13th Man

Wow! Wow wow wow! Repeat in the CL with Benfica. It's a good side with resources, but still. Agree that it has to be one of the biggest achievements.

Hired! [So, with FM24 on the horizon, and likely to come out before I finish this season, I was considering switching this save over to FM24. However, I’m loving the graphical attributes (not seeing the exact 1-20s for every player attribute) and don’t want to give it up…Either way, I’m definitely going to finish out the season with Lindsay in Milan. Whether the story continues is to be decided…] Apparently impressed by his knack for winning titles, AC Milan chose to bring in American manager Brian Lindsay to the San Siro, beating out former Juventus and current Atletico Madrid manager Massimiliano Allegri. Between Manchester United and AC Milan, Lindsay had been leaning towards the Italian club, so he was glad when they called first. He considered waiting to see if United called, but ended up deciding against it. This proved smart as United went with Unai Emery, coming off of 5 excellent years at Aston Villa in which they punched above their weight, including winning the Champions League in 2025. Just as Lindsay hadn’t blamed Leeds when they’d feared another American manager following Marsch’s sacking, he understood why United were hesitant to hire another manager from PSV after van Nistelrooy’s struggles. [PSV, meanwhile, hired Gennaro Gattuso following Lindsay’s departure.] Another reason Lindsay was pleased to take over at AC Milan was a connection with their former manager Stefano Pioli. Lindsay USA faced Pioli’s Italy side in the 2026 World Cup Semis, and it was Pioli’s tactics which inspired the Power system he ran at PSV. Lindsay had actually managed to get a bit of revenge [not really] in an excellent friendly 1-0 win during early 2027 over Italy. Though Zidane, Lindsay’s immediate predecessor, ran a 4-3-3, AC Milan had liked the idea of returning to a system more like Pioli’s. It also might have something to do with the fact that he was getting a reputation for ‘leading teams to title wins’. The Squad At first glance the AC Milan ‘best 11’ was loaded with top players. With a world class winger in Rafael Leao, the excellent Sandro Tonali anchoring the midfield, and world cup winner Theo Hernandez at left back, it looked like there was quality all over the pitch. As soon as Lindsay looked a bit closer, however, it became clear that there was a huge gap between these top class players and the rest of the squad, and no quality depth. Youngsters Ruben Seoane and Fillipo Testi were in this supposed best 11 due to the simple fact that there weren’t enough quality senior players. Lindsay would come to disagree with this initial report - with former Inter man Octavio deserving of a starting role - but he had a lot of work to do if he was going to have a successful first season in Italy. Promising Youngsters While Lindsay didn’t want to rely on them for his only depth, much less starting roles, Lindsay was pleased with the amount of talented young players at the club. Two in particular stood out as potential top players. 19 Year old Filippo Testi was a player with the potential to be world class. He had technique and intelligence, and enough of an all around skillset to do well in the deep midfield role. Another 19 year old, left back Mirco Cirillo also got on Lindsay’s radar as a potential depth option. Though he would be more hesitant about using a youngster in defense, he had intelligence beyond his years and appeared more trustworthy than many of his peers. Holes in the Squad The issue remained, however, that there were massive holes in the squad. The only position with quality depth was at CB, where the first choice center back pairing of Mohamed Simakan and Fikayo Tomori was backed up by the solid Luiz Felipe and Jonathan Tah. Otherwise, no position had a tested, top level player ready to step in. For a club of Milan’s size and packed schedule, this would be a massive issue if Lindsay did not get to work. Lindsay had been thrilled, almost giddy when he was told about the €100m transfer budget, but when he actually took stock of the squad he began to think that he might need every bit of that to make the club competitive at the top of the European game. Segundo Volante At PSV, Xavi Simons had been incredible in the Regista role as part of a double pivot, paired with the more aggressive, ball winning Andy Diouf. When Simons was out, or when he used the system with the US national team, Lindsay tended to use a Segundo Volante instead. As Lindsay looked to adopt his PSV Power system to AC Milan, he needed someone to fill this crucial role. Sandro Tonali could play there, but Lindsay saw him as a better