[FM23] That One Word – Feyenoord

[slipperyjohns]

 

 

Intro

Welkom, to my first blog of Football Manager 2023. I am a long-time lurker and can’t wait to create, not consume, FM content!

This will be my first post since 2018, where I tried my hand at replicating Julian Nagelsmann's 3-1-4-2 with Hoffenheim. I plan to do a few short updates throughout the season, keeping things short, sharp and shiny.

So, why Feyenoord? Well, it runs in the family.

I recently discovered that my Great Opa (grandfather), Jan Suiker, donned the red and white for Feyenoord in his early 20s, sometime in the 1930s. Although football was not professional in Holland until 1954, the club dominated.

Feyenoord won their first Dutch Cup in 1930 by scoring the only goal in a derby final against Excelsior. They then came runners-up in the Dutch First Division in 1931, 1932 and 1933 before finally winning their third and fourth titles in 1936 and 1938 (thanks, Wikipedia).

I still don’t know if he ever graced the first team or played reserves, but it is still mighty impressive.

 

Jan Suiker (1914-2001) with Feyenoord in the 1930’s

 

A butcher by trade, Jan and his wife, Antonia Suiker, immigrated to Australia in 1960 with five children. One of which was my Oma. A couple of years later, my Mum was born. Thirty-three years later, I was born - and the rest is history! An ex-Rotterdam local, Oma tells me stories of thousands of fans in red and white marching down their street on the way to brand new De Kuip, Feyenoord’s 51,117-person capacity stadium. She says parking wasn’t a problem because no one had a car in those days.

 

Where my Oma grew up - a 15-minute walk from De Kuip Stadium

 

I’ve also started watching the Disney+ behind-the-scenes look at Feyenoord, where I nicked the title for this post. It follows the team during the 2020/21 season under Dick Advocaat, where they struggle to cope with Covid restrictions off the pitch and also struggle on it. I do recommend checking it out

 

That One Word - Feyenoord (Disney+ 2021)

Save Goals

Founded in 1908, Feyenoord is a team with a proud history and one of the most successful clubs in Dutch football. However, in recent times they have loomed in the shadow of Ajax and PSV.

My aims include the following:

• Consistently finish above Ajax

• Win the UEFA Champions League

• Have the best youth system in the Netherlands

• Produce a world-class player from the academy

• Use statistics to aid transfer decisions
   

Club information and culture

History overview. Feyenoord (white) v Ajax (yellow)

 

I will also abide by a few rules slash principles; more on these in later posts!

• Utilise a Director of Football for transfers

• Youth development focus

• Focus on the club as a whole 

• Incorporate a Feyenoord DNA

• Use statistics to guide all decisions

• Make a profit every year

 

The Manager

I used this excellent article from Merry Guido Creating Your Own Newgen Faces Using Midjourney – Strikerless to create my manager's likeness using AI.

Enter Jan Suiker - in honour of the man himself. A coach with a disciplinarian style coupled with deep technical knowledge.

The Boss

 

Game Setup

And finally, here are a few notes on my game setup.

I have loaded as many leagues as possible to produce statistically relevant data for scouting. The first transfer window is disabled for added realism.

Kits: FC 12 Kits Forum 

Faces: Cut Out Player Faces Megapack - FM23 - Football Manager 2023 

Logos: FMG Standard Logos Megapack - FM23 - Football Manager 2023 

Editor Data: FM23 Data Tweaks [v1.4 | v3.1] (updated at 18th Jan 2023) | FM Scout & FM23 Increase Realism Megapack by Daveincid | FM Scout

Skin: [FM23][SKIN] WTCS5 by Bluestillidie00 and WorkTheSpace | v1.2 Released 2023/01/18 | New Attributeless Version

 

Loaded leagues

 

Next, I will dive into a player and squad analysis to uncover the best tactic for this playing squad. I can’t wait to get stuck in!

Thanks for reading,

Chris / SlipperyJohnsFM

 

[Guest]

What a brilliant OP, will be following intently.

[rich ruzzian]

This what we call a sleeping giant in The Netherlands. 

[slipperyjohns]

Squad Overview

The squad I have inherited is a young one. An average age of 23 makes us the youngest in the Eredivisie, with plenty of room to grow. We have some players straight from the academy, a good range of personalities and no-ones contract is breaking the bank.

I aim to keep a small squad across the entire club - First Team, B Team and U18s. Preferably 5 players for every position.

This is who we start with:

Feyenoord Squad 22/23

Meet The Player's

Goalkeepers. Justin Bijlow will make this position his own. Timon Wellenreutherwill ride the pine.

Full-backs. On the right, we have the pacy Norwegian, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen. I’m hoping he will be essential to attacks down our right side and get a lot of assists. Backup is the 18-year-old Mimeirhel Benita; however, the versatile Lutsharel Geertruida is also a natural here.

On the left, Fredrik Bjørkan and Marcos López will challenge for the starting spot. Both have similar abilities, albeit in different areas. Bjørkan has an optional future fee of $3.4m that we can activate at the end of the season.

