[FM23] THE CROWN OF ARAGON

[SteinkelssonFM]

Season Three - Pre Season 

I probably should have added a squad depth picture at the end of the last long-piece, I didn't. Therefore, above you can see how the Villarreal squad lines up for season three - the season in which we will look to take some points from the 'Big Three' and also hunt for the La Liga trophy.

Can it be done, time will tell...one thing to aid the performance of our players a big fat pay-out if this can be achieved, I selected the largest bonus available for domestic success.

Above is an image of the experience matrix from within the 'Squad Planner'. The latest movements in the transfer market have the playing staff mainly it the 'Emerging' or 'Peak' stages of their careers, meaning if this squad can stay together then the next few years are the prime time for the cycle before the dynamics change again.

Pre-season was a blast, many wins, many goals, and two notable victories over Chelsea and FC Bayern, both of which were at full strength. 

There are two remaining fixtures which span August...Real Betis (Away) and Levante (H). 

Dominik Szoboszlai has been the largest transfer in the window to-date, Liverpool secured his signature for £70 million, his value sky-rocketed to an estimated £161-177 million. 

[Hootieleece]

Looking Good! You have built quite a team and following.

How is the 4-2-4 working for you?

[SteinkelssonFM]

@Hootieleece 'The Magic Rectangle' has been excellent, which has reflected in our league form across both seasons. I think the tactic has a good balance between attacking threat and defensive stability which is exactly what you want if you aren't a top tier side. 

This has reflected in some of the results which we have managed to secure across season two. My highlight was the UCL game against Manchester City (first leg), which was an absolute classic. 

I have seen quite a few people using a similar system this year, I think the double pivot in the DM strata seems to be very effective in the ME. 

[Lasson]

I’m also currently using the 4-2-4 DM with great success, although it’s not too difficult achieving that with RB Salzburg. 

Did it help massively changing your right WB to a CWBa in regard to your TRQ often looking for the pass into space for the AF?

[SteinkelssonFM]

@Lasson I don't think it had a massive impact as Yeremy still often plays that pass, which is more than likely associated with our mid block (looking to exploit space in behind). 

What is has done is provided the defensive unit with another problem. When the CWB bombs forward Yeremy often dribbles inside which opens up another passing lane to either the CF or IW which I think was a factor in him getting more assists last season. Two options are better than one right lol. 

[Lasson]

1 hour ago, MattyLewis11 said:

@Lasson I don't think it had a massive impact as Yeremy still often plays that pass, which is more than likely associated with our mid block (looking to exploit space in behind). 

What is has done is provided the defensive unit with another problem. When the CWB bombs forward Yeremy often dribbles inside which opens up another passing lane to either the CF or IW which I think was a factor in him getting more assists last season. Two options are better than one right lol. 

I might look into that. Right now I have a CWBs behind my TRQ and on the left I have a WBa behind my IWs.

I’m not seeing many goals from my TRQ at all, though. 

[SteinkelssonFM]

AUGUST 2024

We did make one final signing before the start of the season, bringing in David Raya from Brentford for £6.5 million. David is from X which now means that we have a first team squad that the majority is now from within 'The Crown of Aragon', his signing takes us to 52% (12 of the 23).

Comparing both keepers it is clear to see that Raya will play as back-up and most likely feature in the easier La Liga matches and Copa del Rey. Raya does lead in one area 'Eccentricity', a characteristic which has graced some of the best goalkeepers of the past.

What can we expect from a goalkeeper with high eccentricity, apart from the unexpected.

• If playing as a sweeper-keeper or a patient build-up then the GK can play a more prominent role - warning there is a risk he may dwell on the ball or try to beat the pressure.
• Rushing out - more likely to stray outside of box to oppose oppositions strikers.
• Crazy saves - this attribute can lead to some world class saves, although some of the easier lower xG chances may well creep into the net.

---

Betis 0-3 Villarreal

We started the season off with a victory over Betis in a fixture which both sides seen a similar share of the ball (51% Betis, 49% Villarreal). 

The home side were the most dominant for the first period accumulating 10 shots, along with creating the only clear cut chance of the game. 

We had a OPPDA of 4.31 compared to their 6.15 showing the higher level of intensity without the ball. Pablo Fornals leading by example winning five tackles, showing that he is used to operating in a highly competitive Premier League.

Oscar Gil made a total of eight interceptions down the right-flank, which is credit to his 18 work Rate and 16 Stamina.

MOTM: Gerard Moreno (2 goals and 1 assist)

---

Villarreal 5-0 Levante

The first home game of the season was business as usual as we dispatched Levante in style with a rotated side, this is reflected in all of the above visualisations.

The double-pivot partnership of Joan González and Pablo Fornals worked exceptionally well, with Joan winning 100% of his tackles  operating as an effective screen in front of the defence. Whilst Fornals passing was key in ensuring we were dominant in the central column as the midfielder progressed and recycled possession in both the attacking third and  moving from the transitional phase of the game. 

