria win): We're getting carved open and that's evident in where we're conceding from. These aren't corners, they are moves where our defenders are pulled out of place by creative forwards. I don't think there is, necessarily, an easy option here. Likewise, the Shoot on Sight feels like a short term reaction to our lack of scoring power but I do agree that increasing our tempo in build up will hopefully get us into better positions in order to get our shot away. Of course, it runs the risk of us rushing our moves shooting with even lower quality chances. Realistically, there isn't a huge panic at what I'm seeing. I just need to iron out the creases and perform against the teams around us. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Bologna. Goalscorers: Alfons Sampsted, Christian Kouame, Lautaro Valenti, Aldo Florenzi, Giuliano Simeone. BOOM! I definitely felt that we moved the ball quicker from back to front and, with the central overloads working as intended, we caused them problems throughout. I went with the same shape, with players slowly starting to return to fitness, in order to counter their defensive frailties. The game was ran by Aldo Florenzi, who secured a Player of the Week performance. It certainly feels like a weight off my shoulders given that the media have been less than polite about our poor form (three losses in four) and the average ratings of the new signings and shows what we might be capable of doing. --- I think we have, on the whole, started the season pretty much as expected and as I wanted. Aside from Napoli and Atalanta, the early season table has already started to separate the big sides from the small sides and it is up to us whether we can keep pace with the top, which includes a strong-starting Fiorentina team. At the other end, there seems to be a four horse race for relegation, wit three of those struggling to keep the ball out of their net: we play two of them next month. From the month we've just endured to the potential of seven to nine points here. I am, however, concerned about our finances as we've seemingly missed some rather large payments that we've had before. It's not my job, per se, to manage these but I will certainly be wary of the implications of having a club that is no longer financially viable. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler16 Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 Such a nice touch when you throw in videos of the goal. Especially liked the Berardi take down and finish vs. Sampdoria. Results wise, not too bad at all and I'm sure it's exciting for you to see how much work there is to be done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 6, 2023 Author Share Posted March 6, 2023 6 hours ago, tyler16 said: Such a nice touch when you throw in videos of the goal. Especially liked the Berardi take down and finish vs. Sampdoria. Results wise, not too bad at all and I'm sure it's exciting for you to see how much work there is to be done. Thanks. I like to watch highlights back several times - despite playing with comprehensive highlights on anyway - in order to see whether it is a tactical style issue, a positional issue, an error or just a mismatch in player quality. I try to do the same going forward too, and, whilst this is a great touch and finish by Bernardo - arguably my best player - the key, for me, is in the way we got him to find that space. Therefore, it makes sense to share them with others in order to get another set of eyes. Can you confirm, though, that they often are quite blurry? I don’t know how to resolve that issue with Gyazo, so any recommendations (from anyone) would be wonderful please! I’ve nearly finished playing the next month. Right now, it’s all just tactical development so it’s pretty quick - so I’ve done a little bit of analysis of how our style is developing. I must say that I’m really pleased with what I’m seeing and what I want us to achieve is becoming more and more pronounced each week. Obviously, there is a contextual difference to Trabzonspor - we’re not among the best at this level but I’m already seeing my stamp being put on this team. It has been normal of late that I’d play a bit, get distracted by skinning and play a bit more but - right now - I’m very engrossed in actually playing the game! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 6 points is fantastic! Sampdoria seem to have had a solid start to the season, so that away win might be a useful marker for where the team is at. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 6, 2023 Author Share Posted March 6, 2023 15 minutes ago, GIMN said: 6 points is fantastic! Sampdoria seem to have had a solid start to the season, so that away win might be a useful marker for where the team is at. Absolutely: picking up points where necessary and limiting the losses, for goal difference purposes, against the big boys. I think that I've had a slightly tougher schedule than some, especially that month, so I think we're probably on or slightly below the longer term aims. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 6, 2023 Author Share Posted March 6, 2023 October 2028 Serie A: Sassuolo vs SPAL. Goalscorers: Christian Kouame, Franco Tongya. First three points of the month in a game that didn't come to life until the last eleven minutes. Their 4-3-3 meant that I went for a tweaked shape to ensure an appropriate rest defence: a wide defender on the left and narrow on the right - forcing them both to the left hand side, where they are weaker. We demonstrated some beautiful transitional interplay as the roots of this style are beginning to become stronger. Kouame, on for the wasteful Simeone, opened the scoring with a deft lob over the keeper before a swift counter attack saw Tongya net his first for the club. Annoyingly, we conceded straight from kick off, before I was able to begin the process of slowing the game down but, to be fair, SPAL never truly looked like doing enough to get anything from the game. --- Serie A: Empoli vs Sassuolo. A narrow 4-1-2-1-2 shape meant that I decided to try something new: the same shape but using Mez(a) (not new) with IW(s) in order to try and overload the channels between the full back and centre back, with no wide midfielders from Empoli to pull back. At the back, to counter their two attackers and one attacking mid - I used a hybrid full back/centre back in Torres and instructed Gyabuaa to patrol ahead. This came off the back of the challenge to him to work on his ball winning, which he agreed to. The 3-1 defensive shape allowed me to use Cacace as a CWB again, to try and create a numerical overload on their right sided full back, Wisdom Amey. We got a little lucky with a fortuitous penalty that Kouame converted before he rose highest from a corner - I think, our first of the season - to secure the three points. My game plan worked as we certainly exploited the flanks and it now becomes another string to the tactical bow I am trying to create here. However, the team still appears to be made from glass: Highest in the league and no sign of let up! Apparently, we're at 56% less injuries than expected and there are no real patterns: some training, some match, some muscular and some impact. I don't think reviewing the medical staff, at this point, is really beneficial to solving it. --- I'm now through ten games at the helm of Sassuolo, so I wanted to use the league metrics to see how my style is evolving: Possession | Conversion Rate | Dribbles | Sprints | Interceptions | OPPDA Whilst I have clearly cherry picked statistics that I want to show here (ignoring the high possession lost), I think it tells a really strong story of the development that this club is under and why things at the start weren't quite as rosy as I'd expected. We are the second lowest team for total possession but do complete a high number of dribbles and sprints as we look to attack quickly, converting a high number of our chances. Defensively, we sit off and look to intercept - through clever play - rather than focus on winning duels. It's so clear to see why we were getting carved apart when I was asking my players to sit off without a clear and concise defensive structure and shape. The next step is to improve the quality of the players within this system, either through training or recruitment. