_Ben_ Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 1 hour ago, GIMN said: I have a question to those lovely folk reading this. I have two possible graphics for helping provide a summary of games. Which do you reckon is better? The second is stunning work! Gets my vote! The little logo at the bottom is even nicer, too. As for your summer - as I hadn't realised that I hadn't commented - things are looking good. I do love the under the radar signings but can't find it in me to like Pickford and the fact that you're at United doesn't help with that mix! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 2nd is excellent and I want to steal it for myself just like your skin. (This would be a terrible quote out of context) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 16 hours ago, GIMN said: I'm looking forward to seeing how Vinicius Tobias, Torre and Puigmal work out. Not massive sums relative to the stature of the club, but I've put a lot of weight into this completely unproven "excitement factor", so this'll be a good opportunity to see if I'm onto someting or completely wide of the mark! I know right! I want to refer to him as the Rumbler, but that sounds just like an amateur wrestler! I have a question to those lovely folk reading this. I have two possible graphics for helping provide a summary of games. Which do you reckon is better? The second one is phenomenal!! I would even settle for the first one at the minute for my save. As my updates are bland 🤣🤣 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 Manchester United vs Chelsea Spoiler An almost perfect start. Finally got round to setting up a corner routine and it bore fruit immediately, Lacroix rising at the far post to head home Eriksen's outswinging delivery. Pablo Torre marked his full debut with a driving run at the Chelsea defence before playing in Rashford for our second, whilst his fellow Summer arrival Vinicius Torre fed Sancho for our third. The goal we conceded was calamitous, however - Kristiansen passing directly to Alli sending him through on goal. Martinez got back with the recovery but his tackle ricocheted off the Chelsea man and passed Pickford. Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United Spoiler Vinicius Tobias was rewarded for his late assist with a start in our 4-4-2 shape, and the decision immediately paid dividends, as he sent Rashford racing through early to score the only goal of the game. We could've scored a couple more and, despite a Sarr effort which was screwed wide moments after we'd taken the lead, we were in control throughout. A professional performance. Arsenal vs Manchester United Spoiler A drab game made exciting by some injury time drama. Pickford made a sensational save at the end of the first half, scrambling across goal to keep out Nicolò Zaniolo's far post effort. It was otherwise completely forgettable, until Madueke forced a turnover, found Güler who in turn fed Endrick to drill an effort low across Ramsdale. Jubilation didn't last long, though, as Inácio's free-kick header looped over Pickford two minutes later. We didn't deserve to win, but it's gutting for it to end like that. Manchester United vs Leeds Utd Spoiler A new pattern is emerging : Madueke forces an error, Güler feeds a striker. I might be getting ahead of myself just because it happened in successive games. Anthony was the beneficiary, scoring his first goal of the season. Eriksen's raking deep pass sent Rashford through for our second. Leeds were toothless. West Bromwich Albion vs Manchester United Spoiler Call him Gül-ash because he can't stop feeding our strikers! (I don't like that - far too clunky and contrived - but forgive a man for trying to inject some cornyness into his updates). It could've been very different had it not been for Pickford diving low to his right to keep out Twine's penalty after Sancho's needlessly rash challenge. Whilst we weren't in great rhythm, we did keep West Brom to 0.38 NP-xG from 9 shots. Güler changed the game when he came on, finishing with 2 assists - his first was an absolutely inch perfect ball dinked over the WBA defence and on to the proverbial plate of Rashford. League Table Spoiler A solid start has us as one of 3 unbeaten sides in the opening stages of the league. Liverpool and Man City are scoring at will, however, and have definitely put early markers down. That said, Man City were beaten 1-0 at White Hart Lane and that sees them already playing catch-up. Güler appears to be vindicating my decision to sell Fernandes, absolutely excelling in his absence. News & Thoughts We've made a few signings for the future. İskender Gelgeç will be joining in January for £9.5m after he turns 18. An aggressive defensive midfielder who can play at centre-back, I've got high hopes that he can develop into a long term successor for Rodrigo Bentancur. Kaique is my long term replacement for Lisandro Martinez, whose contract expires in 2029 (although we have a 1-year contract extension clause). He will also arrive in January as we agreed to loan him back to Santos as part of the £15.25m deal. Finally, Ryan Spicer is an inverted left winger that we'll look to train as a right-wing back. An £11m signing from Fulham, he can be a backup to Vinicius Tobias if I find myself needing to push Sancho further up the field, and will help me meet Homegrown requirements as the years progress. We also branched out with our affiliates. Perhaps surprising, given Utd's global reach, there was only one formal affiliation when I took over - with FK Bodø/Glimt in Norway. We now have a 2nd, partnering with AS Saint-Étienne in France to help us develop our youth recruitment network. Despite falling on hard-times, languishing in Ligue 2 and struggling financially, Saint-Étienne have a phenomenal academy with notable alumni including Willy Sagnol, Loïc Perrin, Jonathan Bamba and Bafétimbi Gomis. This feels like a good move for us. Champions League draw has been made, and initial reaction is that it's brutal: With some time to reflect, however, this is just the nature of the competition now. We're currently in Pot 2, and obviously in the old format that would mean that we wouldn't face other teams at the same level. Our fixtures would look a lot less intimidating without Juventus and Atlético Madrid, yet these are all teams we'd be hoping to beat at some point in the competition regardless. Finally, we had the final day of the transfer window. Whilst we were prepared to do business if we needed to, there was no intention to be proactive. And we weren't. Early on Newcastle came in with a (relativelY) low bid of £39m for Alejandro Garnacho. We pushed that up ot the top end of his valuation, £62m, and Newcastle agreed. But, as I said we were prepared and had 3 potential targets should this situation arise. Bayern Munich's Paul Wanner is now 21 and available for somewhere between £35m and £50m. Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz is would be dearer, potentially costing the entirety of the Garnacho fee. The third option, however, was far more interesting to me... Hannibal was sold for £18.75m in 2025/26 and, to be as kind as possible, he sucked. 4 goals and 2 assists in 46 appearances is poor. He is however, a former Man Utd academy product and is elite in 2 of the 5 areas I'm wanting to prioritise. For someone who will come in primarily as relief for Anthony and count as homegrown, that's not too shabby. A £23.5m fee came with a built-in £1m rebate courtesy of a 20% profit sell-on-fee from the initial deal that sent him to Southampton. Realistically, like with quite a few of our moves this summer, we have probably got a little worse as a result of these moves - but we made £40m in doing so. I'm sure the fans were hoping for something a lot more exciting, but I'm hoping that money saved now (both through fees and wages) will put us in a strong position to make some marquee signings next summer. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 2 hours ago, SixPointer said: The second one is phenomenal!! I would even settle for the first one at the minute for my save. As my updates are bland 🤣🤣 There's not too much (silly logo aside) in those widgets that tethers them to my skin. If you want, I can probably send something across that works with default skin (or another). I'd temper that with the fact I'm heading into the office most days this week, so might not be immediate! That said, I quite like your the graphic on your last few updates. It's clean, simple and conveys quite a lot about each game. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 42 minutes ago, GIMN said: There's not too much (silly logo aside) in those widgets that tethers them to my skin. If you want, I can probably send something across that works with default skin (or another). I'd temper that with the fact I'm heading into the office most days this week, so might not be immediate! That said, I quite like your the graphic on your last few updates. It's clean, simple and conveys quite a lot about each game. Yeah I’ve actually in a weird way enjoyed it, but i feel it’s lacking some links to style of play. There is only so much detail I can fire into a few sentences. But perhaps it’s leading me to finding a better balance. Especially for the challenge. Maybe this is a good way to increase speed and then choose my moments to and in detailed posts. I think with a graphic like yours the picture alone can tell the story of the game, as well as how we tactically performed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 1 hour ago, GIMN said: Realistically, like with quite a few of our moves this summer, we have probably got a little worse as a result of these moves - but we made £40m in doing so. I'm sure the fans were hoping for something a lot more exciting, but I'm hoping that money saved now (both through fees and wages) will put us in a strong position to make some marquee signings next summer. What I really like is that we are pretty much at the same point in our jobs, albeit with very different financial backing! I'm enjoying see how you unpick the mess left by an AI manager on a big budget, because, of course, there are very different pressures to what I have to do on my - relative - shoestring budget. I'm trying to learn about the type of player you go for and the constraints you place yourself under when moving for one. So far, the use of your club DNA, age and wage demands seem to be driving things and that is very similar to my own style. I once tried to sign Hannibal and he turned me down! I had to search back through the FM22 thread to find it and it appeared that you made a comment on him, so let me rehash it and send it back your way... Quote It's been nearly 2500 years since he conquered the Alps, so it's about time he faced the Caucasus Mountains M62 Motorway. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet_FM Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 GIMN, I've just stopped by to say that this is incredible! Graphics, schedules, attention to detail, everything! I'm loving every word and trying my best to digest it all and hopefully learn something that I can take away and use in my Jets game. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 58 minutes ago, _Ben_ said: What I really like is that we are pretty much at the same point in our jobs, albeit with very different financial backing! I'm enjoying see how you unpick the mess left by an AI manager on a big budget, because, of course, there are very different pressures to what I have to do on my - relative - shoestring budget. I'm trying to learn about the type of player you go for and the constraints you place yourself under when moving for one. So far, the use of your club DNA, age and wage demands seem to be driving things and that is very similar to my own style. I wonder how much of that comes from being a Villa fan!! I swear the litany of big-money-failures from Balaban to Collymore to Knight to McCormack to Wesley have permanently scarred me . Joking aside, there's something about having a DNA/culture/whatever you want to call it that helps guide the recruitment process. Using a combination of that, along with the attribute range approach, as a filter before then diving into the stats, really helps diversify the type of players I'm looking at. It's far more interesting than trying to sign Anatoli Todorov in every save on CM03/04!! 1 hour ago, _Ben_ said: I once tried to sign Hannibal and he turned me down! I had to search back through the FM22 thread to find it and it appeared that you made a comment on him, so let me rehash it and send it back your way... Amazing! I'm quite proud of past me for not going for the more obvious Hannibal Lector joke. I'd also suggest that conquering the M62 on elephants is probably a greater feat than his Carthaginian namesake! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 15 minutes ago, Jet_FM said: GIMN, I've just stopped by to say that this is incredible! Graphics, schedules, attention to detail, everything! I'm loving every word and trying my best to digest it all and hopefully learn something that I can take away and use in my Jets game. You are too kind. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with your attempt to bring glory to Newcastle Jets. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 44 minutes ago, GIMN said: I wonder how much of that comes from being a Villa fan!! I swear the litany of big-money-failures from Balaban to Collymore to Knight to McCormack to Wesley have permanently scarred me . Joking aside, there's something about having a DNA/culture/whatever you want to call it that helps guide the recruitment process. Using a combination of that, along with the attribute range approach, as a filter before then diving into the stats, really helps diversify the type of players I'm looking at. It's far more interesting than trying to sign Anatoli Todorov in every save on CM03/04!! Absolutely! Every time we spend big money, I'm scared of it all going wrong - but it's fine, it's not like we've spent big money on a French full back or a Jamaican winger who, in my opinion, have left a lot to be desired... I completely agree - this way of playing, whilst not for everyone, is meaning that I'm signing players I'd have never batted an eyelid at previously. For me, it was Serge Makofo and Lionel Morgan back on the old CMs as a Villa manager. 46 minutes ago, GIMN said: Amazing! I'm quite proud of past me for not going for the more obvious Hannibal Lector joke I had always presumed it was a nickname, but, no, it is his first name! I think I like him less though now he's doing ok at the Blues. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 Manchester United vs Leicester City Spoiler Madueke was magnificent. His cross for our first was dangerous but slightly beyond Rashford - thankfully for us Ndidi's clearance slammed into Rashford's outstretched leg and went in - but his cross for our second was absolutely perfect, bent around the full back and right into the path of Anthony at the near post. We traded far-post corner headers with Leicester before Güler scored the goal of a the game, running onto Martinez's ball over the top to volley first time, low into the far corner. Juventus vs Manchester United Spoiler Absolute madness from Locatelli, lunging in two-footed within moments of the game starting. It was pretty easy from then on in. Güler's came up with another goal, this time arriving at the penalty spot to meet Anthony's pull back. Anthony then got one himself, winning the ball back in midfield, before being sprung free after a 1-2 with Rashford. We struggled for possession, but I don't mind. Juve kept the ball at the back and I didn't want to us to overpursue when we already had a man advantage. Manchester United vs Fulham Spoiler Another goal and another assist for Anthony. His opener on 42 seconds set the tone for the game, reacting quickly to head Bentancur's wayward shot goalwards. I'm still not sure what happened for Adarbioyo's own goal. Güler's curling effort crashed off the bar, and seemingly under no pressure, two Fulham players got in one another's way and bundled the ball in to the net. Rashford raced through for the third, was replaced by Endrick, who then scored an almost identical goal moments later. Mitrovic's late consolation was just that. Manchester United vs Crawley Town Spoiler A Carabao Cup tie against Crawley was a perfect opportunity to rotate the squad, and Endrick showed just how unfair it is for a League One team to face off against the multi-million pound squads of Premier League teams. A lovely moment for Arnau Puigmal as he scored his first ever Man Utd goal 10 years after he first joined the club. Everton vs Manchester United Spoiler David Raya was a man on a mission. Constantly overlooked by me for international selection, he took the opportunity to show what I was missing out on. A penalty save low to his left was the obvious highlight, but he twice denied Rashford for close range with some astonishing reflexes. He wasn't infallible, though, as Sancho's 9th minute effort curled into the far corner after Anthony had played him in. Real Madrid vs Manchester United Spoiler We got lucky. Like the Arsenal game in August, this was a pretty poor game, with high quality chances hard to come by. Madrid were the better team for the first 60 minutes, though, and deservedly lead when we let Camavinga enter the box under little challenge before firing low across Pickford. We shifted to our 4-4-2 mid way through the second half, and were able to get back into the game. Hannibal was the hero, coming off the bench to bend an effort from just inside the box past the despairing Courtois. He almost won it moments later, meeting Sancho's left wing cross, but Courtois was able to turn it onto the post. It would have been entirely underserved. League Table Spoiler Liverpool's shock 1-0 defeat against Wolves hands us the initative. With Arsenal losing twice, we're now the only unbeaten team remaining. I certainly can't complain about scoring 9 goals in 3 games, but we've actually performed slightly below our xG. Given how clinical we were in the first 6 months, I've become a little spoilt and now expect us to score more. Nonetheless, we're in a strong position. News/Thoughts It has thankfully been quite a straightforward month off the pitch. Madueke's injury forced my hand into fielding a 4-4-2 more often, and it's been pretty impressive. We've got the flexibility to move between the shapes depending on how the game is going, and that can only serve us well in the future. Danny Taylor is performing well for our U21s side and, if he continues, there's a good chance he'll be moved into the senior squad before Christmas. The plan was to have Williot Swedberg as our 5th choice striker - maybe giving him appearances in the cup in the hope to push up his value - but Taylor might be able to fill that role. Finally, part of our youth training setup involves focusing on defensive positioning for a month. I have been inundated with complaints. I shouldn't be surprised, and I can't blame kids for not being able to understand how this will benefit them in the long term. 2 hours ago, _Ben_ said: Absolutely! Every time we spend big money, I'm scared of it all going wrong - but it's fine, it's not like we've spent big money on a French full back or a Jamaican winger who, in my opinion, have left a lot to be desired... Not going to argue over Digne, but I feel sorry for Bailey. A left winger who has been played in almost every position on the pitch except the one he's proven to be quite good at. Apparently he's 10th in the EPL for successful dribbles this season - only 4 behind Zaha in 2nd. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 What a month! Visuals are nice too, give a lot of information in a short amount of time. You're making me look bad with my rambling posts... A few post back, but on Hannibal...I am annoyed with him because he signed for my Portsmouth FM22 save. He was integrating into the squad and was going to be great in the attacking mezzala role...only for him to f%#k off to Newcastle and leave me scrambling. It was for a good amount of cash, but it was right at the deadline or something. I think it all worked out but he's on my naughty list. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 14, 2023 Author Share Posted March 14, 2023 15 hours ago, 13th Man said: What a month! Visuals are nice too, give a lot of information in a short amount of time. You're making me look bad with my rambling posts... Ta very much. Working on some ways to be able to change the overlay on the heatmaps (key passes, shots, etc...), turn the heatmap off altogether and change graphs other details for full customisation. I wouldn't say your posts are particularly rambling - it's all interesting and relevant. That said, I'd love to go full ramble - stream of consciousness style. Just post pictures which give you the match details and then the inane witterings of a madman. Maybe a future save idea! 15 hours ago, 13th Man said: A few post back, but on Hannibal...I am annoyed with him because he signed for my Portsmouth FM22 save. Seems like Hannibal's made a few enemies on these forums. I'm hoping that's not a trend. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 8 hours ago, GIMN said: I wouldn't say your posts are particularly rambling - it's all interesting and relevant. That said, I'd love to go full ramble - stream of consciousness style. Just post pictures which give you the match details and then the inane witterings of a madman. Maybe a future save idea! Ah no, that's just some good old fashioned self deprecation and all. I love to ramble. That said, a stream of consciousness, inner manager monologue full of random spite, rage, childhood trauma etc would definitely make for quite a thread. Especially if the visuals were exceptionally well organized and clear. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 16, 2023 Author Share Posted March 16, 2023 Whilst I wait to get through the month, thought I'd treat you all to a video I call: "Çakır's Masterclass, or; Why I Signed Jordan Pickford" 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 Look man, he was feeling really tired. It's hard being a keeper. He just needed a little rest. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 12 hours ago, GIMN said: Whilst I wait to get through the month, thought I'd treat you all to a video I call: "Çakır's Masterclass, or; Why I Signed Jordan Pickford" Aww get that linked in the bugs forum 🤣 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 17, 2023 Author Share Posted March 17, 2023 Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Spoiler A slight knock for Pickford saw Çakır step into the starting lineup, and as above we've all seen how that went. Thankfully it didn't cost us points, as Mladenović's last minute winner - sweeping home from just inside the box after Hannibal laid the ball into his path - spared his blushes. It was no less than we deserved as we repeatedly cut Wolves open only to be let down by some poor finishing. West Ham United vs Manchester United Spoiler Absolute disaster as Rashford picks up a hip injury that rules him out for at least 2 months. His form has not been as scintillating this season, but he is still a massive part of what we look to do and it's a huge blow. As for the game itself, the stats are quite surprising. I thought we were good value for the win - Sancho scored from the edge of the area before hitting the bar; both chances I thought were much higher than 0.1 xg combined. Meslier made two great saves to deny Rashford. Vlašić should've equalised late on, firing across Pickford who was able to get down and turn it away, but otherwise I didn't feel like West Ham threatened that much. Manchester United vs Atlético Madrid Spoiler Life without Rashford started very well. Endrick set up Anthony with a cut-back to the penalty spot before Vinicius Tobias' cross was sent looping into his own net by Angeliño, all inside the opening 10 minutes. We poured forward regularly, and Oblak superbly denied Sancho, Eriksen and Sutalo at different points. Diego Simeone may no longer be the Atlético manager, but they were hemmed in so deep you'd be mistaken for thinking he still was. Southampton vs Manchester United Spoiler A poor game with little to report on. We were the better team for most of the game, but never really looked like scoring. Lacroix's injury early on certainly disrupted our rhythm, but that's no excuse. Southampton seem to find a second wind late on and almost grabbed a winner through João Pedro, but Çakır made amends for his Wolves error. The Türkiye international was once again starting after a minor injury to Pickford. Liverpool vs Manchester United Spoiler Another away game against a team we're looking to compete with, and another game where we've been outplayed. We got the win on penalties, and it's nice to avenge our final defeat in this competition, but we really struggled to contain Liverpool. That said, we took the lead twice. Hannibal forced an error high up the pitch for our first, before Eriksen sent Endrick through from deep for the second. Both Liverpool's goals were top quality, too - Schjelderup's slaloming run and powerful finish from the edge of the area was the highlight of the game. Manchester United vs Sheffield United Spoiler After some underwhelming away performances, it was nice to be back at Old Trafford and strutting our stuff. It is credit to Ledesma that it took us so long to score, but when we did it was a moment of beauty. Dragomir Mladenović received a throw deep in Utd's half, skipped past his defender, drove past another before unleashing a blistering effort from the edge of the area. A wonderful individual moment, followed shortly thereafter by a delightful pass from Sancho put right on the plate for Williot Swedberg to score. An injury time header from a corner for Lavia cannot dampen our spirit. We keep up our unbeaten run but the draw to Southampton opened the door for Liverpool to leapfrog us. Despite our good position it is telling that none of our players feature in the top 10 for average rating, and this is probably indicative of our away performances not looking anywhere near as fluid as our home games. Injuries certainly haven't helped. News Thoughts A horrible month for injuries as we lose Rashford and Lacroix to long-term injuries, and Endrick is now set to miss a few weeks, too. This opens the door for a couple of younger players who were otherwise not expected to get many minutes this season. First up Williot Swedberg: A £10.75m signing from Celta Vigo in 24/25, Swedberg has been out on loan in 2. Bundesliga for the last couple of seasons, where he's scored 24 goals in 57 games. He came in to the season as our designated 5th striker and is most likely to pick up the slack whilst Endrick is out. Or, at least he will for domestic games. Foolishly I chose not to register him for the Champions League, as he is not homegrown and would be unlikely to feature. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Step forward Danny Taylor: The 19-year old isn't really first team ready, but is performing well in the reserves. He turned down loan offers over the summer - maybe he knew something I did not! The coaching team are high on his potential, but he still has a lot of work to do, especially in terms of his decision making and endurance. Honestly, he isn't a player who would've been close to first team opportunities if it wasn't for an injury crisis, as he doesn't fit the mold I am looking for, but this is a great chance for him to make me reconsider my approach. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 18, 2023 Share Posted March 18, 2023 Be curious to see how the youngsters do. Good chance to be surprised. Also, excellent result against Athletico. They looked camped in their own half. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 18, 2023 Share Posted March 18, 2023 Nice form, and nice to see a few young guns getting a shout. Man United we’re well known for promoting within would be nice to see you bring this back in some shape or form. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 18, 2023 Author Share Posted March 18, 2023 4 hours ago, 13th Man said: Be curious to see how the youngsters do. Good chance to be surprised. Also, excellent result against Athletico. They looked camped in their own half. 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: Nice form, and nice to see a few young guns getting a shout. Man United we’re well known for promoting within would be nice to see you bring this back in some shape or form. Whilst I haven't been adverse to young players (Güler, Endrick, Mladenović, Vinicius Tobias, Rumble), I'm a little apprehensive about being thin on the ground in November. We have two home Champions League games, where we might be able to afford some minor rotation, but otherwise it's a pretty brutal month to be without our best defender and 2 main goalscorers. To make matters worse, Lisandro Martinez is suspended for our away game against Man City thanks to picking up 5 yellow cards 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 18, 2023 Author Share Posted March 18, 2023 Manchester United vs Hertha Berlin Spoiler The first proper game of our striking crisis and an opportunity for Sancho to fill the Rashford/Endrick-shaped void. He scored, after racing on to Güler's through ball, and should've had an assist himself if it wasn't for Anthony's wasteful shooting. Hertha should've pulled one back after calamitous defending allowed Thielmann a free run on goal, but otherwise a professional job. Manchester City vs Manchester United Spoiler All good things must come to an end. Our first league defeat under my tenure, and it comes in frustrating circumstances - Rico Lewis set up De Bruyne's winner moments after coing on. To be more specific, moments after coming on and before the game would allow my opposition instructions to always trigger a press on Lewis to come into action. That said, Man City deserved the lead, with Sancho's equaliser from Eriksens' deep through ball being against the run of play. We rallied late but couldn't find a second. Manchester United vs Newcastle United Spoiler Swedberg marks the start with a goal that looked to have won it for us, until Newcastle almost stole a point with a far post header. With barely seconds remaining on the clock, the returning Endrick raced onto Madueke's through ball, rounded Diogo Costa and took the proverbial roof off Old Trafford. Welcome back Endrick!! Manchester United vs Atalanta Spoiler Endrick's first start since returning from injury, Puigmal's first goal for the club, and Taylor's first goal for the club. It almost seemed perfect. until Endrick pulled knee ligaments and came off injured. Otherwise it was a professional performance and we're in a good positionto get a bye for the next round. Manchester United vs Liverpool Spoiler There's a new star in town and his name is Williot Swedberg. His first, an 18 yard header over the stranded Alisson after Güler looped the ball forward might have been described