MOTM: Yeremy Pino (seven key passes, one assist, one goal) 

* remember @Lasson  my Trequartista 'Sits Narrow' and has the following player instructions.

---

 

Real Madrid have started the season like a freight train, scoring 12 goals in the process, Almeria continue their impressive form which has seen the side finish in sixth place in both season one and two.

We have taken maximum points off all opponents which we face in September, apart from Barcelona. We will be playing them at the Lluis Companys (Olympic stadium) as the Spotify Camp Nou is currently undergoing some construction work.

[Lasson]

Some fine results. Real Madrid is going to be tough to beat, but that’s how it’s going to be for a lot of years.

3 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

* remember @Lasson  my Trequartista 'Sits Narrow' and has the following player instructions.

Perfect. I think I only have ‘Sit Narrower’ and ‘Cut Inside With Ball’ selected at this moment. I actually have thought about adding ‘Hold Up Ball’ for him to take a little bit more time on the ball. 

[Armaskuukka]

On 31/12/2022 at 12:45, MattyLewis11 said:

David is from X

He's from Barcelona, right? 

Great read, thank you! 

[Guest]

Sublime stuff as ever, spent all last night reading the thread. Ima have to fight you however for the "Crown of Aragon" that belongs to Zaragoza. 

[SteinkelssonFM]

September 2024

Before a single ball was kicked we were faced with the outcome of the draw for the UEFA Champions League, this is the first season with the new format of the competition in which each team will play eight matches against different opponents.

As you can see from the above draw we are facing a very challenging fixture list, including some household names in PSG, Manchester United, Ajax, FC Porto and Milan.

---

Real Valladolid C.F. 0-2 Villarreal

Three more points on the road after two second half goals secured the victory. Our task was made easier on the 66th minute when Sergio Akieme received his marching orders for persistent fouling. 

Valladolid committed 50% more fouls than we did, looking at the analysis you can see that these took place around the peripherals of zone 14, as the opposition forced us from entering the zone which is deemed as being the most dangerous on the pitch for assists.  

MOTM: Arnaut Danjuma (1 goal) 

---

Villarreal 5-0 Club Atlético Boca Juniors

With no game due to the International break it was time to invite Club Atlético Boca Juniors to Estadio de La Cerámica for a friendly. 

No guesses as to which role Álex Collado played after looking at his key passes, the Spaniard scored one and assisted another, he left the field with those five key passes and could have had two more assists if Pablo Fornals could have stayed onside.

MOTM: Álex Collado

---

PSG 3-0 Villarreal

The performance against PSG resembled that of Jekyll and Hyde, despite losing three nil, we continuously managed to create chance after chance, which is reflected in our xG story.

• 24 shots to their 12.
• 9 on target to their 6.
• 2.65 xG to their 2.98.

The final stat is what separates the men from the boys, PSG had an xG per shot of 0.25, compared to our 0.11.  They were so effective on the counter, utilising the pace of Kylian Mbappé who picked up MOTM.

MOTM: Kylian Mbappé (2 goals)

---

Villarreal 4-0 Elche

Elche were brushed aside, in what was an emphatic victory.

Abel Ruiz walked off the pitch after failing to score AGAIN for his new club, despite picking up an xG of 0.8. He is underperforming his xG by 2.6 at present, there is promise as he is getting into good positions, but not finishing them.

The new signing did manage to grab a late assist, this was his best performance in yellow when looking at his form. 

MOTM: Juan Foyth 

Talisman Yeremy Pino picked up a minor injury in the game and will likely miss the next three games (Barcelona, FC Porto, and Club Atlético de Madrid).

---

After spending a little time in the 'data Hub' prior to the Barcelona game, both teams have a similar attacking efficiency with both teams taking a similar number of shots per game, we have a higher conversion rate.

The defensive data shows that Barcelona have a significantly higher opposition conversion rate, they are scoring and conceding most goals from within the penalty area via placed shots.

They have conceded the most from crosses, therefore we may well benefit from playing some of our bigger aerial threats. 

---

Barcelona 1-3 Villarreal

We won the battle of the box which in turn enabled us to secure the much needed victory against Barcelona. 

Fer Niño opened and closed the scoring with goals from Raphinha and Pau Torres in between, the Torres goal an outcome from a free-kick (the height paid off).

The above key passes shows how varied we were in providing passes resulting in a shot into the opponents box, with Barcelona having minimal success creating from zone 14, we changed the DM (s) to DM (d) for the game in order to provide the added protection and it looks to have worked.

MOTM: Fer Niño (2 goals, 1 assist)

---

We are right where we want to be after the first six games of the season, Real Madrid have dropped points against Celta and Betis, which has given us the early cushion. 

 

October looks horrific!

@Crazy_Ivan thanks for taking the time to read the thread, glad to hear you have enjoyed it. Hope to have you along for the rest of the journey. 

@Armaskuukka you are indeed correct, thanks for picking up a point which I should have gone back over the detail during proof reading...doh! 