anchor, wanting someone more dynamic like Simons. Simons wasn’t an option. When at PSV, he’d looked into Fran Beltran as a potential replacement. His passing range and creativity would replicate a lot of what Simons did as a Regista, if not the athleticism. The signing hadn’t worked at PSV due to his high wage demands, but at AC Milan they had the budget. In the end though, Lindsay decided to bring in a player that he knew quite well from his days at the US national team. A price tag of €10m less and the knowledge that Musah could perform the role to good effect made the final decision easy. Paired with Tonali as well, Musah wouldn’t have to be the main link between defense and attack, and he had the athleticism to roam the entire pitch. The all action, hard working and solid technically American moved to the San Siro from Valencia. At 24, Musah still had some room to grow, and could prove to be a staple of the side for years to come. [It was also funny to see that AC Milan, in real life, moved for Musah.] Forward/Attacking mids Knowing that it would likely take up a large amount of the budget, Lindsay then looked for a solution at forward. Belgian Charles De Ketelaere had blossomed into an excellent player, and served as a very good option, but Lindsay would prefer him at attacking midfield. His ability to lead the line, however, did give Lindsay the option of looking for depth in the position rather than a starting quality forward. Lindsay first looked back to his old club, PSV. Inquiring about Pablo Torre, Noni Madueke, and the impressive Czech youngster Robert Ordelt with him to Milan. PSV were looking for €70-100m for the first two, but agreed to a very reasonable €20m fee for Ordelt. Unfortunately, the Czech himself wasn’t interested in a move so soon after making his move to the Netherlands in January. Forced to look elsewhere, Lindsay found a promising young Swede at Strasburg in France. 21 year old forward Robert Engstrom ended up costing twice what Ordelt would have, but he at least had the added ability to play on the right wing - which was another area of weakness for Milan, especially in the way Lindsay was looking to play. Engstrom had pace, technique, and was an accomplished finisher. Scouts also believed he could blossom into a world class forward. Attacking midfield depth In looking for general depth for the front four, Lindsay found 24 year old Bruno Iglesias on the transfer list at Real Madrid. The versatile attacking midfielder looked like an absolute steal at only €8.5m. Along with having elite vision, flair and a great free kick ability, he was also fit, determined, and consistent. He also had some potential to grow as a player as he was 24 and hadn't gotten a lot of chances at Real Madrid. Lindsay then brought in right winger Kayky from Manchester City on loan, with an option to buy. The skillful, pacy Brazilian had the potential to become a top player, but there were some worries about his mentality. When a player is good enough, they can be worth it, but Lindsay was nervous about spending a large chunk of money on a player who might not add to the squad. Though his option to buy was higher than what he could have been bought for originally, Lindsay figured that the luxury of having a trial period was worth it. If he performed and looked set to be a top winger, the €35m would be worth it. If not…it would only be €1.5m in loan fees and have a depth option on the wing. Some backups/depth It also allowed Lindsay to bring in US international, and hero of the 2026 World Cup keeper Zack Steffen. At €21.5m he was costly for a backup, but Lindsay didn’t feel comfortable with the options behind #1 Maignan. Being one injury away from catastrophe was unacceptable for a club of Milan’s stature…and there was the fact that some clubs were sniffing around and Manchester United even put in a bid for Maignan. Last but not least, Lindsay sold 31 year old CB/RB Jonathan Tah for €15m while bringing in towering and high potential 21 year old El Chadialle Bitshiabu from PSG for only €7.25m. [Phlip Fischer was bought before Lindsay's arrival, and the last three are development players brought in by the DOF, but otherwise this was all Lindsay's doing] On the whole, Lindsay had certainly spent liberally - €120m in spending while bringing in €28m in sales. With the new faces, a new system, and Lindsay’s limited Italian, it would likely take a bit for the side to settle. He had, however, added a lot of quality depth as well as a few starters to fill out the 11...

Interesting idea - forcing you to both journeyman succeed and foster young talent (something I definitely haven't been as focused on in my FM23 journeyman save). Looking forward to seeing how it goes!

