[FM 15] An American behind the keys, an Englishman Abroad

[FM 15] An American behind the keys, an Englishman abroad

a Migrating Manager's Report

The Boss

Rodney Yates

Nationality:

Birthplace: London

Reputation: World Class

DOB: 03/17/1974

Chelsea | 2014 - 2016

Bayern Munich | 2016 -

Current Goals

- Recapture Bundesliga title

- Reach Champions League Final

Long Term Goals

- Win Champions League with 3 clubs

- Manage a national team through major tournament

Introduction

Originally a one team save, two seasons in an offer from Bayern Munich came in that I couldn't not consider. After a few days of weighing the pros and cons, the decision was made to pack my bags and move to Germany to take on the challenge of leading the German giants. A thread that won't provide much in making minnows into giants or lower league management, however, expectations are high and the stakes are even higher. Come with me on my quest to become one of the best managers in Europe!

As my favorite club and the club I intended to manage until my retirement in this save, Chelsea will always hold a special place in my heart. Taking of from Mourinho was a task that would never be easy, however, I hit the ground running and am absolutely delighted with the amount of success I was able to bring to the club before my departure. Competitive and personal achievements aside, I regard my ability to lead the club into a new stadium, Zola Arena, as one of my greatest achievements as Chelsea's manager. My tight control over the club's finances and shrewd business dealings done in the transfer market has left the club in a remarkably healthy financial position. While a return isn't being planned, much like Mourinho, a homecoming is always a possibility.

Competitive Achievements

Champions League - 2015

Runners Up - 2016

Club World Championship - 2015

English Premier League - 2015, 2016

Capital One Cup - 2015, 2016

Personal Achievements

Premier League Manager of the Year - 2015, 2016

Premier League Manager of the Month - 9

Favored Personnel

Phil Jones

Kurt Zouma

Sergi Samper

Most Memorable Matches

vs Hull

8-0

Premier League

1/1/2015

My biggest win to date, this was a day filled with beautiful football. Goals were plentiful in front of a full capacity Stamford Bridge crowd as Remy contributed half the goals himself, this was the perfect way for fans to ring in the New Year.

at Roma

4-0

Champions League Semi Final 2nd Leg

5/13/2015

After we took a 0-2 thumping at Stamford Bridge, the capacity crowd at the Olimpico had to be thinking they were on their way to the Champions League Final. The squad had other plans, however. A hat trick by Diego Costa saw us leaving the Romans behind in utter disbelief as we rallied and left Italy as Champions League Finalists.

at Arsenal

3-0

Premier League

8/22/15

An absolutely fantastic way to kick off the 2015/16 season, a 3-0 win at Emirates Stadium on opening day saw us silence Arsenal supporters before they could even start cheering. Young Sergi Samper got on the score sheet just 8 minutes in, while goals from the usual suspects of Hazard and Willian finished the game off in a dazzling fashion.

vs Man United

2-1

Premier League

4/16/2016

With 4 games left to play, a Manchester City loss earlier in the day afforded us the opportunity to lock up the Premier League title and see us win it for the 2nd straight season. A goal from Nani in the 11' brought on the possibility of having to wait another game to be crowned champions. A quick reply by Hazard minutes later evened the scoreline and we were back to having a shot. In the 30' a set piece goal would come from who else but Mr. Chelsea himself, John Terry, that would go on to be the winning goal and see us crowned Premier League Champions for the 2nd straight time in front of a packed Stamford Bridge.

06/01/2016

Bayern Munich

Contract: 6/30/18

Wage: £75k p/w

In my mind, there are 2 reasons why Bayern decided to to make me their first choice to replace their vacant manager position following Pep Guardiola's firing

1.) The amount of success I brought Chelsea during my two seasons in charge

In just two short seasons, I brought Chelsea 5 trophies, including the Champions League and English Premier League, twice.

2.) My track record against the club

I was am the sole reason for the lack of Bayern's European silverware over the past two seasons. During my first season at Chelsea I met them in the final and saw to it that they went home empty handed as we beat them 2-1, in Berlin no less. During my second season I beat them soundly over both legs of the Semi Final and denied them a second chance at the Champions League trophy.

Though the decision to leave Chelsea wasn't an easy one, the reasons I accepted this job are simple.

After a successful 2014/15 season under Guardiola, Bayern saw a decline in their performances as they finished the 2015/16 season without any silverware. Dortmund winning the Bundesliga means Bayern's 3 year streak of winning the league came to a screeching halt. My Chelsea team knocked them out of the Champions League Semi Final, which means another year went by where they were so close, yet so far from winning the competition. In short, the task of bringing the club back to their winning ways, just like I had at Chelsea, was just too attractive to turn down. Couple that with their existing squad and enormous amount of resources and this is about as close as I can get to a dream job.