 

Edited January 2, 2023 by MattyLewis11

[Carambau]

Looking good, 6 wins in 6 games. Nino & Pino are the perfect match it seems  

[SteinkelssonFM]

11 hours ago, Carambau said:

Looking good, 6 wins in 6 games. Nino & Pino are the perfect match it seems  

My best start to a La Liga season to date, long may it continue. 

[SteinkelssonFM]

October 2024

Porto 1-4 Villarreal

The opening game of the month, and our first victory in this new format of the UEFA Champions League.

If we were to define this victory with one word it would be clinical,  we had an overall xG per shot of 0.14 and four of the seven shots on target Diogo Costa had to pick out of his net.

Samuel Chukwueze put in the best performance on the pitch, he scored two goals and also created two clear cut chances.

The above map excluding backwards passes goes to show how he aided ball progression and creativity in the progressive stage along with impact in the final third, I can see why @Shrewnaldo rates him so highly, despite playing second fiddle to Yeremy he has always made an impact with 14 and 15 goal contributions in the first two seasons. 

MOTM: Samuel Chukwueze

---

Club Atlético de Madrid 3-0 Villarreal

Two goals after the 90 minute mark make the result look far worse than the performance. However, we continue our run of bad form against sides from the capital.

We gifted our opponents the first goal after a mistake by Victor Chust (the best performer, until that point) played in Matheus Cunha.

João Félix scored a late penalty and then added another from an acute angle to put the cherry on the cake.

MOTM: João Félix (2 goals)

---

A nice little news flash, we, along with Barcelona have produced the most players, currently playing for the national side.

--- 

Villarreal 2-1 Espanyol

Óscar Gil was able to celebrate victory over his former club, Yeremy Pino gave us the lead with a fine header from point-blank range in the 40th minute. Dani Parejo doubled the lead after scoring at outrageous 'paneka' before Javi Puado made the final 15 minute spell a little bit uncomfortable. 

MOTM: Yeremy Pino (1 goal, 4 key passes, 2 dribbles)

---

Villarreal 2-1 Manchester United

A historical day at the Estadio de la Cerámica  as we defeated Manchester United, the game was a tough encounter and it took the introduction of Álex Collado to really ignite the tie.

The midfielder coming on for Yeremy Pino and creating two clear cut chances from three key passes, it was his pass which gave us the lead, assisting Iker Bravo.

The result gives us another £2.41 million in the bank and places us in 15th place in the league phase. 

MOTM: Dominic Calvert-Lewin

---

Villarreal 3-0 Real Sociedad

There was a huge sigh of relief as Abel Ruiz finally found the back of the net, his first goal in 16 hours, since his move from FC Kobenhavn.

The striker assisted both other goals, which were scored by Fer Nino and Pablo Fornals, 

MOTM: Abel Ruiz (1 goal, 2 assists, 100% shots on target, and 4 key passes)

---

Real Madrid drop more points as they lose El Clasico at home to Barcelona.

---

Sevilla 1-0 Villarreal

This was the first game in a while in which there was a visible disconnect from the defensive to attacking phase, this lack of cohesion is made apparent in the xG story, in which we pretty much flatlined.

Kudos to Sevilla for this, unless the trend continues, then it becomes a personnel/tactical issue.

MOTM: Óscar

---

We close the month on top of La Liga, thanks to our superior goal difference and also the head to head rule.

As things stand it looks like it is going to be a competitive season with teams dropping points a trend, we look forward to playing Tenerife - one for the pachichi hunt.

The next month has some tasty fixtures in both the league and in Europe, looking forward to facing Ajax to close the month and of course opening with @Matt_1979 high-flying Almeria. 

 

 

 

 

[SixPointer]

Shame about the two losses in the league, other than that it’s super stuff mate. Does the new format make fixture congestion worse? I’m yet to get thus far. 

[SteinkelssonFM]

November 2024

Almeria 1-3 Villarreal

We defeated Rubi's side in a game in which we didn't struggle to progress the ball, unlike Seville. 

In this match we managed to increase our progressive passes, which in turn reduced our backwards passes by 42% in comparison to the last match. We returned to the normal trend, which credits our ability to score goals from central areas in the penalty box and limit the oppositions touches/shots in our penalty area.

MOTM: Fer Niño (2 goals, 6 dribbles, 3 key passes)

---

@Carambau it looks as if Celta could do with you in my save, a managerial sacking just before we face them, you are 19th in La Liga.

---

Villarreal 3-0 AC Sparta Praha

We enjoyed near total domination over our opponents from the Czech Republic. 

Iker Bravo scored the first and then gifted Yeremy Pino the second in a game in which he was extremely effective as the advanced forward.

MOTM: Sander Berge (1 goal, 3 tackles won, and 92% pass accuracy).

---

Villarreal 2-1 Celta De Vigo

Another game and another three points in a game in which we created 25 attempts on goal (TEN key passes stemmed from Yeremy Pino).

