[FM22] A Day Without Football is a Day Lost

[SixPointer]

Still no interview as of yet, i have decided to apply for the Job after being linked. Not only does it make sense in terms of the challenge, it increases realism. After four really good seasons with progression on everyone I think Howedes would be a solid contender for the job. Not only his performance but his footballing philosophy matches that of Ajax, just as it is suggested in the article.

[13th Man]

A lot happening! Solid progress this season to last, even if the league position ended up the same. But you got that first requirement of the cup, and now maybe Ajax to get the league win?

Loved the new conductor variation a few posts back. I can imagine the two AM movement is fantastic while on the flanks there’s less space for the opposition to exploit without space between the FBs and wingers.

[shaneomac]

On 18/05/2022 at 13:29, SixPointer said:

Season Review (Part 1)

Another successful season at the Het Kasteel, 3rd place finish in the league providing potential UEFA Champions League football, A huge KNVB Beker triumph the first major silverware at the club since 1966, along with making the group stages of the UCL. Here I'll try to dissect the reasons for success, the improvement from last season and ultimately the reasons we just fell short in the league. I will most likely break these down into smaller posts.

At the beginning of the season I highlighted goals scored as being the main area in need of improvement. Last season in the league we hit 63 goals, 19 goals off Ajax who hit 82. This year there is a marked improvement of 13+ and only 4 off the top goalscorers.

2023/2024                                                               2024/2025

Comparison of the expected tables brings me great joy. Last season we really struggled to perform our XG, this season out scoring it by 8. Our performance in XPTS matched last seasons, while XGA isn't shown here. It was also matched as we conceded the exact amount of goals expected two years in a row.

The first focus for improving this area was indeed player recruitment. I highlighted the need for more goals from the RW slot, as well as more goals from the RCM, to match the output of Sven Mijnans and more creation from the LW slot. After a detailed process i moved for three key signings in all three positions, Baturina would come in at RCM, Mattsson at LW and Walemark at RW.

Martin Baturina was the man tasked with becoming the Sven Mijnans from the RCM slot, boy did he become that, almost identical numbers to the little Dutch Maestro (who did have a bad injury spell at the start). He surpassed him with his overall final product amassing an impressive 28 direct goal involvements with 14 assists & 14 goals. Mijnans himself had the sort of season i've come to expect from him and there is no surprise a few big clubs are taking notice of him.

A raving success and carried on his performance from his previous season in Dinamo, showing that the combination of his good stats in a weaker league and his great attribute spread made for a great transfer all round. Pure stats gets my attention, if attributes then back it up and there are no issues in the scout report then it's the time to strike a deal.

Mattsson was brought on board to become the more creative outlet on the left, he didn't just do that he had a superb season as notched 10 goals to go along with his 14 assists. A real swiss army knife on the flanks capable of bringing so many different threats to his game

Buying Mattsson from NEC proved to be very shrewd business, his numbers were already decent for the yo-yo club, but i knew that if i brought him with our style of play and better level of player he could really kick on and become an excellent player. He proved me right and has gone from strength to strength which made the battle with PSV for his signature even more meaningful.

Interestingly Emegha who had been more prolific and less creative in recent seasons, had a productive assist season and a less impressive goal tally. He has doubled up as the false 9 at times but a solid season. Less can be said for the other original squad player in this area, Dardai who now looks a real weakness as he struggled to put together in sort of form when given a chance someone ill look to replace.

Walemark was slightly different from the previous two signings, his actual output numbers were rather low, but i factored in his key passes and chance creation and shooting numbers, along with taking into account the team he was playing in. This again coupled with a solid attribute profile and a very good scouting report made my mind up. The swede didn't disappoint and his 16 direct goal involvements (8&8) showed he was a very well balanced threat from both roles.

Unlike Mattsson he exclusively played on the right, a key feature of his play when in the IF role was darting in to the channel and finishing with power, something that made me fall in love with the player and role. he rounded up Three very successful signings, based on a balance of statistical, attributes and scout report to provide the perfect blend for success.

Up next was the increased level of detail in our attacking phase within the tactical systems. Salida added an IF(A) to the RW slot and gained an CM(A) at LCM, along with focus play down the right and overlap on the left, attacking mentality was utilised from the start, and the combinations worked together nicely to make a 343 shape in attack,  which made Salida the first system to be full proofed.

The Conductor began the season with a minor tweak to width and focus play through the centre, however it finished with a big shift. The CM's moved into the AM strata and the IW's back to the midfield, a DM was swapped in for the Regista to offer a more solid base and the IW's were used to stretch play making a very nice 235 shape in the attacking phase, in the end this became a very potent system not only on the offensive but it lended up to pressing higher which helped the defensive aspect.

These tweaks to both systems allowed our attacking play to become less predictable all while sticking to our overall principles (see stats), scoring some increible team goals along with exploiting weaknesses in opponents from pre match game plans. Both these systems look set in stone now. As you can see our passing numbers are the best they have been in the four seasons that I have been at the club, another great stride towards the Total Football model.

The third system never really came to life, i toyed with a flip of Salida but with a three man front line but it never really lived up to scratch, this slot will most likely become a more conserbative 4-2-3-1 system for European tie and tough games, so the double pivot can offer more protection.

What Went Wrong?

Realistically not a lot went wrong, 5 defeats don't strike me as being terrible. The main issue i would say was the draws, 5 out of 6 draws come from winning positions with only the Heerenveen equaliser coming before 80 minutes. Late goals killed the league challenge but in the later part of the season through smarter game management I have managed to get control over this issue.