What a fantastic save. Getting 2nd in Serie A in the first season is impressive, even if a bit heartbreaking to lose out on the title on the last day. Good stuff with the first blog, and I look forward to seeing where you go in FM24.

Ah! Many thanks on the rule update. I'm not complaining (Lindsay appreciates the CL football) just didn't catch onto that.

I hear you - but also wanted to congratulate you on the cup win and a solid season. Seems a good place to end the save. Jester can go on in our imaginations to be a mid-table specialist in another place... Also - agree on teaching. Sometimes I find FM and writing up the blogs a great escape, other times I don't have the energy!

Power v Control One constant across Lindsay’s managerial career was a focus on quick transitions. The moments of chaos are the best chance to disrupt the opponent’s game plan, and the inverse is just as true. Lindsay always looks to create a setup that can take advantage of these situations in attack, while having a shape that is always ready to solidify and plug gaps. Though gegenpressing is the system best known for its focus on transitions, this isn’t the only way of going about it. In fact, the system Lindsay developed in his first season in Austin was a reaction to the MLS’s love affair with the gegenpress. Austin kept defensive shape, pulled the opposition onto them, then let the all-action midfield press around midfield, nick the ball, before getting it to the talented wingers in space. This was the Coiled Spring - a system that preyed on the mistakes so often made by teams that were high pressing, high tempo, and overly aggressive despite limited technical and tactical abilities (so basically the majority of teams in the MLS). Coiled Spring (Austin FC) PIs - both wingers stay wider, roam from position. Over time, as Austin came to dominate the MLS and the NACL, sides began to catch on and play more conservatively. Lindsay was forced to be a bit more proactive tactically. He developed Big Club Football, a system that pressed higher up the pitch and played with a bit more urgency going forward. It was this system that Lindsay settled on at PSV at the beginning of the season. He experimented a bit with a 4-2-3-1 early in the season but found it didn’t quite work, at least in his initial experiments. Big Club Football PIs - Both wingers - stay wider, roam from position AP(a) - roam from position, move into channels RWB - sit narrower LCB - Stay wider [new] PSV started the season strong, until the Topper Derby against Ajax, when they went down 2-0 in the first 20 minutes. The change to a tweaked 4-2-3-1 made all the difference, and PSV were able to salvage a draw in Amsterdam. The system also led to excellent wins against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. PSV Power PIs - Both wingers - stay wider, roam from position AP(a) - move into channels, roam from position, close down more RWB - sit narrower LCB - stay wider (to cover for the CWB getting forward) PSV Power was absolutely clinical at taking advantage of opposition mistakes. It could score in a lot of ways depending on the way the opposition set up. The front four could score in a lot of ways, and in Xavi Simons PSV had a player who was extremely dangerous and influential as a Regista. As the name suggests, PSV power excelled at overpowering overmatched opposition. It overloaded spaces in different ways depending on how the opposition set up without being too crowded in any one space. The problem arose when the opposition could keep the ball well… Power v Control While PSV overpowered most of their opponents in Holland without breaking a sweat, there were a few matches where PSV’s Power simply didn’t work. Strong, possession based sides had the ability to keep the ball when they got past the front four. What Lindsay began to realize is that while the PSV Power was an excellent battering ram, especially against sides that sat deep or tried to go direct, it would struggle to control a match sometimes. While Lindsay set up his sides to revel in the chaos of transition, if he couldn’t force the opposition into mistakes through bait (the high line/mid block of PSV Power and/or the holes which appeared to be there but which were difficult to actually exploit) PSV would lose control of a game. Feyenoord - Dutch Cup One example came in the Dutch Cup against a Feyenoord side that finished the league 2nd. In the opening stages of the match, Feyenoord’s central 3-4-1-2 had no trouble keeping the ball - then they would strike with direct balls over the top after pulling PSV onto them. Worse, they were pulling the 4-2-3-1 out of position regularly. This tactic saw them control the first 10 minutes and score a well deserved goal. Lindsay switched to his 4-3-3 Big Club system, which exploited the space on the wings, but, more importantly, wrestled control back from Feyenoord. The rest of the first half saw PSV get back on top in terms of possession and momentum, scoring two. Two early 2nd half goals sealed the win, and Lindsay began to pull the starters in preparation for the Manchester United CL match midweek, which allowed Feyenoord to get in the game a bit, but not enough to worry Lindsay. Ajax - Eredivisie The second match that saw Lindsay need to switch away from the PSV Power was, ironically, against Ajax at home. While Ajax away had been the match that saw PSV Power unleashed for the first time, at home, Ajax were more content to play a cautious, possession game that dragged PSV around and cut through them like butter. A few saves from Benitez and a bit of poor finishing from Ajax’s forwards was all that kept PSV from going 1-0 or 2-0 down by the half. Lindsay had been reluctant to switch to the 4-3-3 at first - especially after that system was brutalized in Amsterdam. Even when he did, things didn’t improve until he upped the lines and the press, and retook control of the match from the visiting rivals. After the tactical switch at halftime (and a bit of the hair dryer treatment) PSV came out and thoroughly dominated Ajax. Their dominance was so thorough that they easier could have won by more than the 3-0 scoreline. In truth, the 3-0 scoreline flattered PSV a little. Ajax should have had 1 or 2 in the first half, but the effect of the tactical switch just before the half can be seen clearly in both the momentum and xG charts. It wasn’t just that PSV became dangerous, but that they controlled the game to such an extent that Ajax barely got a sniff in the second half, registering only two low quality shots. Lessons learned As Lindsay led the USA to a win the Gold Cup, he agreed to take over as manager at AC Milan. Though more of a historical giant than a current one, AC Milan is still a massive club. In Serie A, Lindsay expected to face a much sterner domestic challenge than he’d faced in the Netherlands. He had taken PSV to a new level, but he’d taken over a side that had won consecutive titles. AC Milan, on the other hand, had finished 5th in Serie A (yet somehow still were in Europe? I think I remember something about Italy getting an extra CL spot and taking one from the Eredivisie? It doesn’t quite make sense but ok). Lindsay still planned on using the 4-2-3-1 Power as his main system, but there would certainly be more sides that could hold onto the ball and exploit the gaps in the 4-2-3-1 Power. There would be more times that he needed to control matches, not just power through them…

