[FM20] Up the Villans! Tactical experiments & DOF things

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 minute ago, karanhsingh said:

Yes which makes it even more exciting doesn't it 

Eddouard went to Liverpool already. Dembele could potentially be an option yes although he is wanted by Man Utd & Juventus as well.

Morelos should do well enough for you. Plenty of good strikers out there anyway so you will find someone.

[karanhsingh]

27 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Morelos should do well enough for you. Plenty of good strikers out there anyway so you will find someone.

Yes. My DoF just also came back with Isak and Petkovic who both look like good options too. 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

6 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Yes. My DoF just also came back with Isak and Petkovic who both look like good options too. 

Isak is good. He went to Dortmund too early in his career but has done really well for Real Socidad. I would pick him if it was me but good luck whomever you sign. I am enjoy your career thread and seeing who you sign and sell.

[engamohd]

5 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Season 1: Stats & Awards

The final squad stats from the season.

Incredible efforts from the following players this season:

Karlan Grant - what a signing by our DoF Juninho!! I have to say I didn't expect much when he came in, but he took the league by storm. 32 goals and 6 assists in 45 games, absolutely elite stuff.

Jack Grealish - club captain, legend, what can you say about this guy. He started off badly in the AMC role but once we changed formation and made him the focal point of the team, he really excelled. Finishes with 13 goals and 17 assists. The big boys are all sniffing around him but he has signed a new 5 year contract with us.

Tyrone Mings - a mountain at the back and an unbelievable threat from set pieces, he actually finishes as our second top scorer with 14 goals. 

Rico Henry - fantastic acquisition for the LWB role, he was ever-present and finishes the season with 7 goals and 7 assists.

Special mentions to our other two strikers Samatta & Wesley, who chipped in well. Hourihane was a fantastic squad player notching up 15 assists. Junior Caicara a great cheap signing in January who added quality on the right flank and contributed 8 assists. Bjorn Engels was another rock at the back and almost hit double figures too with 9 goals. 

Karlan Grant actually also took home the Premier League golden boot with 24 league goals, finishing 2 ahead of Sadio Mane in second. I am so glad he had a 6.5 million optional fee agreed in his loan deal, which has obviously already been activated.

And finally, I won Manager of the Year as well.

Cracking season, great results! Really interested to see how you (or Juninho) strengthen the squad for Europe...

[karanhsingh]

47 minutes ago, engamohd said:

Cracking season, great results! Really interested to see how you (or Juninho) strengthen the squad for Europe...

Thank you! Yes will be more Juninho than me 

2 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Isak is good. He went to Dortmund too early in his career but has done really well for Real Socidad. I would pick him if it was me but good luck whomever you sign. I am enjoy your career thread and seeing who you sign and sell.

Yes he does look good in game and in real life. Thanks for reading! 

[karanhsingh]

Apologies everyone for the lack of updates, got side-tracked with doing my FPL & Draft teams with the new season getting underway. Still ended up with a horrible first game-week, mind 

I have now finally gotten Season Two under-way, here is how we got on in the summer window.

INS:

It wasn't that quiet a window after all. Karlan Grant of course was already signed up earlier, after finishing ours & the divisions top scorer.

The big statement signing is Alfredo Morelos, who was picked because he seemed to be the best fit for the PF role from all the options.

Wuiler Farinez comes in to provide some competition to Tom Heaton in goal. I know he is quite popular around these parts but he was spotted by my scouts and it's actually my first time managing him. 

Ola Aina seems a great fit for our CWB role and can operate on both the flanks. Finally one for the future is Michal Karbownik who seems a good young BWM and also versatile enough to play wing-back.

One objective of mine is to bring in players from the "lesser known" nations that are not part of the footballing elite like Spain, France, Germany, etc. I remember reading about how Mexico now has a huge following for Wolves due to Jimenez, and similarly in Colombia for Rangers thanks to Morelos. I have no idea whether this is programmed in the game or not, but I like the idea of having a few star players from the smaller countries on the way to building a truly global fan-base. From that point of view, the signings of Morelos & Farinez make even more sense.