as opportunistic. His second, a 92nd minute winner, was instinctive, reacting quickest after his initial header had hit the bar to poke home from 4 yards out. I'm biased, but I thought we deserved it. Liverpool's goal was a fortunate deflection from a shot through a crowded box and whilst they threatened late on the counter attack as we chased the game, I felt we showed more initiative throughout. Aston Villa vs Manchester United Spoiler There's something about the West Midlands and rebounds from free-kicks. Douglas Luiz opened the scoring at the exact same moment he did in real life against Bournmeouth, sidefooting home after Pickford parried Collado's free-kick. Swedberg scored his 4th in 3 games, tapping in Kristiansen's cross. We deserved more from the game, but lacked the composure in front of goal, Anthony spurning the best chance late in the 2nd half. Vital points dropped. One step forward, two step backwards. We held the league lead for merely a few days as our victory over Liverpool had catapulted us above them. The draw against Villa immediately brought us back down to earth. That said, I'm more frustrated by the Man City defeat given their indifferent spell of form. Sure, they have talent in spades, but they're in a bit of a rut at the moment and it was a great opportunity get something from the game. News/Thoughts At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we've struggled with injuries. I'm very mindful that we've got a lot of games being squeezed in around international breaks and I need to do my utmost to give my players rests as and when the need it. With key players missing, however, it becomes harder to give all those who are in need of some respite those games off, as we still need at least some difference makers on the pitch. Swedberg has stepped up when we needed him, and I can't describe how happy I am for him. He's going to be relegated back down to 5th choice once everyone's fit, but he's shown that he can contribute at the highest level and potentially put himself in the shop window for teams that might have otherwise not considered him. Talking of shop windows, Çakır has submitted a transfer request, which has been duly accepted. I can't begrudge him being unhappy at a lack of first team football, even if he is prone to diving away from the goalmouth. Hopefully we can get somewhere near his market value of£36m and use that for someone who will eventually be the long-term answer at keeper. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 18, 2023 Share Posted March 18, 2023 Lose to one rival, Great win against another Tragedy and joy. Injuries abound Youngsters step up for their club That’s football for you Yes that was a double haiku, you’re welcome. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 19, 2023 Author Share Posted March 19, 2023 7 hours ago, 13th Man said: Lose to one rival, Great win against another Tragedy and joy. Injuries abound Youngsters step up for their club That’s football for you Yes that was a double haiku, you’re welcome. I expect replies In Haiku form from here on All else I will shun Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 19, 2023 Author Share Posted March 19, 2023 Manchester United vs Brentford Spoiler We needed a good performance after the disappointment against Villa, and we got it. Swedberg was once again irrepresible, sweeping home a low Vinicius Tobias cross before cutting the ball back for Güler to double our lead. Juan Musso had a great game in goal, and his 6.9 rating seems rather harsh. Manchester United vs Barcelona Spoiler Revenge!! After knocking us out on penalties last year, we got a comprehensive victory over Barcelona this time round. We restricted them to 0 shots on target, although it is worth adding that some of that owed to some poor accuracy from the now 39-year old Lewandowski. Anthony's goal was nice, firing at the near top corner from just inside the box after being played through by Eriksen. Güler's was better, a van Basten-esque volley from a narrow angle after Eriksen dinked the ball over the Barca back line. Varane's...was boring - a header from a corner that completed Eriksen's hat-trick of assists. Norwich City vs Manchester United Spoiler We got the win, but it was a far cry from the giddy heights we reached against Barcelona. Hannibal scrambled in our opener after good work down the right by Vinicius Tobias. Sancho added a second late after Omobamidele passed him the ball inside his own area under no pressure. We were poor, but Norwich showed why they are bottom of the league. Manchester United vs Huddersfield Spoiler A heavily rotated team and an easy win. Sublime defence-splitting passes from Rumble and then Puigmal set up Anthony and Swedberg respectively. A stray elbow saw Huddersfield reduced to 10 men, and from then on we stopped trying. Tempo dropped, we took the opportunity to rest the players on the pitch just as much as those that were given the game off. Lacroix made his first start since returning from injury. Newcastle wait in the Semi-Finals. Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United Spoiler There is not much to be said here. This was, without a doubt, the worst game of football I've ever seen. Tottenham under newly-appointed Christophe Galtier sat bodies behind the ball and we struggled to break them down. The fact that both keepers were each team's respective best player despite only having to make 1 save each says everything you need to know. Rashford made his first appearance back from injury. Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion Spoiler A good performance to wash down the god awful performance against Spurs. Sancho's cut-back was turned in by Swedberg after only 3 minutes. The ball was a little behind him, but he adjusted well, swung his weaker left foot at the ball and powered it into the roof of the net. Sancho was also the provider for the second, angling the ball in behind the defence for Swedberg to run onto and fire in at the near post. He's adding millions on to his asking price with every game - although the question has to be should I be thinking of keeping him? Manchester United vs Everton Spoiler We tried something a little different, moving the mezzala behind the F9. I wanted to see if Güler would drift outside of Anthony or get beyond him and how shifting the midfield box to that side would impact our play. It was a bit flat in the first half, but further instructions for Güler to drive wide paid dividends at the beginning of the second as he found the angle to play through Swedberg for our opener. Rashford came on and sealed the win late on, running onto Vinicius Tobias' angled ball into the channel. A professional performance, marred by a knee injury for Bentancur. Fulham vs Manchester United Spoiler Absolutely criminal scenes as Jadon Sancho stole a goal from Güler. The Turkish midfielders volley from just inside the box hit the inside of the post and was rolling in before Sancho tapped it in. To add insult to injury, it doesn't even count as an assist. Swedberg wrapped up the win with a delightful dink over Robert Sánchez after Šutalo had dropped an absolute dime of a chipped pass over the defence. Pickford picked up his 7th consecutive clean sheet (didn't play in the Carabao Cup) after making a couple of important saves from Mitrovic as Fulham looked to get back into it. Lacroix ended up starting at DM after Bentancur's injury and a knock to Rumble just days before the game. It feels like things are falling into place. After giving Liverpool the initiative with a draw against Tottenham, they duly went to Fulham and lost - putting us back into control. We're banking very heavily on our defensive performances, conceding just 0.5 goals per game so far and even though there's still 16 games to go we're going to have to match or better Liverpool's results from hereon out. Their goal difference is insane, and is surely uncatchable. News/Thoughts A wonderful month, despite the drab draw against Tottenham. In 8 games, we only faced 11 shots on target. I'm not particularly focussed on the defensive side, and I would definitely like us to be scoring more, but I'm not going to complain about that! We've extended Pickford for an extra year, whilst Christian Eriksen triggered a clause that sees him also stay until June 2029. The board very generously boosted our wage budget by an obscene £500k per week. That puts us £800k per week under budget - a value I'm not going to swallow up - so we're likely to see funds shifted into our transfer fund. We've got some decisions to make in terms of squad building, which I'll go into in the next update, but we've decided against offering a new contract to Gaston Ávila, as I feel his demands will price him out of the market when we eventually look to move him on. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fudal Posted March 19, 2023 Share Posted March 19, 2023 Insane form + incredible updates! You make this game look like art! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 19, 2023 Share Posted March 19, 2023 Great run continues maybe you should keep the youth? No need to rush him out Okay, I’m done. Still, I like to keep the youngsters that perform around until they get restless or get to thinking they own the place. Why rush to sell him if he’s performing? 19 hours ago, GIMN said: The fact that both keepers were each team's respective best player despite only having to make 1 save each says everything you need to know. Ouch, that’s just brutal. Great win over Barca though and good form overall. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 On 19/03/2023 at 02:24, GIMN said: We've got some decisions to make in terms of squad building, which I'll go into in the next update, but we've decided against offering a new contract to Gaston Ávila, as I feel his demands will price him out of the market when we eventually look to move him on. You’ve turned this whole club around in a matter of months so really interested to see how you delve into the planning for the coming years. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 21, 2023 Author Share Posted March 21, 2023 On 19/03/2023 at 21:48, 13th Man said: Still, I like to keep the youngsters that perform around until they get restless or get to thinking they own the place. Why rush to sell him if he’s performing? Understandable. With his purple patch showing no signs of coming to an end, he's definitely putting his best foot forward and, with the stature of a club like Manchester United I'm under no pressure to sell. He's a remarkably versatile player, too, but definitely sits in that "jack of all trades, master of none" bracket: With 18 months remaining on a £33,000 per week contract, I could look to extend him. I have yet to even ask his agent what his demands might be. But, as alluded to with Ávila, I am also aware that whilst his performances might merit a significant pay rise, doing so will severely reduce the number of teams willing to consider signing him in future transfer windows. With Rashford and Endrick returning, it is hard to see Swedberg making the bench in the latter half of the season, and he doesn't satisfy any homegrown criteria. With first team opportunitites at a premium, I expect his value will drop, especially with his contract coming close to expiry - and there are currently 21 teams interested in his signature. It is worth noting only 5 of these are interested in a transfer - although I will also point out that I haven't listed him. The way I look at it is I might be able to get £25m for him now, £15m in the summer, or possibly lose him on a free. That extra £10m could be the difference between signing Salvatore Esposito or Gavi. Which is about as good a segue into transfer plans as I'm going to get. Above is our squad depth for next season. I have assumed that Çakır will be gone, having handed in his transfer request and Varane's contract will not be renewed. Christian Eriksen triggered a one year extension, and I doubt there is much of a market for a 36-year old earning £185k per week, regardless of how good he is - so he remains part of my plans. In pink, players I am likely to move on: Rodrigo Bentancur has been good for us, but his turnover differential is only +3, his contract expires in 2029, and Rumble has proven to be more than adequate in relief. I expect to keep him until the end of the season Anthony has also been a decent player, and has 10 goal contributions so far this season. The emergence of Vinicius Tobias means I am more likely to push Sancho further up the pitch, and Tottenham have shown interest in the former Ajax man. If a bid comes in January, I will seriously consider it Williot Swedberg, as discussed, falls down the pecking order once everyone is fit. I will look to cash in whilst his value is high - hopefully during the upcoming window Isak Hansen-Aarøen is burried down the depth chart and doesn't look like making the breakthrough any time soon - will look to sell in January as he enters final 18 months In yellow, players I am likely to move on, but it's slightly more complicated: Lisandro Martínez is a good defender, with versatility to play in a back 3 or at left back in a 4. He's also 5'10", dwells on the ball and is about to hit 30. We've triggered a one-year extension on his contract that will keep him here until 2030, but that is largely because I want to keep his value high in the summer to maximise the return we can get or give us the option to keep him for a further year as a depth option Gaston Ávila has been a delightful signing. He came in for £7m, as a short-term bolster to a defensive line that was short on numbers and performed better than expected. His ceiling is low, and his contract demands of £80k-£100k are perhaps a little too high for a player of his calibre. We now have a year's worth of scouting and a decent budget to target a high end acquisition that would like replace both him and Martínez In green, young players who are not likely to play many games Kevin Smith looks to have a long-term future, but I wouldn't want to depend on him just yet Ryan Spicer might get a handful of opportunities, but is rather raw İskender Gelgeç arrives on January 1st, can cover both centre-back and defensive midfielder, but is only 18. I'd rather take it slow introducing him to first team action With all that considered, I have two areas I want to target in January Goalkeeper With Çakır's departure inevitable, this becomes a priority as our youth keepers are not good enough to be called upon. This position has been a recruitment focus since I arrived and it appears to be slim pickings. This might be in part because I baulk at the idea of paying over £60m for keeper. Nonetheless there are two players who intrigue me. Dennis Seimen already had 50 starts for Stuttgart by the time he moved to Saudi Arabia, aged 20. Such a move means he will already command high wages at a young age, but he meets the U23 signing criteria and has the potential to be a starter for a long time. Whether he would be the starter immediately, however, is a different question. Gavin Bazunu is more of a known quantity, but is still young enough to be a long-term answer. He is better than Seimen at this point, counts as homegrown in England, and, courtesy of his summer move to Bayern, has Champions League experience. That said, as he has only moved relatively recently, it is questionable whether there is sufficient appetite for a move on his part, especially given his career in England started at Man City. Centre-Back Kaique is our future, but that future isn't quite now. I would like someone who will improve on Martínez on the left side of the back 3. There are currently 3 candidates: Two familiar faces for Iniesta in Pau Torres and José Marsà. Torres is my first choice. He is the most talented of the 3, has an existing relationship with Iniesta, and can provide cover at DM. He is by far the best of all the players we have scouted in turnover differential and successful defensive actions. In fact he has consistently been at the top of most metrics for defenders since this career started. At 30, he still has another 3-4 years of being elite, and that is a nice period of time to allow Kaique to develop and earn that starting spot off him. Gvardiol is probably second choice, despite currently being marked as not for sale. Tottenham are languishing in 8th, and I believe his head can be turned. His talent is well documented and would be a good signing in terms of bringing excitement to the fans and being a player we could eventually sell on at a profit. Marsà is the sentimental choice. He was a personal favourite whilst managing Spain and is someone I know can perform the specific role I am looking for. Of course once the transfer window opens a lot can change. Whilst those two positions are a priority, I am keen to keep an eye on the market for options at DM (to eventually replace Bentancur, and relieve pressure on Rumble to step into a full-time starting role) and CM (to eventually replace an aging Christian Eriksen). I also want to have the flexibility to be reactive. Whilst I've earmarked certain players I expect to be moving on, if there are bids forthcoming on other players that might change my plans entirely. Only time will tell. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 What a result against Barcelona. They never laid a glove on your at OT. Andreas coming back to haunt the Catalans who adore him 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich ruzzian Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 I really like what you did with Madueke, playing him as a attacking wingback. Torres seems a bit overpriced according to his age. I would say go for Marsa because you know what you can expect. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 You make decent points in terms of Swedburg - if another club comes in with a good offer you obviously have to take it. I do wonder if, once he went down the pecking order, he'd be more agreeable towards taking a low salary. Still, worth moving him when he's so far down and using those funds to help buy a top player. Interesting choices at GK and CB. Bringing in Bazunu would be a nice thumbing your nose at City, but maybe an unrealistic transfer for that reason and being new at Bayern - especially if he's playing regularly. With Torres and Marsa both in a similar price range, it does make sense to bring in Torres. If Kaique is the future, you don't need to worry about longevity necessarily. The pro for Marsa is that if he is replaced in the starting lineup, he'd likely get a decent transfer fee down the road too. Interesting updates. I like how Iniesta is trying to be aware of finances even though Man U generally likes throwing money around. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 22, 2023 Author Share Posted March 22, 2023 On 21/03/2023 at 16:59, SixPointer said: What a result against Barcelona. They never laid a glove on your at OT. Andreas coming back to haunt the Catalans who adore him It was shockingly easy. It probably helps that Barca are relying on a 39-year old for their goals. Nonetheless, I was happy to see us go toe-to-toe in possession. Just look at how compact they were - 5 players average position inside the centre circle is insane. 5 hours ago, rich ruzzian said: I really like what you did with Madueke, playing him as a attacking wingback. Torres seems a bit overpriced according to his age. I would say go for Marsa because you know what you can expect. I've been delighted with how well Madueke's adjusted. With 4 players back (including the anchor) we can get away with wing-backs who offer very little defensively. That said, I'm open to improving on him if the right player becomes available. I'm secretly hoping that Alejandro Balde wants a change of scenery. 4 hours ago, 13th Man said: With Torres and Marsa both in a similar price range, it does make sense to bring in Torres. If Kaique is the future, you don't need to worry about longevity necessarily. The pro for Marsa is that if he is replaced in the starting lineup, he'd likely get a decent transfer fee down the road too. This is why Torres is my first choice. Obviously both he and Marsà were reliable for me when managing Spain, and I'd be happy with either, but Torres is just the better player, and at 30 is very much in his prime. One of the metrics I'm a big fan of is Turnover Differential, which is simply possession lost per 90 minutes subtracted from possession won per 90 minutes. It doesn't just show how good a player is at winning back the ball, but how intelligent they are with it. Torres has been one of the world's best at this throughout the career. Here he is compared to the man I hope he will replace. He makes fewer defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, clearances & blocks) and that is, in part, because he doesn't surrender possession stupidly. a 94% tackle success rate is stupendous. Of course that requires Villarreal to accept a bid, Torres to accept a contract, and me to actually play the game at some point. It might be a few days though, as I'm currently mired in some new skinning additions. Something that I'm particularly keen to do before the transfer window opens, because then I can start using the pizza chart! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 1 hour ago, GIMN said: This is why Torres is my first choice. Obviously both he and Marsà were reliable for me when managing Spain, and I'd be happy with either, but Torres is just the better player, and at 30 is very much in his prime. One of the metrics I'm a big fan of is Turnover Differential, which is simply possession lost per 90 minutes subtracted from possession won per 90 minutes. It doesn't just show how good a player is at winning back the ball, but how intelligent they are with it. Torres has been one of the world's best at this throughout the career. Well..you've just sold me with this metric now! Off to calculate... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 8 hours ago, _Ben_ said: Well..you've just sold me with this metric now! Off to calculate... I can’t keep up with you pair. I just get my head around some stats and boom use have another trend 🤣 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich ruzzian Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 I really like the way you use statistics GIMN! It is fascinating how fast you still play the game. If i dive so much in all the metrics, it really slows down my speed going trough the seasons. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 1 hour ago, rich ruzzian said: I really like the way you use statistics GIMN! It is fascinating how fast you still play the game. If i dive so much in all the metrics, it really slows down my speed going trough the seasons. I’ll second this!!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted March 27, 2023 Author Share Posted March 27, 2023 So many games. Too many, in fact. It's not the first time there's been 9 games in a month, and it certainly won't be the last. Nonetheless, even with the help of spoilers, this update would be obscenely long. So I'm going to try and be more concise. Report Cards Spoiler I genuinely forgot how good we are. This was a month with some absolutely delightful goals, that I'm not sure I can do credit to with words, so have a "Goal of the Month" compilation instead: Whilst the results have been good, the performances have been much of the same. We are utterly dominant at home, but a lot less crisp away. Whilst we still tend to have control of the ball, our passing in the final third has been inconsistent. This was probably most evident in the FA Cup game against Southampton where, despite taking an early 2-0 lead, we struggled to generate chances for the remainder of the game; often underhitting our final pass. It's something I really need to find a way to address, as the underhit pass is far more dangerous than an overhit one. An underhit pass allows the opposition to intercept in a forward motion and launch a counter before we have a chance to engage or regroup. Of course it's worth pointing out that this issue has been higlighted more this month due to 6 of our games being away from home. This included a wonderful 4-game stretch, where we travelled 2,714 miles in 9 days. It should perhaps come as no surprise that we might have been a little bit leggy. The draw against Chelsea was frustrating, but given we were arguably fortunate to win against Wolves, these things kind of even out. Fortunately for us, Liverpool were also held to a draw, meaning we maintain our slender 1 point lead at the top of the table. Güler climbs to the top of the Assists chart, whilst Endrick's goalscoring exploits have propelled him into the 6th for Average Rating. I think it is safe to say that Haaland has pretty much already wrapped up the top scorer and player of the season trophies, despite Man City being so far off the pace otherwise. Off the pitch, it was transfer window time. Within moments of the window opening, Bayer Leverkusen had tabled a £28m (up to £33.5m) bid for Williot Swedberg. He was immediately removed from the squad for upcoming games, to ensure he stays healthy. A few other bids were submitted, and in the end we agreed a fee of £31.5m, potentially rising to £45m with Hertha Berlin. Not bad for a player valued around £20-£24m. We did as we had set out to, by bidding for Pau Torres - starting with a £34m bid, the lower end of his estimated value. Villarreal weren't having it, but I was quite happy to push up to the top end of their valuation. I would have happily gone beyond that, in fact, but thankfully we didn't need to. £51m and £200k per week, and I've got my man. Reuniting with a key part of Spain's World Cup Winning defence. It's the first time in a very long while of playing FM that I've signed a "global superstar" at their peak. The fact that it meshes in nicely with the narrative of Iniesta's managerial career is an added bonus. And that was it for transfers. Kaique returned from his loan at Santos, and made his debut almost straight away. Iskender Gelgeç's pre-arranged transfer was completed. A couple of youngsters went out on loan. Uğurcan Çakır was offered out, but repeatedly turned down moves to the Championship and Ligue 1. Considering he handed in a transfer request, he's not doing a very good job at convincing me he actually plans to leave. With the arrival of Torres, Gastón Ávila was transfer listed, but we were unable to drum up any interest. A 3 month injury to Lisandro Martínez means he'll probably get some game time between now and the end of the season, so hopefully that can help to improve his market appeal. On 23/03/2023 at 06:19, SixPointer said: I can’t keep up with you pair. I just get my head around some stats and boom use have another trend 🤣 I was tempted to create a new "metric" for this thread just to mess with you. I'd even gone so far as to put together a Stacked Bar & Line Chart showing Yellow Cards and Pass Inaccuracy against Goals. Couldn't work out what nonsense to say to justify it, though 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 Fantastic form. [9 matches in one month? That's not so crazy right? Oh, okay, yes - I need to get Lindsay out of the MLS!] Good business with Swedburg out and Torres in. Great to have the guy you were looking for. Swedburg will be well remembered by the Man Utd support, but the move was correct. On another note - two MOTM awards for Hannibal??? Did you forget he was on my naughty list? On 27/03/2023 at 02:21, GIMN said: I was tempted to create a new "metric" for this thread just to mess with you. I'd even gone so far as to put together a Stacked Bar & Line Chart showing Yellow Cards and Pass Inaccuracy against Goals. Couldn't work out what nonsense to say to justify it, though A missed opportunity! You were one on one with the keeper and fluffed your lines there! Me, I would have just seen a graph and been like - wow, these guys and their stats! You should have just dropped it in, and left us pondering why it was an important stat... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted April 7, 2023 Author Share Posted April 7, 2023 Manchester United vs Aston Villa Spoiler An awful start, as Emi Buendia collected the ball in the area, took a touch then fired high in at the near post inside 2 minutes. Thankfully that was pretty much the entirety of Villa's threat. Endrick had us level 8 minutes later, poking home from close range after Arda's effort was blocked into his path. He should've already equalised, missing a guilt edged chance just minutes earlier. Had he scored that, we'd have been celebrating his hat-trick, as his low finish from an acute angle after being sent through by Kristiansen gave us the win we very much deserved. Manchester United vs Coventry City Spoiler 9 changes ahead of the FA Cup match against Championship strugglers Coventry City. Perhaps understandably, we lacked a bit of rhythm as a result, and despite a dominant performance the final scoreline was far too close for comfort. It is crazy to think that this time last season Rashford was arguably the best player in the world en route to his 50 goal season. He's looked a shadow of his former self this year, and spurned multiple good chances before he finally scored the winner, firing high and hard after being put through one on one by Mladenović. Manchester United vs Norwich City Spoiler The scorelines in the last couple of games had been far too close for comfort and I really wanted a bigger win this time around. The lads duly obliged, although it took a little longer than I would've liked. A deep and narrow Norwich defence made it difficult to find space, but when Lacroix fired home from the edge of the area after Norwich failed to fully clear a corner, the floodgates opened. Endrick poked home a rebound from another corner just 2 minutes later, before Rashford fired home a 3rd in injury time after Eriksen dropped an absolute dime of a pass over the Norwich defence for him to run onto. Job done. Brentford vs Manchester United Spoiler Just like the game before, this turned on the opening goal. Rashford firing home from an acute angle after being sent down the channels by Mladenović. 