Central defenders. Gernot Trauner is our captain, leader and the first name on the team sheet. Next to him, we will have Dávid Hancko, a left-footer with a good eye for a pass. Jacob Rasmussen is our left-sided backup, but it is slim pickings from then on. Scouts - get on it!

Defensive midfielders. Quinten Timber wouldn't look out of place sitting at the base of any midfield. Behind him is the versatile Geertruida, who can play anywhere along the defence or midfield. Young Noah Naujoks is third-choice. Also looking to buy here in the summer.

Central midfielders. Orkun Kökçü and Sebastian Szymański are the most gifted of the bunch as fantastic attacking midfielders. Mats Wieffer, Mohamed Taabouni and new signing Ezequiel Bullaude will also play their parts.

Wingers. Spoilt for choice on the wings, we have Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Javairo Dilrosun, Oussama Idrissi and Patrik Wålemark. These guys will provide the unpredictable and the flair.

Strikers. Another strong area, Santiago Giménez, Danilo Pereira and Igor Paixão are all well-rounded attackers. I’m hoping one of them can hit 20 goals!

Justin Bijlow

Gernot Trauner

Marcus Holmgren Pedersen

Orkun Kökçü

Javairo Dilrosun

Santiago Giménez

 

The team has plenty of room for improvement, and a quick look at the new Experience Matrix confirms that.

 

Emerging Eredivisie champions?
 

Squad Building (The Great Culling)

As mentioned in my introductory post, I want to focus on the club as a whole and ensure the entire club is set up for success. That means releasing/selling any player who will never make the cut at Feyenoord. I am not worried about not having enough players in the youth teams, as the game creates ‘greyed out’ players to fill in any gaps on match days. I need all of my players playing as much football as possible, and ensuring their pathway is not blocked.

 

 

Contract terminated

Thank you to the brilliant SFraser post, A Guide to Developing Youngsters, for this philosophy.

Twenty-one players are shown the door immediately. This reduces our squad size from 84 to 63. It is ruthless, but I’m sure these guys will be picked up by a lower-division team in no time (whatever makes me sleep at night).

Unfortunately, the board block their departure as there is not enough transfer budget available to cover the compensation costs right now. There might be a few awkward glances in the academy hallways 

 

The squad overall is talented, albeit unproven, and should easily challenge for the top 3 places. A few key signings in the summer could push this side even higher to help us achieve our aim of Champions League glory.

Next time, we focus on choosing a tactical philosophy and applying it to Feyenoord!

 

All the best,

Chris / SlipperyJohnsFM 

[_Ben_]

A lovely start and a great connection to the team! Will follow along. 

[SixPointer]

Great write ups! I played as their city rivals last year and I loved the Rotterdam derby!

[karanhsingh]

I have soft spot for Feyenoord because they are the last club team i saw live in October. Brilliant stadium and passionate support. Good luck with this!

[slipperyjohns]

@Crazy_Ivan, @rich ruzzian, @_Ben_, @SixPointer and @karanhsingh - thank you all!

 

@SixPointer - I've just found your Sparta posts so there goes my afternoon 

[slipperyjohns]

Tactical Style

I mainly belong to the Johan Cruyff/Pep Guardiola school of thought. No matter how many tactical varieties I try, I constantly veer back to Total Football's principles. 

 

 

Quote

 

“Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.”

— Johan Cruyff.

 

However, knowing very little about the squad, I decided to use a more systematic approach to selecting my philosophy. The idea is that I can determine the tactical style that my player's attributes are most suited to using a weighted metric.

1. Choose 25 players

2. Export all attributes to Excel

3. Identify crucial attributes related to preset tactical styles

4. Use averages to calculate a weighted score

5. Choose the best style and set up the team in-game!

Selected key attributes

The results

 

Turns out, a high-pressing tiki-taka style suits the team after all. Music to my ears!

Total Football is a collective, free-flowing, attacking style made famous by Ajax and Holland in the ’70s. All players have the technical ability to contribute to all phases of play. Attackers must be able to defend, and defenders must be able to attack, with players relying on their reading of the game and each other's movement to shift in and out of each phase at the right moment.

It aims to make the pitch as small as possible without the ball and as wide as possible with the ball. Players would be spread relatively evenly across the pitch to create passing triangles everywhere. Otherwise known as  Juego de Posición. Naturally, this is best suited to a 4-3-3, which looks like a 2-3-5 or 3-2-5 in attack. 

 

 Juego de Posición

 

In possession

I always want my team to be able to play out of defence when possible to avoid conceding cheap possession. 

Most of the team will be advised to use much shorter passing, with only some given license to take more risks. Combined with a slightly lower tempo, we will look to control the game. When the right opportunity arrives, I will ask players to pass into space rather than to feet to utilise some of the lighting pace we have upfront. The team will also be instructed to stay fairly wide to play in a more expansive manner.

I have nothing set for the Final Third, as I want my players to be able to pick the best option in any given circumstance - so do not tell them to work it in or take a long shot. They will make a choice depending on their skill, mentality and traits.