OUTS:

Well we had to balance the squad numbers of course. Matthew Target is a solid enough wing-back but never had enough pace for the way we play so off he went with Ola Aina being signed. Lansbury & Kalinic were out on loan last season so happy to find permanent transfers for them. Nakamba was decent enough but moved on to make space for Karbownik who seems more promising. Finally Arsenal came in with a bid for youngster Chukwuemeka which Juninho accepted and I decided to not stand in his way. 

There was a lot of interest for Mings & Grealish with a host of top clubs bidding for them, I had to set their asking price in excess of 80 million in order to eventually ward off the interest.

So here finally is our SQUAD for season 2. 

[karanhsingh]

The Champions League groups were drawn and we have been handed a fairly tough one.

It will probably come down to the results between us and Porto, I hope to be able to beat them at home at least.

Meanwhile in the league, it's been a bit of a stuttering start in August.

Honestly I saw the fixtures and thought we can get off to a 100% start, and we really should have. The draws against newly promoted Norwich and particularly home to Palace are unforgivable. 

We are conceding stupid goals, and the strikers are just not firing with the exception of Grant. Farinez has made two high-profile errors already, and Morelos has had a torrid time thus far unable to find the back of the net. 

The fixtures really toughen up now as well. I think I may drop the new boys for a while and go back to the tried & tested players from last season.

The early league table has us in 5th but I am still disappointed with the start.

In other news, Liverpool are the best team I have ever seen in FM, they are winning every competition and steam-rolling everyone in their wake. Their forward line includes Mane, Salah, Dybala, Firmino & Edouard. 

[karanhsingh]

Season 2: September update

This was a better month somewhat.

However we are still far from convincing. The wins over Spurs & Porto were lucky to say the least. The Liverpool game showed how far off we still are as we got absolutely dominated at home for the first time in a while. 

We don't seem to have any consistency and a lot of the goals are coming from set pieces. Last season we could depend on Karlan Grant to score almost every game, we are missing that now.

Morelos Watch: 9 appearances and no goals yet for the Colombian. I hope he doesn't turn out to be a very expensive mistake. 

Here is the updated league table:

Doesn't seem like there will be any catching Liverpool or City, but hopefully we can stay in the battle for top 4. 

In the Champions League we are sitting in 2nd spot with 4 points from the first 2 games, so qualification for the knock-outs seems a distinct possibility.

[karanhsingh]

Season 2 - Oct & Nov

Seems like the second season syndrome is in full swing...

Three away defeats on the trot, honestly we should not have lost a single one. It just feels like we are losing all the games we would be winning last season. Also I genuinely cannot remember the last time we went through 90 minutes without hitting the woodwork at least twice.

This means our league position has also dropped down to 6th.

And then there is this.

[karanhsingh]

On the upside, we have a pretty nice set of affiliates coming together.

On the back of some of our loan players, Burton are also making a push for promotion this season.

[karanhsingh]

Season 2 - December

December was a whole lot better.

I have made some tactical tweaks to enable us to keep better possession and be a little more aggressive defensively. Detailed here for anyone keen.

Man City, after Liverpool, was easily the hardest game we faced all season. Somehow got away with a point. Same thing at Old Trafford.

Delighted to get one over Arsenal, and exact revenge over Leicester. Also the famous away win in Munich means we topped our UCL group, and have been drawn against AC Milan in the knock-out round.

Here is the updated league table, it's going to be a right old scrap for the top 4.

Also our record signing FINALLY found the back of the net.

[karanhsingh]

Club Developments

In other news our stadium expansion is complete and Villa Park is now one of the country's largest stadiums! Can't wait for the next home game

The youth intake also sounds promising this year, hoping one or two gems come through.

[karanhsingh]

Season 2: January update

An absolutely crazy January, as the fixtures just don't let up. We had NINE games including a hellish run of Liverpool away, Chelsea away, and United at home in the space of 6 days. Absolutely mental. 

To make matters worse, our best player and captain Jack Grealish got injured just before that run of games.