Solid league form, even if the CL’s been tricky. Domestic has to be the focus though right?

That is some absolutely crazy form for a tiny club just promoted to Serie A! I could have seen that happening coming from Serie C to B, but not from B to A! However the season finishes it’s a crazy achievement. Looking at those tiny transfer fees really gives a sense of how tiny that budget is, and yet Trento just keeps rolling!

Wow! Things are tough enough with two, add twins to the mix…also makes my old method of playing FM one handed while holding the napping baby impossible…

The Big Time Lindsay went into the summer thinking he’d likely have to stay another season at PSV. Most of Europe’s big clubs had finished as expected and the managers were secure in their jobs. Most of those sacked in the top leagues were from relegated clubs, and without the coaching carousel set in motion by movement at the top, there weren’t many options that wouldn’t be a step down for Lindsay.Two intriguing jobs did open up, however - AC Milan and Manchester United. Zinadine Zidane had replaced Stefano Pioli when he left in 2024 after winning a second Scudetto. Pioli’s Italy side beat Lindsay’s USA in the 2026 World Cup and had, in no small part, inspired Lindsay’s PSV Power system. However, Zidane’s nearly three years in charge had been less successful, with the club finishing 4th, 2nd and 5th before the ownership decided to move on from the French legend. Ruud van Nistelrooy, on the other hand, was sacked after only a year at the helm as Manchester United fell into the Conference League. Lindsay couldn’t help but enjoy it a bit after van Nistelrooy’s many, many comments throughout the season belittling his accomplishments at PSV. Lindsay felt both were long shots, but he applied before getting on with plans for PSV. To his surprise, both quickly reached out for interviews…

Likewise! You had another kid right? Lindsay is going to make a run at a top club and see if he can get to the pinnacle of the sport…

Great progress while I was away from FM! CL victory for Benfica is massive. What’s next in the challenge? You have enough time?

