El Payaso

Early goals enough for Chelsea in a third consecutive London derby Wednesday 6th of December, 2023 Chelsea featured in their third consecutive local derby as the team hosted Brentford at Stamford Bridge on a breezy Wednesday afternoon. The former Premier League giant featured inconsistently under their new boss Cesc Fàbregas was looking for full points against their local rival currently battling for the same positions as their more famous hosts. The home stand erupted for the first time after just 2 minutes of play as Chelsea finished off a fantastic counter-attacking move. A good combination between Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella down the left-hand side was enough to free Conor Gallagher at the edge of the visitors' penalty area and the midfielder on the other hand had to quality to free Nicolas Jackson for an easy scoring chance. The goal was only Jackson's fourth of the season, but it was well taken this time. Cucurella, who was chosen to the first eleven ahead of Ben Chilwell, was the architect of the second goal just five minutes later. Raheem Sterling's low cross was initially dealt with by the away team's defense, but the Spanish full-back was able to win the ball back inside the penalty area before a precise finish. Two goals up seemed to be enough for the home team as the hosts lifted their leg from the throttle. The Blues were in control of the game but didn't really produce anything dangerous for long periods of time. The same could be said about Bournemouth, who only produced one shot during the whole 90 minutes. The best player on the park, Conor Gallagher, got a late award as Trevor Chalobah won the ball back halfway line before setting up his fellow Englishman to a one-against-one against Mark Flekken. The chance was well buried by the midfielder, who scored his fourth goal of the season. PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH DAY 15 RESULTS Tuesday 5th of December, 2023 Wednesday 6th of December, 2023 LEAGUE TABLE PLAYER STATS

Match Report: Early fireworks in the West London derby Sunday 3rd of December 2023 Matchday 14 turned the attention to the London Olympic Stadium, where the 8th-placed home team hosted their 7th-placed rivals. Along with the West London derby, it was also a debut for Chelsea's new striker Christopher Nkunku, who had recovered from his serious knee injury. The Frenchman witnessed three early goals from the bench as we saw a cracker of 5 minutes after the 15th-minute mark. Jarrod Bowen gave his side the lead in the 14th minute from a cross provided by the experienced left-back Ryan Cresswell, who was able to jink past Malo Gusto after a long run with the ball. This was soon followed by a powerful header from Thilo Kehrer, who headed home James Ward-Prowse precise delivery from a corner kick. This goal was the fourth set-piece goal that the Blues had conceded in the last five games. The visitors fought their way back to the game just two minutes later when Nicolas Jackson set up Enzo Fernández to a decent position 20 yards out of the goal. The industrious Argentinian needed no further invitation as he buried away his first goal of the season with a powerful shot to the top corner of the net. The highly anticipated Nkunku debut was seen in the 62nd minute as the Frenchman replaced Jackson up top. The forward was unable to help his team to the points though as the Hammers made no mistake defending their narrow lead. The result saw Cesc Fàbregas losing first time as the Chelsea manager in the Premier League, as well as the Hammers climbing up their local rivals into the 7th position. As Newcastle United were able to win their own game away at Aston Villa, Chelsea slipped into the 9th place. Jarrod Bowen was chosen as the Player of the Match this time. The inside forward was a thorn in the side of Chelsea by scoring the first goal as well as summing up five shots and three successful dribbles in total. PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHDAY 14 RESULTS Saturday 2nd of December 2023 Sunday 3rd of December 2023 LEAGUE TABLE PLAYER STATS