Caretaker Manager Carlos Hugo García Bayón was left scratching his head as his side looked lackluster in front of goal, Celta have scored only seven goals from their 12 games in La Liga.

MOTM: Fer Nino (2 goals)

Looking at our expected attacking outputs we have a clear divide this season in terms of outputs, either scorers or providers. 

---

Villarreal 3-1 Valencia

Our sixth derby de la comunitat, we continue our impressive record against our rivals Valencia with an impressive victory. 

We dominated the ball, which was reflected in both possession stats and ball share, we put the ball to good use by creating chance after chance and were three goals up before the break. (Berge, Nino, and Moreno).

MOTM: Fer Niño (1 goal, 1 assist).

---

Villarreal 2-1 Ajax

Despite our dominance in this fixture, both goals were as a result of some poor decision making from both goalkeeper and central defender, as sloppy passes were directed at Fer Nino, who capitalised on both mistakes.

The result has us positioned in fourth place in the competition, I am not a fan of this new format...I am not sure if it is just the change and it will take some time to get used to...please share your thoughts/feelings on the new format.

---

The next month is divided, the first three fixtures could be an opportunity to either rest some players for what lies ahead or to try and push for the personal awards.

Newcastle and Real Madrid to close the year...what a time to be alive! 

[_Ben_]

1 hour ago, MattyLewis11 said:

The result has us positioned in fourth place in the competition, I am not a fan of this new format...I am not sure if it is just the change and it will take some time to get used to...please share your thoughts/feelings on the new format.

I’ve just played my first four matches in the Europa League with Trabzonspor and I also hate it! There feels to be no competition between teams like you had with a H&A fixture. Yes, you might face 6 or 7 easier teams but it just feels such an attempt at a Super League kind of thing. Then you can finish 24th, play two more (!!) games and still make the knockouts. 
 

You’re continuing to do really well here Matty. Lots of inspiration for me and makes me feel proud to see the odd glimpse of the Statman skin!!

[rich ruzzian]

As a Dutch guy, it makes my cry to not see Danjuma in the first XI. However you're right looking at the results. 

[GIMN]

On 04/01/2023 at 08:28, MattyLewis11 said:

I know it's not possible, but it looks like more teams have lost games in the form guide than teams have won games!  This is sensational stuff, and you've really cemented yourselves as contenders.  Sevilla carrying on their good form from last season looks like they're going to be in that battle alongside you, too.  It's always nice to see a competitive division.

How is Fornals getting on?  You mentioned that you had your eye on him for a long time, and as a club-record signing is he doing what you'd expect from him?

[SteinkelssonFM]

On 04/01/2023 at 10:13, _Ben_ said:

You’re continuing to do really well here Matty. Lots of inspiration for me and makes me feel proud to see the odd glimpse of the Statman skin!!

Thanks Ben, I have often been using your skin behind the scenes, I really think it is an excellent addition, serious kudos for taking the time to build it.

On 04/01/2023 at 13:34, rich ruzzian said:

As a Dutch guy, it makes my cry to not see Danjuma in the first XI.

 

Despite Danjuma not starting as much this season, he is still very much an integral part of my squad. Looking at his outputs for this season, you will note that he is producing outputs that are in the 'Elite' level for dribbles, open play key passes, and expected assists. 

Ok he has only played half the minutes of Fornals (below) but his outputs are significantly better and he is likely to secure more minutes from the starting whistle going forward. *note Fornals stats are not as accurate as Danjuma's due to playing a significant amount of minutes as the SV. 

21 hours ago, GIMN said:

How is Fornals getting on?  You mentioned that you had your eye on him for a long time, and as a club-record signing is he doing what you'd expect from him?

Above is Fornals form in La Liga, he is averaging 7.00 in terms of his performance and has two goals and three assists to his name. However, for a record signing he isn't really having as much of an impact as I would like, this is probably as I see him as being an excellent Mezzala, a role which isn't in our system.

 

[Hootieleece]

Since you said Fornals isn't making as much impact as you like. Since you see him as more of a Mezzala, would you think of tailoring (personalize) his PI's to more imitate that role? And then make the AML/R on that side more of an interior space attacking player with PI's as well. 

Then use those two players as a new "Pep Style" tactical wrinkle to your system.

I have been experimenting with personalized roles and or PI's to change how my tactical system plays when certain players are on the field.

Generally, I play with pacy physical players of the time, but I try to use more technically proficient players when breaking down a "Parked Bus". Usually, the player performs the same roles with possibly different PI's and that helps with breaking stalemates.

[Matty Aqua]

Christmas is done and I'll be catching up on this tomorrow!!

[SteinkelssonFM]

December 2024

We really struggled on our travels across the month of December, managing to only create the single clear cut chance at the Carlos Belmonte (Albacete), and two at the Estadio de Vallecas (Ray Vallecano).

I would say this could be a slight problem. However, I think that would be overthinking things, the tactic has served us exceptionally well and deviating away from it would be silly especially considering we find ourselves ranked second in goals scored, expected goals and top the chances created charts.

