FM22: ALL OR NOTHING: ZEMANLANDIA

[MattyLewis11]

Zdeněk Zeman

Zemans career spans over four decades, during this time he has never won any major trophy or enjoyed sustained periods of success. Despite this he remains a popular cult figure and his legacy has impacted some of the top managers of the modern era such as Pep Guardiola.  

Zeman has never cared much for the concept of avoiding defeat. “In Italy, managers are afraid that losing a game might mean losing their job. That’s why most teams … tend to not make the opponents play, rather than play themselves,”

Zeman was counter cultural, believing managers of his time focused too much on the wrong things, the result. Zeman believed that the main reason people came to the stadiums was to be entertained, the result was inconsequential, it was all about the system, from this moment Zemanlandia was born. 

Quote

“A 0-0 is boring,” he once proffered. “It’s better to lose 5-4, at least it gives you some excitement.”

Zeman was labeled by his peers as a dinosaur, critiques of his footballing philosophy often stated that his brand was out of date. Zeman would have none of it and was a strong believer that he was as matter of fact 15 years ahead of his time. 

 

The 4-3-3

In more modern terms, Zeman’s values have been translated into an adventurous interpretation of the 4-3-3. The back line pushes up, the midfield marks zonally and the forwards press relentlessly. With the ball, there are few restrictions. The attacking trio are essentially strikers, the midfielders storm forward and the full-backs are defenders in name only. 

 

Quote

“Whenever we attack, all three forwards have to be in the penalty area, while two of the three midfielders come forward as well. That way, the opponent is pinned back. Then you put the ball in the box, and because you have more men, you have more chances of scoring. It’s not rocket science. It’s simple math.”

In possession

The passing style is closer to Marcelo Bielsa than to Barcelona and Johan Cruyff; Zeman demands fast and vertical moves that catch opponents off guard. 

Quote

“In my football, I try to eliminate pointless things, so for me a horizontal pass is futile, as it’s just loaning each other the ball,”

Former Roma Manager Eusebio Di Francesco is another ambassador of the Zeman legacy, stating that he has been the biggest influence on his career. Di Francesco adopted the 4-3-3 and  played vertically, as seen in his ‘Masterclass’ video. 

Out of possession

The intense pressing and high defensive line he sought required an inherent indefatigability, a willingness and ability to run and move constantly. It also required a goalkeeper comfortable in coming off his line to sweep up any loose balls, thwart opposition attackers and build possession. 

Quote

“Sometimes the losers have taught more than the winners.”

 

Tactic testing

After searching for as much content on Zeman I stumbled across @lckyby on the SI Forum and noticed that many of his posts were surrounding Zeman, I reached out and asked him what he felt the best representation of Zeman’s tactics were on FM22. 

To my surprise a few hours later my inbox was full with dialogue and also a few tactics which he had been using himself. Now given my love for numbers I opted to test a few variations with teams from across the globe to establish two things;

1. Who were the key players to making the tactic work

2. What metrics were outliers, therefore highlighting what type of player I would need to be playing the role to ensure maximum effectiveness.

 

Results 

I opted to test two tactics with five teams, yes the majority of these teams are predicted to finish high in their respective leagues. However, experiencing how the best in the business would function under this brand of football in my opinion is the best way to establish a benchmark for KPIs.

The first thing which initially stands out is the goals scored column with an average of 97 goals per season! Zemanlandia will no doubt provide an exciting save if you are keen to see the net ripple at both ends of the pitch. There was a whopping average of seven league games with a total of six or more goals scored and 10 games per season where Zemanlandia produced four or more goals for our side.

 

The Complete Wing Back

The Wing-Back as stated above is key to this tactic firing, Ben Chilwell, Hassane Kamara, Theo Hernandez, Cristiano Biraghi and Joshua Kimmich all flourished under the system. The benefit of playing three strikers up top within the realms of the 18-yard-box draws the wide defenders in allowing the complete wing backs the freedom to advance down the flank, this is represented in the dribbles per90.

It is from these deep positions within the final third that the majority of key passes are delivered, with three players within the box and two central midfielders getting further forward where they can also provide a numerical superiority or pick up the second ball from the edge of the area to keep periods of sustained pressure. 

 

The Central Defender

The ability to have a strong aerial presence is key, this is partially due to the above, with so many players condemned in the final third, often the opponents only way out is route-one.

Given the fact that Zemanlandia will often see an attacking/defensive split of 7-3 or even 8-2 the defender, like a full-back in rugby needs to be comfortable under the high ball, this is reflected in the average of 12 headers won per 90.

 

The above is an image showing how Zeman would line up for re-starts, the ball often passed back to a centre-back who would then have eight players in advanced positions to pick out...absolutely nuts! 

