FlairRA
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Posts posted by FlairRA
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2 hours ago, craigcwwe said:
Down to 12 players to choose from now, winger got crocked in the last game so second half of the season I've barely got a first 11 of real players to pick from.
It sucks haha, I tried to start with Kingstonian but gave up 3 games in when my best player (and only ST) got injured along with my RW in a 12 man squad!
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How do you guys go about finding the promoted teams for each division?
Trying to start a season in the Vanarama North/South and would like a better way than having to click through every club.
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Great stuff, that defensive record is solid and will only get better with time.
I was wondering if you've noticed a weakness to far post crosses by any chance? The 4 goals you've conceded all came from sides with quality wingers, and I notice that when I play against 3 ATB formations my wide forwards can have great success crossing to each other, as defenders can sometimes fail to defend the space at the far post, while the wingbacks aren't in the right position defensively.
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This is my initial interpretation of that legendary side:
WM (S) - Cross More Often
WM (A) - Dribble More, Cross More Often
Mentality: Attacking is perfect, gives us high tempo, an aggressive stance, higher individual mentalities for the players.
TIs: I kept it simple, added "More Urgent", as I prefer to not give opponents time on the ball and it matches the high tempo approach well. "Counter" is used to use the pace of the left winger and strikers on the base. Still experimenting to be done here, perhaps narrower defensive width, and Attacking mentality already has fairly urgent pressing so increasing it further can prove to be redundant, especially with only two midfielders, one of whom has "Hold Position".
Roles are fairly straightforward
GK (D): Save shots, organize the defense, nothing extraordinary here.
CD (D) x2: Again, not much going on, they have to be solid defenders that can cover for the gaps that will appear. A stopper/cover combination is definitely an option, Micheal Cox mentioned that that was how Stam/Johnsen operated.
FB (S): Irwin was your ideal reliable fullback, always a 7/10 performance, almost never making a mistake. The duty allows him to support the winger further up the field, but still remain in position, which is important with two relatively attacking roles ahead of him. WB(S) is an option, but considering I've already got an attacking fullback on the other side I don't want the defense to be too exposed.
FB (A): Neville frequently overlapped Beckham, and gave quality delivery into the box. Possibly too attacking but a support duty may not overlap enough.
WM (S): Beckham was an absolutely brilliant footballer during this stage, achieving 2nd in the world rankings, and dominating matches with great passing and incredible crossing. WM (S) with Cross More Often is great, though adding "Sit Narrower" to allow more overlaps and add greater passing quality in the middle is an option that can be utilized.
BWM (D): Keane would play more of a reserved role when Scholes was next to him, I have a BWM (D) to replicate his ferocious tackling, but also cover for the attacking fullback. Nicky Butt would also fill in here on occasion, a more natural defensive player, such as during that famous victory over Juventus.
CM (S): I've seen people play a B2B here, however my fear is that it will cause the to be too exposed if he's roaming too much, a simple CM (S) is perfect. This is even more significant in the amount of 3 man midfields there are today. Keane/Scholes would both play here, both providing different qualities, so choice of player is key here. This role is key to the entire side working, he needs to do a lot: cover the defense, supply the offensive players, and dominate the midfield. Scoring goals shouldn't be a problem, my player (Pogba) scored a long shot in the only match I've played so far, so he should still score goals.
WM (A): A winger is a frequently used option here, but my issue is that the role too restrictive. What if the CF drops deep and space opens up, or the fullback shows him inside? Why does he need to cross from the byline? Giggs also cut inside quite a bit, most famously in the semi-final vs Arsenal. Giving the PIs to "Dribble More", "Cross More Often", ensure he can be more dynamic in his movement but ensure he still crosses often. Also, I've noticed WM's pop up at the back post more often than wingers who can be too wide for my taste, which is a big no-no in a tactic focused on crosses.
CF (S) + AF (A): One player drops deep to open up space but also focuses on scoring himself, one makes run beyond and tests the opposition's offside trap. I think it works well for the amazingly telephatic Cole + Yorke combination. AF is on the right for a number of reasons. For me personally players score more when they're on the side of their preferred foot, he can deliver crosses, and can also form a lethal combination running onto the WMs throughballs. On the other side, the CF can drop deep, opening up space for the WM.
