SixPointer

Great move Ben! Seems you’ve inherited a rather ageing squad. Which means plenty of your recruitment skills required. Best of luck at the Black Sea!

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

I find it hard no too get attached! This is only my second ever journeyman, last year’s challenge was the first. welcome along! First Vienna a member of pioneers club a great choice of club. Got some much needed game time in last two days so should have a write up done before the weekend.

Interesting ideas mate. Following as always

Fantastic write up as always matty. Actually making me want to dust of the laptop. The usual hectic holiday period I usually neglect the game but reading your update gets the mind ticking

Just catching up! Awakening a sleeping giant so I see!

What a start! Poor intake but I’m sure In time it will be flooded with talent

The thinking behind the polish lad is….. he never had any stats due to him not having game time. While I liked his attributes and scouting feedback I thought it was worth loaning him before going for the pre contract agreement. I’m looking at 5 strikers I have shortlisted at the minute with a view to replacing the on loan Topp. I signed to young cm’s in the summer but loaned them out right away to try get some more game time into them. I also started to look for ones that have already made the move to Europe. I think I’ll have at least two of them tied down next year. Just waiting to hit the button on them. yeah If I was to win the cup the next stage would be to take charge of a higher rep team in the league and try win the league. I actually don’t want to win the cup so early to be honest but the draws have been kind. As I would rather keep building something first. RB SALZBURG are so dominant that even moving to the Vienna two would still prove a very uphill task. We have more or less taken over strum graz neighbours lask and wolfsberger with our performance but they of course are still deemed bigger clubs. An interesting one would be WSG Tirol who I assume are loaded with cash due to the owners being diamond merchants and they like to throw the cash around. 16 million they spent on one player in the summer.

Starting to harvest some real African gems Ben! Great bounce back in terms of results and I think it’s safe to say all fears of relegation more or less quashed. Have you been linked with any jobs again?

I’m sort of playing like it at the minute. I’m still trying to nail it down. I’ve found high tempo, pass into space more direct passing on a balanced mentality in a mid block with full pressing intensity to give me a lot of the attacking style I want to see.

January 2024 Three loan players in, three loans out and two players sold. A productive and intelligent winter window with a clear strategy. Signing players in January can often be rushed, expensive and in the end panic buys. Loans will bridge the gap and allow me more time to make decision on players that am still developing a scouting profile off. Monschein’s game time has significantly reduced after the arrivals of Kulenovic and Keke Topp (on loan), he was 31 and past his peak cashing in on 800k will prove to be smart business am sure of it. Bartosz Bialek comes in on loan to replace him, he is a free agent in the summer and has been on my striker shortlist. He hasn’t been getting a game at all in Germany but is certainly our type of forward with a DNA of 75 and the ability to be a physical striker, the loan will give me a try before you buy and allow me to gather some stats. Noah Atubola is cover for Josep, young Felix Dietinger has done a splendid job but I wanted to send him out on loan for a more permanent first team exposure in a lower league, so Noah now comes in to push Josep, there is no real chance of this being a permanent deal as he is really well regarded at SC Freiburg. Nechaev has never really got going and hasn’t provided enough competition for Ilenic for the RWB slot, so I’ve shifted him on for 60k of profit and brought in Zanotti on loan just to cover the gap. Schwermann has done well when called upon, but he complained about game time so he’s off to Holland for a spell. February 2024 No competitive matches in January due to the winter break, but some vital friendly matches to get the team back up to speed for a very important and pivotal February, with the OFB Cup ¼ and a knockout European stage spilt between the big Vienna two no doubt we had our work cut out. SV Horn 4-0 (H) Quite the start regardless of level of opponent. His movement and finish for his second is exactly what am talking about. We controlled the game as expected, our build up plays was precise and considering we aren’t used to camping in the opponents half for long periods of time we excelled in deep creation, Kraev and debutant Xhevdet Mulaj (from first intake) controlled the game from deep and both pivots finished with assists. Another Favourable draw in the Semi Final.......... The stars are starting to along here, but we can’t get complacent. SK Rapid 1-2 (H) A poor result, SK Rapid came into the game in good form but I felt suitably prepared. 11 minutes in and we are undone from a set piece for me the worst way to concede, due to the fact I put just as much effort into my defensive setups as I do my attacking ones. We did get back into the match and a late surge which coincided with the substitution of Stefan Feiertag who grabbed a goal and harshly had a second ruled out. Negative result but we did create chances so it’s a case of dusting ourselves down and going again. RB Leipzig 2-2 (A) Something I was of course prepared for, they controlled the game no doubt about it as they rushed into a two-goal lead. The character we showed to stay in the game and then snatch a lifeline before halftime really impressed me and shows the resilience we are building as a squad. Snatching a point from the East German giants is a gigantic result even if they have struggled on the domestic front. Losing the battle of possession was always going to be the vase here. I decided to try and press them high as I knew they craved the ball so much and in doing so we forced turnovers and then went direct in behind (pass into space, more direct passing and higher tempo). Feiertag never passed up on the chances and he has hit a rich vein of from just at the right time the young man, he’s thriving playing on that shoulder. Kulenovic injury at the start of the month was a worry but he has more than filled in. Austria Wein 0-3 (A) Feiertag continues to go from strength to strength. Providing 2 assists, 3 key passes and finding the net himself. A real complete performance from the young man and he really is starting to repay the faith shown in him by Franz Schiemer, I said I felt I could improve him and make him into a smart investment, and he is now starting to live up to his promise. Our former bogey team like to play on the break and get in behind especially with the sheer pace of Huskovic. I decided the best way to address this threat was to ask my back line to drop off, switch both the pivots to defensive duties and play Pfeiffer as a man marker due to his exceptional pace. The move was a masterstroke completely isolating Huskovic from the game as he only received five passes this helped to us into forcing our opponents play to be all in front of our defensive thus making them shoot from distance. RB Leipzig 2-3 (H) This time around I decided in the first half to concede the space in the opponent’s half, allowing them to put together deep combinations and drawing them into our half. It paid off as a quick move down the right was then finished by Feiertag at the far post. Our second goal perfectly exploits the space left in behind the opponent’s defence 2-0 up and cruising at this point with Feiertag taking his tally six goals and two assists for the month. The 60th minute and RBL made changes and in doing so moved Damsgaard central, his movement destroyed our backline and before I knew it we were 3-2 down. There is no shame in the result we really ran them close and perhaps on another day it would be us progressing into the next round. Our ability to transition quick and get in behind a team that is great at high pressing and not allowing those key passes gives me a lot of confidence in the style of play we are starting to be defined by. Second in the league, ten points behind the Red Bull Machine and level points with 3rd place, we do have a game in hand, however. I wouldn’t rule anything out at this stage, three games to go until the spilt which brings its on conundrums but if we could win all three games, we should be in the driving seat for second place again. We are out of Europe but what a sublime run for a first venture onto the continental scene proper, something we can take a lot of positives from. With A OFB semi-final to look forward things a style of play that is becoming more and more refined and effective it’s safe to say things are progressing nicely in the small town in upper Austria.