 

The Target Man 

With great risk comes great reward, an average goals scored per 90 of 0.94 for the likes of Romelu Lukaku (56 goal season!), Andy Delort, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, robert Lewandowski and Dusan Vlahovic. 

Both wing-backs have the player instruction to aim crosses in the general direction of the target forward, therefore you’d ideally want your man leading the line to have a physical profile, using his strength and physical presence to  disrupt the oppositions defence and create space for his two supporting pressing forwards.

 

Zemanlandia

 

My next update on the thread will reveal the club which I have chosen for Zeman to manage and will include a brief squad analysis and blueprint for my side FM22 save.

I am going to leave you with this wonderful quote from Arrigo Sacchi on Zeman;

Quote

“His teams are a symphony of harmony and beauty. His players move with synchronicity, pace, fluidity and character. His squads have an undeniable identity; entertainment is assured, boredom and a waste of time banned… Zeman does not perform miracles, but he is one of the few geniuses in our football.”

 

[john1]

Brilliant

[MattyLewis11]

Thanks @john1 I will try and get the next update up over the weekend 

[lckyby]

Nice, good luck. I am still working on perfecting these tactics haha.

[MattyLewis11]

24 minutes ago, lckyby said:

Nice, good luck. I am still working on perfecting these tactics haha.

Thanks and once again thanks for all your input 🙌

[Chris_ANZFM]

Who doesn’t love a goal! Excellent analysis of the system, looking forward to seeing who you select! 

[Jogo Bonito]

Definitely one of those managers whose style and ideas mean more than results, I think. Good luck with this effort 

P.S. Zeman is managing in Serie C of my Palermo game, and only today he was highly critical of my (table-topping) style of play before we played them 

[MattyLewis11]

20 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Definitely one of those managers whose style and ideas mean more than results, I think. Good luck with this effort 

P.S. Zeman is managing in Serie C of my Palermo game, and only today he was highly critical of my (table-topping) style of play before we played them 

Yes mate he is managing back at Foggia, this made it much easier to replicate my managers attributes, literally a drag and drop! 

 

[Jogo Bonito]

1 minute ago, MattyLewis11 said:

Yes mate he is managing back at Foggia, this made it much easier to replicate my managers attributes, literally a drag and drop! 

 

Ah yes, Foggia. They're 2nd to my Palermo with just a few games to go. The drag and drop is good if he is rated accurately 

[Sonic Youth]

Liverpool’s fullbacks sound Zemanian!

Didn’t Di Francesco also play under Zeman too!’?

[karanhsingh]

Zeman is back!! Good luck with this. 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

Brilliant OP! Looking forward to the next post.

[MattyLewis11]

The Team

Given the fact that Zeman has managed no fewer than 15 clubs across Italy, it is calcio fans from the Abruzzo region of Italy that the Czech will live long in the memories of. The 2011-12 season was a pleasurable experience for the supporters of Delfino Pescara 1936, one which can be deemed as a once in a lifetime campaign.

Under Zeman, Pescara secured the Serie B title in the last round of fixtures, the perfect ending to a remarkable season, this was done in pure Zeman style as Ricardo Maniero scored with virtually the last kick of the season to earn Pescara the three points needed to secure the title.

Pescara’s overall season was reminiscent of Zeman’s Foggia side which got promoted to Serie B in 1990/91, Delfino broke the highest goal scoring record in Serie B history with 90 goals across the 42 game season (30 more than the next most prolific team), 62 of which were shared amongst their front three of  Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile and Marco Sansovini. 

 

Club Culture

 

Quote

“Zeman cannot succeed if there is not a ‘microclimate’ around him, the players have to follow him, put themselves at his beck and call: tactically and psychologically. This is the reason why Zeman works better with youngsters than with well known players.”

Once again, need I say anymore…

 

The Squad

Apologies in advance, for this analysis is nowhere near my usual standard, I have saved that for my main FM22 save with Real Betis. Today I am going to take a walk through some of the players which I have initially marked as potential key performers in this Pescara side within the Zemanlandia system. 

 

Paolo Frascatore, the 29 year old Italian who has played his trade historically as a natural wing-back will be my left-sided central defender. Why have I opted to gamble on switching Frascatore from the comforts of the flank to a central role? 

Well, at 6’2” he equals the tallest option Julian Illanes with both other natural central defenders standing at 6’1” (Gianmarco Ingrosso) and 6’0” (Mirko Drudi). His scout report has identified that he is good in the air and is also a physical player, not exactly the attributes which we would desire from a CWB in the new system. The main reason for me opting to switch Frascatore into the heart of the defence is that all of the other options mentioned are right-footed, Paolo will provide the team balance and open up the left-flank when building from the back, for me this is essential. 