I haven't been inspired much this FM so I figured I'd try this with the current United squad. DDG is ideal for the GK role, as are the two defenders. Shaw lacks quality but is still fine, AWB is amazing defensively but not so good going forward, which makes his "Gets Forward Whenever Possible" trait all the more annoying. If I can unlearn that trait, I'll probably move him to the left and purchase a fullback whose better offensively. Fernandes and Pogba are awesome players who are pretty ideal for this tactic, McTominay lacks quality but has heart. Costa I just purchased, he looks good and can certainly provide many moments of magic throughout the season. Rashford and Martial, while great players, have jumping reach/heading stats of 9/8 and 8/10 respectively. Greenwood? 10 and 7. Not ideal at all, while Rashford's pace is very useful, Martial will be upgraded. Kane would be the absolute dream! But Milik and Belotti are more realistic possibilities.
This is a great thread so far, I'm excited to see what other interpretations people can cook up! In the meantime I'll try to bring the classic 442 back to the PL
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1 hour ago, Mr_Tans said:
Absolute monster of a product in our latest intake. Don't see us holding onto him for very long!
Amazing regen, make sure you get that 50% of next sale, he's gonna be a star!
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It could be really interesting to see Dantas and/or Luis in a Busquets type CB role, allowing you to add even more creativity to your midfield. Might not be sustainable against the CL sides but the level of play could reach another levell!
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CD El Edijo 2012 - 2020/21 Season
Transfers - Squad - Table - Profile - Club Info
I've decided to start my first youth challenge at the brilliantly named CD El Edijo, their great training facilities and good youth facilities made them an easy first pick. It was an unspectacular season, ending with a solid place of 12th, but we were in the relegation zone briefly towards the end, a period that we managed to get out of with 2 wins and a draw in our last 3 games. I really think we could have been even more comfortable, but I spent too much time tinkering with tactics which really messed up our league form, plus we were last and second last for goals conceded from corners and indirect free kicks, if we can improve from here there's no reason we can't work towards bridging that 26 point gap!
Forgot to take a picture of my youth intake, but it proved that the facilities are truly providing dividends with "an excellent group of players" coming through!
The cream of the crop is Pino here, unfortunately he's refusing to sign a new contract (my fault for delaying offering him a professional deal) as teams are now interested in him... I don't think that I'll make that mistake ever again...
Really hope he stays as he could be a real star but until then...
Lorenzo Bermudo looks a fantastic prospect, 5 concentration/decision making terrifies me but his key defending stats are otherwise very solid for his age, excited to see how he does. I didn't rate Paulo Ca much at first glance but I can really see him becoming a fixture down the right wing, especially with his 15/13/13 speed stats.
With finishing ratings of 4/5 respectively, Juan Luis and Manuel Jesus Molina need a lot of work if they're going to become strikers, 5 years of finishing training should do the trick!
Also for some reason I've got 3 transfers in shown on my transfer history screen despite not making any and joining on the league reset date... not sure why but I've added my transfer center screen as proof that none were made by me.
Pretty excited by this save, regens are my favorite part of the game and this takes that to the max! Good luck to the rest of you all
Also managed to grab this absolute beast of a HOYD by offering him the moon and the entire solar system around it
20 Determination, 20 Working with Youngsters... beautiful!
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@shaunvamos Amazing find with Dolinar, Crossing 14, Dribbling 15, and Determination 16 at 16 years is fantastic!
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"Shoots with Power" and "Hits First Time Shots" have always been excellent for me on strikers with both high and low technique, and both your players are gifted in that manner with a Technique of 16. They would always unleash vicious shots that would catch the goalkeeper by surprise, if they could reach it in the first place. It's a great trait to have for goal poachers, and with Teamwork ratings of 12 and 9 they'll definitely be inclined towards shooting rather than passing and helping buildup play.
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I've never resigned so fast in my life
Germany was a nice first start but I don't think I could take waiting up to 2 years for prospects like these, especially since I believe Germany has reduced the U-17 rule to U-16, so FM21 will probably be a far better game to do a German youth career in.
Currently a game into a France career with CS Sedan Ardennes, what's really great about managing in France is that the clubs in National 2 are as real as any other except they just aren't playable, so they already have one youth intake. Some decent players in there. Also the manager before me signed a player on a free before I'd added myself in, is that player fair game to use or no? I assume the answer is yes but haven't used him yet just in case.
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30 minutes ago, Lexclub said:
It's nice to see people starting in Germany. I started a week ago with Lokomotiv Leipzig but wait to complete a season before posting here.
I'm looking forward to see how you manage transition between real players and regens as you can't play them until they are 17. I've also find that there is a rule to have 4 u-23 in the matchday squad. It can be tricky the first few years. Good luck !Thanks! More worrisome than the 17 rule is the fact that, with such a low reputation my players are whining at every chance they get.