So, what issues need my attention?

1.) The squad is fantastic, but a changing of the guard is coming

The old guard (Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Ribery, etc.) still have a season or two left in them and will be instrumental in delivering titles the first season, however, I need to avoid getting tunnel vision and remember to rotate the younger players in as well (Hojbjerg, Gaudino, Rode) so when the time comes they're ready to take over.

2.) The depth needs an upgrade

An off shoot of the issue above, the quality behind some of my most important players just isn't there. Neuer has just turned 30 and though he still has time left as a top goalkeeper, Reina behind him isn't going to be the answer. The same is true with Lahm, as Rafinha is definitely not going to carry on after he's past his prime. The same situation can be said about Ribery, and to a lesser extent Lewandowski. A shortlist will be formulated and addressed.

3.) The club has a wonderful financial model and I need to stay the course

It's easy to feel like a kid in a candy store when taking over at a club like Bayern, but the big budgets and numerous players that want to play here will all have to be put into the context of the existing setup at the club. I pride myself on keeping clubs in a healthy financial position, so shopping sprees and impulse buys will be avoided.

While there isn't much work that needs to be done to things, there is much work to do.

Next Update: Transfer shortlist, player exits, tactics

6/29/2016

Time has been spent taking a long look at the squad and deciding the moves I will make to take the team forward.

Formation

Deciding on this formation was a pretty easy and seamless transition from the Chelsea side I managed. The players in this Bayern squad are very similar in skill sets and the number at each position. Settling on a formation was the first thing I wanted to do as it would inform the rest of my decisions going forward. I've got to say, it's a pretty frightening lineup and this is before any signings.

Team Instructions

This will be a very high-tempo attacking brand of football, with a high amount of possession as well. This comes from pressing the opposition into playing long balls out of defense, or long balls to try to unlock our defense. The one weakness of this tactic is that it's liable to let strikers slip between the center backs, due to the high defensive line. However, with the speed and mental stats the defenders here have, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I have found, oddly enough, that this tactic performs below par against teams playing a 3-5-2 formation, so I will be keeping an eye on that when we go up against said formation.

Transfer Targets

There are only a few players on my radar this year, but with that said I don't envision them being cheap.

Calum Chambers

Arsenal

Nationality:

Position: D(RC)

Age: 21

Fee: ~£20m

I've been an admirer of Chambers' since taking over at Chelsea, though I envisioned converting him to left back and playing opposite of Dave. The depth and age at the left back position at the club currently mean Chambers can come in and slot right into his natural and favored position at right back. The fact that he's 21 means he can play the position well beyond the time that Lahm calls it quits. Arsenal won't be willing to let him go cheaply, however, so

Timo Horn

Koln

Nationality:

Position: GK

Age: 23

Fee: ~£20m

Really, when thinking about Neuer's replacement there's no one else that came to mind. A young German who has many good years ahead of him, he is a fantastic No.2 option at present and will surely be capable of filling Neuer's shoes when he moves on. The fact that Koln aren't direct rivals and that they've recently brought in Ron-Robert Zieler should mean that the fee to bring him in won't be astronomical.

Raheem Sterling

Liverpool

Nationality:

Position: AM(RLC)

Age: 21

Fee: ~£35m

Much like Chambers, I have wanted to have Sterling in my team for some time. His versatility is invaluable as he's a natural at all attacking midfield positions, and having his game changing abilities at my disposal is an exciting prospect. Not only do I think he can replace Robben and/or Ribery in the long-term, but I believe he will give them a run for their money the moment he joins the club. Though, I know capturing his signature won't be either cheap nor easy as Man City are currently very interested in the player. I'm confident, however, that the lure of a club like Bayern will be enough to get him in.

Player Exits

I am determined to capture the signatures of the above players as I believe them to be integral to both the short and long term success of the club, but I'm not willing to do so without moving some players currently at the club to help fund my endeavors.

Xherdan Shaqiri

Value: £17.25m

Contract: £42.5k p/w

Position: M/AM(L)

Age: 24

A talented young player, Shaqiri could definitely do a job at the club, but there are a couple things about him that don't sit well with me. Firstly, some of his mental stats bother me a bit, the foremost being his determination and lack of teamwork. Sure, he's a talented player, but he's not at the level of a Ronaldo or Hazard where that selfishness will be rewarded with brilliant goals scored regularly. I am sure I can fetch a decent fee for him and that money will be used to bring in Sterling, who I believe is an upgrade in every aspect.

