Super long pre-season

[glengarry224]

I started a new save with no badges or experience and was hired by PSPS in the Indonesian League 2.  It's late December.  Training camp starts at the end of January.  First match:  June 12.  What do I do?  [I get why]

Of course, I can build up match fitness, earn some friendly money, do a lot of trials, get my team tactically familiar with multiple tactics and do some player development.  But it seems too long and won't my players be tired by June 12?

I think that February and March are monsoon season in Indonesia but I don't know that the game incorporates that into training.

[DarJ]

just go on holiday until you feel it's the right time to start

[BeeInExile]

Been in the same situation with PSPS. If you play one friendly a week, the players won't get tired in my experience. Absolutely max out your triallists as much as you can. And yeah - enjoy playing the same few rubbish opponents til June (or go on holiday). In real life in Indonesia, teams go on training camps to Java to play competitive opposition, but I've never had access to that (I can theoretically go on a training camp to Singapore but the board won't pay for it). When you say "training camp", is that a regional one, or do you just mean pre-season?

P.S. My one tip for you is to take the time to set up some good set piece routines. Novrianto is an extremely good free kick taker at this level and you will score a lot of goals if you can utilise him well. Also you'll probably have noticed, but there is basically no-one in Indonesia with Jumping Reach above 13 or 14, so readjust your expectations accordingly.

Oh, I almost forgot - it's hidden away, but you should be able to get a Melaka to accept a friendly match. They're a similarish level to you, but they're not in the recommended list because they're based in Malaysia.

Edited August 5, 2022 by BeeInExile
Melaka

[glengarry224]

47 minutes ago, BeeInExile said:

Been in the same situation with PSPS. If you play one friendly a week, the players won't get tired in my experience. Absolutely max out your triallists as much as you can. And yeah - enjoy playing the same few rubbish opponents til June (or go on holiday). In real life in Indonesia, teams go on training camps to Java to play competitive opposition, but I've never had access to that (I can theoretically go on a training camp to Singapore but the board won't pay for it). When you say "training camp", is that a regional one, or do you just mean pre-season?

P.S. My one tip for you is to take the time to set up some good set piece routines. Novrianto is an extremely good free kick taker at this level and you will score a lot of goals if you can utilise him well. Also you'll probably have noticed, but there is basically no-one in Indonesia with Jumping Reach above 13 or 14, so readjust your expectations accordingly.

Oh, I almost forgot - it's hidden away, but you should be able to get a Melaka to accept a friendly match. They're a similarish level to you, but they're not in the recommended list because they're based in Malaysia.

Thanks!

I have lightened up my training for the first two months, with 3-4 friendlies per month, fewer physical sessions, more recovery and less intensity.  Figure I'll have tactical familiarity and cohesion set and go more intense physically around eight weeks before the season kicks off.

And good advice on the set pieces.  I usually don't like using CBs as set piece takers, because I prefer they are attacking the posts, but Novrianto is so much better at FKs than everyone else is.  Do you use him on wide FKs?  His crossing is abysmal and I always wonder if crossing affects corners and wide FKs.

What tactic did you use?  I've initially set up a back-3 because PSPS is stronger in that area but I've been able to sign better depth in midfield and forwards, so thinking about changing to a back-4, and obviously PSPS has time to learn many formations.

Yes, so many shorter and low-strength players in Indonesia.  But stamina also seems to be in low supply so I'm thinking of a lower intensity system as well.

[BeeInExile]

1 hour ago, glengarry224 said:

Thanks!

I have lightened up my training for the first two months, with 3-4 friendlies per month, fewer physical sessions, more recovery and less intensity.  Figure I'll have tactical familiarity and cohesion set and go more intense physically around eight weeks before the season kicks off.

And good advice on the set pieces.  I usually don't like using CBs as set piece takers, because I prefer they are attacking the posts, but Novrianto is so much better at FKs than everyone else is.  Do you use him on wide FKs?  His crossing is abysmal and I always wonder if crossing affects corners and wide FKs.