5 points and 6 spots away from the relegation zone at the moment... lets see what happens
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Decided to start this myself after a couple of days of scrolling through this thread, regens are easily my favorite part of the game so I'm excited to see what I can do!
Good corporate, training and youth facilities, this looks like the ideal place to start. I'll probably struggle, but lets see what happens!
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12 hours ago, Jean0987654321 said:
Who made that deal anyways
It wasn't you, no?
No, the board before me. Great work at Crewe!
Season 20/21 - Review
An incredibly disappointing season, after finishing 9th last time. My tactics weren't good enough and I paid the price for poor squad building, shown by only using 20 players across the whole season, which isn't enough in a league like the Championship. We also displayed a terrible tendency to concede goals from set pieces or long shots throughout the season, which was very frustrating. Nonetheless I've enjoyed my time here and my first dip into the lower leagues, I think I'll move on (despite the board allowing me another season) and dip into League 2!
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More than twice the value of my next highest valued player...
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19 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:
@FlairRA A good finish back in the second tier. That's quite a young striker pairing you have, but it looks like you have done some sensible business there. Smith is somebody I considered signing for West Brom on a free transfer this summer (2021) as he has HGC status with Albion. i wasn't convinced he would be right for me at this time though, so decided not to do the deal in the end.
Thank you, unfortunately not doing so well on my second crack at the Championship, sitting in 20th after 15 games. Conceding goals to long shots and set pieces is becoming very frustrating, unfortunately. Now debating whether to start a new save, especially now that I'm more well versed on how to play the lower leagues.
That's a very solid squad you've got there at West Brom, Brewester at 8.5 mllion is a real bargain!
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Blackpool - 20/21 Season
After finishing League 1 as clear champions, we entered the Championship with a 20th place prediction and the joint lowest wage budget in the division. What followed was a great campaign that I am pretty satisfied with, finishing in the top half comfortably. Rhian Brewester was the star of our season, grabbing the golden boot on the final day of the season (after suffering a goal drought for months). Teddy Howe is now the highest valued (non-loan) player in our team easily, and I look forward to the profit I will receive on him. Our finances have now moved to "Secure" for the first time under my management, something that the club desperately needs. Unfortunately, McDonald hasn't developed as much as hoped this season, still rated as a League 1 player despite 15 goal contributions in 45 games. My squad was also painfully low on quality and value and too reliant on loan players. I made moves in the transfer market to rectify this, though the team still needs work imo.
I'm fairly satisfied with my transfer business, now being able to unleash a strikeforce of Parrot and Brewster (extended loan) which looks fantastic. Oscar is a quality signing who I found when going through Madrid U-23s, and will be an upgrade on the outgoing Connor Renan. Very pleased with the Clarke-Salter signing, I was tracking him for over a year and I'm super pleased to be able to add him to the team. He's a quality defender who can only get better. Matt Smith is a useful option and will start for us, valued at 3.6 million already!
Overall I'm enjoying my first dip down to the lower leagues, managing your budget and finding clever signings two key factors in succeeding. I'm not sure what to expect from the squad this year, a run for the playoffs would be great but probably too ambitious, another year of solid midtable is probably the ideal situation for now. After all, we do still have the lowest wage budget in the division.
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2 hours ago, CityAndColour said:
@FlairRA - did you use Ronan as a deep-lying playmaker? I have noticed whoever I assign that role too ends up having about 40-50 more key passes than anyone else in the division, and usually the highest rating too.
Yes, he played as a DLP in a 442. With plenty of players around him he had loads of opportunities to get key passes which bumped up his ratings.
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Blackpool FC - 19/20 Season
After spending my last 4 years of FM at the likes of Arsenal, Dortmund, Roma, then Arsenal again, I decided it was time for me to take a new challenge and experience the grittiness of the lower leagues. After reading warlock's excellent guide, two teams instinctively stood out to me: Derby and Blackpool. I decided on Blackpool due to their great kit and starting position of League 1, ensuring I didn't return to the PL too early. After finishing my first season, here's how I fared:
Amazingly!! The board only wanted a playoff position, our predicted finish was 5th, but we managed to outperform all expectations and win the entire division, dispaying fantastic consistency the entire season. We started extremely strongly and pushed on from there, with 16 wins, 3 draws and a loss in our first 20 matches. Connor Ronan, on loan from Wolves, grabbed a well deserved Player of the Year award, for League 1, nailing 135 key passes across the season, an incredible 40 more than the next best player. Teddy Howe did strongly as a WB (A), with 12 assists and providing crucial attacking inroads through the right flank. Our strikers did fantastically across the season, getting the goals that were necessary for our tactic to work, and ensuring that we could outscore any opponent. Not shown is before on-loan Taylor Moore, a class defender who will be very hard to replace. We were knocked out in the first round of Carabao and FA cup, got to the semi-final of the leasing.com "trophy". Pretty proud of this group of players, however we've now got a much more difficult challenge: the Championship.