5 minutes and a rash Noa Lang challenge later and Brentford were down to 10 men. We slowed the tempo, and looked to stretch the game and got our rewards. Rashford playing in Hannibal for the second, his effort clipping the near post before nestling into the back of the net. Pablo Torre thumped home Madueke's square ball from about 12 yards out, before Rashford wrapped things up with another injury time goal, this time using his first touch to leave Veljković for dead, before racing into the box and placing it past the beleagured Juan Musso. West Ham United vs Manchester United Spoiler Iniesta's Man Utd career started with a penalty shootout victory over West Ham in the Carabao Cup after a 1-1 draw. It seems only fitting that West Ham got their revenge. As magnanimous as I try to be, this was difficult to take. We were good value for the lead when Anthony's shot from 6-yards out squirmed under Meslier, and we looked in control until the 81st minute. A twisted ankle for Vinicius Tobias, mere moments after we made our last substitution, saw us drop to 10 men and West Ham took advantage. We were able to restore our numbers for extra time with Puigmal coming on as our +1 sub. Of course he would then go on to miss the final penalty. Only 3 league games this month, and we've held up our end of the bargain. Our next fixture is a trip to Anfield - one that will surely be integral to deciding the winners of this season's Premier League! We have, arguably, the more favourable run-in, facing 2 of the bottom 4 in our final 9 games, whilst 6 of Liverpool's remaining 9 are against top half teams (including us). It should go down to the wire! General Thoughts/News Disappointed to have been knocked out of the FA Cup, but that's one less competition to deal with, and could be a blessing come the end of the season. A kind draw in the UCL, gives me hope that we can push on and hopefully make the semi-finals at the least. An injury to Lisandro Martínez couldn't have come at a better time. With Pau Torres' arrival, his role was likely to be diminished, and this gives us the opportunity to give Kaique more minutes than he may have otherwise got. Obviously I'd never wish a (virtual) injury on anyone, but it's worked out well. Talking of Pau Torres, now is a good time to show off some of the things I've been working on whilst in my self-imposed skinning purgatory: Introducing the Pizza Chart!! Torres has been absolutely incredible in possession (dark red), both winning and retaining and his 7.37 progressive passes per 90 has been absolute huge in helping us move the ball between the lines. Whilst we weren't necessarily stagnant in this regard before his arrival, his low possession lost numbers has seen us become a lot more controlled in deep areas. He doesn't get forward as much as Martínez did, and that keeps us a lot more secure, too. He's only 9 games into his Man Utd career, but already has the highest rating of all our centre-backs, despite not having received a boost from any goal contributions! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 Liverpool vs Manchester United Spoiler First blood: nobody. As a possession-focused manager, there are certain tenets that are important to how we approach the game, and these play very much into the hands of an elite pressing side like Liverpool. That said, we can possibly feel agrieved to have come away with only a point, as despite creating very few chances, they were of good quality. Rashford sat down Alisson after being put through by Hannibal, only for Van Dijk's thumping header from a corner pulled things level just before the break. Two very soft penalties in quick succession ultimately did very little to change the flow of the game. Our 1 point lead is maintained. AS Monaco vs Manchester United Spoiler With torrential rain pounding the French Riviera, there was possibly a reasonable excuse for what could only be described as an absolutely abject game of football. Neither team played well and a lot of play broke down as soon as it entered the final third. An injury time winner from Rashford was completely undeserved, but I won't complain. Fulham vs Manchester United Spoiler We are the Champions...of the Carabao Cup. Rashford got across his man to meet Sancho's drilled cross at the near post to score his 3rd goal in as many games and that was enough to see us over the proverbial finish line. After the midweek drudgery in Monte Carlo, this was a welcome tonic, as we looked confident in possession and created numerous good quality chances. Rashford should've had a hat-trick. Güler could've had a brace. That said, things might've been different if Reiss Nelson had converted early in the first half, after our defence parted like the Red Sea to allow him through on goal. Thankfully Pickford stood tall and the rest, as they say, is history. Manchester United vs AS Monaco Spoiler Make that 4 in 4 for Marcus Rashford. Our only Old Trafford game of the month saw us do what was necessary to reach the Quarter Finals of the UCL. His late winner, capitalising on a rebound after Monaco goalkeeper Caprile had spilled Hannibal's effort, helped calm the nerves after Mykolenko's 20 yard daisy cutter had given Monaco some hope. Endrick had earlier opened the scoring after outmuscling Okoli and sprinting through on goal to finish past the isolated Caprile - his 20th goal of the season. A job well done, and Bayern await us in the next round. Incidentally, this will be the first competitive tie between the two sides in 15 seasons!! Sheffield United vs Manchester United Spoiler When Richarlison opened the scoring with an unmarked header on 8 minutes, I wasn't too worried. We've come back against far better sides in the past. When half time came around and we'd only mustered 1 shot on target, however, I was a little more concerned. Mid way through the 2nd half, I was outright panicking. Some choice words came from the touchline, and it was Hannibal who eventually lit the fuse; chesting down Endrick's pass before firing calmly past Conan. Rashford joined Endrick in the 20 goal club, firing into an empty net after Sancho's header had slammed off the bar, before Kaique made things look a lot more comfortable than they truly were with a sensational effort from 20-yards that arrowed into the far top corner. Cup competitions and the return of the international break meant there were only 2 league games this month. We held position with our draw against Liverpool, who were then held to a goalless draw against Arsenal. That means our win over Sheffield United has put us three points clear, and we're even starting to close the gap in terms of goal difference. Swedberg is finally removed from the Average Ratings chart (I assume there's a minimum % of minutes played required here). General News/Thoughts Whilst the summer transfer window is still 2-3 months away, our planning continues all year round. A combination of players being available at the right time, and the board informing us of an astonishing £205m transfer budget for next season courtesy of securing UCL qualification, meant we have been able to secure some deals before the summer has even started. Bazunu and Aséko Nkili are players I've been tracking for some time - and they'll be joining for deals that could be worth up to £17.5m and £29.5m respectively. Both are fantastic value at this level for players who are likely to play a significant amount of minutes. Bazunu helps with our English-trained quota, whilst Aséko Nkili satisfies the Under 23s philosophy. Marc Guéhi is a slightly more out-of-the-blue signing. He has struggled for game time since moving to Atlético Madrid last summer for £43m. Transfer listed by request, he'll cost us £16.5m (up to a possible £25.5m depending on appearances) and will fill the gap vacated by the expiring contract of Raphaël Varane. He is nothing more than a squad option, but once again helps bolster our English-trained quota. This is an area we've struggled with, with only 7 players in the senior squad meeting the criteria for the UCL. With Bazunu and Guéhi taking the spots of Çakır and Varane, we'll be in a much stronger position next season in that respect. With these deals wrapped up now, and done for (relatively) cheap, we've got the opportunity to make a BIG signing in the summer if we see fit. We also let Kaique leave on loan back to Brazil this month. A tough decision, as I'm keen to have him in and around the senior squad, but I feel his development will be served better with regular game time that I just can't offer him at the moment. We have plenty of cover at the moment, in the form of Varane, Ávila and Gelgec (if required), so we can more than get by. Development of players like Kaique is going to be key over the next few years. Another disappointing youth intake means that we don't really have many truly homegrown talents on our books, and so we're not just needing to cast our net wide in searching for players to develop, but we're under pressure to make sure that those that we have uncovered are able to progress into first team candidates. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 Manchester United vs Southampton Spoiler With a massive game against Bayern Munich midweek, the hope was to get out to an early lead and then conserve energy. It's nice when everything works out accordingly. Hannibal opened the scorer, collecting a square pass from Rashford before absolutely leathering the ball into the top corner from about 12 yards out. Rashford then got a goal of his own, peeling back off his marker to head home Eriksen's cross from almost the same spot Hannibal scored from earlier. Tempo dropped in the second half as we set our sights on Bayern. Manchester United vs Bayern München Spoiler To call this nervy would be an understatement. The first half was tense, neither side really prepared to take risks. That might be a polite way of saying it was turgid. Things opened up in the second half, Pickford making a smart save from Werner, before Endrick spurned two excellent chances. As the game looked to be heading for a draw, Rashford did as he has done so often in recent weeks, and scored a vital late goal. Anthony's slide rule pass set him through and Rashford was able to dink the ball over the onrushing Bazunu. It didn't have enough power on it, though, so he had to chase down his own shot to pass it into the now unguarded net. Manchester United vs Manchester City Spoiler Nothing better than a derby win. Especially given how we've struggled against Man City in previous games. Baturina's 55th minute red card certainly helped, but we'd been on top up to that point. Güler's delightful ball into the channel from wide set Rashford through to fire first time, low, past Ederson. The in-form striker put the game beyond doubt with 5 minutes remaining, poking in from close range after Ederson spilled Kristiansen's cross. Bayern München vs Manchester United Spoiler I hate defending a 2-0 aggregate lead away from home. It seems to trigger an all-out-attack mentality that, when deployed by good teams, can become virtually impossible to stop. On the surface Anthony's goal - a deflected close range effort, after he got on the end of Rashford's cross - was a good thing; extending our lead and putting us in a position where we could utilise our pace on the counter attack. In reality, it lit