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Post by Ben on Feb 16, 2020 20:35:02 GMT
April/May 2030We've stuttered our way to the end of the season - our bad form has coincided with some bad laptop management and has, as such, led to many crashes and many of these games played at least three times! Still - we've held on to a top half position, by the skin of our team and are the lowest ranked team to have a positive goal difference, losing the same amount of games as the teams in sixth and seventh. With three really strong teams in this league and one of the tightest title fights I've ever seen - it's safe to say that I am happy to once again be playing in this league next year - and that comes regardless of the strong start that we had. --- As a playing squad, it's hard to look past the low average ratings and the poor goals and assists column, but, when looking at the bigger picture - the fourth best defence in the league with only 31 conceded reminds me a lot more of Del Bosque's Spain rather than Pep's Barcelona but we have the foundations to move on and build bigger and better things going forward. At this stage, I'm very much looking at those twelve draws, seven of which were 0-0, as points gained rather than profligacy gong forward. Here are the playing stats: As I said, I'm not overly concerned by the low numbers. We scored 36 times this year, in total, 33 times in the league and three more in a short cup run. No wonder my players aren't getting consistently high ratings as the forwards are scoring once every few games and lucky to create a key chance. That is partially down to opposition and partially down to our own approach - but there is a case for over-reacting here, and that is not what I want to do. When looking at the percentage of our total goals scored - our top contributors (goals and assists) look like this: Barcelona scored a crazy 113 league goals this season. If Brian Pena had contributed 42% of that amount, he'd had a total of 38 goals or assists to his name this season and would surely be in the running for a Ballon D'or or something crazy like that. Instead, he just about reached double figures in all competitions but recorded his worst league outlay to date. Does this make him a bad player? Of course not. Is it somewhat sentimental that my lower league hero got a chance in the top flight without me buying competition and, as such, is a somewhat naive decision? Yes, probably. So, our front three (and Samuel, who returned from loan in January) have done what they are supposed to - get involved in the goals, and they've been joined by the mightily impressive Marlon Lucas, the new midfielder-cum-full back who joined in the summer. Is this the issue then? Are we not converting our chances? For comparison, league top scorer Moise Kean converted 36% of his shots per/90 and ended with 38 league goals this season. Our highest is Samuel, who, statistically, has really done well in the part of the season where we have struggled the most. It is Brian Pena, who's 10% conversion rate puts him way down the pecking order and, surprisingly, not my end of season wonder like he normally is. I think this largely explains why - he's been far more involved in the build up play and, if I could gather a heat map for his average positions across the whole season, would probably find him playing much deeper than ever before. It is also a signal that, with no Plan B that is any different to him (Septien can also deputise as a T(A) in that role), if that area of the pitch is covered - he just becomes a playmaker and not an all around goal scoring machine that he has once been. It is worth noting that he is now rated at 2.5* (I tend not to care but this might be useful information) and the weakest member of my first team squad. --- I'll have a closer look at the rest of the squad over the summer but for now, my approach is going to be promoting youth as we look to consolidate for a few years and build a wage and transfer budget that will allow me to strengthen adequately. ---
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Post by Ben on Feb 16, 2020 21:12:28 GMT
I've neglected this part of the game world for a little while now - being so caught up in the bubble of my own team and rarely focusing on what is going on elsewhere. Eleven years into the game hasn't seen a huge amount of changes - Man City and PSG not being in the biggest club competition in the world being the main one, along with the surprise relegation of Bayer Leverkusen and the fall of Juve, who haven't finished above fifth since 2023. In Europe, there was triumphs for Barca (CL), Arsenal (EL) and West Ham (Europa Conference League).
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Post by Ben on Feb 17, 2020 10:58:03 GMT
B Team promotionI agreed the formation of this team six years back and they've just been promoted into the playable third tier for the first time. They are managed by a member of staff the board brought in, who likes Route One football, and are semi-pro and full, currently, of my cast-offs but the job is to help them cement themselves at this level so I can use this as a tool for player development without having to use the loan system.
