_Ben_

It's not there because I don't think it needs to be. You don't need to hijack an unrelated post with your request when you've already asked once for the change. However, to do this, you need to open player profile.xml and delete lines 406 to 446 and 526 to 566. Replace them with this: <!-- Outfield player --> <container class="person_attributes_analyser_panel" id="ofap" file="player/attributes/player attribute analyser outfield" > <record id="object_property" get_property="Pigo" set_property="hidn"/> </container> <!-- Goalkeeper --> <container class="person_attributes_analyser_panel" file="player/attributes/player attribute analyser goalkeeper" id="gkap"> <record id="object_property" get_property="Pigo" set_property="Shwn"/> </container> And you'll get this: It won't stay in my skin as I dislike it but it is what you asked for.

Mid-way through my second season in the Bundesliga and nearing four hundred days into my job, I feel a real sense of purpose here in Germany. I'm building something really quite promising at the club and I'm fully invested in the different areas that I'm trying to develop: tactics, players and finances. That being said - third place in the league is a little misleading at this point. Four wins in a row, albeit against one recently relegated side - Heidenheim - and two other top-half contenders, have papered over some of the cracks that have somewhat haunted our start to the season. Whilst I think we're within the top five or six teams in this league, all of whom are a whole step behind Eintracht Frankfurt, I really do not see us as proper promotion contenders for a number of reasons. I think I can use the four players, below, to tell the story of the season so far. Each one has his own goals and targets and these are forcing me into questions, thoughts and decisions - all of which are really enjoyable to think about. A full screenshot of each player's profile can be found by clicking on the thumbnail, below. Augustine Tchetchoua - the scoring issue: It took him seventeen league games, but, in the home tie against Furth, Augustine finally opened his scoring account for this season. The youngster has been thrust into the first team following an injury to Geubbels but has found the going tough and has not been able to replicate his form on last season, where his five goals in nine starts was a solid return. His worries are similar to our entire team though, to be fair. The xG table has us in a decent position but I'm wary of Mainz's form at the moment and expect them to make a real push back up the table, even if Kiel are over performing. Our issue isn't necessary goals, but, quite weirdly it is goals. Our goal output suggest we're good and, looking at the table, it'd suggest the same but look at where those goals come - three against Furth, four against Regensburg, three against Magdeburg yet blanks against Mainz, Frankfurt, Paderborn and Aachen. We just aren't consistently scoring and when you take into account our goals from set pieces, you'll see why. Our set piece efficiency and the fact that our top scorer is 6'7" centre back Lawrence with strike pairing Geubbels and Tchetchoua netting a paltry two, each, highlights the issue. The striker's shooting outputs show that they aren't taking enough shots, largely, or, when they are, they're low xG chances. I think some of this could be solved with my next issue... Carlos Molina - tactical thoughts: We've developed a nice new 2233 shape by using a L(s) or L(d) when building up against a one man strikeforce, which is great. It's an observation I've made and works nicely when needed. Yet my issues seem to stem further up the pitch, particularly with the AP(s) role on the right wing. We've lost a little bit of our customary directness and cutting edge and I think a large part of that is how FM creates the playmaker role: largely asking them to get on the ball and slow down the play. Whilst others may not feel the same and I do not have anything more than an eye test to back up it, I'd argue that Molina's outputs - twenty times more passes than dribbles, suggest that he's there as a link rather than a true attacking threat. By moving back to an IW(s) I can create a bit more of a combination role, that takes into account his creativity and his ball carrying skills. Furthermore, adding the 'Focus play down the right' instruction (not shown on that screenshot), I can reduce his risk to Positive, meaning he's likely to pick the ball up in deeper areas, drive forward and still have Passlack on the overlap. Justin Theide - player pathways: Justin's performances at 3.Liga side Lubeck, who were struggling in the league, coincided with the forced sale of Hajrizi for €800k to Odd - just weeks before he'd have walked for nothing, creating a spot within the first team. He's just one of a number of promising youngsters that I have along with a longer list who are already integrating into the first team. I'm really enjoying the micro-management of this element and really believe that the lack of a II team here in Germany is giving me even more opportunities for these youngsters to move between squads. The next steps are to utilise the Brommapojkarna link in Sweden and find the right place for that 19+ year old market of a player whose development may not have quite kicked off. I don't have place for them in the first team and (in my eyes) the only downside of a II team is I wouldn't be able to give them minutes to play our way. However, the removal of that more risky scouting business, identifying only players ready for the first team has allowed more focus on bringing through and giving minutes to these players. Maik Fischer - youth development: Whilst not tracking to the degree of previous years, since bringing attributes back, I was interested in just how much my youngsters were moving on so have dumped their numbers into a basic development tracker, which looks at growth across the time they've been with me - the top set since I joined and the bottom since their promotion in March. The first interesting thing that I see here is the importance of that first year, with strong developments made by Samake, Bothmann and Schonwalder. Furthermore, there's still quite a clear link between personality and development, putting an even greater emphasis on how I build my youth coaching setup. It has also produced some unexpected surprises: Stanislaw Majewski was missed off my initial screenshot gathering when I took over, presumably because I planned on releasing him! Now, he's one of several first team candidates that I am now looking to move into the player pathway element of this. The team are doing great, sitting second in their U19 league and playing a slightly different version of my tactic, suited for the players in the team. --- By the time I write the next update, the season will be completed, I'll have had my youth intake - rated, in a preview, as 'good' - and will have had more time to sit and mull over the financial decisions I will have to make in the summer. Both newly promoted teams, Dusseldorf and St Pauli, sit in the bottom two, furthering my thoughts that we just aren't ready. We'll get a decent chunk if we finish in the top five here and, if I can remove some of the financial burdens at the club and replace carefully, as well as ensuring that I have another year here to blood these late teens/early twenties youngsters, I think we'd be in a much stronger position. That being said - there's a lot of football left to be played...