Comparing Paolo to one of our baselines from the tactic testing, on face value his overview comparison radar isn’t too dissimilar, in fact he is only two points away from all areas apart from Technical and Vision. 

 

Mardochee Nzita, at 21 years of age the Congolese wing-back will be initially branded as the first choice option to hopefully dominate the left-flank. Nzita’s pace will no doubt cause the opposition problems and he also has the technical ability to ensure his delivery into the box will cause a problem.

I feel that comparing the youngster against one of the best left wing-backs in Italy is slightly unfair, however one thing you will note with both players is that their speed is the standout score within their individual player radars.

Nzita has been asked to work on ‘running with the ball down the left’ with the hope that he can learn this player trait pretty swiftly. This will enable him to run with the ball down the flank and cross the ball into the box, an action which we want to become second nature as it will be a big part of the system.

 

Mirko Valdifiori, at 35 years of age the veteran Italian is a natural fit to act as the conductor of the side (Passing 12, Technique 14 and Vision 15). He enjoys big matches and is a natural leader which are two factors which couldn’t be ignored. 

Despite his lack of speed, the midfielder stands at 6’1” which will again add to the aerial presence of the defensive line (or lack of it). 

I have attempted for Mirko to adopt the trait of ‘likes to switch ball to the other flank’ with the view to spreading the field of play. However, considering his age it may well not have any impact. 

 

 

Franco Ferrari, at 25 the Italian towers over the rest of my options to lead the line as the Target Forward, standing at 6’4”. His height makes him a natural in the air which should favour the complete wing backs instructions to target Ferrari with their deliveries. The Italian is also labelled as a physical player, which should cause the opposition's centre backs with a good old fashioned battle. 

 

The DNA

Zeman was renowned for working his teams hard, his players ran through forests, along beaches and up stadium steps. One player said he “barely survived” his first training camp under Zeman; another called the methods “frightening”. 

When critics say he merely exhausts his players, Zeman cites a different logic. 

Quote

“My training sessions may be long, repetitive and intense, but they’re fun and when you’re having fun, you don’t get tired. Have you ever seen little kids running around all day long? Do they get tired?”

 

With this in mind, it is refreshing to see that my squad have the highest stamina within Serie C Girone B and also are within the 90th percentile in relation to natural fitness.  Pace isn’t as high as I would like therefore the players can expect a high volume of quickness training alongside the endurance work. The boys will no doubt become very acquainted with the sick bucket as I will be looking to push their physical boundaries. 

 

I wanted to also draw your attention to the sides mental attributes, for anyone who has followed my saves before will know this is an area which I hold of significant value. The clubs determination is below average, which for me is worrying. Determination is how much a player tries to succeed in his actions during a match even in mentally exhausting circumstances.

This includes when his team is losing, which given the openness of the tactic is a scenario which quite well could play out often. We will need players with a higher level of determination, those who can put faith in the process and come back from one or maybe two goals down to secure a victory. 

 

The Objectives

Quote

“This sport is hugely popular not because of big business or pharmacies but because in every corner of the world there is a child having fun with a football…”

This is the exact objective of this save, simply to have some fun away from my main Betis save whilst sharing some of the journey with you all. 

If we get promoted, great, if we can break some records along the way, amazing. 

However…

Quote

“Sometimes the losers have taught more than the winners.”

 

[karanhsingh]

Nice! Didn't realise that Immobile, Insigne and Verratti were a part of that Pescara team. Good choice of club. 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

I rate the club choice very much. How could you not love Pescara with the badge and kits?  Besides, it makes total sense too!

[MattyLewis11]

15 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Nice! Didn't realise that Immobile, Insigne and Verratti were a part of that Pescara team. Good choice of club. 

Yes, they all only played for the majestic season before Immobile moved to Genoa, Insigne to Napoli and Verratti straight from Serie B to PSG. 

5 hours ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

I rate the club choice very much. How could you not love Pescara with the badge and kits?  Besides, it makes total sense too!

I agree the kit and badge are excellent along with last seasons kit which the club opted to run with a design from a child at a local school.

[MattyLewis11]

Pre Season

So our form over the pre-season schedule has been good, scoring 32 goals over seven matches and conceding five, yes we played many inferior sides but hey that's what it's all about right!  

The team did secure a 3-1 victory over Premier League Wolves, a Wolves side which included the likes of Conor Coady (90mins), Ruben Neves (90 mins), Leander Dendoncker (90 mins), Francisco trincao (90 mins) and Raul Jimenez (23 mins).

Tommaso Cancellotti has been the pick of the complete wing backs over the run of games, the 29 year old with five assists and an average rating of 7.82 is a good starter for ten!

