[[FM23] & [FM24] Ernst Happel Challenge - If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again]

10 minutes ago, SixPointer said:

Yeah it will definitely be used. But I don’t tend to use one out and out system. The plan will be over the summer to make a third system then I’ll have three systems. 

All three will have the same principles but will have subtle differences to cover all bases when coming up against certain opposition styles 

Seems like a smart move too. Interested to see what your third system will look like.

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

On 13/05/2023 at 06:44, 13th Man said:

First of all, brilliant write up, but if this quote doesn’t encapsulate Wengerball,  I don’t know what is. 90% of the time- brilliant. 10% of the time…toothless. And I say this as someone who fell in love with football largely because of  Wengerball.

Is there a way to create the same overloads on the flanks/channels so it’s better at shifting into other areas when the opponent has a DM or dedicated protector?

 

Thank you, much appreciated.

There are currently two things on mind:

1) One of the solutions is to employ more of a JdP approach when in the opposition box, but I feel as though this will take us away from Wengerball a touch. While it could prove to be effective, it is quite common to see such principles IRL and on FM. That's not to say that I dislike Positional Play, but rather I would like to do something slightly different to what I would usually have done in my previous saves. Still something to consider in any case.

2) Toying with the idea of a box rest-defence, while pushing both my fullbacks up. Doesn't necessarily mean that I'll have them wide and so I would have to further examine the types of players I have on the RHS/LHS to come up with an appropriate, but less predictable role combination.

In all of this, creating overloads in the channels and out wide, to underload the centre, will remain as one of the priorities ro diversify the attacking play.

On 13/05/2023 at 06:15, SixPointer said:

Excellent analysis of your playing style and game plans to identify what you need to improve upon!

With promotion bringing tougher opponents  i think it’s vital that you’ve done this deep dive into your system to prepare you best for what’s to come. 

On 13/05/2023 at 12:48, Hootieleece said:

Fantastic write up! I continue to learn more tactically from everyone else here than I learn in my own save. 

Thank you, I appreciate the words.

A lot of good reading material on game/tactical theory can be found online and on this forum too. It is quite fun absorbing/interpreting that knowledge, then attempting to apply it in Football Manager.

[[FM23] Born to Run - A Journeyman’s Escape from America - AC Milan]

15 hours ago, 13th Man said:

press and pass and see what happens.  Our fundamental philosophy has not changed in that we…don’t have one

Agreed that a philosophy must be set out. In this day and age, you'll get found out pretty quickly by opposing teams if you don't have a clear intent in playstyle behind which all your personnel can get behind. 

[[FM23] & [FM24] Ernst Happel Challenge - If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again]

Regarding the double pivot, I am also lately employing the first combination you have described in my 4231 DM system. A SV & A works really well in shielding the back four. 

Your choice of RPM/BWM is interesting. What is the thinking behind the BWM-S?

 

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

Post-Season Interlude: “Know where you stand when times are changing”

Note: This post is relatively long, so if you prefer, there is a summary of the purpose of this post in the end. 

So, where should I begin? A dream season with a fantastic ending comes to a close. It was a much more tense final than I would have liked, but on the other hand, it did bring some much-needed excitement to play and write up about Chemie Leipzig. I have achieved the first phase of this save – to turn professional through promotion to the 3. Liga.

A new dawn rises over the distant extremity of this Earth, as we look on to the next season. But before that, a post-season evaluation is in order.

My main reason to include a post-season evaluation is to analyse where we are now and where we would like to find ourselves in a season’s time. I didn’t normally play like this, but the level of detail which some users here play at made me think as to how I play this game myself. Of course, there are casuals amongst you reading this, as well as die-hard players, fixated on the very fine depths of the game. And while the detail I would like to go into may slow down my game progress, as if I didn’t have much time to play FM already, I recently found myself liking to get into the thick of thorough analysis of performance, occurring at regular time intervals, whether that be every half/full season. I find a lot more satisfaction knowing that my solutions had adequately addressed a problem. But I won’t go too much into depth, as everything is fine within its own limit, I suppose.

Now, onto the main bit of the post.

I think the end-of-sesaon review is a generally decent feature on Football Manager, don’t get me wrong. It does things that many would like to see. Summary of what the board thinks of you, your signings, your fan base’s opinions on your players, best goals, greatest moments, and the like. It provides a nice, brief summary on your season and how well you may have played over the past 12 months. It helps with the overall flow of the game – it isn’t too overwhelming to slow down your in-game progress, but not too shallow, depending on the user, for it to be skipped entirely. 

But it isn’t exactly what I am searching for. Not this time at least. I want to see why we did as well as we did, what needs to be improved upon and what we can do to address problem areas. As I see it, the best way to do this is to surf through the whole season in general, crunch some numbers, and draw conclusions.

So that is what we are going to do from this point onward.

Please do keep in mind that it is very difficult to identify overall problems, especially if a team has as good of a season as we had. I tried my best here to identify weaknesses based on overall observations from a collection of games. Bear in mind that I could have missed something too, as the analytics side of this game is enormous, and it would be hard for me to make some sort of judgement, especially considering that I am relatively new in this area of the game.

Firstly, its important to set out what we are looking for. And here, I should reference an earlier post of mine, where I covered the tactical setup for this season.

On 27/05/2022 at 20:02, haier_fm said:

This aids us a lot when playing from out the back, manipulating space, seeking the extra yard of green to exploit. Lots of triangles in our half and in front of the ball, lots of possible combinations where one touch football should thrive - this forms part of the basis in interpreting Wengerball. 

To be more precise though, throughout the course of this season, the tactical objective was to :

-          Achieve fluid, high tempo football + Create a vast array of chances (reflected through xG (yes, it isn’t brilliant)) (Covered in this post)

-          Become defensively secure. (Covered in next post)

These are very general and vague objectives to meet. However, it is just an overarching philosophy, which will be worked and refined upon for next season.

Closer to the point - did we achieve these tactical objectives? As I continue to delve into the numbers, such analysis will be based on observations, backed up by data.

Before we delve deeper, for the sake of laying down the context as to where we stand tactically, here is an xG table highlighting our general performance.

From a numerical standpoint, the xG table, for once, roughly matches our final standing in the league. I won’t delve into xPTS, as xPTS, in my opinion, is the product of the quality of our game, just expressed as numbers. Rather, I intend to focus on the two tangible parts of the game – defensive actions and attacking threat, through a brief look at the xG and xGA

On the defensive side, we conceded 26 goals all season, averaging about 0.68 AG per 90, which meant that we conceded more-or-less every other game we had played. This was roughly the same as our xGA numbers relative to the rest of the league, beaten only by Cottbus. But, according to the league table, we were the best defensive side in the league.

With xG, I will not comprehensively describe the obvious (our xG and actual goals standing). Instead, what I will say is that I find it curious that we underperformed our xG. I recognize that xG can skew and distort itself depending on the quality of chance presented, but it remains as fact – we had created good enough chances to put away more than we did.

As a result, as for general context (the foundation of our analysis), our performance indicates this:

-          Best defence in the league, xGA and AG wise.

-          Not the best attack in the league, but one of the best (as hinted by both the league and the xG table data)

Now, we pose the question, how well did our tactical principles work? And I’ll do so considering the brief conclusions made above, while picking apart a couple of games where it is most obvious.

Achieving High Tempo, Fluid Football + Create a Vast Array of Chances

“Not the best attack in the league, but one of the best (as hinted by both the league and the xG table data)”

Despite the obvious, flattering numbers, I still felt as though we didn’t demonstrate our full attacking potential during parts of the season. After all, while the difference between our two halves of the season is close, we had performed worse on paper post-Winter break, which made the league a lot closer than what it should have been. It could have been down to the opposition defences adapting to our standing in the league, or it could have been us misfiring. My job here is to see why and how we can combat this issue when moving into the next season.

Before the winter break:

After the winter break:

What we did well:

My thinking behind our playstyle was to have the front 4 all converge into the centre, introducing a wide range of passing possibilities and combinations. I feel as though the trademark of Wengerball was the proximity of players to one another when in the final third and the willingness to move and create extra space through quick, sharp passing. And the following is a sequence of just that from our 4-0 win against Lok Leipzig earlier this season.

Example 1:

For reference, the Lok is in yellow, we are the team in green.

What you see here is a situation where we recuperate the ball in our half through our No.3. As we have the ball in our defensive half, the No.2 (LB) tucks in, while the No.17 (AM) drops deeper to form a hexagonal shape. Even though the ball is far from the opposition box, you could see the overload (6v2) in the middle, with our players moving closer to the ball carrier, offering options. Admittedly, Lok do not seem to be pressing that high, preferring to give us space and instead compress the space past the halfway line, which is ideal for how we play.

