Football Manager 2018

[Arjen Robben]

Aggravating.

[MDK]

7 hours ago, Arjen Robben said:

They've done you a disservice, you only swore once.

I said Brexit twice

[Arjen Robben]

23 hours ago, MadJack said:

There's some definite talent coming through. Upamecano is the stand out. There's also Ibrahima Konate who with a bit of training and tutoring will turn out to be a very good rotation option at center back, and Fabrice Hartmann who offers a future backup role on both wings. Elias Abouchabaka will be a major star but suffers from what I'm terming Emil Forsberg Syndrome. He's an asshole who will want to move away the first time a big club comes sniffing.

I've never been so happy to see one of my players injured than when Forsberg went down with a torn calf muscle.

Got asked about him being transfer listed in a press conference and looked.

What a piece of work 

[The Lusophone]

I bet he whined about the price being that high as well, the ungrateful bastard.

[Arjen Robben]

Kevin Volland is pissing me off.

Started off the season like this:

Then he was out injured for two games, and since then he's been like this:

Lucas Alario is shit as well, yet to score a single goal the useless twat.

[FLiam]

21 hours ago, MadJack said:

Two systems, one for the league and one generally for the Champions League, where almost every team we'll come up against is bigger and better than us. I'll probably use this formation against an underperforming Bayern as well when we face them.

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First some background. Ralfball is a style of football developed by Ralf Rangnick, the overseer Sporting Director of entire Red Bull family of clubs. It features, like most modern German systems, an element of Gagenpressing, but is mainly characterised by more direct play up to players like Youssouf Poulsen holding the ball up and setting the likes of Timo Werner or Naby Keita free, the latter moving up from midfield.

I try to play similarly, but the limitations of FM result in some differences. In real life RBL have played a 4-2-2-2 under multiple managers, but my system is a 4-4-2 in defence before transitioning to what could be called a 2-4-4 or 2-2-2-4 in attack. All screenshots are from a recent game against a Gladbach side on a decent run - unbeaten in 4 and unconceded in that time:

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Without the ball: 

With the ball:

The counter-press is best implemented in FM, I find, with the following:

1. Closing down opposition defenders and marking them tightly, either in player instructions or opposition instructions. Both if you're going all out like you're the Netherlands in the 60s.

2. High work rate players. 12 and above is good, but obviously the higher the better. As evidenced by the screenshot, you want your forward players to be attempting a lot of tackles, even if they aren't necessarily completing them. The wide players are particularly important, as full backs tend to have less composure than centre backs, as shown by the high numbers of interceptions for my four primarily wide players:

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3. Targeting the weak players. This is either a player with poor discipline, or poor mentals. In the Gladbach game it was defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria who has a poor disciplinary record and has made a large number of mistakes in the Bundesliga this season (35 in 14 games including the game against us). I used opposition instructions to mark him tightly, tackle him harder and close him down more. We also showed him onto weaker foot, as it was only rated as 'reasonable' (you should do this with anyone lower than 'fairly strong')

The result of doing this successfully is that the opposition is forced to go long in order to get the ball clear, making it easier for you to intercept. Interceptions against Gladbach:

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Note how long most of these passes are. You see a similar thing with completed passes. 

This is Reece Oxford's pass completed map, and most of them are on the long side.

Once we win the ball, the team is encouraged to press forward quickly and play with the ball in and around the opposition box. This results in a lot of touches inside the box for the likes of Werner and Poulsen:

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Contrast that to Gladbach's lone striker in this game, Raffael and his 72nd minute replacement, Ibrahima Traore:

The advanced nature of the two wingers and Poulsen's skill in the air also means we can cross the ball in regularly and be sure to win a significant amount of headers. We have the highest cross completion rate in the league (20%), have put the most crosses in (90) and Poulsen has won the most headers out of any player in the league, even defenders (127).  The attacking statistics for the team in all competitions:

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In the Champions League I tend to play this 4-4-2 diamond wide:

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However if I need to be a bit more attacking it changes:

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I included the team instructions in this one cos they are the same, although I might go attacking if needed.

 

You definitely made me start a Leipzig game. 

Got off to a flying start, losing 3-1 at Dortmund. Then a 3-2 victory at home to Stuttgart thanks to some expert in-game management on my behalf. 

I am in this one for the long haul, it has all the makings of a great save. I’m going to be similar in the transfer market, told myself I will not sign anyone over 26 unless it is on a free transfer for experience purposes.

Do you have anyone earmarked as Keita’s replacement next summer? I’m currently thinking that Miguel Almiron from Atlanta could do the job. 

[The Lusophone]

21 minutes ago, Liam Mk2 said:

You definitely made me start a Leipzig game. 

Got off to a flying start, losing 3-1 at Dortmund. Then a 3-2 victory at home to Stuttgart thanks to some expert in-game management on my behalf. 

I am in this one for the long haul, it has all the makings of a great save. I’m going to be similar in the transfer market, told myself I will not sign anyone over 26 unless it is on a free transfer for experience purposes.

Do you have anyone earmarked as Keita’s replacement next summer? I’m currently thinking that Miguel Almiron from Atlanta could do the job. 