What tactic did you use?  I've initially set up a back-3 because PSPS is stronger in that area but I've been able to sign better depth in midfield and forwards, so thinking about changing to a back-4, and obviously PSPS has time to learn many formations.

Yes, so many shorter and low-strength players in Indonesia.  But stamina also seems to be in low supply so I'm thinking of a lower intensity system as well.

Yeah I put Novrianto on all the free kicks. Not kept track of whether he’s less effective on the wide ones though - interesting point! Haven’t noticed it myself.

First season I started after the transfer window had already closed so I cobbled together a bizarre formation with an IWB (Pae) on the left behind a LW, and a Defensive Winger on the right. But it was a basically a take on a 3-4-1-2, with an AMC on Attack because I was desperate for goals (I literally only had one actual out and out striker - Sanjaya - after Galih got injured for 5 months in my first match).

I’ve since transitioned to a more orthodox and direct 3-4-1-2 (or sometimes 3-5-2). I’ve been tempted to go towards 4 at the back but never managed it. I think I just don’t like purely defensive full-backs, and there simply aren’t any who are capable of attacking who you can sign in League 2. Even wing backs are hard to come by (I had to retrain my two back up ones from being central midfielders).

As for the stamina thing - yeah, absolutely. I have my team on Regroup instead of Counterpress for exactly that reason.

Who have you managed to pick up? There are a ton of players you can get on free transfers in Indonesia because the contracts are all really short.

Edited August 5, 2022 by BeeInExile

[glengarry224]

22 hours ago, BeeInExile said:

Yeah I put Novrianto on all the free kicks. Not kept track of whether he’s less effective on the wide ones though - interesting point! Haven’t noticed it myself.

First season I started after the transfer window had already closed so I cobbled together a bizarre formation with an IWB (Pae) on the left behind a LW, and a Defensive Winger on the right. But it was a basically a take on a 3-4-1-2, with an AMC on Attack because I was desperate for goals (I literally only had one actual out and out striker - Sanjaya - after Galih got injured for 5 months in my first match).

I’ve since transitioned to a more orthodox and direct 3-4-1-2 (or sometimes 3-5-2). I’ve been tempted to go towards 4 at the back but never managed it. I think I just don’t like purely defensive full-backs, and there simply aren’t any who are capable of attacking who you can sign in League 2. Even wing backs are hard to come by (I had to retrain my two back up ones from being central midfielders).

As for the stamina thing - yeah, absolutely. I have my team on Regroup instead of Counterpress for exactly that reason.

Who have you managed to pick up? There are a ton of players you can get on free transfers in Indonesia because the contracts are all really short.

Yes!  I also have Pae at IWB.  My tactic, and I will go 'Positive' at times, but worried about stamina:

I'm 'ok'; with this tactic but expect to modify it after friendlies.  Definitely considering 'Regroup' and upping Pae to IWB(s); and worried that with a Car and CM(a), I'm leaving the middle too wide open so likely will switch the Car to CM(d) or BWM(d).  RWB really should be WB(a) or CWB(a) (and RCM on BWM(d)) but I just don't think Junaidi can hack it and, as you point out, there are scant options at WB.  Worried that Pae at 35 will not make it through the season and the backups are so bad.  Also going to train an alternate tactic which is positive, narrower, with 2 strikers and maybe Zulfikar at AMC.  I've never tried a back 3 with cover-stopper-defender:  seems too wonky, especially with lesser talent, but I thought that with an IWB(d) in front of him, the cover duty might work fine.  None of my CBs can play BPD unfortunately.

I bought or loaned some depth at midfield and striker:

Hoping this guy, who is a good backup at CM(a), can also retrain as LWB-IWB(s), especially with really good decisions:

Also training this guy to also backup AMR:

Loaned in a backup pivot who is too slow but has strong mentals and hopefully can hack it as a rotation backup:

I have some more time and want to get better backups at both WBs, which seems doubtful, and AMR.

Edited August 6, 2022 by glengarry224