After all of that, I suppose I have to be happy with how the month turned out. However, the Liverpool defeat was a tough one to take as we were leading going into the final 10 minutes. And the defeat at home to United also very lucky for them as we just could not convert a succession of clear chances. 

It's getting very tight in that battle for Top 4!

Arsenal are putting together some good form, and I think it will be between us for that final Champions League spot. 

Also I need to make a special mention for THIS come-back win against Sheff Utd in the FA Cup. 

I was literally tearing my hair out and wondering how we had not scored. When we did a United circa 99 and scored not one but two stunning goals in stoppage time to win the game. Thank god for that as well, as I surely could not have taken a replay.

[karanhsingh]

Also a quick one on the Winter window:

OUTS:

Jed Steer finally leaves the club. The most significant one I suppose is Adebayo who was a new-gen that came through our academy, he seemed quite promising but a leg break put him out of action for 5 months & stunted his development. Juninho accepted the offer that came in and I decided to not stand in the way.

INS:

Honestly it's not like we badly needed any players, but with McTominay transfer-listed at Man Utd I felt he could be a good long-term acquisition. Juninho was sent in to do the business and he was pretty swift about it. For now he gives us an added option in the middle of the park.

With Aina being away at the AFCON we have been short on numbers for the wing-back roles, so again Juninho struck a decent deal to bring Kieran Trippier back to England on a short-term deal.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Keep up the good work with Villa mate. Nice to see you in the top 4 of the league. 

[karanhsingh]

5 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Keep up the good work with Villa mate. Nice to see you in the top 4 of the league. 

Thank you mate

[karanhsingh]

4 days, 2 cup games, including one Final at Wembley. 

2 teams absolutely battered by us. Somehow, they both go to penalties. And somehow, we conspire to lose both.

To make matters worse, Chelsea got a ridiculously dodgy penalty during the game as well. I watched the replay thrice from different angles and can't for the life of me figure out how they gave that, it was an off the ball incident and the player wasn't even close to the ball! 

Then my players proceed to miss chance after chance after chance to seal the game. And when it goes to penalties you just know what is going to happen. If memory serves me correctly I have won one shoot-out in FM20 out of maybe 10-15. 

I still can't wrap my head around it... sometimes this game just does you in. The whole season will probably go tits up now. Really wanted to win some silverware this year as well.

[karanhsingh]

May as well do a quick February update as well.

Fixtures:

Table:

[warlock]

3 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

sometimes this game just does you in

It can be a cruel game. Just keep on keeping on - you're still pretty well placed. For what it's worth, I've probably won more penalty shootouts than I've lost.

[karanhsingh]

March & April update

Well we had a rather interesting couple of months, it has to be said.

The League form has been decent, not spectacular. We lost to Arsenal, our biggest competition for a top 4 spot in a very even game. The one that really rankled me however was the draw against rivals Wolves, because we were 3-1 (!!) up in the 92nd minute. Somehow conspired to concede two goals from there. 

The last game before this update was a ridiculous home defeat against struggling Fulham, yes I did rotate some players but that was 100% pure FM 

Which leaves the league table like this going into the end of the season, the battle for 4th spot really heating up!

Now of course we have to talk about that Champions League run. 

After deservedly getting past AC Milan, we were drawn against PSG in the quarter finals and I thought this will be it. However, the news that Mbappe would miss the whole tie through injury was encouraging. Then in the first game we managed to injure Neymar as well early doors  After that we absolutely dominated them in their stadium and somehow only came back with a draw. I thought we may have blown it but we did the business in the return leg at home and thumped them 3-0! That was satisfying.

Atletico Madrid in the semis I always thought are very beatable, they don't have world class players like PSG do. Again I am a little disappointed to have just won the home leg 2-1 as we absolutely dominated them, but hopefully we finish the job in the return leg.

[karanhsingh]

May update

We completed the job in Madrid with a deserved away win to take us to the Champions League Final in our first campaign back. The bad news - we face Liverpool - who are literally steamrolling the entire football world in my save and winning every game, and every competition, they participate in. Check out the final league table as well. 