Think @keeper#1meant PSG, right? If the Qatari government (or whatever shell company it is) sold PSG, it would likely cripple a massive club like that for a while before it hit some equilibrium. Onto the topic at hand, it seems smart to bring in decent players on the cheap rather than seek to chase glory and watch Schalke fall again. Hopefully the fans and board will forgive a return to the mean…or you unearth some bargains that come good and let you keep the climb going.

That is tight at the top for so far through the season.

@Hootieleece - That’s kind of the idea. Also with 24 on the horizon it seemed like a move to the big time was a bit more urgent.

Season fast forward [Ive already played through the rest of the season that was mostly lacking in drama, so I’m going to fast forward a bit. In the next post or two I’ll get into tactical deepish dives into a few games and the evolution of the 4-3-3 (Control) and 4-2-3-1 (Power) systems.] Lindsay found the exit in the Champions League massively deflating. It wasn’t so much the loss itself as a feeling of lost momentum. After results against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid as well as good showings away to Arsenal and PSG, Lindsay had felt his side had a chance to replicate Ajax’s 2018/2019 deep run in the competition. They had mostly matched United over two legs, and had plenty of chances to win the tie at home. Instead, they lost a close tie and would remain in Holland for the rest of the season. Lindsay was surprised at just how little that idea appealed to him. The issue was that PSV had the Eredivisie all but wrapped up by that point, removing the drama from the rest of the season. There were a few more moments to remember, including securing the title with a 3-0 win over Ajax with five matches remaining in the season. (I’ll cover that one a bit in a later post…). A sense of complacency settled at the club, including in the first half of that Ajax match, and it led to PSV’s inability to get over the final hurdle in the Dutch Cup. In the final they lost on penalties to FC Utrecht in a match they really should have won. The two above graphics show PSV’s utter dominance, but they were let down by a general lack of sharpness. Shamefully poor finishing from PSV kept Utrecht in the game, and meant that two avoidable errors allowed Utrecht to take the match to penalties. Utrecht went 10 for 10 in the penalty shootout, PSV only went 9-10. Lindsay was pretty sure a combination of complacency and the fact that, following their defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League, PSV had faced no side that could match them. The blip against Utrecht, however, would be the only match they didn’t win after their Champions League exit. The football PSV played was beautiful, flowing, and clinical. The sides they came up against every week could not handle them. The only time PSV faltered was when they made mistakes or weren’t sharp. Even then, however, they found a way to win 13 in a row in the league. Their domestic dominance was so thorough that their closest rivals finished 21 (Feyenoord) and 25 (Ajax) points behind them. They broke records for most wins in a season (previously 30) and most points in a season (previously 90). What else was there to do with this PSV side? He could potentially go on to actually win the Dutch Cup, maybe make a deeper run in the Champions League, but there was really only one way to go in the league. The thought of playing overmatched sides week in, week out in a second tier league had lost its appeal. Then Chelsea came along and acticed Xavi Simons’ €74m release clause just after the season came to a close. Lindsay couldn’t blame him for wanting to move to a bigger club in a bigger league. Simons had grown beyond the Eredivisie, and Lindsay began to feel as if he had too. Even as he brought in a replacement for Simons and set plans in motion to use the remaining funds to improve the squad, he kept an eye out for job postings at truly top clubs. He didn’t expect to get hired at any of the super clubs, but he was aiming at a top four club in one of the top leagues…