Take note of the markers of our No.11 (ST)

After a lay off to the No.2, the Lok press activates, marking the closest options available. While this does restrict space, it means that we can look to manipulate the space through No.17, No.8 and No.5, creating 3 passing options for the player in possession.

The No.11 is still being heavily marked, but as with the other 3 marked players in the middle, he can also move laterally to open up space for others to run into.

No.2 passes it to No.8, who drives into the space vacated by No.17 by pulling his marker from a central area into a wider one, where the opposition marker can be less useful. Notice that by driving the ball centrally, the No.8 has caused the right-hand side of the defensive line to move apart, giving plenty of space for our No.14 to run into, either blindside, or into the pocket.

No.11 still holds his run, in anticipation of No.8’s movements.

As No.8 carries the ball forward, he lays it off to No.11, who gives it back to him in a wider area, which has again, vacated space in the middle. Notice the overall setup of Lok’s defence, very narrow and tight, all contained within the light-green box in the middle. Usually, such types of defences would be very difficult to break down, because of the lack of space in the central areas, which we prefer to exploit. I’ll explain the reasoning behind this just below, but due to the movements between No.8 and No.11, there appeared to be a massive opening for our No.14 and No.11 to run into and have a shot at goal.

Why was this all happen?

While they did indeed defend tightly and preferred a man marking scheme, it proved to be worthless. The reason for this is due to our well-timed movement off and on the ball. Another reason we succeed here is because there is no-one from their team that is directly responsible for ‘the hole’ (the area between their CBs and CMs). So try as they might to contain us, as there was no clarity in who was defending the central zones behind their midfield, we exploited it and played some very good football in this game. It plays into our hands, as we prefer to get to the zones outside the 18-yard box, look for quick combinations, and hopefully find one of our players in the box with a clear opportunity to score

Example 2:

A similar example is seen from our game against Hertha II, where we came out as 2-1 winners.

Again, while the shape is different, they still had a problem in defending ‘the hole’.

Just to show you how well our attacking play worked here again, notice the markers on No.17 and No.24. Another man oriented defending scheme, which we countered with great effect.

Our No.8 with the ball has a lot of options here.

1)      A quick give-and-go with the No.24 to drag his marker and open even more space for our fullback, No.2 to run into, where No.14 will run blindside into the box to meet a potential cross

2)      A direct ball into space for the No.2 to run into

3)      A ball into No.11, where he can combine with the onrushing No.5, or the centrally positioned No.17, or swivel and pass it onto No.14’s path.   

This is where we reign supreme, whenever we are afforded space and time and have enough support going forward. While we do focus on central play, the overloads in the middle cause the opposition to bring their own players into that area, which causes huge underloads with vast areas of space out wide.

No.8 lays it off to No.24, who quickly gives it round the corner to No.17. And as that happens, we momentarily create space. Notice the two blindside runners attacking the space in behind the defenders. A simple ball into space will cut through their straightened defensive line, where either of our attackers can have a shot on goal.

Watching some of the goals we had managed to score this season gives shades of Wengerball. At times, it was a frustrating watch, but more often than not, I felt as though 90% of the time we managed to achieve what we set out to do.

What we didn’t do well:

Sides that defended deep or had one designated player to patrol the space between the lines made it difficult for us to attack the way we liked. Moreover, we struggled to break down teams that settled in a narrow, aggressive low-block, who quickly closed down space we had created. Despite the prowess of our front 4, our attacks were often funneled through Tarik Reinhard and Tom Gruendling (or whoever replaced them in the LCM and AM stratas). We thrived in attack because of their ability to progress the ball forward into the opposition half. Sometimes, when this wasn’t possible, the team did not do enough to support the two players.

Here is one of the more dangerous instances in our 0-0 draw against Lichtenberg.

Nice overload of the left side gives plenty of space on the right side for an eventual switch and runs into space. No.8 (Reinhard) and No.17 (Gruendling) occupy the same space. Some other managers would prefer to avoid such situations. But the essential principle in Wengerball is to have key players in close proximity to be able to play through tight spaces through slick passing.

Furthermore, we overload to underload. That is to have a noticeable numerical presence on one side of the pitch to force the opposition to gravitate to the compressed area and leave behind key space.

So I was fine with what I was seeing. Not all the time do players have to occupy different spaces.

We play out, and play out very slowly, as a passing sequence finds a favourable position for us. Reinhard has multiple options to consider. Just need a quick snappy switch to catch the opposition off-guard to gain an advantage.

But by the time we get the ball to the right side, Lichtenberg managed to shift their players in time to cloze out all of the previously available zones. We had a similar situation against Lok Leipzig, but Reinhard and Mvibudulu managed to create space despite being marked heavily by the opposing players. Here, the scenario is slightly different where it isn’t as certain where we would like the ball to end up.

And as a consequence, the No.14 takes on his man round the outside in the end. By that time, the Lichtenberg defence managed to shift across once again and pushed our player with the ball outside. There seems to be no real viable option for a cross to other than the No.11, who waits for the ball into the box.

The cross is blocked however, and we spurn a good chance. We couldn’t muster up with a better opportunity for the rest of that game.

The aggressive, organized defending by our opponents seemed to put us off at times. While this isn’t as bad of a problem I make it out to be, it is something worth considering. The simple solution here is to rethink our strategy if it indeed starts to severely inhibit our attack. Have sudden crosses from deep, or play a more direct, riskier game. But for now, that solely depends on the situation of the game.

In addition, this creates a pattern of our ability in front of goal. As we are a team that focuses on getting to the zones just in front of the box, we can sometimes be easy to defend against. You can see this when we compare the passes received by all of our forward line in our 4-0 win against Lok Leipzig and 0-0 draw against Erfurt

Just to be sure that it isn't our quality of passing that lets us down, I decided to have a look. After having seen the passing numbers, I concluded (despite Dennis Mast's poor passing percentage vs. Lok), that it isn't so much about the quality of our passing between the attacking quartet...

The passing statistics against Erfurt

The passing statistics against Lok Leipzig

...but instead which areas they were all most active in

Passes received vs. Lok Leipzig

Passes received vs. Erfurt

While the difference between the two seems minimal, notice how our forwards received the ball slightly deeper in-field in our 0-0 draw against Erfurt. There is a certain lack of passes received in the zones we want our forwards to have the ball. Instead, against Erfurt, because we were not able to be active in the desired areas, we naturally moved towards the wings. This had reduced the probability of generating a good chance to put away. Why? Because they simply defended those zones well. We couldn’t access the areas where we can become potent, as Erfurt had kept more of the ball, worked to win it back and if they were not successful, they settled into an aggressive low-block to prevent our players from playing in front of their 18-yard area. Instead, we were funneled down their sides, where we were a lot less effective. It is more something to keep an eye on, rather than make dramatic changes.

Though generally speaking, if our attack becomes blunt, we rely on chance rather than controlling our own destiny. By that point, it becomes a question of how long our defence holds out against the opposition. Considering that we are facing a step-up in class, that question will become quickly answered if we do not come up with an appropriate solution in time.

How can we address this:

1)      Prioritise an upgrade at AM. Someone who can be adept in their movement in tight spaces.

2)      Adjust the role of the striker, depending on the type of player we have there. While Mvibudulu is decent as a DLF, he is suited to breaking the last line, more as an AF or Poacher, rather than link up with everyone else. Something to consider.

3)      Ask one of the wingers to stay narrow. Again, to allow some sort of combination with the central players.

4)      Encourage our wider players to attempt crosses from deep.

In conclusion, while we did perform really well in the final third over the course of the whole season, this was mainly due to our successful use of the zones around the 18-yard box. When we did not have access to them, we didn’t perform well and were short in supplying chances to score. We weren’t as good when pushed out to the wings, which is understandable. However, it does seem like a good time to readjust our strategy – to not be too fixated on the areas around the box.

At the end of this all though, it makes me wonder - did I just type up around 3000 words just to conclude that we may need to “Hit Early Crosses” more often?

Perhaps.

NEXT POST: Analysis covering on becoming defensively secure.

 

[OstDeutscher Sieg | East German Victory]

Good start! Now it is all about maintaining consistency from one game to the next. 

With 13 games in, are you set on a tactical setup, or still experimenting game-to-game?

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

23 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Congrats on Promotion! 

I am impressed with your writing style as well. It is something I aspire to but never get quite right in my CU's. 

Cheers! A writing style develops over time, just got to keep at it. 

18 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Good to have you back, congrats on promotion, and always love a good narrative. It’s the end of the beginning now - onto the beginning of the middle!

Thank you! Beginning of the middle indeed, but it begs the question of how long the middle may last!

[Allez Les Verts - The Attempted Resurrection of St-Étienne]

Good choice of club and I like your writing style too.

