_Ben_

It is with great sadness that, in this shorter-than-normal update, the title of Neverkusen will have to be used again, as we succumbed to a penalty defeat to Leipzig in the Pokal, making three final defeats in two years - this one, our Europa League final defeat to Rennes twelve months ago and the DLF-Supercup loss to Bayern at the start of this season. These failures, as well as the end of season tail-off have somewhat put a dampener on what has been a fantastic season for us, where we've broken the Bayern stronghold, although, in this case, Dortmund have just done it better than us. Following that, Bayern's Nagelsmann was given his marching orders, as was Leipzig's Marco Rose and Thomas Tuchel after PSG failed to win Ligue Une again, meaning that there is bound to be a busy summer window as the managerial merry-go-round rolls on. The overall squad performance suggests that I am somewhat at a crossroads within this save: continue to build my way or splash hundreds of millions from our rather expansive €140m budget on the missing gaps. For example - a new striker to upgrade Arkine would surely set us back upwards of €60m, but, with Jakush in the wings and only not playing simply because I have that Moukoko effect of him not being old enough, the future looks bright. I'm not scared to spend that money but it does reduce somewhat from the whole point of finding real bargains to develop as they're simply not good enough to get into the team right now. Focusing on these will - surely - set back my sights for domination by a couple of years but the developmental aspect of the game is one that I love and won't shy away from. The squad, with expected departure of Nmecha after a year of solid service and the promotion of Fynn Angerer looks strong, young, promising and fit for the purpose that I want it to be. That being said - I'll look into it in more detail over the summer, trying to make a marriage of statistical recruitment, player development from the academy and high ceiling bargains! With prospects of a new stadium and a drive from the board to become Bundesliga champions within five years, the ante is being upped for us to take that step to an elite club but it's a journey that I'm really enjoying!

Hope you get relegated and those youngsters rot in the Vanarama league! That aside, nice to see the project you’ve taken on; although I can only wish that it was at a better club.

I've spent a fair bit of time reading about Henrik! Sadly, I never got chance to face him when I was managing in Sweden: I'm sure there'll be more tactical thoughts soon - the update at that time of year though, for me, is all about the joys (or not) of a youth intake! In terms of skinning - I've completely lost interest but I will send over the skin version I currently am using, which still has several WIP areas and will tell you how to amend that DNA bar!

He is, isn't he?! I have Duisberg in the 3.Liga and Ingolstadt in the 2.Liga but, when you look at the current loans away from the club, I think it'll force my hand into skipping that step: There have been some great examples - Bjorklund, started at Ingolstadt, Nikolic went to both and - whilst not a feeder - D'Anzi had a good short term spell. However, I sent Sulley out too early - still only 17 - but, fortunately, was able to recall him and give him some minutes with us, for a confidence boost if nothing else. But, from the list above, the majority of these are out on loan for exposure to get a new deal elsewhere. Schulz has just been capped by Germany but I don't think he's good enough and Kuczmann and Yu don't really fit in with the style I want. I could easily generate €20m+ for each of them, I think! But I might explore using the training units to get Jakush with the first team. His personality isn't terrible but, for someone like Zrilic, who doesn't have a great personality, this approach means I can utilise the mentoring aspects whilst keeping him playing with the youth team. It's something that I look to do away from European fixtures because, with two games a week, he's missing out on training when he's with the senior team (unless he uses this to return to his youth team training?!) but it has already begun to work: -- So, a TLDR; he's probably going to skip the loan steps because I'd rather keep him here until 18 and, given how good he already is, would hope that he's going to be too good for a loan when the appropriate time for a loan comes around!