Other highlights of the month - a record high-scoring game as we beat bottom of the table Leeds 8-3 (!!) away from home, and a home victory against hapless Spurs to secure top 4 on the final day of the season.

Liverpool are just ridiculous though as you can see, I have no idea how to even begin competing with them. 

[karanhsingh]

And finally, an update for the Champions League Final

Right before the game we received the bad news that our first choice Libero Ajer was out with an injury, so in came Ezri Konsa to replace him. I also gave the nod to targetman Wesley over failing striker Morelos, in the other big team decision. 

We actually started off pretty well in this game, and before you know it we were ahead with a beautiful deep cross played by Rico Henry, superbly finished off by top scorer Karlan Grant.

A few minutes later though, Liverpool got awarded a dodgy penalty in the 19th minute. Now playing against the best team in the world, you need a little bit of luck on your side to stand a chance. Unfortunately, it seemed like luck was favouring them as well. 

I was worried they would dominate now but that did not happen. My team fought back superbly and were staying in it. Half-time it was still 1-1 and everything to play for. 

Then at the start of the second half, a dangerous situation developing at the edge of our box. However a superb tackle from Engels wins the ball, then somehow the ball bobs off Firmino straight into Dybala's path and he takes a snap shot. 2-1 Liverpool, and such a scrappy horrendous goal to concede 

We really fought valiantly after that as we went chasing an equalizer. I must say in all my games against Liverpool on this save, this is the ONLY time I have seen my team match them blow for blow and even take the game to them at times. 

But sadly, they hold on for the win. It was not to be. 

Full time - Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa

So ultimately, it's a trophyless season, and two lost finals 

[SixPointer]

34 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

And finally, an update for the Champions League Final

Right before the game we received the bad news that our first choice Libero Ajer was out with an injury, so in came Ezri Konsa to replace him. I also gave the nod to targetman Wesley over failing striker Morelos, in the other big team decision. 

We actually started off pretty well in this game, and before you know it we were ahead with a beautiful deep cross played by Rico Henry, superbly finished off by top scorer Karlan Grant.

A few minutes later though, Liverpool got awarded a dodgy penalty in the 19th minute. Now playing against the best team in the world, you need a little bit of luck on your side to stand a chance. Unfortunately, it seemed like luck was favouring them as well. 

I was worried they would dominate now but that did not happen. My team fought back superbly and were staying in it. Half-time it was still 1-1 and everything to play for. 

Then at the start of the second half, a dangerous situation developing at the edge of our box. However a superb tackle from Engels wins the ball, then somehow the ball bobs off Firmino straight into Dybala's path and he takes a snap shot. 2-1 Liverpool, and such a scrappy horrendous goal to concede 

We really fought valiantly after that as we went chasing an equalizer. I must say in all my games against Liverpool on this save, this is the ONLY time I have seen my team match them blow for blow and even take the game to them at times. 

But sadly, they hold on for the win. It was not to be. 

Full time - Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa

So ultimately, it's a trophyless season, and two lost finals 

Unlucky a fantastic run killing of some amazing teams. Frightening stuff this early on in the save 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

5 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

And finally, an update for the Champions League Final

Right before the game we received the bad news that our first choice Libero Ajer was out with an injury, so in came Ezri Konsa to replace him. I also gave the nod to targetman Wesley over failing striker Morelos, in the other big team decision. 

We actually started off pretty well in this game, and before you know it we were ahead with a beautiful deep cross played by Rico Henry, superbly finished off by top scorer Karlan Grant.

A few minutes later though, Liverpool got awarded a dodgy penalty in the 19th minute. Now playing against the best team in the world, you need a little bit of luck on your side to stand a chance. Unfortunately, it seemed like luck was favouring them as well. 

I was worried they would dominate now but that did not happen. My team fought back superbly and were staying in it. Half-time it was still 1-1 and everything to play for. 

Then at the start of the second half, a dangerous situation developing at the edge of our box. However a superb tackle from Engels wins the ball, then somehow the ball bobs off Firmino straight into Dybala's path and he takes a snap shot. 2-1 Liverpool, and such a scrappy horrendous goal to concede 

We really fought valiantly after that as we went chasing an equalizer. I must say in all my games against Liverpool on this save, this is the ONLY time I have seen my team match them blow for blow and even take the game to them at times. 