To avoid playing like Spain in the 2022 World Cup and passing teams to death with no outcome - I’ve asked the players to be more expressive to use their flair and vision.

 

In transition

As alluded to earlier, to make the pitch small, we will counter-press as soon as the ball is lost to win it back immediately. Once won, we look to hold our shape, patiently waiting for the right opportunity to not give the ball back straight away.

When the goalkeeper is in possession, he will look to distribute quickly to the centre-backs or full-backs by taking short kicks.

 

Out of possession

I take these instructions straight from the ‘Gegenpress’ tactical style, only adding a couple to fine-tune it.

I want a much higher defensive line coupled with a high press to win the ball high while keeping the lines compact. As our centre-backs aren't the quickest, we drop off when the opposition has space and could hit a long ball.

We trigger press much more often while getting stuck in (tactical fouling) and prevent the goalkeeper from playing short.

Putting it all together; the default tactic. 

 

 

Analysis

I’ve aimed for a flexible tactic, hence the number of personalised roles you can see. Apparently, the AI in this year's game adjusts to your tactics quickly.

To pick my starting lineup, I will judge the player profile. This will determine whether they will be an inside forward, a winger that hugs the touchline, a full back that inverts or a midfielder that surges forward beyond the striker - all game by game.

I’m highlighting inverted wing-back Marcos López as a key player in this system when he plays. He a great passer, quick and can dribble (only his vision lets him down). As an Arsenal fan, I am amazed at what Zinchenko is doing for us this season and inspired by Guardiola's use of fullbacks in the modern game. 

This article brilliantly explains Man City’s movement - How Manchester City’s Asymmetrical Approach to Chance Creation is Systematic and Similar - Analytics FC.

Dilrosuns plays wide left, where his direct dribbling threat draws players to him. At the same time, Symanski’s underlapping runs opens the half-space for Lopez - who has all the time in the world to pick out a pass or cross. 

I’ve played the first couple of games and like what I see so far.

MOTM

Team Heat Map (everything goes through Lopez)

 

Side note

In the summer of 1983, Ajax legend Johan Cruyff was cast aside by the Dutch giants and not given a new contract. So, what did Cruyff do? He joined Feyenoord for one glorious season and only won the league and cup double before retiring as an all-time great. 

Is playing total football in the same league as Ajax a smart idea? Probably not. Only time will tell if we can beat Ajax at their own game!

When the Ajax legend crossed the divide

Edited January 29, 2023 by slipperyjohns

[Guest]

Really enjoying this especially the tactical setup and explanation.

[SixPointer]

Fantastic tactical write up. I played a total football style last season when at Sparta Rotterdam then Ajax.

The IWB roles are so good for the style of play in-fact operated with two and a anchors with two AMC’s on one of my system uses and the combos between the four players in the half spaces was fantastic.

I really like your thinking behind player type will decided your attacking roles. I find a lot of us forget that’s how managers change games. For instance Grealish and foden are two different types of players and while they do what pep asks of them naturally they offer something different when it comes to the finer details and moments of there own game. I have tried something similar with having one more defensive minded wing back and one more attacking minded for when I come up against certain players or styles.

i feel you could be similar to which side inverted. Say you went and got one lwb that likes go down the line and one who comes inside (Lopez perfect) and the same on the right side with two options. You could flip the system very easy to stop play being predictable.

Great start and it’s i love your tactical depth 

[13th Man]

Great write up so far and like the family connection element as well! Have found that finding an emotional connection really deepens a save.

Love the tactical write up as well. I tried an old school version of total football in my previous save that had a 5-3-2 shape (more of a fluid 3-4-3 in practice) , focusing on the fluid movement and the “make the pitch small when you don’t have the ball and large when you have the ball”. You have a more modern version here. I especially like the IWB/W(a)/Mez combo on the left. The W(a)/Mez combo is one I’ve used in the past with the right players, but I like the idea of the IWB in the mix too.

 

[slipperyjohns]

On 29/01/2023 at 23:59, SixPointer said:

I really like your thinking behind player type will decided your attacking roles. I find a lot of us forget that’s how managers change games. For instance Grealish and foden are two different types of players and while they do what pep asks of them naturally they offer something different when it comes to the finer details and moments of there own game. I have tried something similar with having one more defensive minded wing back and one more attacking minded for when I come up against certain players or styles.

i feel you could be similar to which side inverted. Say you went and got one lwb that likes go down the line and one who comes inside (Lopez perfect) and the same on the right side with two options. You could flip the system very easy to stop play being predictable

Agreed @SixPointer. I like the idea of maximising a players strengths rather than shoe horning them into a certain tactical style I'm trying to re-create. Which I am guilty of nearly every save!

Yes, I like to make Pederson an IWB-A and make RW stay wider from time to time as well. Mix things up a bit.

On 30/01/2023 at 02:31, 13th Man said:

Great write up so far and like the family connection element as well! Have found that finding an emotional connection really deepens a save.