The third in-season update always tends to be rooted around the youth intake, which, as you can see if you've skim read the images here, is no different. However, the relationism idea, as posted by @Slipky, has stuck in my head and I've been really intrigued - technically - about what we're doing. Looking through the linked article, I can absolutely see elements of this in my build up ethos and want to further explore managers and case studies of this. The one quote, below, has particularly stuck with me: "Relationism is about movement and change. It is a process of becoming rather than of being." However, this has, obviously, come at a time whereby we're absolutely on fire. No defeats in the twelve games here with strong progress in the league - tight at the back and free flowing and somewhat chaotic going forward - combined with strong results when tested against Europe's best. New signings Ozguneri and Khuroshvilli have both got themselves on the scoresheet and my approach at quite regular rotation has seen goals for D'Anzi - getting important minutes - and Arkine's return to form. I still think that the Bundesliga title is out of our reach - despite this strong run, Dortmund have matched it and still are clear of us. It feels almost a wasted opportunity in a season like this where Bayern are unusually poor but we just cannot usurp the Vincenzo Italiano-led outfit, who are free scoring at present, too. Overall - things are looking great on the pitch! Earlier this week, I saw - on X - a newgen that @danielgear had in his QPR save. Whilst I can't quite say that my intake trumps that, in having a fifteen year old already being the best player at the club, I can come pretty close in terms of current ability levels! The entire youth intake doesn't feel as well rounded as previous years, but I have come to accept that, with a near elite team, this will always look harder. However, it is the three lads, below, who I am quite excited about: I actually do not think I have ever seen a 15-year old who is as good as Jakub 'JJ' Jakush. There's a couple of areas to work on - of course - but he's well rounded and already really strong in the attributes that I value in my most advanced forward. If he has the potential and can fulfil all five stars of it, I think that he's going to be absolutely world class. I can't play him until he's reached sixteen but I may give him a run out in a Champions League tie to just give him that debut I think he's nearly ready for! Carlo Redzepagic will likely go on to become Luxembourg's best ever player and, despite being a little weak, is already looking superb for a ball playing defender. Without the progressive carrying ability of a Libero, I think I can really work to create the deepest, but the most composed, of the backline. Whilst not as strong, I like the look of Dioguinho - who'll learn to play across the three attacking mid roles and even a low-rated Leon Werth looks like he could become a bit of a decent forward. Overall, that gives our U19 team strongest XI this look; a team that, no doubt, could compete at the 3.Liga level. Still though, I want to keep us without a II team so I can fastrack progression into the first team. This decision comes off the back of what is, frankly, an absurd amount of talent coming into our team directly from our youth system. The list, below, does not even include the likes of Salman Kuczmann, who may be sold and both Sulley and Angerer, yet to break into the first team properly but shows the graduating year of the seven academy players currently within the first team: 2032/33 - Francesco D'Anzi and Joel Kahl 2031/32 - Maik Vogel 2030/31 - Noa Nikolic and Simo Bjorklund 2027/28 - Archie Reckert 2025/26 - Jordan Bangura The squad DNA (remember, not necessarily a marker of quality) continues to grow and, overall, the potential within the team is rising - allowing me time to explore progression routes and tactical styles for now and for in the coming years. Whilst my playing speed has significantly dropped of late due to real life getting in the way, I am as committed to this Leverkusen project as I ever have been! Die Werkself!

Good to see you working through this again, Shrew. This lad - in my never ending quest to find something outside of the box - really catches my attention. I'd genuinely be tempted to go for a really deep playmaker with him: an RPM or a DLP in the DM strata. He's weak and small, at the moment, but he's technically sound and, actually, the defensive positioning (which I find probably more important for a role like that than Marking/Tackling) is pretty good. He's clever, pretty press resistant already and, with some focused work could actually be an option for a decent finisher from outside the box or someone who could then lay off a nice pass to be finished. For me - it's the fact that he could be a metronome - passing, technique, decisions, teamwork, agility - whilst getting up and down the pitch! Congratulations! A really massive win for you given the fact you're in with the big boys and then the fact that you've done it with such strict regulations, too.

This little bit makes me really happy! I had really hoped you'd continue here and that, eventually, all of the hard work would pay off. I know that, with Barca and Real, Spain is one of - if not the - toughest league to crack, but you're doing so well at continually over performing what you have and you've really developed some wonderful prospects. As always - a great read! No specific questions just a thank you for inspiring the home grown development!