But sadly, they hold on for the win. It was not to be. 

Full time - Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa

So ultimately, it's a trophyless season, and two lost finals 

Unlucky in the Final but you have done really well to get Villa to the Champions League final. I am looking forward to seeing how you do next season.

[karanhsingh]

On 20/09/2020 at 12:12, SixPointer said:

Unlucky a fantastic run killing of some amazing teams. Frightening stuff this early on in the save 

 

22 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Unlucky in the Final but you have done really well to get Villa to the Champions League final. I am looking forward to seeing how you do next season.

Thanks guys. Definitely an unbelievable run but of course at the end it sucks to lose 2 finals in one season, especially the big one! 

On a side note, Liverpool are really p*ssing me off by being annoyingly good. And now I have to play them in the Club World Cup too...

I am going for broke in the transfer window this time around. Something that's very "unlike" me on FM. Update up soon, hopefully.

[engamohd]

Love how well you are doing, and loving how Liverpool is frustrating a Man U fan haha

Focus on getting right players and you will eventually make it

[karanhsingh]

2 hours ago, engamohd said:

Love how well you are doing, and loving how Liverpool is frustrating a Man U fan haha

Focus on getting right players and you will eventually make it

Haha yes not very different from real life right now. 

[karanhsingh]

19 hours ago, engamohd said:

Love how well you are doing, and loving how Liverpool is frustrating a Man U fan haha

Focus on getting right players and you will eventually make it

Of course, Liverpool also had to beat us in the Club World Cup, before going onto win that trophy as well. Not much to write about there.

[karanhsingh]

Season 3 Preview:

So the second season at the Villa was fantastic, but also ended in frustration. The question is, where do we go from here? The quality in the Premiership is just so high that it is impossible to compete without a world-class squad. Also finding players who can actually improve us is understandably getting harder and harder. 

With that being said, we have decided to go for broke this summer and blow up the transfer market (as much as we could with our budgets ).

The headline moves are two stars who were transfer-listed at Leverkusen, we moved very quickly to secure both of them before any of the elite clubs swooped in. Having lost out on Ruben Dias and Jerome Onguene to local rivals, was glad to get these moves over the line. So without further ado,

The INS:

As you can see the two BIG moves are essentially Kai Havertz and Jonathan Tah. Havertz I plan to play as a DLF alongside Grant up front. He will replace Morelos who unfortunately just could not adapt to the Premier league. Tah meanwhile will slot it at RCB to give me a back 3 of Tah, Ajer, Mings. It's a bit harsh on Engels who will move into more of a rotation role. Juninho has given Kai a 110m release clause but hopefully we can hold onto him for a while.

This blew up our entire budget so we had to rely on cheap deals. Juninho brought in Rui Silva as back-up keeper, while Siegrist was also brought in to bolster the home-grown contingent. Davie Selke and Oxlade-Chamberlain are both loan deals with an option to buy and should prove to be good rotation options. Dogan Sagar is a young Turkish/English new-gen who looks like a promising wide player.

And, the OUTS:

Samatta didn't get enough games last season so he moves on. Morelos was just so disappointing, I really had high hopes of the guy. Fortunately we recouped the entire fee we had paid. Hause and Guilbert are also moved on to make space in the squad for Tah & Ox respectively. The rest are loan deals, our feeder club Burton is now in the Championship and hopefully we can help them stay there.

And so this is what the Squad looks like going into the new season:

We have been made 7th favourites for the title this season, definitely now recognized as the "best of the rest" but obviously we have loftier ambitions once again.

I definitely want to win some silverware this season, otherwise the frustration may boil over 

[engamohd]

8 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Season 3 Preview:

So the second season at the Villa was fantastic, but also ended in frustration. The question is, where do we go from here? The quality in the Premiership is just so high that it is impossible to compete without a world-class squad. Also finding players who can actually improve us is understandably getting harder and harder. 