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Post by Ben on Feb 17, 2020 12:52:07 GMT
Youth ProgressDefinitely something that fell by the wayside last year as I looked for experienced heads and first team players in order to retain our top tier status. As such, I hadn't updated my tracker: At the end of this year - we will have had 22 players that I have tracked through our youth development program (which, as of now, still only stands as setting individual training - I'm not at a point whereby I can sacrifice other things to have time to run all training and the like) with all but Angel, Benjamin, Francisco and Baena coming through our own academy. A weakness of this, I feel, is that I track their first year but then nothing happens following that. For example - Francisco made the second highest improvement score over his first year, but where is he now? Out on loan at a second tier team. Could I have done something extra? Almost certainly. Samuel came out of the academy year as the best, on paper, player. Did he do much until injuries meant I needed to recall him in January? No. Would I have done it if not? Probably not. I want to create something that works with the games playing time pathway feature. --- As for this year: Four fresh new faces in what is a pretty strong group of players (probably brought down by Miki Garcia but his good first touch, technique, decisions and balance make me want him to be good!). As a cohort, they have a good first touch, passing, technique, decisions and determination - which I'd like to think is just an extension of my own 'DNA.' I'm not yet at a point whereby I will be designing youth schedules around these areas of development, as I mentioned, but I will ensure that progress is regularly checked and I use their Role and individual focus to see how they develop this year.
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Post by Ben on Feb 17, 2020 21:14:33 GMT
2030/31 Transfer DealingsI'll start with our projections - as that indicates that we can afford the majority of talent that is floating around this game world. Not the elite, but that is understandable. We can shell out £30m for a player, should we need to, that could become a backbone of the team. However - finding that player is proving far more difficult. With £50m in the bank and £18m to spend of transfers, I've really not been able to use this warchest to strengthen my side as, quite frankly, the type of player I want is just not interested. We are still new to this top flight and the sticky second season is upon us and, given our relative quick rise up the leagues, players aren't willing to take a chance on us. Therefore my signings, to this point, have been somewhat uninspiring: Francisco Bravo signs and is really good, yet my 3 non-EU player quota is filled and he, since he's a new signing, won't leave on loan. I'm stuck with him in the youth squad at the moment which convinced me to sign Toni Lato as backup and sell on Angel. Lato is significantly better, and, despite being 32, is hopefully good enough for the six months that is needed for Carlos Alberto to, hopefully, take Spanish citizenship and free up a slot to have Bravo as the rotational option with Marlon Lucas. Lato brings a wealth of experience to a young side and is a solid defensive option when needed. Oscar Dominguez came through the Brighton academy at the hands of Ryan Shawcross (this just doesn't sound right) and will join up with the B squad as I look to assess him. He's not particularly special but may be profitable in future. Lyndson is a player I've tracked for a while and due to his Spanish citizenship, joins with no issues about nationality. This is a type of move I don't really condone - a loan with no future fee, but his release clause is low enough should I want to make this permanent. He'll be a good backup option on the wings. --- The big gap. A forward. I'm going to be a lot more fluid between the AM either as a SS(A) or T(A) and a ST as a F9(S) or even a T(A) this year as I look to gain a tactical advantage. I did a lot of looking at Brian Pena and, despite his poor season, can't find it in myself to sell him on, yet. But what I do need is another option as youth striker Antonio is not ready, yet. To this point - it has been impossible to find a player, with top flight experience, who has scored a reasonable amount of goals (10+ a season) who is willing to join. I might have been brave in bringing up a striker with no La Liga experience but I'm desperate not to fall into the stupid trap of going another season without an option. Things are not looking promising right now, but, for us, the work isn't over yet.
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Post by Ben on Feb 18, 2020 20:50:58 GMT
The elusive forwardMy quest to bring in a forward is over, for now. He's not the proven top flight scorer with bags of experience that I may be wanted, but I am still really happy with the deal. Firstly, I had a list of non-negotiable things as well as a list of desired things, here they are: Non-negotiable- Complies with EU nationality as I wouldn't have been able to register him. This takes out a huge chunk of players as, with our reputation as it is, we are very much a stepping stone for young, hungry players form South America rather than already established players in Europe. There are some dual-nationals out there but I couldn't find anything that fitted my needs, now. - Speaks Spanish. I've talked about 'the group' and I know that this is something Louis Van Gaal, and many other managers, hold in high regard. The club currently has two social groups - with the second made up of just Toni Lato, following his recent arrival. Therefore, I need a player who can quickly integrate, and as such, a language barrier is not appropriate. - Fulfil an Argentine-esque number 10. I've been reading, once again in Zonal Marking by Michael Cox, about how South American's, in the pibe role made a name for the number 10. My own time watching football has seen me love the likes of Ariel Ortega, Juan Riquelme, Pablo Aimar (as well as FM versions such as Nahuel Leiva) and, of course, Lionel Messi. The pibe is stereo-typically a clever, yet physically under-developed normally left footed player who can change the game with moments of absolute genius. - Also fulfil a Brazilian-esque number 9. Not from Zonal Marking, but from my love of all things Selecao, and, mainly Ronaldo. I've never watched a more complete forward than he in my lifetime. He was fast, skillful and a lethal finisher - just what I need to push this team on. Essentially, I'm after a 9.5, the ultimate combo of both. Wants