Love the tactical write up as well. I tried an old school version of total football in my previous save that had a 5-3-2 shape (more of a fluid 3-4-3 in practice) , focusing on the fluid movement and the “make the pitch small when you don’t have the ball and large when you have the ball”. You have a more modern version here. I especially like the IWB/W(a)/Mez combo on the left. The W(a)/Mez combo is one I’ve used in the past with the right players, but I like the idea of the IWB in the mix too.

I would love to make a 3-4-3 with the classic midfield diamond. This @Ö-zil to the Arsenal! post is an all-time great. Unfortunately I think it would struggle too much on the counter with pacy wingers. Would love to try it with Wide Centre-Backs though!

[slipperyjohns]

Fun little side story 

Robin Van Persie is with us coaching his son, Shaqueel Van Persie, who has the potential to be one of the best players at the club. Developing really well too.

Nothing like some healthy nepotism to motivate the team!

I just hope he gets taller than 5"2!

Edited February 10, 2023 by slipperyjohns

[karanhsingh]

Is Shaqueel in the game?

[slipperyjohns]

19 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Is Shaqueel in the game?

I just checked and he's actually part of the wonderkid pack I added here: https://www.fmscout.com/a-fm23-data-tweaks-by-sirtavares.html

[nielsvg99]

Awesome set up to the story so far! Could you share the excel sheet you used to look for the best tactical style for your team?

[13th Man]

On 01/02/2023 at 00:57, slipperyjohns said:

I would love to make a 3-4-3 with the classic midfield diamond. This @Ö-zil to the Arsenal! post is an all-time great. Unfortunately I think it would struggle too much on the counter with pacy wingers. Would love to try it with Wide Centre-Backs though!

I went a bit of a different route than the midfield diamond, using the roles to create what I wanted.  Here's a screenshot of the final tactic - wide CMs were either MEZ or BBM and CM(a) depending.  It was quite defensively solid, and while the winger issue was sometimes a bit of an Achilles heel, the midfielders provided good cover on the flanks for the most part

Like the son/father angle in the side!

[slipperyjohns]

On 02/02/2023 at 02:30, nielsvg99 said:

Awesome set up to the story so far! Could you share the excel sheet you used to look for the best tactical style for your team?

Here you go. I used FM Stag’s Custom Views Megapack for FM23 all attribute view so if you export from there and copy paste over my values - you should be alright!

On 04/02/2023 at 16:01, 13th Man said:

I went a bit of a different route than the midfield diamond, using the roles to create what I wanted.  Here's a screenshot of the final tactic - wide CMs were either MEZ or BBM and CM(a) depending.  It was quite defensively solid, and while the winger issue was sometimes a bit of an Achilles heel, the midfielders provided good cover on the flanks for the most part

Like the son/father angle in the side!

Love it. Those roles in possession wouldn't be too far off the diamond.

Tactical Styles.xlsx

[Blarney]

Brilliant intro and fantastic read so far.

[slipperyjohns]

IN GAME: FEBRUARY 2023

I suppose it's time for an actual update!

Thought I'd try something different for Pre-Season so I followed the below guide from Daniel Gear. It worked an absolute treat and by the end of it, all players were fit and sharp.

How to approach Preseason training on FM23 - View From The Touchline

 

Pre-Season

2022

Onto the season itself, our start has been largely uninspiring. We would absolutely pass teams to death, averaging over 70% possession but rarely scoring more than 1 goal! We were falling into the trap of passing for the sake of passing with no real outcome. I think the tactic absolutely dominates games, but it relies heavily on the attackers taking their chances - and that just wasn't happening. All my main strikers are under performing their non-penalty xG

.

It actually doesn't look so bad now - due to a recent tactical switch!

 

We lost our first game 2 and half months into the season away at AZ who played us off the park. Overall not a terrible start, but had us firmly in 3rd place behind league leaders Ajax and PSV.

 

5 draws in my first 10 games in charge 

 

Europa League: More draws

 

Top of the (expected goals underperformance) league!

 

2023

Transfer Window

As a general rule I don’t like making signings in January, so we secure the rights to Oscar Gloukh (€4m) who was sent back on loan and will join us for season 2. We also bring in experienced midfielder Pedro Obiang on loan as backup in the DM position.

 

Potential

 

Experience

 

Bids from Premier League clubs were rejected for pacy right-back Pederson as they did not meet our valuation. Somehow, this didn’t settle the player!

A new shortlist and recruitment focus is set up for a complete wing back with similar statistics, as I have the feeling he won't stick around too much longer.

Of all full-backs who have played 1000 minutes or more in Eredivisie, Pederson has the highest:

• Expected Assists per 90 (0.31)
• Open Play Key Passes per 90 (1.79)
• Chances Created per 90  (0.73)
• Progressive Passes per 90 (6.42)
• Crosses Completed per 90  (1.01)

 

Outlier

I'm aware this update has gone on for too long now, so I'll finish with our latest Eredivisie results and the league table as it stands.

 

 

Keen observers will note the switch to a 4-2-4. Let's just say a bit of Jogo Bonito has made its way to Rotterdam..