KUTGW!

[OstDeutscher Sieg | East German Victory]

Good to see people delving into the rabbit-hole of East German football. 

Looking forward to the next post!

[[FM23] El Caballero Pálido (Manchester United, 2029/30)]

On 13/04/2023 at 03:46, GIMN said:

(New season, new approach - I'll be covering longer periods of time and usually with a focus on a specific topic rather than going through events in every game.  There is an interactive dashboard with Match Reports, Player Performance, etc... all in one place which I'll be linking to throughout the post)

As with our transfer activity, where we looked to make the marginal gains required to push the squad to the next level, the summer was also about making those tweaks to our tactical approach that will help elevate us to Champions League glory.  Whilst we were difficult to beat, due to our back 3 and screening anchor, and able to dominate most teams in possession, we did struggle against the bigger teams.  There should be no major surprises there - those teams are filled with talented players and guided by elite coaches - and they will expect to beat us just as much as we expect to beat them.  Nonetheless, we need to be able to adapt whilst remaining true to the concepts that we value.  It would be good to revisit those:

- Dominate possession, exhibiting patience with the ball
- Have confidence to play within tight spaces
- Prioritise players with intelligence, trusting in their qualities

Whilst we need to be conscious of those principles, first it helps to identify when and why the tactic has worked and, of course, not worked. 

(Click image for tactical instructions)

Our primary formation is a 3-5-2, with the Mezzala and False 9 working in tandem to create the box shape to help us have numerical supremacy in central areas.  We look to play narrow, so whilst the wing-backs will provide width they are not necessarily hugging the touchline.  This positioning also helps us to move between the channels as necessary.  If we switch the play to a specific flank, it is easy for us to shift across and create overloads in the half spaces.  It can, however, lack penetration.  Unlike the 3-box-3 formations we are starting to see become more commonplace in the real world, especially those utilising inverted wing-backs, our wide players are not contributing as much in terms of crashing the box.  This puts the onus on the mezzala and false 9 to be both transitional players - creating the central box - and goal threats.

In our 4-1 demolition of Newcastle last season, we saw the benefits of this approach.  As can be seen above, Hannibal was able to drop into the hole to receive the ball, and doing so he garnered the attention of both of Newcastle's centre-backs.  Had Rashford been able to stay onside this would've been a goal.  It is indicative of how things have worked for us.  When Hannibal or Anthony were able to find space, it messed with opponents' defensive structure and we reaped the rewards.  It is, however, quite an easy thing to counter.

In the Champions League final defeat against PSG we saw a lot of this situation, where Hannibal would try and drop into the hole but would be well marshalled by Guillamon at the base of their midfield.  The extra attention allowed the defence to hold it's shape better, and also created opportunities for the rest of the team to press Hannibal quickly.  As a result, we would lose possession in the final third a lot more frequently, or we'd find our false 9 drifting out wide to get on the ball.  Whilst the latter is not necessarily a bad thing, the rest of the tactic isn't built around that movement and so the support structure isn't in place.

It is likely no coincidence that when up against elite defensive midfielders we struggled, and we need to find a way to be able to bypass the opposition pivot.  As simple a solution as it is, this means being more variable in our width.

By being able to switch to a wider formation, we can consider the support structures alongside it.  Wingbacks being instructed to stay wider and a return to the wide centre-back allows us to have options when the ball reaches the mezzala or false 9.  Ultimately we are widening the support area between those two players, and as such we are not going to be able to dominate in central areas as easily.  The opportunity to progress the ball between the corner of the box (DLP and MEZ, for example) are going to become harder and more risky.  We will also lose the counter-pressing strength that comes from having a lot of players in a tight area when we lose possession.  As a result, this is not a wholesale change, but a situational one for specific games or specific moments within a game.

The new season threw up a couple of challenging opening fixtures, which will allow us to put these ideas in practice - the Community Shield fixture against Liverpool, and a very short away trip to Man City.

A wonderful example of the wider formation in action.  When Mladenović picks up the ball, Sancho pulls out to the right hand side, whilst Güler peels away from his marker Konate to head out towards the left half space.  Konate is now in a proverbial no-man's land allowing Sancho to run at Virgil Van Dyke.  With Van Dyke having to engage, it creates the angle for Sancho to play in Rashford...who was marginally offside.  I still don't agree with that decision - the final image is just after the ball is played, and he looks level to me!  Whilst this didn't result in a goal, that didn't stop us from running out 3-1 winners on the day and retain the Community Shield.

We can see this in play again against Man City.  Sancho doesn't just drop deep, but also drifts wider, taking up a wonderful spot in between 4 Man City defenders.  Rodri has a lot of ground to cover to engage, and that allows him to play it across the field to Güler who, just like in the Liverpool example before, had split out wide as we pushed forward.  He breaks inside to receive the pass, and because of his wide position, he is being tracked by City's right back, Cancelo.  This means that Güler has an extra step on his defender, who desperately lunges in.  Güler is away and able to play in Rashford, who somehow conspired to find the outstretched leg of Ederson rather than the back of the net.

The extra width doesn't just help us when Sancho drops deep.  We are starting to see him as an outlet in the channels more often.  This might be a result of his natural inclination as a winger, compared to someone like Hannibal.  This is massive for me, as that area inside the box - between the outside edge of the 6-yard box and the inside edge of the 18-yard box - is an area I want to see us attack often.  There is a lot of stress placed on defending the width of the 6-yard box so, by extension, that area just outside becomes the easiest part of the area to enter.  Once you're in the box, defenders have to be more cautious as a mistake can lead to a penalty, and so if we can get into that area often we have a good chance of creating problems.  As can be seen above - which was our opening goal in a 4-2 victory - Sancho's run has put Ederson into a bind, and his decision to come out allows a simple square ball for Rashford to give us the lead.

Naturally, it is not without risk.  As mentioned before, the additional width means we are less effective in the counter-press, and Man City were able to equalise almost immediately after a swift transition allowed Haaland to run the outside of Lacroix at the heart of our defence.  This does mean that sometimes we will look to become more compact in possession when defending a lead to help allow us to stay compact out of possession.  This is kind of counter-intuitive, as a possession based team might be more inclined to try and reduce the tempo and stretch the play in order to tire out the opposition who will be desperate to chase the game.

It is probably a good opportunity to spotlight Jadon Sancho, who has taken to the False 9 like a duck out of water:

(Click image for player profiles)

We can see that his astonishing xA of 0.48 shows just how devastating he's been in this role.  If it hadn't been for some...umm...interesting finishing from Rashford he would have more assists.  More importantly, he is also scoring at a rate which vindicates our decision to let Anthony go.  He is not alone, we have absolutely wracked up the goals so far this season, averaging 3 goals per game.  18 games in and Rashford tops the scoring charts with 14 in all competitions, with Leo Meinel not far behind on 10.  Güler is also benefitting from the changes, as he is on pace to reach double figures for the first time in his career.

Here is an illustration why.  As mentioned before, the additional width sees him push out towards the left early in transitional periods which tends to make it difficult for the opposition full-back to tuck inside too much.  The first image shows the two widest players as Meinel (playing as a False 9) and Güler.  What we've lost in support distance between the two of them, we've gained in space for others.  Henry Smith plays it short to the marked Christian Eriksen, who is able to play it into the hole to Rashford.  That pulls the defender away and creates the space for Güler to run into en route to a 3-0 win over Brentford.

Whilst there's a lot of talk here about playing wide, the narrow approach has still been very effective, especially against teams fielding a 4-4-2.

Another 3-0 win, this time at Everton's expense, and maybe my favourite goal of the season so far.  It's not spectacular, but Rashford playing as a False 9  this time out peels off his defender beautifully to drop into the hole, and that creates the space for Endrick to break into the gap he leaves behind.  This is the type of goal that the tactic was designed for, and it's very satisfying when it comes off.

Results-wise, it's been an unmitigated success; winning all 18 games through to the end of October.  As for game plan, not quite as successful.  A comeback 3-1 win against Nottingham Forest was a mistake where we'd started wide and got punished on the break.  Whilst an immediate equaliser helped get us back into the game, it was the half-time change to a narrower approach that bore fruit.  Another 3-1 win, against Bayern Munich, was possibly our worst performance of the season.  Two late goals flattered us and shows that we still have a lot to learn.

(Click image for match reports)

Despite our incredible form, we are not top of the league.  Liverpool have been equally impressive, and hold a 3 point lead courtesy of playing one mroe game.  We scored 3 times against them in the Community Shield and that seemed to be enough of a motivator for them to decide they never want to concede again - having kept clean sheets in each of their 12 league games this season.  It's going to be one hell of a contest!

