Slipky

Appreciate that! Also sent you a PM regarding the skin since I don't want to derail the topic further.

I do, yes. I kind of over-progressed and completely forgot updating here. If you guys are still interested, I could write a general summary and go on from there?

A second-place finish is rather impressive and surely a great achievement. I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for your team. It looks like you're steadily improving, and I'd be optimistic if I were you. Tactically - Do you plan on changing the tactic to a more relationist approach? Or the issue was the lack of a 'cutting-edge' player to give you the edge over Dortmund? I recently started a new save, building Esteban Granero's Marbella from the ground up, with a focus on youth development but without it being youth-only, so I'm taking a lot from this thread regarding scouting and development, it's been a huge help - So thank you for that! I plan to eventually post that one here on the forums but I'm going to see that I actually enjoy the save first. Groningen was too enjoyable and before I knew it, I was 3 seasons in with no way of actually summing up the progress I made. BTW - A great squad view there! I might do a similar one myself.

Would be perfectly fine, assuming I can just incorporate the panel into my modified skin. Appreciate it, man!

Lovely update as usual, @_Ben_! As for relationism: Prime European examples are Henrik Rydstrom's Malmo FF (another example here) and the wonderful The Mutants article on Medium, also by Jamie Hamilton, which goes over relationism and hybrid relationism examples in Europe. I'm glad to be any influence on this save and would be VERY CURIOUS to hear your ideas and approach to relationism in FM. I know I'm still tinkering with it myself, personally. Still waiting for a possible skin release with the DNA bar, even if I have to configure it on a per-save basis :P

Sounds like relationism-oriented approach to me. Should be interesting seeing you taking that approach should you go down that path. Closely following, as usual.

Nothing to be sorry for. Thanks for addressing it!

Weirdly enough, the 'Create New Tactic' button isn't working for me. Tried switching skins between my modded skin and the original, couldn't press button on neither of them. FYI, @_Ben_

The DNA match bar is a fantastic addition to the skin. Would love to have that as well, but I reckon that's a private feature? Either way, brilliant update as usual, Ben.

Just can't let go of this. How efficient is this so far? How did you calculate the efficiency?

I like the analytical angle you have on transfers. It's a great read and honestly it pushes me to try and do the same thing. Just a quick question that ties into this - How is the difference between a striker with 16 finishing with 40% conversion rate and a striker with 13 finishing and a 66% conversion rate comes into play? For the discussion, let's assume both are playing in mid-table teams. How deep do you go into analyzing a player when making such calls? I'm genuinely curious.

Quick question - How'd you managed to fix the XSV% and SV%? It seems broken in my game

Isn't the AM-A and the DLF-S stepping on each other's feet when positioned like this? Also, is there any logic behind using two playmakers?

Now I could use the same for staff, would appreciate knowing what do I need to change.

Is there a specific file I should be looking into? EDIT: Found it myself. Player attributes panel xml and player attributes tactics panel so far.

Hey Ben, is there any way I can remove the attribute background and return to colored attributes without harming the skin's functionality?

Is there any way I can give the skin a darker color scheme? Is that a possibility?

I love a versatile squad like that. Every player capable of playing 3+ positions is a gem to be kept. Very solid update as usual, loving the depth!

Amazing as always, Ben. Pretty analytical and well documented - I love it! Closely following, can't wait for more! Really looks like the Bochum move reignited the save with some much needed fuel.

Thanks for the reply, Ben! Thanks! Ever since Shopov's arrival he's been used primarily as a sub. He's very limited and doesn't contribute a whole lot. --- With that being said, a new update is being written. I'll keep you all updated!

Great angle going into Germany like that. Got a soft spot for Bochum, had a super fun save with them on FM22. Good luck!