With that being said, we have decided to go for broke this summer and blow up the transfer market (as much as we could with our budgets ).

The headline moves are two stars who were transfer-listed at Leverkusen, we moved very quickly to secure both of them before any of the elite clubs swooped in. Having lost out on Ruben Dias and Jerome Onguene to local rivals, was glad to get these moves over the line. So without further ado,

The INS:

As you can see the two BIG moves are essentially Kai Havertz and Jonathan Tah. Havertz I plan to play as a DLF alongside Grant up front. He will replace Morelos who unfortunately just could not adapt to the Premier league. Tah meanwhile will slot it at RCB to give me a back 3 of Tah, Ajer, Mings. It's a bit harsh on Engels who will move into more of a rotation role. Juninho has given Kai a 110m release clause but hopefully we can hold onto him for a while.

This blew up our entire budget so we had to rely on cheap deals. Juninho brought in Rui Silva as back-up keeper, while Siegrist was also brought in to bolster the home-grown contingent. Davie Selke and Oxlade-Chamberlain are both loan deals with an option to buy and should prove to be good rotation options. Dogan Sagar is a young Turkish/English new-gen who looks like a promising wide player.

And, the OUTS:

Samatta didn't get enough games last season so he moves on. Morelos was just so disappointing, I really had high hopes of the guy. Fortunately we recouped the entire fee we had paid. Hause and Guilbert are also moved on to make space in the squad for Tah & Ox respectively. The rest are loan deals, our feeder club Burton is now in the Championship and hopefully we can help them stay there.

And so this is what the Squad looks like going into the new season:

We have been made 7th favourites for the title this season, definitely now recognized as the "best of the rest" but obviously we have loftier ambitions once again.

I definitely want to win some silverware this season, otherwise the frustration may boil over 

These are your transfers, or Juninho's?

[karanhsingh]

24 minutes ago, engamohd said:

These are your transfers, or Juninho's?

I added Havertz, Tah, Ox and Selke to the target list. All negotiations handled by Juninho. 

The first two were transfer-listed as they wanted to leave Leverkusen, so negotiations were fairly simple. I am just surprised no other big club stepped in, maybe because we got the deals done very early.

[engamohd]

1 minute ago, karanhsingh said:

I added Havertz, Tah, Ox and Selke to the target list. All negotiations handled by Juninho. 

The first two were transfer-listed as they wanted to leave Leverkusen, so negotiations were fairly simple. I am just surprised no other big club stepped in, maybe because we got the deals done very early.

Very interesting, I am going to do the same with my Millwall team when we are in the prem. Identifying targets is my job, getting the deal done is his.

[karanhsingh]

1 minute ago, engamohd said:

Very interesting, I am going to do the same with my Millwall team when we are in the prem. Identifying targets is my job, getting the deal done is his.

Yes it definitely makes things more interesting, and is a time-saver as well. 

Sometimes though it goes the other way, as he just gave Bjorn Engels a bumper contract as a key player and then we go out & sign Tah  Not that he didn't deserve it mind...

[karanhsingh]

Also the DoF is actually pretty good at recommending targets - for example we were completely out of funds and still needed a 4th striker, he came up with the option for Davie Selke on loan who looks pretty good (and adds to a growing German contingent at the club).

[engamohd]

8 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Also the DoF is actually pretty good at recommending targets - for example we were completely out of funds and still needed a 4th striker, he came up with the option for Davie Selke on loan who looks pretty good (and adds to a growing German contingent at the club).

I have tried this after our promotion, letting the DOF both suggest targets and handle offers and contracts for my targets. I also made sure I confirm any sales and signings. I can safely say that this was the best experience I had in FM. We had a GREAT first prem transfer window. The DOF suggested Adarabiaoyo, Palombi and Kalinic, the rest are my transfer targets.

Edited September 22, 2020 by engamohd

[karanhsingh]

11 hours ago, engamohd said:

I have tried this after our promotion, letting the DOF both suggest targets and handle offers and contracts for my targets. I also made sure I confirm any sales and signings. I can safely say that this was the best experience I had in FM. We had a GREAT first prem transfer window. The DOF suggested Adarabiaoyo, Palombi and Kalinic, the rest are my transfer targets.