The one defeat which hurt us, and continues to be a problem is our form against Real Madrid.

Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal

The game itself was a close affair, as you can see both sides finished the game on the exact same xG, they had more shots, we had more possession. Looking at the average ratings below, you can see that the defence and attack had a poor game. There is a need for us to dip into the market for a left-footed centre-back as Pau Torres is the only left-footed option at the club and at this rate will suffer from fatigue or pick up a major injury due to being over-played.

The attack on the other hand it was a complete off day.

Yeremy Pino really took the bull by the horns, he had five open play key passes and a xA of 0.9, as shown below. Unfortunately, the man on the end of those chances, Fer Nino, had a day to forget in front of the goal, he had an xG of 0.7, in other days that would have seen him secure the match ball.

We close the month in second place in La Liga, if other seasons are to go by then anyone in the top five could be in the mix for the title. However, we all will need to play our parts to ensure that Barcelona drop points.

Below are some off the headline player statistics/data, despite Yeremy Pino leading the chances created and key passes per 90 tables, our 'Fantasista' only has six assists to his name to date, he will need our attacking players to finish off what he is creating if he is to secure above 17 assists, his figure from last season.

Below is our fixtures for January 2025, maybe we can beat Madrid and pick up some silverware, and hopefully break the hoodoo they have on us.

[Matt_1979]

Just caught up. Good stuff Matty. 

[SixPointer]

Real Madrid issue! What do you think is that causes you so much problem when comes to them? Player quality or do they have a system that just seems to edge it? Intrigued to know your thoughts and if you prepare any different.

I feel it’s similar to my RB Salzburg issue. Which i feel i always overthink they games. 

[rich ruzzian]

In FM18 i had the same issue with Bayern Munchen. Couldn't beat them. Lucky enough thy dropped pints all over te place. In you case, there is also a Barcelona who don't seem to drop points en when you lose against Madrid, it hurts extra. 

[SteinkelssonFM]

On 08/01/2023 at 23:03, SixPointer said:

What do you think is that causes you so much problem when comes to them?

In all honesty I think it is a little bit of luck and a slightly higher quality of player. 

Looking at each result, we have never been defeated by more than the single goal, in our first game in season one, we got hit by their two goals in two minutes to swing the result in their favour. The defeat in season two (4-3 classic) was a bit more of a swashbuckling encounter with both teams playing end to end stuff. Whilst our latest defeat I think we can find ourselves rather unfortunate. Of course, there is a big difference between securing a draw and picking up all three points. 

Preparation for these matches is normally the same, we have the training schedule for weaker teams and the schedule for stronger sides, a few role tweaks in terms of duty are normally applied, usually to give us a bit more stability in the middle of the park, to help us have an extra body back for the counter-attack. 

20 hours ago, rich ruzzian said:

In you case, there is also a Barcelona who don't seem to drop points en when you lose against Madrid, it hurts extra. 

Agree, the beauty of Spain, there is not dominant side but two, which makes our second place finish last season such an impressive achievement. 

[SteinkelssonFM]

January 2025

It was a good start to the year in Villarreal, youngster Iker Bravo secured the European Golden Boy award, joining a long list of talented youngsters in achieving the personal accolade. This can only be a good sign for what is to come as previous winners include the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, João Félix, Pedri and Paul Pogba.

Star player Yeremy Pino, also signed on the dotted line to a new bumper contract, the £115k per week makes him the highest paid player at the club and secures him to the club until 2029. If only at this point I opened talks with others, things could be very different. 

The Spaniard is leading the open play key pass charts, creating eight more shot creating actions from open play than second place Vinícius Júnior, it is only when comparing this stat to chances created that the quality of Pino really stands out, Yeremy has created 29 chances in La Liga, whilst again second placed Vinícius Júnior has just 16.

The 'Fantasista' really is something special. He now holds a leadership role in the squad hierarchy. 

---

Villarreal 5-0 Getafe

Our fist fixture of the year was against Getafe and we took them to the cleaners, it wasn't the final scoreline which was impressive, it was the 19 minute spell in which we put the ball past them five times.

Yeremy Pino demonstrated his creative genius, accumulating 11 key passes, seven from open play (6 clear cut chances). However, failed to contribute with a single assist (1.4 xA).

MOTM: Arnaut Danjuma

---

Villarreal 2-0 Real Madrid

The King Abdullah Sports City 'The Shining Jewel' will be a venue to remember for the supporters of 'The Yellow Submarine', ok it may well only be the Supercopa de España but a win, our first against Real Madrid is one which will hopefully break the curse.

Unlike other fixtures where the game was even, this fixture was different.

• 3.63 xG vs 1.22 (inflated by the two penalties) 
• 2.06 non-penalty xG vs 1.22 - we still created the better chances
• 4 clear cut chances to their 1

MOTM: Gerard Moreno (2 goals)

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Barcelona 4-3 Villarreal

It was always going to be a tough ask, to beat both Real Madrid and Barcelona in the space of a few days. However, we certainly gave it our all, this game was exceptionally entertaining and would no doubt help to raise the profile of La Liga in Saudi-Arabia.