Just to let you know that I am following this thread, albeit slightly behind on updates. But what a terrific write-up here. Everything documented to the most miniscule of details. I would love to be able to do something like this, but I tend to get too carried away with one aspect (i.e. Tactical analysis, appropriate number crunching) and get too overwhelmed by it. 

It will take me a while to catch-up, but I am looking forward to seeing how the save and Iniesta's managerial career develops. 

KUTGW!

[[FM23] & [FM24] Ernst Happel Challenge - If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again]

Will take me a long time to get up to date, but its interesting to see you struggle against sides who attack down the wings. I found this to be an issue with all 3ATB formations I have tried.

I dig your role flexibility in the middle and final third - I find its a good indicator of how well your principles of play are organised. Especially if you're achieving your tactical goals against sides of different calibre. While the results aren't there yet, but from what I gather (now, I could be wrong here), you've only joined Liege fairly recently. So such form is to be expected while you get all the necessary personnel on and off the pitch. 

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

On 17/01/2023 at 04:31, DavidBeckham said:

What a title race we have here! Good luck for the season end mate!

Apologies for the late reply, but thank you. Luck ended up being needed at the most crucial point in the season. 

11 hours ago, SixPointer said:

First of all. Nice to have you back. I love your writing style and team choice I really have missed it! Everytime I read It I fancy doing a German save!

secondly congratulations on the title and more importantly promotion!

Thank you, it means a lot, as always. Writing in this style takes some time and energy, but I am really happy with how each update turns out in the end. I have been away from this forum for a very long time, due to life demands, but I hope I can keep being active at least somewhat regularly. 

The title was a very long wait, I thought we would have had it wrapped up during the first season. Managed to do it in 2 in the end, and even then it was very, very tight. Turns out competing in the same league as what I see a professional club in Cottbus is a lot more difficult than expected, especially when you only have one promotion spot (which didn't result in direct promotion this season, German 4th tier has its own quirks). 

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

Leipzig, 203x

-…and history has taught us many times of its importance and of its recognition. We have a very proud, passionate fanbase for as long as I was here as manager of BSG Chemie Leipzig. My colleagues, players and those who came down to watch us play have become one enormous family. We go through thick and thin. Gut-wrenching defeats, moments of euphoria, tearful departures and hopeful dawns. I don’t know how the others feel about this club, but such times form the core of the journey, the core of our current success and the core of Chemie’s identity. There is no other club like us that boasts with such a rich and eventful history, all accumulated across the years gone by. Our story during the GDR cast in iron, the post-reunification years where we struggled, an eventual revival of our fortunes, starting from the lows of the Regionalliga, the narrow loss in the title race in my first season here, to the very recent highs of the UEFA Champions League. I think every person can identify themselves with our story, the Chemie story. After all, we have formed a community over the years, and I am extremely proud of that. I felt, and still feel, well appreciated throughout my time here, and I don’t think I could see myself moving elsewhere, even if the likes of Real [Madrid], Bayern, AC Milan approach me tomorrow. Chemie Leipzig is my home, and I am determined to bring success for years to come. The path we are currently taking has not finished just yet. I just hope we can continue writing chapters in der Chemiker folklore by being successful on, and most importantly, off the pitch.”

Petr’s eyes, behind the large, circular frames of his spectacles, flick toward the half-full glass of water, stood on top of the coffee table beside him. After passionately talking for so long, his body cried out for some hydration. He realised this only once he finished speaking.

Petr’s frame was comfortably placed in a deep, sunken armchair. The room was dark and let no echo bounce off the walls; the padding did an excellent job to fulfill its purpose. After all, he is in the studio room of the of the national telebroadcaster, so it shouldn’t be a surprise for Petr that the acoustics were beyond what he had ever experienced when taking interviews from journalists across the continent. Yet, as he told the story of his beloved club, BSG Chemie Leipzig on a fine September evening of 203x, Petr felt as though the story had an even greater meaning, considering his struggles and moments of greatness throughout his long, arduous managerial career.  

The interviewer sat in front of him, with an ear piece gently hidden behind her strands of hair, eager to continue.

-You mentioned about your most recent success on the continental scene and your loyalty towards your employers, she started by saying. But, throughout your tenure, was there ever a moment you thought about potentially moving elsewhere, at the expense of the project you started to build?

Petr chuckled at the question. He knew this was going to come up at some point. He itched his brow before starting. 

-Well, feelings always change depending on circumstance, time and opportunity. It’s just part of human nature, isn’t it? And don’t get me wrong, I am no exception to that rule. At times like these, different challenges are meant to be overcome. For me, it was always important to give it my all to the Chemie fanbase. Sometimes, it came at the cost of my own well being, getting to such an extent that I was considering retirement very early on. My managerial career took an extreme toll on my family and professional life at the time, especially after my first season. The way the second half of 2022/23 was going, and with the fresh memories of the year prior, I thought that this wasn’t for me. Despite my love for the players, for the club, for the game, I wasn’t doing so well mentally. I had doubts whether continuing management was my path in life….

Petr broke eye-contact with the interviewer and the huge, imposing camera lens directed at him. He stared at the cream-coloured carpet covering the dark floor of the room instead, as he filtered through the memories of the last few weeks of that season…

*****

May '23

With just 6 points up for grabs till the season’s end, Chemie Leipzig found themselves within reach of a long-awaited Regionalliga Nordost title. But for every feel good story, there is always the antagonist, who does his all to ruin the plot and affect the events that may follow soon after. Energie Cottbus take the form of the villain here. 2 points are all what separate the two sides in what looks like an increasingly tense battle for the throne.

Cottbus had the upper hand coming into the season finale, for they had to conquer Meusselwitz on their turf, before a celebratory trip to already relegated Fuerstenwalde. Every amateur pundit, football expert, and fan had predicted the financially superior competitor to triumph yet again, as they had the more favourable run-in at the season’s end.

Leipzig, meanwhile, were left feeling underwhelmed at their own performance in the last game against Halberstadt. That was the chance to go top, and they knew they blew it. Cottbus looked undefeatable, rolling at an insane momentum, which meant that it was almost impossible to catch them, let alone climb above them with such little time left. Even Petr, who watched the groundsman repaint the pitch from the clubhouse, while it poured down from the grey clouds above, felt deflated. The run-in was against them; two challenging ties against two fierce opponents. Lowly Babelsberg were not to be underestimated, while Chemnitzer away is always a game full of nasty surprises, regardless of relative league position.

BSG Chemie Leipzig – SV Babelsberg 03, 6/5/23

On a wet afternoon, Chemie welcomed lowly Babelsberg in what would prove to be the turning point of the season. Were they to lose here, a simple Cottbus win would see title prospects disappear for the second year running. While buoyed by the famous home crowd, Petr and his men seemed tense, as chance after chance had gone begging. Only after Timo Mauer’s strike, just before the break, from a cute angle, had the manager blow a slight sigh of relief. After half-time, the game was all about strengthening the superior position. As Chemie repeatedly pounded on the door of the opposition defence, the game concluded through a sublime, long-range effort from Max Kessler on the 65^th minute to seal the 3 points for Chemie Leipzig and take their season tally from 74 to 77.

An enormous cheer from the Chemie faithful accompanied the post-match rituals, for in the other game, the seemingly invincible Cottbus had dropped points to Meusselwitz, unbelievably falling to a defeat at home.

Which meant that the title would either be lifted in Chemnitz, or in Fuerstenwalde.

Chemnitzer FC – BSG Chemie Leipzig, 13/5/23

Thus, on a sunny glorious Saturday afternoon, Chemie travelled down south to be hosted by Chemnitzer. A tough game, as already mentioned, sat waiting for Havlicek. The title would be his and his team’s if they were to take all the 3 points on offer. A Chemie win and nothing else satisfied, as the team took to the pitch, reinvigorated by the prospect of playing professional football for the first time since 1991.

In a tight and scrappy affair, entertainment was low on offer, for the title candidates were tense and nervous throughout the first 45 minutes. Cottbus were unable to open the contest in their game, which meant that it was still advantage Leipzig. Der Chemiker were just 45 minutes away from the title and potential promotion. However, after half-time, pressure on the away side remained, as Cottbus opened the scoring in their game and further increased their lead to two, while it remained 0-0 down in Chemnitz.

*****

…sitting dazed in a long train of thought, Petr looked up once again to glance at the interviewer, then stared straight down the middle of the camera lens. He was back in the studio again. Physically, not mentally. 