Yes. No ETA on it though before you ask.

There is one? Unless you mean for staff?

I don't think so, no.

I'm sure you can see from my own thread and the changes I've made to my skin just how inspiring this work is Shrew. I love Mario Martinez from this intake, too! I'd be really interested in reading your approach to their development and whether you've learnt anything from the three seasons that you've been at it for.

I also took this little bit of skinning time to finally ditch my idea for staff and return to attributes:

Yeah, of course. In 'Settings - Gold.xml' if you replace the Statman colours section with this: <!--STATMAN COLOURS--> <colour name="statman" value="rgb(212,175,55)"/> <colour name="bg" value="rgb(28,32,48)"/> <colour name="bg darker" value="black"/> <colour name="bg lighter" value="rgb(28,32,32)"/> You can start with a darker background. Here, I've labelled bg darker just so you can still see the 'bar' in those places above. Because the background user 'client object browser' to essentially cover everything, I'd focus your playing on the bg lighter colour, which, in the code above, is significantly darker than what I started with.

Faced with predicted losses of over €10m a season, I knew that this transfer window would really be tough and I'd need to pull as many strings and think as far outside of the box as I could to ensure that we came out of it in a stronger position. To be fair - the window has been a little vanilla, in all honesty. I've looked for upgrades where possible and experienced squad depth, rather than expansive scouting and high risk signings. With board demands of only reaching the top half of the 2.Bundesliga this season, I feel that I've got a bit of a free shot whilst I continue to repair the financial damage to the club. My first order of business was to cash in on Agustin Alvarez, who moves to Holland for €8m. This gets over €40k p/w off the wage bill and moves on a player who really was not at his best last season. With a USA snub, part of me expected Tillman to kick up a fuss but, with my recent wage reworking, his salary commitments are way above anyone else here and, as a man with no interest in negotiating anything new, I felt that this could be used to our advantage. As of the time of writing, he remains at the club but efforts to replace him are being explored with more haste than before. Despite the outgoings of Alvarez and the pre-arranged deals previously mentioned, I decided to instead put my money towards signing free agents, most of whom performed well at their previous clubs. Again, I'll mention the vanilla element to this window but I really think that it was needed. I mentioned the want for an overhaul in a previous update but have now gone ahead and signed just four players - however, each of those brings experience, quality and potential to offer more than just a name on the team sheet. It is that, I truly believe, that will allow me to take the gambles with blooding youth players, changing roles and elements of individual players' games as well as the team shape. Arijon Ibrahimovic - no relation to Zlatan, who is on my coaching staff - moves to us after a dominant season with Bayern's II team in the 3.Liga. Last year, he recorded thirteen goals - third best in the league - from 8.67xG and a total of 0.59 goal contributions per ninety in a team that, despite finishing fifth, only had the fourteenth best goals scored tally. 0.29xA/90 compared to just 0.16 assists/90 further backs up that a reasonable number of assists (joint 25th in the league) could, and probably should, have been better. Over five and a half progressive actions with a skew towards dribbles and 2.36 key passes per game show me that he's a carrier and a creator, too. With great Flair, Dribbling, Technique and a solid, agile physical base, I truly think he's a coup for the club and expect him to be making noises for a move to the top tier very soon. It's Bayern's loss, clearly, but a testament (and a shock when we get to this level) of their depth that he's not been able to break into the first team. Another man at the top of the scoring charts is Willem Geubbels, whose twelve strikes - from 8.65xG - sits him fourth in the league in a season where his St Gallen side romped to the title. Therefore, this move can be considered another huge coup. Guebbels' average shot xG of just 0.10 is pretty poor and his 14.77% conversion rate can definitely be worked on but his eye for goal is nothing short of fantastic as he covers ground, takes players on and can turn into a creative force, too, with seven assists to his name, bringing his goal involvements to 0.56 per game. I remember him from previous games and what he could become but it seems that he's landed in Switzerland and somewhat found his level; he's really well rounded with little in the way of deficiencies but, most importantly, was €8m cheaper than Alvarez and earns €18k p/w less than him, too. I believe that he could go on, like Arijon before him, to feature at this level and in the top flight, whether that comes with us or not; this two could be a deadly duo! Noah Lemina - younger and less-famous brother of Mario - is another player to be joining us after a spell in the Swiss top flight. The Lausanne man, on loan from Nice, averaged over three dribbles a game as well as 1.15 key passes per game. FIve goal involvements overall do paper over the cracks of a couple of wobbly years in and around the two Nice sides and the PSG 2 side earlier in his career, sandwiching a successful loan at second tier Sochaux. At 23, I think he's got time left in him to develop and is, again, well rounded - a really clear recruitment decision I have made. However, Lemina is the most creative of these signings whereby I want to utilise him in the centre of the pitch. He's slight - 5'6" and 62kg but he's fast, clever and can progress the ball: ideal for what I want as a central winger, the direct translation of the Mezzala role. There is, of course, some flexibility in this choice as he could easily play wide left, pushing Ibrahimovic to the right and Tillman to the CM(a) role - it's all about options! I have to go back to 2025/26 to find the last full season that Dominik Stumberger played and it was whilst he was at WSG Tirol before a €4.7m move to Salzburg. A left footed centre back who can progress the ball and offer something more than most going forward feels like a sensible transfer, particularly when I face the prospect of losing Hajrizi in the summer and require a stop gap for a couple of years until any of my youth may be ready for first team action. After successes with this method for Elfsborg and the quality of youth I am really focussing on, I think that my core squad - of just twenty players - provides me with enough depth in most areas of the pitch, as you can see below. I intend to keep the defence as solid as possible, rotating as little as I can in order to maintain the solidity that you can get with well-built partnerships. Plus, the area of the squad where I have most youth quality is in defence, therefore I don't feel overly worried. Going forward, the signings I've brought in and the players I've looked to retain all offer me flexibility in different roles and will allow me to deviate from my original tactical styles and plans when needed. There will be multiple questions to answer further down the line: a considerable number of the squad are entering their final two years, with many in their last, there is a considerable divide between old and young within the squad and we still need to be aware of being usurped by bigger teams for stronger players in the squad who'd happily move elsewhere. --- Pre-season has come and gone by quite nicely. Three cups - courtesy of the @danielgear method and my players are fit and ready to go. I know my strongest side but the reality is that they won't be playing together that often as I want to really dig into the analysis of our opponents this season. Our 3133 shape, with sets of overloads - originally down the right in our earlier transition but then again on the left when we approach the goal, which, to me, is screaming out for a player who can switch play or move quickly to change the dynamic of our attack but, overall, is feeling positive and suited to what we have here. With eight parts to last season's updates, I intend to split this much cleaner into another couple of updates, giving me a bit more time to dig into the game and develop both tactically and develop the players I have at my disposal. I also want to dig into some player amortisation stuff as I will need to keep a closer eye than ever on the financial implications at the club. I'm positive about the season but also conscious we share a league with Eintracht Frankfurt, Mainz, Heidenheim, Hannover, Kaiserslautern and several other really strong sides.