Thiago

Value: £19.25m

Contract: £130k p/w

Position: M©

Age: 25

Another talented young player at the club, Thigao is similar to Shaqiri in the sense that he could definitely do a job at the club, but there's a couple things that stick out to me. His teamwork and determination are low, and at the central attacking mid position I am looking for a facilitator who isn't against giving the ball up and getting their teammates involved in the game and goals. Also, his contract is up at the end of the season and after recently signing Gotze to a new £195k p/w deal I doubt the money would be there to retain him. If the money generated by his sale can cover at least one of the transfers I'd consider it an even deal.

Dante

Value: £1.2m

Contract: £81k p/w

Position: D©

Age: 32

Dante has been a great player for the club and looking at his ratings over the past two seasons it seems like he can still play at this level, though a decline is apparent. His wages are a little high for what he would bring to the pitch and with Badstuber, Benatia, and Boateng all in their prime and superior players I would find it hard to justify keeping him at the club. I don't think a direct replacement is needed immediately, though if the right deal comes along then the position is there to be filled.

Pepe Reina

Value: £1.5m

Contract: £98k p/w

Position: GK

Age: 33

A decent player and capable deputy, for me, Reina has a season left in him where he's able to compete at this level. Given that he and Neuer are both 30+ I am simply looking to move him on to make room for Horn and to get his wages off of the books. Much like Dante, that money can be better spent elsewhere.

Next Update: Transfer completions, preseason results, first team decisions

7/30/2016

My major transfers have been finalized and all of the friendlies have been played and this post will be a comprehensive list of all of them.

Transfers In

Raheem Sterling

Liverpool

Fee: £32.5m

Contract: £165k p/w - 2021

Timo Horn

Koln

Fee: £19.25m

Contract: £50k p/w - 2020

Calum Chambers

Arsenal

Fee: £18.75m

Contract: £43k p/w - 2021Wesley Sneijder

Galatasaray

Fee: Free

Contract: £125k p/w - 2019

Total: £70.25m

I have to say, I'm delighted to have gotten all of my main targets in. There was some stiff competition for Sterling as Man City put in a bid for him the moment I did. I was afraid that they'd throw a huge contract at him, but the allure of the club was enough to pull him in. The Sneijder deal was done before I arrived at the club and while I think he'll be a good addition to the team, I'm not thrilled with the weight of his contract given his age.

Transfers Out

Xherdan Shaqiri

Tottenham

Fee: £30m

Thiago

Barcelona

Fee: £29.5m

Pepe Reina

Granada

Fee: £1.25m

Dante

Everton

Fee: £1m

Ylli Sallahi

Greuther Furth

Fee: £1m

Sebastian Rode

Hoffenheim

Fee: £6.5m

Rafinha

Roma

Fee: £2m

Total: £73m

Net Spending: +£2.75m

Some talent left the club, but it was counter balanced by the arrival of more talent. I think the fees received for both Shaqiri and Thiago were great, especially since Thiago was in the final year of his contract. Selling Rode was a last minute decision as I felt it was time to give Gaudino a fair amount of playing time to aid his development. The fact that we were able to net an income of £2.75m was fantastic news as I was afraid this would be the first transfer window that saw me dip into the club's balance to facilitate transfers.

Friendlies

at Saitama Untied

L 1-4

Goal: Born (84')

I didn't give this result much thought as it was the first match of a new season with a new team. In truth, though, we were played off the pitch. Again, problems against a 3-5-2 became apparent, but it was only the first friendly.

vs Zenit St. Petersburg

W 5-0

Goals: Lewandowski (10',18',37') Boateng(34') Green (50')

This was much more of what I was looking for in the first match, and as Zenit was our toughest preseason test I was happy we came away with such a big win. We absolutely dominated the match and this result quickly erased any doubts that crept into my head after the previous match.

at Qingdao

W 7-1

Goals: Lewandowski (1',2',20',41') Ribery (19') Hjobjerg (57') Sterling (78')

After another dominating performance, the team seems to be settling into their new tactic rather easily. This is the second friendly in a row that Lewa has scored 3+ goals in, and while I know that won't translate directly into the season, it means he's getting into the right positions and is effective in the role I've given him.

Hangzhou

W 8-1

Goals: Alonso (Pen 13') Lewandowski (14') Gotze (25') Wiesner (48', 55', 90') Ribery (59') Bernat (87')

A more dispersed distribution of the goals, Wiesner was incredibly impressive as he's only 15 years young. More goals from the wings and midfield mean that the tactic is pretty well rounded and we should be able to score a few different ways.

at Beijing

W 5-0

Goals: Ribery (12') Lewandowski (16') Sterling (24') Green (81') Robben (82')

A goal each for 5 players, another great indication that the tactic is multidimensional and that we are effective in a few different areas of the pitch.

The squad has been set and finalized and after these preseason results I'm itching to get the season underway, which sees us kick off against league rivals Dortmund in the Super Cup.

Next Update: Detailed overview of matches and events in August, last minute transfers