The Blues in control in the West London Derby Saturday 25 November 2023 9th and 10th placed teams Chelsea and Fulham met each for the first time in the current season at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. The sold-out stadium witnessed a high-quality game of football, where the hosts were in control for most of the 90 minutes. Chelsea were without the services of captain Reece James and Mykhailo Mudruk, who had gotten injured during their international duties with England and Ukraine, which saw Malo Gusto and Noni Maduake breaking into the starting eleven of the Blues. The hosts' midfield trio, consisting of Enzo Fernández, Conor Gallagher, and Cole Palmer was pulling the strings for the Blues during the first 45 minutes of the game. Especially the latter's relatively free role and active forward runs were a thorn in the side of Fulham during the first half. Palmer managed to set up both Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson for easy chances during the first half, which the duo should have finished inside the penalty area. As his teammates turned out to be ineffective in front of the goal, Palmer took matters into his own hands in the 44th minute. The goal came through Fernández's good interception in the midfield, which saw the Argentinian setting up his English colleague in a great scoring position after Palmer's trademark run into the penalty area. Fulham were threatening Chelsea mainly from set pieces and came close a couple of times. The hosts continued to control the game during the second half too, recording almost 70% of the ball possession. Things were kept interesting though as the home team was unable to turn this possession into a big amount of high-quality chances. Hard work paid off for the Blues in the 80th minute when another good passage of play through the center of the park turned into a good goal. Sterling played a nice one-two with Conor Gallagher, who found Armando Broja making a well-timed run between the Fulham center-backs. The Albanian super-sub made no mistake taking the ball past Bern Leno and putting the game in the bag for the home team. The victory saw Chelsea climb up into 7th place in the Premier League, while Fulham dropped one position to 11th. Cole Palmer was awarded as the man of the match for the 4th time already this season. PREMIER LEAGUE GAME DAY 13 RESULTS LEAGUE TABLE PLAYER STATISTICS

The Garibaldis fall into a disappointing late draw Saturday 11 November 2023 The 15th-placed Nottingham Forest hosted Chelsea at the City Ground. The points were drawn as the visitors scored a 94th-minute equalizer through Conor Gallagher. The hosts were in control of the opening minutes of the game but were mainly threatening their visitors through set pieces. Nottingham got lucky after the 20-minute mark as Hudson-Odoi's corner delivery ended up at the feet of Serge Aurier and the experienced fullback had an easy job to finish his first goal of the Premier League campaign. It got Chelsea plenty of time to get their engines running, but the visitors were able to respond after the half-hour mark. The goal scored by Cole Palmer was built with a nice passage of play that started with Mykhaylo Mudryk cutting in from the left flank and setting up Raheem Sterling into an easy position where he was able to feed Palmer inside the six-yard box. As the game was for the taking in the second half, Chelsea were looking for a brighter start for the second 45 minutes. This didn't exactly happen as Nottingham was able to hit first just after the break. Raheem Sterling's loss of possession high up the pitch turned out costly as the hosts were able to find Hudson-Odoi free down the right-hand side and the tricky player made his former team pay with a precise through ball for Divock Origi, who was able to beat Roberto Sanchez with a precise finish. The visitors responded positively and took almost full control of the game after the 60th-minute mark. The Blues were able to build attack after attack, with limited success though. Chelsea's hard work and control of the game finally paid off in the last minute of the stoppage time, when Ben Chilwell's strong run down the left flank saw the ball ending up in the feet of Moises Caicedo, who was able to find Conor Gallagher inside the penalty area. Chelsea's best player of the season so far made no mistake and left Matt Turner without any chance for a save with a powerful finish. The former Chelsea winger Calum Hudson-Odoi was voted as the player of the match. The result saw Nottingham Forest climbing up to the 11th place in the Premier League table, while Chelsea remained 9th. The Premier League will continue once again in two weeks after the international break. Chelsea will host Fulham next, while Nottingham Forest will travel to London for a match against Crystal Palace. _____ @Rick87 Thank you for the positive feedback! Very much appreciated. I'm still looking for ways to improve this content. Along with my matches, I would like to make it easy for the readers to follow the league's events in general as well as write a bit about my tactics when I get something more permanent lined up. It's been years since I last produced content like this and you can sadly see it in the quality, but I will try to improve all the time.