The majority of training alongside endurance and quickness training has been to improve the sides tactical familiarity, with all but one of the eight gauges now scoring fluid, I think it is fair to say that the boys are ready to unleash Zemanlandia upon Serie C.

The Beginning

 We got the win thanks to a late second-half penalty from Franco Ferrari, I know what you are thinking...a single goal victory, what's Zeman about that?

It is only when we start to look under the hood that the result didn't reflect the true outcome.

Taking the xG match story into the equation you will see that we should have left the field of play with three goals given that our xG was 3.13 compared to the opponents 0.12. 

We had 28 shots on goal compared to their three, with the majority of these coming from the head (15), 11 of which came from Ferrari as the target forward.

 

The early signs are promising, all of his shots came from within the realms of the box, which is comforting. He clearly has the ability to lead the line and is getting on the end of deliveries in dangerous areas. 

The pass map also is showing early signs of the Zemanlandia style in which the three central midfielders all play tight and compact, allowing them to play triangles in the middle of the park which enables great movement forwards and back. 

If we can pull this tactic out of the bag, these triangles will allow the midfielders to break away and find space between the midfield and defence, creating an overload in the final third. 

There above map shows that play is focused down both flanks and also highlights the importance of the Regista, who is the hub of the side. 

We have five games in the league which span across September, I will provide a mini update on concluding this month before taking a deeper dive into the underlying statistics after October is completed. 

 

[MattyLewis11]

On 05/12/2021 at 03:28, Sonic Youth said:

Liverpool’s fullbacks sound Zemanian!

Didn’t Di Francesco also play under Zeman too!’?

He did mate yes, with Roma. I agree that both TAA and Robertson would both do the job under Zeman. How I would love to see a player of their standard play for this Pescara side. 

[roas1875]

Loving this. One of my favourite managers in Calcio. His Lecce team was also great to watch. Vucinic, Bojinov and Bjelanovic were the front 3 with Giacomazzi and Ledesma in midfield. Feeling nostalgic!

I used a similar tactic to your Zeman interpretation on FM 20 with Santos and it was goals, goals, goals but clean sheets were very rare as you can imagine. It was very fun to watch however!

Look forward to seeing your progress.

Edited December 7, 2021 by roas1875

[MattyLewis11]

@roas1875 welcome to the party fellow Zemanlandian 🤣 I agree his Lecce side were also great to watch. I stumbled across some analytics of them when carrying out my research which delved into pressing triggers so may look to explore this later in the save.

Just out of interest what variation of the tactic did you use? Santos and Brazilian football in general is great for goal scoring! I did a bit of streaming with them in FM21. 

[roas1875]

10 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

@roas1875 welcome to the party fellow Zemanlandian 🤣 I agree his Lecce side were also great to watch. I stumbled across some analytics of them when carrying out my research which delved into pressing triggers so may look to explore this later in the save.

Just out of interest what variation of the tactic did you use? Santos and Brazilian football in general is great for goal scoring! I did a bit of streaming with them in FM21. 

Zemanlandian! I love it 😂

From what I remember of the Lecce side the pressing was very intense. I remember how physically imposing they were all over the pitch despite also playing a technical and attack-minded game. It was the perfect storm.

Literally the same shape but the dm was a DM-defend as Alison was a beast but limited technically. The right cm was a Mezzala on attack. The forwards were two DLF-support flanking a AF.

The principles were similar but more emphasis on shorter passing and probing due to the playmaking ability in the side but there would be variations that would see us go more direct to Kaio Jorge or Eduardo Sasha up top. Wingbacks were absolutely key. Will be interesting this version as players tire a lot more when being asked to bomb up and down the flank. Perhaps some rotation or use of subs needed to keep up the intensity.

I did catch a couple of episodes of your Santos stream on YouTube. Was brilliant 👍🏻

Edited December 8, 2021 by roas1875

[MattyLewis11]

12 hours ago, roas1875 said:

Will be interesting this version as players tire a lot more when being asked to bomb up and down the flank. Perhaps some rotation or use of subs needed to keep up the intensity.

Yes both CWB's physical condition is pretty hammered come 60 mins + therefore I am already thinking I need to ensure that my recruitment enables me to have decent back-ups or my second option is to take this one step further and trial playing wingers in this position given the fact that Zemanlandia pretty much utilises the CWB for their attacking capabilities and not their defensive prowess. 

[Jogo Bonito]

Now were 'competing' Serie B sides it will be interesting to see how your swashbuckling style compares to my more rounded approach. Best of luck 

[MattyLewis11]

5 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Now were 'competing' Serie B sides it will be interesting to see how your swashbuckling style compares to my more rounded approach. Best of luck 

Hold your horses, I am still a long way to achieving Serie B status. The mighty Dolphins were relegated in 2020/21 so am currently playing out the return to the third tier. 

