Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 (edited) Wednesday 1st December 2032 Episode 129 - Eliteserien Runners-up "Youth Intake - Update" -- -- Why does it always say, "Excellent Intake" yet looks nothing like an excellent intake? Edited June 4 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 Wednesday 1st December 2032 Episode 129 - Eliteserien Runners-up "Månedens Awards" -- Månedens Trener -- Månedens Spiller Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 Wednesday 1st December 2032 Episode 129 - Eliteserien Runners-up "Monthly Review" -- Results -- Board Confidence -- Supporter Confidence -- Finances -- Dynamics Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 (edited) Monday 1st December 2032 Until Next Time... ... when we only have two matches, starting with... ... Cupen Final against Molde, and... ... we host Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League. -- December's Fixtures -- Thoughts, comments, general feedback appreciated. Any questions, just ask and I'll answer them if I can. Thank you for reading and following... and I greatly appreciate the comments as that's what genuinely keeps me motivated to continue updating about this save. Until next time... Edited June 4 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BML Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Shame to miss out on the title, despite meeting the board and fans expectations of a 'title challenge'. This season has shown your team belongs in the Champions League so hopefully the qualifiers won't be too hard for you. If you wanted to look for a silver lining, from a nation building point of view, having two teams in the CL League Phase (assuming you qualify) could do wonders for the coefficient. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 16 hours ago, Hootieleece said: That few dropped points in the middle of the season came back to haunt you. Overall, a good season especially with getting Champion's League Playoffs. If you get knocked out quickly you may end up in the Europa League and have a real chance of winning it! Yeah, they did, @Hootieleece. We only lost two matches all season (0-1 Brann away, 1-2 Lillestrøm away), same as Molde, but those nine draws really cost us (even though it was only two draws more than Molde). We drew both our games with Molde, 2-2 away and 0-0 at home. And that, really, was the story of our season, we were unable to win against the top teams. Two home victories (4-0 against Brann and 2-1 against Strømsgodset) were our only successes against the top six teams, all the other matches we drew, apart from the disappointing 0-1 reverse at Brann. Regarding Europe, yes 2nd place puts us in the UEFA Champions League League Path Third Qualifying Round. 20 minutes ago, BML said: Shame to miss out on the title, despite meeting the board and fans expectations of a 'title challenge'. This season has shown your team belongs in the Champions League so hopefully the qualifiers won't be too hard for you. If you wanted to look for a silver lining, from a nation building point of view, having two teams in the CL League Phase (assuming you qualify) could do wonders for the coefficient. It was a shame, @BML and, having led Eliteserien for such a long time, it's very disappointing to have missed out. Molde were just relentless though, they won their last eight Eliteserien matches on the spin. To make the Champions League League Phase it looks like there's two ties for us, we qualify for the Third Qualifying Round and then, I think, there's a Playoff after that. Any silver lining would do so fingers crossed on the co-efficient, we have nine points with three to play (H v Shakhtar Donetsk, A v Barcelona, H v Nice). In every season of this save teams have qualified for the Playoffs with nine, sometimes eight points... so one more point should do it, but we'll see... And Norgesmesterskapet i fotball (Cupen) Final could yet prove to be our silver lining. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 Saturday 4th December 2032 Eliteserien / OBOS-ligaen Playoff Final -- -- Eliteserien League Table -- OBOS-ligaen League Table -- -- There was controversy in the 9th minute when the referee awarded Kristiansund a penalty, only for VAR to send the referee to the monitor and, after reviewing the incident, the referee changed his mind. No penalty. -- Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 Preview -- -- The Norgesmesterskapet i fotball (Cupen) is something special, there's no doubt about it, and in my time here at Viking we reached Cupen Final in my first two seasons, winning it in 2028 and losing on penalties in 2029. Having experienced both the highs and lows of a Cupen Final we don't want to feel the lows again. We are desperate to win Cupen for ourselves, and for our amazing de mørkeblå supporters, but we know it won't be easy against Eliteserien champions Molde. It's not often that the Eliteserien top two face off in Norgesmesterskapet i fotball (Cupen) but, this season, it's the top two going head-to-head in the Final. Both Eliteserien fixtures were draws - 2-2 at Aker Stadion and 0-0 at our SR-Bank Arena. Molde were relentless in the run-in, winning all of their final eight Eliteserien matches of the season and, you could argue, nine if you include their Semi Final win over Tromsø. So it's going to be incredibly difficult, but we have a very good squad of players here, they are hurting after losing the Eliteserien Title to Molde, and we're confident we can get the result we need to lift Cupen Trophy at the end of the match. Where possible, I'm going to pick the form players as a reward for their efforts this season but, in some areas of the pitch, it's a no-brainer who plays there. We are close to a clean bill of health, with only David Møller Wolfe missing out as he's still not fully fit after an issue with his ankle ligaments. -- Expected Line-up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 (edited) Sunday 5th December 2032 Viking (Tier 1) v Molde (Tier 1) Norgesmesterskapet i fotball (Cupen) Final -- Viking - Team Selection -- I wanted to reward players for their efforts this season so, where possible, I've gone for the form players. -- I've had a word with my captain, Patrick Berg, as I want my captain and leader out there on the Ullevaal Stadion pitch, but he hasn't been at his