Honours even at Stamford Bridge after an uneventful afternoon Chelsea and Aston Villa met on Saturday afternoon amid a busy schedule. This was the third time these two teams featured in just seven days. The 16th-placed visitors got off to a flyer as Douglas Luiz set up center-back Pau Torres for an easy chance as the Blues defense failed to clear out the ball properly after a corner kick that was delivered in by the Brazilian. Chelsea got even after just five minutes through a nice passage of play that saw Cole Palmer releasing Raheem Sterling through the right-hand side and between Torres and fullback Álex Moreno. The trickery winger then had an easy job setting up Armando Broja inside the six-yard area, who was unable to miss the open net. Douglas Luiz was the best player in the park for the first half an hour, but the Brazilian was then taken out of play by an effective man-marking effort performed by the home team's Conor Callagher, who started to control the middle of the park ever since. Aston Villa were slightly the better team in the first 45 minutes, but the tables turned during the second one. Raheem Sterling was by far the most dangerous player on the pitch for the second 45 minutes, but the hosts were still unable to make their momentum pay off. The home team was without the services of Nicolas Jackson, who injured his ankle just a day before the game. The young forward joined a long list of injured players formed by Malo Gusto, Roméo Lavia, Enzo Fernández, Noni Madueke, Axel Disasi, and Wesley Fofana. The long list of injuries allowed young Deivid Washington a rare opportunity in the Premier League as the Brazilian replaced goalscorer Broja as the lone forward in the 72nd minute. The youngster came close to scoring twice in the dying minutes but was denied on both occasions by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Both teams remain in their respectable positions after the draw. Chelsea is currently 9th in the table, while struggling Aston Villa are 16th. MAN OF THE MATCH Raheem Sterling, Chelsea Goals: 0 Assists: 1 Rating: 8.20

Ipswich town produces as a surprise as Chelsea exits from the Carabao Cup A perfect defensive display sees the Championship side progress into the fifth round. Cesc Fàbregas suffered his first defeat as the new manager of Chelsea as The Blues were eliminated from the Carabao Cup in the fourth round by Ipswich Town. The Premier League giants were unable to break the sturdy defensive line of the Championship side and were punished from set pieces. Fábregas made 10 changes to his starting eleven that beat Newcastle United at St. James Park just three days earlier. Numerous players from the under-21 squad were included and the attack was led by Armando Broja and Nicolas Jackson, who was the only player who has started all three games with the Spaniard in charge. Chelsea dominated possession throughout the game but wasn't anywhere near scoring until the home team shocked the footballing world with a goal in the 57th minute. The goal came from a corner kick and was scored by Harry Clarke, with a precise header from Cameron Burges' flick-on. After conceding, the visitors brought in Cole Palmer, Conor Callagher, and Ben Chilwell in an attempt to turn things around. The Blues controlled the last 30 minutes of the game and were close to scoring more a few times while piling on the pressure. In the 93rd minute of the game, Chelsea got a corner, which saw goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic join the attack. Ipswich's defense was able to clear and find Dane Scarlett free at the halfway line, where the striker was able to finish into the open Chelsea goal. Chris Walton, who made just 3 saves during the game, was voted as the Man of the Match. The 27-year-old wasn't overly bothered between his pipes but made important saves inside the last 15 minutes of the game to the efforts of Cole Palmer and Broja. Chelsea will continue with their busy schedule on Saturday by hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League. Ipswich, on the other, will travel to Birmingham to face Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City in the Championship.