Thanks for this! My preferred style is closer to your second image but I'm really trying to experiment and see what works best for me. I will drop into your thread too, at some point. It'd passed me by - sorry! Completely agree - there is too much randomness here.

The shape issue, for me, has been the most successful part of my time here at Bochum, so far. I identified an issue (likelihood of facing a 442) and then adapted to it (removing an extra player from the early transition) so to see it work so nicely is great! I agree about the WB though - which is infuriating considering the amount of time I've spent thinking about this because of the players I have. I don't want to go any higher risk because it'll mean I end up playing fast paced hoofball and my squad isn't able to do that but he's just a little lethargic in moving to become that extra winger. I only tried it because I was having no success the other way - with multiple groups with one mentor in them. This one hasn't sped anything up really, either. It's giving me more focus on getting their development plan spot on to limit the potential that a poor personality, or - at least - a slower change to personality, doesn't impact them as much. A lot of this depends on those hidden attributes that mentoring does not impact. I like how it works, to be fair!

Recommendations would be to change to sidebar icons, zoom to 85/95% and also check your Windows zoom settings - moving from 125% (default in most cases) to 100%. After that, I don’t really know because it’s not a resolution I use, sorry.

I want to keep my tactical thoughts a little more condensed in this update but the major concerns that I felt were not with the solidity of our defence; the goals conceded are hugely skewed towards defensive mistakes and just not being as good. Instead, I felt that our midfield was not giving us the most opportunities to overload the middle. Early in transition, our shape was lending itself to trying to recreate the box with the central mid – Osterhage – dropping deeper to collect the ball. However, that was stifling us of on-ball opportunities higher up the pitch. That, combined with the frequency of facing a 442, meant that the 3-2 shape had become a little obsolete – five defensive players around just two of their forwards as their wide midfielders rarely press centrally. With thoughts of ‘remove the attacking WB and go central again’ thoroughly, and forcibly, removed from my head, I changed the idea of the box midfield to encompass more of a 3151/3133 shape (with different combinations) and even a 235, with a holding midfielder sitting in front of the defence and then a CM(a)/BBM(s) combo that gave me two players in zone fourteen, with the addition of the AP(s) pulling inside as the WB(a) overlapped. Possibly not end-game with this but, given the shape restrictions due to the players I have, it certainly felt more useful. I must say, things worked out pretty well... A strong end to the season with just one defeat in the last twelve sees us end up in sixth place. We've shot up the table, moving from fourteenth to seventh by the end of the transfer window but have pretty much performed on a par with those above us, failing to close the gap with too many dropped points. That being said, we've been on top in most of these games and have been somewhat held back by a little lack of creativity and a lack of a proper scorer up top. Alvarez finishes the season as top scorer but has barely contributed anything since his goal against Braunschweig back in March and, despite all of Tillman's praise, just five assists for our best player isn't the greatest of returns. Summer will be difficult - we're losing money and have some high earners, meaning that I'm going to be heavily restricted and will have to look at both integrating more and more youth but also selling players and replacing them with cheaper options, almost certainly harming any attempts at a promotion push next year. That being said, I must take the rough with the smooth and be thankful that I've not suffered similar to Schalke's plight as they now drop out of the third tier and out of the playable leagues that I have running. What I am excited for - given the move from a calendar schedule to an autumn-spring schedule is a break! It's been eighteen months since an off season, where I can begin to analyse, create and adapt for our next push. --- Looking further down the line, our youth intake was strong and has given me a number of options to work with over the coming years. With nine players reaching the upper threshold for age in the U19 and the purposeful decision to move to a team without a II club, questions must be asked about their longer term playing pathway and whether I realistically see them being able to be a part of the first team, or not. From this group – and this is not solely based on potential ability – I believe that Molina, Tchetchoua, Sommer, Voss and Thiede all have the attribute balance, personality and have performed well enough in my youth tactical approach to be considered for first team football. Upon this intake, I moved those five to the first team in order for them to experience training, mentoring and some game time. This then left me with the decision of what to do with the others; my initial thoughts are to try and sell them for a tiny fee with a buy back clause involved, just in case they are able to kick on and develop. With these places up for grabs, I signed eleven of the youth intake and have really high hopes for the six below: A Japanese centre back who has the potential to become a Libero in my system: what else could I ask for! Katsuhiro is pretty well rounded and, with his potential in a role that is empty, I feel he can slot in next to Fischer, who occupies the IFB role on the left. He needs some physical work and to improve a little bit in the defender part of his job, but, for his age, looks mentally strong and pretty well suited to progress the ball from deep. Nils Lennart Schonwalder was designated as the star of this intake and it’s clear to see why. At just sixteen, he’s incredibly well developed technically and has a good level of intelligence. His area of development, later in this cycle, will certainly be around his physicality – right now he looks unable to fulfil a demanding midfield role, particularly that false sense of bravery – getting into the tackles but then being muscled off the ball far too easily. Klussman’s personality, lack of natural fitness and smaller stature very much make him second fiddle in the now-vacant DM role. However, he’s not too bad when it comes to creativity from deep – although that’s not currently something that I’m necessarily looking for. Both Samake and Sadirov excite me! As wrong-footed wingers who are more than just wingers, I see this as becoming a nice double header. The young part-Ivorian lad is nippy and agile and has an eye for a pass whereas the Russian has that but is also a little stronger when presented with a scoring chance. These two perfectly suit the IW(s)/IW(a) combo I envisage us running with going forward. Both are a little unathletic but are both young enough that there will be natural gains here. By training both on the T(a) schedule, I hope to develop clever, technical, agile wide men who are able of carrying the ball and finding the final pass. I do have some concerns around the personality traits of Sadirov but will look to learn what is working well in terms of praise and criticism in order to get the most from his development. With the vacancy made by Molina’s age and Kohler already in the first team, this feels like a strong area for the academy at present. Maik Bothmann really excites me for a creative striker role but also as a player who can finish a chance on the last man. He’s pacey and agile even if a little blinkered when on the ball. His need is clear – technical ability – but, providing that he naturally grows stronger, this can be his focus for the next four to five years. --- As I said, the summer will be tough. I've already utilised the help of intermediaries and will be hopefully offloading the below bit-part players: Some money will be recouped here and I will be moving on those who haven't played or have really underperformed in the first team, after being brought in by the previous regime. Furthermore, I will have choices to make about the over-age players from the youth team who will hopefully clear some extra money on the wage bill and give me an opportunity to bring them back, should they develop with first team football. Lastly, I have the sell if needed pile, currently with two men - below - who could help generate funds and, in Hajziri's case, not leave for nothing, in order to strengthen elsewhere: Let's see what happens!

Thanks! The reignition does really feel like it's there because this team is so poor! I'm having to work overtime to get anything decent out of them and I'd say we have been really, really lucky, so far. Around 75% of this squad is 'up for sale' in my eyes - if we want to seriously make progress! I had a Libero at Elfsborg and I think I can develop one here but the lack of two really solid IFB is holding me back. Passlack is so offensive yet a strong player for this team without true sell on value, so I may as well make the most of him! It's forcing me to think of different ways to create the shapes I want. The team stats are a little harder to judge compared to player ones (end of season stat subtract overall stat when taking over divided by minutes played times ninety is fine) so it's likely that I'll create some new ones at the start of next season, given an anticipated squad overhaul, too. I think the key word for me is focus. I'm happier than ever now to play around with things in the match engine but a goal to work towards stops this becoming a silly exercise of tactical gymnastics.

What do you mean ‘isn’t right?’ Please can you share some screenshots? I made the skin for the resolution I play at and am unable to offer support for a screen size I do not own.