We came from behind on three occasions before 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski scored his second of the game to secure the victory. Gerard Moreno hit the post, not once, but twice in the dying seconds, which would have taken the game into extra-time.

MOTM: Robert Lewandowski (2 goals)

---

We managed to navigate a jam packed month, continuing our good run of form in both the league, the cup and of course Europe. 

The match against Milan at the San Siro has to be the standout result, we must have the rest of Europe watching over their shoulders like the Atalanta side of 2019/20 which made it all the way to the quarter-finals. 

Gerard Moreno was the star of the show, the 32-year-old walked off with the match ball, others to get their name on the score-sheet were Fer Nino and Danjuma. 

We closed the 'League Phase' in second place, this secures us passage to the last 16 and guarantees the club £8.27 million income. 

---

Transfer Talk 

The transfer of Baena to Seville for £18.5 million meant that we had the cash flow to plug the much needed gap in the squad, the role of a secondary centre-back with a left-foot,

Enter José Marsà, a 22 year-old from Esplugues de Llobregat, a municipality of Barcelona metropolitan area. 

José is a player which we had identified as a target in season one,  we paid £26 million to secure his signature from Sporting CP. Although this fee may look steep on face value, his suggested value post move jumped to between £61 million and £68 million. 

Losing a key player with two days before the transfer window slams shut is never ideal. However, after spending a few hours looking over the market and viewing all out scout report we made the executive decision to sign Julián Álvarez of Manchester City for a club record fee of £40 million. This is the third big money signing which we have made in a row, this shows that we are moving in the right direction to be labelled as one of the major achievers under the hierarchy of wealth, although we aren't there yet. 

Julián (Green), aged 25, like Nino is at best when playing in the role of the 'Advanced Forward', when comparing the players (above) you will note that he is a more technical player with slightly better speed and a bucket load more vision. Both players are consistent, with our new signing enjoying big matches, something which Fer lacked as he didn't enjoy them.

The Argentinian has big boots to fill and we will need him to do so quickly if we are to continue our form, there is no time to for him to acclimatise to Spain for this signing.

I am not going to lie, I was absolutely devastated when Newcastle submitted a bid of £60 million (Record Transfer Fee) for Nino, we have become so reliant on the strikers ability to hit the back of the net, not just this season but since day one of the save.

I will write a piece on the layer in the season three write-up, but for now I have just pulled some of the players headline stats for you to see.

• 111 appearances under Magnus Steinkelsson
• 100 goals, thankfully reached that milestone in the game against 
• 22 assists 
• 26 Man of the Match awards

He also leaves La Liga with the current highest average performance rating of 7.92 and is leading the race for the Pachichi by five goals.

---

There are just three points which separate us from leaders Barcelona, whilst Real Madrid find themselves eight points adrift from their rivals. Again, there are still the usual teams in the mix and Seville have managed to maintain their form and made some smart transfers (including Baena, they have obtained the services of Álvaro Morata, João Gomes, Fábio Vieira and Elye Wahi).

José Bordalás has a squad that fits his attacking 4-4-2 well and has a good mix of youth and experience, very much like we did in season one.

The following month sees us face Betis and Barcelona, before closing the month with an away fixture against Elche. 

[SixPointer]

60 million is not to shabby. Elite striker though and really has been a ruthless goalscorer so I do feel your slight pain!

[SteinkelssonFM]

February 2025

R.C.D. Mallorca 1-5 Villarreal

With our new signing Julián Álvarez recovering from sprained wrist ligaments, Iker Bravo was presented with the starting shirt, and the burden of replacing Fer Nino. 

The 20-year-old put in a performance of the highest quality, the oppositions defence could not cope with Bravo, who walked off the pitch not only with the match ball but equalled the club record set by Fer Nino of scoring four goals in a game. 

Bravo's four goal haul came from an xG of 1.5 which was accumulated over six shots, an xG per shot of 0.25. The forward will not want to change his boots after scoring 100% of his shots on target, this performance provides me with a slight headache now as it would be wrong of me to introduce the record signing to the team, at least in a starting birth.

Abel Ruiz also deserves a mention for racking up two assists after being introduced at the break. Despite his inability to score goals, he now has an assist per 90 of 0.57 after contributing with six assists from 941 minutes of football.

MOTM: Iker Bravo (4 goals)

---

U.D. Las Palmas 1-2 Villarreal (Copa del Rey)

What a difference a day makes, well three to be exact. Iker Bravo failing to score despite one of his shots holding an xG value of 0.69, the striker dwelled on the ball with an empty goal in front of him to enable the defender to come in and make a well timed block.

Abel Ruiz, again showed his ability to make a difference from the bench, this time scoring the decisive goal.