-Chemnitzer away was one of the most memorable fixtures in my life. I think it was only then, had I realized coaching was my life. It sort of all clicked then. It was, if I remember correctly, a boring draw. A drab match in all honesty, but that is what you got with Chemnitzer whenever you played on their turf. Feisty battles for the second ball, horrid tackles, and a visible accumulation of fouls from both sides. We were swept away by the fervent home, Chemnitzer crowd. We were getting frustrated too, all of those chances we squandered. We knew a goal was coming, but we didn’t just know when…

*****

80^th minute. Cottbus were home and dry with their 2-0 lead. As it were then, the title headed to Fuerstenwalde, to crown Cottbus as champions of the league, much to the hypothetical despair of the Chemie Leipzig faithful. However, as Timo Mauer found himself just by the corner of the opposition box, taking the ball past his opponent, the sight of goal dawned upon the winger. From a sharp angle, a tricky, firm strike slipped past the keeper’s gloves and into the net. Just like that, the floodgates creaked open under the roar of the passionate away support.

A tense and gripping final 10 minutes followed, during which, Chemie came ever so close to letting the lead slip. However, right before the game’s death, as an incisive team move had found Damir Bektic open, the strike sent the ball crashing against the underside of the crossbar and over the goalline. Chemie were 2-0 up…

*****

-I couldn’t believe it when Damir had struck that ball as sweetly as he did then. It was a move we had practiced on the training ground before the game, and I had full faith that our scheme, our preparation was sufficient to conquer our nerves. But we came ever so close that day to losing the title yet again, despite all our efforts. For a moment, it seemed as though the task of getting this club into the professional scene was unrealistic. Nevermind the team, the players or the fans, I was personally very close to ending my career just there and then.

The interviewer, who sat patiently while Petr rambled on in his armchair, picked out the perfect time to pose a question.

-So to summarise, it was that Chemnitzer game which had decided your career pathway? Isn’t that slightly, how should I put it, naïve? Slightly non-sensical maybe?

-Of course. I am a perfectionist by nature and was a very results-oriented person. I am an idealist in a way. I tend to get carried away whenever I am involved something close to my heart, so in any failures I encouter, the result would affect my mental health. And I agree, from the outside it does look slightly stupid to hear someone say that two back-to-back failures would put off an individual from their profession. But, I was there when this all happened, and I am just sharing my side of the story, I suppose. It feels different when you're in the thick of it all, even if only on the sideline, sank onto the turf on your knees. That was the day when BSG Chemie Leizpig was etched into history... 

*****

…and as the referee had put the whistle to his lips, a moment of euphoria drenched the stadium, as a Chemie win had tipped the balance towards them. Everyone associated with the club had finally got what they had wished for at the sight of the title making its way out of the tunnel for an on-pitch ceremony.  

Champagne never tasted better than on that day, that place, that hour.

*****

-…and the rest is a story well-documented, Petr concluded.  

After recollecting all of the drama from that day, he reached for the glass for the second time, just after correcting the round spectacles that slipped of their resting position. The interviewer, sensing this as a cue to lead the conversation further, sat and looked at him.    

- What about the play-offs against Sandro Wanger’s Unteraching? Did you have any feelings, any stories you would like to share from that time? Wasn’t that the game which ultimately decided your fate?

- I don’t think there is much of a story from our play-off matches against Unteraching. Sure, they were a tough side, had farily recent experience playing professional football at the time. But I was always certain we would beat them, despite the setback in our 2-2 draw. I knew that, with the backing of our crowd, on our own grass, we were a force to be reckoned with. We conceded first through a mistake from one of our defenders indeed. But from then on, we never looked back. Max [Kessler] got his double, Stephy [Mvibudulu] had his fair share of goals, Heynke and Jaepel also ended the game with their positive output. From then on, we turned professional, won the league, and got promoted into the 3^rd tier for the first time for what felt like since forever.

- And judging from all of that, that was the season which defined your own future? The interviewer sat, moulding a sceptical look on her face, seeming it hard to believe the story she was hearing.

For the first time in a while, Petr felt a mental return to the studio he found himself in. It was a bizzare feeling, as if throughout his recollection, he was there again, on that day in May, by the side of the pitch, just before his side had finally broken the deadlock in a tight affair. In general, the thoughts from those 3 intense weeks all those years back still remained fresh in his mind. Or, at least, it seemed to him so. Since then, it was a journey he shared with many players, many of his colleagues, fans and journalists. Strangely enough, however, Petr never felt keen to share something as personal as this. After all, this was around 1x years ago, so it was something he didn't see the need to do. But he did it anyway; he didn't want to hold on to it any longer. And while this interview was certainly not his last, it felt as though, by finally sharing his story, the first chapter of his career was finally closed, with some satisfaction.

Waking from his deep reflections, Petr turned his attention to the interviewer once again.

-Indeed, he replied.

*****

Goal of the Month - Damir Bektic vs Chemnitzer FC (GW 38)

A lovely team move, a fitting strike to end it. Nothing more needs to be said. 

-----

ALLEZ BSG!

 

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

March + April '23

"I don't know if they [Chemie Leipzig] have what it takes to win the title this year. While the gaffer has done an impressive job at the club, I really doubt they will be able to compete with Cottbus in the league. Look at where Cottbus are, and now look at where Chemie are in stature." - ex-Chemie player Anton Kanther, speaking to NordOst TV.

Hello again.

Its been quite a while.

Where shall I start?

My Football Manager activity has seen better days. So has my style of writing, especially when documenting my adventures with BSG Chemie Leipzig. I haven't been on the forums much for these past few months, let alone being able to provide an update of how things are going. Studying in a field, where constructive, coherent stories, constructed using sequences of words, are a tiny speck in the vast background, I haven't had much time to touch the game and to journal something in general. So as I write this, this is my first piece of writing in a long while.

Now with that aside, shall we start with this monthly update? I think we should....

*ahem*

Following a decent late winter run, BSG Chemie Leipzig find themselves in a very similar position. Leading the table with a handful of games to go, losing the return game against a dangerously resurgent Cottbus, dropping points left, right and centre. A mild sense of déjà-vu? Perhaps. Would any Chemiker want to relive it again? Maybe not. Should this be a cause to panic? No, not just yet.

An invincible March. However, the tag "Invincible" does come with a huge caveat. Some may say that going undefeated is great news for any club. But to put it into context, 6 points out of a possible 12, Cottbus consuming wins game after game, and a rapidly decreasing points gap to the teams below makes the "Invincible" month of March seem less impressive. 

On a cold, miserable, early-spring night, Stephane Mvibudulu was put into two ideal, one-on-one positions to put us into a quick 2-0 lead against the visiting Tennis Borrusia Berlin. The frontman had not been in sharp form lately, finding himself very frustrated in front of goal. Nevertheless, this performance was a breath of fresh air, especially for a player who we are traditionally reliant upon. Conceding at the brink of the first-half was no reason to panic, seeing as Havlicek's men were in complete control. A 90+4th stoppage time leveler, though, was a punch in the gut. Letting in a goal, against the complete run of play, in a way that we did, is never a nice feeling. 

Hertha II is always a tough game, to go and play away makes our task even harder. Nevertheless, on another rainy night in Berlin, a wonderful combination put Stephane Mvibudulu yet again in prime position to tuck the ball home. Apart from that chance, we struggled to create chances against the home side, which is becoming a common ocurrence. We look fragile in attack at times, too naïve, too predictable, scoring a lot less frequently than we did at the start of the season. With the other teams adjusting to our stature, thanks to our league position, we have started performing less consistently. Hertha completely dominated the ball and should have scored more than their solitary, headed goal.

Kicked about and outright bullied when on the ball, Krieschow were set out to scare us off the ball. And their intimidation tactic worked, nearly. Had it not been for Jan Loehmannsroeben to drive into plain space in the opposition box and curl it towards the near post and into the net, we would have been the 2010s Arsenal against Tony Pulis' Stoke. Physically beaten, ankles broken, knees shattered, shins bruised. From all of this, ironically, our goal came from a throw-in.

Welcoming a side that play similar to ourselves (well....the only similarity is our high possession numbers in the league), we were outpossessed, out-fouled yet again (!) by Rot-Weiss Erfurt. Struggling against sides that like to get stuck in is a problem that Havlicek will have to try to address, because it is one the major reasons why we are not able to create enough goal scoring chances and play to our own rhythm, impose oursleves on the game. With Max Kessler injured during the contest, it took us over an hour to get the first goal through Stephane Mvibudulu, being put clean through by left-back Florian Bruegmann. But just like last time, we conceded at the death. Yet another stoppage time equaliser, this time of our own doing (a misplaced pass and Benjamin Bellot's mistake in rushing out for the ball).

And in that fashion, we relinquish top spot to Cottbus, where they won their game against Babbelsberg to go top for the first time this season. Although we do have a game in hand. 

This whole month sounds tragic, when it isn't actually that bad of a situation. Sometimes, it is frustrating to review matches when you're attached to the save and the club as a whole, when you're used to seeing green circles running down for an impressive amount of games.