Playing slightly more cautiously after leading will also put us in good stead for when we have to play more cautiously if we reach the UCL group stages.

After all we conceded the least amount of goals in the Eredivisie, so again another concern from last season was massively improved on. I still feel Verbruggen is naive and still has a long way to go to realise his potential, if a world class keeper was to be an option and within budget i would probably pounce.

The shift to the higher press has a huge effect on our winning the ball back numbers, something i'm striving to be the very best in, so an upward trend is always welcome here and it again ties in with my footballing philosophy.

Do you use any PI's/OI's on the Salida or Conductor?

[karanhsingh]

Good luck! Hope the ajax board see the light

[SixPointer]

13 hours ago, 13th Man said:

A lot happening! Solid progress this season to last, even if the league position ended up the same. But you got that first requirement of the cup, and now maybe Ajax to get the league win?

Loved the new conductor variation a few posts back. I can imagine the two AM movement is fantastic while on the flanks there’s less space for the opposition to exploit without space between the FBs and wingers.

It really did work a treat. Throwing up some nice combinations. The underlap runs were something else.

I will be back on tonight, see what Ajax are saying. Yet to interview me.

10 hours ago, shaneomac said:

Do you use any PI's/OI's on the Salida or Conductor?

yeah both systems have PI’s.

SALIDA - stay wider for both CB’s and WB’s so they stretch play in build up and allow the half back to drop in and make the three. increases the options for ball progression.

The two 8’s have more direct passes to increase through balls. IW had stay wider, hold position to open up the channel for the CM.

CONDUCTOR - both inverted wingers told to hold position and stay wider and hold up ball.

off the top of my head that is all.

2 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Good luck! Hope the ajax board see the light

Hopefully tonight is the night my man 

[karanhsingh]

Where did you profile the tactic with the 2 AMCs? Can't seem to find the post.

[SixPointer]

On 08/05/2022 at 00:17, SixPointer said:

Tactical Shift

The conductor takes a slight shape adjustment, enough that it's given it a new feel and a cutting edge. Still a 4-3-3 in form, which stops us devianting to much from the overall formation but gives us that variation.

The free 8's are moved into the AMC slot, the IW's move back into the midfield strata giving us a sort of xmas tree shape. The striker becomes a false 9, the DM becomes an actual DM.

In possession the shape now resembles a better form of a 2-3-5, the 8's moving up creates more space for the IWB''s to advance into making a better line of three. The IW's are really pleased with it as they now act the way I want in this system, stretching play and opening up the channels for the IWB & 8's but cutting in later on in the attack to become goal threats. The False 9 rotating with the 8's makes for a very fluid central front three (all are asked to move into channels), with the movement causing havoc on CB's shape.

Out of Possession the team defends in a 4-1-4-1, one of the main reasons i feel things have gotten a lot tighter at the back, a compact shape with two banks of four to play through gives us that added protection needed, with the IWB and DMC in good positions to stop the quick counter in the transition phase.

Changing the role in the number six has been coming for a long time, a regista with two free 8's was gung ho, on my part i fell to into the trap of the Condutor (no6) being a sublime playmaker. When in reality I didn't see many defence splitting passes or switches of play, nor did i need it, i need someone keeping the game ticking over and linking everything and from Verbeek's numbers moving the 8's up have given him more space to make this happen. Perhaps the Regista would have benefited from this but after reading the roles I feel am settled now.

Now the DMC gives me more of what I really need, the in-game description covers it perfectly. I want him to be neat and tidy on the ball especially in the transition, as we look to regain our attacking shape. He must also recognize the danger along with his IWB who initially will be positioned beside him before we recover into our shape. The easiest way to describe the change, ive went from a Pirlo type to a Fabinho/Fernandinho type.

 

Against Willem II you can see how wide the inverted wingers are in possession, compared to how narrow they become when out of possession. Ideal for teams who like to dominate the middle of the pitch, we stretch them when we have the ball making the pitch as big as possible, then in defence we narrow and suffocate the central dominance and send them down our sides.

Three pass maps from the new shape, good pattern of passing, plenty of options, diamonds and triangles across all three. Slight variation but of course that can come down to opponent, the wingers are wide the 8's are in the channels either side of the F9, IWB are narrow and crucially the DMC is in the middle linking everything and Conducting the play, not with lavish passes or wasting the ball just knitting everything together nicely.

I now feel the conductor is very much tweaked and given that specialisation that the salida received, now offering something different from salida while sticking to the core principles and game plans, just enough variation to keep our opponent from working out our attacking patterns and positions.

 

Off all the goals i've chosen this one to highlight the changes best, although if you look closely at the four goals in the Willem II highlights, you can see the IT's stretching the back line to open the channels as well as the midfield three (IWB-DMC-IWB) recycling play and making things happen.

Here though, wide men stretch the play keeping the full backs wide for as long as possible, opening up space for the central players. The ball is worked from CB to AMC who drops it into the DMC before moving into the space vacated from the F9 dropping to receive the ball from the IWB, the AMCL, drifts in and then out of the space left by the F9, too attract the attention of the CB which drags him out the way for his fellow AMC to exploit the space and score.

 

55 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Where did you profile the tactic with the 2 AMCs? Can't seem to find the post.

That was the bit I done to cover the tweak bud. 

[SixPointer]

A new Chapter

Big news in the save! After the KNVB cup win stage one of the challenge was completed and there for stage two could begin and the Ajax job is a goer. They took their time in interviewing me, frustrating as I lost valuable time to catch player stats etc but we are here now just as we head into july. 