Now that I'm half way through the season, I felt the urge to write down my thoughts after having spent another few days with the game under a microscope and myself engulfing any tactica reading that I could. The majority of this is focused on player recruitment as I enter the January window but I am still in the learning process, tactically, which is really and truly giving me the most fun I think I've ever had on a version of FM. A huge turn up for the books here as I look to not chase Bayern down, but actually cement my status as finishing comfortably above them. With a five point cushion, I really think that this could be the year that the pressure on Nagelsmann counts and his dynastical period could be over. That being said, normally being so far ahead of Bayern would put us atop the league but not this year as a resounding Dortmund have fired their way to a ten point lead over ourselves and fifteen (!!) over Bayern and Koln, in fourth. I know that stranger things have happened and I know that Bayern are, at the end of the day, Bayern, but I really think that this season is about us coming second and coming second without too much hassle. The glut of 30+ players in Munich will need addressing and we, like Dortmund, have a team whose key players are at peak ages and only getting better. Obviously, we lost away at Bayern and have just lost away at Koln - we're not perfect. However, our game play is reaching a level that is putting ourselves above that of the chasing pack and we're able to kill games off more and more, despite having an xG differential of just +0.96, the fourteenth best in the league. We're progressing nicely in the Champions League - sealing our entry to the knockout rounds but it is the Pokal draw that, without Bayern and Dortmund, gives us our biggest chance of silverware this season! Two interesting articles that I’ve been reading lately are this one about Andoni Iraola and this one about defensive and offensive principles. I really like this quote from Andoni: “I prefer too much chaos to too much organisation. I prefer to play at a high pace, even if it means a touch of hastiness, than play at a lower pace and have a bit more control.” Despite me recently lowering the tempo within my approach, I actually think more and more about the chaos that I can create going forward. Up until recently, I’d have assumed that tempo was the ‘speed’ in which we’d attack but, when I thought about it, I realised that – no – we don’t just jog around or pass the ball slowly because of that low tempo, particularly not when we have really pacey attackers and roles that are aggressive and forward thinking ball-carrying roles. Our lower tempo, from my experience of the changes in games, comes more about the initial build up – we are now happier to move the ball around and play a little bit safer in the defensive areas in order to identify the right pass. And that is where we can create that chaos. This quote pretty much sums up my thoughts: “Some like to approach games in a disciplined structure, intentionally and meticulously dictating games to their own tempo. Others opt for a more emotionally-charged philosophy, reliant on the belief, energy and willpower of their trusted eleven on the field.” And on that definition of the latter: “Electrifyingly fast, pulse-raising, edge of the seat entertainment is what chaos can bring. These are often the emotionally-charged performances that can use the crowd to their advantage. It’s less coordinated, and in turn, more unpredictable. For the opposition, it can be overwhelming being unable to anticipate enemy moves despite the chaotic team not controlling every facet of the game like a chess board.” My chaos does not come from ultra-aggressive pressing and counter pressing (although we do use both at the right moments) but, instead, comes from off the ball movement, trickery and quick transitions, where all of the players can – realistically – apply themselves to any of the jobs I require from the attacking midfield trio. I think that the more I watch Unai Emery’s Aston Villa – my own team – I see that. Patient build up, the ability to break the lines with defensive passes (hence my insistence of the right type of full back) or progressive carries (hence using both a Libero and a Volante) before unleashing havoc by running at the defence. For me, that is then topped off by having a Haaland-esque finisher at the end of it. Whilst I’ve experimented with different striker roles and do like the DLF/F9 kind of interaction, I like the AF or even the PF(a)/P(a) because they tend to pin back the defenders, allowing more space to create chaos when attacking. With that in mind, I wanted to see how my recruitment strategy this winter could better our chances of doing that. I identified some key attributes and stats that I think symbolise this chaos approach and compared the players currently at the club by them: I think that we have the makings of some really strong players in these areas and I look forward to being able to expose D'Anzi to more first team football as he seems to fit the bill really well. We have created a young, focused attacking unit and there are clear development plans to get those last two to three percent out of these players, such as working on Bangura's first touch, Krassnitzer's acceleration and Sulley's dribbling. He, of all the players, feels the furthest away from this but I am excited by his potential and really enjoy the process of moulding a player into something that I really require. With that. I decided to add two new players to the chaos crew! Welcome Ozguneri Sarier and Tornike Khuroshvili! At just €12m, I think that Ozguneri is an absolute steal and, thanks to the power of NewGAN, gives me a picture of a man with a bit of an attitude but also one who is incredibly nonchalant and oozes panache whilst on the ball. With elite flair, composure and vision, I think he's basically Ronaldinho and I will look for him to spearhead the chaos in our ball progression. He's lacking a bit of acceleration and isn't the strongest off the ball when compared to my group of players but there are only minor things to iron out with him. He's done pretty well in Turkey and I think he's ready to take the next step in his career. Plus, at 6'3", I am excited about his physicality between the lines. Again - in Villa related news - I've liked the way that Morgan Rogers presents physically - winning duels and headers in half spaces against outmatched opponents - and I think I can do similar as a team that, largely, do lack height. Tornike, like all my previous signings, is also subject to a random face and I actually laughed when I saw the name/nationality combo as his moustache makes me think of an old school circus performer. I can picture young Khuroshvili walking across a tightrope or escaping from a box and, in footballing terms, that's pretty much what I expect the Georgian wizard to do. An initial loan deal was required but I don't actually think I'll have 25 games left that he'll play in and, should Freiburg not get promoted, I think he'll be available for much cheaper. A little quicker off the mark than Sarier but not as natural of a dribbler, the technically gifted and composed lad will be utilised (opposing the terms of his loan deal) largely off the right hand side, cutting in and unlocking defences. For comparison, here they are with the same criteria as the above players: I'm really happy with this bit of January recruitment and I'm now able to see a bit easier what that looks like when looking at my core principles of first touch, technique, decisions, determination and pace using my new squad DNA tool on Excel. I am aware that a high score here doesn't naturally make them a good player but it's good to see that my good players also rate pretty highly on that scale. I've got a good little group of players here and I think that I'm two or three away from a squad that can really make things happen! Die Werkself!