A tough month and more like one you would expect from a newly promoted side. But it testament to how sublime your earlier results were.

Vessel is here taking pipeline on board so busy time. Rotation for the first three weeks of January should mean more game time. Although sometimes home life gets more in the way can’t win

Looks ideal for the false nine. I really enjoyed the role last year. It’s movement really unlocked my double AMC’s. I don’t think it’s a suited to my tactical shift this year.

Sorry for the lack of activity at the minute. 12 hour shifts up-to the 23rd are taking their toll.

Smashing season matty. Ran them close and your two shining starts led the way!

You really have become a tactical player. Like you said your not exploiting the game you just very meticulous in your approach. i know the feeling, I was never expecting to be 2nd in the league first season with a europa league campaign second season but there we are. Hard work pays off

Intrigued to see what you come up with. I always find it useful watching back goals conceded. Without the emotion of the match in real time i tend to notice more. Sometimes I switch it to 2d as well to look at positioning and patterns

I snapped up pfeiffer on a free for Sv Ried second season and he looks a great bit of business. Ronnie edwards as well is someone I see popping up all over the forums. Have you any ideas why you concede right after scoring? They do say it’s the weakest moment and highest chance to concede. But so regularly I wonder if you could do something tactically and set up a match plan for it.

The Fenerbache result is why we all adore this game so much. finding tactical flaws and weakness and making a plan, executing it perfectly to beat the giant of your nation. For me no better feeling than winning the tactical battle in the game. Finding gems is great but nothing beats a tactical battle. Africa is a hot bed of talent. I’ve found Senegal to be very good! I only wish I had the leagues loaded so they would have had bigger intakes.

Fer Nino could just take you to this title! In scintillating form the young man. Four games to be crowed it can be done!

Thanks man. Yeah I was getting a little bored of the style of play last year. I think I had taken it as far as I could. It was all about how we wanted to play the game. Now I’m more intrigued about how the opponent wants to play it and then exploiting it. It’s really driving a lot more immersion for me. Each game is really studied for.