- A player who is versatile- able to play as an AM - either a SS(A) or a T(A) as well as a variety of forward roles, mainly a F9(S) or DLF(s) or even a CF(S). - Taller than the current crop of players, so I am able to utilise different styles of play should I need to. Tallness tends to come with physicality, which might help defend from the front. - Age - a player nearing or in his peak ideally as I am looking for someone who has scored at levels as close to our own as possible. --- A massive list. Far too many criteria to all be matched. I have a shortlist of players and, actually, I have signed all of the players from it - Francisco Bravo, Lyndson, Carlos Alberto and now Neyveson, my, hopefully, gap filler and potentially star player. Firstly - what can he do? He's as close to the 9.5 as I'm not going to get at this point- good passing, vision, first touch, a good long shot and good technically means he can dictate the game from a slightly withdrawn striker role but also an excellent finisher, really quick and agile and with good composure and off the ball, aiding his number 9 play. Additionally, he's got a great penalty, takes a good free-kick, and, whilst he won't be used, is also good at corners (he's one of my taller players so will be elsewhere). He can play across the attacking three and as a striker and, strangely, looks like he's been asked to fill in at left back a couple of times, too. Being left footed not only fits my pibe role - it also works really well with how we set up. Both of my right sided wingers are more traditional wingers and will move aggressively towards the byline and, the space left inside is full with an on-rushing Mezzala. With a RPM in the MCL slot and Neyveson naturally drifting left onto his stronger foot - he'll create some nice build up play with my left wingers, Septien and Lyndson, who are both naturally far more creative. Born in Brazil, he came through the Vitoria set up but was poached by Barcelona and came through their intake in 2027. A sole appearance for the first team led to a loan to Deportivo, in La Liga, at just 18 years old. He started nine times and came off the bench four times, scoring once and getting one player of the match - not a hugely poor return for a youngster in a team who amassed just 33 goals and stayed up on the last day of the season. He did enough to be named in their Best-XI for the 2028/29 season. It was that summer that I was alerted to him, as he won 3rd Place in the U19 European Championship Golden Boot - although Spain crashed out in the semi finals, on penalties, to victors England. I mentioned that I wanted a proven goalscorer, and 6 goals in 20 second tier games for sixth placed Barca B is hardly that, but I watched the lad played in all kinds of roles, from a DLP, to a winger to a poacher - hardly surprising that he didn't really get going. Barca have allowed him to join on loan for this season but I have managed to sneak in an optional clause of £3.5m. This currently sits about 5x his market value right now but, for a lad with little experience at this level and one who will be getting first team football this season - I am hopeful that it is going to be an absolute bargain.
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Post by Ben on Feb 18, 2020 21:13:00 GMT
Squad numbers
Keeping the Argentine style of numbering from 1-11 with Marlon Lucas replacing Angel but with some added nostalgic numbers - Lyndson in the Real Madrid Beckham shirt and Neyveson in the Aston Villa Yorke shirt (at least, until he hopefully takes over from Pena). My strongest first XI for the start of the season would probably look like this: Benjamin, Alberto and Ropero all have 3.5* current ability so can be rotated at will. We open up with a home tie against Elche so will need creativity a bit deeper and these to fulfil that. Pena can slot in on the wing with both Septien and Lyndson there to take over - but the sentiment is probably too strong to drop him straight off, plus I pay him a 'Star Player' wage! The bench options aren't looking too bad: I concluded that Puigmal was too weak last season but have been unable to replace him, especially as I lost Berro (I think I forgot to post about him) for his €3.5m minimum release clause. Bono steps up into the team as hopefully an able backup. Navarro is rated as highly as Sabena (3.5* CA) and can slot in at either RB or CB and is a good ball player too. Varela went off the ball last season and his squad status was reduced on the back of that - maybe some competition with Samuel will assist with that. Septien showed his quality and will really be pushing Pena if he doesn't perform on the left wing, with them sharing out appearances, I reckon. Pintado was excellent in not moaning about his small amount of game time but I'm hoping to phase him out this season if Villarasi, the Paraguayan from the youth team, makes a good impact. --- Excited to start the season!