See you next time!

Edited February 6, 2023 by slipperyjohns

[SixPointer]

Turned a corner it would appear. How does the 424 see you shape up?

[Guest]

Wasn't surprised at your lack of goals with your first tactic albeit I think it could have been made more potent. This version of FM has definitely made finding the sweet spot between posseion and penetration in order to score goals far narrower which I think is great. Happy your new tactic is working however.

[Deisler26]

What an excellent thread so far! My preferred club lie to the East, but I hope that you do very well with this!

[slipperyjohns]

IN GAME: JUNE 2023

Season 1 Review

Tactic

This is how we setup for the second half of the season. A 4-2-4 setup inspired by the great Brazil team of 1970, with 5 'Number 10's'. Plenty has been written before so I won't delve too much into the roles and setup. Essentially it's an attacking pass and move system, focusing less on keeping the ball and more on scoring beautiful goals. The squad have a high level of technique, first touch, vision and flair so I thought why not!

 

Jogo Bonito

The Five Number 10's

 

Search for the new Pelé is on!

 

Anyway, the results were great. My Analysts suggest I went from creating a clear cut chance every 95 minutes, to every 70 minutes. My maths say we went from scoring 1.1 Goals per game to 1.6 (and I'm sure the xG would have been much higher). The best part was I didn't have to see my team pass the ball side to side and watch boring draws anymore.

Eredivisie

Unfortunately, we couldn't break into the top two but finished in a respectable 3rd in Eredivisie. Ajax comfortably won the league, only losing to us and FC Emmen. Ajax have a wage bill almost 4 times the size of Feyenoord, meaning we need to work smarter in the transfer market to try and break their dominance (or hope they have a dud season like they are in real life). Our Rotterdam rivals Sparta were relegated, sorry @SixPointer, as might RKC Waalwijk via the playoffs, sorry @Deisler26!

 

TOTO KNVB Beker

We won the whole bloody thing! To be honest, it was a bit... easy?

       

UEFA Europa League

A great showing saw Feyenoord defeat Trabzon Spor Kulübü, Real Sociedad de Fútbol and S.S.C. Napoli before eventually losing out to Rangers FC in the Semi-Final.

 

 

Goals

Let's take a look at the save goals again:

• Consistently finish above Ajax: F - for obvious reasons
• Win the UEFA Champions League: F - we're not in it yet, but were good enough in the Europa League to show we have what it takes
• Have the best youth system in the Netherlands: B+ - we're now on par with Ajax, after the board agreed to upgrade our Youth Recruitment during the season

• Produce a world-class player from the academy: C - a couple of players caught the eye in our first Youth Intake, Belarmino Jacinto (what a name by the way), and Ton Hoefnagels, but they're going to need a lot of fine-tuning to make the cut

• Use statistics to aid transfer decisions: D - we haven't made waves in the transfer window yet, but with a small budget of $9m, and four of our key players 'Wanted', I'll be dipping into the numbers soon!

   

 

Lastly, some other highlights:

Feyenoord Best Eleven 22/23

Awards ceremony

General Performance

Goal of the Season | Oussama Idrissi

A 20 goal swing!

In summary, it was a tale of what could have been. Forwards that could not put the ball into the back of not the net proved to be my downfall. A mid-season tactical switch steadied the ship but ultimately was not enough. Next season, if we can 'revert to the mean' and perform as well as the underlying numbers suggest, I fancy us to take Ajax all the way. 

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by slipperyjohns

[slipperyjohns]

On 08/02/2023 at 03:36, Crazy_Ivan said:

Wasn't surprised at your lack of goals with your first tactic albeit I think it could have been made more potent. This version of FM has definitely made finding the sweet spot between posseion and penetration in order to score goals far narrower which I think is great. Happy your new tactic is working however.

I would love to go back to it at some point, I'm sure I lost patience and didn't stick with it long enough. It's still my backup tactic if I want to suffocate the game and just keep the ball!

Do you have any ideas on how to make it more offensive? I assume sacrifice some of the much shorter passing. I also had 65% of my outfielders score under their expected goals tally this season which seriously contributed to the lack of goals. Maybe I'm blaming the tactic, when it should be the players? 

'Shoot Less Often' PI and 'Work Ball into the Box' TI might help with this... 

[Guest]

On 10/02/2023 at 12:50, slipperyjohns said:

I would love to go back to it at some point, I'm sure I lost patience and didn't stick with it long enough. It's still my backup tactic if I want to suffocate the game and just keep the ball!

Do you have any ideas on how to make it more offensive? I assume sacrifice some of the much shorter passing. I also had 65% of my outfielders score under their expected goals tally this season which seriously contributed to the lack of goals. Maybe I'm blaming the tactic, when it should be the players? 

'Shoot Less Often' PI and 'Work Ball into the Box' TI might help with this... 

Your tactic and my tactic combined.