Newcastle and Chelsea locked horns in a thrilling encounter Saturday evening at St. James' Park saw two underachievers of the season facing each other in an entertaining game. The home team went to the game with no real injury worries, while the visitors were without the services of Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández, who both got injured during the one-week break after the match against Luton. The visitors started brightly and were one goal ahead after just ten minutes through a good setup play between Roméo Lavia and Mykhailo Mudryk. Newcastle got their engines running with the early cold shower and took control of the game. Alexander Isak saw his goal ruled out in the 24th minute due to an offside, but just a minute later Lavia's lack of match fitness led to an error, which was punished by Joelinton, who got through on goal against Sanchez. After the break, Chelsea gave yet another freezing shower for the home team as Mudryk scored his second goal in the 47th from a good cross delivered by captain Reece James. The clinical away team sealed the game after the one-hour mark when James won the ball back at the halfway line and set up Conor Callagher through on goal against Nick Pope, who was helpless against the powerful finish to the far corner of the net. The final goal of the game was also scored by the visitors as Mudryk and Raheem Sterling broke in a counter-attack against the now very attacking home team. The unstoppable Ukrainian was the provider this time as Sterling finished only his second goal of the season just seconds before being substituted. The Blues were as clinical as they possibly could have been as they finished from all their 4 shots on target. Newcastle on the other hand created 12 shots in total, out of which 5 were on target, most of them saved by the Spanish keeper Sanchez. Mykhailo Mudryk was awarded the Player of the Match award after a productive performance, with two goals and one assist. The result saw Chelsea climb up to the 8th position in the Premier League table, while the struggling Newcastle side remained 12th.

A dream start for Fàbregas as The Hatters are brushed aside In a thrilling encounter at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea FC secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Luton on October 22, 2023. The Blues showcased their attacking prowess early in the game, with goals from Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer putting them 2-0 up within the opening 10 minutes. Chelsea's dominance was evident from the start, as they swiftly took control of the midfield. Caicedo's goal came from a well-executed team move. Just minutes later, Palmer displayed his clinical finishing to double the lead from the edge of the penalty area, leaving Luton with an uphill battle. However, Luton managed to find a lifeline just before halftime in an unexpected turn of events. A rare mistake from experienced defender Thiago Silva allowed Ross Barkley to capitalize and convert Luton's only shot of the game, making it 2-1 at the 42nd-minute mark. The second half saw Luton adopting a resilient defensive approach, successfully thwarting Chelsea's attacking advances for much of the period. The Blues struggled to break down the opposition, but the late stages of the game witnessed a resurgence in their attacking prowess. Armando Broja and Nicolas Jackson sealed the victory for Chelsea, scoring two goals in the last ten minutes of the match. The goals were a testament to the Blues' persistence and ability to capitalize on turnovers in the midfield. Amidst the dynamic team performance, Cole Palmer, deployed as a central midfielder, emerged as the game's standout player. His talent was on full display, contributing both as a goal-scorer and provider with one goal and an assist. The match underscored Chelsea's midfield dominance, with all four goals originating from quick dispossessions and turnovers in the middle of the park. The hard-working midfielders showcased their ability to transition from defense to attack seamlessly, ultimately securing a convincing 4-1 win for Chelsea FC. The victory saw the Blues climb up to the 10th position in the Premier League table. Chelsea FC 4-1 Luton Town ⚽ Moises Caicedo 5' 1-0 ⚽ Cole Palmer (Fernández) 11' 2-0 ⚽ Ross Barkley (Morris) 42' 2-1 ⚽ Armando Broja (Callagher) 82' 3-1 ⚽ Nicolas Jackson (Palmer) 85' 4-1

When we talk about the difficulty of the game, I think we should also take into account the fact that SI has made most of the main features of the game very accessible. It was a fair point during the slider times to claim that building a successful style of play might take a lot of time and effort, even though there also were easier ways, which could see tactics being 'built' in just tens of seconds. This claim doesn't apply anymore and neither does the fairly popular "you need to be an expert of real football to build a successful tactic". Nowadays it is possible to build a well-rounded and working tactic with 2-3 clicks and also pick the ideal squad with the 'quick pick' option. Other features such as scouting and training are more complex, I think, but with these, you have the option to delegate them fully to one of your staff members. Also finding a talented member of the staff is a fairly simple and even easy process that takes you maybe a couple of minutes of gameplay, maximum. Also, we have to take into account some of the popular tools within the game that are at our disposal. Both staff and player search are so strong and comprehensive features that many 'hardcore' players don't even use them at all, because these make squad building and strengthening the non-playing staff quite easy. With these points taken into account, I don't see any good reasons, why it wouldn't be okay for SI to raise the bar a little bit even for the more casual players.