The passage below very much feels to be an exert from the diaries of a madman. I wrote it live, documenting each game as if it were a standalone part of the update and then found myself arguing with my own thoughts from previous. Essentially, the TLDR version is that I am losing a little bit of engagement with the save because I can’t quite work out what I want to do! The results are great – really great – but I just haven’t quite found pleasure in the build up style that I crave an understanding and a hold of! --- We got off to the perfect start against bottom side Sandhausen as Lawrence and his 6’7” frame jumped highest to nod home an Osterhage corner – with this strike somehow being his first of the season. I feel that Bakayoko, the Ivorian who joined my coaching team at Elfsborg before moving on to just join me here in Germany will have a field day working on set pieces with such a dominant aerial force to aim for. Our lead was doubled as a well worked throw in from Adams, via Osterhage was converted neatly into the corner by top scorer Chibozo just after the half an hour mark, leaving me in dreamland. A strong save from a Malone header was then tucked away by the Sandhausen winger as he reacted quicker than Passlack at the back post to cut the deficit in half. Pleasingly, we didn’t allow the momentum to change hands and kept the lion’s share of dangerous possession for the final twenty minutes to secure a big victory for us. 2.12xG from a total of twenty-four shots with three shots against the woodwork, against 0.92xGA from 8 shots is a strong start but I will need to continue to identify defensive frailties that we may have. Whilst this is not a new shape to me, there are concerns – for me – around the effectiveness of our early transition as we bring Passlack into play very early in this phase: and he’s not the ideal creator from deep. I need to consider how to do this: do I want to push the wingback high and wide early on, bringing a more creative player in place or continue with this safer build up that does go through him. With centre backs that aren’t exactly great on the ball, I also need to consider the type of passes that they are playing and the success of them. I like the link up but an average of 92% pass completion with a total of just sixty-eight of the one hundred and eighty-five (36.8%) going forward tells me that even the added risk of the BPD(d) role still is keeping this lot from ‘launching defence splitting passes’ when it is, naturally, their longer balls that are unsuccessful. I don’t dislike Felix Passlack - far from it – but he’s just not disciplined enough to play a part in our defensive and early transitional phases, which prompted me into a different shape – a 4231 – against Furth’s 442. The IFB-BPD-HB will form a nice aggressive passing back three in transition and allow me to drop in the more creative Nduquidi, pushing Passlack high and wide. With the new elements of positional play, I’ll see more shapes like this, where Passlack and Kohler are wide right and Osterhage comes out to the left with Chibozo, leaving huge spaces for the Libero, Hajziri. Sadly, he’s also unsuited for this role really so it’s kind of a ‘six of one, half a dozen of another’ situation, although his limited passing will not necessarily catch us out in the same way as the aggressive forward movement of an IWB in the other shape. My reasoning for using a L(s) and a HB(d) is all around creativity and fluidity in movement, despite, essentially, creating the same shape as a traditional defender and a playmaker ahead of him would do. The HB(d) also gives me a more creative man in the first line of the build-up and, despite using Tillman as a SS(a) in this picture, I think it opens up space beautifully for a creative #10 to float around the centre of the pitch and look to receive the ball from the L(s). Also, using Alvarez as a T(a) means I open us up for more third man runs and it was one that brought the first goal, as Tillman tapped in from close range. Youngster Kohler had a penalty saved just after the hour mark but Konig, a late substitute, sealed the points from a nicely worked free kick in injury time. 0.48xGA from nine shots is a great return away from home, even if (penalty aside) we were somewhat profligate, scoring twice from our 2.88xG. All of a sudden, the shape feels less of a pipedream and more of a realistic outcome, even if I’ve just seen it once and against a flat 442 shape. Our winning streak ended with a draw at Kaiserslautern, where I’d argue that we were unlucky not to come away with three points. As a Villa fan, someone who follows Talking Tactics on X and someone who is currently trying to work out a double pivot in FM, this post really stuck with me and is quite similar to how I’m trying to set up, as seen by this still from the Aston Villa vs Chelsea game where Cash and Moreno are wide and Kamara is the third centre back. I am currently dropping Nduquidi into the backline, in a very Kamara-esque style, which allows Passlack to bomb on, in the same way that Matty Cash does. Despite their goal coming from an already ‘set’ defensive shape, the 1v1 in each defensive area is a worry as is the general issue that I feel this shape creates when there is a transition. Furthermore, you look at the heatmap/touch map of Passlack and Tillman and you’ll see that the WB(a) and IW(s) both occupied the same areas, which massively restricts our entries to the box and our passes in Zone 14. Our lack of central key passes and the fact that virtually none of our ‘passes lost’ come outside of the penalty area widths tells me that there are inconsistencies between my ideology of central play and the actual enacted tactical plan. For me, this is really pleasing to see that, just a game ago, I was nothing but positive about the shape but now, with more depth to my viewing knowledge and different opposition, I am feeling that it’s not quite what I want it to be. It's not bad. But just not right for me. With more thought of our 6,8 and 10 being too isolated, I went back to the drawing board for the Karlsruhe tie, using inverted wing backs again against their 442 shape. Bringing the HB(d) into the defensive line, again, allows me more creativity from the back but it was a little bit of a shoe-horn to get Passlack into that role. Lawrence struck early and Tchetchoua scored, on debut, to put us ahead of the side who started the day in fourth. They worked a central overload to get one back but we held on, again winning on xG and danger of possession. A mid-match change from HB(d) to DM(s), adding a L(s) and an IFB(d) instead of a BPD(d) and IWB(s) meant that our pass map was a little skewed but, again, it didn’t quite feel right. This time, it was Tillman who was virtually unknown throughout the game. Whilst these