[FM23] Age of Empires

[danielgear]

4 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

• Guido Otero - $10.5m to Aston Villa
• Daniel Sosa - $2.2m to Benfica
• Sebastian Silva - $2.8m to Roma
• Fabian Villa - £9m to Sporting

That’s some good and realistic business, do you think you will play enough seasons to potentially see the rewards from the sell on % 

[_Ben_]

17 hours ago, danielgear said:

That’s some good and realistic business, do you think you will play enough seasons to potentially see the rewards from the sell on % 

Maybe! If I can maintain a more sensible word count in my updates, I think I can get another two or three seasons in here. These loanees are here for this plus another one, so it'll be interesting what comes next for them!

[_Ben_]

October 2034

   

Just one of those periods of time - little to no gameplay so a less detailed update to share. Our unbeaten record was ended against Velez but nine points is strong as we continue to cement our place atop the league table. Lots has gone on behind the scenes with player development when I've had a spare five minutes to reset schedules, track progress and praise, or criticise, their performances.

Whilst I am delighted at our performances, the graphic below shows my concerns at this, longer term. Looking at total goals scored, split per player, you can see how heavily we've relied on one scorer - Villa - significantly more than any of the other top teams have. With my more recent recruitment - particularly Radaelli and Francinaldo really not working out, I will, surely, need to consider before the end of next season when Villa departs at the end of his loan back.

Three November games - including a hugely important visit to River, which may play a part in the title for us.

[SixPointer]

Shame to see the unbeaten record go Ben. Especially with Racing club and River up next!

[_Ben_]

On 10/09/2023 at 06:04, SixPointer said:

Shame to see the unbeaten record go Ben. Especially with Racing club and River up next!

I know! We've kind of ran out of steam a little. The biggest learning curve from this season must be around the need for experienced heads. My 'peak' signings - those attempted bargains who I wanted to bring back from elsewhere - simply haven't had the impact I wanted so there needs to be a concerted effort to bring through the older heads who can support this young, exciting side.

Edited September 12, 2023 by _Ben_

[_Ben_]

November 2034

Entering November saw the traditional run-in comparison for the four sides that could win the league: us and the traditional Big Three of Argentina. However, the month itself wasn't good....

    

Full match reports can be found by clicking on the thumbnails.

For me, this disappointment shows me how far I've come. In a period of real-life time that I'm quite busy and with the release of an updated skin, I've been clicking through quite haphazardly, without having the time or attention span to really delve deep into what we are doing both on and off the pitch. Player have missed important chats with me, I've failed to discuss training with a lot of my players and the tactical approach has become significantly more vanilla than it had been. These are promising signs. We're as close to an AI side as we can be right now because of this lethargy, which means that we are doing well - certainly better than the lower half position that the majority of this squad achieved last year. However, this lack of depth has come at a cost. The league table, below, (full league table here) shows that we're getting quite close to actually bottling this. 

I don't think we will. I certainly hope that we won't. But the fear is real. One win in five isn't good enough when the juggernauts of River, Velez and Boca are hot on your heels. With the three fixtures we have left, we should have enough. If I can put my all into those and secure six or more points, I think we'll be fine. I'll cross my fingers, hope for a break in the weather to get back into playing this and take a run at winning Independiente's first league title in forty-five years.

Edited September 20, 2023 by _Ben_

[lfds89]

Can't see the images @_Ben_, 1st and last 2 of them even when clicked show only an error.

[Vakama2619]

Yup, also having this problem

[_Ben_]

9 hours ago, lfds89 said:

Can't see the images @_Ben_, 1st and last 2 of them even when clicked show only an error.

6 hours ago, Vakama2619 said:

Yup, also having this problem

Not sure what happened, if I'm honest! Updated the images now...

[Vakama2619]

On 09/09/2023 at 04:02, _Ben_ said:

Got this one in the post before as well

[_Ben_]

December 2034

CHAMPIONS!!!

  

 Absence certainly does make the heart grow fonder. In what has been a very busy few weeks for me, I've been able to sit and reflect on a season that has met my expectations and then completely blown them out of the water. A slip up at Platense, where, as with November, I was on auto-pilot as much as my squad before that laser focused approach returned against San Lorenzo in the big derby that, other results going our way, could've seen us crowned as champions. My pressing traps alienated their wide playmaker - a Grealish (at Villa, of course but there is no bias there) styled player and Andrade ran riot after I allowed him to take the penalty he'd won. Away at Instituto, I, again, went full-Bielsa, watching a lot more games in the run up and then watching pretty much the whole match as I ensured we took charge and secured the title.

With a 75% win percentage, we've blown teams out away and have created a style of football that will hopefully allow the good times to continue. In the end, we only won the league by two points (see full table) and could've put ourselves in real danger of losing it with such a bad November but lessons have been learnt that will carry over into next term.

The best thing for me is to have sat back and watched us: how we play through presses, how those presses change as the game and the season goes on, how we set our own pressing traps and against who. We are still somewhat situation, which is what I want, but that is evolving more and more within the same overarching principles and, eventually, could become so fluid that we are even able to encompass different shapes entirely - such as a back three.

In looking at the now-big three (full team stats can be found here), you'll see how we don't necessarily feel like a big team yet: obviously, we've built around a strong defence and a strong attack but we don't win the ball back too much, we're not actually that good at keeping it and our conversion rates, similarly to those around us, are - quite frankly - poor. We still need to get better in that way but, as one of only two teams to have conceded less than expected (Racing conceded 21 more goals (57 GA to 35.74xGA)) - the foundations are certainly there. We dribble the most though and, somewhat surprisingly, have the best cross completion rate - which, if you can just about relate the art of a cross to a direct ball into the box after a dribble, is a good thing.