Cesc Fabregas Returns to Stamford Bridge: Appointed as Chelsea FC's New Manager Chelsea FC has officially welcomed back a familiar face to Stamford Bridge, as Cesc Fabregas takes the helm as the club's new manager. The former Chelsea midfielder, known for his illustrious playing career and astute footballing intelligence, now steps into the managerial spotlight to guide the Blues through the challenges that lie ahead. Fabregas, 36, returns to Chelsea with a wealth of footballing experience and a deep understanding of the club's ethos. Fabregas won the English Premier League title twice with Chelsea in 2015 and 2017, along with a UEFA Europa League title in 2019. After leaving Chelsea in 2019, Fabregas continued his playing career with AS Monaco in Ligue 1, showcasing his leadership skills both on and off the pitch. He finished his career in Italy in May 2023, after playing his final season as a professional in Serie B. The midfielder's transition into coaching has been eagerly anticipated, and now, the moment has arrived for him to make his mark from the dugout. Speaking about his new role, Fabregas expressed his enthusiasm. Chelsea's board has placed its faith in Fabregas to instill a winning mentality and bring a fresh perspective to the team. The appointment is a clear signal of the club's commitment to promoting a long-term vision, with a manager who understands the values that make Chelsea unique. The Blues' faithful will not have to wait long to witness Fabregas in action on the touchline, as Chelsea is set to face Luton Town in their first game under the new manager's tenure. The clash, scheduled after the international break in October 2023, is anticipated to be a momentous occasion as the team aims to kickstart a new era under Fabregas. Fans can expect to see the iconic midfielder's tactical understanding and passion for the game translated into the team's playing style. The match against 10th-placed Luton Town will be a crucial test for Fabregas and his squad, as they look to turn the page on a challenging start to the season and embark on a positive trajectory under their new manager. As the excitement builds around Cesc Fabregas' return to Chelsea, the club is united in the hope that this appointment marks the beginning of a successful chapter, bringing glory and silverware back to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea FC Part Ways with Mauricio Pochettino After Disappointing Start to the Premier League Season Defeat to Crystal Palace the 'final straw' Lampard considered as the interim manager? What went wrong, once again? Chelsea FC has announced the shock departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino following a dismal start to the 2023-2024 Premier League season. The decision comes just eight games into the campaign, with the most recent blow being a 3-0 defeat away at Crystal Palace on Monday. Pochettino, who took charge of the Blues in the summer, failed to live up to the high expectations set by the Chelsea hierarchy. The recent defeat at Selhurst Park, where Chelsea was convincingly beaten by Crystal Palace, marked the final straw for the club's board. The Argentine manager, renowned for his successful stints at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, struggled to find the right formula at Stamford Bridge. Despite having a talented squad at his disposal, Chelsea's lackluster performances and inconsistent results led to the decision to terminate Pochettino's contract. This abrupt departure adds Pochettino to the growing list of managerial casualties at Chelsea in recent years. Frank Lampard, who enjoyed a legendary playing career with the club, faced the axe in January 2021 after a promising start to his managerial career began to unravel. German tactician Thomas Tuchel replaced Lampard, guiding Chelsea to a Champions League triumph in the 2020-2021 season. However, Tuchel's tenure also ended abruptly in September 2022. The German was followed by Graham Potter, who arrived from Brighton and took over the managerial reins in a highly expected move, which ended less than seven months later. Following Frank Lampard's brief spell as the interim manager, the decision to appoint Pochettino was seen as an attempt to bring in a more experienced manager with a proven track record, but the results on the pitch did not match the club's ambitions. Chelsea now faces a crucial decision in finding a new manager to steady the ship and salvage the season. The club's hierarchy will be under scrutiny for their rapid turnover of managers in recent times, with fans and pundits alike questioning the stability of the coaching setup at Stamford Bridge. The club currently sits in 13th place in the Premier League, with just 8 points from the first 9 games of the season. As Chelsea fans brace themselves for yet another managerial change, the club's board will undoubtedly be looking for a candidate who can bring stability, success, and a long-term vision to guide the team back to the summit of English and European football.

