SixPointer

It makes sense in the end. Real or Barce or Man United we’re really the only true options. While Real certainly isn’t a project they do have a few aging stars and of course the demand to win is greater than at any other club. Especially the UCL. This should really give me a good chance to have the challenge wrapped up in the next 2/3 seasons. All going well that is…..

Would quite say a screeching hault. Almost punching above your level. Union are a good side no shame in taking them two pens!

Can’t start much better than that!

Strange one. Italian clubs love a loan deal as well

exactly that my friend, i never meant to post it without who i joined.

I entered the managerial merry go round once again. At the time of my resignation the Chelsea job had just become available. Massimo Allegri just won the league with Chelsea but moved to City to replace Pep. Chelsea saw Franz as the main man, but in truth it didn't really excite me. Pep And Massimo change places in the end. If it was to be England the main attraction would be Man Utd, they still haven't won an EPL title since Alex Ferguson left. Ten Hag is still at the helm but has overseen three 10th place finishes, an 11th place finish and has never finished in the top 4. He did win the Europa League but I still can't believe he is in charge. Another in England would be Newcastle, my favorite team having some family down there. They have yet to hit the heights under the new regime, it would be a nice task to take them to the next level. gino gattuso is in charge in the north east. Rennes was another early option, PSG are totally dominant as you would expect but Rennes have been top three a few times and have a team with an abundance of talent. I went for an interview, but then Big Ange took my place in Lisbon and freed up the AC Milan job. This allowed Tuchel to take the Rennes job. AC piqued my interest. They have won four of the last ten league titles, the last two Scudettos going their way. The big thing that drew me to them was they have not won the champions league since 2007. The only thing was I noticed their interest in Ten Hag and Gattuso, I would really have preferred Man United over anyone. A host of national managers left or were sacked after the Euros, France, England, Italy and Holland all came calling. Knocking back the France job proved to be a masterstroke. Zidane has handed in his notice and he is off to take charge of his national side. Zizou had left Real in 2024 to join Napoli where he won the 2026 Champions League. He then joined Arsenal in 2028 but was sacked in 2029 after a poor spell. He rejoined Real Madrid in 2029, he won back to back doubles but left for France. The kings of Europe come calling, no surprise after back to back UEFA Champions League. A few familiar faces meet me there, Simon Diallo has left Benfica and joined before i arrived and Rui Mendes who had left last season. I'm out on the beer tonight so it will be monday before i get stuck right into the last stage of this journey.

Super first season. Great to see two unique roles finishing second and third in the scoring charts. European football well under way this year as well.

Like the system. Very attacking should make for some very entertaining matches

Hopefully a couple of young guns!

At least there trying

@Rikulec I think 13th man makes a great point here.

Thanks my man! New job hunting today 🤩

Thanks man. I’ve consider a project but I can’t help but feel the realistic approach is a big hitter. Winning the UCL three times in a row I think it would be an elite club. Thanks bud. You can see how I felt it was overpowered though? Thanks dude! Yeah Benfica is definitely one of the most successful teams I’ve built. Granted they are elite in Portugal from the start. But three UCL is special.