The arrival at the biggest club in the country is something very different for me. I have always been a one club save man, for years people have often asked on my threads about moving which prompted me to do this challenge, so here we are. The club culture of course ties in with everything Howedes is about and his tactical philosophy ties in at the home of total football, my positional brand should keep the board and fans happy.

The board expect a title win and I would expect no less, but there is going to be a major overhaul required, with no fewer than 12 first team members over the age of 32 and only 3 under the age of 24 and 70% of the squad over the age of 27,  there is work to be done.

It seems Ajax had lost their identity and have been buying up too many old pros coming for the twilight years, something I will of course look to change. Many on large deals, so it's gonna take some shifting but i'm certainly ready for the challenge.

Looking Back

"Leaving Sparta was always going to be a tough decision, but giving the fans their first taste of major silverware since 1966 was a huge moment and something i look back on proudly in years to come"

World cup winner Benedikt Howedes.

I leave the club in a far better place than I found it, upward trend in the league for a club known for yo-yoing between the leagues it's now a solid feature in the top 5/6 teams arguably the top 4. Which I hope they can maintain. A shot at the UCL next season, and a recent group stage appearance. The infastructure improved after already being at a very good level, and a new stadium on its way, safe to say i leave them as a club on the up.

The youth academy was somewhat already a good one, I was tasked with making it the best in the country and only fell short to my new employers who are famed for it. I leave them a parting gift of a golden generation, on top of the likes of Mark Verbeek, Rodrick Staal, Edwin Scheffer, Nelson de Bodt and Robert Grim who I have overseen the development of as they arrived in my intakes. I cant pormise that i wont be back to steal a few of them, after all they are my babies.
 

Sadly I didn't make it into the Icon status but personally am very happy with my work here.

Bare with me probably will be a slow burner for a good few days until i get on top of things at Ajax, ill probably document a good few smaller updates as i make things happen before getting back into the swing of things.

Edited May 22, 2022 by SixPointer

[DavidBeckham]

Good luck at Ajax mate! Those players above 32  They were all brilliant ten years ago!

[SixPointer]

2 hours ago, DavidBeckham said:

Good luck at Ajax mate! Those players above 32  They were all brilliant ten years ago!

Thanks man! Crazy really especially when you consider Suarez, Carvajal, Oscar, Herrera have only played one season. I can understand one or two older players coming in, Tadic, Blind and Stekelenburg are there in real life. But the Ajax model in general wouldn't be sanctioning these sort of deals, they don't go for real high profile players at the end of their career.

 

[Hootieleece]

Everybody moving teams......you to Ajax and @Sheriff7 heading to Barcelona.

It seems that one team saves with smaller teams are falling by the wayside for journeying to the top of Football.....

but I am sure that the experience with the smaller clubs will come in useful when dealing with expectations and bigger budgets!

 

[Rikulec]

Suarez moving to Ajax to end his career there would actually make sense given his spell there before moving to Liverpool, but the others are crazy.

[SixPointer]

2 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Everybody moving teams......you to Ajax and @Sheriff7 heading to Barcelona.

It seems that one team saves with smaller teams are falling by the wayside for journeying to the top of Football.....

but I am sure that the experience with the smaller clubs will come in useful when dealing with expectations and bigger budgets!

 

Its all in my quest for more realism. Its not very often a team goes all the way from the depths of the footballing world to the UCL, so i need to embrace this new way am afraid.

46 minutes ago, Rikulec said:

Suarez moving to Ajax to end his career there would actually make sense given his spell there before moving to Liverpool, but the others are crazy.

couldnt agree more!

[SixPointer]

The craziness has clearly been a deep rooted thing, as these deals were already pre arranged!!!

A mean Hazard is still technically gifted and he still sits with and impressive 140 in my DNA score. So maybe just maybe you would see it. Is he an Ajax player? could you imagine this deal IRL?

[_Ben_]

I think you absolutely deserve your move to Ajax and it's well within the realms of possibility, too.

I actually quite like that aged tail end that you have: imagine youngsters from the famed academy working with Suarez, Blind, Hazard and Stuart Dallas?! I can't remember the answer to this but is Kristian Nokkvi Hlynsson still with the academy? He's gone on to become a revelation for me in Russia.

Looking forward to the deep dive over the coming days before you get into the season.

[SixPointer]

33 minutes ago, _Ben_ said:

I think you absolutely deserve your move to Ajax and it's well within the realms of possibility, too.

I actually quite like that aged tail end that you have: imagine youngsters from the famed academy working with Suarez, Blind, Hazard and Stuart Dallas?! I can't remember the answer to this but is Kristian Nokkvi Hlynsson still with the academy? He's gone on to become a revelation for me in Russia.

Looking forward to the deep dive over the coming days before you get into the season.

I get that there has been older players head there in recent seasons. But just seems excessive. Definitely gives me a chance to blend the talent for sure!
 

There is also a lot of players languishing in the Jong squad that will never be first team level so a clear out required there. As now they play the league below it’s a good way to get some of the real young talent senior football! 

[13th Man]

Congrats on the move to Ajax! Definitely aligned with both the overall save challenge and your philosophy. You definitely moved Sparta forward. Will be tough to move against top of the table rivals and go play the side you built twice a season, but the next step certainly.

[Sheriff7]

Great move mate,you deserved it.Some big names there, enjoy it.

[Sheriff7]

8 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Everybody moving teams......you to Ajax and @Sheriff7 heading to Barcelona.

It seems that one team saves with smaller teams are falling by the wayside for journeying to the top of Football.....

but I am sure that the experience with the smaller clubs will come in useful when dealing with expectations and bigger budgets!