It's just one game and against a relegation team but im very confident it will play well against better teams especially considering im fairly new in to a new save so the cohesion is still poor which obviously will improve. I'm also playing with inherited players I wouldn't use because they don't particularly suit what I want like Correa, Paulista, Castilejo and Kluivert. These guys don't have the mentals I want in my teams so it's not a bad start at all.

You can see that they created quality chances(no penalties) despite the high number of shots and dominated possession. Playing narrower had no effect on stretching the opposition defence and creating channels to play in to. They got a red in injury time in first half but we were already up by two goals with 2.6 xg and 67% possesion. There are PIs on some players.

No pass in to space required because  the verticality in my tactic and this hybrid is excellent, it just requires the right players to carry out which is why I value mentals so much, it does require a well rounded striker which I believe you said you had.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Crazy_Ivan

[Lira95]

hace 6 horas, Crazy_Ivan dijo:

Your tactic and my tactic combined.

It's just one game and against a relegation team but im very confident it will play well against better teams especially considering im fairly new in to a new save so the cohesion is still poor which obviously will improve. I'm also playing with inherited players I wouldn't use because they don't particularly suit what I want like Correa, Paulista, Castilejo and Kluivert. These guys don't have the mentals I want in my teams so it's not a bad start at all.

You can see that they created quality chances(no penalties) despite the high number of shots and dominated possession. Playing narrower had no effect on stretching the opposition defence and creating channels to play in to. They got a red in injury time in first half but we were already up by two goals with 2.6 xg and 67% possesion. There are PIs on some players.

No pass in to space required because  the verticality in my tactic and this hybrid is excellent, it just requires the right players to carry out which is why I value mentals so much, it does require a well rounded striker which I believe you said you had.

Nice one! What are your PIs?

[Guest]

17 hours ago, Lira95 said:

Nice one! What are your PIs?

Ive PMed you the download as I am acutely aware I don't want derail what is a great thread.

[slipperyjohns]

On 11/02/2023 at 18:55, Crazy_Ivan said:

Your tactic and my tactic combined.

It's just one game and against a relegation team but im very confident it will play well against better teams especially considering im fairly new in to a new save so the cohesion is still poor which obviously will improve. I'm also playing with inherited players I wouldn't use because they don't particularly suit what I want like Correa, Paulista, Castilejo and Kluivert. These guys don't have the mentals I want in my teams so it's not a bad start at all.

You can see that they created quality chances(no penalties) despite the high number of shots and dominated possession. Playing narrower had no effect on stretching the opposition defence and creating channels to play in to. They got a red in injury time in first half but we were already up by two goals with 2.6 xg and 67% possesion. There are PIs on some players.

No pass in to space required because  the verticality in my tactic and this hybrid is excellent, it just requires the right players to carry out which is why I value mentals so much, it does require a well rounded striker which I believe you said you had.

Thanks mate this looks great. I'm in two minds about which way to go tactically for Season 2; you may have inspired me to give total football another crack.

By all means, de-rail this thread so I can see those PIs too! 

These are my current striker options:

Santiago Giménez and  Danilo Pereira are well rounded enough to lead the line.  Igor Paixão is more of a diminutive winger.

 

[13th Man]

Good first season overall.  3rd seems a very solid foundation.

I like the switch from the very possession heavy 4-3-3 to the 4-2-4.  The former just doesn't have the penetration - but is great for smothering the opposition with possession as you mention - but the 4-2-4 is nicely ballanced and seemed to really open things up for you!

[PassionOfCruyff]

I'm really enjoying this so far. What a great story with the family links of your great opa! 3rd place is a great place to build from and I'm looking forward to seeing what Gloukh adds to your side he's some prospect in real life!

Plus one for a return to sexy Dutch total football, please. 

[SixPointer]

Solid start to life in Rotterdam. Delivery a trophy and establishing an attacking style of play. Keep up the good work 

[Guest]

On 13/02/2023 at 11:59, slipperyjohns said:

Thanks mate this looks great. I'm in two minds about which way to go tactically for Season 2; you may have inspired me to give total football another crack.

By all means, de-rail this thread so I can see those PIs too! 

These are my current striker options:

Santiago Giménez and  Danilo Pereira are well rounded enough to lead the line.  Igor Paixão is more of a diminutive winger.

 

It's still a work in progress but I had a very good 2nd game with it against a press heavy and possession orientated team in Villareal. I will take it to a private DM with you if that's ok and send you what I have but after reviewing the entire game I had to quickly share one of the disallowed goals we had which I think shows that whilst there is a lot of possession there is also a lot of verticality too. This disallowed goal started from our goalie and  went through 9 of our players who were involved in total as we played through their press . Apologies for how ridiculously crude this clip is but I am in a rush to get to a meeting.

https://imgur.com/a/CDrv60J

[Skywalk3r83]

On 11/02/2023 at 15:57, Lira95 said:

Nice one! What are your PIs?

Would love to test this too with my 3rd season Ajax squad. Bit bored with my gegenpress tactic.

[Fantasista10]

Really enjoyed reading this, fantastic stuff - especially the positional play content. But kudos to you for switching it up and creating an equally exciting 4-2-4!