tweaks in roles are all well and good, I really need to settle on a style and build some familiarity with it! Wurzburger visited and we played with the same shape that the youth team use – the 433 with an IFB, BPD, BPD, IWB backline, allowing a box with the DM(s) and then the CM(a) and CM(s) ahead with Molina – on debut – entrusted with the AP(s) role on the right wing, where he played in the youth setup. We absolutely battered them and, had Tchetchoua not missed a penalty, we’d have won the game. It felt a little nicer and more balanced, but I am not overlooking the fact that our opponents are among the weakest in this division. Our combinations feel stronger but I really think that Passlack’s traits make him move wider and more aggressively than he should! Still unhappy with the player and role combinations, I played the same shape against Fortuna and escaped with a 1-1 draw despite conceding 4.04xGA – none of it from penalties! We then went on to win 2-0 against Keil with youngsters Molina and Tchetchoua netting early on, which is great for me but, again, I just messed around with shapes - an IWB(a) was used for the first time along with two HB(d) and all kinds of other things... STOP! I need to think about what my core principles are and how I want to play the game. I then need to rethink who I actually have at the squad who is good enough to get into the team and then I need to give it some time, with small match-by-match adaptations, not entire changes in shape! Another X post, below, caught my eye at the perfect time in this tactical minefield that I am going through: Let’s adopt the Hammarby approach, then… What do I want the play to look like? Calm build-up through numerical advantages in a 3-2 shape Progress the ball forward vertically through overloads in the centre of the pitch. Get the ball into and around zone 14. Run at the opposition defence and counter attack from turnovers in the middle third. Win the ball back through a solid defensive line rather than committing to duels. What metrics matter to me? 55% + Possession (league high is 58%) Progressive passes/90 (player high is 6.66 per game) High key pass: pass completed ratio High passes into the final third (league high is 90 per game) Dribbles/90 (league high is 14.64 per game) Open play xA (player high is 0.37 per game) Interceptions/90 (player high is 3.46 per game) Now I need to look at how I can create that with what I have. Reading this article outlines three basic ways that I can create the bottom half of my box whilst employing a 433 shape, the one that I feel is the most suitable for us when facing defensive turnovers. Both of the first two shapes would require an IFB and I think I have that in Adams or, lately through my experimentation, Kozic. When you compare their heatmap, you’ll see that, actually, the latter is more positionally suited to that role as Adams has demonstrated – on numerous occasions – that he’s still a flying wing back when the opportunity arrives. That would then leave a choice of either the Arteta method of Passlack cutting in as an IWB, Hajrizi moving up as an L(s) in the Guardiola method or Tillman or even Molina cutting inside as an AP(s) on the right wing in the Xavi method. Next, I have to consider whether I want to create a flat double pivot where my DM and an MC would sit alongside each other or the DM and either the IWB(s) or the L(s) or create a diamond where the DM(s) sits behind a combo of something like a CM(d) and CM(a), with Xavi’s inverted playmaker at the top. Right now, I think the players at my disposal suit the Xavi method. We are short at left back but I’ve been unable to source an optimal backup and Passlack’s aggressive nature does not lend itself to either an IFB or an IWB. Long term, I’d like to move away from this transitional style, maintaining my playing ethos but moving to either the Arteta or Guardiola method of box creation, as to not sacrifice creativity further up the pitch. With that thought in mind, the next job is to look at how the midfield works. I am, and always have been, loathed to play a shape that the AI cannot use and, as such, won’t move to changing the wide midfielder to a central one. I think I’ve covered most potential bases on how the midfield three could line up, with Molina/Tillman always being the AP(s) on the right wing. I think that I’d prefer the shape on the left, as I do prefer the box to the diamond as it allows for more space between the lines to move into. The traits of the three players: Nduquidi: dictates tempo, looks for pass, moves ball to right, stays back at all times; Osterhage: gets forward, looks for pass rather than attempting to score and Tillman: runs with ball through centre shouldn’t negatively impact this idea but my biggest concern is getting Molina (or whoever plays in that AP(s) role) to come centrally and create a box, or, realistically, a pentagon with the T(a) sitting atop it. We need to be making more inroads in zone 14 and progressing the ball through the middle of the park. Our scoring rate is poor and, without the height of a Target Man or the creativity of two wide men, I really need to just focus on creating situations where I have more players who can make things happen! That being said – results aren’t exactly bad! As you can see, we’re undefeated since I took over and moving up the table. We’re nailed on for another season at this level, at least, where I can really work on getting it right. My thoughts, since moving here and moving to, potentially, the last stop (country wise) within the game, is that I am going to be style over substance because I want to create something beautiful and, if that means another couple of years working through things, then so be it! --- With so much focus on getting it right tactically, the transfer window has somewhat passed us by. I was able to move on several high earners, in an attempt to give us some wiggle room but, sadly, none of that went into the actual budget and I was restricted to just the signing of Luca Podlech, a keeper who had played pretty well despite Schalke's demise over the last couple of years. It was important to find a keeper who is good with their feet and I think he fits the bill pretty well. My plans for the remainder of the season are to find something that works for me whilst I have Passlack - one of my best and most valuable players. At 30, however, I'll need to keep a close eye on what comes next, particularly as hot prospect Cherkaoui is of the IWB mould. I will also look at collecting some baseline team data so that I can begin to implement the Hammarby approach with both taking into account the match result and the match performance. A bit of a strange update and a much shorter match-spell than I anticipated or really even wanted but I got lost down a rabbit hole!