 

 Well as for me we hit the sky with N.Salamina. It was the right time to leave. 

[SixPointer]

8 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Congrats on the move to Ajax! Definitely aligned with both the overall save challenge and your philosophy. You definitely moved Sparta forward. Will be tough to move against top of the table rivals and go play the side you built twice a season, but the next step certainly.

Thanks man! I think it’s a realistic move. Ajax have been poor since ETH left, which was evident in my results against them with Sparta. I think the lack of UCL was the final straw for them.

I think if someone had done what Howedes done with Sparta in four seasons, Ajax would certainly be interviewing them. Throw into the mix my style of play and philosophy and I think it’s a nice match.

4 hours ago, Sheriff7 said:

Great move mate,you deserved it.Some big names there, enjoy it.

The big names are ageing! I need re model the transfer strategy again. I do like to bring one or two experienced players in, for example Costa and Van de Hart at Sparta. 

[karanhsingh]

On 23/05/2022 at 00:38, SixPointer said:

Its all in my quest for more realism. Its not very often a team goes all the way from the depths of the footballing world to the UCL, so i need to embrace this new way am afraid.

couldnt agree more!

I couldn't agree more with this. More and more I'm trying to play FM in a way that would be realistic IRL. 

As for the old players in your squad it will certainly add an interesting dimension. I think it's an often overlooked part of the game. 

For me recently Kovacic changed the entire narrative of my Fenerbahce side and led us to winning the europa. And in my current save at Everton Arturo Vidal came in at the ripe old age of 35 and is rolling back the years in the hardest league in the world. Plus he's a team leader in 2 months from joining. 

[SixPointer]

37 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

I couldn't agree more with this. More and more I'm trying to play FM in a way that would be realistic IRL. 

As for the old players in your squad it will certainly add an interesting dimension. I think it's an often overlooked part of the game. 

For me recently Kovacic changed the entire narrative of my Fenerbahce side and led us to winning the europa. And in my current save at Everton Arturo Vidal came in at the ripe old age of 35 and is rolling back the years in the hardest league in the world. Plus he's a team leader in 2 months from joining. 

Aww definitely i think there is a place for the older players. especially these days as players play much longer. Case and point Ronaldo at United. 18 goals in the worst EPL performance.  
But I just don’t think it ties in with Ajax philosophy, 3 maybe. But in the last three seasons they have signed no fewer than 10 players over the age of 32, all ready made and entering the end of there careers.

Ajax are know for developing their own talent or buying players with potential to grow and either be sold on or improved the team long term. While having a few older ones to lead the way. Well that’s my take on it their philosophy. Ex players often return so am not opposed to it just seems very high volume. 

[DavidBeckham]

On 23/05/2022 at 03:26, SixPointer said:

The craziness has clearly been a deep rooted thing, as these deals were already pre arranged!!!

A mean Hazard is still technically gifted and he still sits with and impressive 140 in my DNA score. So maybe just maybe you would see it. Is he an Ajax player? could you imagine this deal IRL?

Goodness me.. Ajax has gone from a great youth developing football organization to a retirement home! 

[haier_fm]

On 24/05/2022 at 09:59, SixPointer said:

Ajax are know for developing their own talent or buying players with potential to grow and either be sold on or improved the team long term.

I wonder - assuming that you will have a full DNA and a Club Recruitment philosophy up and running, are you looking to micromanage the youth sides too? Monitoring their development, filtering for personalities, mentoring, finding coaches suited to your brand of football?

[SixPointer]

9 hours ago, haier_fm said:

I wonder - assuming that you will have a full DNA and a Club Recruitment philosophy up and running, are you looking to micromanage the youth sides too? Monitoring their development, filtering for personalities, mentoring, finding coaches suited to your brand of football?

I always do this to an extent. I don’t run the match days, but run training, and the coaches like at Sparta all have to meet my DNA. 

- tiki taka/vertical or control possession.             
- 433/4231                                                                     
- passing 

these are my three things for coaches, while at Sparta it was hard to get all three at Ajax it should be easier to find, but with the playing staff being my priority and the fact I’ve brought some of my key staff from Sparta I should be in good stead. 

 

[SixPointer]

The Great Clearout

The ageing playing squad I inherited at Ajax was always going to lead to a big squad overhaul. So after weighing up last season's form, suitability for the new playing style and cost, I came up with this.

This is everyone I planned to move on, and did so by the end of the window. 7 players who were 30+ shifted on, this helped bring the average age of the squad down, funded and made space to bring a more tailored and youthful side to the squad.

Zappacosta, Mokoena and Oscar represent real good business, sold with a year left on their deals and for a profit. On the opposite end of the scale Carvajal, Kitolano,Tsimikas, Herrera, Pepe and Jimenez all sold at a loss with significant time on their deals.

Herrea and Carvajal are ageing and had poor seasons previously while Kitoloano, Tsimikas and Pepe weren't good enough and Jimenez wanted away for Champions league football football and at 34 i wasn't standing in his way.

Abel Ruiz, Pasalic and Bornauw all sold at a profit and brought in big savings towards the total, showing that they still had a lot to offer. All three had reasoable seasons last year but, Ruiz i considered too lazy for my style of play, Bornauw was not technical enough for my liking, much like his CD partner from last season Nsoki. Pasalic was moved on to make a clear pathway for a younger player coming through the ranks.