best in recent matches. -- My biggest dilemma was who to pair at centre-back as none of them have been in great recent form. In the end, I opted for Aleksaber Liland and Rafael Mota but I did have a word with both of them. - -- I did feel bad leaving Stefan Leković out and on the bench, but he hasn't been quite the same since returning recently from a twisted ankle. -- Edited June 4 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 (edited) Sunday 5th December 2032 Viking (Tier 1) v Molde (Tier 1) Norgesmesterskapet i fotball (Cupen) Final -- -- -- We knew it was going to be a difficult Cupen Final against Molde and we knew we were up against it early on. Our captain, Patrick Berg picked up an early booking and he then had to play within himself because it's a long 83 minutes, plus possible extra-time, to avoid a second yellow card. Molde started brightly and Jesper Robertsen cleared off our line on 11 minutes. Yeah, we took the lead on 16 minutes through Lasse Nordås and, although Molde looked dangerous, we were defending well and confident of keeping them out. We asked the wing-backs to support as full-backs as we thought that would make us more defensively solid. We defended well and kept our 1-0 lead into the break. At half-time, conscious of our last Cupen Final when we had two players sent-off, we reluctantly substituted our captain Patrick Berg as he was on a yellow card. We started the second half well, kept our shape and defended resolutely, and... ... we were furious on 51 minutes. Rafael Mota made a great tackle in our penalty area, Ingólfur Birnir Olgeirsson went down, the referee awarded a penalty and booked Rafael, but we were adamant it wasn't a penalty, even the TV2 Norge Sport 1 commentator said Olgeirsson had dived, but VAR said penalty, and Molde equalised. So we substituted Rafael Mota as he was on a yellow card and asked our full-backs to support as wing-backs again. The match was a bit end-to-end after that but Jasper Torkildsen made some fine saves to keep us in it. At the other end we created some good chances, but couldn't get our headers and shots on target. Lasse Nordås, Henrik Skogvold, Oscar Bobb and Anders Hartveit Ryste all had great chances but missed the target. And so it went to extra-time. The game continued end-to-end, we had chances, Molde had chances, but Molde took the lead 12 minutes into extra-time. We sent more players forward then, went more direct, and really took the match to Molde. I thought we were going to score and make it 2-2, we came oh so close a few times, but then Molde hit us on the counter-attack, took a 3-1 lead on 108 minutes and, whilst we continued to push, that was effectively game over. I'm devastated. The players are devastated. The players have worked so hard this season, played some really good football, and to end the season with nothing to show for it is heart-breaking. -- Edited June 4 by Stuniverse 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Preview -- -- We're expecting a very difficult game against Shakhtar Donetsk as all matches in the UEFA Champions League are but, with Barcelona away and Nice at home still to come, we feel this is our best opportunity of getting the points we need to secure a playoff spot. We have no injuries ahead of this match. Mathias Fjørtoft Løvik is looking a bit jaded so we'll start him, but see if we can get David Møller Wolfe some playing time off the bench after his ankle ligament injury. -- Expected Line-up Edited June 6 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Wednesday 8th December 2032 Viking (Norway) v Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) UEFA Champions League -- -- -- That's about as comprehensive a performance and result as you're likely to see. We hardly gave Shakhtar Donetsk a kick and won comfortably. That gives us 12 points now which should be enough to qualify for the Champions League playoffs although we still have two difficult matches - Barcelona away and Nice at home - to try and qualify for the knockout stages automatically. Aleksander Liland hit the bar with a direct free-kick on 16 minutes. Lasse Nordås gave us the lead soon after with a shot that went in off the post. After 27 minutes, Lasse Nordås headed Otto Rosengren's cross against the bar. Just before the half hour mark, we lost Henrik Skogvold with an injury. Edvin Austbø came on as a substitute and doubled our lead before the break. Another sub, Pontus Dahbo, wrapped up our 3-0 win on 78 minutes. -- Edited June 6 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Friday 10th December 2032 Viking - End of Season Review -- [EDIT - Apologies, I missed that the team we played second was hidden in the screenshot above - it was Vålerenga] -- Årets Trener -- Årets Spiller -- Eliteserien Top Goalscorer -- Norgesmesterskapet i fotball (Cupen) Top Goalscorer Edited June 7 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 Friday 10th December 2032 Viking - *** NEW Club Vision *** -- -- All sounds good to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Friday 10th December 2032 Viking - End of Season Team Meeting -- -- -- -- What is it with our Board wanting to give the players just 10 days off? Needless to say, I'll get the players in for medical and fitness tests... and then give them more time off over Christmas and New Year. Edited June 6 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 Friday 10th December 2032 My Managerial Profile -- Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 Friday 10th December 2032 Eliteserien - Last five seasons -- This Season (2032) -- 2031 -- 2030 -- 2029 -- 2028 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Friday 10th December 2032 2032 Season - My Thoughts... -- So we've reached that time again when the current Norwegian season, 2032, has become last season, pre-season for next season hasn't started, yet we're in that transitional period where we're still involved in last season's UEFA Champions League (2032/33). If you'd said to me on my first day in the Viking Job that in my first five seasons we'd win Eliteserien three times on the spin, be runners-up in the other two seasons, and reach three Norgesmesterskapet i fotball (Cupen) Finals... I would've laughed at you... and then snapped your hand off. That said, despite the Viking Board being pleased with our Eliteserien second-place