Goal of the Month

March - Stephane Mvibudulu vs Hertha II (GW 29)

One touch passing, a bit of hold up play, quick ball through, a third-man run, slight roaming, what else could you want in a goal. Good stuff.

April '23

"We had no intention at the start of the year to be where we are at now. Like, we still become suprirsed sometimes when we look at the table and we see ourselves leading it. [*grins*] But if we then think about all of the games we won, all of the obstacles we surpassed, all of the defeats and how much they hurt, finishing second would leave us inconsolable, yeah. Or at least I know that the gaffer will be down, to come so close to, you know, winning and not achieve it two times in a row" - Max Kessler, speaking to the radio morning show in Leipzig. 

           

The March update, upon reflection, was a tad too short, so I thought to add in April here too. 

Reeling from a slightly less than ideal March, this run of games promised to be a lot kinder to us. The strongest opposition out of the 5 this month placed themselves in just in the top 7 of the league, with the rest being mid-table fodder, underperforming heavyweights and downright relegation candidates. 

A nicely executed 2-1 win against, arguably the strongest side we face this month, Jena were in no shape to deal with our football. Stephane Mvibudulu and one-on-ones have become synonymous lately, but another thing that has also become linked to our frontman is the ability to score from those one-on-ones. We took the lead 3 minutes in through him, and added another from a cutely struck effort by Dennis Mast just before half-time. A second-half where we took the gas off the pedal, just a touch, we conceded, but held firm to give us a comfortable win against a serious side. This was our game in hand we won, and were back on top. 

Our loss against Berliner AK had the pundits seriously discussing the sudden demise of our strong grip on the league and the potential for the other teams to come into the mix. Out of everyone it could have been, ex-Chemie (as of last season) striker Florian Kirstein had put the away side into the lead. While we created loads, we faced the same problem of not being able to score. Luckily, Cottbus drew their game, meaning the damage was not as bad as expected. But the gap between us and them was marginal. Had Cottbus won the game, the points gap would have been very tough to narrow down. But as it stands, we are still within striking distance with just a few games to go in the season.

A dull draw against heavy relegation candidates Greifswald put a slight dent in hopes, but... 

...Cottbus' draw against Atlglienicke the day before...

...meant that we were still on their tales, still owing to our slightly superior goal difference. (Photo from before our game against Greifswald).

Then Dynamo Berlin came to town, and boy do we like playing them. Stephane Mvibudulu's hat-trick, along with Dennis Mast and Tarik Reinhard writing themselves into the scoresheet meant that it was a day to remember for the Chemie Leipzig faithful, who, in their thousands, wished to turn up and see their beloved team play some liquid football on an otherwise miserable Saturday afternoon. With our frontman sealing the hat-trick at the dying embers of the game, and with Cottbus conceding so late, meant that we jumped to first. Cottbus romped Lok Leipzig in their game, not by as much as we have, however, meaning that we were still neck and neck at the top of the table. 

A Max Kessler double against Halberstadt had put us home and dry in the first 18 minutes of the game. Granted, we did concede right after Kessler's second, but it didn't provide any cause to worry. Chemie were firmly on top and took the bull by its horns. Statistics can support the story. Cue to mid-70 minutes into the game, Benjamin Bellot's grave error in coming out to a loose opposition cross and fumbling the ball to their striker meant that we had work to do for the final 15 minutes. 22 shots created, 2.09 xG (minus the penalty) (although I realise I shouldn't read into those too much), 2 clear-cut chances (again, minus the penalty) throughout the whole 90 minutes, while the home side were able to equalise, against the run of play, due to a mistake of our own doing, does hurt. With Cottbus' slender 1-0 win against Auerbach, this meant we were now two points behind with two games to go. 

With Hertha II out of the title race, we only have Cottbus to battle. 2 points behind, Cottbus being Cottbus, and the rest of their games being against sides not battling for much, the odds a very much on their side. It is imperative we win our remaining games and hope that someone, from somewhere, will be able to put a stop to that machine. Otherwise, we are staring down at the barrel of missing out yet again on promotion. Call us the bridesmaid of Regionalliga Nordost, if you will. BSG Chemie Leipzig - bridesmaid of Regionalliga Nordost. Has a ring to it.

Nevertheless, it promises to be a truly memorable season finale, perhaps save defining too. We may have a Manchester City & Manchester United 2011/12 situation here. Could our heads prevail, surrounded by enormous pressure? Could we have our own hero and saviour, someone who will mark themselves as one of the heroes of this club? 

We shall see.

Goal of the Month

April - Stephane Mvibudulu vs Dynamo Berlin (GW 35)

This one was hard to choose, with Dennis Mast's goal, scored in the same game as this one, being very similar to the one chosen. However, this one takes the cake due to the urgency in moving vertically through short, quick passing and movement off the ball, something I greatly value in FM. Additionally, Mvibudulu dropping inbetween the lines, a give-and-go, gives intrigue from a tactical standpoint, which makes this the goal of the month.

-----

Allez BSG!

[[FM22] The Ballad of Benjani - Phase 4 - The emotional high point has been reached - How far long will he keep this up?]

Congratulations on the CL win! Had a blast reading through this adventure with the Pompey, thank you for sharing it with us.  

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

On 03/10/2022 at 03:06, The3points said:

You've found your Fabregas! Or maybe more Song in this case...

Or maybe even Diaby, Horschig has turned up with quite a few goals with late runs into the box. 

On 06/10/2022 at 15:56, GIMN said:

Something about that blindside run onto a pass dissecting two defenders that's just delicious!  Definitely agree, though, that team moves are far more satisfying than solo efforts.  Also, Löehmannsröeben looks a good addition, and a very fun name to say (less so to spell).

Hopefully those bounce-back wins after the Cottbus game will be enough to wrestle back momentum and keep top spot.  What does the run in look like?

Dribble Less on High Tempo, while sounding quite high risk, I think is the key in reflecting how Wenger set out his teams post-Highbury (just foreshadowing a potential end of season highlight reel). As the team starts to gel around the philosophy and once I get the players suited to the style of football, I genuinely don't see much stopping us (except the step up in class as we climb the ladder. But then again, eventually we will get the personnel required to succeed).

On 06/10/2022 at 15:56, GIMN said:

What does the run in look like?

Now that you have asked, this is the first time I'm looking at it now actually.

Here is our run-in

The two games that catch the eye - away to Jena and Hertha II. Both are in the top 5 at the moment, and while Hertha II have fallen away recently, they still remain a formidable outfit. Chemnitzer away to close out the season is also a tough fixture - they are a very resolute side, and play very compact. This is a slight problem, as our expansive football is very inconsistent against sides who play compact. I guess that is the beauty of the lower tiers of any country though - having lots of inconsistent spells through different parts of the season. Makes it seem more impressive that us and Cottbus are pulling away from the rest of the pack!

On the other side, here is how Cottbus' run-in looks like:

Their run-in is a lot easier than ours. Facing a bunch of mid-table sides, who realistically, should be beaten, given the stature of Cottbus in this league. Away against Berliner AK is probably their hardest game on paper. There is a downside to their fixtures however - the regional cup. As we were knocked out very early into the season, our sole focus is the league, while they will have to fight on both fronts, which may help our matters (or maybe not, given how uncompetitive some of the regional cups are...).

The crux of this whole explanation is - this is shaping up to be a very close battle. A few points dropped may be critical at this stage of the season. This essentially means that we have to win our remaining fixtures and shore up our draws (or in exclusive cases, avoid defeat). Depending on how Cottbus perform, we have some leeway with our form. This does not mean that we will not be gunning for the win in all of our games, however.

In all of this though, in general, I am excited to be writing such a story up, especially with the clubs involved and the future of this save. This adventure will roll onto the FM23 cycle, as I don't plan on getting it. I am more than happy with the current iteration of the game, so BSG Chemie Leipzig is here to stay for as long as I can make it (which is till the Bundesliga at least). 

[[FM22] Aston Villa - Patience is a Virtue, Apparently]

Glad to see you back, I enjoy how you describe and explain your ideas behind tactics, signings, and identifying talent. I have actually done something similar with Arsenal on FM20, using Alexandr Hleb as manager. Admittedly, had to wait for a very long time for Arteta to be sacked (3 seasons to be exact!), but it was tonnes of fun. 

Would love to see you keeping going at it - you've got a nice, solid foundation for a new save!

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

January + February '23

"Title talk? No, no, we [Chemie] are not about that. Yes, we are going strong. But I insist on getting our head down. No talks of the title. I will not accept that in my locker room." - Petr Havlicek

As it turns out, life outside of Football Manager is very intense, and this time, I believe it may turn into a permanent fixture. Less time for the game means even less frequent updates. I sound like a broken record, but it has never been more true before. However, there is no reason to worry, I am doing my best to be playing the game in the background and then doing my write ups on what I have been up to thus far. 