The first of a few younger players that I decided to cash in on, there are several in the Jong squad that simply won't make that next step up but are well rated. Tyrick's sale caused concern but his attributes are simply substandard for my style, DNA score of 115 at 19 is not good enough and he is suited to a more physical style direct style of play rather than my technical style.

Another similar deal was done for David Kalokoh, who at a glance has promise as well, but a DNA of 109 so stops that, with poor anticipation and decision making really just cemented that he really didn't have a chance of making the grade, even with another year or two in the Jong squad.

There are a good few like this who it's really make or break, I've decided to loan a load of them out for a year of first team football away from the club to see if they can realise their potential. This also clears the way for some of the younger members to get senior football at the Jong squad. Hartmann is the only exception as he was part of a loan back deal when I signed him.

On the DNA, the attributes required remain the same. First touch, passing, technique, anticipation, composure, decisions, teamwork, vision, work rate and stamina. Now I'm looking for 130 as the very minimum as a total. Again I am willing to let players miss one of the crucial ten if their average is higher than 130.

The last regime had set the tone for the window to be fair, selling Kudus for a staggering 32.5m profit after. The only thing is he is 24 and It looked like he would be replaced by a 30+ by the way things had been going, but in all fairness that outgoing is the sort of business I would expect from Ajax, young play bought and then sold on for a profit.

[karanhsingh]

That is quite the clear out! Look forward to seeing who you bring in. Also guess you would be promoting some youth team players?

[13th Man]

Wow.  That is not a very Ajax looking side that you inherited.  Some once good players, and its often good to have 1-3 of them, but 7 is far too many - no wonder they'd been fading in recent years!

[SixPointer]

6 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

That is quite the clear out! Look forward to seeing who you bring in. Also guess you would be promoting some youth team players?

Their is a couple I think ready to play a big part, but most will stay in the Jong squad and be plucked up when required.

Big difference having the Jong team playing in the league below. Something I never had at Sparta. Where they just played friendlies all the time. 

4 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Wow.  That is not a very Ajax looking side that you inherited.  Some once good players, and its often good to have 1-3 of them, but 7 is far too many - no wonder they'd been fading in recent years!

The fact they had already pre signed Hazard and Dallas show that they were following this as a strategy. I love an older player for leading the way. It also brings realism, but I think they went overboard with the buying ready made or worse players in their twilight. 

[13th Man]

4 hours ago, SixPointer said:

It also brings realism, but I think they went overboard with the buying ready made or worse players in their twilight. 

Agree that playing FM like Logan’s Run is a little silly. I fall into the trap of ejecting players past 30 sometimes too, but they can be great leaders and bring a lot of experience, often at a very good price. Having a squad filled with them however, will make you far less dynamic and lacking balance.

Edited May 28, 2022 by 13th Man

[SixPointer]

22 minutes ago, 13th Man said:

Agree that playing FM like Logan’s Run is a little silly. I fall into the trap of ejecting players past 30 sometimes too, but they can be great leaders and bring a lot of experience, often at a very good price. Having a squad filled with them however, will make you far less dynamic and lacking balance.

Spot on my man!

[Hootieleece]

2 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Agree that playing FM like Logan’s Run is a little silly. I fall into the trap of ejecting players past 30 sometimes too, but they can be great leaders and bring a lot of experience, often at a very good price. Having a squad filled with them however, will make you far less dynamic and lacking balance.

I was definitely a disciple of that way of thinking in previous saves.....trying to break the habit!

2 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Spot on my man!

I am trying to learn to balance the leadership needs of a team and the need to give young players a chance.....I am working on it in my current save. I have some early 30's Playmakers that are Team Leaders and I want to keep them because they are such Set Piece Weapons, because that is one area most newgens and young players are lacking.

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, Hootieleece said:

I was definitely a disciple of that way of thinking in previous saves.....trying to break the habit!

I am trying to learn to balance the leadership needs of a team and the need to give young players a chance.....I am working on it in my current save. I have some early 30's Playmakers that are Team Leaders and I want to keep them because they are such Set Piece Weapons, because that is one area most newgens and young players are lacking.

I think everyone has been guilty in there FM life of buying up all the best young talent! 

[SixPointer]

New Faces

I would be looking for players at a better age with a good pedigree and room to continue improving. I planned to keep to countries Ajax are known to shop in, the best i could. So armed with a war chest of cash it was time to begin a journey to European powerhouse.

I faced issues with the pure statistical approach due to the fact the season came to a close, which cuts of my limits to real pinpointing stats (big issue with data in game) i did however have a few players from the Sparta lists who were maybe just out of reach in Rotterdam, that would now come into play.

Let's get the two obvious ones out the way first, I'm sure everyone knew I would be heading back to Sparta for at least one or two and I'm sure most would guess these two. I think it ties in nicely with realism, players often follow managers. The trust between them, suited to their style, knows their systems.

The maestro was a standout performer in my four years at Sparta. It's no surprise that Barcelona and Juventus have been linked with him, so I moved quickly to secure him. 30 million certainly isn't cheap, but when you consider the club spent nearly 40 million on a 31 year old Eriksen i think its sound investment, for a player i know all about.

The world's top rated wonderkid wasn't far behind him in packing his bags in Rotterdam to join him in Amsterdam. Mr. Consistent, from the day he signed for me I knew he was a special talent, which doesn't come cheap which will become evident throughout this post, but with three older RWB's leaving it cleared the way for this deal.

Keeper

Selling Gorter and planning to loan Charlie Setford on loan, left me with no solid back up option for Onana. Now i was very tempted to go back to Verbruggen (mad cause i gave him a hard time).