finish and reaching Cupen Final (only to lose 1-3 to Molde in extra-time), I'm far from pleased that we were runners-up after topping Eliteserien for most of the season and that we lost Cupen Final. In Eliteserien, we went the entire season and only lost twice. In 2029 we lost four matches on our way to the Eliteserien title, in 2030 we lost five matches as we won the title again, and last season we lost five games on the way to our third consecutive Eliteserien title. In my first season at Viking, in 2028, we finished second with six losses when Bodø/Glimt pipped us to the title, also losing six games. This season we scored 76 league goals, more than we managed in any of our previous four seasons, and significantly more than anybody else scored in Eliteserien. At the other end, we conceded 23 league goals, considerably less than we conceded in any of my previous four seasons at Viking, and less than anybody else in Eliteserien except Molde, who conceded 22. I honestly believe that this was my best squad of players in my time at Viking and, yet, Molde won Eliteserien because they were even better than us. Molde were relentless in the run-in, winning their last eight Eliteserien matches - nine if you include their Cupen Semi Final victory over Tromsø; ten, if you include their extra-time Cupen Final win over us. It's very frustrating and disappointing... so much so that missing out on the Eliteserien Title and then losing Cupen Final really knocked the stuffing out of me... so much so that I had to take a few days off from this save. Bottom line, we drew too many games and conceded the first goal too often which, given our goal difference of +53, massively superior than anybody else's, the next best being Molde's +37, I simply do not understand. I'm beginning to think that a change of system, away from the 4-4-2 diamond we've used almost exclusively since my arrival at SR-Bank Arena, may be what we need next season. -- Tagged: @Blarney @BML @Carambau @cerud @Dean Gripton @Hootieleece @I have nothing to say @JaytheGreat @Jogo Bonito @phnompenhandy @Paggioram @Punch @samboing @warlock @XaW Note: If you no longer wish to be tagged in posts like this, please let me know by Direct Message and I'll remove you from my tag list for future posts. Likewise if you would like to be tagged, please send me a Direct Message and I'll add you. Thank you. Edited June 6 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Friday 17th December 2032 Bodø/Glimt Sack Tite -- -- -- -- -- Bodø/Glimt's six Eliteserien Titles have all been won in the modern era. -- My agent, Hedda Berg, rang me but I informed her I had no interest in leaving Viking for Bodø/Glimt at this time. -- Edited June 6 by Stuniverse 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 Sunday 19th December 2032 Episode 130 - Lost in Cupen Final "Viking - First Team Squad" -- Appearances -- Reports -- Players Out on Loan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 Sunday 19th December 2032 Episode 130 - Lost in Cupen Final "Viking Confirm Three Future Signings" -- Spoiler -- Spoiler -- Spoiler Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 Sunday 19th December 2032 Episode 130 - Lost in Cupen Final "Viking Players Set To Leave?" -- Aleksander Liland -- Otto Rosengren -- Mathias Fjørtoft Løvik -- Henrik Skogvold Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Sunday 19th December 2032 Episode 130 - Lost in Cupen Final "Monthly Review" -- Results -- Board Confidence -- Supporter Confidence -- Finances -- Dynamics Edited June 6 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 (edited) Sunday 19th December 2032 Until Next Time... ... when the players return from their (short, very short) break, and... .. we play Barcelona (away) and Nice (at home) in the UEFA Champions League. We may even arrange a pre-season friendly, or two... -- January's Fixtures -- Thoughts, comments, general feedback appreciated. Any questions, just ask and I'll answer them if I can. Thank you for reading and following... and I greatly appreciate the comments as that's what genuinely keeps me motivated to continue updating about this save. Until next time... Edited June 6 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted June 6 Share Posted June 6 This will be brief cos I'm on holiday in southern Spain and hate typing on a phone. Nothing wrong with ringing the tactical changes at this point. An easy change would be to switch the classic diamond for the variants using a flat midfield three - 4132 or 4312 (and really easy to switch between them when you want to be more defensive or more progressive). But I'd be wary of throwing the baby out with the bathwater- the diamond has done very well so far. Hope that helps 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 6 Share Posted June 6 I think that the tactical system is fine and that you need to tinker with more adventurous offensive roles or PI's to break down defenses and turn ties into victories. I think the Idea of using a Trequarista in the AMC position or a Regista in the DM position might do the trick like I mentioned earlier in this thread. In a way I think you got FM'ed this season, but it also shows how hard it is to keep winning titles unless you have unlimited money and resources. You might want to look at the career updates of @SixPointer and @_Ben_ for some tactical ideas. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1nh0 Posted June 6 Share Posted June 6 Yeah, definitely seems like you need to do a Big Ange end of season review of what caused the too many draws and the couple of defeats. Were any particular profile teams a problem, or maybe it was just an unlucky year. Could a different approach have been taken in them games, or is it time to go with a formation that is naturally both more offensive and a better pressing formation, which if teams are now a lot more pragmatic, maybe a better approach to switch to longer term. If you want to stick with a diamond system, then dead on with what Warlock suggested, reverting to a more aggressive / naturally better formation for higher pressing in a 4312 . That's worth a try for certain games whilst sticking to a 41212 when you want to play a bit more conservative, both from the off or in the midst a tightly contested game. And if you aren't already, optimising the way you press using OIs is something I'd highly recommend so you will help promote trying to pressure the opponents / win the ball in certain areas of the pitch with a greater frequency, which will increase the chances of achieving a positive result especially in those bigger / tighter games where small details make the difference. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 9 hours ago, Hootieleece said: You might want to look at the career updates of @SixPointer and @_Ben_ for some tactical ideas. Always happy to have some tactical discussions. It’s good to bounce ideas of each other. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 11 hours ago, warlock said: Nothing wrong with ringing the tactical changes at this point. An easy change would be to switch the classic diamond for the variants using a flat midfield three - 4132 or 4312 (and really easy to switch between them when you want to be more defensive or more progressive). Yes, that's certainly a possibility. With the fire-power we have up front, I definitely want to play with two strikers up top, and I like the flexibility of systems that can easily switch into a different variation for use in-match depending on how the play is developing. 11 hours ago, warlock said: But I'd be wary of throwing the baby out with the bathwater- the diamond has done very well so far. Given the number of good, young centre-backs we have at Viking, and our improved defensive record in 2032, I was considering going with something that involved three centre-backs and two wing-backs... but that would be a more significant change away from the 4-4-2 diamond. 11 hours ago, warlock said: Hope that helps Just talking about it always helps. 11 hours ago, warlock said: This will be brief cos I'm on holiday in southern Spain and hate typing on a phone. Above and beyond the call of duty, @warlock. Much appreciated. I hope you are having a great time. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 (edited) 11 hours ago, Hootieleece said: I think that the tactical system is fine and that you need to tinker with more adventurous offensive roles or PI's to break down defenses and turn ties into victories. I think the Idea of using a Trequarista in the AMC position or a Regista in the DM position might do the trick like I mentioned earlier in this thread. Thanks, @Hootieleece I agree, to a certain extent I may be over-reacting and thinking about a knee-jerk reaction to missing out on the Eliteserien title in games 28, 29 and 30 after being top of the league virtually all season, and then losing Cupen Final in the following match. I think we were much better this season and Molde were even better, unfortunately for us. Can Molde be that exceptional again next season? Or Vålerenga for that matter who, after we dropped five points in our last three matches, ended the season just a point behind us (and five points behind winners Molde). Yeah, I didn't really have chance to experiment with the Trequarista or Regista roles. I like to keep my tactics simple where possible so tend not to issue player instructions... also because, with my memory, I forget who's on what player instructions. 11 hours ago, Hootieleece said: break down defenses and turn ties into victories This is definitely what let us down - those nine draws. Home - 1-1 Vålerenga, 2-2 Rosenborg, 0-0 Bodø/Glimt, 0-0 Molde Away - 0-0 Bodø/Glimt, 0-0 Sarpsborg, 2-2 Molde, 1-1 Vålerenga, 4-4 Strømsgodset So, with the exception of Rosenborg and Sarpsborg, all our draws were against teams who finished in the top six so, in the main, we beat the teams we were meant to beat. Our two defeats came against Brann 0-1 away and Lillestrøm 1-2 away. But the only victories we got against the top six were 4-0 Brann at home and 2-1 Strømsgodset at home. So, in summary, we finished four points behind title winners Molde due to drawing too many matches and / or not getting enough wins against the top six clubs. 11 hours ago, Hootieleece said: In a way I think you got FM'ed this season Possibly, to give Molde credit though, Molde were exceptional this season. But, having said that... ... if you look at our UEFA Champions League results so far, in what I think were a very difficult set of eight fixtures, we have done very well. Very well indeed. 11 hours ago, Hootieleece said: but it also shows how hard it is to keep winning titles unless you have unlimited money and resources. The Board are very supportive. We have just under £50 million in the bank and I didn't spend all of the transfer budget (although I did have a net spend of £21.04 million) and only used about half of the salary budget. This is mainly by design as I'm trying to... a) build a squad of (primarily) Home-grown Players and... b) control the wage bill (these are the only players earning £5K per week or more) 11 hours ago, Hootieleece said: You might want to look at the career updates of @SixPointer and @_Ben_ for some tactical ideas. Thanks. I'll take a look. Edited June 7 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 9 hours ago, g1nh0 said: Yeah, definitely seems like you need to do a Big Ange end of season review of what caused the too many draws and the couple of defeats. Welcome to my Norwegian Adventure, @g1nh0. I appreciate you taking the time to post. 9 hours ago, g1nh0 said: Were any particular profile teams a problem, or maybe it was just an unlucky year. Could a different approach have been taken in them games, or is it time to go with a formation that is naturally both more offensive and a better pressing formation, which if teams are now a lot more pragmatic, maybe a better approach to switch to longer term. I've gone into detail on this above in my response to @Hootieleece It could be that it was just an unlucky year. Molde, who did the Eliteserien and Cupen double, were just exceptional... but we did draw both league matches with them and, you could argue, technically our Cupen Final defeat to them was also a draw as we lost in extra-time. But, allowing for the fact that we matched Molde in our Eliteserien head-to-heads, we finished four points behind them due to a combination of drawing too many games and only getting two wins against top six teams (see response above to Hootieleece). 