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Post by Ben on Feb 20, 2020 14:03:06 GMT
August/September 2030Hmmm. I would have liked a stronger start considering the opposition that we have faced is largely clubs smaller than us or those that have just been promoted but, I guess, I have picked up five points from draws this season and the Osasuna, Elche and Alaves point came from losing positions. We opened up with a really poor first 45 against Elche and, at half time, I switched Neyveson to a CF(s) - in an attempt to go a little more direct. It was he, from a cross, that saved us a point but really we didn't do a lot. That trend continued against Alaves who were very cautious against us - leading me to move Alena back to the DM slot as a Regista with Villalba moving ahead in a BWM role. Against Betis, we played much better and had to find a way to counter their 4-3-3 narrow formation, with Villalba dropping in as a centre back in a 5-2-3 shape, using two inverted wing backs. Three draws followed, and we have largely struggled going forward - with only Neyveson showing any kind of quality - the youngster netting in his first four games for the club and ends September with 5 from 7, sitting third in the goalscoring charts. However - all of my wingers have really struggled for form and being involved in the game - with my other goals coming from a DM and a CB. Going into October and November, I face Sevilla, Atletico and Valencia - so we really need to pick up some victories against teams around us. --- Elsewhere, and this is another massive conundrum for me - our B team have started their season: It seems that the manager wants to use both B team and U19 players so I have moved anyone with any potential straight into the B team so that they can play and, hopefully, develop together. The B side currently has no coaches or decent facilities but has a much better quality of playing time than my youth squad. I really hate that stupid GUI whereby it lists both squads each season, even when they are only in friendly games so really don't want to have players across both teams! All of my players that are being tracked are getting minutes at B team level so it'll be interesting to see how that compares with the others.
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Post by Ben on Feb 21, 2020 20:07:50 GMT
October/November 2030
A strange couple of months - whereby we put together two of our best performances all season (the first being against Villarreal and the end of November) and then against Sevilla, but both of these ties yielded no points, and, following a poor show away at Valladolid, there was rumours of discontent and I even began to question that horrific 'R' word. Fortunately, we seem to work in binary only, and have worryingly only scored more than once just once all season - against Betis. Likewise, we have only conceded more than once just once, too and managed to keep three clean sheets over the two months. For comparison, Barca have a mammoth 51 goals from their opening fourteen games - we have just 11. Obviously, our 11 conceded puts us as the fourth best defence but something needs to change - particularly going forward. Below shows the average rating (I know there is considerably more to it than that, but it's an analytical start) of my players who have played in more than one full ninety: Each of them is a player who plays out wide. Both wing roles are W(s) at present but there are just failing to have any kind of impact on games, in whichever variation I seem to play. Neyveson, the central attacker has fared somewhat better but, to be fair, his five goals do hide some poor offensive play. --- I've become somewhat obsessed with our team shape this year and have spent significantly more time trying to work through in game changes to overcome issues and to get the best from this bunch of players. This is my current plan: Whilst now facing much better defensive players, our lack of engagement (that was set to normal) meant that we were giving teams far too much time to play out from the back or to release attacking full backs or deep lying play makers. By increasing that line of engagement, I have stretched play a little, particularly when I want a lot of our possession re-gains to be turnovers or interceptions, so have also added the 'Work ball into box' to counter that - knowing that I (purposely) have just one attack duty and I do need to get numbers forward rather than just rely on individual runs. I have also made a move to a 'Positive' mentality as I felt that 'Balanced' was a little too conservative and ended with us playing the ball around the defence far too much. I'm going to try and get some more in-game highlights to demonstrate the kind of thing I'm trying to achieve!
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Post by Ben on Feb 21, 2020 20:09:32 GMT
WonderkidMy first one! He's been exceptional and, in order to fit in Francisco Bravo when a non-EU slot becomes available, has successfully retrained as a right back too over the course of the year. Next up is to get one from my own academy.
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Post by Ben on Feb 21, 2020 20:16:09 GMT
La Liga record?
For the dullest game ever?! For some extra information, of those 771 completed passes, only fourteen of them came through my most advanced player, Neyveson. Mallorca didn't come to win but this is exactly what I am finding tactically - we are lacking that spark or creative genius that can unlock defences or even that direct runner who can create something from nothing. I still have to see this as a point gained, especially as we are still one of the weaker sides in the league and continue to overachieve, but this kind of thing really needs working on!
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Post by Reiver on Feb 22, 2020 9:15:04 GMT
ahahha, if I'd been at that game I'd ask for the ticket money back at the end!
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Post by Ben on Feb 22, 2020 9:32:59 GMT
Youth Intake Preview
A new goalkeeper and a decent winger with a 'golden generation' makes this, once again, a really positive preview.
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Post by Ben on Feb 22, 2020 10:02:56 GMT
Wonderkid
Like buses... Eight goals in eighteen game across league and cup signifies a decent start for him. He's clearly of good calibre and I look forward to see what he can do once he's fulled settled into our tactical setup.