Our overall metrics are looking pretty good and these will form part of the ability to track, season by season, our outputs - along with other metrics - before trying to identify the roots of these causes, the players:

Very much the Villa x Vega show!

However, this has very much been a team effort across the forty-four matches this season, which, in itself, is a precursor for the added games of Libertadores action next year. Of all the new signings - and, maybe the elephant in the room here - only Andrade has really impressed with Alan bedding in somewhat quietly in second place. We were short a second scorer, with Vega just about getting into double figures and nothing - significant anyway - from either wide man, although, per/90, they've all done ok. When looking at the full squad stats, you'll be able to see why we won the league - everyone has chipped in and played well. It was, during those dark November days, when I feared for our title charge, that I turned to players who were training well and those who were reacting well to me and, in turn, they helped to pull us over the line. It's something I do need to react to next year if I want to maintain, let alone build.

The biggest win for me, in terms of squad management, was the minutes afforded to my youngest stars, as seen below:

Some incredibly performances from the likes of Calderon - six goal contributions at a little more than one every 120 minutes is fantastic for a boy of just seventeen whilst Paz's languid style on the wing has given me all kinds of ideas for the future. These players will be afforded even more minutes next year - whether at this club or another on loan - and form a big part of the future here.

What a rollercoaster. It feels like, given my playtime, that this could be the last full season I get done before the FM24 beta but I'll stick it out....

[lfds89]

Congratulations! 

[uroszila]

23 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

What a rollercoaster. It feels like, given my playtime, that this could be the last full season I get done before the FM24 beta but I'll stick it out....

Congrats on winning the league. I think this could be a very nice end of this save... or did you maybe consider to continue on FM24?

You have my full admiration on how deep you went with the tactics and team building principles. And I will certainly follow you in the future as well. Do you already have something in mind for FM24?

[_Ben_]

On 27/09/2023 at 18:28, uroszila said:

You have my full admiration on how deep you went with the tactics and team building principles. And I will certainly follow you in the future as well

Thank you. I have loved building things tactically and understanding the game - and, as such, real life football - even more than ever before. I've just loaded up the game and gone into the pre-season with a thought about our out-of-possession shape against 4-3-3 shapes - with the kind of clarity and want to investigate that I've just never had before. I've come out with this:

I've been able to create a 4-box shape (with the striker, Villa, coming back in to sit alongside the MCR whilst the DM and MCL shift to the base of the pivot) to nullify any balls into the two advanced midfielders and their striker, with us still being 2v1 against their wingers. Combine that with pressing triggers that mean we just ignore their defenders on the ball but, when we engage, forcing them onto their left so passing avenues are only really available to where their less able winger is. Combine this with moving back into the mid/low block, we've become practically impassable. 

On 27/09/2023 at 18:28, uroszila said:

Do you already have something in mind for FM24?

I do have something in mind, yes! I feel that my best work/most enjoyment comes from outside of the big 5 leagues but in places whereby I am able to develop youngsters. I'm thinking of something Scandinavian but maybe not starting quite as low as I did this time with Menemenspor, given that my move to Italy, with Sassuolo, was relatively early into the game.

On 27/09/2023 at 18:28, uroszila said:

I think this could be a very nice end of this save... or did you maybe consider to continue on FM24?

With eleven days between this post and my reply, I feel you may be right. I'll have a little play today and think of how I can summarise my learning across FM23 and this save!

[keeper#1]

4 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

Thank you. I have loved building things tactically and understanding the game - and, as such, real life football - even more than ever before.

While working as a field hockey umpire this fall, I've been watching those matches from a tactical aspect (as well as watching for rules violations of course).  Field hockey is a very fluid sport in terms of positional play and lot of the field hockey concepts can be transferred over to soccer/football.  

I went to field hockey match today, as a fan, and sat behind the goal.  Had a great view of how the passes link up and transition from defense to midfield to attack and how to counter those transition.  The one team left the wide players alone on the sidelines (didn't man mark them) but they cutoff the passing lines to those wide players and forcing the play into the middle where they had the numerical advantage.  The only times the opposition had the ball out wide was when they had the back to the field (facing the sideline) and then the defense trapped them.  Opposition couldn't break through this press unless they used a high aerial ball to play over the press or until they pulled the goaltender and could overload the middle themselves.  Really fun to watch and see some concepts that I could potentially use in FM23/24.

[_Ben_]

January 2035

I feel that this is a good time to say farewell for Alex and to FM23.

  

What a journey this has been!

I feel that, as has happened in the past, the save has fizzled out a little as my playing time has waned and as my attentions have turned further afield. However, what I've achieved - on and off the pitch - and the players that I have worked with and developed have brought me immense joy and hopefully pleasure for all of the people who have subscribed, liked or even just read my content. I have just as ambitious plans for FM24 but, for now, in a way that has not been consistent through this thread - a short amount of words - I must bid this adventure farewell!

From a lowly start at Menemenspor, to initial player development at Gencler, to the miracle of Trabzon (involving Gencler), to a Turkish title, to a transitional period, to a dynastical period, to a happy ending. I have loved this.

[keeper#1]

Excellent journey and read as always!  Can't for FM24's journey.

[Deisler26]

Amazing career and thread. Loved reading this. Can't wait for FM24

[Shrewnaldo]

I've really enjoyed reading this @_Ben_, albeit often lurking in the background. Always an entertaining read and so often informative and inspiring things I take to my own save. Looking forward to what you have planned for FM24 

[Lestri]

Been a fantastic read and have learnt a lot. Looking forward to how you go with FM24

[john1]

What a fantastic career and an epic write-up @_Ben_