MOTM: Abel Ruiz

---

Elche 1-2 Villarreal (Copa del Rey)

Elche took us the distance in the cup, the rotated side were again called upon to play their second game in a three day period as I looked to keep the first team fresh for the assault on La Liga and the game with Betis.

Looking at the trends from within the match we rightly progressed to the next round, with Arnaut Danjuma leading by example, he not only scored the opening gaol but provided the assist for the winner in a game in which he created two clear cut chances (0.9 xA).

MOTM: Arnaut Danjuma (1 goal, 1 assist, 4 key passes)

---

Villarreal 4-1 Real Sociedad (Copa del Rey)

The hairdryer treatment at the break spurred the side on to a complete dominant performance in the second-half in a game which seen record signing Julián Álvarez make his debut for the club.

It was the £40 million man who scored the goal after the break, it was not a finish of beauty, he simply scored a tap in after a goalmouth scramble, they all count and he is off the mark. The Argentine also provided the assist for Iker Bravo who also got on the scoresheet.

Yeremy Pino was the star of the show, he clearly benefited from some time off, scoring two and creating one. We have one foot firmly placed in the Final.

MOTM: Yeremy Pino

---

Ok, Sevilla mean business! 

---

Villarreal 4-2 Real Valladolid

Going two-nil down in the first 15 minutes of a football match is never ideal, the only benefit in doing so is that there is still a significant amount of time on the clock to regather your thoughts and bring the tie back in your favour. 

This was the case for this match, a result which provided us with a new club record, ten back to back victories.

Pablo Fornals with one of his best performances in a Villarreal shirt, drifting very narrow in the role of the inverted winger, you can see how quite a few of his key passes were from central areas as he created an overload. 

MOTM: Pablo Fornals (1 goal, 1 assist, 3 chances created) 

---

Villarreal 3-0 Betis

Three goals in three games for  Julián Álvarez who has slotted into the role of the Advanced Forward well, he is yet to hit Fer Nino levels but we can' complain with his form to start.

Pino, Fornals, and Samuel Chukwueze with the assists, the Nigerian picked up the MOTM award from just 24 minutes on the pitch.

MOTM: Samuel Chukwueze

---

Villarreal 1-2 Barcelona

Once again, we were the better team against Barcelona but somehow managed to come away with nothing from the match. Julián Álvarez opened the scoring early doors, at which point I was thinking we would accelerate through the gears and pick up the victory.

It wasn't to be and the result makes the league become really tight again.

---

Real Sociedad 1-1 Villarreal

Sociedad huffed, puffed, but they could not overcome the first-leg deficit which sees us progress to the Copa del Rey Final against either Real or Atletico Madrid.

---

One point off the pace, with individuals topping ALL the key outputs...if we don't do it this season, I honestly don't think we will have another season where it will be possible given that previous winners have lost 2, and 4 games. 

We simply can't afford to lose many more matches. 

Fortunately we face Sevilla and Almeria at home, the only issue is will we expend all our energy in the UEFA Champions League?

Still (in theory) on for a treble...something Villarreal have never been able to balance, we ARE competing on all fronts. 

[Hootieleece]

Try rotating the squad for all six games. use 2-3 prospects/squad players to rest your most tired players. If they are close in ability/attributes you should be able to compete. Play your best/strongest lineups in the league if you have to make a choice. This is because a League Champions Trophy will enhance your reputation and complete an objective, also it will confirm another chance at Champion's League.

[Fritz13]

Was Alvarez’s injury self-inflicted 

Great thread btw 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Fritz13

[Matt_1979]

Nice pickup of Alvarez. Interested to see if he can fill the large boots of Nino. 

[GIMN]

Heartbreaking to see Fer Niño leave, but I suppose it was only a matter of time.

Usually you hear people talk about sacrificing cup runs to concentrate on the league.  If you were offered Champions League success, would you be happy to lose ground in La Liga?

[Kealu121202]

Hey @MattyLewis11I´ve been wondering this, what sources did you used for creating the replication of pelegrini tactic?, i found an old entry of fm21/22 where you used Whoscored and other sites, are you still using these sites or you use others? would appreciate if you could show us from where you get the info to replicate tactics  

Edited January 18, 2023 by Kealu121202

[SteinkelssonFM]

@Kealu121202 you are right, this is the blog which I wrote previously...

https://medium.com/@steinkelssonfm/fm22-replicating-tactics-using-open-source-data-18deaae901cb

However, the sources quoted are great for replicating tactics from within the big 5 leagues, but not really ideal for historical content.

When looking to replicate tactics, the best tool is the internet...you need to search for key words searches such as "anlysis" "tatics" etc etc. 

For Pellegrini I used some of these (luckily saved in my Pocket app) 

The 4-2-2-2 tactic explained

Pellegrini's Villarreal

The Engineer and his magic rectangle

Villarreal Tactics: Scouting the Yellow Submarine

Coaches Voice is also another great source along with other similar tactical websites.