Thing is when I compared him to my other main target I noticed something. His XSV% and SV% weren't a million miles apart and actually better than his rival, had he just been unlucky at times when I saw things go wrong. He also held more saves. In the end I let him be, but it certainly opened my eyes.

Luca Podlech - Howedes headed to the club he is a legend at for this one. Sealing the German under 21 international who has yoyo's with schalke, which has seen him struggle at times but his 11 clean sheets last season, attributes and his scope to improve makes him a great fit as back up. It's also a nice realistic route, the manager using his connections, also I did bid for him at Sparta before Verbuggen arrived.

Defence

The weakest area of the squad by some distance, six players left in this department two being starting CB's last season and with only two centre backs left in Daley Blind and Edison Alavarez who i consider better at six, Investment would be crucial here.

Marco Kana - The young Anderlect captain was someone I had tracked when Nagalo looked to be leaving for Zenit. He didn't come cheap, but other than that he fits the Ajax type of transfer, Belgian young and technical with a good personality and with a DNA score of 134, he ticks all the boxes. He is a complete player and can easily play at the back or in midfield tying in with the philosophy.

He doesn't like big matches but this may be just because he hasn't played in many, so I'm interested to see how this develops. Much like @_Ben_ was discussing over on his epic thread in russia, it's time to try coaching these things as well as attributes. Potential to praise him after big games if he plays well will be my first plan.

Eric Garcia - Things haven't quite worked out for the Spaniard yet, but at 24 he is still a great age to find his place here at Ajax who suits him. DNA - 143 makes him the biggest DNA arrival, he plays at centre back as well which is crazy. 25 million looks to be a bargain, his wages are not. Personailty, consistency and all round background is superb and he likes big matches providing a good comparison against Kana.

Natan - The first man to arrive from the south american continent, a well travelled Ajax route. Another technical defender, who dreads big matches, but again he has only plied his trade in his native brazil, so it will be interesting how he fares at the biggest club in the Netherlands. I think that is where some of the issue is coming from as both him and Kana are great leaders, another dimension to keep track of. DNA - 136.

Luke Mbete - A loan deal this time around, purley because I had some concerns about his pace and acceleration, cause other than that at 21 and a DNA of 139 and outstanding positional sense he looks to be a real Ajax type. His positioning and anticipation should cover his slowness, that's why I've got a 15 million optional fee, ready to pounce if he can handle the high line. Never quite happened for him in Denmark but at the Palace he started to find his feet.

Victor Kristiansen - Certianly not the first Danish international to play sign for AJax. He has been on my radar for sometime and was very close to joining Sparta in January but we couldn't afford his old release clause. He is tasked with dislodging Tagliafico from the lwb slot, no easy feat shifting someone who has made over 400 appearances. His DNA of 140, puts him in good stead and should further improve his performance in a team playing to his strengths. He typifies an Ajax signing.

Dennis Collander - A deadline day arrival, sees a swede who hasn't been playing in the right position in my eyes. Playing as a winger he failed to establish himself at lyon then Salzburg, my plan is to convert him into a wing back and draw on his suprme athletic nature and get him bombing up and down the line. His DNA of 139 shows he is technical enough to also play the IWB role, I'm keen to really discover his potential.

Midfield

This was a great first bit of news to open as the Ajax manager, unhappy but because he wanted a new deal. world class, youth academy product, suits my style, perfect to build the team around, great partner for the Maestro.

He broke the wage structure significantly as he now earns 45,000 more than Eriksen (before new arrivals) Hazard and Eriksen are the only other two player who were paid more than 100k a week and when you consider both both are over the age of 33, it would be mad not to break the bank for a world class player at 23, who has no teams interested in him.

There was only one more signing in midfield, as I missed out on Alexis Mac Allister and Luca Orellano on each flank, both decided to sign on in England at Spurs and Leicester respectively. Who are not champion league teams so it shows the financial muscle is still firmly with them as both thought i couldn't match their demands.

Andreas Schjelderup - Another good example of an Ajax signing, left Norway to sign in Denmark before finding his way to Benfica where he has had limited first team opportunities. He arrives at a modest price with a DNA - of 138 and with a big scope to improve, with the potential to far surpass the ageing Hazard who he will battle for a place on the left wing. His impressive key pass per 90 compared to others really excites me.

Striker

The departures of Jimenez and Abel Ruiz left a gaping hole for a striker, with only Tadic and Suarez left as recognised strikers. Now both have the ability to play the false nine role nicely. I doubt both in the complete forward role, Saurez lacks mobility and Tadic lacks the physicality. Also the fact that i missed out on two wide targets may see Tadic used more often on the flanks. 

I was priced out of moves for Julian alavarez (Chelsea > liverpool), Benjamin Sesko (Monaco > Wolfsberg), Charles De Ketalere (Aston Villa) Darwin Nunez (Gladbach > Real)

Another player who has only shown glimpses of his promise, until last season when he hit 17 league goals for Fiorentina. He becomes only the second italian to play for the club after Zappacosta, therefore meaning no italian in real life has played for the club. 

DNA of 139 and a nice well rounded attribute spread and a nice trait with him playing one twos, my only concern is his ability to lead the press. He still has some room to improve and I'll focus on that area, he has the personailty to fulfil it.

When all is said and done we are the biggest spenders in Europe and weren't finished there as the Collander deal was agreed, something I am not proud of as it doesn't feel very Ajax. But in the game it's something that they have not shied away from, spending well over a 100 million in the two previous windows, on ageing players. 