Big shoes to fill A hard fought 2-1 win for Manchester United at Old Trafford set up a contest that was on a knife’s edge entering the second leg of the tie in Holland. United were in control at home, with PSV unable to get any real control of the game. Lindsay tried both higher lines and the 4-3-3 shape, but settled back on the 4-2-3-1 as the changes seemed to hurt PSV rather than help. PSV also very much missed the suspended [DM] Andy Diouf, who was the sides enforcer foil to the artists in the side such as Xavi Simons and Pablo Torre. At no point was this more evident than when United attacked down PSV’s left and the man that Diouf would have been marking, Jude Bellingham, was left unmarked in the area to pick his spot and score. After that, PSV’s Pablo Torre and United’s Nicolo Barella traded world class goals from distance. Another big story going into this next match will be the absence of talisman Sebastian Haller. Having only just returned from African Cup duties, Haller was injured in the first half at Old Trafford and would face another lengthy absence from the squad. January signing, teenager Robert Ordelt will likely be thrust into Haller’s shoes. The youngster has hit the ground running at PSV, scoring twice in his first three appearances, but this will be a very different challenge for the young Czech. 1min CHANCE!!! PSV are out of the gates quick and really should be ahead. [LW] Madueke’s has a chance cleared OFF THE LINE!!! Two quick passes saw PSV go from front to back through an around the corner pass from Torre to Madueke, sending the winger free on goal. Madueke beat Kobel in goal only to have the ball cleared off the line by CB Morato. 27 min CHANCE! Dalot is being given freedom to roam the right flank for United tonight. Another surging run gets him into the final third, and his cutback finds Bellingham in space at the top of the box. He takes his time, picks his spot, and forces a good save from Benitez in PSV’s goal! [New TI, man mark Dalot] 30 min CHANCE!!! PSV come so very close to getting even in this tie again! [CF] Ordelt starts the move as he picks up a poor pass from Bruno Fernandes and leads the break. He exchanges passes with [RW] Teferner, pulling the CBs wide before feeding the ball to [CM] Torre who surges into the space he opened. The Spaniard’s shot beats Kobel only to come back off the crossbar. This tie really should be level at this point! Halftime United are in control in terms of possession, but PSV have had the better chances by far. PSV appeared to switch to their 4-3-3 formation late in the first half. The switch was not able to change the course of the tie in Manchester, but it has given PSV the momentum here so far. 55 min GOAL!!! PSV 1 (2) - Manchester United 0 (2) Ordelt has done it! In his first ever start in the Champions League the Czech teenager has leveled the score! Torre’s free kick to the far post was decent enough, but Ordelt still had it all to do. His powerful header beats Kobel and the tie is level!!! Extra Time Ordelt’s goal sends the tie to extra time. Though possession and control favors United, PSV have had the better chances and scored the only goal of the match. 106 - GOAL!!!! PSV 1 (2) - Manchester United 1 (3) [LW] Noa Lang makes a massive mistake and his error is punished. After [LB] Lucas works hard to win the ball back in his own third, he sees an outlet in Lang. The winger dallies on the ball just outside his own area, however, allowing to Diego Dalot to nick the ball off him and put in a quick cross to Jordan Sancho, who powers his shot past Benitez - despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball. United are back on top just after the second half of extra time. PSV have been the better side, but are tiring. 108 CHANCE!!! PSV almost level the scores again right from kickoff! A lovely move down the left ends as Torre puts the ball up for Camelo just outside the six yard box. The forward’s header is well placed, but Kobel is able to make an incredible fingertip save. 120+2 CHANCE!!! Camelo gets onto a through ball in the dying seconds of the match. His shot is far too high, however, and it feels like that has to be it. FULL TIME PSV 1 (2) - Manchester United 1 (3) PSV fought bravely, and maybe even deserved to win, but they don’t take advantage of their chances and fall to Manchester United 3-2 on aggregate.

I didn’t say the music was good or worth actually releasing….

Fantastic work with Preston - last I checked you were in the doldrums of the Championship struggling to break into the top flight. New chapter with a club that has suffered, but you’ve already brought them a Europa Title! I was skimming a bit so I may have missed it, but just how did PSG fall into the Europa League? Seems impossible with their resources in France!