Will do! 95% sure this'll be on your Windows settings, as @Jellico73 says! Yeah. It's a known bug. The wizard does popup but it's just behind those containers that I've built. The workaround is just to load a preset and amend. Sorry.

I've had a really busy week or so and playing time has been at an absolute minimum but I can't help but feeling a little like Unai Emery right now - a man very close to my heart - in saying that I'm learning so much about my team at the moment. The full table shows that we're doing really well given the difficulty our fixtures - Leipzig, Dortmund and Gladbach already played and no points dropped against them. Where we may come unstuck in the quest for our title though is the dropped point against Furth and the Dusseldorf defeat - two games that we dominated but couldn't find the cutting edge. From that I'm learning that we do need a tall, aggressive, physical, Lukaku-esque striker who can bulldoze his way through defences. I don't think that man is Dion Breljo, though. I'm learning that, alongside Hagiwara, we need a right back who is able to be marauding and, unfortunately, I don't think Ozdemir (compared here) quite is that man. A little bit more work with Maik Vogel and, honestly, he could be a Libero, Inverted Wing Back, Inverted Full Back or a Complete Wing Back: I'm learning his ceiling is high! I'm learning that Krassnizter, the player originally brought in as a wide man and Arkine, another wide man, can operate beautifully as a shadow striker, giving me a really different output to Duran - whose traits of comes deep and arrives late in area create a more mobile Trequartista, if I'm honest. Great for unlocking a defence but not always the right option for precise counter attacks. But, actually, I'm also learning that neither Arkine or Duran are quite world class and I think I need them to be. The latter has never really made up his mind whether he's a true playmaker or a runner or a finisher and I think does show from time to time. I truly believe that elite teams don't need eleven elite players and that is how we can carry the likes of Nikolic and Bangura, who are, in all honesty, suited to our style not our ability but perform really, really well for us when it matters most. With one player I'd truly say was world class - Ilija Markovic - I can probably be forgiven for the Supercup defeat to Bayern and the worries of their impending rise to the top of the Bundesliga over the coming months but, as I've said all along here - it's the process that I enjoy rather than the actual successes that come from it. The plan is simple - go as deep as I can in the Pokal, continue to disrupt Europe's big boys - yeah, take that PSG - and hang onto Bayern's coat tails for as long as possible because, maybe, just maybe, they'll have a real life season and I can do a Xabi Alonso and turn Neverkusen into perennial winners!

