[FM21] FC Porto

[noikeee 2,170]

For this beta I'm going back to my roots. To the simplest challenge, most obvious challenge everyone ever first tried when they first got into Football Manager - what would happen if I managed my club?

I've been a fan of Futebol Clube do Porto ever since I was a small kid and picked my club - my uncle a decisive influence taking me to watch matches when they would come over to the island - and in-between many, many domestic successes and several fun international campaigns that I've witnessed, one moment stoods out above all: having the surreal priviledge of watching them lift the Champions League back in 2004.

 

Unfortunately the years since have been a slow decline, specially the last decade or so. Benfica have been slightly more successful domestically recently, and we have also drifted away from a playstyle that I enjoyed (typically possession-based 4-3-3s), into a more direct, physical, scrappy style under the management of Sérgio Conceição. We did manage to scrap through with the title last year, and to qualify for the CL this season unlike our domestic rivals, but the financial situation is also really concerning, and was already concerning before the pandemic, nevermind now. Even though we have been churning out a remarkable amount of youth prospects the last few years, something we have never really been massively known for, many of them have already been sold and it is quite possible that to keep the club afloat more will have to go. Things looks somewhat bleak in the long term.

Therefore, it's time to open up the FM alternate reality to fix that. Hold on to the youth. Move on from the rigid, scrappy, hardworking football and unleash the creative forces we do have in our squad. Stabilize finances. Make Porto a fun team to watch again, and a powerhouse in Europe again - maybe a consistent powerhouse in Europe, rather than one who would profit on a bad year from the big league clubs? Let's see what can I do...

Edited November 10, 2020 by noikeee

[DavidBeckham 163]

I remembered enjoying Mourinho's Porto side when he was winning European trophies for fun. I'm sure you will restore the glory days back at Porto. Good luck mate!!

[kingjericho 376]

Good luck! (only in the game though, as a Benfiquista I don't want more Porto success)

Let's see you fully implement SC's shithousery style 

[noikeee 2,170]

1 hour ago, DavidBeckham said:

I remembered enjoying Mourinho's Porto side when he was winning European trophies for fun. I'm sure you will restore the glory days back at Porto. Good luck mate!!

It was a good side, it's kinda been lost in history how it played good football. Largely thanks to Mourinho turning ever more into football's Darth Vader in the years since. 

41 minutes ago, kingjericho said:

Good luck! (only in the game though, as a Benfiquista I don't want more Porto success)

Let's see you fully implement SC's shithousery style 

I want to get rid of SC's shithousery! We do proper passing football here. With Felipe Anderson, Luis Diaz, Otávio, Nakajima, Fábio Vieira, Jesus Corona, there's tons of creativity, no reason to stifle them, at least in game. 

SC's son is our biggest youth prospect though, that could be awkward.  Imagine this will happen IRL, Sérgio gets sacked then the next manager who completely undoes all he did, is the one that gives a break to his son. 

Edited November 11, 2020 by noikeee

[HugoLazgo12 5]

8 hours ago, noikeee said:

It was a good side, it's kinda been lost in history how it played good football. Largely thanks to Mourinho turning ever more into football's Darth Vader in the years since. 

I want to get rid of SC's shithousery! We do proper passing football here. With Felipe Anderson, Luis Diaz, Otávio, Nakajima, Fábio Vieira, Jesus Corona, there's tons of creativity, no reason to stifle them, at least in game. 

SC's son is our biggest youth prospect though, that could be awkward.  Imagine this will happen IRL, Sérgio gets sacked then the next manager who completely undoes all he did, is the one that gives a break to his son. 

hey as benfica fan it the shame is that i dont buy FM 21 beta and now i will wait From FM 21 Demo but i finishing the career at benfica

anyways what the tactic would look like it could be Jorge jesus tactic or maybe AVB Tactic

[Rikulec 908]

I have a soft spot for Porto, I remember watching them on TV in late evenings back in 2007 or so. Quaresma is the obvious name that jumps out at me, but I also remember Helton, Lucho Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez, Fucile, Pepe, Alvaro Pereira, and I could probably think of a few more. Good luck!

[kingjericho 376]

12 hours ago, noikeee said:

SC's son is our biggest youth prospect though, that could be awkward.  Imagine this will happen IRL, Sérgio gets sacked then the next manager who completely undoes all he did, is the one that gives a break to his son. 

The winger? Rogério or something, I had him on loan at Académico Viseu, he sure has the potential. Or was that the one from Benfica? 