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Post by Ben on Feb 22, 2020 10:30:19 GMT
Squad depth (or lack of)
Watching the team play this season, more-so than last (as that was a case of just staying up) I am noticing that, despite my work on the tactical side, we are still losing our because we, quite simply, are second best. I am, of course, more than aware of that - two seasons in the top flight certainly means that we won't have a top quality squad. However - the difference between my players is huge, as seen below: This is a cross between my strongest XI and, using the assistant stars (of which I don't really like but it does help explain my point) I have compiled a group of players who are believed to be good enough for this level, La Liga. You will notice straight away that a) I don't have a right winger who is strong enough and b) I have shoe-horned full back Bravo into a midfield role - that is purposeful and I'll detail my plans for him at a later date. To be fair, having 10 players good enough for this level is more than I actually thought - given how some of them perform, although the majority are young and untested at this level. The problem comes when looking at the other members of the first team: With Varela put into a DR role (as neither AMR is La Liga level and I had to put him somewhere) you can see that only two of these players (Navarro and Benjamin) are good enough for this level. This might coincide with my strong defence regardless of my rotation. Rotating my forward players means taking out a player who is good enough and replacing them with someone who isn't good enough. --- Something to definitely think about as I look to make deals for January and looking forward to the summer.
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Post by Ben on Feb 22, 2020 10:34:48 GMT
Transfer completed
It made sense, for such a small amount of money. His attributes are decent and he's certainly one for the future. Finalising the deal now doesn't impact my non-EU quota as he holds a Spanish passport.
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Post by Ben on Feb 22, 2020 15:11:51 GMT
Francisco Bravo - DevelopmentSo I signed Francisco in the summer but have been able to play him because of having too many non-EU players within the first team. It is now January 2031 and Carlos Alberto is due to take Spanish citizenship any day now. However, the work with Bravo has been going on behind the scenes since he arrived in July. Firstly, I already have three wing backs - Sabena, Lucas and Navarro. Each of them is 'Either' footed and both Lucas and Sabena can play on either side of the back four as inverted wingbacks, with Navarro able to fill in at centre back, too. Therefore, I'm looking for some more positional versatility from the young Chilean. For a full back, he's very much relying on his pace to get him back into position, but is good at marking and makes good decisions whilst positioning himself well. He is, however, quite poor at tackling, can't jump and his heading is also below average. Whilst he has, hopefully, plenty of room to grow, I worry that he might not be the perfect fit for a full back - even if I have tried to convert midfielders with lower attributes in this area in the past. Therefore, my plan is to utilise him as a running midfielder, in probably the Mezzala role, on support. He has, as mentioned, a good physical base (look at the hexagon!) and is also a great passer, has good technique, first touch, team work and workrate and, despite poor finishing, can dribble and is relatively compose on the ball. My plan, since September, has been to train him as an RPM(s) in the central midfield position, working on the below attributes: Let's see how he goes!
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Post by Ben on Feb 22, 2020 16:50:54 GMT
December 2030/January 2031I really need to get to the bottom of these goalscoring issues - as, like highlighted, we largely have players who are decent ability for this level and attacker Neyveson is arguably the best player at the club. Yet, we extend our run of poor goalscoring shows, scoring twice now two times in the twenty-one games, against Betis and now Leganes. A good show in the cup, whereby I rotated a little but left Neyveson in the team in order to hopefully get some confidence and goals under his belt, saw us win twice, although we were taken to extra time by third tier Lleida. I included the friendly vs Alcala as that was the first proper run out for the slightly tweaked defensive shape, whereby the HB is swapped for a DLP (I swap Villalba back to DC and move Carlos Alberto to DM) - meaning that the attacking shape changes from a 3-2-5 to a 2-3-5 - which is great, when playing against a one striker formation. Obviously, we destroyed the inferior opposition but, when used again, against Lleida, produced a similarly controlling performance, but, again, without the goals. January is always a struggle with Copa del Rey action so I'm keen to move on quickly to February and beyond. --- Annoyingly, Carlos Alberto has still not taken his Spanish passport, meaning that I cannot register Bravo. As I type, I am moving through deadline day and this registration will be as a good as a signing. Which, annoyingly, isn't going to happen. I've had my scouts out all season but we seem really unprepared and almost a transfer window behind. That is understandable given our short time in this league but I really need to use the summer to think long term for this club, and plan signings accordingly - considering the once full shortlist is now empty of anyone I am interested in.