But also remember that this line graph shows their current ability, which also fluctuates with comparisons against players in your team. If you’ve recruited well and brought in stronger players, I find that this often does have sharp dips - even for youngsters. It’s the singular attribute development that you really want to be using as a calculator of progress in my opinion!

First game back to FM after a really busy week and this happens: We played most of the second half with a CWB(a) - L(s) - BPD(d) - IWB(s) backline as CSKA then decided to just not actually have any forwards. Of course, their keeper picked up man of the match. Welcome to the Champions League!

I knew you'd note Sindelar! I did a little bit more research into him, not having really learnt anything since he first came to my attention in all of your Rapid/Austria saves and I'm very much intrigued by him as a player! I realised that I didn't post a screenshot of Beljo, so here he is: Not sure if he's entirely Bundesliga level but it's another string to my bow - and that's what I'm searching to create right now.

I think the above infographic is really important there, and, probably, a harsh reminder that I haven't quite hit the mark with this window. Buoyed with the performances of last season, I didn't really want to change much but, actually, I've come out of the summer window feeling like the squad is a little stale and not addressing a couple of things that'd cost money to change. I secured the outgoings that I had planned: Stierpermann moved to the Middle East for a decent fee, Minami brought me a decent profit on a player who'd really stagnated and Helmes was also a small profit when the only player I had wanted became available. However, the rest of the dealings were loans - me moving on quality players who aren't quite quality enough to get into my first team, yet. And that is where I think I've fallen down. Safe in the knowledge that the future is bright, I have neglected the present and what I want us to stand for in the transfer market, bar one player. My four incoming transfers can be seen below. Jorrel Hato felt like a no brainer - much better than Helmes at left back and at centre back and a free transfer, too. The analyst report was complementary and suggested that Mainz's relegation was not necessarily linked to his performances. Furthermore, my DoF wrangled a deal that sees him costing us just €55k per week, lower than his previous wage. I'm happy that I've got sufficient cover for Hagiwara at left back now and would really like to source a right-sided version of him. Even with €88m to spend - this wouldn't be our transfer strategy without signing a complete unknown for a bargain price. Michal Sindelar was relegated with Lyngby in the Danish top flight and, as such, was available for a €500k release fee. His cover pic doesn't look incredible - six goal contributions and really only strong outputs with his expected assists but digging into his analyst report tells a different story! Ranking highly for key passes, high intensity sprints, expected assists and interceptions means he could just be the perfect bargain Segundo Volante. Then I looked at his attributes! First touch, passing and technique are all wonderful as is his flair and vision - making him a pretty decent 10 but he's absolutely not left behind defensively either and, in my eyes, can hold his own given his height and reasonably physical stature. I'm excited! Then we get to the less planned move and then we get to the...panic! I hadn't contemplated sending Sindelar out on loan until I saw Nmecha was available to me and I found it really hard to turn down the potential to have his experience and personality within the team for a short time. Fallen out of favour at Dortmund, I wanted some reinforcements so that I could focus my defensive players on, well, playing there. Feeling that a midfield of Hannibal, Reckert, Bischof, Sindelar and Nmecha - I went for it on a short term deal. Once he'd arrived and I looked at setting the squad up for a couple of friendlies, I then felt that it was too much and we'd not be able to offer appropriate playing time, forcing my hand into loaning the most suitable - Sindelar - out. Our squad depth though, at this point, made me realise that, actually, a loan would benefit him as he settles into Bundesliga life, so he's gone to Hamburg for the season. And then I realised I was short up top. Arkine and Nikolic could rotate but one of the things I really enjoyed was being able to rotate the entire four but, with Krassnitzer on the right and Nikolic up top, I'd only be able to put Arkine in one of those places. With Stierpermann, Minami and D'Anzi leaving and only Kuczmann coming in to fill that void, I had to go shopping. Additionally, I'd realised that all of my attacking players were under six foot tall so needed some extra height and physicality. I liked the look of Maurits Kjærgaard from Bayern but they weren't - rightly so - interested in selling to us. Therefore, I made a big decision and asked my DoF to recommend a signing fitting my needs (i.e. I stopped when I clicked on the first tall striker who wouldn't break the bank) and just went for it - in a slight blind panic. He opted for Beljo, a man who doesn't lack height but does lack actual football at a decent level - not even playing four-hundred minutes in Serie A last year. I decided that I'd move for him on loan instead of permanently and, you never know, he might fill a gap against that tough low block or just get on the end of a late corner with his 6'5" frame. But, again, he might not! With a strong set of players out on loan, I can start to look towards the future and plan for what I need to avoid panic buys like this. I'm not saying that waiting until the end of playing the free transfer market is bad, at all, but it just isn't the way that I want to structure my dealings. Our squad looks strong but there are some real gaps: Internal: Long term replacements for Hannibal and Nmecha in the DM roles. Sindelar could fill one but the other isn't likely to be filled by anyone currently at the club. Replacements for Beljo if I don't make the move but D'Anzi could fill that role on a more permanent basis. Replacements for Havertz but Angerer could fill that role Replacement for backup keeper Fischer and Bjorklund could fill that role. External: Attacking option at right back similar to what Hagiwara can offer as a CWB(s) when needed. Ozdemir cannot fulfil that role, limiting my creative options down that side. The other DM role that Sindelar might not fill. A world class centre back to sit alongside Markovic, replacing Bauer. Left footed and supreme on the ball but not necessarily a dribbly Libero type. --- Not quite what I had in mind as I went into the window but I'm really excited about Sindelar and have a squad that is well known to me and one that I have a lot of faith in. With no passage to the Europa League, my aim this season is to end up in the Champions League spots again and bring home the Pokal. Die Werkself!