[noikeee 2,170]

On 11/11/2020 at 17:35, HugoLazgo12 said:

hey as benfica fan it the shame is that i dont buy FM 21 beta and now i will wait From FM 21 Demo but i finishing the career at benfica

anyways what the tactic would look like it could be Jorge jesus tactic or maybe AVB Tactic

Good luck with Benfica. Only in FM not in real life!  

I'll post my tactics soon, still improving them. I use my own tactics, not trying to copy any real life manager.

On 11/11/2020 at 17:42, Rikulec said:

I have a soft spot for Porto, I remember watching them on TV in late evenings back in 2007 or so. Quaresma is the obvious name that jumps out at me, but I also remember Helton, Lucho Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez, Fucile, Pepe, Alvaro Pereira, and I could probably think of a few more. Good luck!

That was a fun team. Not super competitive in Europe but really fun to watch and full of likeable players you could rely upon. Lucho and Lisandro are Porto legends as far as I'm concerned. 

On 11/11/2020 at 21:51, kingjericho said:

The winger? Rogério or something, I had him on loan at Académico Viseu, he sure has the potential. Or was that the one from Benfica? 

Francisco Conceição, left winger. We also have Rodrigo Conceição but he's not as good.

[noikeee 2,170]

The squad

 

It's huge, I had to send a couple of players down to the B team just to even be able to take a full screenshot. I like big squads but this is too much even for me.

 

 

The current stars

 

I am looking to line up in this way for now:

It provides us lots of creativity and short-passing combos but also looking for penetration beyond the lines. I also expect us to attack quite differently from flank to flank, with a more conventional left flank whilst on the right I use a playmaker-on-a-wing and an attacking winger as a makeshift rightback. This should make us unpredictable and allow us to break the oppositon in a variety of different ways.

 

 

Experienced keeper Agustin Marchesin is a level above the other 2 options in goal, but with Diogo Costa having lots of potential - more on that later - and him already being on his 30s and highly paid, I would be open to offers.

 

The unfortunately named Mexican winger is a key player in the system I'm looking to build up, as he's essentially the very best player in the squad at the moment, both in real life and in-game. A more natural winger, he's been inconsistent when played deeper as RB or RWB in real life, due to dodgy defensive skills, but I'm looking to play him as RB anyway, because I don't trust my other RBs, because it allows me to unleash more creavity from our many talented AMs, and also because it's more fun this way, to play quite open and attacking. His contract ends in 2 years, and it is absolutely key to make sure he doesn't leave in a free when it runs out - ideally I'd extend it, but might have to sell.

 

Porto's most internationally hated player is quite remarkably fit at the age of 37. He shall lead our backline for now, but cannot be seen as a long term solution - specially being well paid and with his contract running out this year.

 

His CB partner has a longer future at the club, I believe. Both technically evolved and physically impressive, he looks a good solution for the position for a while, although there's serious competition from the veteran Ivan Marcano, Chelsea loanee Malang Sarr and prospect Diogo Leite.

 

A signing for this season from Santa Clara, Nigeria's Zaidu Sanusi isn't quite the finished article at LB and his tackling is a bit scary, but there's still a bit of a player in here and he should take care of the position until I'm freer financially to pursue an upgrade.

 

A Porto youth product, Sergio Oliveira has never been quite super convincing his whole career but is having a surprisingly good season IRL, and seems generously rated in-game. In pole position for the DLP role I'm leaning towards giving him, but prospect Romário Baró is already eyeing his position in here too.

 

Next to him the more functional Mateus Uribe should hold down the position for now, but he's very much a do-everything-alright-and-nothing-truly-well kind of player. Not a huge fan of this bloke neither IRL nor in-game.

 

On loan from West Ham for the season, the flamboyant Brazilian winger, most well known from a stint in which he terrorised Serie A for Lazio, looks like a decent shout for the left wing role as an attacking IW looking to break past the lines, or as a slightly more restrained AMC. Again though, not a long term option, we cannot rely on loans.

 

Colombia's Luis Diaz is a similar mould of player, and I think he's really exciting. Still with a little room to grow at the age of 23, he's very interchangeable with Felipe Anderson in both positions, although perhaps more limited when it comes to playing the final pass. Now that I think of it, it might be better to play Anderson centrally and Diaz on the left.