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Hellas Verona. Goalscorers: Giuliano Simeone, Liberato Cacace. We face a 4-4-2 shape in the Simeone/Simeone matchup, although Guiliano is both unfit and massively out of form so our shape was certainly subject to change. However, we started brightly and one of the twelve progressive passes from Fernandes led to some nice interplay and provide a chance that even Simeone couldn't miss, despite his distinctly average form. Our second was a pure tactical victory. The use of Cacace high and wide caused all sorts of problems and he was able to break through and score from a tight angle to put the game out of reach for Hellas. Back-to-back wins with cleans sheets and dominating performances is surely a sign of things to come! --- With takeover rumours flying around and only two months left before the window opens, I feel that there is an onus on getting the deals both right and done early - maybe even as pre-arranged deals. With that, I can essentially split my first team squad into three categories. New Signings: Hit and miss, certainly but I'm not able to move these players on so early into their career here. Federico Torres, it appears, is not the reincarnation of Lisandro Martinez, having won just 32% of his headers - a shockingly low stat that I just cannot ignore. Likewise, Gyabuaa - the man who presses like no other - has really just, well, not pressed. That's not in our style, I get it, but when he does press - he hasn't won a great number of them. Likewise, his header and tackle success (again from purposely low attempts) are poor: 64% of tackles won puts him in the bottom 10% according to my analysis. However, Tongya and Pierozzi have been solid and Florenzi (somewhat skewed from a couple of corking performances) has really caught my eye. Keep: Given our upturn in performances and, to be fair, strong start, there are a number of players who are absolutely safe here should they not have their heads' turned by other clubs. Likewise, there are a few players: Trossard, Fernandes and Pinamonti, who have not had the time to impress due to various injuries and, providing they can start injury free, will almost certainly feature on their return. Fighting to survive: Now, the players who aren't cutting the mustard... Sampsted netted his first goal this month but I must say that his overall attacking outputs have been significantly weaker than those of Cacace - 0.53 key passes to 1.122, no chances to 0.20, 2.12 dribbles to 4.18 - all concerning things when I need two players who can do a variety of jobs on both sides of the pitch. At 30, he's not getting any younger and his game, which relies heavily on pace and stamina, will become compromised. Simeone has just been strange. Hard to put my finger on it and I can probably see why he was third choice behind Pinamonti and Kouame last year. He's clearly bereft of confidence so a little scoring spell could change my mind here - plus, I didn't expect him to play as much as he has. Erlic has, for want of a better word, been utterly terrible. Inside the bottom ten percent for progressive passes, interceptions, pressure wins and header success is pretty concerning. There is little wonder why he's been frozen out by me. I think, essentially that leaves the following areas: Backup centre back First choice right back Right winger However, I don't want to completely tear this team apart - it won't work cohesively. We saw a thirteen player shift from the first team over the summer and I cannot continue spending money and experimenting on players like that if we want to build for a brighter future. That being said - I think one or two player, with one possibly being a project might entice me in, but, my hand might be forced in terms of just what I have to play with: --- Things are looking really good. I'd expect Lazio, Napoli and Atalanta to probably overtake us, whilst Fiorentina will - probably - drop away. That, however, still leaves us fighting out inside the top ten, which is hugely realistic given the overhaul in pretty much everything since June. November looks to very much be split in two halves - two winnable ties against teams below us, both away from home and then two ties against bigger teams, at home. I'd love five points from it - a win over Cagliari and a couple of draws, accepting that either Lazio or Milan will beat us, but I'd love it if it was only one of them. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Things are definitely on the up Ben! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 8, 2023 Author Share Posted March 8, 2023 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: Things are definitely on the up Ben! Absolutely. Tactically, we are finding our feet in Serie A. There will be a ceiling that I hit, probably quite soon, but that comes from a financial standpoint so I have to ensure that I am really, really, clever in order to break into the bigger European competitions to generate regular cash flow for us. Once that occurs, the level steps up again and I have to adapt further. But it's the adapting that I am really loving at the moment; although that is significantly helped by the fact that there aren't too many hot prospects to spend my time trying to develop and those youngsters that are here, aren't good enough to be thrown into this league yet. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 8, 2023 Author Share Posted March 8, 2023 November 2028 Serie A: Cagliari vs Sassuolo. A 4-3-3 and a team out of form but also the 20th best team at keeping possession, faced me, so I opted for the typical formation with 'appropriate' wing backs, genuinely not knowing what would happen with the ball for much of the match. The pick of the goals came when Gyabuaa pressed, won and progressed the ball - three things he has largely struggled with to date. The most important thing for me is that we have now won a club-record five games in a row, with four of them being clean sheets. The defensive strategies that I have put in place are working and we are reaping the benefits by beating the teams that should finish below us. Of course, things won't be perfect and we will drop points against the fourteen teams that I predict we are better than - 84 points taken against them is, obviously, super unrealistic. The next job is to try and create a scoring threat against the bigger teams, whilst not leaving ourselves wide open. My personal preference, especially right now, is to shut up shop against the likes of Juve, with my feeling that a 1-0 defeat is - probably - better than a 4-3 one. --- Serie A: Genoa vs Sassuolo I went for the offset full back shape to combat their flat 4-4-2 but, for, the first time in a good while, we were absolutely toothless. The game was played in the middle of the park but we couldn't break down Genoa and they couldn't break us down either. Their 1.02xG is little padded when you looking at their shooting - two chances, 0.12xG and 0.13xG both headers, massively contributed to a game of little chances. I thought we'd done enough at the death but just couldn't find that final ball. The impact of a point, on the road, with a clean sheet will, however, be much more significant in the long run than one game where we forgot our shooting boots. --- I am somewhat concerned at the financial plight we might find ourselves in. A historically small club, with a relatively small stadium and fanbase and a wafer thin squad does not lend itself well to a profitable club. Whilst we are still in talks about new ownership, I really am not confident that they will pump money into the coffers. With that in mind, I need to look at player who are, based on their minutes played, are earning more than they are contributing. I can dig in further with their salary commitments but that is - annoyingly - not a screen that can be screenshotted and I cannot find the data anywhere else. Whilst I am annoyed at the injury status of Trossard and Pinamonti, they are both, currently, undeserving of the wage that we pay them. However, it is Martin Erlic - a man with 100% availability, who is the biggest drain on resources, followed by Simeone, Sampsted and Doan. These players, in my opinion, are all naturally replaceable given their lack of value for money. I think, in the shorter term, replacing these players - possibly with shorter term loan deals, with provide us with a bit more financial security, even if it does slow down the rate of progress and increase the likelihood of recruitment not working. Something that I am considering as we near the transfer window. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Lazio. Another 4-4-2 so the offset back four got a run out but I decided to keep the positive mentality given the fact that we were a little goal shy. What we actually did was give Lazio far too much respect - allowing them to play with Chotard, in particular, causing me problems through the middle. We had far too many players having an off day. I have watched and pondered as the last few games have always had, at least, one player not perform to the standards I want but this time it was several: Doan, Kouame, Torres, Sempsted and Bruno all way below what I expect to see. Whilst I was happy with the Genoa result, this was has disappointed me... --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Milan. 4-3-3 with a plethora of stars. I was most drawn to Tonali, though, and opted for a 4-2-2-1-1 shape in order to put a man - in this case Torres - right on top of him to kick him off his creative rhythm, utilising his Aggression, Marking and Tackling but also utilising the fact he isn't uncomfortable with the ball. With very cautious full backs, I figured that I'd have to create deeper and went for Berardi as a WP(s) on the right, funneling the play out to him. We went behind in the eighteenth minute, when we failed to deal with a crossfield ball, leaving players open in lots of areas but the unlikeliest of providers turned up as Torres slipped through Kouame to level the scoreline. After that we did really shut up shop, knowing we've been a little lethargic of late and that, should we concede again, we were unlikely to go up the other end and score. The biggest win - for me - here though was seeing Tonali hauled off after an hour. He had plenty of the ball, completing 73 passes, but rarely found himself in situations where he could change the game. --- I would be happy to just end the season now! We are doing pretty much what I wanted and more here, holding our own against the teams above us and - generally - outperforming those below us. December only has three matches but they are all tough and I'm targeting four points from them, which will, hopefully, still leave us inside the top ten as we head into the new year and the transfer window. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 On 06/03/2023 at 21:06, _Ben_ said: I'd love five points from it - a win over Cagliari and a couple of draws, accepting that either Lazio or Milan will beat us, but I'd love it if it was only one of them. Despite your disappointment with the Lazio result, seems thinks almost went exactly to plan! Interesting to see Torres doing the man-marking job on Tonali. Given it's success, do you think this might be something you adopt more regularly? I've also noticed that your full-backs seem to be consistently scoring in the mid 6s. Is this indicative of their performances, or are they doing what you'd want/expect and that just doesn't grade out well in FM's calculations? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 Clear to see your brand of football on display now. i like the graphic for declaring who’s not worth there wages! With that in mind am sure you’ve already cast your eyes towards the transfers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 10, 2023 Author Share Posted March 10, 2023 On 09/03/2023 at 08:01, GIMN said: Despite your disappointment with the Lazio result, seems thinks almost went exactly to plan! Interesting to see Torres doing the man-marking job on Tonali. Given it's success, do you think this might be something you adopt more regularly? Thanks. I don't know if it's a long term thing but it's something that I'm sure I've seen either in real life or FM (they do absolutely get blurred from time to time!) with Sergio Busquets so wanted to give it a go. On 09/03/2023 at 08:01, GIMN said: I've also noticed that your full-backs seem to be consistently scoring in the mid 6s. Is this indicative of their performances, or are they doing what you'd want/expect and that just doesn't grade out well in FM's calculations? On the surface, they're not doing too bad, but dig in (Cacace top and Sampsted bottom), you'll see some differences: Cacace far more creative but awful at crossing (yet, don't be fooled as that 14% is 1 from 7 crosses) whilst both have failed to win the odd tackle I have taught them to contest. Stuff I see in game tells me that I have worries about Sampsted's defensive positioning and the general fit with my tactical style. However, I think Cacace is actually pretty good and one of my better players, even though he's not getting great ratings. On 09/03/2023 at 08:39, SixPointer said: Clear to see your brand of football on display now. i like the graphic for declaring who’s not worth there wages! With that in mind am sure you’ve already cast your eyes towards the transfers Thanks! I agree - and was shocked to see the exact amount of impact it's had. Yes - I am focused on the transfer but really quite worried about the finances that really dictate just what I can do. This is a slower project than maybe the others and I need to accept that there is probably some short term moves that are needed for stability rather than directly solving the array of positional and depth issues. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 10, 2023 Author Share Posted March 10, 2023 December 2028 Serie A: Torino vs Sassuolo. I opted for the standard 4-1-4-1 shape with traditional wingbacks in order to counter their wide men in a 4-2-3-1 shape. I've also uncovered a few other key bits of info from this panel: that they score late but concede early and, when they go behind, they don't win. They'd also potentially be without star left back Alex Grimaldo but I will have to watch out for defensive midfielder - and top scorer - Lorientz Rosier. Dull. Dull. Dull. We had some chances but they were few and far between and quite low in quality. We did, on the other hand, stop Torina hitting the target at all, which is strong, but I think, however, this is just part of the bigger picture: Our home form is on the left and away on the right and we are just too naive on our travels - scoring at less than a goal a game and, like this one, just strangling the opposition. Whilst the latter is fantastic, and we have the best away defensive record in the league, we need to be even more clinical because we're going to get less chances away from home and we're going to have to sit and defend more, and defend more resolutely, too. Get that right and we'll fly. Our home form is fine: Roma, Inter and Lazio are the home losses and they were completely expected. Time to plan how I play on the road... --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Atalanta The pre-match report painted the picture of a terrible record against Atalanta, one that I was determined to fix. I set about this task with my standard formation - shoehorning my most creative players into the midfield and adding Pierozzi as an extra layer of defensive stability - ahead of Trossard - against their attacking right wing back. We started strongly, and took the lead as Berardi unselfishly laid on Kouame to net again - well and truly proving me wrong about him being the third choice defender. However, some shambolic defensive positioning allowed Duvan Zapata through to score, before we gave away the softest of penalties, that, eventually was saved, only to then concede by completely messing up our defensive organisation to allow Alberto Moleiro, one of the shortest men on the pitch, a free header from eight yards. We were to have the last laugh though as Valenti nodded in from a corner in injury time to salvage the draw that, on paper, we deserved - and more - but, in general play, we were lucky to achieve. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Napoli. A pre-match report that filled me with dread: the quality of players that Napoli have just shows how much they've underperformed this season. To counter it, I used my usual tactical shape and style. Another one of those really gritty performances, like we pulled out against Milan last month, showing that we can mix it with the bigger teams, even if we are somewhat limited in some areas. However, the draw has garnered some media attention, for the wrong reasons: This then resulted in an emergency recruitment meeting - an FM feature, of course, but clearly a concern when, to quote, 'we think you should attend if you want to solve this problem by signing players.' My job is to assess this over the winter break and come back stronger and with a more refined plan. It could be worse though...Alex Frei sacked at Trabzonspor as they are languishing down in tenth - quite the fall from grace from an invincible season a matter of months ago! --- I'd still bite your hand off if I was offered this at the start of the season. We are somewhat goal shy, but, when our defence is as resilient as ours is (despite the semi-regular horror show of positioning), we'd be at the top of the table if we were scoring two or three a game. January, Fiorentina aside, gives me a chance to rectify the winless run as I will be targeting a win at Lecce and Monza whilst hoping to take a point from Parma. January is also, of course, the transfer window so there's going to be a huge financial battle in an attempt to build on the really promising start that I've made to my tenure here. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic Youth Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Pretty harsh to say your struggling when you’ve had a tough run of games and are sitting inside the top 10! I am another who thought your wages v’s contribution graph was a good idea too. Paints some players in different lights, who have probably been under the radar both positively and negatively. Would be a simple addition to include in FM too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_1979 Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Caught up. Top content as always. Eager to see how this save goes and how you clear out and reshape. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justified Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Been following this in the shadows... But great content as per usual @_Ben_ ! Fun to see that we approach training very similarly however I never use training schedules that focus on training marking for the attacking unit so things like Transition Restrict and Defending from the Front (or even the General Defending schedule) is just something I never do as I feel it doesn't fit into my DNA. Be interesting to hear what your thoughts on that would be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 (edited) Thanks for the comments, all. @Justified - I like as a more realistic thing that we would do rather than one that actually works in game. I will dig into some more depth and see what I can find out for you... Edited March 12, 2023 by _Ben_ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 (edited) January 2029 The sale of Martin Erlic (€4.6m to Blackburn) kick started the winter transfer window for me. I'm always sceptical of mid-season overhauls but there is definitely a need to address a few things that I've seen over the course of the first half of the season. Whilst I love youth development, I admit to have been very poor with giving them minutes so far this season: Alessandro Adessa: 0 Edson Jose: 47 Federico Baldinelli: 210 Giuseppe Brighi: 281 Paolo Mor: 521 These youngsters simply need football to kick-start/restart