No, this plan is just for the youth players. I have tried to implement, in order to push on the rate of success, a much bigger focus on ability over potential within the first team here, which means that, really, I just want to be tweaking those youngsters who are there - rather than completely reshaping their attributes. That being said - for those youngsters breaking into the first team with significant potential left to achieve - Vogel and Nikolic, for example - will have a personalised plan, still focusing on three areas that get rotated to hit four times per year and still, where necessary, hitting the core DNA concepts. A player like Sulley - who I've discussed above - will be, all being well, subject to that when he reaches the first team, although his will likely focus on the Pace element that I've taken less focus on within the youth schedules. It's a 50/50 chance that'll work because I know how much more physical attributes grow at a young age but I also want a rounded player ready to be able to play multiple roles as I tweak areas in his later development. Yeah, I'm with you! I sold off two of my top talents last year because their personality was - in my eyes - absolutely inhibiting their development. Yeah. I went away and thought about this. I have enough depth elsewhere in that forward area and I think he's a little below what I want. Furthermore, he wasn't even a regular at 2.Liga Union Berlin last year so I'm after, probably, a full season as first choice in the top flight before he comes back. I think that Kuczmann, who was in Portugal, has really benefited from that.

The curse of Bayer Neverkusen strikes again! I know the plan was never to compete for the Bundesliga this year - Bayern are simply too good - but my intention was to take on the Pokal and the Europa League, hoping that our league form would mean this would be the last foray into the competition. We performed admirably to get there - overturning a really drab home defeat at Napoli into a dominant performance and solid win in Naples. We then crashed out of the Pokal in dramatic style, pegging Bayern's early lead back and dominating until Bauer's poor pass gave them the easiest tap in and the win. There was nearly another catastrophe against once tycoon owned Spezia, as we nearly let our three goal lead slip, firstly through Markovic's hilarious own goal and then through a similarly annoying passback from Stierpermann straight into the path of their striker. Our league form didn't suffer - Leipzig aside - despite playing a very rotated squad, ensuring that our key players were fit for the big fixtures. Then, when the biggest of them all came up, we just didn't show up. I was delighted that a seventh placed Rennes progressed ahead of a Zidane-managed Chelsea, who've continued to spend massively all across the last decade but just found that we didn't have it in us to break them down. I tried multiple approaches, building up in different ways within the same 4231 shape that I love but we were toothless and naive. However, I cannot let that overshadow a top league performance - one that is so strong it ranks second best against our historical performances, including the 2001/02 squad with such quality players like Juan, Michael Ballack, Ze Roberto and Dimitar Berbatov. Everything has, pretty much, gone right and that is visible in our expected outputs, pitch tilt and the clarity within our attacking game plan to run at defences and attack quickly and efficiently. With Champions League football to look forward to next year, my priority must lie in winning a competition and I think that the Pokal will be that, with the step into the Champions League likely to take a few years to adapt to. Bayern are the current holders, which gives me even more impetus to build a team that can challenge. One regret that I do have, although made to look more extreme here - given the rise to prominence of D'Anzi and Vogel is the amount of minutes I've given to the youth players at the club. I have big plans to create the best youth system in the world here and, to ensure that I am giving my players the best chances, they need exposure to the first team. That being said, on the whole, the performances of those within the first team was strong: In my defensive units - I've been impressed at the offensive outputs from Bischof and Hannibal, although the latter has stuttered in terms of goals scored this season, dropping down to a solitary one from five last year. However, the emergence of Reckert along with an African Nations has meant that he's been out of the team more and far more fatigued that I recall him being. He's still world class and an integral part of the squad, one who can play on both sides of the double pivot but, given his defensive skills, has often found himself the more defensive one this time out. In the full back roles, I'm settled with Ozdemir and Vogel as his backup - with the young German rising to prominence across the season and appearing in over 2,000 minutes - quite astounding for a 17-year old. is