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Post by Ben on Feb 22, 2020 22:22:59 GMT
Bomb SquadWhen, and not if, the permanent transfer of Neyveson is completed, it'll cut a chunk out of my rather meagre £9m budget, but work needs to be done on the rest of the squad. I'm not going to go into as much detail as I did last season with statistical analysis (and, the majority of players showing will have been there last year anyway) but will simply look at appearances and quality of appearances as a whole. Below is my 'bomb squad.' I'm not sure if that term is widely associated with football but, as a Villa fan, I know of this from the last decade where players such as Shay Given, Stephen Ireland, Darren Bent and Alan Hutton were hung out to dry in the reserves by Paul Lambert and put up for sale at any price. We don't need money. We don't need sell on clauses. These players have, whilst being loyal servants, outlived their stay and need replacing. There are some famous faces here - two players, Puigmal and Fernandes, who were key to our promotion to this top flight with Arnau playing each of his 304 career games in the purple of Guadalajara. Then, there is record €3m signing Jorge Varela, a man with continental success in North America, who's arrival was meant to be part of the new 'diamond in the rough' kind of regime. Toni Lato, a man with huge experience but only six months under his belt with us is the last man on the list. This is a group with tremendous experience, they average 30.5 years old and between them have nearly 1400 career appearances. However, they've made a combined 21 starts this season and their performances have not been up to standard with what is needed at this level. Without them, my youthful squad averages just 23.4 years old - and that figure is skewed in itself by 33 year old duo Alena and Puig. --- With Carlos Alberto finally having taken Spanish citizenship and Marlon Lucas due to do the same in the summer - our only non-EU is Varela and, if he goes, we have only one used slot - which belongs to Francisco Bravo. I want to see these two remaining slots for non-EU players as spaces for the marquee signings - learning from the mistake I've made here, with Varela struggling to hold down a spot but taking up a space that could have been used to strengthen the squad elsewhere. My aim is to bring through one more 'marquee' styled player - either in the MC position (replacing both Fernandes and Puigmal) or in the MR position (although I am still persisting with some massive issues in these roles so may choose to save my money and persist with what little I have) and then fill the other gaps with experienced palyers, who are hopefully good enough for this league. This goes against pretty much everything I stand for as an advocate of promoting youth and focusing massively on developing my own talent but the plan using the B-team is in it's infancy and, aside from a handful of very much 'potentially' good players, we are somewhat limited. That, and also the difficulty I have had getting anywhere near consistent performances from young players (for what it's worth, rated at 2* or 2.5*) shows that I need to make sure that the players are ready for the first team and not just looking good attribute wise.
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Post by Reiver on Feb 22, 2020 22:32:26 GMT
Regarding squad depth, I find that (at least at lower levels) those stars can be quite deceiving and with the right tactics and some key strong points you can still go far with what on paper looks like a rubbish squad. As you'll see on my next updates for my game (which I am slowly writing during the last few days, as time is very limited nowadays), I've had around around 5 players at 3.5 or above rating for the last couple of seasons, with the most of the rest of the squad being 2 stars, and yet I managed to get back to back promotions and (so far) punching way above my weight in the division I'm at right now.
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Post by Ben on Feb 23, 2020 15:18:14 GMT
February/March 2031
Whilst we look to be regressing from last year's 10th placed finish - we need to take, on average, just one point a game from our remaining fixtures to achieve the same points tally as last year, in what, arguable, is a similarly congested mid-table. Of the 'big' teams, we still have to play Atletico Madrid and also travel to surprise 3rd place team Granada with Valencia in May, too. Aside from that, we play Mallorca, Betis, Eibar, Zaragoza (20th), Osasuna (19th) and Levante - so there are definitely plenty of points available here. We have, at last, broken the scoring streak - netting three times against Europe chasing Leganes and four times against mid-table Valldolid, after identifying both games as key to our season (the second coming after a horror two fixtures whereby we scraped a draw against Real Madrid). -- Next month sees the youth candidates.
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Post by Ben on Feb 23, 2020 15:21:01 GMT
Regarding squad depth, I find that (at least at lower levels) those stars can be quite deceiving and with the right tactics and some key strong points you can still go far with what on paper looks like a rubbish squad. As you'll see on my next updates for my game (which I am slowly writing during the last few days, as time is very limited nowadays), I've had around around 5 players at 3.5 or above rating for the last couple of seasons, with the most of the rest of the squad being 2 stars, and yet I managed to get back to back promotions and (so far) punching way above my weight in the division I'm at right now. I 100% agree but, with no actual attributes, it gets a little difficult to see the differences. For example, a player with 10 in every attribute would have each box green, the same colour as a player with 14 for every attribute and there is a big difference in quality of those players. I don't like the star system, per se, but I kind of need some assistance in the initial 'rating' of my player. Like you said though, I've had some really poor rated players performing way above what it is said that they could do - it's just that these players aren't, despite being given a good chance to do so.
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Post by Ben on Feb 23, 2020 15:35:44 GMT
2031 Youth Intake
I think this is really all that needs to be shared!