their development but that is really difficult when I'm trying to build, analyse and then develop the style that we are playing with as I need every player to be able to contribute effectively to then prove that they either are or are not. Once the setup is more settled, I will absolutely give opportunities to youngsters. What it does do though is create gaps within the first team, and that is what my transfer business has been aimed at resolving. Thumbnails are all clickable to lead to player profiles. The diminutive Argentine is a player I really enjoyed watching, in real life, during his spell in the MLS with Atlanta. In game, he's lost his way a little - a move to Feyenoord just led to a rotational option before heading home to Argentina, showing quite a severe disloyalty, playing for Independiente, River Plate and then Boca Juniors. However, he's the perfect kind of player for what I want in terms of my wide midfielders and his little spell in Holland produced some really strong results in terms of dribbles completed and key passes last season. I've agreed a deal paying €13k (50%) of his wages with an optional future fee of just €3.7m should he achieve what I want him to in the six months he's initially here for. I'm really excited to get to use him, pairing him with another loan signing: The Italian playmaker joins on loan from Genoa for a fee that will cost us about €700k this season and allow me to sign him, if I wish, for just over €6m in the summer. The ex-Juventus midfielder has had a tough season at Genoa, playing just seven times this season but has been a regular for the past five years. He stats, taken from last season, show that he's got a track record of creating chances, progressing the ball well from the midfield. I'm really excited to see how these two can kind of morph into the wide playmakers that I want in this shape. As a Villa fan, I've been blessed to watch Jack Grealish in his prime and know that, if I can get the ball to creative wide men, I will be able to get one-on-one with their full backs, as my brief spell in Italy has taught me that their wingers rarely defend in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 shape. However, I don't want to use the WP(s) role as they are more likely to slow down the speed in which we break - therefore want to use the most vanilla role in order to allow them to their traits ( Barco left, Portanova right) to impact our play). I think that this really gives us a strong front five, although, going forward, I would like more physicality from the dual 8s - especially as their role can leave us open defensively. That front five has further been strengthened with the additional of a very experienced player: He may not quite be good enough for us these days and may have already decided to retire at the end of the season but Belotti brings bags of top flight experience: Ajax, Leicester, Nottm Forest and Sporting Gijon all sit on his CV and he has scored there, too. Christian Kouame is away at the AFCON with Ivory Coast so we are down a striker and I'm entertaining loan-to-buy bids for the disappointing and highly-paid Simeone, so the cheapness and short-term-ness of this deal is perfect for me. Three players - 28, 29 and 35 year old - replacing a host of youngsters at the club isn't my ideal setup and not something I'm hugely accustomed to do but I think that, in the long run, this is the sensible approach. We are still in debt, despite the previous sale and these moves as well as agreeing new deals of the same length but cheaper wage and bonus outlays (Berardi: €80k p/w to €62k, Trossard: €64k to €50k and Martinez Quarta: €52k to €35.5k) and effectively replacing Simeone (€51k p/w salary commitments and a loan fee of around €50k pcm) with Belotti (€16.75k p/w salary commitment) make sense. This is all happening whilst I still work on creating an effective recruitment system and put time and effort into developing what we already have at the club. ---- Serie A: Lecce vs Sassuolo. Goalscorer: Gedson Fernandes. The pre-match report suggested that the base shape with inverted wing backs would suffice here and, largely, it did. I didn't risk any of the three new signings, giving them a short amount of time off the bench and also allowing Andrea Pinamonti some minutes as he makes his comeback from injury: at the perfect time, too, as Kouame missed the tie and Giuliano Simeone looked awful, as per usual. Almost immediately, I was able to see the impact of the wide midfielders, operating a little deeper in transition that a natural winger allowing us an out ball and more potential options to overload. I don't think it's any surprise that this little tweak led to Gedson's strongest performance of the season as he was able to use his physical stature to get up and down and cause problems with doubling up on defenders. An upgrade for Ritsu Doan is, however, almost certainly required and, even in the short cameo, Portanova looked better - creating 0.11xA and creating a key pass, a dribble and two progressive passes. Happy to get back to winning ways! ---- Probably the last signing signing of the window is a real utility player, again with the idea that a short term position will help us in the long run. The two centre backs - Martinez Quarta and Valenti - are pretty settled and I've been battling with average rating issues between Sampsted and Cacace, but haven't found a suitable, both financially and ability-wise, replacement for the Icelandic so have opted for another player who can cover those roles, if nothing else but to just haul them off when they are playing badly and be able to live up to the threats that I give them in team talks and shouts. I also believe that his personality will be a strong influence in the dressing room. .--- Serie A: Fiorentina vs Sassuolo. Goalscorer: Ritsu Doan The new signings were still not quite ready but I did take in an u18 tie that I'd given them permission to play in to build up some more fitness. The pre-match report showed me the team that I'd had eyes on taking over before coming to Sassuolo but I did feel that the 4-2-3-1 shape and the incredible-offensiveness of wing back Livramento could play into our hands; however, I did opt for Pierozzi in our normal 4-1-4-1 shape in order to provide a little bit more defensive protection. I think we executed our game plan really well, being comfortably the more threatening team throughout, despite giving Fiorentina a fair bit of the ball in offensive areas. Ritsu Doan opened the scoring and, overall, played really well. I have plans for him to be upgraded with Portanova but, if he can up his game and consistently play like this, it'll be a nice headache to have. Their goal was annoying - I don't think it's a particularly realistic finish, with the keeper - Naumov - and his 6'2" frame being lobbed whilst inside his own six yard box, with little actual attempt to get the ball.However, we responded well and gave them little to work with in the second half. Both Barco and Portanova got some more minutes and, again, performed well even though our intentions shifted from going for the winner to saving the point pretty early on. It also marked my twentieth game as Sassuolo boss: An average cost of €1m per new signing, most of whom have played a fair number of minutes, in a division of this level, is the kind of bargain hunting that I really like to do. We're in a nice little battle with Napoli and Atalanta for the seventh, eighth and ninth spots and it feels like we're there on merit, too. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Monza. Goalscorers: Domenico Berardi x2, Andrea Pinamonti, Liberato Cacace, Aldo Florenzi. The pre-match told a tale of woe for bottom side Monza and we lined up in a way where I felt we could add to that: both new wide men and a start for Torres as a DM, marking his new-found versatility, utilising the aggression and playmaking ability he has, but removing the issue that he's tiny. From the off, things went well and the positioning of Barco, allowing Berardi a free run to open up. Barco's starting position made it very tough for Yan Valery to decide where to press, especially as the winger ahead is doing little to no defending. Berardi's intelligence got him that half yard and he finished superbly. The game also marked a scoring return, after thirteen games without a goal, for Andrea Pinamonti in his first start after a torrid six months in injuries. Cacace's thunderbolt before half time signified just how well things were going to two second half goals from a much improved Monza side did tarnish a little bit of the hard work we'd put in and made the game look a lot more even than in actually was. --- This is the last one! I was not in the market for another midfielder but was unable to turn down the offer to bring Jakub Moder back to Europe after a strange choice of move to Xolos Tijuana, in Mexico. The Pole has excelled and his stats compare him with the top professional leagues across North America - showing that he's, continent wide, playing well and creating chances. Coming in on a free, I have also avoided transfer fees and got him for a wage which, I believe, is a fraction of what he could have got elsewhere. The press conference alerted me to this: Clearly an issue that they had at Brighton but one that I'm sure will be forgotten almost five years later! This now gives me some really strong squad depth across most areas of the pitch now. I