As an Arsenal fan myself, and a long time admirer of Pep, I can't go stop myself from trying to emulate some form of JDP in FM. Even if I can't get it to work, I always find myself going back and trying again! Would be interested to see if you go back to the positional play tactic and what tweaks you would make. 

I also like the look of @Crazy_Ivan's tactic and have began testing it with Nice in Ligue 1 as a 'throwaway' save, Nicolas Pepe is a bit of a cheat code as the IW haha. Sorry to ask as I know you did not want to detract from the thread but I would also like to know what PIs were used? I typically try and keep them to a minimum but they can be really important when trying to create a specific style or pattern of play. For example, I like giving BPDs the 'Dribble More' instruction as it works really well to break lines (there's a great video from Rashidi/Bust The Net on this). 

I've found FM23 a little challenging in terms of finding the right balance between what works in the match engine whilst trying to create a realistic replication of an Arteta or Pep system for example, there are always compromises to be made but it's the wide players that are key - holding the width in build up and then attacking the box in the final third. The Winger role has been tweaked to hold width better but is rarely a threat in the box and the IW or IF are far too narrow in build up (they do go wide at times but not consistent enough). 

[slipperyjohns]

Season 2

In Season 1, we laid the foundations for a title charge where I learnt more about the squad, developed the players and upgraded our facilities. In 23/24 I will look to push Ajax all the way.

No fewer than six loans are ending, key ones being Jacob Rasmussen 20 (13) apps, Oussama Idrissi 23 (17), and Sebastian Szymański 43 (3). We would have liked to keep Symanski and Rasmussen, but they wanted higher wages than we could afford, so they were sent back to Dynamo Moscow and Fiorentina, respectively. This clearly leaves a big attacking midfielder-shaped hole in the squad.

Loan deals set to expire

First on the agenda is identifying and addressing our weaknesses. According to ‘The Numbers Game’ by Christopher Anderson and David Sally, football is a ‘weakest-link’ sport; improving the team's weakest link has a more significant effect on results than buying the next best striker.

A weak link could take many forms. It could be an area of the pitch you concede the most goals in, a position severely lacking depth, or a starting player putting up poor statistics.

Taking a look at our squad depth after all loans have ended, it’s clear to see some issues:

Squad Depth - Before

Needs:

• Attacking Midfielder that can play #8 or #10
• 2 x Backup Centre-Backs
• Defensive Midfielder
• Backup GK

I also checked where we conceded most of our goals, and the results are damning for our prodigy inverted wing-back, Marcos Lopez. 13 of 38 assists are from his side meaning he is not closing down enough, or giving the ball away too cheaply. Maybe a more defensively-minded player with better mentals is required here?

 

The Transfer Window

It was a busy time, with nine incomings and seven outgoings - so strap in!

In 

Afonso Taira | Free

Taira joins on a free transfer from Portuguese side Casa Pia on a pittance, €2k per week. He has fantastic mentals and defensive attributes to be a solid backup for a couple of years; and is a substantial upgrade on Obiang.

 

Malcolm Barcola | €350k from Tuzla City

I needed a backup that would be happy playing a bit part on low wages. Although he stands at a mighty 6”6 tall, he will play mainly for Jong Feyenoord. Now onto the exciting ones!

 

Luka Sučić | €8m from Red Bull Salzburg

A classic FM wonderkid who fills the attacking void that Symanski left. He’s a fantastic all-rounder who can dribble with pace, find a pass and hopefully add 10+ goals from midfield. He would only sign with an $18m release clause, so I can't get too attached to him 🙁

 

Matteo Lovato | €7.5m from Salernitana

I was looking for a backup but could not resist Lovato. Twenty-three, a consistent performer, good in the air, strong and loves big matches. He is now the clubs highest earner on €25k per week and has big expectations, potentially displacing Hancko in the starting XI.

 

Keven Schlotterbeck | €3.5m from Freiburg

Keven comes is an imposing, left-footed centre-back who adds defensive solidity. We only scored twice from corners last year, and I hope to improve on that with our added height.

 

Bertrand Traoré | Free

I have my Director of Football, Joris Mathijsen, to initiate signings for the first team. On Deadline Day he offered a contract to Traore, and I couldn’t fault the move! The former Aston Villa player never lived up to the promise he showed early in his career, but I’ve given him another shot in Eredivisie to prove the doubters wrong. 

 

Erwin Mulder | €1m from Go Ahead Eagles

Predicted 14th, Go Ahead Eagles pulled off a stunning 4th place last year. Mulder was a significant part of that. He kept 21 clean sheets and only conceded 23 goals, both a league-high. To top it off, he’s also a Feyenoord academy graduate from 2006. You may be wondering why I signed another goalkeeper? Well…

 

Darío Sarmiento | On loan from Manchester City

A backup winger trained in the Pep philosophy, he will provide some spark off the bench. Man City were happy to pay all of Dario's wages too.