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Post by Ben on Feb 23, 2020 19:08:31 GMT
2031 Youth Intake - Full Review
(Screenshots below taken after they signed contracts so * ratings may not be exactly the same.) Rene Burgos. Israel Escobar. Diego Samaniego. Enzo Tavares. Jesus Armas. Andrei Oprea. James Dean. --- Aside from the son, this is a really strong youth intake with a wonderful array of nationalities and positions, even if the personalities does leave a slight bad taste in the mouth. First up is Burgos, the second Paraguayan centre half to come through in the past two years. Just like Palacios last year, he'll have to wait until his paperwork is processed to gain a Spanish citizenship and appear for the B team. He's tall, physical for his age and has a good personality/media handling (Resilient: Pressure 17-19, Determination 15-17, Professionalism <18, Leader <19 and Unflappable: Temperament 15-20, Pressure 15-20). There is much to work on, with his all round game - but my staff seem delighted by his potential. Escobar is good on the ball and quite taller than your stereotypical Spanish playmaker. He's got an excellent first touch and good technique but is quite limited technically - a definite goal for his development. Next up is Samaniego, himself. He needs a bit of work on his defensive side but good technique and passing for a full back, at his age, is great. His intelligence is good overall, and, I'd say, excellent for a 17 year old. F.Det (Determination 15-17, Professionalism <15, Leader <19 and Level Headed (Professionalism 13-20, Loyalty 12-20) tells me that he could hopefully improve to the squad personality of Highly Professional. I want to work on his offensive game also, hoping that he can really be an asset as an inverted wing back and it's just a shame that he doesn't fit the bill of all my other full backs - who are either footed. I think he's going to be special! Tavares has the makings of a tricky little winger but also potentially a full back, given his good tackling. The combo of work rate, flair and acceleration means that I actually think he's going to be gold on the wings - winning the ball back and being, potentially, unstoppable. I can't remember if I can teach the 'tries tricks' player trait (another youth candidate has it, which reminded me of it) but I could actually see that becoming a lethal combo. I can't get a lot from his personality or media handling (Media Friendly, Volatile) except for the latter indicating Temperament 3-6 - which is a worry. Hopefully, my squad personality can bring this up as I don't really recall any other volatile members of the squad. Jesus Armas was the winger outlined on the intake preview and has been signed but I don't really have huge hopes for him. Oprea is probably the product of my Romanian link up (although it doesn't show he played for them, like it used to) and is the second Romanian in two years. I like his well developed mental game although that is let down by his technical ability. His slight frame means that he'll need to excel in one of those other areas and, should be develop (his personality puts him in one of the best starting positions) he'll probably have to be a very clever forward, maybe even a Trequarista. I also like James Dean, who, despite having the least Brazilian name going, looks to be solid.
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Post by Ben on Feb 23, 2020 20:58:55 GMT
Squad Overview
Haven't done this for a while - so fancied moving some up to date attributes into the DNA tracker on Excel. Here is what has come out: Things are looking good - the depth at full back, centre back, central midfield (minus maybe Bravo - but he has had no first team football for a whole year now due to Alberto missing the deadline by like 2 days!) and attacking midfield show some great depth. Obviously, I'd like to be turning those green cells gold, but, for the level we are at - we aren't going to get too much better. It is worth noting that Carles Alena is still a class act, and has recently moved to a M.Pro personality (not sure I've seen much of that at his age before). Next is my top prospects from my B-team and U19 team. I've ignored my loanees and a few that seem to have found their footing and level in the B-team because I don't feel that they'll ever be good enough to make the jump (and, probably realised another now will join them): I had really high hopes for Mendy, but he's not developed, at all. Whether that was the year he had in the B-team before they entered a playable division or something else, I don't know. Elsewhere, Samaniego looks the perfect foil for Sabena, once his defensive attributes are solidified and Palacios could replace Benjamin once his concentration has improved. Likewise, Vilisanti will be able to become the perfect backup for Villalba once a couple of minor things (marking and heading) have reached a good (10 or above) level. --- Trying to fit together the development plan of these youngsters with the trajectory of my first team and making recruitment choices that doesn't impact the long term goals of my save is a wonderful puzzle that I seem to enjoy trying to put together more and more each year.