Thanks Jim! The original idea came from @BouFitty and he kindly shared the panel with me. I just thought of you when I saw it!

You can choose. Change value="attribute_bar" to value="attribute_label" for each attribute in person properties.xml (use Find and Replace in Notepad), reload the game and you've got it. My reasoning was that the colour scheme that I've created across the skin, doesn't look great on a darker background and I was unable to get boxes (like I have on the attribute panel) to look decent across these panels. That being said, I'm not entirely sure about it, myself and, as I also create data from it, find it a bit awkward to export so I may fully move back for a future release, anyway.

I love a wrong-footed AP out wide! Both of those lads look good and I’d rate Polo the highest - it’s just his Vision that’s holding him back maybe. He can carry the ball well and is agile and unpredictable!

Thanks both for the kind words! I guess I wasn’t quite ready for full attribute-less myself, either! The Attribute Hub has reinvigorated my game play again! Aware of both of these. I know the reason for the tactic one - it’s because I’ve added a container that ‘covers’ the popup. Never been able find a workaround though, sorry! Samadini was it? Thanks for the kind words about the skin and save! Will give you a worked method later when I’m in front of my laptop!

No. The image on the left - the Schalke game - has an IW(s) on the right wing. Tillman could do that job but I don't feel that we've got the necessary creativity anywhere else for us to use that in the first team. Plus, you can see that the AP(s) has pulled the IWB(s) closer to him, giving him more of the ball. For the youth side, Cherkaoui isn't bad - for his age and stage of development - on the ball but that does not suit Passlack's game and I don't need an excuse to pull him higher, despite his top speed which would, hopefully, aid his recovery. On the left, below, is the heat map of the IW(s) from the Schalke game and the right is the AP(s) from the Hulser game - very different applications of the ''wide right' role! I have the IW(s) to stay wider because it helps in the build up play but that isn't the case with the AP(s), who I want to get on the ball in the pockets of space between the lines and between the full back and centre back. Then, add that to the IWB(s) positioning, again with the left being against Schalke, and you see what it does, too: The playmaker invites more possession and occupation centrally but obviously I have to take into account that Passlack will get forward whenever possible and work the line more, despite that space already sometimes being filled by the IW(s). I've really got to consider this build up shape but, as with any new job for me, I want to work from the backline upwards, so will probably ignore the wide men for some time until I have become happy with my defensive shape and early transitional play. That, for me, always feels harder without my squad, particularly when some - if not all - of these defenders are really not the type that I'd want to be using. --- In theory, this should work! I know you can only have a Match Review on Match Day +1 so that brings into play the question of 'is it worth it?' or 'do I add that tough day on Match Day +2? If I go for the latter, those who haven't played will go through a Match Review and then a Recovery session, despite already being recovered. Therefore, if the below areas are already pretty solid, I could easily remove it. I then have to weigh up what is better for those that have played: I lose some of the benefits of increased condition but I regain sharpness much better...