9 hours ago, g1nh0 said: If you want to stick with a diamond system, then dead on with what Warlock suggested, reverting to a more aggressive / naturally better formation for higher pressing in a 4312 . That's worth a try for certain games whilst sticking to a 41212 when you want to play a bit more conservative, both from the off or in the midst a tightly contested game. Thanks. I'll bear that in mind along with what @warlock and Hootieleece have said on variations of the 4-4-2 diamond. I'm not a tactical genius by any stretch of the imagination so my problem is often knowing which matches to switch from my default tactic for and, during matches, knowing what changes to make and when. I sometimes think, when I'm chasing a game and need a goal or two, I'm often not patient enough and go Attacking and /o r Gung-ho too soon. 9 hours ago, g1nh0 said: And if you aren't already, optimising the way you press using OIs is something I'd highly recommend so you will help promote trying to pressure the opponents / win the ball in certain areas of the pitch with a greater frequency, which will increase the chances of achieving a positive result especially in those bigger / tighter games where small details make the difference. OIs? Sorry, you lost me here 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 2 hours ago, SixPointer said: Always happy to have some tactical discussions. It’s good to bounce ideas of each other. Thanks @SixPointer and welcome to my Norwegian Adventure. I'm not a tactical genius, not even close, so I'd welcome any help and advice you can offer. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1nh0 Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 43 minutes ago, Stuniverse said: Welcome to my Norwegian Adventure, @g1nh0. I appreciate you taking the time to post. I've gone into detail on this above in my response to @Hootieleece It could be that it was just an unlucky year. Molde, who did the Eliteserien and Cupen double, were just exceptional... but we did draw both league matches with them and, you could argue, technically our Cupen Final defeat to them was also a draw as we lost in extra-time. But, allowing for the fact that we matched Molde in our Eliteserien head-to-heads, we finished four points behind them due to a combination of drawing too many games and only getting two wins against top six teams (see response above to Hootieleece). Thanks. I'll bear that in mind along with what @warlock and Hootieleece have said on variations of the 4-4-2 diamond. I'm not a tactical genius by any stretch of the imagination so my problem is often knowing which matches to switch from my default tactic for and, during matches, knowing what changes to make and when. I sometimes think, when I'm chasing a game and need a goal or two, I'm often not patient enough and go Attacking and /o r Gung-ho too soon. OIs? Sorry, you lost me here Opposition Instructions I always set them up dependant on the formation I use and the strategy I use defensively. It can supplement what you're intending to achieve on that front. Yeah, a bit of unluck possibly - some seasons the game will script it to be more of a challenge. I mean, you were getting greedy winning 3 titles on the bounce! I remember in one of my tight seasons with Liege I had 6/7 or so red cards if I remember rightly and dropped points every one of those games. None of my other years I had such a problem. At the same time, if you're now expected to win these games then undoubtedly the other teams are playing more pragmatically. How much attention have you paid on set pieces too? I spent a long while working on mine, another element that is critical to get right especially in those tight affairs. I always ensure I have routines that have the potential to have the most goals scored / least conceded in every set piece type to try maximise the chances of getting an edge. Another very slight tweak you could try, is to simply change the role at your base of the diamond to something that will naturally result in that player being more involved in the middle of the pitch (like a regista, or dm on support, both will move up from that DM position and play a more supporting role going forwards) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 (edited) Let's Talk Tactics... -- For those of you new to my Norwegian Adventure, we've just completed the 2032 Eliteserien (top flight) season - although we're still in the 2032/33 UEFA Champions League - which completes my fifth season as Viking manager. My tenure at Viking, so far, has been very successful. At my two previous clubs, Loddefjord and Hødd, I'd been mainly playing a 4-2-3-1 system and that's what I thought I'd carry on using at Viking but, when I got here and looked at things, my predecessor Henrik Rydstrom had played a 4-2-3-1 system, with a mixed bag of results is probably the kindest way of putting things, but the Viking Board weren't kind and sacked him. Mats Ullereng then took over as Caretaker Manager, he changed to a 4-4-2 diamond system, and had significantly better results over the last eight matches of the 2027 season. So when I took charge at the start of pre-season ahead of the 2028 season I gave the 4-4-2 Diamond a go (even though I'm not a fan of it in real-life and hadn't, before this, save used it on any FM) and, to my surprise, it worked for us. Things have been tweaked slightly across my five seasons at Viking but, basically, the 4-4-2 Diamond system I used this season (2032) was this: -- Prior to this season I'd used a Half-Back at the base of the diamond but, this season, I changed that to a Defensive Midfielder because I'd signed Bodø/Glimt Patrick Berg to play there, made him my captain, but I'd ended up making a promise to him during contract negotiations that I'd play him as a DM-De but that promise has expired now. -- Towards the end of the season, during the run-in, I also experimented with two WB-Su instead of two FB-Su in an attempt to get more attacking impetus down the flanks but not in enough matches to reach any real conclusions. -- Occasionally, on the right of the diamond I'll go with a RPM-Su instead of a BBM-Su, usually when Otto Rosengren isn't playing there and, again, it's intension is to improve our attacking creativity from midfield. -- Again, occasionally, I'll use a SS-At at the top of the diamond, instead of an AM-Su, usually when chasing a goal and, sometimes, based on personnel as, for example, SS-At suits Henrik Skogvold