outputs, too. On the left, Helmes hasn't quite hit the heights that I wanted him too - despite looking to be about on a par with first choice Hagiwara but there is a possibility of a chance to bring in a new face over the summer which I may explore. I'm potentially light in the centre back role but Bauer, Ammer and the rock Markovic have all done well. My only concern is that they are all pretty safe and rank in the top 10% of (not) losing possession as I sometimes find that I'm wanting them to play the luxury ball out but they pass between whichever two are there. Definitely something to explore! The attacking unit have been sublime. Bangura's target achievement gave him the motivation to kick on and twenty-nine contributions puts him second only to Ferhat Duran on thirty-three: both world class returns. It has meant that there has been some rotation across the wider roles with Arkine spending more time up front to accommodate. He's made significant improvements on his outputs from last year and, along with Nikolic - who is clearly riding the wave of a successful loan spell, converting 57% of his shots - have created a strong front two. One cannot be tricked by Minami's league vs cup form as his poor league form, with the saving grace being a hattrick in the season ender against Koln, meaning that I've actually already agreed to his sale. Nikolic (5%), Arkine (22%) and Minami (9%) have been poor in the air and, whilst we don't really focus on crosses into the box, I feel that I need another option up top - a different type of forward - and the Japanese ad doesn't do that as well as being the worst performer of the three this year. It's all about fine margins and I think my thoughts on the squad development below will help me answer where I want to go next! The squad depth is starting to get really strong with multiple players able to cover multiple roles. I think that the one area that needs amendment is that a lot of my players are quite similar. We're building a team around a strong focus on the DNA - first touch, technique, decisions, determination and pace - and that is great but what we don't necessarily have are different types of players who excel at those things. One area for thought over the summer is my left wing role: Salman Kuczmann - European Golden Boy and wonderkid - is due to return back from his loan in Portugal after ten goal involvements for a Famalicao team that finished eighth. He's a little more one-dimensional than I'd normally like for a winger and his traits certainly need some work but, as an out-and-out pace merchant, he's better than what we already have and, at 20, probably can still improve. Then I have Niklas Schulz, who didn't quite hit the heights at 2.Liga Union Berlin but, clearly, still has some quality. He's a player who I could see stepping into the Havertz role as a replacement for Duran later on in the game, either as an SS(a) of a DLF(s) but, actually, there is something about his height and balance that makes me think he could be that bully of an AF(a), if needed. There's a big gap and that is his Work Rate and I do feel like he's quite a bit weaker than the other players within the squad but as a 'type' he's certainly offering me something that isn't readily available elsewhere. Two left wingers coming in means that Francesco D'Anzi can go out and get the first team football he really needs. When selling Pejsa in the winter, I promoted him but he's not exactly taken his chances, with outputs suggesting that he's not quite ready for this level, yet. That - of course - is no issue but I didn't want to sanction that without a clear plan for a replacement. A more contentious deal - given his solid statistical output, is to sanction the sale of Florian Stierpermann, the homegrown winger who has been solid since I took over but is now really starting to show his dislike of big games, with errors and ghost performances at the wrong times. Also, his goalscoring record is not what I'd want of a winger and I think that the combination of Schulz and the ability to use Kuczmann in an area that will allow a strong finisher to play could be necessary to see us develop. I'll see what kind of bids I can get in for him. The summer, overall, will be interesting as I look to develop the squad in a couple of areas. After witnessing the unhappiness with individual foci specifically focused around a defensive player doing an attacking focus, I wanted to make a further change. By moving to a plan for each training unit, I can focus more on the attributes that are part of my DNA that matter to them. Below, the gantt chart shows when each attribute is worked across the year: Again - no idea how this will play out but an interesting thought. There are eight months of the year where my attacking unit will be focusing on just their position and decisions, whereas the defensive unit do the same for that and technique. If it turns out that I create technically strong defensive players and clever offensive players then I'd suggest that something has worked!