The odds are very much against us, the board predicts "fight bravely against relegation" this year and "attempt to remain in the league" next year... not exactly ringing endorsements of our quality! Nevertheless transfer business is being conducted to improve our odds. Armand Gnauduillet was sold for 1.5 million to Atlanta United, which I now realize is less than I should have sold him for but am still satisfied, we've got some much needed money (board only allowed me 15% revenue!) in the bank for a player with 5 determination and teamwork and is 28. Cameron Carter-Vickers has been signed on loan from Spurs to replace Moore, Brewster loaned from Pool is already our best player and will be crucial in our attempts to avoid relegation. From Arsenal, who were selected as the senior feeder club, Sheaf has been signed on loan for depth while I would absolutely love to get Smith-Rowe, though he's rejected our offer once already. Last January I extended Ronan and Dewsbury-Hall's loan contracts to the end of this season, crucial for our survival hope. Tommy Hoban was signed on a free transfer then too, and is great value for money, valued at 4.1 million now, consistent performer and is Championship level. The jewel in my crown, however, is this player.
Signed for 400k from Hearts, he's a crucial upgrade to our right wing, valued at 600k already, rated as a Championship-level player at 19, and has high potential to play in the PL! With those technical stats I feel confident then he can be a brilliant player for us and also gain us a great profit. I'm satisfied with my transfer business so far though I am too dependent on loans, unfortunately that can't be helped. I also missed out on Kieran O'Hara from United due to being too stingy on wages, a decision I regret now, with my current GK being at League 1 quality and an upgrade necessary.
I would highly appreciate any advice that the regulars here can give me, never been so low in the leagues before, but I am enjoying it greatly so far, its a different sort of challenge! Progress in the FA cup (which I desperately want to win, evoke memories of Stanley Matthews and co!), avoiding relegation would be best case scenarios for this season.
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4 hours ago, EnigMattic1 said:
Did anyone see the amount of possession they had against Valencia? Over 70%!! And still lost 2-0. Looks like they got FM'd. I haven't even got close to 70% possession at any point in the match, let alone overall.
They didn't get FM'd, possession means nothing if you can't create chances. Valencia hit the bar and missed a penalty in the first half, and then got their deserved goals in the second. If Barcelona had sneaked a win there, Valencia could justifiably feel "FM'd".
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10 hours ago, ImDaWeasel said:
Anyone manage to get a tune out of Tierney? 2 seasons in and hes been injured for 3/4s of it. Brought in Chilwell now but it's a shame since hes got a high potential.
Tierney has been pretty solid for me. Chillwell makes too many mistakes, I bought him too but when he was top of the league for mistakes from all players it proved to be an unwise decision. Plus, Tierney's determination is a very valuable asset.
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CM (S) - Carrielo (S)
BWM (S)
This is imo, the best set up for Liverpool. Henderson covers for TAA due to Salah's lack of tracking back, I often see him heading to the right side to double up on whatever winger is taking on TAA. Fabinho is a DM, but an aggressive one who doesn't mind being out of position chasing (and winning) the ball. Wijnaldum has an interesting role, more offensive than the others but not greatly so, perhaps the PIs 'Dribble More' and 'Get Further Forward' would suit him.
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Playing a very enjoyable Arsenal save, two wonderkids are really standing out to me atm.
Connoly looks like a potential Balon D'Or winner, signed from Reims and looks like an amazing player. Olde looks truly brilliant however, Perfectionist at 17 with 19 determination and a quality set of attributes. He came from the academy too! I'm debating where to train him, doesn't have the positioning for a DLP (D) in my system, or the off the ball as a CM (A), perhaps he'll be best as a CM (S). Interested and excited to see how he turns out!
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Looks amazing, that 20 flair is the stuff of dreams! Unfortunately the teamwork seems a little low, I don't think selfish playmakers exist!
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How is Martinelli developing for you guys? Does he have high potential? Looks like a cracker of a player at first.
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Really hope he stays as he could be a real star but until then...
The FM22 Youth Academy Challenge
in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Posted
Not sure about this one, started a Spanish save yesterday and the two clubs I looked at had excellent squads. Similar for Germany. More consistently an issue in the English saves for me!