I brought in Danilo and Lucas Romero but neither are anywhere near as dynamic. If he wasn't going to Milan Franck Kessie would've been perfect. Almiron is a good choice but I'm going to look into signing this guy first, who has a physical upside better than Keita's and just lacks his finishing and long shot ability.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

[FLiam]

Sitting in 4th after 5 games with Leipzig so far. Results have been quite good so far:

• Dortmund (a) - Lost 3-1
• Stuttgart (h) - Won 3-2
• Hertha BSC (h) - Won 2-0
• Mainz (a) - Won 2-1
• Hannover (h) - Drew 1-1

I drew a horrible Champion's League group in which I am joined by Manchester City, Juventus and Anderlecht. Perhaps I can nick 2nd place, probably not, but 3rd and a spot in the Europa League would be the least I'd be hoping for. Started well, getting a big 0-0 at the Etihad. City managed 27 shots at goal, but only 6 on target, my defensive wall away from home worked wonders that night. 

I forget how much I enjoy managing in the Bundesliga. One thing I noticed with RB Leipzig is that they have an incredibly balanced squad already which is a massive help, apart from possibly the striker department, since Werner picked up a 5 week injury in my second league game, I am having to play Forsberg as a striker which hasn't gone particularly well thus far. 

UPDATE:

Marcel Sabitzer is a right whinging Sol Campbel isn't he?

[Arjen Robben]

Love how we've all just sauntered off to the Bundesliga 

[Arjen Robben]

The fuck? Genuinely no idea how he's won this.

Came third for the Ballon d'Or and the World Soccer World Player of the Year thing and even that is mad to me. It's not like we're running away with the league or anything, we're third. Bizarre.

[FLiam]

Quick update on my Leipzig save. Had a short spell without a win (4 games), then went on a 9 match winning run in all competitions before being brought back down to earth again in the last two games.

I'm still more than happy with my current league standing. I have also qualified for the First Knockout Round of the Champion's League with a game to spare. We sit three points ahead of City but I believe I qualify on the basis that I have a better head-to-head record against them.

Yussuf Poulsen is having an outstanding season, so far he has 12 goals and 6 assists from 19 games. Timo Werner also pretty solid with 10 goals and 7 assists from 11 games.

[Arjen Robben]

Interesting to see Frankfurt doing well on your game too, they're 3rd currently on mine, which seems surprising. What system do you play?

[FLiam]

I followed similar to MadJack's. I am trying to play a similar way to how Leipzig operate in real life, a flat 4-4-2 without the ball with the wingers pushing on to create a 4-2-4 when we have the ball. Lots of pressing, and then lots of passing into space for our midfield runners on the flanks. 

I play the two central midfielders in the DM roles when playing the bigger teams away from home (only Man City and Juve so far), to try and be compact and difficult to break down.

Finished my Champion's League group in 1st after winning 1-0 at Juventus. 

Seriously thinking of cashing in on Emil Forsberg as he is constantly getting injured and only has 2 goals and assist to his name from 11 games. I could easily get £30m plus for him.

[Arjen Robben]

By the sounds of it he'll only keep moaning anyway so it might be worth just cashing in on him.

I'm in a title race with Bayern. They're top on 69 points, and I'm second with 67 points. Four games left, I have Bayern away upcoming  Don't know how to approach it at all, considering just starting contained and hope to just waste time and bore to a 0-0 or something, and just hope they drop points elsewhere on the off chance that approach doesn't fail anyway.

[FLiam]

50 minutes ago, Arjen Robben said:

By the sounds of it he'll only keep moaning anyway so it might be worth just cashing in on him.

I'm in a title race with Bayern. They're top on 69 points, and I'm second with 67 points. Four games left, I have Bayern away upcoming  Don't know how to approach it at all, considering just starting contained and hope to just waste time and bore to a 0-0 or something, and just hope they drop points elsewhere on the off chance that approach doesn't fail anyway.

I'd go on the counter, you should have enough from an attacking point of view to perhaps nick a goal.

I drew Barcelona in the KO round of the Champion's League. Gulp.

[Arjen Robben]

I was able to hold out for the 0-0!

I'm currently top by a point with one game to play, but Bayern's game is later than mine so they can go top again, but they're away at Leipzig and Werner is the leagues top scorer with 29, so I'm hoping they can do me a favour. Not sure even a draw would help me much though, think Bayern's goal difference is much better than mine.

Update: Leipzig did not do me a favour. Lost 4-2. Fuck them.

[Arjen Robben]

But...

Small mercies. Fucking Leipzig. Cunts. ONE THING I ASKED OF YOU.

Bloody Hoffenheim as well. That one game where we were 4-1 up and threw it away to draw 4-4 

Competition review for the Bundesliga: "Leverkusen had been expected to claim a continental qualification spot but were only to muster a disappointing top-half finish.

I beg your fucking pardon?

From the same review immediately following: "Bayer 04 were one of the competition’s feel-good stories, defying expectations and, owing to an impressive spell of form between August and October that saw them move into second able, were able to celebrate a job well done."

Make your mind up, game. Were we good or were we shit?

[FLiam]

Cup win, silver lining. The media reviews are always naff.

Got to the January transfer window and I have a transfer budget of £8,000, so I ask for more, they tell me that I have more than enough resources. 

I'm going to miss out on my number 1 target to replace Keita you fucktards!

Everyone is unsettling all my players! 

I negotiated an offer from Bayern for Poulsen thinking they'd go away, but they didn't. I don't know what to do!

[Arjen Robben]

Just bid and offer him an amazing contract and keep delaying the transfer for a few weeks before cancelling it so he stays where he is 

N-n-nefarious.

[The Lusophone]

Reject that bid. Reject it right now. You can get so much more.