TRANSFERS ANALYSIS - MID SEASON MINI UPDATE It's mid-season in Groningen, and things are looking... Rather bleak. We're sitting second in the league, way behind Cambuur who managed to rack an impressive forty-five points, ten points more than we managed to achieve, this, of course, is attributed to both our mediocre offense, and our leaky defense. I've dug into the scouting package and sent my scouts far and wide - Before managing to find two Bulgarian gems, from both sides of the Sofia derby, to strengthen our struggling offensive line - One will be positioned into the Trequartista role, and the other, into the Shadow Striker role. STANISLAV SHOPOV, 21, AM(R,C)/M(C) Enter Stanislav Shopov. Our new creator in the AMC strata. Impressive chance creation, elite key pass output, very few boring passes and nearly 0.3 goals per 90 minutes have made their impact on me, and I decided to splash the money on 21 y/o Shopov to mix things up in the AMC position after none of the squad have proven worthy enough of getting me where I want tactically. Convincing CSKA Sofia to sell wasn't easy, but eventually, they settled for 2.8 million euros, and another 200,000 in bonuses - Bringing the deal to 3,000,000 euros total. Not a bad deal for someone that's expected to lock down the creative part of our midfield for years to come. Groningen fans may be "pleased" to know that Shopov played for arch-rivals SC Heerenveen and made just one appearance between 2020 and 2022. The Bulgarian has since returned to the relative safety of the Bulgarian league and has now been given another chance to impress on the Dutch football scene - as a creative player in a team that desperately needs one like him. And yet, signing Shopov was only half the battle. I also needed a new striker, a trequartista, who knew how to move to the dead areas and clear the stage for Shopov - or alternatively, take advantage of the opportunities dictated by the schaduwspits, the shadow striker. Enter... MARIN PETKOV, 20, AM(R,L,C)/ST Right from the other side of the Sofia derby, arrives Marin Petkov - A perfect, all around Trequartista, much to my delight. Levski's attacking midfielder Petkov is going to play as the Trequartista in my formation and provide me with the attacking support that Shopov and wingers need to function properly. Petkov is a gifted scorer - statistically, he is responsible for 0.83 goals every ninety minutes, along with creating great goalscoring opportunities to his teammates (1.74 key passes per game and 91 percent pass accuracy) together with choosing high-quality goalscoring opportunities for himself: 0.21 xG per kick - quite the high-quality shots, when a clear cut chance for a goal will constitute about 0.15 xG. Petkov, similarly to Shopov, arrives at the same price, 3,000,000 euros - 2.5 in cash, 500,000 in bonuses.

Hey. Was trying to change attributes colors by range values, and it didn't change. Is that skin related or a conflict with other skins I have in the folder?

Really, really looking forward to this. Don't think I'm ever changing from Statman if you release a mixed version of attributes/data.

The Salzburg Project... In Holland. THE SQUAD Lots of talented youngsters here, most ahead of their prime. Leandro Bacuna was also here, but I've decided to release him as he wasn't a good fit for my tactical style. I'm heavily inspired by The Iron Tulip tactic that SteinkelssonFM created in his Ajax save and I have decided I want this to be the core tactic of the save. Looking at the experience matrix above, I'm relieved to see that most of the players I'm counting on to perform this season are either before their peak, or in their peak. Due to the transition to a CD-oriented formation, I have decided to train 22 year old Norwegian left back Isak Määttä as a WCB - I think he's the perfect fit for the role and having him with us, not having to spend anything on him in order to get and train him, was an easy choice. Click on his image below to reach his profile, and the same goes for every player I'll mention from now on. Another player I'll be putting my chips on this season is central midfielder Johan Hove, another Norwegian who I expect to be a creative dynamo in the midfield. Moving on, striker Romano Postema might be my top striker, but I desperately need a player capable of performing better in the Trequartista role - A role which I think the young Dutch can't perform as well as I hope. One main issue I have at the moment is the lack of quality substitutes on the bench to make a difference. I'll be sending my scouts on various assignments to try and find us some talents we can use from the bench or even in the first team, in order to make an impact.