In-game, Christmas is over, the New Years' Day was upon us. This meant that this was the start of a new dawn for Betriebssportgemeinschaft (that is a mouthful) Chemie Leipzig. It is an important year, leading the table after the half-way point. But we all know how this ends up. We lead for a period, then bottle our reverse fixture against Cottbus, them having an insane run of games and us dropping points, eventually conceding top spot, despite our strong run-in. 

Oh dear, the prophecy is back again to haunt us.

The January period started with a slight turbulence. Our rotation DM, Anton Kanther, had attracted suitors from professional sides in Germany. One of them was the 3.Liga side Jahn Regensburg. While Petr rejected the initial offer, which was an absolute disgrace of an offer in truth, our dear Anton kicked up a fuss about not being able to join them. Keen to keep his man, Petr wanted to convince him to stay, but after demanding to be considered a, *ahem*, Star Player *ahem*, Anton was never going to see that wish come true. 

What better thing to do in response other than force through a move, right?

Petr wished him luck, and let him know that he is always welcome at the club whenever he wished to return. Anton's response?

 

Judas.

Moving onto more loyal players, Stefan Karau had come to Petr indicating of wanting a new challenge. As the most capped player (+ the fact he fell down the pecking order), Petr agreed and searched for potential buyers. The conclusion: we wave goodbye to our club captain. Definitely have plans of hiring him as part of the coaching squad. 

With the sale of Anton Kanther, half the squad came knocking on Petr's door to complain about the lack of depth in midfield. Risking to upset the feel-good atmosphere in the squad and the whole club as a whole, the manager reluctantly agreed to bring in reinforcements, despite the tight constraints on the budget.

As a result, in came two players of similar mould:

Damir Bektic was someone on the radar for half a year, and after being released from his contract at Tasmania Berlin + given the newfound occasion, Petr thought now is the time to sign the player, considering he satisfied the DNA of the team:

Technique - 9

Teamwork - 14

Work Rate - 10

Off the Ball - 5

Decisions - 10

Determination - 14

Anticipation - 10

DNA Total = 72 (Satisfied)

Now I will admit, this one came out of the blue. Playing for Hallescher last year, in the 3.Liga, all seemed to go smoothly for Jan Loehmannsroeben (this one will be tough to spell when he scores his first goal for the club, I tell you what) till the unexpected happened and the club did not renew him. Coming in as a 31 year old does not really match our squad profile, but that bit of experience playing professional football is invaluable at this level. He might well be the final piece in the puzzle for our promotion push.

Technique - 8

Teamwork - 15

Work Rate - 15

Off the Ball - 7

Decisions - 9

Determination - 15

Anticipation - 10

DNA Total = 79 (Satisfied)

With the wheeling and dealing over and the squad content over Petr's business, it was time to focus on the games that lay ahead...

...

Max Kessler and his two goals at home against Auerbach was the perfect start to the new year. A fantastic team goal and a first time volley earned the 3 points for Chemie Leipzig. A game we dominated from the first minute to the last minute of injury time. 

Then we had the draw at struggling Meusselwitz. A Dartsch to Hansch combination had put us one down, before Max Kessler would save us again by converting a second-half penalty. He had the chance to grab the headlines, and he very much did scoring the winner at the death. The caveat? The flag was up on the far side, showing Kessler's toenail being offside. Frustrating. 

Denis Jaepel's fine effort had put us one to the good at the Alfred-Kunze Sportpark against, yet another relegation fodder, Fuerstenwalde. While we did get pegged back almost immediately, a tap-in by our tap-in merchant Max Kessler and another goal by Jaepel had won us the three points. We seem invincible at home, which I find is central to the culture of the club. 

I hate this. I really do. 

Why?

We were favourites heading into the game, which was very surprising to see. I think I have established how much I hate facing Cottbus at any point in the season. Yet, we are here to do it all over again. 

A very tight affair, but I felt we just about edged the contest in the first half. We reduced the home side to 3 shots the whole of 45 minutes, but we didn't create much either. After the onset of the whistle to signal for the second half, we went out with intention of firing. However, a slight hitch lay on our path, as it always does when we play Cottbus. With Engelhardt being just about onside, he scored a header for the home side, sending the stadium into a wild, deafening rapture of shouts, screams and celebrations. This is the point where we woke up feeling hungry. Suddenly, chance after chance fell upon us. Max Kessler almost rescued us yet again. A tight offside call, some may say debatable, had cancelled the equaliser. Kessler had another chance, right at the death, to snatch a point. Petr Havlicek was off his seat seeing Dennis Mast's cross find Kessler in the clear, only to fall to his knees after the keeper made the important save.

Upset and distraught, Petr consoled his players at full-time. 

"But we all know how this ends up. We lead for a period, then bottle our reverse fixture against Cottbus, them having an insane run of games and us dropping points, eventually conceding top spot, despite our strong run-in...."  

We move forward, as does left-back(!) Florian Bruegmann to set up a Stephane Mvibudulu tap-in at home against Lichtenberg. We reduced them to no shots at all, and creating a barrage of chances. I, and Petr for that matter, fail to understand how we only scored one. A win is a win though, especially after a gut-wrenching defeat to "our title rivals". I refuse to be drawn into title talk. Not just yet. We all know how that ended up last time. 

Warmly greeting Stefan Karau in the stands of the home end, Paul Horschig would blast a 30 yard yard-trimmer and Jan Loehmannsroeben (there, I said it before!) finished a nice team move against struggling Viktoria Berlin. 

Not too bad, 13 points from a possible 18.

Here is how the table looks at the end of the month.

Jena almost did us a favour by stopping Cottbus at home, but a late a winner from the "title rivals" kept up the pressure on us. 

On 21/09/2022 at 07:39, 13th Man said:

Running away with the league! No time for overconfidence, but you’ve given some breathing room for a dip in form.

Oh for sure, this is very true. However, that breathing room is gone, and much, much earlier than I would have liked. "Running away with the league" now seems a slight overstatement, given the context of the first games following the winter break. But, we are 3 points ahead, a superior goal difference, and we got Cottbus out the way early on in the second half of the season. We remain optimistic, yet cautious. Hopeful, yet bracing for the worst. Promotion will mean a lot for the club and for the save. We need to plough on as we have done before, and bloody hope Cottbus drop points somewhere. 

Goal of the Month

January - Max Kessler vs Auerbach (GW 22)

He scored two stunning goals this month. But I prefer picking nice team moves rather than individual brilliance (I realise I may be the sole person with such an opinion). Given how we are trying to interpret Wengerball here, I feel as though my choice makes sense.

February - Paul Horschig vs Viktoria Berlin (GW 27)

While Jan Loehmannsroeben did cap a fantastic team move (personal note: reminder to include this on the end of season highlight reels), Horschig's strike was just too good to deny him of the award. The man mountain deserves it too, with this fine strike.

On 22/09/2022 at 12:13, oche balboa said:

Enjoying this story. great detail and in an easy to read format. KUTGW

 

On 22/09/2022 at 14:06, john1 said:

Excellent updates!

I think I don't say it enough on here, but I really appreciate the support given to this thread. While this is far from being the main purpose of these write-ups, I am glad people enjoy it as I much as I do documenting the progress of this odyssey with BSG Chemie Leipzig. At the end of the day, for me, it is the connection with the players, the club and the atmosphere that I really love. 

And as always, thank you for reading. 

-----

Allez BSG! 

[Aggressive Fluid Passing Football (In the mold of Wenger)]

On 16/09/2022 at 22:30, Miragepredator said:

IW(S) and WB(A) both sides

Interesting. What role is your AM?

[[FM22] The Ballad of Benjani - Phase 4 - The emotional high point has been reached - How far long will he keep this up?]

Fun times at the top yet again! Glad to have you back, even if sporadically

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

November/December '22

"Now is time to put the foot down and run the whole course. We must not let up, for we have strong contenders for the title." - Stefan Karau

Setting into the winter period means shorter days and longer nights in the northern hemisphere. As the new floodlights system has been set up at the Alfred Kunze Sportpark, this means that we are now more likely to see evening games in the freezing cold. These types of conditions are perfect for character building. After a slight blip in form during October, Chemie Leipzig are now on the offensive in the hunt for a perfect month in all competitions (I say all, we have only got the league to focus on now). An objective has been set, but the question is, can this objective be met by the end of the half season?

The answer is, yes, maybe? Perfect is a relative term depending on who you ask, but 6 games without a loss seems really good on paper.

Three goals from Florian Bruegmann, Timo Mauer and Dennis Mast was enough to sink a surprisingly underperforming Dynamo Berlin side, manifesting in a dangerously strong away outing. A goal conceded late on, due to a glaring error when building from the back, would not dampen our mood or our spirit, as Havlicek and his men leave the capital with all three points. 