 

The missing piece to make this all click? I did a little short few matches to try out the tactic and I think the playmaker-on-a-wing role is really exciting and suits Otávio like a glove, given he does just that IRL a lot. Also a very hard working player - sometimes a bit of an aggressive dickhead, even! - which should suit him just fine on the wing to help out defensively. There's one very bad thing about him though - he's on the final year of his contract. Renewing is a massive priority. If we can't do that, Japanese playmaker Shoya Nakajima would also fit just fine here - indeed Nakajima is quite a good player who can swap well for AML, AMC or AMR - and there's one super exciting prospect almost exactly in Otávio's mould named Fábio Vieira...

 

A player I love to hate. With a bizarre set of skills - very powerful physically and very limited technically - he's far from the refined player I'm looking for with my style of play. Nevertheless for now it's hard to ignore his physical ability is a weapon and he's still a decent finisher, too. I am however in the awkward position of having him on his final year of his contract (yet another player in this situation!!) and forced to pay him a king's ransom if I want to keep him. Whilst the promising Evanilson is just about eyeing the position....

Edited November 13, 2020 by noikeee

[noikeee 2,170]

The prospects

 

The man of the moment, Fábio Vieira feels like he's just on the brink of a major breakthrough, and indeed has been playing regularly this season IRL, even in the Champions League! If I can adapt him to the flank he is perfect for that playmaker-on-a-wing role. I believe he's the single biggest prospect we have at the moment, and we have a lot of them.

 

A new signing for 2021, we haven't seen much of him yet, but if he's as good as he is in-game, he looks like a shrewd purchase. Note that's either footed which is always quite handy in attacking players. He might not look like a particularly impressive player just yet, but if he can improve his key attributes by just 1 or 2 points we'd already be looking at a seriously impactful striker... and this is a very complete player, too. Not surprisingly, can fit in on the left flank as IW quite well (indeed the game rates him natural there too).

 

Another player on the brink of good things, he already got a decent run on the first team last year but then picked up a bad injury. More of a box-to-box midfielder than a DM like I'm looking to use at the moment, could be adapted that way. He's got serious potential but I'm not entirely sure what to make of him just yet.

 

He's not been having much luck with some inconsistent performances IRL, but technically gifted centerback Diogo Leite is nevertheless another youth academy player just slightly short of a first 11 spot.

 

Goalkeeper Diogo Costa has the potential to hold down the GK position for Portugal for a decade, but he's in that uncomfortable position in which he really needs game time to develop, but he's still quite a bit short of what I want to perform in goal, and goalkeepers just don't get many chances naturally like outfield players (injuries, tiredness). A loan could be an option.

 

A player I don't know if I can count with. Part of the dodgy deals with Wolves in the Summer, he went there together with the big sale of another major prospect, Fabio Silva. However Vitor Ferreira (also known as "Vitinha") is technically still a FC Porto player as of now, still on loan from Porto to Wolves, but Wolves retain a 20M€ release clause. I hope they don't activate that, I rate him and think there's a long term gem in here.

 

Also loaned out to England, rightback Tomás Esteves is unlikely to stay there as Reading have no option on him. I think he's a super promising attacking RB that could hold down the position for many years to come, if he continues his development well.

 

Looking further out into the future, the son of the manager I just replaced is a massive prospect according to the game. Aged just 17, first team chances aren't coming just yet, and he's also not quite fitting into my current tactics, but I might just have to figure out something if he confirms his potential.

 

Another player similar to Otávio and Fabio Vieira in that he can easily play as playmaker-in-a-wing, or a more conventional central playmaking AMC. Not quite there in ability just yet, but he's really good for a 19 year old and should be on the brink of being promoted to the first team squad in the next couple of years.

 

A bit below Tomás Esteves in the "promising RBs" ranks, but nevertheless another really solid prospect for the position.

 

The finances

 

We're ****ed!! Our researcher was saying in the bugs forum that this is generous and will be made even worse in the final game, because we've recently posted our accounts for last season and we reported a pretty nice negative 116M. That M means millions. For a single season. Yes you've read that correctly.

Oh and did you notice just how many contracts I have to renew this season, that are just about to run out? Of highly paid, first team players. There's a revolution to be made. Thankfully there's huge depth of young talent to give us long term prospects, because the short term looks really, really bleak. I'm not convinced we'll manage this transition any well IRL (indeed look at how many prospects we've let go in recent years without making much of an impact for us - Diogo Dalot, Fábio Silva, even André Silva), but I'll try my best in-game. That's the challenge, really. Build a great team on top of this generation of really exciting youth academy products. Hopefully playing watchable football, too.

Edited November 13, 2020 by noikeee

[Ronaldo Beckham 1,063]

Porto are a great team for FM21. Lots of players, lots of debt as well. It will make a challenging save and I look forward to seeing how you get on with them @noikeee

[kingjericho 376]

You have great players up front. Marega's profile looks like a lower league striker  those technicals. Also Otávio looks a lot better than I would imagine.