Sad to see the unbeaten run go. But some fantastic results to bounce back from it

Is it to early? Does it feel like a realistic step. To all intensive purposes Parma are a Serie A team by stature and really one that should be challenging for euro slots. I feel if you took them now you would achieve that in no time. Then we’re does it leave you progress wise

December 2023 More clean sheets on the domestic front making it seven in a row in all competitions, unfortunately the run came to an end when we needed one the most in the Italian Capital. Having crowned SKU Amstetten a local derby due to its close proximity, they sit just the other side of Linz approximately 1 hour 20 minute’s drive. It’s always nice to get a win, how long they last in the division remains to be seen. For now, it’s a local derby. Kulenovic put their defensive to the sword, finishing the match with two goals, showing his ability to operate as the advanced forward in the front pairing as well as the target man. HIs first goal was a nice ball in behind and he finishes emphatically. His ability to play both roles and so well is really driving the type of striker required for the long term. Austria Lustenau well renowned for their counter attacking exploits, were out manoeuvred. Our deep passing combinations eventually drawing them out. Kulenovic turned provider, a perfectly weighted through ball to Feiertag who smashes it home something he seems to be doing a lot more often after learning the trait shoots with power. My reasoning for training him, he lacks composure therefore I think he is better just smashing it as he has good finishing and technique. We matched AS Roma for the first 45 minutes, going virtually man for man against them and sitting deep allowing them the ball in front of us worked. The second half was a different story, 10 minutes after the break and the pressure told. We pulled on back through the inform Kulenovic but a terrible mistake from Sissokho getting caught in our half on the ball allowed the Italians to take all three points. A late Viktoria Plzen penalty up in the arctic circle seen the game with Bodo/Glimt finish 1-1, in doing so it sent us into the knock phase of the Europa league. Again, massively head of schedule however we were less than convincing in the group in all honesty. Three draws and a win all coming in the vital matches I highlighted after the groups were drawn was enough to see us over the line. The draw pitches against another formidable Red Bull side, this time from the east German city of Leipzig. Certainly, a tough match against a side many would expect to be in the UEFA champions league knockout stages. Three Austria sides represented in this first knockout phase, the other Red Bull team from Salzburg who drop in from the UCL and SK Austria Klagenfurt who made it out their group also. who are really struggling in the league, suffering from a lack of squad depth I presume. Oberösterreich Derby A famous five victory, 5-1 winners and in LINZ! Such a result the supporters will saviour for some time. It also shows how far we have come in such a short space of time to be dishing out beatings like this to our somewhat larger neighbour. Our game plan executed to perfection, sitting in our aggressive mid-block and channelling our possession hungry neighbours down our sides before engaging them allowed us to trap them further up the pitch which left serious space in behind to exploit and exploit it, we did. 65% vs 35% possession in their favour but all in front of our solid shape, the registered 5 shots at goal and only 2 on target. 0 clear cut chances for them, their goal was a nice move a great through ball which is disappointing on our side of things. Their pass map shows their nice combinations, but they severely lacked penetration. not committing to all out high pressing against a very possession-oriented side and system proved pivotal. At the start of the game, I spoke about being intelligent in my pressing and this is the perfect example. Had I gone all out high pressing I dare say they would have exploited the gaps. In the build up to our second goal (yes, they start with the ball) you can see the central dominance in our mid-block, 5v4 in the centre of the pitch that without considering each teams CB's. You can also see how I give up space to each full back but have the wide midfielders man marked, this is to encourage play down our sides in the early phase but blocking the pass into the final third. This also allowed their full backs to advance and then leave space on the flank or in the channel to attack. As you can see the ball is played to the full back who in turn plays it inside, the ball is then slipped to the striker but is cut out from the anchor man. The passing lane into the final third blocked, now the anchor lays it off to the wing back who sends the advanced forward running down the channel into the space vacated from the opposition full back. The AF lays the ball back to the advancing wing back in acres of space, he fires in a cross which is knocked down by the Mezzala and the AF lashes it home. Note four players all attacking the box, this is the huge advantage of the 3-1-4-2 shape. I can have a AF running channels, a target man as a focal point to hold it up and gets us up the pitch, a box crasher arriving late and a link man all from the front 4. The anchor man and back three give a solid base to allow the wing backs to be aggressive in possession but the natural shape of the system and mid-block makes us very compact and hard to play through out of possession. After a few years of possession/total football I wasn’t sure how I would take to this more direct style but I’m really starting to fall in love with it. I did play like this for a period with Odd but now its more detailed more systematic. The challenge of testing myself again tactically and learning really is drawing me into the save. Gone are the frustrations of dominating the ball for large periods only to come undone from a single goal. The hunter has become the hunted in that sense as I now look to do this to the AI.