must say that I'm happy with how I've been able to shape the squad in the short term - although the average age of these new recruits is 28.9 years old and moves need to be made to replace some in the very short term as we currently sit as the oldest team in the league. However, the model is quite clear to see: Italian players (board culture) and Argentinian players (manager culture), who - in this case, are undervalued by their previous clubs or have performed really well in previous seasons and need a fresh start. This model will grow to include the recruitment of young, exciting prospects from Italy and South America but those deals require a lot more risk, and, with -€7m in the bank, we cannot gamble on the deals right now. These players are (hopefully) safe options who may not be able to bring me profit in terms of future sales, may be able to secure success on the pitch, which will bring profitable opportunities. --- Serie A: Parma vs Sassuolo. Goalscorers: Domenico Berardi, Andrea Pinamonti, Aldo Florenzi, Jakub Moder, Leandro Trossard. My real life interest of late has been ways to evade the press: Brighton doing it excellently against West Ham and this incredible goal from Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa are just two good examples. I think that this kind of play is more about the individual and the opposition rather than my own style but I wanted to look for it, and, therefore, lined up in our standard 4-1-4-1 shape, giving Moder a debut after a strong ninety minutes for the u20 in the week, whilst Barco dropped to the bench in a sign of the depth I am starting to create. The one tactical tweak was to instruct Naumov to distribute to the DM in the hope that this causes a press and a rush of players to the centre of the pitch which will give my wide creators even more space to transition and progress the ball. The last pre-match briefing of the month told me that Parma, like many of the teams below us, haven't yet won when conceding first, so I - naturally - opted to up the risk in the first ten minutes of the game, and it paid off as Berardi slotted home for his fifth of the season. From there on in, it was quite a controlled performance as we looked really assured on the ball and, with Gedson a little deeper now to accommodate Moder, we have a bit more firepower going forward, allowing for the slightly more ten-styled Berardi to fit into the role of the eight. A little disappointed at the subs, who were all complacent and couldn't be shifted from that mindset, which, probably, allowed the spell that Parma did dominate, ruining our clean sheet and almost doubling their xG tally for the game. Ten goals in the last two games - although three silly concessions does dampen that - and a nice bit of form being built: --- We are still in a really commanding position and, given our little bit of form, have pulled away from Atalanta, creating a two-horse race with ourselves and Napoli - a club we have no real rights of being on par with at present. With a defence stronger than Juve's and an attack better than Inter's - the pieces are there and I am working on getting them to create a coherent style that works against all teams. February could be fruitful for us - I can see us picking up points in the Sampdoria, Bologna and Empoli ties and the visits to the San Siro and the Stadio Olimpico will be really good tests for us. Edited March 12, 2023 by _Ben_ 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 1 hour ago, _Ben_ said: I love how fickle the news items can be - feels realistic for the media to spend one week talking about your winless run, to then use those same games to highlight your unbeaten streak! A great end to the month - are those 10 goals in the last 2 games indicative of players getting familiar with the style, or a reflection of the opposition? Also love seeing a transfer window filled with experience. I appreciate it might be tricky, but that experience could be just what you need to push into the European spaces. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Nice form Ben. Especially when you consider your still shaping your style. Crazy to think you could push into a euro slot while your in transition. I feel your pain having to bring in some senior faces against your usual style of recruitment and development strategies, however I feel it’s a intelligent move and one that as you state will pay off long term! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 1 hour ago, GIMN said: I love how fickle the news items can be - feels realistic for the media to spend one week talking about your winless run, to then use those same games to highlight your unbeaten streak! A great end to the month - are those 10 goals in the last 2 games indicative of players getting familiar with the style, or a reflection of the opposition? I think the game struggles to take into account that a draw is not necessarily a bad result and it also certainly does not take into account the context of the games we've had! The winless streak below is a really tough set of fixtures: Genoa and Torino are below us but all of the other draws are against teams above or around us in the table so I'm absolutely fine to not have won against them. The end of the month certainly was good and I think it was a case of things just falling in to place. I've struggled a little to develop the players thus far so it's not a case of them being better than before, maybe just more tactically familiar as that is still an ongoing process. I think the goals scored against Monza is somewhat expected although I wasn't too happy to concede two of our own! 39 minutes ago, SixPointer said: Especially when you consider your still shaping your style. Crazy to think you could push into a euro slot while your in transition. Thanks. Last year we scored at 1.24 PPG and we are scoring at 1.76 so there is clear improvement on the pitch as well as the style I'm creating, as shown by those metrics a couple of posts back. Seventh will get us into Europe and, given that Napoli and Atalanta are faltering, I think that's quite attainable this season. Any further is a step too far now and, more than likely, across the next season or so unless we improve at a rate quicker than Napoli and Atalanta turn themselves around. 1 hour ago, GIMN said: Also love seeing a transfer window filled with experience. I appreciate it might be tricky, but that experience could be just what you need to push into the European spaces. 45 minutes ago, SixPointer said: I feel your pain having to bring in some senior faces against your usual style of recruitment and development strategies, however I feel it’s a intelligent move and one that as you state will pay off long term! It's all about stability at the moment. We're in debt and it's not looking like that'll change any time soon with an average attendance of just over 12,000 people at our home games, the nineteenth lowest in the league. Therefore, these intelligent signings could be the catalyst that can give us the European money and rise in reputation to get some bums on seats, as it were. The other side of this coin is that the youngsters, given the really stringent non-EU rules in Italy (which I have to think about for the future), are super expensive and I can't afford to spend €20m on a promising Italian with little first team experience. Little things like this financial gain will obviously help in the short term but the bigger picture is to reduce the wage bill, which, in all honesty, will likely reduce the quality of the team (but, importantly, align with my tactical style better) and then begin to sign players and develop our own for profit. Obviously, the first phase of that is players costing between €0 to €1m and, once I've moved that bunch on, I can look to extend that limit to €2m, €5m etc. That's a process that, at minimum, takes at least twelve months to sign, develop, inflate price and flip so you can see why the short term strategy is what it is and that league position, right now, is more important than having the next wonderkid in my team! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 February 2029 Serie A: Inter vs Sassuolo. Goalscorer: Andrea Pinamonti. Disclaimer - I have no idea what has happened to the Clear Cut Chances there. Inter had 0 but, for some reason, it has recorded as 255. We were actually very good defensively but not quite that good. The pre-match report instructed that I'd need to operate with the 4-1-4-1 cum 3-2-4-1 shape that I've used against back fives and front twos before. The game started in the worst possible way as Rambo netted from 30-yards, in a move where I think we did nothing wrong. My reaction to this was to pull Pinamonti back to mark him, which is something I often do but - for some reason - was missing from his standard instructions. I then also forgot that I hadn't asked my wingers to mark their wingbacks, leaving it on full backs (and, of course, a role that isn't occupied in Inter's tactic). It got worse minutes later and, at 2-0 down inside the first five minutes, I feared the worst. However, the shape did exactly what I wanted - creating an overload down the left and getting Cacace into bags of space as their wing back was committed. His cross was turned in by Pinamonito and we were back in the game. The second half was quite uneventful but one highlight did capture the essence of my high-risk build up as we looked to evade the press and play vertically, quickly. Mistakes like this happen and we weren't punished but it's a strong sign of what I'm trying to achieve. I'm also using the post match to really tighten up on my player discussion, as seen here - in my discussion with Martinez Quarta over his poor showing. Rather than just fining, I'm giving specific examples of what I want improving and will look to monitor this. Sadly, when talking to Naumov, I couldn't actually tell him that I wanted him to hold more of the shots instead of parrying them away, as a couple ended back in the danger zone. All in all, a strong performance as we are tactically looking better every game. Our unbeaten run is over but most teams go to the San Siro and get battered. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Sampdoria. The pre-match report gave me the solace that I could go back to my usual shape and hopefully return to winning ways, but I was infuriated/confused by a stupid question in the media that then alerted me to the fact that Samp were coming in fresh from a 6-0 triumph and would not roll over easily. On the bench, I decided to give Federico Musto a chance following his performances in the U20 squad as well as the fact that there could potentially be a revolt if my own manager promises are not met. Aside from that, my line-up was normal and quite strong - bar a debut for Adessa, in for the injured Naumov. The game itself was poor - devoid of a lot of quality and it was a pretty horrendous mistake from Valenti that led to their goal - where he just decided to not jump and contest a cross, allowing a free header for their forward Colombo, hardly a giant. Sampdoria offered nothing else aside from one frantic moment, adjudged to be around 0.8xG, where they hit the post twice in the same move from within four yards of the (open) goal. A poor loss and, given the competitive nature of the fight for seventh, we have lost ground to both teams around us. --- Serie A: Roma vs Sassuolo. The pre-match report confirmed my worst fears: Roma are flying in the league, haven't conceded in two and are unbeaten at the Olimpico this season as well as having an abundance of talent that will absolutely make it tough for us to not record three successive losses. The line up was pretty standard with just De Sciglio coming in for the injured Cacace. A really tough tie and one that we did well to get anything from. A lot of pretty resolute defending but an important clean sheet, given the fact that, before this game, we'd gone five games without being able to do that, and a good point against a strong team with Tammy Abraham, who was absolutely unplayable for most of the game - yet couldn't find the back of the net. Very happy to escape with the point. --- Serie A: Bologna vs Sassuolo. Goalscorers: Esequiel Barco, Andrea Pinamonti. I was greeted by a familiar face in the pre-match report but hoped that Simeone wouldn't come back to haunt me. Neither of us came into the tie in particularly great form and I was wary of Bologna's speed out of the traps but also interested in the fact that they lost in twelve of the thirteen matches where they've conceded first. I decided to ensure that we got through the first fifteen unscathed by becoming very cautious with the tactical decisions: lowering the tempo, reducing the attacking need of some of the roles and actually wasting a bit of time. I also thought that, with the less than great form we're in, that it'd give us chance to get into the game a little more. Esequiel Barco capitalised on an error just after that magical fifteen minute mark to give us the lead but we were quickly, and annoyingly pegged back as we sometimes just seem completely incapable of defending properly. I don't know whether this is an issue with the players or still they aren't used to my tactical style, or, in fact, that my tactical style is leaving us susceptible. This time, a long ball from their defensive midfielder found its way between the lines of defence and keeper and we just watched as they ran on and scored. The rest of the game went that way - Bologna looking the most likely to score until Pinamonti produced a moment of (ridiculously high xG given the type of ball through and shot it was) magic to slot home the winner. Absolutely undeserved three points but there have been occasions earlier in the season when we didn't get what we deserved, so I will take this and run! --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Empoli. Goalscorers: Andrea Pinamonti x3, Aldo Florenzi. No wins in eight was the key message I took from the pre-match report in a game I really needed to win, in order to end the month on a high. To do that, I opted for the 4-1-4-1/3-2-4-1 shape that I use against two striker shapes and that worked so well against Inter. That message was well delivered with a rampant performance: a Pinamonti thunderbolt and a Florenzi finish after we scythed through their defence were the highlights for me. A top way to end the month with Andrea moving to seven in his last ten. It's like a new signing for us. --- In really big club news, Fabien Debecq, ex RSC Charleroi chairman has thrown his hat into the ring to take over the club. Looking back, he has a track record of giving managers time and has seemingly backed them quite well as Charleroi finished second in the Belgian top flight last year. Exciting news for the club - even more so that he's not made his millions through politics, oil or being a front for a gambling company. --- An up and down month but we're still exactly where I want us to be. Napoli have two games in hand at Atalanta, one, but we have points on the board. Chasing Lazio is an improbable task for us as I am still just seeking a top half finish this season, with twelve to go. Next month sees a trio of fixtures we should win and then a game against Juve where I just need to stop Vlahovic scoring! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfds89 Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 I've been a silent reader, but I love this series. Good luck for the remainder of the season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 Still well within striking distance of top 6 Ben. Good going especially after a tough start to the month. Done well to turn it on it’s head Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtheslop Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 On 12/03/2023 at 09:48, _Ben_ said: We are still in debt, despite the previous sale and these moves as well as agreeing new deals of the same length but cheaper wage and bonus outlays (Berardi: €80k p/w to €62k, Trossard: €64k to €50k and Martinez Quarta: €52k to €35.5k) Out of interest was this something you asked the DoF with specific wage parameters or was this manually done? Would you consider a move at the end of the season if a job at one of the bigger teams came up, it strikes me as very on brand in Italy to spend shorter amounts of time at clubs so could really fit the narrative. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 14, 2023 Author Share Posted March 14, 2023 21 hours ago, lfds89 said: I've been a silent reader, but I love this series. Good luck for the remainder of the season! Thank you, so much! 15 hours ago, SixPointer said: Still well within striking distance of top 6 Ben. Good going especially after a tough start to the month. Done well to turn it on it’s head I think, and probably want, to 6 to be a step too far, you know? I want the slow build as we, hopefully, create something special! 4 hours ago, mtheslop said: Out of interest was this something you asked the DoF with specific wage parameters or was this manually done? Would you consider a move at the end of the season if a job at one of the bigger teams came up, it strikes me as very on brand in Italy to spend shorter amounts of time at clubs so could really fit the narrative. Sadly you can’t (or, at least, I can’t) get that in internal contract negotiations so this time was manually done. I’d probably move to a select team - Fiorentina, Roma or Inter probably. However, I’m really invested in this project at Sassuolo and would love to buck the trend of short tenures and trigger happy owners! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 16, 2023 Author Share Posted March 16, 2023 March 2029 The new man is in place and the new board staff start to take place and another loan added to the club's statements. With that, I feel it's an appropriate time to begin righting some wrongs at boardroom level. They want U20 for the future and U23 for the first team. Whilst I've said - many times - that our financial picture does not really allow us to be able to afford, at least not Italian and South American, youngsters that are first team ready, I feel that I have not explored the first option. With the way I have built my skin, signing a player is hard enough as it is as I simply don't have a full understanding of all of their attributes, but it's one that feels really realistic to me. What I long for is a way to extrapolate large amounts of data from the youth competitions, but, being as SI haven't made that possible yet, I've had to do it the slightly longer way. To make matters worse, it doesn't collate data such as minutes played but I have managed to go through all the U20 sides in the Primavera, print screen the data and collate it into a list of 377 players, who have started more than five games at this level - again, as I can't use my normal minutes played filter. The idea is that, whilst we don't have the best academy (although it is still incredible for a town of our size) and we don't have the squad depth that the bigger teams have, I may be able to pick up a bargain who can make the step up, who wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity. These players are unlikely to get any/much first team football so then would be missing out of my normal recruitment focus. Initial reports for Bua, Casali and Inacio (full profiles are clickable on the new little thumbnails I've been skinning) suggests that this could be a particularly fruitful venture. However, I am fully aware that the AI are not blind and, if they have a talent, will play them and, therefore, the likelihood of being the only team in for a player who their current club have also given up on, feels relatively unlikely. --- Serie A: SPAL vs Sassuolo. Drab. Drab. Drab Pre-match gave me a few ideas to try and pull their midfield out and build centrally but then I forgot to amend them initially in my line up, doing it after a few minutes - Mez(a) to CM(a) and focus play through the centre. It led to the most boring half of football I've ever seen. Things didn't get much better. Very much two points dropped. Just as we start to iron things out, we show that we aren't quite consistent enough to be any higher in the league than we currently are. I get it, but it's still annoying! --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Juventus. Pre-match I was reminded of the vastness of the Juventus wealth but we lined up in our usual fashion, hoping that the underdog could spring a surprise. Yet this performance feels very different to the one just a week prior. We were resolute, stuck intently to our game plan and made it very tough for the Turin side. Our OPPDA, at nearly double Juve's, shows that we let them have the ball, but much of that 61% was in their own half, between their defensive players and double pivot, unable to break our press and create spaces. Dusan, Endrick and Calvert-Lewin (feels like there is very much the odd one out in that trio) barely had a sniff as Martinez Quarta and Valenti reigned supreme in the air and with a host of important interceptions. To have faced the top side in the league twice and only conceded once is a real feat. Yes, we have only won twice against top half teams this season but my short term goals were to consolidate and that does not mean winning these types of games. That comes way, way further down the line. --- Serie A: Hellas Verona vs Sassuolo. Adama Traore and the better (not best - Dad, Diego, takes that crown) Simeone brother faced us in a strong Verona lineup, really underperforming but, probably, safe from the threat of the drop. Traore, and all his pace, would need watching, so my line up reflected that, keeping Pierozzi wider. Portanova's player instructions forced him to sit a little deeper and mark their marauding wing back but I wanted to take advantage of that, too, focussing play down that side and distributing to the creative Portanova, who could make a lot happen if we could catch Gallo upfield. Cacace's international duty meant that youngster Francesco Mari earned a place on the bench, but, given the pacey winger on that side, I didn't want to start him. Within ten minutes, we were behind as we just didn't defend a corner properly, much to my annoyance. It didn't get much better: we looked leggy, second best and unable to cope, with Simeone doubling their lead in the second half after Traore was not able to be caught on the break. A personnel change wasn't going to cut it, so I moved to the 4-2-2-2 double pivot and was rewarded with a penalty, which Barco converted. In the end, it wasn't enough. Yet again - I have to look at influential players: Berardi, Pinamonti and Gedson - all missing when we needed them the most. That is now three games in a row where we have created less than 1.0 Non-Pen xG and that worries me. In haste, I arranged a friendly cup against some Serie D sides, won the semi final and final and eased some initial worries! --- A total of 29(!!!) players entered my academy this season - something that I've seen before when moving country; it feels like it's a balance thing but will return back to normal next year - and I was able to whittle that down to 16, as seen in the screenshot clickable on the above thumbnail. This is a larger number than I'd normally work with but I want to ensure that we have enough players at the club to fulfil youth fixture requirements and squad rotation. Plus, I have a really strong top end to work with: All of the above thumbnails can be clicked on to open a full profile. Mattia Legati appears to be the star of this show but I'm a little unsure of just what to make of him. Relatively tall but doesn't really possess the positioning to be a true centre back but also doesn't really have the required on-the-ball ability to play any further forward. In the short term, I'm going to look at developing im as a pretty standard DM, with special focus on his Defensive Positioning and also his weaker foot. Sunday (one of, I think, far too many Nigerian descendants in FM with days of the week names) looks like a little tenacious defensive midfielder but lacks the size and stature to really run the midfield. I'll look at turning him into a ball winner as his ball playing ability is somewhat lacking, too. Colonna, on the other hand, has the ball playing ability but I will need to work on his actual Ball Control - but his traits make him an exciting prospect in my midfield if I can increase his physicality to create that hybrid 8/10 I like in the middle: I'll use the BWM schedule to do that. Bartolucci is nicely rounded and I can build a base for an IWB from his skill set whereas Messina is a bit of a character who I'll have to manage. I want to get him making better Decisions, so will go for a NCB(d) schedule as it focuses on the least amount of attributes. Segura feels like a nice little project and is really well rounded to be that wide creative midfielder I want - although I'd like a yard more pace from him. The WP(s) schedule with a Quickness focus should help that. All in all, I have got a really nice bunch of players to work with here. Just how I monitor their progress remains to be seen. I have previously used notes and shown their actual attribute growth but I think that using the circles on their profile may be a better way of demonstrating progress in areas, although it is, given the removal of exact figures, a slower process. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Cagliari. Goalscorers: Andrea Pinamonti, Andrea Belotti. Pre-match, I was focused on getting my strikers scoring again but went into it without chief creator Berardi, as seen by the line up. The game was fairly comfortable as we came out the other side of the mini-slump with relative ease. Happy to see the two strikers scoring, too. --- I am delighted with our standing right now but I am aware that Napoli now have three games in hand and Atalanta two, meaning our poor run could come back to haunt us next month, given the difficulty of our fixtures, too. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Funny old month - awful result against Verona, followed by a fantastic result against Juventus. Interesting to see Trossard in the centre of midfield against Cagliari - I can see how this follows the mold of having Berardi there; in the style of a FM press conference question: "Is this something we're likely to see more often?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 20, 2023 Author Share Posted March 20, 2023 On 16/03/2023 at 23:44, GIMN said: Funny old month - awful result against Verona, followed by a fantastic result against Juventus. Interesting to see Trossard in the centre of midfield against Cagliari - I can see how this follows the mold of having Berardi there; in the style of a FM press conference question: "Is this something we're likely to see more often?" It’s hit and miss but I think the inconsistencies are expected with a middling level club in a huge transitional period. Yes - they asked that and then asked whether he’s now ‘more important’ playing centrally, to which I actually laughed at. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 20, 2023 Author Share Posted March 20, 2023 (edited) As I finish writing up this month, I must say that this season - and this page in the thread - has probably been my favourite in all FMs I have ever played. I'm really loving the game and the methods as well as the skin I'm creating to help share my story with you all! Thanks for all the kind words and questions on my posts. Edited March 20, 2023 by _Ben_ 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 20, 2023 Author Share Posted March 20, 2023 April 2029 Serie A: Lazio vs Sassuolo. Pre-match I was able to see a 4-4-2 shape and a team that, despite being above us in the league, are probably pretty close to even in terms of ability; as such, I set about use of the 4-1-4-1/3-2-4-1 shape for our line up. I've been reading a lot of stuff, as always, and this Twitter thread of Kompany's Burnley really made me think about the way that I use my wing backs. I tend to solely preempt based on their starting shape rather than react based on the roles I see and also based on phases of play. I want to spend a bit more time over the coming games and months, looking to identify triggers in which might warrant a change in build up shape. The game was even and quite high quality. Sadly, a lapse in concentration in injury time saw Lovato nod in from a corner, consigning us to a defeat that we probably did not deserve although probably brought on ourselves given how we almost invited the pressure in the last ten minutes. --- Serie A: Atalanta vs Sassuolo Tedesco's Atalanta, despite sitting below us, are our bogey team and that was further reaffirmed from the re-built pre-match panel, which shows our hideous record against them. I've used that third panel to showcase where I think we can get ahead: they are possession heavy and keep the ball in the middle of the park with a lot of sideways passes and a really lonely forward in either Camello or Zapata. Therefore, using the shape that we did against Lazio, that builds up in a 3-4-2-1 will leave two extra defenders but would also allow us to get on the ball where they are not going to press due to numbers. I was hoping that it would disrupt their midfielders, bringing the players forward to press and allowing us to play through it and counter. Even thirty odd games into my tenure, each game is still a learning opportunity. This time, we tactically were wrong. I watched our transitions and we were just too deep and too reluctant to throw players forward, probably in lieu of the fact that Atalanta's rest defence was strong and they quickly retreated back into possession. It's interesting to see that our shape, building up down the right - with the inclusion of Torres at right back, was almost mirrored by Atalanta's play down their left - when, surely, the opportunity to counter the highly aggressive Pierozzi (#2) would have put them through against our three man backline. We were poor overall and didn't deserve the victory, creating a smattering of poor quality chances. Our defensive style was fine - we were solid but pretty much all but three or four of their attacks but didn't create enough going forward and, in particular, Barco and Moder were poor - although I did see some nice opportunities where the Pole dropped between the lines as we tried to play through their press. Lots of things to take and work on from this. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Torino. An interesting pre-match report giving me some quite interesting detail, actually making this a must win for us. Baraja is cautious in his style so I'm going to have to look at opportunities to draw them out but they also play long and progressive passes, particularly from their full backs, although often recycle the ball across their backline. The keeper looks to be a primary source for possession losses, and doesn't appear to complete many passes from goal kicks. They won last time out but aren't on the best run of form and have conceded first in twenty five of their thirty two league games to date, losing nineteen of them. They also appear to be quite thin on the ground. I started the game with the 4-1-4-1 Inverted Wing Back shape but, before a ball was kicked, moved to a super-aggressive style that almost created an old school W-M shape, knowing that the first goal was absolutely key for us. It came on the 22nd minute after our pressure had told, with Portanova nodding in for his six goal contribution for the club. Tactical parity was soon restored as we returned to our normal shape, knowing that Torino would also now have to be far less risk averse. Pinamonti doubled our lead on the hour mark after a lovely through ball from Valenti. Cortes halved the deficit in the ninetieth minute with a high xG tap in for what was their only shot on target, but, for me, a win is a win and that is what mattered here. It also puts us back in the driver's seat... --- Serie A: Milan vs Sassuolo The pre-match focus for me was looking at how they played against Atalanta, given that we'd recently faced them, too. It appears that took a lot of low quality shots, possibly linked to a higher amount of risk and that Tata Martino's style meant that they tired somewhat in the second half. I also decided to utilise the same approach as in the last game and ask Federico Torres to man mark Sandro Tonali, as seen in our line up. Whilst this looks like a reverse-FM'ing, there was method in my madness and, whilst FM clearly does not give out good ratings for low possession players, I think the defence was superb. We allowed just seven shots on target and their goal accounted for 0.21 of their total xG - more restriction to low quality chances. But because Milan's pass map shows nearly eight-hundred passes and Martinez Quarta only completed 31 (and with a 91% completion rate plus no tackles - great positional work, an interception, a key header and no mistakes), he gets a poor rating! Offensively, we didn't offer much, but, with Torres often being the furthest man forward chasing Tonali (1 foul, 2 interceptions and 1 key tackle), we were not really going to! Our sole shot on target, 68% of our total xG, came right at the death thanks to Franco Tongya, on for the injured Portanova earlier in the game. For AC Milan, it's two points dropped but these are the kind of results that I need to learn from and build on. I'm delighted with a point but, in most other occasions, we'd not be grabbing a late goal like that so need to balance attacking flair with defensive structure to fully complete this little jigsaw! --- With Sebastiano Della Torre and Giuseppe Brighi out on loan in Serie B and vying for a return to the first team next year, I wanted to share another new panel and the next generation of Sassuolo talents, all of whom are searching for a loan and exposure to mens football soon... 18-year old Francesco Mari has been training to become an Inverted Wingback on the left but then also someone who can fill in as the deeper of the two midfielders if we decide to play with the offset full backs as he doesn't have enough going forward to be a Mezzala. He's seen some growth in his individual focus and is doing nicely - although still only considered good enough for Serie C. Agazzi is a promising goalscorer who has done really well at U18 level and has earned his move up to the U20 squad. I'm currently working on is quickness as that'll hold him back most in the style that we play in, but I am also aware of the deficiencies with his Decisions and Dribbling, which need working on. However, at just seventeen, he's progressing nicely. Maset and Mari could, if all goes to plan, become the two inverted wing backs for us in the future. At just 16, he's raw and young - again, good enough for Serie C right now, but making good progress. I'm also working on his Defensive Positioning, as is normal when converting midfielders, but am impressed with his on the ball ability. Ideally, he'll become a bit more physical as he grows and I can then also develop his Dribbling ability. --- Serie A: Sassuolo vs Genoa. The pre-match report told the tale of a team on the up but a team who were quite leaky at the back, therefore, to counter threats - I went with the offset 4-1-4-1, moving Berardi out wide to replace the injured Portanova and moving Moder to a more advanced role. It was a strong performance, but we left it late to snatch the win with two goals from substitutes. We were almost a little complacent and reticent at times in front of goal, squandering a number of chances but did enough to restrict Genoa to only a couple of half chances. --- In the last of the new screens in this months update (that is pre-match, post-match, player development and player metric comparison re-created!), I wanted to share three players who have been absolutely vital to our successes this season... These metrics are not as absolute as they used to be on Excel and they are also not live but a) it will save me literally hours each transfer window and b) I can still see that Berardi is performing amazingly well against other midfielders in the top European leagues with over 2000 minutes (that is the solid metric comparator so I won't reference it every time). He's progressing the ball through dribbles and passes and is creating loads of chances for others. At 34, he's not going to be around forever and has just made his five hundred and fiftieth appearance for the club. I've already mentioned it but getting Pinamonti back from injury in January was like a new signing. He's been absolutely excellent at leading the line although has been prone to some absolute shockers, like most forwards. It's imperative that I do everything I can to keep him here until he retires because, given a whole season next time out, could be the striker that scores us 20+ goals. Liberato had performed absolutely fantastically in the wing back/full back/deep winger hybrid roles and has been integral in our play both defensively and offensively. Again, he's been prone to a lack of consistency at times and that has hampered his overall rating but I feel he's unfairly penalised for not having the ball as he defensive and progressive statistics show when compared to top level European defenders. --- Three left and we're in the driving seat for Europe now but our run in is treacherous and we could quite easily lose it all from here on in. Lecce are in a great bit of form and Milovanovic is a top striker, whilst Napoli are hugely underachieving and Fiorentina are hoping to tie up a Champions League spot. May is going to be a fun one! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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