It appears the trophy case isn’t quite so empty anymore, eh? Skimmed through to catch up, so forgive me if I missed a write up, but saw that you took some inspiration from the Coiled Spring. Did it work out, or did you move away from the general idea? Also saw you grabbed Xavi Simons he was fantastic for me at PSV before being snatched by Chelsea at the end of the 2026/2027 season for €74m! Anyway, great work getting CP to the big time. Especially fun to finish my catching up following CP’s real life win over Man U

Manchester United - PSV Champions League Preview [I’m back after a three month long break from FM. As a teacher, my summers are largely free, but for the first time in years I had the mental energy to actually make music, so I ended up using the vast majority of it to record an album. And there was also a bit of traveling and such with the family. Now that I’m fully back in the grind of teaching, I need more of an escape, and FM held out its highly addictive hand, and here we are. Anyway, I'll be checking through a bit of what I've missed in the coming days...] Ruud van Nistelrooy is a legend. He might not be in the conversation for one of the best players of all time, but he was among the best forwards of his generation. Winning five league titles across three European leagues, he’d also won plenty of individual accolades and scored countless goals while playing for two of the biggest clubs in the world in Manchester United and Real Madrid. As a manager he looked set to follow a similar trajectory. Just as he had during his playing days, he led PSV to consecutive Eredivisie titles, this time breaking a run of 5 consecutive seasons that Ajax had emerged victorious. Just as he had during his playing days, he then moved to Manchester United. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing in England. The club sit in 4th in the league, nothing to scoff at, but they have suffered 5 defeats, including against top rivals Manchester City (twice), Liverpool, and even Arsenal. In the Champions League, they were embarrassed by Real Madrid and lost to Marseille as well. That said, he is doing as well as could be expected for a new manager at a club that hadn’t yet been able to return to the lofty heights of its storied history. It might be said, however, that his rocky start to his tenure in Manchester may be to blame for his comments about his successor at PSV, the relatively unknown Brian Lindsay. More than once, van Neistelrooy has made remarks which can certainly be read as belittling or even petty. He remarked on several occasions about how much money Lindsay has spent - though he’s largely broken even - and seemed to downplay Lindsay’s successes so far this season. Van Nistelrooy even gone as far as to say that he should get the lion's share of the credit for PSV’s success this season. Unlike van Neistelrooy, Lindsay came with no pedigree. A manager who catapulted himself onto the world stage after leading the USA national team to a 3rd place finish in the World Cup, Lindsay’s name is hardly known outside of the US. Under Lindsay, however, PSV have been absolutely dominant. Last season at this point, PSV had lost four games in the league and drawn one. This season, PSV are unbeaten and have only drawn three times. Is some of van Neistelrooy’s repeated, and vocal dismissals of Lindsay’s success with his former club a sense that maybe his own resume wasn’t so impressive after all? If these comments had only come after the clubs were drawn against one another in the playoff round, it would be tempting to think it was mind games, but these comments have trickled in all season whenever van Neistelrooy has been asked about PSV. It begs the question as to whether van Neistelrooy is threatened by Lindsay, as well as another about how van Neistelrooy felt when the draw was made. Is the former great scared of his old side? Does he worry that his Champions League season will come to an end at the hands of his successor? PSV have shown that they can play at the highest level, having defeated Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and Barcelona while drawing away to Arsenal and only falling to defeat at PSG due to a heroic effort from Mbappe. Manchester United are clear favorites, make no mistake, but PSV will not be an easy draw for the former giants of European football. The Dutch club boasts a potent attack and a defense which is rarely beaten. United have shown a weakness against quick balls out to the flanks, something which PSV excel at. Whether the David which is PSV can take down the Goliath of Manchester United remains to be seen, but it should be a cracking tie…