Media favourites for promotion and that was prior to Zeman taking charge 💪

[Jogo Bonito]

31 minutes ago, MattyLewis11 said:

Hold your horses, I am still a long way to achieving Serie B status. The mighty Dolphins were relegated in 2020/21 so am currently playing out the return to the third tier. 

Media favourites for promotion and that was prior to Zeman taking charge 💪

OMG. Sorry for that. I genuinely thought they were still Serie B 

However, as I have basically confirmed your promotion, you can just instant result the first season and we'll see you in Serie B next term  On a serious note, the error is obvious, but the point bizarrely remains the same. To see how your swashbuckling style compares to my first season in Serie C 

[MattyLewis11]

I am three games off completing my first 10 league games at which point I will be in a good position (enough rotation) to show how players are performing against the key metrics which I set out during the tactic testing. 

I am hoping that we can get a few more Calcio lovers following our saves as it is nice to discuss all things Italy from time to time. 

 

[robterrace]

11 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

Yes both CWB's physical condition is pretty hammered come 60 mins + therefore I am already thinking I need to ensure that my recruitment enables me to have decent back-ups or my second option is to take this one step further and trial playing wingers in this position given the fact that Zemanlandia pretty much utilises the CWB for their attacking capabilities and not their defensive prowess. 

One thing I have noticed, is how fluid the wider strikers get when the wing backs go past them. I've had more than one goal where the strikers have dropped deeper into the channel, and the wing back has gone flying past them, onto the ball supplied to them, and then whipped the ball across. 

Sorry to hijack, but, pass map and a couple of things from one of my games. The formation and setup is very similar to yours.

From the left full back (3), to the DM (8), LF(9), then both central midfielders, to the RF(31) the RB(14) who puts it on the target mans head.

Broke the defensive line with some really aggressive passing and running, which, is getting far better than expected.

With the right players, it could be really frightening.

 

[MattyLewis11]

5 minutes ago, robterrace said:

One thing I have noticed, is how fluid the wider strikers get when the wing backs go past them.

I will have a look this evening at how my wide strikers have been scoring and provide you with an update. Off memory though I think you are right they have mainly been by tapping in those whipped/low driven crosses. 

As for your pass map it does indeed hold significant similarities in terms of the average positioning, however, yours seem to have a greater emphasis on playing through the centre whilst mine is more about the CB progressing the ball to the vacant flanks. I have taken a range of maps for the next update which I will again share.

[robterrace]

12 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

As for your pass map it does indeed hold significant similarities in terms of the average positioning, however, yours seem to have a greater emphasis on playing through the centre whilst mine is more about the CB progressing the ball to the vacant flanks. I have taken a range of maps for the next update which I will again share.

That was more by design, as I felt my central midfielders were the stronger part of my play. This may change now I've got dedicated wing backs in.

[MattyLewis11]

900 minutes played

I must admit the first ten games have been an absolute blast, playing with a specific focus in relation to positional roles and outputs, really has added a layer of clarity in relation to what I am expecting from both the team and individuals who sit within it. 

In today’s post, I will be using the data hub with the view to walking you through the team’s performance, spanning across the start of the season, before dipping into the outputs of players, comparing them to our baselines.

 

The attacking radar speaks volumes and highlights just how effective we have been in relation to playing the attacking brand of football which is associated with Zemanlandia. Our 2.8 goals per game is nearly double that of the Serie C Girone B average of 1.42 and our 245 shots taken leads the league by 67 and is significant over the average of 12.45.

Looking at our running xG you will note that we are dominant in comparison to our opposition, we are yet to experience a game in which we have conceded a greater xG against in comparison to our xG for.

Looking at our shot map from the last five matches you will see that 70% of the shots are taking place from inside the box and the analyst has noted our ability to carve out clear cut chances.

With reference to fmFutbolManagers question, I would like to present to you our passes attempted visualisation;

We currently have the 7th highest possession in Serie C at 51%, which funnily enough coincides with the amount of passes which we are attempting in the opposition's half. I openly admit that as being labelled favourites to secure the title (1-2 odds) we aren’t exactly over-achieving, however, I certainly wasn’t expecting to open the season with a perfect record…and that's even before I highlighted that we have the best defence with only 66 shots against (1st) and four conceded (1st). 

 

Performance vs Baselines

 If you remember from my opening post we established what the baselines would be after testing our tactic across five different saves from different leagues.

 

Centre-Backs 

There were two KPI’s  for the CB, one of which was headers won per 90 of 12.1, we currently have both Gianmarco Ingrosso (12.90) and Julian Illanes (12.76) both performing above the baseline whilst both my regular starters Paolo Frascatore (10.21) and Mirko Drudi (8.93) are under. 