When you go out, go out with a bang... This will be my final update from my time at Benfica, it's safe to say it's been a success, in fact it's maybe one of my greatest successes in FM in terms of trophy haul. Like I said, the switch to FM24 I have enjoyed, but I really do think I have been exposing the AI tactical systems. Transfers 2031/32 Business was highly profitable this year, shrewd signings replaced some big outgoings. Franz once again showed he is a high class when it comes to recruiting the right players. One thing he has stuck to throughout his career is if a player doesn't want to play for him they aren't kept around, also if a fair price is offered he often leaves it to the player to decide, offering them a improved deal but leaving the ball in their court. Saudi money flowed into Lisbon, Franca and Donati leaving for a combined total of 174 million euros an astonishing 138 million profit after both players had signed for 18 million piece. Granted the inflated money from the middle east played a big part nevertheless sublime business for the club, very Benfica. Kosev wanted assurance that he would become first choice. I foolishly opted for Seimen, who huffed and puffed until January when I loaned him to Real Madrid. Kosev had departed and made the club 36 million in the process having signed for 4 million. Incoming was Max Hesse, a young countryman off Franz who he has been keeping an eye on. Eventually he became the clubs new number one. He had a solid first season in the big time, 16 clean sheets, prevented an expected 7.10 goals and made 82% of his expected 84% of saves. Rui Mendes was a tough one to take. I had nurtured him into a solid anchorman ready to take the place of Danilo in the coming season, but once Real Madrid came knocking he was upset and I knocked back a 40 million bid. I agreed that if the club got fifty he could leave. The exact same thing happened with Miggy Silverio, i made him the player he was in one season and he wanted out as soon as Real came. I turned down 32 million and was holding out for 40 but it never came, angered by someone whose career I had turned around I transfer listed him and accepted a loss of investment totaling to six million. Andric, Dego, Martim, Caramujo all wanted first team football and again i couldnt provide that for them. The club profited a huge 66 million on our original investments not to shabby from a host of squad players. Petr Hranoš is without a shadow of doubt the signing of the season. Joining for 4.8 million Euros from Slovacko he arrived in Lisbon as a tricky right winger. Fast forward a season and he is the winner of the Next Gen 50, he's scored 20 goals in all competitions and has been transformed by Franz into a potent striker. It's another masterclass from Franz finding value in eastern european strikers, like Kulenkovic at SV Ried or Milosevic at Standard Liege. A couple of Portuguese legends returned back to the country of their birth. Diogo Jota arrived on a free from Liverpool where he had won two champions leagues. At 35 years of age it would be his swan song final season, however he did not arrive to relax, notching 16 goals in 18 starts, he did become somewhat of a supersub Bernardo Silva arrived in January before his retirement back to where it all began, again he provided big moments from the subs bench, with 13 direct goal involvements at the age of 37. He felt like a real Benfica touch bringing back a former player to finish their career. Esquerdinha and Pancadas would come in the winter window to help provide competition at wingback both had reasonable seasons but both found it hard to displace Livramento and Fratta. Diaz and Morabito are also wing backs but are more ones for the future. Season 2031/2032 Another quadruple for Franz and Benfica. Although I am not sure you can count the UEFA super cup as the same as the Portuguese FA cup like last season. Three Champions league in a row, joining the likes of Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Liverpool and Barcelona as teams to win three in a row. The League title opens up stage five, moving to a four star league and trying to win two league titles, domestic cup and the Champions league. I'm not sure where i'll go or what sort of club i will take, perhaps someone in need of a rebuild giving me a little project, seeing as i'm in no rush to start an official FM 24 save now. My issue with a project is a three time champions league winning manager going to drop down to anyone less than the likes of Real and Barcelona. The plan will be to resign and see what happens. The time at Benfica now sees me leapfrog the great Ernst Happel himself in terms of the Austrian hall of fame. FA Cup Our great city rivals stopped us from going one better this year and making it five. They beat us on penalties in the sixth round, and went on to win the trophy, their first FA cup since 2019 and their first trophy in five years. A bitter way to lose it, especially after everything else falling into place perfectly. League Cup Won with a little fuss, 5-0 in the final against Braga who caused us problems in previous seasons shows how much we habe imporved and matured as a team. In total we scored fithteen goals and concedd only three. UEFA Champions League Qualified in 7th place from our league phase, Man City and Newcastle inflicting defeats while Turkish side Trabzonspor took points off us as well in a draw. In truth I had the domestic league as the priority, we needed that for the next stage of the challenge. It was only after that was won the UCL took precedence. The knockout stages we had an epic battle with Napoli, both teams going all out to outscore each other. Dortmund were disposed of in a relatively easy manner winning the home leg 4-0 allowed us breathing space for the second leg. Real Madrid will be sick of the sight of us, but my god what a battle and a great spectacle. 13 goals scored across two legs, and we almost threw it away in the second leg. Winning our third title against a familiar foe in Arsenal who we beat in the final two years ago. Arsenal were the better side in all truth, and our hero from last time was missing as was Lavia. The game would go to penalties unlike the previous final. Jota and Silva stepped up and led the way with their experience and netted, the pressure got to Arsenal who missed. Pancadas, the young Portugese right back, slammed home followed by club captain Morato. Argentinian player of the year Hidalgo wasn't missing! Premier league As you can see our league season was nothing short of breathtaking. 100 points is a new record, which of course most wins goes along with. The most goals in a single season was smashed, a record that had stood for over a century 145 compared to the previous 123. Invincible again, but even more impressively we only dropped points in one match, in the Lisbon derby of all games! A new message that I really like from FM24, helps give a quick overview of the season. As you would expect when come out on top of pretty much everything good. Expected to score 3.41 and showed our clinical edge by scoring 4.26 per game. Expected 0.72 and our keeper did his job and only conceded 0.58. Yes yes yes the big one i was very interested in, set piece goals, we scored an incredible 33 goals, with 19 coming from the corners, 13 from indirect freekicks. I was really worried that my set plays wouldn't carry over into the new engine, especially with the whole new creation module, thankfully my ideas still translate into FM24. I would also say they did a great job adding the feature: it's a lot more clean and the fact it's not tedious to set up. Changing formations or personnel doesn't undo everything like previously. It's a huge yes from me and we all know how much I love a set play. Player Performance Tino had another stellar season, he is right up there with the best right backs in the world, if not the best. Eleven goals from right wing back shows how attacking that side became, add in the nineteen assists and it's a highly productive season, backed up by his 7.48 average. Matias Fratta has burst onto the scene, signed last year and loaned back out, the Uruguayan wonderkid supplied 20 assists and he doesn't take any set pieces much like Tino. Even Esquerdinha and Pancadas chipped in when called upon. This is another sign that the system was really effective in FM24, both also made the dream UCL 11. Our back three is the foundations of everything good, at the heart of that is two academy products in wonderkid Jose Dias and mr consistent Joao Fonseca followed by club captain and legend Morato. Morato and Fonseca scored an impressive 13 and 11 goals, the focal points of all our set plays; they reaped the benefits. Diallo the french wonderkid and Amundsen the Norwegian wonderkid were rotated in and out when needed. Martinez is also capable but Fonseca and Morato were rarely dropped at the same time. Romeo Lavia was phenomenal this season, with the loss of Rui Mendes he showed his versatility in covering both roles in the pivot when required. 13 goals and 10 assists one better than Carlos Rodriguez who really established himself this year, in what became a rotating three man midfield. Danilo plays exclusively as the anchor, but he still chips in. His experience and intelligence are vital in the middle either with Lavia or Carlos. Bernardo got quite the medal haul and retired champion of Europe and Portugal, something special for a special player. 57 direct goal involvements from Giovane are just incredible numbers, he does take set plays as so his numbers are skewed in that sense, but still. Hidalgo also takes corners, but he had his injury problems this year, but incredibly still had 30 goal involvements. Palmeirim has gone from wonderkid who does it in flashes to the main man, 32 goals in 31 starts and 10 sub appearances. 21 years old he is going to the very, very top if he keeps this up, if three champions league winners medals and goals in two finals isn't the top already. Granelli was back for his first full season after a horrible injury, the pre season under his belt worked wonders and he also had 30 goal involvements. He was frustrated with game time much like Hidalgo but with the emergence of Petr Hranoš and Jota still packing a punch at 35 the game time was at a premium, if you didn't perform one week you were out the next. Summary My time at Benfica is coming to an end. Its mission accomplished and then some. Three Champions League titles will forever be a highlight to me, As is breaking nearly every league record this season. Arrived at the club in a time of domestic dominance from Porto and leaving the undisputed champions of europe and the invincible champions of Portugal. What's next, who knows? France, Germany, Italy, Spain or England are the four star leagues.