The thing with goalkeepers scoring goals like regular outfield players isn't anything new though. Back in FM 2015, I always used to play my backup keepers as wingers in Copa del Rey as they were able to perform as well as any outfield player. I remember my 38-year-old keeper scoring 2 and assisting 1 from AMR position in the cup and this wasn't an exception. I think that at least at some point playing players out of a position that they know only meant that decision-making is going to be a bit lower than normal. A couple of years ago, also, for example, the first touch attribute didn't need to matter at all because according to Nick Madden from SI, "even players playing in the local park can control the ball perfectly". This is a direct quote from him when I reported my LLM playing a bit too delightful tiki-taka-styled football without any signs of technical limitations.

Much appreciated. I have read your whole career update and have to admit that you have been doing a good job and it is quite obvious that you are good at this game and know what you're doing. However, you were already overachieving quite heavily even before you got that financial boost that has helped you greatly. This kind of squad overhaul/re-build also shows two quite big fragilities within the game: first of all, you are able to make this kind of rebuild without any real competition from the AI, and secondly: even when you fill your team with new players in a short period of time, there is no real downfall in terms of cohesion and performances. Also, you need to consider the European success that really is a Cinderella story. You must have faced many really good teams there, yet still, you were able to win a European competition on your first try, when most real-life managers, even good ones, fail to do this through their entire career. In general, when you take into account the starting circumstances, your career is already more impressive than most of the real-life managers, even though you have only managed two full seasons.

Another thing that I forgot to mention in the opening message was the representation of players' attributes within the ME. When starting with Birmingham City, I immediately noticed that I lacked quality down the flanks, which was a real problem on the paper as 4-5-1 was a formation that I wanted to go with. Two of my wingers (Dugarry and Hughes) are technical but fairly slow and Clinton Morrison on the other hand is pacey but lacks technical ability (only 12 for dribbling, for example). I decided to go with the planned formation anyway and see how it goes. The thing is though, that these quite obvious weaknesses don't seem to show in the match engine. Hughes has been really great on the right-hand side, both scoring and assisting as well as creating a good amount of chances every game. Morrison on the other hand is able to do really long runs with the ball thanks to his pace. His lack of technical ability is not really showing in any way and he is able to play certain situations in a way that would have left real-life Robben and Damien Duff second. What is also odd is the fact of how many chances I can create from crosses. We're often not finishing them, but especially Hughes is getting a chance, or two, or even three every game from the far post even though he is not by any means an accomplished penalty area player. I would wish that in these kinds of situations, where you have clear weaknesses within the team, you would have to think a bit more about how are you going to play your team. If you have a small striker like Sergio Agüero up-front, you should not be able to rely just on crossing but instead to find a way to play the game so that you could use these players' strengths and on the other hand minify their weaknesses. On the other hand, this should give tactical opportunities for the opposing teams as they could try to nullify the stronger team by forcing them to play football that is outside their comfort zone. I am happy with some of the aspects of the ME. Even though I talk about my own team, I would say that most of the goals that we score do make sense and are even the types that I would be looking for with a pacey and well-rounded striker such as Mikael Forssell up-front. Most of the goals that he has scored have come from situations, where one of my three hard-working midfielders wins the ball back and plays a quick pass over the defensive line for Forssell to finish. This is exactly how I was hoping for Forssell to get his goals and to perform.

I think we also need to remember that SI has made most of the game features easily accessible to all of the players. Tactics are obviously one of the things that come to mind when talking about different aspects and the fact is that nowadays it doesn't even take minutes, but two or three clicks and about 10-15 seconds to set up a sensible style of play. In older versions of FM, you had to start from scratch and without any in-game guidance. It is also a fact that SI has now given 'casual players' years to learn how to use the different features of the game. Although, with the current level of difficulty, you don't have to learn as you are likely to be successful even without taking most of the newer areas of the game. I haven't, for example, paid a single bit of attention to the data centers, etc., because the game doesn't 'force' me to utilize these to be successful. This also shows me how lazy we people tend to be. I remember spending hours tinkering with tactics and training in those versions, where you had to create everything from scratch. Nowadays the game allows me to be really lazy and mainly concentrate on managing games and otherwise clicking continue. Would love it if the game would force me to pay more attention and actually learn the new features by making me underachieve if I didn't do so. I think this is also a bit of a downfall for many features of the game. People do not actively use them or study them as they are doing just fine without doing so. For me, this is stripping away the magic from the game and it's creating the feeling of an arcade game.