The other KPI  interceptions per 90 of 3.7, again Illanes is the clear outlier with a score of 4.72 whilst Frascatore is slightly below at 3.48. Drudi (3.07) and Ingrosso (2.71) both scored below. All players boast a high pass completion rate  of 97% and above which emphasises the low risk passing, usually a simple ball to the complete wing-back who will then progress the play.

This analysis will lead me to change the defensive partnership going forward for the next run of games. 

 

Complete Wing Backs

The key role of the system and with another two KPI’s to explore, the first one being dribbles per 90, which had a baseline of 4.45. This one doesn’t make for good reading as the leader Tommaso Cancellotti is averaging 3.65 dribbles per game, my initial gut feeling is this is due to none of our players (as of yet) possessing the trait runs with the ball down the left/right. Hopefully once this has been developed the numbers will increase as the players default to a dribble over a pass…time will tell. 

The second KPI is key chances per 90, which had a baseline of 5.61. Again despite both Nzita (5.21) and Cancellotti (4.3) playing dominant roles chance creation they both still need to offer more in terms of their outputs. 

Cristian Galano (PF - Right) and Mirko Valdifiori (REG) both are averaging over five key passes per 90, we may need to explore how to reduce their numbers so that the wide boys can flourish. 

 

The Strikers

Without a doubt, the choice of Franco Ferrari to lead the line has been the right one. He is scoring 1.08 goals per 90 a figure which no doubt would/should be better given the fact that he has had 100 shots and scored on 11 occasions. Despite only having a shot on target ratio of 44% the Italian is only just underperforming against his xG of 11.52, taking into consideration he has missed one of his four penalties taken, let's just say he is on par.

Milos Bocic has excelled in the role of a pressing forward, given his natural position is that of a winger on attack. The Serbian has an average goals per 90 figure of 1.3 and has scored 12 goals from an xG of 4.68. His conversion rate of shots on target is 52% which is the highest from the group of those who have over 30 shots., (Ferrari 25% and De Marchi 11%). Galano has the highest conversion rate of shots that hit the target, he has taken 11 shots of which only 27% have been on target (2.97) from which he has scored 2 goals (67%). 

 

I hope you have enjoyed the latest update from Pescara, Allegri is excited by our prospects and I hope you share the same view...thanks for reading, looking forward to writing back to your comments/questions. 

 

[Jogo Bonito]

Great update, nice to have the support of Max!

I very nearly signed Franco Ferrari for Palermo ahead of my 2nd season. I had a £115k deal and contract terms agreed, but then decided to 'go safe' and re-loan Brunori who had an effective partnership with my other striker Bianchi in the 1st season. I'll be particularly keen to see how he does for you.

[MattyLewis11]

11 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Great update, nice to have the support of Max!

I very nearly signed Franco Ferrari for Palermo ahead of my 2nd season. I had a £115k deal and contract terms agreed, but then decided to 'go safe' and re-loan Brunori who had an effective partnership with my other striker Bianchi in the 1st season. I'll be particularly keen to see how he does for you.

Appreciated, I think I would have done the same regarding Brunori, always would recommend following the tried and tested route over an educated guess. It's all about removing the luck from recruitment.

[_Ben_]

This is wonderful! Love your approach with those KPIs. It's something I strive for but never really set as benchmarks. I want the wingers to cover a lot of ground...but how much?! I'm also a huge fan of Calcio anyway, so this is right up my street!

[karanhsingh]

Great analysis there - something I want to strive to do more of in my save. 

[MattyLewis11]

5 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

This is wonderful! Love your approach with those KPIs. It's something I strive for but never really set as benchmarks. I want the wingers to cover a lot of ground...but how much?! I'm also a huge fan of Calcio anyway, so this is right up my street!

Sorry to take so long to get back, I appreciate the kind words.

The main reason for adopting KPIs was to ensure I had an end goal in relation to the desired playing style to match Zeman's, this will hopefully guide me in terms of both recruitment and squad selection, which lets face it will be a big helping hand if I am able to successfully replicate this as we progress (hopefully) up the Italian pyramid.

This is something which I have never done before and kind of wish I did for my time with Glimt in FM21 and also would be helpful for my other save with Betis.

Who doesn't love Calcio, there was something magic about watching Football Italia in my younger days which has stuck with me to this day.

4 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Great analysis there - something I want to strive to do more of in my save. 

You know I love a bit of the old analysis, appreciate you taking the time to comment...do you think that learning the traits dribble down the right/left will boost the dribbles KPI for both complete wing backs? 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

Fantastically written and presented post. It’s clear to see by analysing the data which you have combined with well-constructed comments, that the system has been implemented with a good level of success. I’m particularly impressed by the % of possession within the oppositions half. 