when he plays there. -- Up top, there's only Lasse Nordås really who can play the TF-At role, with my other strikers all being good in the AF-At role, so if Lasse Nordås isn't playing, I'll change one of the roles to whatever non-AF-At role best suits the other striker. -- Although I haven't had chance to experiment yet, @Hootieleece has suggested... ... T-At at the top of the diamond, and... ... RGA-Su at the base of the diamond. Edited June 7 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 (edited) 24 minutes ago, g1nh0 said: Opposition Instructions I always set them up dependant on the formation I use and the strategy I use defensively. It can supplement what you're intending to achieve on that front. Thanks for the clarification, @g1nh0. I'll be honest, I tend to go pre-match with whatever Opposition Instructions my Assistant Manager recommends and then add additional instructions I think are needed as the match plays out. I always watch on Extended Highlights. The exception to this, as I'm getting to know the opposition line-ups pretty well now, is I'll set OIs for players I know have caused us problems in the past. 24 minutes ago, g1nh0 said: Yeah, a bit of unluck possibly - some seasons the game will script it to be more of a challenge. I mean, you were getting greedy winning 3 titles on the bounce! I remember in one of my tight seasons with Liege I had 6/7 or so red cards if I remember rightly and dropped points every one of those games. None of my other years I had such a problem. At the same time, if you're now expected to win these games then undoubtedly the other teams are playing more pragmatically. Me? Greedy? OK, yes, I probably was. I was dreaming of that Eliteserien-Cupen double. Missed out on both... that's karma for you. 24 minutes ago, g1nh0 said: How much attention have you paid on set pieces too? I spent a long while working on mine, another element that is critical to get right especially in those tight affairs. I always ensure I have routines that have the potential to have the most goals scored / least conceded in every set piece type to try maximise the chances of getting an edge. Not much to be honest. I don't have much interest in the training side of FM so I tend to delegate it... but I'm delighted you raised this because, in checking, I realised that Set-Pieces were delegated to my Assistant Manager, Egil Ulfstein, who isn't the best when it comes to set-pieces - Egil has a Set-Piece rating of 6. I remember hiring a Set Piece Coach but, it looks like, I never delegated Set-Pieces to Luc Nilis - what an idiot I am I've rectified that now. 24 minutes ago, g1nh0 said: Another very slight tweak you could try, is to simply change the role at your base of the diamond to something that will naturally result in that player being more involved in the middle of the pitch (like a regista, or dm on support, both will move up from that DM position and play a more supporting role going forwards) You're not the first to suggest the Regista role at the base of the diamond so that's definitely something, alongside Trequatista at the top of the diamond, that I'll give a go in pre-season. Edited June 7 by Stuniverse 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1nh0 Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 5 minutes ago, Stuniverse said: Thanks for the clarification, @g1nh0. I'll be honest, I tend to go pre-match with whatever Opposition Instructions my Assistant Manager recommends and then add additional instructions I think are needed as the match plays out. I always watch on Extended Highlights. The exception to this, as I'm getting to know the opposition line-ups pretty well now, is I'll set OIs for players I know have caused us problems in the past. Me? Greedy? OK, yes, I probably was. I was dreaming of that Eliteserien-Cupen double. Not much to be honest. I don't have much interest in the training side of FM so I tend to delegate it... but I'm delighted you raised this because, in checking, I realised that Set-Pieces were delegated to my Assistant Manager, Egil Ulfstein, who isn't the best when it comes to set-pieces - Egil has a Set-Piece rating of 6. I remember hiring a Set Piece Coach but, it looks like, I never delegated Set-Pieces to Luc Nilis - what an idiot I am I've rectified that now. You're not the first to suggest the Regista role at the base of the diamond so that's definitely something, alongside Trequatista at the top of the diamond, that I'll give a go in pre-season. Hopefully that will help on the set piece front I don't know whether this was ever improved in the patches by SI, but the first time I was looking at the new creator and ensuring I had top staff to handle it (I hadn't set anything up then), I was horrified to see where some of my players were being positioned especially on the defensive front, where I remember seeing both of my fullbacks not in any defensive position at all when defending set pieces, but were rather positioned to be players utilised as counter-attacking players! I like to micro-manage things any how, but still worth paying attention to ensure you're not having players in stupid positions for set pieces. Definitely utilise a Regista in the home games with the high press, but ensuring you have the player with good attributes to do so. You could try a Trequartista, but having two extravagant roles may be a bit much. An alternative could be to try an AM on attack maybe but use PIs that mimic those associated with a Trequartista. So you'll get a good degree of creativity behind the front two, whilst also having a player more willing to press higher up. Generally Trequartista's are best utilised if they are a very talented player. If you lose a star player in that position, if your backup doesn't quite cut it you may be best using a different role there. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 I’m obviously a little behind in terms of the save. From your tactical chat, the one thing that seems obvious to me is you aren’t really set on a clear style or philosophy. Tinkering here and there to try make it work. I think you need to ask yourself how you want to play. How will you score goals? How will you make sure it’s balanced enough in defence? How do you transition between the two? formation’s are just tools if you don’t have a clear idea of how you want to play a formation is irrelevant. if you want to stick with the 4-4-2 diamond the biggest issue is making sure you have width in attack and cover on the flanks in defence. You should outnumber most teams centrally. do you want to be a counter attacking team, solid in defence that breaks quickly down the pitch and exploits the space? High pressing team that looks to win the ball and attack quickly? Or wins the ball back and probes the defence for openings. If this is all overwhelming, which it was for me a while back. I used real life managers as example and tried to Replicate them, that helped me understand what I wanted to see from my players and helped me create a clear identity. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BML Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 14 hours ago, Stuniverse said: You have a nice big scouting budget there, I'd be using that to increase your Scouting Range from the current setting of NOTHING to anything. If you're focusing on bringing in homegrown players, then Norway will be fine, but I'd always set this to as high as possible to let you cast your net further afield. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 (edited) 3 hours ago, g1nh0 said: Hopefully that will help on the set piece front Well I'd like to think that Luc Nilis (Set Piece Coach with Set Pieces = 14) would be better at coaching set pieces than Egil Ulfstein (Assistant Manager with Set Pieces = 6). 3 hours ago, g1nh0 said: don't know whether this was ever improved in the patches by SI, but the first time I was looking at the new creator and ensuring I had top staff to handle it (I hadn't set anything up then), I was horrified to see where some of my players were being positioned especially on the defensive front, where I remember seeing both of my fullbacks not in any defensive position at all when defending set pieces, but were rather positioned to be players utilised as counter-attacking players! Hopefully it's better, @g1nh0 but, on occasion, I have seen us clear a corner to a full-back on the halfway line. 3 hours ago, g1nh0 said: I like to micro-manage things any how, but still worth paying attention to ensure you're not having players in stupid positions for set pieces. I'm not sure how I go about stopping that. I didn't get set pieces on previous FMs, always delegated it, and it seems a lot more complicated on FM24. 3 hours ago, g1nh0 said: Definitely utilise a Regista in the home games with the high press, but ensuring you have the player with good attributes to do so. You could try a Trequartista, but having two extravagant roles may be a bit much. An alternative could be to try an AM on attack maybe but use PIs that mimic those associated with a Trequartista. So you'll get a good degree of creativity behind the front two, whilst also having a player more willing to press higher up. Generally Trequartista's are best utilised if they are a very talented player. If you lose a star player in that position, if your backup doesn't quite cut it you may be best using a different role there. Thanks. I will be experimenting with different roles within that midfield diamond. 3 hours ago, g1nh0 said: An alternative could be to try an AM on attack maybe but use PIs that mimic those associated with a Trequartista. So you'll get a good degree of creativity behind the front two, whilst also having a player more willing to press higher up. That's a great tip. I hadn't thought of mimicking the PIs associated with another role onto the role selected. I like the idea of mimicking the T onto an AM. Edited June 7 by Stuniverse 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: I’m obviously a little behind in terms of the save. No worries, @SixPointer. Welcome! 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: From your tactical chat, the one thing that seems obvious to me is you aren’t really set on a clear style or philosophy. Tinkering here and there to try make it work. That's very astute. As I think I eluded to earlier, I'm not a big fan of the 4-4-2 diamond system in real-life (possibly because it's not a system any of the managers at my team have ever really gone with) so I don't have a working knowledge of how it's meant to work and how to exploit it to its best. As I eluded to earlier, when I took over at Viking I went with it because the interim manager at Viking had more success with the 4-4-2 diamond than the 4-2-3-1 the previous manager had been using all season prior to his sacking. As I'd also been using 4-2-3-1 at my previous two clubs, I went with a 4-4-2 diamond in my first pre-season, not really expecting it to work, but it went very well and five seasons on my Viking still, primarily, play with a 4-4-2 diamond. So I've been doing some research... The 4-4-2 diamond: football tactics explained -- 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: I think you need to ask yourself how you want to play. How will you score goals? How will you make sure it’s balanced enough in defence? How do you transition between the two? formation’s are just tools if you don’t have a clear idea of how you want to play a formation is irrelevant. if you want to stick with the 4-4-2 diamond the biggest issue is making sure you have width in attack and cover on the flanks in defence. You should outnumber most teams centrally. do you want to be a counter attacking team, solid in defence that breaks quickly down the pitch and exploits the space? High pressing team that looks to win the ball and attack quickly? Or wins the ball back and probes the defence for openings. My preferences, normally, are to play a possession based game, get the ball out wide, get the ball into the penalty area, hopefully score goals. When out of possession, press high, deny the opposition space, look to win the ball back quickly. I guess the get the ball out wide philosophy is where I'm at odds with the 4-4-2 diamond which looks to focus play through the middle with the width coming from the full-backs / wing-backs. 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: If this is all overwhelming, which it was for me a while back. I used real life managers as example and tried to Replicate them, that helped me understand what I wanted to see from my players and helped me create a clear identity. It does seem somewhat overwhelming but, for now, I'm going to stick with the 4-4-2 diamond - it has served me and Viking very well for five seasons - and see if I can improve it's effectiveness. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 3 hours ago, BML said: You have a nice big scouting budget there, I'd be using that to increase your Scouting Range from the current setting of NOTHING to anything. If you're focusing on bringing in homegrown players, then Norway will be fine, but I'd always set this to as high as possible to let you cast your net further afield. Good spot, @BML and thanks. I am, primarily, looking for Norwegian Homegrown players and when I want to improve a position I do look for a Nowegian player first, but I'm not averse to signing non-Homegrown players. That said, I've gone for a scouting range of Northern Europe. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 (edited) Let's Talk Tactics, so... ... please don't laugh... -- ... but I'm thinking... -- - - -- -- I'm not sure our next scheduled match, away to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, is the right time or place to take it out for a test drive. Maybe I should get on with arranging some pre-season friendly matches. Edited June 7 by Stuniverse 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 Monday 20th December 2032 Viking Players Report Back for Pre-season -- -- -- I'm not sure why the Viking Board wanted the players back so early for pre-season, effectively giving them only 10 days off. So, after the medical team had put them through their paces, I gave the players another two weeks off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 (edited) Monday 27th December 2032 Viking Confirm Two Pre-season Matches -- I thought it would be a good idea to arrange a couple of pre-season friendly matches before we play Barcelona away and Nice at home to complete our 2032/33 UEFA Champions League League Path fixtures. We opted for two away matches, against the two clubs relegated from Eliteserien this season, as we thought Fredrikstad and Sandefjord would provide a good test for us at this stage of pre-season. Edited June 7 by Stuniverse 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 5 hours ago, Stuniverse said: It does seem somewhat overwhelming but, for now, I'm going to stick with the 4-4-2 diamond - it has served me and Viking very well for five seasons - and see if I can improve it's effectiveness. Think it’s a wise choice. If it’s been working and stopped working it’s usually because the opponents have worked it out or changed how they play against you. Sometimes a few little tweaks can help it. Me personally I would take advantage off the half back and transition to back three in attack and send my wing backs flying up and down the flanks. Especially when you say you like balls in the box. But make sure you have enough people in the box and the right kind of player to feed of the crossing. A couple midfielders moving into the half spaces will help as well. Maybe one CM and the AM or even one of the ST drifting wide will help occupy players to free up the wing backs to cross in the box. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 5 hours ago, SixPointer said: Maybe one CM and the AM or even one of the ST drifting wide will help occupy players to free up the wing backs to cross in the box. Thats why I suggested the Trequarista role for the AMC in the Formation because of their freedom of movement and tendency to drift wide. The reason I suggested a Regista was to add to the attack and provide another playmaker type to put through balls into the box. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 8 Author Share Posted June 8 5 hours ago, Hootieleece said: Thats why I suggested the Trequarista role for the AMC in the Formation because of their freedom of movement and tendency to drift wide. The reason I suggested a Regista was to add to the attack and provide another playmaker type to put through balls into the box. Thanks, @Hootieleece there's plenty for me to think on and experiment with in pre-season. I'll also take a look at which roles suit which players. As with last pre-season, I'll do a squad review with Player Profile (hidden) screenshots once pre-season is underway. With the three new players due to arrive in January, I'll again have too many players for the UEFA Champions League registration and the very early, too early squad registrations for Eliteserien. Watch this space for unhappy players Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 8 Author Share Posted June 8 11 hours ago, SixPointer said: Me personally I would take advantage off the half back and transition to back three in attack and send my wing backs flying up and down the flanks. Especially when you say you like balls in the box. But make sure you have enough people in the box and the right kind of player to feed of the crossing. A couple midfielders moving into the half spaces will help as well. Maybe one CM and the AM or even one of the ST drifting wide will help occupy players to free up the wing backs to cross in the box. Thank you, @SixPointer. As I said to @Hootieleece above, plenty for me to think on and experiment with in pre-season. 11 hours ago, SixPointer said: Think it’s a wise choice. If it’s been working and stopped working it’s usually because the opponents have worked it out or changed how they play against you. Sometimes a few little tweaks can help it. Yes, I think this calls for evolution not revolution 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 8 Author Share Posted June 8 (edited) Sunday 2nd January 2033 Episode 131 - Very Short End of Season Break "Viking First Team Squad" -- News - - -- Appearances -- Reports -- Players Returned From Loans Away Edited June 8 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted June 8 Author Share Posted June 8 Sunday 2nd January 2033 Episode 131 - Very Short End of Season Break "Competing With World Number One" -- Norway's Number One goalkeeper, Kim Christian Høyenhall, who plays for PSG, has been named as the World's Best Goalkeeper. It's going to be a big ask for our goalkeeper, Jasper Torkildsen, to get the Norwegian gloves off Kim Christian but we remain hopeful Jasper can do it and he has our full support. Spoiler 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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