[noikeee 2,170]

16 minutes ago, kingjericho said:

You have great players up front. Marega's profile looks like a lower league striker  those technicals. Also Otávio looks a lot better than I would imagine.

I've said this so many times the last few years.  He's an English League Two kind of striker. 

[THEGLADIATOR 21]

Porto it's an interesting challenge this year, good luck my friend!

[Ewan0404 82]

I will be following closely as I fancy a Porto save at some point once the full release is out. 

[noikeee 2,170]

Transfer deadline update

With absolutely zero cash at all, obviously not much was going to go on the transfer market. I sold a fullback (B team regular Inácio) and loaned out another (Manafá to Brighton - with a future fee). On the opposite direction I loaned in a fullback too, this merry-go-round may seem a bit pointless but I just wanted to clear out players I didn't want for the future, and meanwhile bring in a stopgap until I get the cash to bring in a proper permanent signing.

This young Englishman is the stopgap reserve LB I could find for now.

 

These are our results so far, which seem just fine! We struggled a little in Braga but held on to the 1-0 lead, dominated Moreirense and Tondela pretty easily, and then against Belenenses we had a ton of chances, finally scored, but then wobbled a bit the final minutes after Jesus Corona got sent off.

 

Not too terrible a Champions League group although I'm not sure we'll beat Ajax to 2nd place, it's a coinflip there. I'm very confident of beating Young Boys (uhh, phrasing) to 3rd place at very least so we should progress to the Europa League at worst.

[HugoLazgo12 5]

16 hours ago, noikeee said:

Transfer deadline update

With absolutely zero cash at all, obviously not much was going to go on the transfer market. I sold a fullback (B team regular Inácio) and loaned out another (Manafá to Brighton - with a future fee). On the opposite direction I loaned in a fullback too, this merry-go-round may seem a bit pointless but I just wanted to clear out players I didn't want for the future, and meanwhile bring in a stopgap until I get the cash to bring in a proper permanent signing.

This young Englishman is the stopgap reserve LB I could find for now.

 

These are our results so far, which seem just fine! We struggled a little in Braga but held on to the 1-0 lead, dominated Moreirense and Tondela pretty easily, and then against Belenenses we had a ton of chances, finally scored, but then wobbled a bit the final minutes after Jesus Corona got sent off.

 

Not too terrible a Champions League group although I'm not sure we'll beat Ajax to 2nd place, it's a coinflip there. I'm very confident of beating Young Boys (uhh, phrasing) to 3rd place at very least so we should progress to the Europa League at worst.

so anways i wonder if you want make marega to become a best striker like the good old hulk and falcao days

damn porto have must lot of debts i wonder if FM 15-20 Porto does have must lot of debts i mean if it because of PDC or maybe he didnt not sell much high money maybe this porto in FM 21 is screwed

í make sure hope in FM 21 that benfica dont not have so much in debts just like porto

how the progress in primeira liga is doing and you are pretty okay right

[noikeee 2,170]

On 15/11/2020 at 16:40, HugoLazgo12 said:

so anways i wonder if you want make marega to become a best striker like the good old hulk and falcao days

damn porto have must lot of debts i wonder if FM 15-20 Porto does have must lot of debts i mean if it because of PDC or maybe he didnt not sell much high money maybe this porto in FM 21 is screwed

í make sure hope in FM 21 that benfica dont not have so much in debts just like porto

how the progress in primeira liga is doing and you are pretty okay right

I can't stand Marega, definitely not basing my team around him.

We are in a poor financial position because the transfer business the last few years has been **** and totally unsustainable.

[noikeee 2,170]

End of November update
 

 

Things have started to go slightly wrong, not catastrophically wrong, but not as I wanted. When we're at our best we're still fine, like in the easy 5-0 over Boavista. However there's been too many matches we've been conceding late goals that cost us. Here in Madeira against Marítimo, totally dominated the match, conceded in the 94th against the run of play from a weird tight angle. Against Benfica, the really big match in the league, we were winning 2-0 in the 93rd minute but then still had time to concede 2 Rafa goals. Then in the CL in Switzerland we were up 2-1 when they scored from the penalty spot in the 87th.

We're still in a decent position to qualify in the CL, largely thanks to our win in Amsterdam, in which it were us who benefitted from late goals. In the league, 3 draws in the last 3 matches have squandered our advantage - we're still 1st but Benfica have a game in hand, which if they win they'll overtake us.