Not only does it increase your chance of creating good opportunities, it also severely limits the opposition. A fairly simple view but one that I feel is a massive positive. 

[MattyLewis11]

21 hours ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

I’m particularly impressed by the % of possession within the oppositions half. 

Me too, especially considering the fact that I have been trying to implement a possession based game in my Betis save and not managed to get over 50% in the opposition's half! 

Hopefully we can maintain this form over the next couple of months and make a clean break from th rest of the chasing pack. 

[karanhsingh]

On 12/12/2021 at 00:24, MattyLewis11 said:

You know I love a bit of the old analysis, appreciate you taking the time to comment...do you think that learning the traits dribble down the right/left will boost the dribbles KPI for both complete wing backs? 

It should but I think you are already hitting decent numbers there.

Also knocks ball past opponent is great if they are quick too.

[MattyLewis11]

12 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Also knocks ball past opponent is great if they are quick too.

Noted, I will aim to get another update out over the next few days to keep everyone in the loop. 

[MattyLewis11]

Number crunching

I am currently in December of my save and FYI things are still going strong, that's just being modest...they are f'ing awesome! 

17 games deep and 17 straight wins, we are well on course to obliterate Venezia's record points haul of 80, achieved in 2016/17 and Piacenza's most goals scored of 78 from 1951/52.

Franco Ferrari has scored 23 league goals  to date whilst Milos Bocic has also scored an impressive 14, along with contributing with five assists, four behind the leading supply line of Mardochee Nzita. 

However, we aren't here today to discuss our performance, today I am going to take a look into our players wages and minutes played as we strive to improve the clubs finances by potentially offloading some deadwood. 

As you can see from the above our finances are on the decline, we don't have any debts but we need to be smart in relation to staying in the black and therefore I have opted to explore the below.

Wages as a % of the wage budget 

First and foremost I opted to carry out an analysis to see how much players were drawing down as a proportion of the wage budget, ideally what you would expect to see as the save progresses are that the players with the highest wage will be those who operate in the key roles (CWB/CB/REG/TF) as previously discussed, these are essential to the Zemanlandia tactic. (Yellow)

Currently our highest earner Mirko is on 12% of the wage budget, he is a team leader and has drawn down a significant amount of minutes and contributed well, boasting an average rating of 7.65 and completing 90% of his 775 attempted passes. Despite this at 35 years of age there could well be wiggle room in offering him an improved contract ( expires 30/06/2022) at a reduced wage which we will explore. 

Scrolling down the % of wage budget column the first concern is that of Luca Clemenza, the midfielder is drawing down 9% of the wage budget, more than double of any other CM as we pay 100% of his wage from Juventus. Luca is averaging 42 passes completed per match of which 1.84 are key passes, just to provide you with a feel for his numbers.

Next up we have our own Giuseppe Rizzo with 4% of the wage budget and only playing less than 25% of the available minutes, Rizzo is contributing with 39.5 passes completed per game, 0.95 key passes per 90.

A comparison with a CM who has played a large volume of games... Amadou Diambo, 50 passes completed per 90 and 2.31 key passes - these figures aren't exactly mind-blowing but considering he is on a third of Clemenza's wage, I would expect inflated outputs from the Juventus man. 

Given the fact that Luca has the above ink - I really hope he can become a good player with the club. Bravo! 

% of minutes played

By presenting the data this way it is clear to see that the majority of loan deals which we have at the club really should not be extended, I will look to carry out the exercise towards the end of the season and am probably going to stipulate that I will not extend the deal of any player who hasn't featured over 40% of the total minutes available to them. the idea being that we only bring n players with the view to play, we don't want to be blocking a pathway into the first team for one of our youth players, especially as this is damaging on two fronts. 

a) reducing the potential playing time will hamper development

b) the above reduces the potential to sell the player on for much needed profit. 

 

 

 

[Jogo Bonito]

Great analysis of the importance of players within your squad. This is more my area (squad building) than the tactical analysis. Nice to see your ideas.

[karanhsingh]

Wow, perfect record after 17 games is pretty insane 

[MattyLewis11]

9 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

This is more my area (squad building) than the tactical analysis

An area which I rarely put my thoughts on paper, which you can probably tell lol. 

I am hopeful that come January and the opening of the window that I can terminate a few of those loan deals to free up some of the wage budget to bring in some free signings / loan deals with minimal contributions. 

2 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

perfect record after 17 games is pretty insane 

Mate it's mental, we haven't even come close to a defeat as of yet, which is the insane part! 

[Richie Riley]

Excellent, as always.