The Alfred Kunze Sportpark is a bastion, a bastion which no teams dare to show up. No shots on target against us is just one of the signs that Halberstadt struggled badly. Two strong finishes by Max Kessler and Stephane Mvibudulu from crosses out wide ensured it was a day to forget for the away side. 

I honestly don't know how to feel about draws in general. It is always the case of either perceiving a cup half full or half empty. On the whole, we are not as good away as we are at home, and despite after Max Kessler putting us into the lead very early on, we couldn't penetrate the opposition defence the second time. We were punished for it by Babelsberg, conceding a goal at the other end. We just don't look as scary away as we do at home, and this needs to change somehow. 

On the flip side, a return to winning ways followed, as we can safely rely on our 12th Man, the Chemie Ultras, to help us on our way to glory. A strong Chemnitzer side, with no real obvious weaknesses, came into town, conceding goals from two dead-ball situations. A Max Kessler penalty, who then further assisted an Alexander Bury header, made the day for Die Chemiker. 

Sustaining our form is crucial, especially in the latter stages of the half-season, where heads begin to drop and lose concentration. Stephane Mvibudulu clearly disagreed, first slotting home a penalty, then converting an exquisite pass from deep to give a conclusive 2 goal lead against fellow title challengers(!), Altglienicke.

With the odds stacked against Lok, we seemed to be ready and raring to go, haunting the opposition from the first minu.... we concede from a fluke long-range goal  . Bragging rights on the line, doubling down in the opposition's half was the only option. After a tactical switch to the 3-1-6 from a 3-2-5, we finally got we were looking for. Dennis Mast restores parity after shoving the ball into the net of the stern Lok defence. We could have gotten so much more, with clear opportunities missed late on, but in the end, we somehow share the spoils with our hated rivals. 

With nearly half the season gone, this is the state of the league table. 

   

Very decent showing. It seems like the emphasis on winning points, no matter how many (as long as most of them are the three and not one), is working. A healthy 8 point gap to Cottbus, who, it appears, cannot string a consistent run together while doing battle with Hertha II, Jena and Altglienicke. It remains to be seen if we can keep this up. We were in the same situation this time last year, only for it to worsen due to Cottbus' insane run and ourselves losing the belief we had.

Remains to be seen, for sure.

Goal of the Month

November - Max Kessler vs Babelsberg (GW18)

Spoilt for choice this month, as there were plenty of good goals and hence it was tough to choose. But for that ball alone by Tarik Reinhard and the build-up itself earns Kessler the Goal of the Month for November

December - Stephane Mvibudulu vs Altglienicke (GW20)

Similar reasons to Kessler's goal, this one earns the award due to the final ball and the movement that was required to score the goal. With Wengerball, we are slowly getting there...

-----

Allez BSG!

[Aggressive Fluid Passing Football (In the mold of Wenger)]

On 02/09/2022 at 01:54, The3points said:

Thanks!

Originally I went DLP-S and CM-D. My reasoning for switching was the the DLP-S gets way too far forward (at least with the option I had) and we end up with a 3-0-7 if everyone goes forward, and I think we could be exposed. That seems like a rare scenario, but still quite scary none the less.

I've never liked RPM in a 2, but perhaps it could better replicate Arteta-Wilshere-Rosicky in the 4-2-3-1. I'd probably compensate with WB-D and maybe Overlap Left to keep it a little more secure though.

BBM would probably work, however, MEZ doesn't seem good in a narrow formation on paper: but it probably it helps overload one side so I've got no idea how it works. Please report back with your findings and thanks again for reading!

I actually have a thread with the updates from my current thread, where I implement my understanding of the system and philosophy. I'll link it here if you are interested. 

Glad to see your interpretation doing well too, interesting where this will take you going into the middle part of the season. Just need to pray you don't have on of those annual injury-crises Arsenal tended to have coming up to the winter period. 

Keep at it!

[[FM22] Matryoshka]

I second on the corners, I like your approach. I personally do not really delve into set-pieces, usually just mindlessly set up as I please. This, however, may make me rethink slightly on how I set up my corners, free-kicks and throw-in routines. (I know set-pieces are very crucial (in this and last year's installment of the game) and I sound a bit like a caveman, but I just haven't paid enough attention towards such things). 

[[FM22] The Ballad of Benjani - Phase 4 - The emotional high point has been reached - How far long will he keep this up?]

On 03/09/2022 at 09:05, 13th Man said:

Benjani now had a fantastic quartet of strikers that would make Leonardo DiCaprio proud, if he was into strikers.

And they are both below the age of 25! How convenient!

Also, I didn't know that the Ballad of Benjani would take such a sinister turn - City and Route One? Such a juxtaposition.  

[[FM22] Chemie Leipzig: The Chemical Element]

October '22

"I am extraordinarily happy to have found a set of supporters, who have taken me with such open arms. Every time, every second I am here in Leipzig, it feels a privilege to be at this club, this club with a massive history, culture, and atmosphere. I just hope my performances vindicate the belief that Petr, Chemie, and the Leutszcher diablos have in me." - Lukas Pinckert during the post-match interview in the game against Hertha II

Well, well, well, autumn in the former lands of East Germany has finally settled and it is here to stay for the forseeable future. But, colder weather and the lack of sunshine will not deter Chemie Leipzig from continuing their hunt for their first League championship since 2019, while seeking a return to wider recognition among the German nation (and the European continent at that).

Things did not start well, however.

Despite dominating the game on paper, the division's new boys Krieschow, led by the ex-Chemie striker Leo Felgentraeger, had stunned our away end into silence by leading 2-1 at the break. A Stephane Mvibudulu equaliser into the empty net before the break was short-lived. Things got worse as we were bullied once again by our very own Leo 'The Trigger' Felgentraeger, who had scored his second, by which point, a Max Kessler header ended up being only a consolation. 

On the road again, this time against Erfurt, another recently promoted side who looked to capitalize on our indifferent form. And the game reflected our form, where we did not turn up at all, having no shots on target throughout the whole of 90 minutes. Poor, very poor. We seem to struggle against teams away, perhaps amplifying just how much the ultras mean to the team. A packed out Alfred Kunze Sportpark cannot compare to any other grounds in the league in terms of support, and it shows. 

Jena had the chance to harm us while we were down. Cue the "call an ambulance, but not for me meme", because we steamed into domination, despite conceding first. A freak clearance from the goalkeeper allowed Dennis Jaepel to equalize and save ourselves from our second defeat of the season. Hmm, it isn't a win, but that'll do. Havlicek was content with the game. Sure, 2 points were dropped, but it should serve as a good morale boost, as the happiness of the players happens to be so, so, so important, especially in the German 4th tier. 

A trip to the capital is always special. Celebrating by going to techno raves as a team after a win makes it sweeter. The goals scored to seal the 3 points make it even better. Havlicek's Immortal Game, away against Berliner AK, was a masterclass (for the time being) in Wengerball. A scorching Tom Gruendling strike from distance and Stephane Mvibudulu's smashing finish earns us the win, finally putting an end to our 3 game winless streak. At the right place, at the right time, with the aim to secure top spot and not letting go. Fantastic!

An unremarkable win against Greifswald followed the next Saturday afternoon. Towering header from our man mountain Paul Horschig was the only goal, which happened to be the difference. A weird game, but a win is a win. Still, room for improvement, though.

And now the table, after the end of these 5 games in October.

             

You know what, I'll take it! Havlicek will be happy too. Cottbus have shot up the table at the expense of the struggling Hertha II during the month. It seems like we weren't the only top dogs in the league struggling for form during this period. However, the gap to 2nd did increase to 7 points. Long way to go, but this is good tempo we are setting, and if anything is to go by after our last 3 games, we turned it round, at least for the moment. Good signs, but we need to carry this momentum into November and December before heading off for the Winter break. 

Interesting to note - last year's bronze medalists Dynamo Berlin are not doing really well, languishing below our hated rivals Lok. Viktoria Berlin also really struggling after being recently relegated. 

Goal of the Month

I am not sure how a trophy can be split into two. Physically sharing an award also seems a bit awkward. I guess Havlicek will need to personally order two for our recepients this month. 

Tom Gruendling vs Berliner AK (GW14)

The boy wonder (sorry Max [Kessler]!) has done it yet again with a peach of a volley from outside the box. Notice the build up to the goal too!

Stephane Mvibudulu vs Berliner AK (GW14)

The hitman finally features in what will be the first of many (I hope). I feel the whole team deserves this award too, maybe an all-charges paid trip to the Leipzig pub on a Tuesday evening would be a fine, unofficial reward. Up to Havlicek to decide on that one. 

-----

Allez BSG!