The main thing is when all is said and done i brought in more than i spent and with budget left over and brought in players at a better age suiting the clubs philosophy. An overhaul of this magnitude was always going to cost a penny but the clearout covered most of the upfront cost.

Break down the total costs of the deals, only for players who joined the first team, as I did sign players for Jong who weren't cheap. Yellow for wage contributions marks the players that broke the wage structure and earn more than 100k per week. Blue in transfer fees mark's deals that are built up over a period of time or performance. Red in the total cost is players that broke my 50 Million total costs target.

Going forward I'll be looking to do better deals and find more diamonds in the rough but desperate times call for desperate measures and two years without a title and no UCL football with an ageing squad, with little stats to go on forced my hand a little here albeit within budget.

A good few of the deals don't completely suit the Ajax model due to cost but most are spread over years so I can live with it, in peace knowing that on the whole I stuck to the player identity and backgrounds in which they come from, with only Espotiio coming from a rare route.

Edited May 29, 2022 by SixPointer

[_Ben_]

Whilst that outlay, at first, looks horrific - you’ve turned a profit and created a team that, on paper, should dominate that league. Your signings are well thought out, realistic and I know that you’ll be able to work well with them. 

As you said, that Kana deal is the interesting one for me - as my own version hasn’t arrived yet. Will love to see how you treat him to manage him the best. 

How is it feeling? I’m all for a slow rebuild but one of this magnitude was needed although, from past experience, it does sometimes change the thoughts and plans for the longer term. 

[Hootieleece]

1 hour ago, SixPointer said:

Much like @_Ben_ was discussing over on his epic thread in russia, it's time to try coaching these things as well as attributes. Potential to praise him after big games if he plays well will be my first plan.

I like the idea of praising players but I often find it backfires especially when asked for by the coaching staff meetings.

Ajax Spending the most money in a transfer window.....SHOCKING! 

The clearout was needed.

[13th Man]

That is called putting your fingerprints on the club early and often.  What a turnover!  I'll bet it'll take a bit for the team to settle, but Ajax were headed in the wrong direction and needed an overhaul.

Definitely have a soft spot for Esposito after his exploits with Verdi's Livorno in FM21!  I bet he'll do well for you, as he's just a very well rounded player.

[SixPointer]

13 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

Whilst that outlay, at first, looks horrific - you’ve turned a profit and created a team that, on paper, should dominate that league. Your signings are well thought out, realistic and I know that you’ll be able to work well with them. 

As you said, that Kana deal is the interesting one for me - as my own version hasn’t arrived yet. Will love to see how you treat him to manage him the best. 

How is it feeling? I’m all for a slow rebuild but one of this magnitude was needed although, from past experience, it does sometimes change the thoughts and plans for the longer term. 

That's it, I had to come to terms with it in the exact same way you explained it. I never went out and bought 11 wonderkids, i went out and bought players who have maybe not quite hit the heights they should have or had a chance to and players i've had previously at sparta. I tried to keep to the Ajax map as well. A few deals are probably over spent but in this day and age it's something that happens.

I was disappointed to find very little in the way of potential players to promote as well, most falling short. Except one that i can really promote fully. The rest look like they have stagnated probably because of the old regime bringing in older types blocking their paths. I did go out and spend a few quid on players that will come and supplement the academy and as rule of thumb I'll be looking to promote at least two but more like three a season.

Kana has played in one really big match so far De Klassieker, in which he played well. He received personal praise after the game, no change to his fear of big matches as of yet but I expect it will take some time until I can coach him to be more comfortable.

So far pre pre-season went well, and the early part of the season things are starting to click. Tactical familiarity growing as in the team cohesion, i have made sure to have a team bonding session every week, to help with the influx of new players along with a new manager.

13 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

I like the idea of praising players but I often find it backfires especially when asked for by the coaching staff meetings.

Ajax Spending the most money in a transfer window.....SHOCKING! 

The clearout was needed.

When I praise I make sure that it's absolutely warranted, especially now at a bigger club. I wouldn't praise someone with a 7.0 if he had a reasonable game, however if he does something i want from the role really well in the game i'll praise that.

For instance the wing back plays a lot of key passes, but only has a 7.1 I would praise his chance creation. But if he has a steady game across the board i would simply leave it. As that's the basic standard I expect from my players.

Ajax had outlayed more in terms of the profit margin in the two previous seasons, the only reason my spend was so big was the volume of players moved. Which going forward shouldnt be the case again. Now I can move to a more long term strategy of only buying to improve or replace ageing players.

12 hours ago, 13th Man said:

That is called putting your fingerprints on the club early and often.  What a turnover!  I'll bet it'll take a bit for the team to settle, but Ajax were headed in the wrong direction and needed an overhaul.

Definitely have a soft spot for Esposito after his exploits with Verdi's Livorno in FM21!  I bet he'll do well for you, as he's just a very well rounded player.

I had Verdi in the back of my mind at the time when I started to pursue him.

Yes it was certainly a case of desperate times calling for desperate measures, and definitely the team is taking time to settle but its getting there now.
 

[karanhsingh]

Great signings, i like that you have got a couple of players in from your old stomping ground. Kristiansen looks every bit as good in your save as mine. The club definitely needed a renewal and that's exactly what you've done. Hopefully all the new faces won't take too long to settle. 

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, karanhsingh said:

Great signings, i like that you have got a couple of players in from your old stomping ground. Kristiansen looks every bit as good in your save as mine. The club definitely needed a renewal and that's exactly what you've done. Hopefully all the new faces won't take too long to settle. 

Certainly looks to have made a good start. His attributes are phenomenal for his age so if he can get a good run he can easily become my number one left back for many years. 