I also like that, as I've shown above, it's not far from good personalities such as a Perfectionist, should you have the right players around him.

I like this way of looking at it! Shame he's gone but I'm trying to remove myself from the attachment to my own newgens, too! It just holds me back time and time again. I like your tactical thoughts, too, as do I like the focus on cup competitions. Do you find that teams are weakened in the Copa del Rey or is it just crossing fingers to be in the good side of the draw?

Big soft spot for Atalanta! I've loved watching you make decisions quite similar to those I made when I managed them in FM23. Well done on your success and hopefully this season can provide further for you.

I've really enjoyed the work you've put into telling this story! As a lover of that old time Palermo squad as well as Italian football, in general, I wish you the best for the rest of the season.

That would all make sense - that he has the end choice on those players who've been there and that can change up until he provides that preview. It's why none of them come through with previous staff as their favoured persons. Yes - it's always been expensive on FM and I can't, honestly, say whether that feels like an accurate depiction. I'm in a similar boat to you with bringing in outside players - not financially but, given that I don't have a B-team, they have to already be good enough for the first team and I can't always justify that! I look forward to your summer update and hope you've kept your youngsters...

Have you got the Austrian league loaded? I've found a handful of really quality players there. I like your process and, given the quality of youth that you're getting, think it feels quite sensible too!

I really like this realism element! He's not too bad but, at the end of the day, most managers these days do not have 100% say in who comes through the doors! My experience of the 2.Liga tells me it's not an easy place to get out of - so that's a promising season for you. How did Sanchez fair? What are your plans for the summer? A big rebuild or just small steps?

He was fickle, yes. Within a month, I had one of those messages about 'team personality impact' through in my staff meetings and he is now this: I believe that the move from Fickle to Perfectionist - this time (give that nothing else has changed) - has been down to a rise in Professionalism which, when you look at my hierarchy and their strong levels of professionalism, would add up. Without trying to find the meta - I am now aware he has good determination, ambition and professionalism - which are key for his development. My next steps are to develop his sportsmanship and temperament to impact his game management but that'll be a much longer job! I really think he needs something bespoke, you know. After a month or so with this group and watching them play at youth level, I can see that he's a generational talent and a step above. I don't want him to be part of the squad with this and need to do something different. I'll still rotate through foci like the others, but I will definitely include a physical one for him as well as one that focuses on his ball carrying - another weaker area. Also - I'm looking at a shadow striker role for him, given the fact I don't quite think he can lead the line but would be wasted out wide: So I might have a play with just straight development for that role rather than just the generic forward role, as that is his natural role although I like the thought of ‘general’ attacking training - which will improve all of the areas I’ve mentioned are weak! It’s all part of the bigger experiment, I guess… Yeah - there's definitely scope for some development in this. My plan was to rebuild - after an Excel crash - something that could formulate based on just dropping attributes in each season. Now that it is in place, I can really dig into using it to help me prove or disprove my thoughts about player development and allow me to develop how I train my youngsters, in particular.

Yeah - it's based on the actual panel but I know that the information is presented in rows in a table but felt that I could try and build on that. Sadly, I was not able to!