 

[Creativity]

On 07/01/2023 at 19:03, MattyLewis11 said:

 

 

 

Great thread, really pleasurable save and writing style which I've thoroughly enjoyed reading. I was wondering if you could tell me how you got such screens into your save? Is it a specific skin you use? Thanks.

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Creativity

[Kealu121202]

hace 5 horas, MattyLewis11 dijo:

@Kealu121202 you are right, this is the blog which I wrote previously...

https://medium.com/@steinkelssonfm/fm22-replicating-tactics-using-open-source-data-18deaae901cb

However, the sources quoted are great for replicating tactics from within the big 5 leagues, but not really ideal for historical content.

When looking to replicate tactics, the best tool is the internet...you need to search for key words searches such as "anlysis" "tatics" etc etc. 

For Pellegrini I used some of these (luckily saved in my Pocket app) 

The 4-2-2-2 tactic explained

Pellegrini's Villarreal

The Engineer and his magic rectangle

Villarreal Tactics: Scouting the Yellow Submarine

Coaches Voice is also another great source along with other similar tactical websites.

 

Thank you so much  

[Cassius]

Le 27/12/2022 à 21:26, MattyLewis11 a dit :

 

To those of you who have yet to try a regionnaire save, I highly recommend it as it stops you from signing players which you/other normally gravitate towards and provides a nice challenge. 

One question : how did you do the filtering? 

 

I guess you did not enter each city of Aragon manually in the search tool, but there is no "Kingdom of Aragon" In the nation/region filter neither. 😁

I'm currently undergoing a Málaga save trying to sign almost exclusively Spaniards, but this thread really makes me want to switch to Andálucian focus. 

 

(LOVING the thread btw) 

[SteinkelssonFM]

@Cassius 

The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula. Therefore as pointed out it isn't available in the search filters. 

I think in my opening post I showed how I searched for players, you will see a list of towns/cities that fall under each autonomous community. The search filters took about 60 minutes to implement after gathering all the places to add in (64 in total) after leaving out some areas with a small population.

These are selected as 'place of birth' under the search filters, providing me with the talent pool which I have been recruiting from within the save. 

[Guest]

On 22/01/2023 at 09:49, Cassius said:

One question : how did you do the filtering? 

 

I guess you did not enter each city of Aragon manually in the search tool, but there is no "Kingdom of Aragon" In the nation/region filter neither. 😁

I'm currently undergoing a Málaga save trying to sign almost exclusively Spaniards, but this thread really makes me want to switch to Andálucian focus. 

 

(LOVING the thread btw) 

To further what Matt has said if you open the editor while you have the game open you go to regions in the editor and it will have all the cities and towns in that region. It's a longish process to type it all in to the search filter when setting it up but you can uses these through all the future versions of FM once you have done it. I currently have a regional save in Asturias and Groeningen as well as past saves in Galicia and modern day Aragon.

[Lira95]

Once you said you thought about setting up in a 4-2-3-1. Have you tried it already?

[SteinkelssonFM]

8 hours ago, Lira95 said:

Once you said you thought about setting up in a 4-2-3-1. Have you tried it already?

No mate I have never deviated away from the original tactic, I haven't felt the need to do so as performances have been excellent and the squad has been built to play this shape. TBF it was built this way by Pellegrini and continued by Emery. 

[Eoin Maguire]

Bit late to the party here but this will be my last save of FM23... Thanks for the inspiration. Save looks really cool and right down my alley... 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Eoin Maguire

[Gdawg69]

Matty, I had just discovered this post yesterday (it was linked to a youtube channel I was watching and referencekd/linked to your idea of Trequartista with "hold the ball up" instructions), and I honestly cannot express just how much I love your writing style and how much I enjoyed this game!

Not many, if any, saves has held my attention and I think it's largely to do with 2 things:

a) Your approach to the game - it has so many facets to it that I love, tactics, transfers, data - you truly immersed yourself and it was clear to the reader

b) Your writing style - it was so easy to read, generally sorted by months, with lots of photos and bite sized writing that really helped. Also with a dash of random articles that went more in depth into certain areas that excited you.

I have absolutely loved this!

Have you got any other bodies of work you think i'd enjoy, or a website etc?

[Dogfacedgremlin]

17 hours ago, Gdawg69 said:

Matty, I had just discovered this post yesterday (it was linked to a youtube channel I was watching and referencekd/linked to your idea of Trequartista with "hold the ball up" instructions), and I honestly cannot express just how much I love your writing style and how much I enjoyed this game!

Not many, if any, saves has held my attention and I think it's largely to do with 2 things:

a) Your approach to the game - it has so many facets to it that I love, tactics, transfers, data - you truly immersed yourself and it was clear to the reader

b) Your writing style - it was so easy to read, generally sorted by months, with lots of photos and bite sized writing that really helped. Also with a dash of random articles that went more in depth into certain areas that excited you.

I have absolutely loved this!

Have you got any other bodies of work you think i'd enjoy, or a website etc?

 

 

[SteinkelssonFM]

@Dogfacedgremlin thanks mate 👌