[DavidBeckham]

You don’t have to feel bad about being the highest spenders as you received more transfer fees than the amount you spent! Squad is also looking a lot healthier and you are right on track to bring Ajax back to their philosophy. KUTGW mate!

[SixPointer]

7 hours ago, DavidBeckham said:

You don’t have to feel bad about being the highest spenders as you received more transfer fees than the amount you spent! Squad is also looking a lot healthier and you are right on track to bring Ajax back to their philosophy. KUTGW mate!

Your spot on. Worked on a profit which is realistic enough! The player types all fit the bill which was the main thing. I did over spend at points but needs must and that’s the market these days. 

[SixPointer]

Pre Season

A good solid performance in pre-season, a friendly cup win and some big wins against south american clubs and two poor results that kept our feet on the ground.

The most friendly games that I have managed to play in preseason for some time, the thinking was that in order to gain tactical familiarity at a new club with everyone learning two new systems it was best to sacrifice some of my pure fitness weeks and use the games instead to gain fitness, not ideal as usually like two hard weeks of physical training.

I rotated the 11 and both systems to aid the cause in every game, trying to gain as much out of every game and balancing player condition.

This in my view was my strongest first 11 and the backup 11, if you like. Gabriel Mishouey had some eye-catching performances which in turn prompted the sale of Mario Pasalic who eventually left on deadline day. Mishouey is the only player promoted from Jong or under 18 side, there are a couple who may get gametime provided they perform in their current team and on the training pitch.

I think one thing is very clear though, no one's place is safe, you can't afford to have a poor game as now with this squad there is a player of equal quality ready to fight for that place.

That's a huge difference from when managing Sparta, i had certain players i didn't fully trust and others i would give more leeway if they had one bad game, that simply won't be the case at a club of Ajax's magnitude.

Salida Lavolpiana and The Conductor remain the same. Both have the same overall philosophy but enough variation to keep the attack potent. Both look for half space domination and overload and underload to provide numerical, qualitative and positional superiority. My goal is to shift and drag the opponent out of shape and exploiting the space with third man runs.

Salida should see the CM(A) and IF(A) become deadly weapons running into the open spaces which has been facilitated by the other players in the team positions and passing cycles. The Half back will drop to make a nice back three in early build up to aid the deep overload and offer ball progression.

Since the two free 8's in the conductor were advanced into the AM slot both these roles have proved to be incredible for third man runs. The F9 and the IW's stretch and pull the defence and the two attacking midfielders punish, the IWB's are ideal for covering the space vacated and makes a nice midfield three.

I have stated for a while that I needed to construct a system with a double pivot to offer more protection. The system has also allowed me to make a game plan with quicker transitions for when we come unstuck when probing patiently.

I can see this being used in bigger matches or on the road in Europe when I need to be more cute about my approach. Notice it's not a million miles away from Salida being flipped, this is part of the plan.

Having the ability to switch the angle of attack instantly is something I often deployed, only now the third man runner on the right side will come in the form of a deep midfield run from the Segundo Volante, a role I've never really used to date.

The AF makes its first appearance in this thread again a role I don't often use but with the need for quicker transitions I am aiming for him to get in behind and stretch the defence and open up the space for the deeper runners.
 

Edited June 2, 2022 by SixPointer

[13th Man]

Very nice double pivot tactic! The VOL is one I’ve always been interested in, but never fit. Looking forward to seeing how it works for you!

Itll be an interesting new challenge now that you have the weight of expectation!

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, 13th Man said:

Very nice double pivot tactic! The VOL is one I’ve always been interested in, but never fit. Looking forward to seeing how it works for you!

Itll be an interesting new challenge now that you have the weight of expectation!

Certainly has been. I’ve played three months now. I just need to find the time to write it up. Most likely Sunday night it should be out. 

[karanhsingh]

Very interesting! The AP and VOL don't get in each others way at all?

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, karanhsingh said:

Very interesting! The AP and VOL don't get in each others way at all?

Volante is asked to move into channels and the focus play is pulling the AP towards the left. It’s something I need to keep an eye on. But I don’t mind them overloading together in the middle, that’s why I used the AF to stretch the back line and create a bigger space between the lines. 

Edited June 3, 2022 by SixPointer

[_Ben_]

43 minutes ago, SixPointer said:

Volante is asked to move into channels and the focus play is pulling the AP towards the left. It’s something I need to keep an eye on. But I don’t mind them overloading together in the middle, that’s why I used the AF to stretch the back line and create a bigger space between the lines. 

Who is your Volante? I can envisage a player with good teamwork and decisions as well as the ability to dribble but the trait of tries long balls/switches play being insane at either progressing the ball or laying your IF(a) in. Certainly a shape with a lot of transitional threat.

Really excited to see how the first three months have gone.

[SixPointer]

2 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

Who is your Volante? I can envisage a player with good teamwork and decisions as well as the ability to dribble but the trait of tries long balls/switches play being insane at either progressing the ball or laying your IF(a) in. Certainly a shape with a lot of transitional threat.

Really excited to see how the first three months have gone.

Gravenberch has played the role twice and set up three goals. The system is definitely still a work in progress and it's something I had begun to map out for Sparta so it will no doubt get some tweaks until it's of the level of the other two.
The idea is to give us that transitional threat for games when the possession style is coming untuck or against other big possession hungry teams. It already proved useful in europe. Moving the ball that little bit quicker and using a split block rather than a full on high press.
 

[gokalpcakir1]

Do you use any PI's on the  CONDUCTOR