Nice one! Yes its fun isn't it? Adds a new dimension to the game almost.

[karanhsingh]

Unbelievably, Man Utd have done it to me AGAIN!

All 3 goals from set pieces, including a dodgy penalty. Meanwhile we obviously had to hit the woodwork thrice.

I feel like I am getting nowhere in this save...

[karanhsingh]

Season 3 - August update

A frustrating start to the season - we dominated Man Utd at home but somehow conspired to lose to them again. At the Bridge, a Kepa master-class kept us out - yes I know that's wildly unrealistic. When Kepa plays a blinder against you, that's when you know the game is just messing about 

Spurs were about to FM us as well but a late Havertz goal got us the important win. Early days of course but here is the table.

Honestly the only good performers so far are Havertz & Grealish. Karlan Grant is having a torrid time, I wonder if the former golden boot winner may already have peaked.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

2 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Season 3 - August update

A frustrating start to the season - we dominated Man Utd at home but somehow conspired to lose to them again. At the Bridge, a Kepa master-class kept us out - yes I know that's wildly unrealistic. When Kepa plays a blinder against you, that's when you know the game is just messing about 

Spurs were about to FM us as well but a late Havertz goal got us the important win. Early days of course but here is the table.

Honestly the only good performers so far are Havertz & Grealish. Karlan Grant is having a torrid time, I wonder if the former golden boot winner may already have peaked.

You will turn it around mate, Only 4 games played so plenty of time left.

[karanhsingh]

Season 3 - September

A much better month, in fact almost perfect except for that defeat at Dortmund. As you can see below, we dominated that game as well despite being down to 10 men. 

Converting chances is a big issue for us - between the Dortmund & Brighton games for instance we had a total over 100 shots, with only 4 goals to show for it, 2 of those from set pieces. The strikers are just not firing this season, especially Grant & Wesley.

The league table is now looking a little bit better, with us in the top 6.

[karanhsingh]

Looks like it's going to be a very early exit from the CL this year!! Just got well and truly FM'd by Lazio.

We missed 2 absolute sitters in this game, including an open goal by Havertz who has also forgotten how to score.

We basically need 40 shots to score a goal. Does anyone have a remedy for this?

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

11 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Looks like it's going to be a very early exit from the CL this year!! Just got well and truly FM'd by Lazio.

We missed 2 absolute sitters in this game, including an open goal by Havertz who has also forgotten how to score.

We basically need 40 shots to score a goal. Does anyone have a remedy for this?

 

I usually use the concentrate shout during a match if that is happening buddy. Or change your tactics a bit during the game. 

[karanhsingh]

I am fcking tearing my hair out at this point.

[karanhsingh]

Season 3 - October

An awful, awful month.

I cannot for the life of me comprehend what is going on. Every single one of those games, we dominated. 

Against Bournemouth we had 25 shots and 19 on target, yet could not score. 

The morale at the club is completely shot, the senior players just called me in for a meeting to address the situation. I must say this is a first for me on FM. I am at a complete loss as to how to address it.

Here is the updated league table - we are still in 5th place but we could so easily have been top of the league.

I am opening a thread in the tactics forum in case anyone has some feedback.

[karanhsingh]

Season 3 - November 

November was a much better month, after some heavy tactical adjustments. We finally ended our 5 game winless run, and took advantage of a decent set of fixtures.

Tactically, my primary changes have been to try and see us get more possession and dominate games in a more consistent manner. I am still not happy about how we are doing, but we seem to be making some improvements.

The Fulham game at home - I tried a tactical experiment in the 2nd half and switched to a 5-2-3 in order to close their full-backs down more. Ultimately it back-fired as they walked through our midfield and scored a 90th minute equalizer. That was a real blow.

Here is the league table at the end of the month.

[karanhsingh]

Season 3 - December

A busy month, and it would have been a perfect one but for what looks like a thrashing at Anfield. More on that in a bit.