Decided to start a new thread about the match engine, because there are a few issues that annoy me. As I have already said, this is the first version of FM that I have been playing for the last couple of years. Was excited to play the game for the first time in a long time, especially as I found the retro databases that take me back to those times when I started following international football. The 03/04 database isn't perfect as this was the season before the Chelsea vs Manchester United rivalry really began, but it is a decent one and obviously way more interesting than modern football. What I noticed basically immediately after starting playing is that for example creative midfielders now perform way better than in many of the previous versions that I have played. David Dunn has been really good for my Birmingham team and so can be said for AI-controlled individuals, such as Juan Veron and Zinedine Zidane, who are piling the assists for their teams. What I also noticed, though, was the fact that there are plenty of repetitive scenarios, such as the give-and-go throw-ins, where the attacking team can get a free cross into the penalty area time after time. This more often than not leads into a tap-in from the far post. In addition to this, there are also real issues with other set pieces, especially corners, where for example defenders seem to be very weak at clearing the ball away from the penalty area and the attacking team's lurker is having a party outside the penalty area. In total I have conceded 14 goals in 11 games so far and out of these 11 goals have come directly or indirectly from set pieces, most from throw-ins or in a scenario where the attacking lurking player either takes a shot from the edge of the penalty area after a corner or sets someone else up for an easy goal. I have faced Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United away from home and those teams have scored 3 'proper football goals' from logical scenarios, in total. One of them was Sol Campbell's header from a corner, one was van Nisteltrooy getting through on goal after United won the ball back deep in my half and the third one was Gudjohnsen finishing from a low cross. I lost to all of these teams, which is to be expected and what also made me happy, but what was disappointing was the fact that most of their goals were total rubbish and had nothing to do with tactics or football. I think the balance between 'good goals' and these kinds of rubbish outcomes has been really bad for years already. I don't mind losing games, quite the opposite actually, but I would like to see more of those "that was a good goal, no complaints whatsoever" moments. You know, for example, those kinds of goals that Chelsea, with Lampard and Drogba, scored a lot during that era in real life. You know, the type of goals that show the quality of world-class teams and individuals. What do other people think about this?

These two career update threads are also good examples of the issues I was talking about in my earlier messages. In my opinion, these are not career updates, but fairytales instead. In both cases, the human-controlled team was supposed to fight against relegation in season one (in the Portuguese example the team was even clearly predicted to finish last in the league). Still, the eventual outcome is something way different. In the first thread, the human-controlled team qualifies in Europe in the first season and ends up winning a double in season two. In the second example, instead of fighting against relegation, the human-controlled team is almost promoted to the Premier League, which it does after season two. We all know what happened with Leicester City a few years ago, but this was something that you could consider a real exception. Also, even though they managed to win the Premier League once, this was not a road to eternal domination and constant growth and as we know, the team was even relegated after last season. I would say that when talking about football management, at least half of the attempts should end up in a failure in terms of reaching the goals. And why something like that should not be the case in the game too? After all, you can play as many seasons as you want and manage as many teams as you want, so why shouldn't most of the time consist of struggling and failure and only a minority of the time be successful? That is what would make the game more career-type and probably also make winning something taste quite a bit sweeter.