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Post by Ben on Feb 23, 2020 21:42:26 GMT
The 'monitoring year' - A ReviewWith every intake - I use the attributes to track the development of a few players across their first year at the club and, in future, will be tailoring team training sessions to them (providing, of course, that the B-team route isn't much better and, if so, I'll use that instead). I was interested, due to the long term concern I have about what they do after that year is up, to see how they've kicked on. Below, I've gathered the data from all of the players who I initially tracked that are still at the club: The table at the bottom is the one of most interest - although it's interesting to see how the personalities in the top table (as of now) have altered post the first year at the club. The left part of the table is what I include in my Youth Development Overview, ranking the best 'Year one' improvement, of which Alberto Ropero currently sits top. However, I have taken a look at their current average of attributes - as seen in the 'Now' column. This is, probably - to be expected. Benjamin is a strong first team player, as is Samuel (although he's yet to actually become anywhere near consistent). Likewise, Godwin and Santos are out on loan at third tier clubs and are not performing well enough to be ever be considered as first team players for me - backed up by their low average attribute scores and Idrissa Mendy, as I saw, isn't turning into the player that I want him to. Lastly, I wanted to see how their average development per year worked out. I know that development is not linear but I thought that this might shed some light on what is going on. Francisco, who has spent two years on loan in the second tier, hasn't progressed a huge amount - pretty much half as much per year as Ropero. Septien, another now important player, has also kicked on considerably, especially when compared to the likes of Villalba and Benjamin, although it can be argued that he, as part of my 'practice' year, was considerably older. Villalba himself is a strange one - a player who has made over 200 league appearances but, seemingly, has barely improved since the age of 18. --- I now have some data that I can compare with those players who have entered the development phase whilst in the B-team. This will never be an exact science but it certainly raises some questions about how I can develop these players the best possible way, obviously knowing that one size does not fit all and one numerical figure is not automatically the answer to how the little dot performs on the pitch.
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Post by Ben on Feb 23, 2020 22:23:53 GMT
ProgressSeeing both Septien and Ropero having made, on average, more than two points of progress - I thought I'd have a little look back at them when they first joined. Here is the initial youth candidate screen: Notice the lack of stars for Septien! Below is a very poor mashup of their attributes, from that day, to today: It is worth noting that both have also lost their 'Right only' label and both now have a professional personality. Whilst Septien hasn't developed as I'd have liked him to, technically, they are both demonstrations that development is necessary - even as a lower level and even for players who aren't going to be world beaters!
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Post by Ben on Feb 25, 2020 21:35:07 GMT
2030/31 End of Season Review A couple of very solid performances from both of my teams here - with the main squad finishing that worrying second season in exactly the same position, albeit a point worse off. Unlike last year, we have largely been consistent as a mid-table team, away from the fairytale first half of last season followed by relegation form after Christmas. Over the next seasons, I need to turn that consistency into two or three better performances and hope that we can slowly move up the table. Elsewhere, Granada were the surprise package as the ousted Atletico and Leganes managed to qualify for Europe at the expense of Real Betis, who were supposed to, yet got relegated. Osasuna and a strangely good Zaragoza side also drop down. The B team consolidated after promotion with a good mid-table finish. Piecing together my best development players for that squad is a summer job. --- A mixed bag, as you'd expect for mid-table mediocrity. Neyveson leads the goalscoring charts, with 14 and ten of those coming in the league but that is a far throw from the 30+ Pena was scoring in his heyday. He, himself, has returned with just six goals this season as we, once again, end the season wondering what could have been if only we could score a few more times. Defensively, we have been superb - just 32 goals conceded giving us the fifth best defence and Lucas, Benjamin and Ropero all averaging over 7 shows how well they've performed. --- I have got a couple of transfer targets for the summer: replacing Varela, Puigmal and Fernandes but aside from that, all the work done is internal. ---
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Post by Ben on Feb 26, 2020 21:12:03 GMT
2030/31 Youth Cohort ReviewThis was the first year that I have used my B-team as a go to reliable place for development for my youngsters so was hoping to see that their development, with a focus now on game time at a level that is recorded within the game, was just as useful as training. Not quite the development that I had wanted, if I am truly honest. As you can see below, Alex Vilisanti ranks seventh on my list of 'top developers' but has managed to play over two thousand minutes of football, has a good personality and determination and already was at a good level. I know that I have chosen to place players in this team before they are 18 and know that, even in the in-game tips, it says training is more important that football before 17 - so maybe that is why his process has stalled, as he's playing important matches every week. It is pleasing to see good development in anticipation, decisions and positioning along with the overall physical growth, too. ---
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Post by Ben on Feb 26, 2020 21:30:59 GMT
B-Team 2031/32I'm starting to take a more invested view of my B-squad now that they are in a playable league and a viable tool for player development. Below is the squad I have put together, combining the best academy players at my disposal. I have included James Dean, Rene Burgos and Enzo Tavares in the hope that they'll pick up Spanish citizenship soon, as rules dictate Non-EU players can't play at that level. The standouts are my Paraguayan's and there is hope that I can get them into a team in the next two to three years - by which time, they'll already have circa 100 appearances at a decent level under their belt before they either move to us or the first team of another team on loan.
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