 

And last but not least -

Finding a new Right-Back

On the 20th of July, 2023, Hertha Berlin met the €11.5m release clause of Marcus Holmgren Pedersen.

Goodnight, sweet prince

As mentioned in previous posts, Marcus is the best full-back in the league in terms of his creative output. Let’s look at the numbers we need to replace:

It’s worth noting Mimeirhel Benita produces very similar stats; however, he is still only 19, and I’m not sure he is ready to take on the position full-time. I chuck in our search conditions and away we go:

This finds me 11 players interested in joining Feyenoord,  and I set my scouts to work:

Let's cross a few off. My number one target, Sugawara, recently signed a new deal with AZ, so he has no interest in joining. Doka, Seaman and Konstantin play at a level way below Eredivisie. Blas joins a Division 3 Spanish side to join the others in the bin.

The Scout reports return and tell me that Bustos and Van Rooij are only decent Eredivisie players and to only sign them as a last resort.

This leaves me with the following:

And in order of priority:

1. Malo Gusto
2. Nathan
3. Carlens Arcus

Lyon wanted a deal worth €22m for Gusto, something we just can’t afford with our remaining budget of €6m. The board rejected my request for funds to sign the player, so we moved on.

Our Nathan bid and a 5-year contract were accepted. Then the bloody inbox item ‘Not enough funds to complete transfer’ hit. He wanted a signing-on fee that tipped the deal over the edge to unaffordable.

Annoyed, I moved on to our last local option, Arcus. Exporting some key stats I compared his radar to Pederson, and it’s clear to see why he is third-choice.

 

Marcus Holmsted Pederson: Feyenoord 22/23 vs Carlens Arcus: Vitesse 22/23

Arcus puts up better numbers for Dribbles per 90, Sprints per 90 and Headers Won %, but is evidently lacking in the creative department. I’m hedging my bets that his numbers will improve in a more possession-dominant side with higher ability players around him.

Carlens Arcus | €3.5m from Vitesse

My first purely stats-based signing. I’m hoping he can outperform his attributes and coach's judgement!  #WelcomeArcus

 

Out

Justin Bijlow | €25m to Brighton

The reason Mulder was brought in. On Deadline Day, Brighton offered €25m for Bijlow, a proposal that Justin could not refuse. His agent said he was extremely interested in joining the Premier League outfit. Who am I to stand in his way? The board, supporters, and probably everyone in Rotterdam were saddened to see a homegrown Feyenoord supporter leave the club.

 

Marcus Holmgren Pedersen | €11.5m to Hertha Berlin

As mentioned, the best fullback in the league departs.

 

Igor Paixão | Loan to Freiburg

Not good enough as a striker and with better options on the wing, Igor is loaned out to increase his transfer value ready to sell.

 

Mats Wieffer | Loan to Vitesse

Similar story here, with no future in the first team we loan him to see out the end of his contract.

 

A few Jong Feyenoord players are loaned out to gain valuable first-team minutes, and then the window closes. Phew.

As for the left-back issue, I decided to solve it internally. Lutsharel Geertruida is making remarkable development and can literally play anywhere in defence and midfield. He may offer a little less going forward but will lock down that area. Remind me to check the conceded assists number at the end of season 2.

Geertruida vs Lopez | Attributes

In other transfer activities, many big names left the Eredivisie, making our lives a little easier:

Squad Depth - After

To end the update, we celebrate a hard-fought win on penalties over Ajax in the Johan Cruijff Schaal. The bragging rights stay in Rotterdam!

 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by slipperyjohns

[SixPointer]

Solid transfer window! Always a shame to see homegrown stars leave but I feel both Justin and Marcus deals represent a good aspect of realism!

[Lira95]

I decided to star a save with Feyenoord using a tactic based on Spalletti's Napoli. I'm really enjoying so far

[Lira95]

Kinda similar passmaps

[slipperyjohns]

@Lira95 - I like that a lot! Minimal team instructions 

Is this on the new Winter Update? I'd love to see how Wieffer and Hartman (left-back) look. They both got called up to the Dutch national team recently IRL but in-game they are very average.

Edited March 12, 2023 by slipperyjohns

[slipperyjohns]

Small update from me:

It's February 2024, and I've reverted back to the more attacking total football 433 and things are looking better. Just look how Danilo Pereira is scoring!

Luka Sučić is doing exactly what I signed him for and adding goals and assists from midfield. It also helps that Mateo Lovato is deadly from corners.

However, we still can't topple the Ajax machine. Even when our players are dominating the player stats...

Lastly, a general squad update:

(I know, my stats-based signing Arcus isn't really working out )

Now this would be a statement signing...

 

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by slipperyjohns

[ZeroSens]

Where is Santi!!!?

[slipperyjohns]

2 hours ago, ZeroSens said:

Where is Santi!!!?

Oh - you noticed 

Cruz Azul bid €15m for him and he wanted to go back home to Mexico. He wasn't starting due to Danilo's form so I thought I would cash in.

I had wonderkid Muharem Huskovic lined up from Austria Vienna, so I begin a new striker project..