We started with a resounding win at Palace in what was a really pleasing performance. Then we go to the Camp Nou, needing a point to qualify for the knock-outs. After conceding an early goal, we fought back to get an unlikely win and finished in 2nd place behind Lazio. For that we have been rewarded with another tie against PSG in the first knock-out round in a repeat of last year, no doubt they will be looking to get revenge on us.

Now about the Liverpool game, I really cannot decide which one is more annoying Liverpool IRL or them in FM 

So far my record on this save is now 8 played, 6 defeats, 1 win, 1 draw. That includes 3 cup finals. 

We went to Anfield just 3 points off them, a win or even a draw would confirm our credentials as title challengers this season. 

Of course as always seems to happen against the big teams, they take an early lead through a free-kick (what else). Wijnaldum somehow outjumps Tyrone Mings who is usually a beast in the air, and we are a goal down. We fight back and equalize soon after, but the goal gets magically ruled out for an off the ball push involving 2 players who were nowhere close to the ball . By this point I am already tearing my hair out - 2 minutes later there is apparently another off the ball incident in my box (I still have no clue what happened) and somehow they give a penalty to Liverpool. From drawing 1-1, we are suddenly 2-0 down in the most ridiculous of ways.

By this point I had had about enough, I switched to only commentary and saw out the rest of the game. As you can see from the stats below, we gave as good as we got, but through some sort of divine intervention, conspired to lose the game by 4 goals to nil. Is it me, or is this basically Liverpool for the past 2 seasons in real life. When will it end?! 

Anyhow, we did fight back with excellent wins against Arsenal & Wolves to end the month on a high. As a result, we still find ourselves in 4th place and in the hunt for another year of CL qualification, even if the title seems a bridge too far at this point.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 hour ago, karanhsingh said:

Season 3 - December

A busy month, and it would have been a perfect one but for what looks like a thrashing at Anfield. More on that in a bit.

We started with a resounding win at Palace in what was a really pleasing performance. Then we go to the Camp Nou, needing a point to qualify for the knock-outs. After conceding an early goal, we fought back to get an unlikely win and finished in 2nd place behind Lazio. For that we have been rewarded with another tie against PSG in the first knock-out round in a repeat of last year, no doubt they will be looking to get revenge on us.

Now about the Liverpool game, I really cannot decide which one is more annoying Liverpool IRL or them in FM 

So far my record on this save is now 8 played, 6 defeats, 1 win, 1 draw. That includes 3 cup finals. 

We went to Anfield just 3 points off them, a win or even a draw would confirm our credentials as title challengers this season. 

Of course as always seems to happen against the big teams, they take an early lead through a free-kick (what else). Wijnaldum somehow outjumps Tyrone Mings who is usually a beast in the air, and we are a goal down. We fight back and equalize soon after, but the goal gets magically ruled out for an off the ball push involving 2 players who were nowhere close to the ball . By this point I am already tearing my hair out - 2 minutes later there is apparently another off the ball incident in my box (I still have no clue what happened) and somehow they give a penalty to Liverpool. From drawing 1-1, we are suddenly 2-0 down in the most ridiculous of ways.

By this point I had had about enough, I switched to only commentary and saw out the rest of the game. As you can see from the stats below, we gave as good as we got, but through some sort of divine intervention, conspired to lose the game by 4 goals to nil. Is it me, or is this basically Liverpool for the past 2 seasons in real life. When will it end?! 

Anyhow, we did fight back with excellent wins against Arsenal & Wolves to end the month on a high. As a result, we still find ourselves in 4th place and in the hunt for another year of CL qualification, even if the title seems a bridge too far at this point.

Another good season so far mate. I hope you stay in the top 4.

[karanhsingh]

14 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Another good season so far mate. I hope you stay in the top 4.

Thanks. I am really wondering how to take the next step though.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

2 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Thanks. I am really wondering how to take the next step though.

Spend big mate. Get players in that are better then you have. That is all you can do.

[karanhsingh]

40 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Spend big mate. Get players in that are better then you have. That is all you can do.

Yes doing just that!