 

[RioImmagina 65]

This reminds me when i managed hearts (SPL) with a lot of debts and -15 points due to financial problems.

I only got a 2 years loan (Justin leghait) and a lot of fairly price transfers out.

If i were you, i tried to Exchange marega with someone else.

Keep It up! CL Money can help you a lot

Edited November 16, 2020 by RioImmagina

[Ewan0404 82]

@noikeee

Can you show us the finances page and the projected finances? 

[noikeee 2,170]

23 hours ago, RioImmagina said:

This reminds me when i managed hearts (SPL) with a lot of debts and -15 points due to financial problems.

I only got a 2 years loan (Justin leghait) and a lot of fairly price transfers out.

If i were you, i tried to Exchange marega with someone else.

Keep It up! CL Money can help you a lot

Nah good exchange deals rarely are available in FM as far as I know, don't think I've used them in a very very long time.

I'm hoping for some CL money, yes. The plan is to survive the first season, grind it out, then money will eventually appear. First season is also harder with less money in the game due to Covid, SI have said this is taken into account, then gradually the economy in-game gets better and better. So I don't want to make any big sales in the 1st season because the AI doesn't have money to give me!

9 hours ago, Ewan0404 said:

@noikeee

Can you show us the finances page and the projected finances? 

Yeah sure:

 

[HugoLazgo12 5]

4 minutes ago, noikeee said:

Nah good exchange deals rarely are available in FM as far as I know, don't think I've used them in a very very long time.

I'm hoping for some CL money, yes. The plan is to survive the first season, grind it out, then money will eventually appear. First season is also harder with less money in the game due to Covid, SI have said this is taken into account, then gradually the economy in-game gets better and better. So I don't want to make any big sales in the 1st season because the AI doesn't have money to give me!

Yeah sure:

 

damn next season your transfer budget will have bit too little

maybe you need to sell more players just save this team from debts

[noikeee 2,170]

11 minutes ago, HugoLazgo12 said:

damn next season your transfer budget will have bit too little

maybe you need to sell more players just save this team from debts

Yeah it's quite likely at least one big player will be sold. I renewed Otávio's contract but he now has a 22M€ release clause (he wouldn't sign the contract without this) and Corona's contract ends next season, so feels likely that at least 1 of these 2 players will leave.

[abulezz 290]

Always nice to see a noikeee save! Following. 

[noikeee 2,170]

Our best partnership in real life. Sort it out SI. 

[noikeee 2,170]

On 18/11/2020 at 10:55, abulezz said:

Always nice to see a noikeee save! Following. 

Cheers mate!

[noikeee 2,170]

[abulezz 290]

That's alot of everything, lol. 

[noikeee 2,170]

End of December update

I'm not gonna update after every month but this seems like a natural point. This was a great month, we managed to hold off City at home in the CL somewhat luckily, clinching qualification for the CL last 16 right there (Ajax was so disappointing this group stage, didn't put us any challenge), and then just won all the other matches, as we seem to be back to our best form.

The league is settling into a natural 2-horse race, Benfica lost to Sporting and therefore dropped to 5 points behind us, so we're top even if they win their game in hand.

In the CL as I said Ajax was really disappointing and somehow managed to finish bottom of the group. I think our run ends next, we were unlucky to draw Real Madrid, there were a few surprising teams winning their CL groups such as Lazio, Sevilla and Celtic (??!!), so we could have had drawn any of them.

 

Having a little look at player stats now and there's been a few surprises as to who's performing for me. 2 players have been standing out as our main goalscorers, that would be Iran's Mehdi Taremi who I often play on the left as IW/A and Evanilson who I play as central forward AF/A. It is natural that the 2 attack roles in our attack would rack up the goals, but maybe not these players in particular, specially Taremi who has been a big surprise - after scoring quite a few when I rotate the side, I've upgraded him to our regular starting 11.

Likewise Liverpool loanee Marko Grujic has been a revelation at the base of midfield as a playmaker, although assists are a lot more spread out between many, many players, which is a good sign as it means we're creating many different kinds of chances, albeit only 2 players get on the end of them, I guess.

 

For January do not expect transfer business unless clubs come in and activate release clauses of our star players, Chelsea is hovering around Jesus Corona and his 30M€ clause.

Edited November 21, 2020 by noikeee

[noikeee 2,170]

Surprisingly somewhat believable top 3 for this season IRL.

[abulezz 290]

My save has Lionel Messi going back to his FM18 heydays of mid 8s AR. Real Madrid is a tough, tough break.