This is a somewhat funny conversation, I think. Many people are perhaps rightfully raising their concerns about the 'easiness' of the game while others are giving them ways to 'sabotage' their gameplay. This is only my opinion, but anyway. When we talk about a career type of game, in my opinion, it is impossible to make the game too difficult as long as the AI and human players are treated the same way by the game. When it is the other way around, aka when the game is made too easy, this kills the career aspect of the game almost completely for the majority of the players. I would say that the majority of FM players are those, who want to manage their favorite team and have a career with that. I'd say that something like 'rebuilding Chelsea or Manchester United' is quite popular. When browsing the Manchester United season thread, I noticed that many players already won the Premier League in season one. Even though Manchester United probably has a 'decent' team in the game, this, in my opinion, should never happen, no matter how good you are at the game or no matter how many exploits you are using. This is because, in the Premier League, you are up against two of the best managers of the last decade, who both have way better and more balanced teams at their disposal. This is also, where the career aspect dies. Where is the career mode in this kind of save if you start winning trophies in season one? I think it is also a false thing to say that SI is working towards something like this. Because they have been able to create way stronger AI for the beta phase already ages ago. I have seen it myself and I think @Rashidi has also mentioned this in the forums. I am personally not the correct person to judge the current difficulty level of the game as I am a slow FM player, who can be happy if he can complete 3-4 seasons in this version. I have been enjoying my retro save with Birmingham City and so far have only won 2 of our ~10 games in total so at least I am not overachieving within the season. Hopefully, things don't go too crazy for me during the transfer windows either.

The main annoyance in the ME so far for me is corner kicks. Defenders often seem to win the first ball, but at least in my matches the clearances are almost always weak and the ball doesn't even leave the penalty area after the initial clearance. Also more often than not, the clearance is directed straight to the attacking player, who can either take a free shot from a good position or set up another player for a tap-in. Also, it's a bit rash that you have to sacrifice two defending players to guard the edge of the penalty area and even when instructed to do so, the players often leave their position and leave the lurker open. Just had a game against Manchester United, where all their highlights started from set pieces and about 80% of these from corners.

It's been a long time since I played FM the last time. This year, it also took me a long time to start playing the game properly. I have only managed about 10 games in total throughout the whole version, but I have to say that I like it, especially when I found a season 03/04 retro database. I think the last version I played was FM 20, and the newer one is a real upgrade. especially in terms of the match engine. I like the fact that the game is creating a lot of turnovers in the midfield and the variety of goals is huge compared to the older versions of the game that often seemed to have a few scenarios that kept repeating themselves. I used to put a lot of effort into reporting big issues within the match engine when I was doing beta testing in the past. Back then, most of my reports were ignored, but I would like to think that at least some of them have now made a difference as the game seems now much more football-like than the versions a few years ago, where Harry Kane was completing 80+ pass attempt and playing 5+ key passes per game as a centre forward. Still early days, but really enjoying this one so far.

Still impossible to write anything comprehensive as I have only managed to play two competitive matches so far. The first impressions are good though: so far there have been six goals in total and all of them were goals of different kinds, so there seems to be fewer of those repetitive scenarios and much more variety compared to versions 19 and 20, which were the last ones that I have played. And what is even better: I have lost both of my games as Villarreal, so at least the start has been tough for me. Hopefully, I will get sacked at some point, would be the first time ever on FM.

Sorry for not doing my work, but have to ask: what is the issue related to throw-ins that have been mentioned here? If you mean bad marking and a lot of chances created from attacking throw-ins then this has been present in the game as far as I can remember. Already in editions such as FM 2014 or 2015 attacking throw-ins were working so that you would get a free give-and-go from them, which often leads either to a free crossing opportunity or a chance inside the penalty area. This is nothing new for sure.

Thought so. Well, the interface indeed is almost horrible compared to what it used to be. Would have thought that SI would not limit these kinds of options as every player has their own preferences.

It's been a couple of years since I played Football Manager, but I decided to purchase the latest one. I have to ask: isn't it possible to customize the match screen anymore? I used to play with a split screen in the previous versions, where the match stats took half of the screen and the pitch was on the other side. Now it seems that you are forced to have the pitch displayed on full screen and in general the whole match screen looks like a mess that I would pretty much like to edit somehow...