A busy January [Part II] Sebastian Haller was off at the African Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast, and new signing Robert Ordelt couldn’t be registered for the League Phase of the Champions League. This meant that PSV would have to play two big matches with only Sergio Camelo as their only natural center forward. Not only was he transfer listed, but he was only just returning from a long term injury. To add to the pressure, while PSV were in a good position to make the playoff round, they still had no guarantees. They also had a chance for the automatic qualification spots should they win both matches… Atletico Madrid (H) Watching Atletico’s recent matches, Lindsay felt confident in PSV’s chances. They ran a 4-3-3 that was vulnerable to exactly the kind of quick transitions, and runs in the channels that PSV specialized in. Would Camello be up to the task of leading the line though? Lindsay needn’t have worried about Camello. He nearly scored after only 15 seconds, forcing a goal line clearance. Atletico didn’t heed the warning, however, and some glorious one touch passing allowed Camello to get through and score only a minute and a half later. He’d then go on to finish a well executed counter. As he hoped, PSV were brutal in transition. The movement of the front four was more than Atletico could handle and Camello’s movement and finishing were making Lindsay second guess his choice to transfer list the Spanish striker. Paris Saint-Germain (A) After a strong win in Eindhoven, PSV had a huge match away to PSG. Lindsay’s side had secured qualification to the knock out rounds with their win over Atletico Madrid, but would likely fall from the round of 16 slots if they lost in Paris. PSG were loaded with talent and still had prime Mbappe leading the line. Rather than try to stop him, Lindsay would focus on stopping the service to him by pressing both Ruben Neves and Declan Rice, who served as the double pivot in PSG’s 4-2-3-1. Lindsay would also set a high line and high press to try and disrupt PSG’s build up play. Ahead of the match, Lindsay and PSV got some bad news. Their electric right winger Madueke came down with COVID, and would miss several weeks. Lindsay had to hope the virus didn’t spread. Losing to PSG in Paris was nothing to be ashamed of, and PSV returned home with pride. What did hurt was giving up a two goal lead and losing to an added time winner from Mbappe. Even more frustrating was that Lindsay’s gameplan worked very well. The first goal came from the high press, with PSG forced into a long ball that PSV latched onto and quickly worked into the box - though Madueke’s replacement Taferner still had plenty to do. Forward Camello then gave Lindsay more to ponder as he scored a two minute brace to open the second half on two quick PSV counters. PSG’s relentless press was really effective, however, forcing Lindsay to switch to a more conservative 4-3-3 and abandon any pretenses of playing out from the back. More than anything, it was a case of Mbappe finding ways to Mbappe despite PSV effectively cutting off service for the vast majority of the match. His first half goal came from an absolutely pinpoint move - Lindsay could find no fault in his defense. His late equalizer from the spot was the result of a clumsy and unnecessary challenge in the box, and his winner was a moment where PSV’s backline switched off for just a moment in transition and were undone by a long ball - it was the one time Mbappe got in behind. Yeremy Pino’s goal was very unfortunate for PSV as well. A Benitez save fell kindly to Mbappe, but his shot was blocked…only for it to fall right at the feet of Pino at the far post. In the end, PSG were the better side and deserved the three points, yet PSV could feel very unlucky not to get at least a point. Two PSV mistakes and an unlucky bounce negated what was otherwise an incredibly well played match by PSV. While Lindsay had initially figured that a defeat was no different from a draw, he found out later that his side would have been through to the round of 16 if they’d managed to even draw in Paris. With 15 points and a GD of 5, they would have been equal with Tottenham in 8th, but had scored 14 to Tottenham’s 12. Lindsay couldn’t let himself dwell on the past, however. As it was, they’d have to get through none other than former PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooij’s Manchester United. The Red Devils were having a less than stellar season by their standards and were sitting in 5th in the Premier League. Their League Phase form left them in 20th place after losing to Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and a Feyenoord side that PSV knew well…and had beaten 4-0. Lindsay was not going to take a giant like Manchester United lightly, but he was not overawed either. The pressure would all be on United and PSV had shown that they could hold their own against the top sides. They’d beaten Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, drawn away at Arsenal, and only narrowly lost a 4-3 thriller in Paris. Play to their potential and they could not only get one over van Neistelooij, but do one better than he’d been able to and make it to the round of 16…

You’re not wrong, Lindsay’s would just rather he leave over the summer instead of in the middle of a promising campaign. Also, Lindsay is vaguely hoping to somehow keep Simons long enough that he can potentially bring him along when Lindsay (hopefully) moves to a top club.

Ha! Still, very good progress and comfortably safe in the end. Some reinforcements with all that Premier League cash and you’ll be on your way! Seems like midfield might be key, as you mentioned, to press and screen the backline so the direct sides can’t just launch it forward all the time.