I've really wanted to sit down and write some words about my initial thoughts around tactical and training development: from my attempt to mentor first teamers, U19 training units to how I plan to setup both sides on and off the pitch. Initially, I had hoped to be able to play quite a similar style to Elfsborg but it became abundantly clear, straight off the bat, that it wouldn't be possible. Previously, Bochum lined up in either a 442 or a 532 shape, neither of which I really feel allow me to demonstrate my tactical ideology that is made up of direct counter attacking play once spaces and avenues can be worked, with a big emphasis on fluidity of movement and positional overloads. The absolute lack of a left back means that my initial shape, whilst also a 433, feels quite different to how I ended in Sweden. I can create a 3-2 in build up, arguably my preferred style through an IFB and two centre backs, making use of the positional play elements, whilst allowing Passlack to get forward and inside down the right. He's wholly unsuitable to an inverted role given his attributes and traits, which isn't ideal for me, really but I've not yet been able to create a shape that allows for a really offensive wide full back but it is certainly on my list of things to do. To put it to the test, I invited Schalke for a behind-closed-doors kick about. The shape played out as a pretty basic 3-diamond-3/3-box-3 as I started with just the basic team instructions, those that can't really be altered by player roles: low crosses, play through the middle, counter and mid block with us balancing risk vs reward on a Balanced strategy. Honestly, it all felt a little vanilla and lacked a bit of inventiveness from my time at Elfsborg but that was to be expected, really. We scored three nice goals and conceded from a mix up in the penalty area from a corner, of which is being trained by a man also new to this job. I was expecting to win this game and win it well but there will certainly be a shift towards experimental shapes within this style as we go forward. Today I learnt that I am able to play different shapes for my senior and youth sides, by setting the first tactic as the one that the youth side use. Therefore, I can create a shape for my youth side that will both suit their needs, rather than fit into the needs of the first team but also to experiment and try new shapes that hopefully will allow familiarity in certain roles that they could play for me. My intention is to keep the same theme as my first team have - a 433 shape with a counter attacking element, therefore using roles that encourage dribbling and positivity. My first draft looks like this. I want to see if I can create a different pattern to the 3-2 build up, opting here, initially at least, for a 2-3 shape, with the DC and IFB forming the back two whilst the IWB and L join the DM in transition. I do feel that, given my knowledge of shape and how many vertices a square has, that this will not meet that objective of a box midfield, so I may look to use a HB as this project progresses. However, the intention is to then create spaces for the right winger, mainly Molina, who is my most creative player. I have really liked how a T plays so would like to continue with this role going forward even if I'm not quite able to yet use it in the first team. Like the first team, to test this new shape, my U19 team played a hastily arranged friendly against minnows Hulser SV. The opposition was pretty much irrelevant as I wanted to just explore how we do what I want us to do. The 4-0 result was great, as was 3.39xG at 0.10xG/shot and 65% of the ball. Individual performances were strong, too: Molina accrued 1.10xA in just forty-five minutes, whilst his replacement, Maier, then went on to accrue a further 0.71xA himself. Despite us lining up in a standard 433 shape, our OOP shape resembled a compact 4141, which is ideal for us to restrict space for our opponents. I was most interested in our build up play with the roles I've chosen. We start in a 2134 shape, as Thiede, the Libero, is slower at moving forward but are able to go one further than a box midfielder now; enter the pentagon! I'm not - honestly - completely sold on that shape and that is clear in a slower build up, where the CM(a) on the right side of midfield is too aggressive, pushing the left footed Tchetchoua out to the left hand side. My shoddily drawn diagram, where I swap over the two CM roles may allow the Cameroonian forward to move to the right but also continue to give as much space as possible for the AP(s) on the right wing, who is clearly the creative mastermind. It does make us rather narrow there as both players are left footed and are looking to come inside, particularly with an IWB behind them but I feel that the link up between and IWB(s) and a CM(s) on the same side will allow for easier verticality. It's just one match but there are some interesting observations already: Fischer looks great for his age and Weber broke the lines well with two chances and two key passes. However, it was the aggressive Kuhn, whose Decisions and Technique made him the standout, with seven key passes, four chances, a goal and two assists as often the most advanced player on the pitch. What is clear to me from these two games - one managed by me and one set up by me, that we are playing variants of the same style, which is exactly what I want: The left is the Schalke pass map and the right, as expected, is the more ball-heavy showing against Hulser. The back three, #3,#5,#4 makes a nice clear three, whereas, with the Libero as #5 in the second image, this build up becomes ever so more slightly staggered and gives me the opportunity to be more direct as a route to the number six, who remains a DM(s) in both shapes. The difference between an IW(s) and an AP(s) - left to right - is clear but that overload created by the AP/CM is nice, even if I want that with the creative striker rather than a runner, giving me more space centrally for a running midfielder to exploit. With two backs instead of three, the play