I think my flat front three with two AF’s just exploit the AI and there inverted roles. Catching them out of position in the transition.

I’m glad a did. Because I think they have really done well with it. When a leave Benfica for the next stage I will find out if it’s overpowered or a really good team. The graphics are a lot better the way players move etc, and the set play creator is my favourite addition in years

I really think you have hit the nail on the head. I have been trying to play positional play for may years now. Overloads and 1v1s with a limited match engine, now the match engine is capable of it perhaps it’s made it really overpowering. A good example is the Volante role. The season previously you’re lucky if the players hit double figures between them. The two players who have rotated in that position have 25 goals between them. Along with 20 assists. The role now truly acts how I wanted it too and makes use of the space I create for it.

Season is finished will be starting the right up today. First season in the FM24 match engine and I really can’t help but feel my tactical system is extremely overpowered. I managed to play every game on key highlights, I only ever changed players and mentality throughout the season and i broke all sorts of records. Granted I have a great team but no greater than previous seasons on FM23 where it was much more hard fought and I had to be tactically aware.

I use wing backs, but in the WB strata with a back three behind. So I can’t really comment on using the new roles. But I have no issues with the traditional ones. Infact there lethal for getting to the byline and getting cut backs.

I have to say. Am really enjoying FM 24. The new graphics are brilliant. Players move a lot more like they should, goals look more like goals should 🤣. I have only dipped my toes into the new set piece creator and as you would imagine my passion for this area I’m over the moon. I was worried my old corner ideas wouldn’t carry over it’s safe to say they do. As for selling players thank god they have finally done work on it. Much better. I haven’t played with any new roles having carried my save over I stuck with my old system. But what is clear is my wing backs act so much better and as for my VOLANTE it works exactly as I want! I do however feel am exploiting the AI managers with my front three and two AF’s as most now use inverted full backs or wing backs. Which leaves me a huge amount of space for AF in the transition phase.

Thanks man! Am halfway through the season now. It would take a serious collapse in form to not win the league and open stage five!

Here we go!! Love the idea of taking it to real life with the holiday Shrew.

Music to my ears! I was worried they would add them and it would still be needing fine tuning.

Nice buffer to second place. What’s the tactical philosophy at this stage?

Great start! How are you finding the new roles working? I’m so excited to get some true positional play on the go!