a fire under Bayern that was difficult to contain. De Ligt's far post header bought scores level on the night, whilst Pickford made great saves from Pino, Wanner and Musiala. We scrambled to make changes to contain them, in the end matching their 4-2-2-2 with our own 4-4-2. It was, eventually, enough. The final 15 minutes or so we contained them, and what looked to be a tense ending, actually became an anticlimax. Which I am very grateful for! Newcastle United vs Manchester United Spoiler After a difficult midweek game, we made things look easy against Newcastle. Pablo Torre started things off, surging into the box before finding the top corner. Madueke met Eriksen's cut-back to sidefoot home from 12 yards out. Lacroix rose highest at a far post corner to make it 3. Trincão pulled one back when we failed to clear a corner, but it wouldn't dampen our spirits as Sancho headed home a fourth in injury time. Manchester United vs Chelsea Spoiler A perfect first leg. Rashford collected Torre's pass before driving towards goal and firing past Mendy to give us an early lead, before Sutalo doubled the lead 8 minutes later arriving late into the box to power a header home from Rashford's cross. Despite my frustrations with his finishing at points this season, Rashford is a man in scintillating form at the moment, and he wrapped things up 10 minutes into the 2nd half, pouncing on Antonio Silva's miscued clearance to poke home inside the 6 yard box. I expect an onslaught in the 2nd leg, but we're in a great position to reach the UCL final. Manchester United vs Arsenal Spoiler Arsenal came with a plan to frustrate and restrict and, for the most part, they did a good job. It became clear early on that they would be difficult to breakdown, so we looked to up the tempo and try and beat them in transition. It worked, our opening goal seeing Lacroix win back the ball, lay it off to Mladenović who immediately sent the ball long for Rashford to chase on to. He had the pace and the composure to fire past Ramsdale and put us one step closer to the title. For all their position in deep positions, Arsenal struggled to create chances. As they took more risk, the game opened up more for us, and Vinicius Tobias wrapped things up deep into injury time after playing a 1-2 with Güler then firing into the top corner. Despite their rich owners, Newcastle have been unable to reach the heights expected of them; only finishing in the Top 4 once in the last 5 seasons, and currently lingering in the bottom half of the table. Given that, it is somewhat surprising that they appear to have become kingmakers. A thrashing at our hands was certainly good for our title chances. Their subsequent 4-0 demolition of Liverpool has pretty much secured the deal. Technically, we haven't won it yet, but with only 1 point needed from our remaining 3 games, it's pretty much over. General Thoughts/News No major news or developments this month. There's been a lot of games, a few minor injuries, and some nice pleasing moments as Vincius Tobias and Josip Šutalo both scored their first goals for the club. A massive second leg against Chelsea is up next with a Champions League final against either PSG or Real Madrid the reward for the victors. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 Been a long couple of weeks waiting for updates here. I’ve now got my GIMN fix. It’s always worth the wait! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 25 minutes ago, SixPointer said: Been a long couple of weeks waiting for updates here. I’ve now got my GIMN fix. It’s always worth the wait! Got lost in the weeds with skinning. Just got resist the urge to do more, or else it'll be another 3 week break between updates 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIMN Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 Chelsea vs Manchester United Spoiler With a 3-0 lead to protect, it was very much a case of trying to maintain possessionl dominance and see out the 90 minutes. Chelsea pushed forward as expected, and whilst their were opportunities to counter, it was important that we held our shape and didn't leave space in behind by trying to pour forward ourselves. A job well done. Havertz possibly should've scored near the end of the first half, conspiring to head over when it looked easier to score, but otherwise we kept them at bay. Had that gone in, things could've been different. It didn't, and it wasn't. We face PSG in Dortmund to close out the campaign. Leicester City vs Manchester United Spoiler WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!! It didn't look like that was going to be the case, though, when Duranville slotted in from close range after Chukwueze's initial effort was kept out through a combination of Jordan Pickford and the post. We were rattled, and Leicester should've doubled their lead when Marcos Leonardo was unmarked at the far post just 5 minutes later. Pickford came to our rescue, and that perhaps was the kick up the proverbial backside that we needed. Whils we improved from that moment, it wasn't until a change to 4-4-2 at half time that we actually made the breakthrough: Anthony arriving late in the box to meet Rashford's cut back and thump the ball into the top corner. A draw would be enough to secure the title, albeit a very anticlimactic way to do so. Thankfully, the players had other ideas, and when Güler's half volley from the edge of the area crashed off the inside of the post, Anthony was there again to poke into an empty net. Leeds United vs Manchester United Spoiler The celebrations at the weekend may have lasted a little too long as this game had the hallmarks of celebratory hangover written all over. The stats showed that we were the better team, and that was true, but despite our dominance we were never fluid. Endrick and Güler had chances, the former being guilty of making a poor connection on Anthony's cross that have Gollini the opportunity to claw the effort off the line. Nonetheless, we avoided defeat to a rival, and I suppose that's not too bad given we otherwise have nothing left to play for. Manchester United vs West Bromwich Albion Spoiler The final game of the league season saw us host West Brom. Whilst we owed it to our fans to finish the campaign in style, we also owed it to the teams mired in a relegation battle to treat this game as any other. We obliged. Lacroix scored twice from Eriksen corners, the first an absolute thumping header after 6 minutes. Sancho, deployed as a false 9, raced onto Puigmal's through ball 3 minutes later to pretty much end the game as a contest. Rashford sidefooted home after a delightful turn and through ball by Hannibal to score his 28th goal of the season before Lacroix finished things off. Manchester United vs PSG Spoiler It was all going well. Lacroix scored his 3rd in 2 games midway through the first half and we looked in control. Xaver Schlager had other goals, and when he met Mbappe's cut back to the edge of the box with his left foot, there was no stopping his effort arrowing into the top corner. An absolutely astonishing goal on the biggest stage. I feel like we edged the contest, and should've won it in regular time, but Donnarumma was equal to Güler's effort. Extra time was dull. Penalties were anything but, as PSG won 5-4 after 7 penalties each. Pau Torres missed the final penalty, and that's now 3 defeats on penalties out of 5 shootouts. Something to drive us on do even better next season. Liverpool's late season stumble has made the title look easier than it was, as we eventually finish 9 points clear. Man City finish a further 9 points back, and that brings the sack for Pep Guardiola, despite winning 6 of the previous 7 titles. You'd have thought he'd have been given a little more time considering his past achievements, but the board are brutal in the other half of Manchester. 5 of our players occupy the top 10 spots for average rating, which is a pleasant surprise given how few we had in there in the early stages of the season. General Thoughts/News A thoroughly satisfying season, UCL result aside. Whilst we are good going forward, it's been our defensive performances that have been the platform for our success. We conceded more than once on only 3 occasions - to Man City and Liverpool in the league, and Liverpool once more in the Carabao Cup. By comparison, we conceded more than once on 5 occasions in the second half of last season alone. A lot of it comes down to ball retention, we don't allow our opponent to build up momentum, and we've got players in deep positions comfortable in playing through the press. This means that even when we don't play so well, we're always in with a chance of winning games. I'd like to see more goals from midfield - Güler and Pablo Torre combined for 13 goals from the mezzala spot - and we might need to consider some tactical tweaks for next season to relieve the burden on our strikeforce. The summer presents an interesting challenge, as we look to find the right pieces to take us to the next level. There is also the small matter of a European Championships to keep an eye on - can Arteta build on the foundations we set, and retain the title for Spain? 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Ben_ Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 Congratulations! All looked very easy in the end. 1 hour ago, GIMN said: The summer presents an interesting challenge, as we look to find the right pieces to take us to the next level. I'm interested to see how you go about doing this... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted April 9, 2023 Share Posted April 9, 2023 Coasted to the title in the end! Do you ever see the little magician heading to camp nou his spiritual home? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted April 9, 2023 Share Posted April 9, 2023 Crazy how far back Liverpool ended after being so close for most of the season! Congrats on the title win...brutal in the UCL. I know all to well the sting of losing on penalties. It does seem, however, that Iniesta has taken United back to the top of world football and with another summer to put his fingerprints on the club I can only imagine what will come next. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtown1414 Posted April 9, 2023 Share Posted April 9, 2023 Congrats. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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