spreads wider quicker and brings more combinations between my wide men, although the lower risk means that there are also more backwards passes there, too. From writing this down I can really see that one game is far too early to make wholesale tactical reactions as I barely know the players, their attributes and traits nor the opposition and their roles. What it has done is excited me for what I can create long term and focussed me on the how of 'how will I get my players better' - the key performance metric of any good coach. My squad will, all being well, develop and change considerably over the coming years, largely based upon the eight eighteen year olds I have in my youth team - for they will need to be moved on or into the first team squad at the end of this season, meaning that the timeframe for moulding and developing is really short. To ensure that I do my best here, I've spent some time looking at exactly what I want to develop with my youth players. Since going back to attributes, I can now create a nice average of each attribute value within my youth team to check progress and identify whether or not this plan is working, or not. Similarly to the squad building work done by @MattyLewis11, I have always been intrigued by youth attribute development and, with that, you naturally get a link to the Ajax model. I feel that our systems are hugely benefited by speed, technique and intelligence so - just like at Ajax - these are my foci at a formative age. For my youth sides, I'm going to taper the training across the week a little less than I would in the first team and will ensure specific focus on the areas that are key to the development of what we need: From my averaging, I am already aware that Technique is one of the strongest attributes, with an average of just shy of 12 across all players with only Determination, Stamina and Natural Fitness ahead of that - three fantastic things to see as neither really will grow during these times. At the other end, Corners, Long Throws and Penalties are weakest but my first whole squad area of weaknesses are Composure and First Touch, which both sit below 10. My plan, using the above schedules, with huge focus on Technical work, is to get the players comfortable on the ball as well as used to the kind of styles we play - Direct Attacking and Overlap being key to our offensive structures. This will, in my eyes, grow and develop as I really learn what works best but I must thank the German FA for the relatively easy scheduling, whereby, at this level, I only have to worry about Saturday games and can plan ahead and also bring in Saturday friendlies in empty weeks, without overworking players or disrupting micro-scheduling. Another element of change, this time stolen from @GIMN's PAOK save, is that I'll be changing the whole-squad additional focus each month. Many, many times have I read that foci are short term but, yet, have forgotten to change them for months if not years; therefore, the plan is to rotate between four: attacking movement, defensive movement, passing and ball control, for a total of three months each per year and see the impact that it has on their positional development and key skills. To help create rounded players, I'll use quite generic roles for their training - such as CF, RPM and BPD, looking to minimise any really weak areas before they enter the first team at just nineteen years old. Combine this with a monthly note that reminds me to praise and (hopefully not) criticise their performances, along with a three-monthly check in on their progress, should allow me to have a nice tight hold of the players I have in the youth sector of this side. Once a player reaches the first team, my work with them on the training pitch is around creating the best player I can - traits and roles are then considered plus an even tighter check in with discussions around performances every time they rate below 6.50 or above 7.50. The plan is to really get to know the personalities of the first team as well as create a fit and high morale squad that puts work in earlier in the week before tapering to match day, potentially even using a more aggressive Monday where those involved are rested. This is an area I have seen talked about in professional football but have never once tried to integrate into FM, mainly for fear of forgetting to do the resting! If a player has not exerted themselves over the weekend, then their sharpness and fitness will drop so some more intense training on a Monday may be beneficial to them. It's an area to really consider. Again, schedules here are built around the core needs: disengaged defending first before engaged defending, lots of shadow play and direct, overlapping attacking. The remainder of the sessions are filled in with needs around technical work and are streamlined with the upcoming opposition and, as such, the match preparation, in mind. --- I don't really know if this has come across as any more than just a stream of conscious thoughts; I haven't actually settled on a style for my first team nor my youth team but have just expressed an interest in keeping them following the same core ideologies, despite potential differences in roles as well as looking at how I can get the best from my youth development. Now, I need to put it into practice. Sort out the coaching staff, utilise the scouting team to build knowledge of the teams in this league (I use the Team Report feature for every 2.Bundesliga team to get a rough idea of ability etc) and fine tune a few things before we get going, for real...

Thanks @keysi and @danielgear for the help. @sammad50 - I hope you enjoy the skin!

I really like this! I don’t really like ‘that’ polygon but the idea is unique and it makes it feel all tied together.

I think you’ve got a great crop of youngsters here, Shrew. Some certainly aren’t far from first team minutes, in my opinion but - then again - my experience in lower reputation leagues probably makes that easier. Have you managed to use the system to create any funds yet or is it still too early in the process?