[MattyLewis11]

Analyst Report

The analyst plays an important role in todays data driven society and in FM it doesn't differ. Taking the time to look at the numbers often can help to provide the user with context/narrative as to how effective their tactic is and insight into where to tone down/up. 

Firstly, looking at the goals scored visualisation, you will note that the majority of our goals (80%) have been scored from the central zone within the opponents box. This is exactly what we would like to see given the brand of football which we have implemented (large focus on wing play, crosses). 

57% have come from placed shots, whilst 22% have stemmed from a header (most likely the TF rising like a salmon to drive the ball home). 

If the numbers were painting a different picture from what we were expecting then we would look to refine the tactic by placing PI's on individuals within the squad when looking at the granular data.

Next we will look at the assist visualisation to show us where our supply chain stems from

 

37 of the 49 goals scored have been served up by a team-mate with close to 60% coming from the wide channels, the emphasis on the complete wing backs crossing ability really pops out when looking at the assist type, given that 35% of all assist types fall under that category. 

This activity alone had made me realise that I have not attempted to allocate an individual focus within training for any individuals within the squad to date! ALL complete wing backs will have the focus of improving crossing, practice makes perfect right?

I know many of you like to delve deep into the realms of data. However, a quick five minute analysis can help lead to making minor tweaks which if that can bring a one percent improvement then we are laughing as it's all about those marginal gains! 

[MattyLewis11]

On 15/12/2021 at 08:41, Richie Riley said:

Excellent, as always.

Thanks my friend, really enjoying this save - I think the real challenge will come as of next season when we enter Serie B. Hopefully I can learn a few lessons from the likes of @Jogo Bonito @_Ben_ and @Tikka Mezzala in relation to effective squad building and the development of youth. 

[burnToest]

2 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

Thanks my friend, really enjoying this save - I think the real challenge will come as of next season when we enter Serie B. Hopefully I can learn a few lessons from the likes of @Jogo Bonito @_Ben_ and @Tikka Mezzala in relation to effective squad building and the development of youth. 

How is managing in Italy? I've been thinking about it but then I remember the money problem

[Sonic Youth]

That’s a great start to your Zemanlandia trials.

That Goals Scored Visualisation is a thing of beauty. No wasted speculation from distance or out wide. Having said that, individual flair is being harnessed to point to that central spot for the system and has really been bought into.

Well worth the price of a season ticket!

[MattyLewis11]

14 hours ago, burnToest said:

How is managing in Italy? I've been thinking about it but then I remember the money problem

Thoroughly enjoying this save and would always be an ambassador for Calcio. However, you are right there is the financial challenge to navigate which can be frustrating, although there are plenty of good players available through the loan market. 

13 hours ago, Sonic Youth said:

That’s a great start to your Zemanlandia trials.

That Goals Scored Visualisation is a thing of beauty. No wasted speculation from distance or out wide. Having said that, individual flair is being harnessed to point to that central spot for the system and has really been bought into.

Well worth the price of a season ticket!

73 goals scored after 25 games, an average of 2.92 per match! Certainly worth the monies in my humble opinion. I am a little concerned about how the tactic will fair in Serie B as we clearly are too good for this league and haven't really been given a test. 

[MattyLewis11]

Bargain Basement

Given the fact that our finances are a downward trend it was essential that we spent the time to thoroughly explore what potential recruits were on the market due to having less than six months on their contract. 

Many, candidates were run over with a fine tooth comb (the time of the year where those in-game shortlists come to life) before offers were made. 

We can happily say that we agreed deals for the following few individuals;

Josip Gacic will be joining us from BSK Bijelo Brdo who currently sit top of the Croatian second tier, the 23 year old will be a replacement for Mirko Drudi and will reduce the wage budget by £3,600 per week due to him agreeing £100 p/w playing fee. 

Looking at Josip's attributes you will note he has a similar profile to Drudi, his age means he is slightly more mobile, something which I felt would be an asset in the above division, given the fact we will no doubt be playing better attackers. 

 

Alessandro Mallamo will be joining us from Atalanta, the 22 year old has been currently playing for Bari and has agreed to a £725 p/w deal. He hopefully will come into the squad to replace Giuseppe Rizzo, the youngster has a better pivot (Passing, Technique and Vision) along with boasting better mental attributes, making him a potential greater threat operating in the CM role.

Next up, Lovre Knezevic will be joining us from Bulgaria again with a reduced wage in comparison to our other striker De Marchi. Given the fact that Napoli aren't keen to discuss a loan extension on striking sensation Ferrari at present one of these two could be leading the line next season. 

None of these players are individuals which initially blow your mind. However, I feel they will add greater depth to the club and more importantly will be players which we have ownership of, removing the ambiguity surrounding options to extend loans etc, providing a much improved foundation within the club to build from.