haier_fm

Very nice to see other people trying to replicate/interpret Wenger's ideas, I'm all for it. And I like how you fluidly switch between various phases of positional play. Just out of curiosity - what was the thinking behind the CMd and DLPd pairing in the 4321 rather than, let's say, a CMd/BWMd + RPMs pairing behind a APs/AMs as a no.10? I thought that the DLPd AND a CMd is a very conservative midfield pairing, considering Wenger proposed players to express themselves on the pitch, giving them freedom to play. With the 433, I agree with your role selection in midfield (could also perhaps switch the CMs to a MEZs/BBM and give that a spin (something I'll try myself too!)). I like your interpretation, and it looks like you are onto something. Great work!

Thank you, it does feel better to be back in familiar territory once again. Hertha II are allowed to gain promotion, but can only participate in the 3rd tier maximum. Oh this isn't the best of the build-up play, there are plenty of flowing moves that were scored (contemplating to post a separate compilation separately along with an update uncovering my tactical tweaks). But yes, thank you. As much as I do these for my own enjoyment, I'm glad to also hear that you enjoy these too!

Late to the party but glad to see you have reached this stage of the save. The previous title win was a rollercoaster of emotions for sure! Lived up to expectations, just like Endgame did.

Looking forward to it (despite being several (and I mean several!) save updates behind).

Groningen? What? When did that happen? It'll take me a while to catch up but I am glad to see you doing well so far, based on what I gathered from your more recent posts. Also happy to see the Christmas Matryoshka employed abroad. Good stuff.

August Pt.2 '22+ September '22 "It is important to keep on moving, we have a tough run of games this month. If we come out the other end of this unscathed, we set ourselves up in a very good position" - Petr Havlicek on the Matchday Programme Well, where do I start? It has been a while, that cannot be left unsaid. I have enjoying my summer and decided to go fully offline. Now, feeling motivated to write again, I decided it wouldn't hurt to update on this thread. Considering I have got a tough year ahead in my student/work life, my posts will be as sporadic as ever, as Football Manager will be put on the backburner. To reassure, I'll resort to monthly updates for now, but I am considering to switch that to either half-season updates or just make the monthly posts much shorter than in its current format. All of this in an effort to at least have some sort of consistency in the updates. As much as I want to show the journey, I would still want to see us make quicker progress and show it through these write-ups. But this is just the thinking, saved for a later date. Now, BSG Chemie Leipzig. Where were we? Where did we leave things? Ah yes, now I remember. Sandhausen at home was going to be a tough ask. The euphoria of participating in the National Cup for the first time since 1991 was quickly replaced by apprehension of facing a team two leagues above us. Nevertheless, we gave it a good shot, conceded only one and looked to score the equaliser right at the death, only to be denied by the brilliance of the Sandhausen keeper. At least, it was fun while it lasted. Oh well, onwards and upwards. We then travelled to Dresden to kickstart our title defence in the Sachsenpokal, to face amateur side PSV Dresden. A simple drubbing of the opposition and it could have been an uglier scoreline. A 3 goal bombradement inside the first 10 minutes of the game against Meuselwitz ensured we continued our unbeaten run in the league. Tarik Reinhard, Manuel Wajer and our new fan favourite Lukas Pinckert put the game to bed very early on in an otherwise slightly tame game. We continued our utter domination with a confident win at Fuerstenwalde. Florian Bruegmann, our explosive and combative right-back, slotted in at left-back for rotation. He scored a header from a free-kick routine, followed by a Max Kessler penalty to seal the win. Litmus test. Earlier than Havlicek would have liked, but there was only one way forward - to beat Energie Cottbus at home. The raucous home crowd were felt throughout the whole Leutszch district on a serene Saturday afternoon. A Max Kessler penalty (yet again!) and a scorcher from distance by Tom Gruendling put us two to the good at half time. Unfortunately, we let it slip in the second half, where a mistake by our keeper Benjamin Bellot had allowed Cottbus to open their scoring and then equalise a few minutes later. Determined not "to be of the bottle" and spurred on by the Chemie faithful, Dennis Mast tucked away a looping header to give Leipzig a very important win in the early stages of the season. Going into September, we were facing Lichtenberg away, as we expected to pick up all three points and hit the road home with all smiles. Expectations do not line up with realities, however. Despite clearly being the dominant side, we could not for the life of us put the ball into the opposition's net. A mixture of their keeper having a blinder and our frontline being unusually blunt, leaves us more with a feeling of having lost 2 points than won the solitary one. Chemie fans, I hope you know. Reserving the number 12 just for you was not a mistake. Relegated from the 3.Liga, Viktoria Berlin were looking to cause an upset to finally kickstart their season. Lukas Pinckert, against his former side, and with the Chemie faithful behind the team, proved their resilience in the face of adversity. A Max Kessler penalty and a long range volley by substitute Benjamin Luis was enough to sink the visitors and dash their hopes of claiming a win at our ground. At home, we look invincible (need to be careful not to jinx it, though...) A shock defeat to another amateur side Hohenstein was even less expected. Rotating the side isn't always risky, but it bit us by our backsides here in the end. Our second string XI isn't just ready yet to feature in games, even more so with the current Wengerball setup. Their early goal could not be cancelled despite all of our effort. Title defence - crumbled at the first hurdle. This means there is no DFB Pokal next season for us, unfortunately. That defeat really knocked our confidence heading into our game away against Tennis Borussia Berlin. An unusual situation for us, where we did not play, did not even try to turn up. 3 chances created the whole game, and a shocking performance all across the board - TeBe Berlin deserved all three points, and it pains me to say it. Going into the game against Hertha II in poor-ish form was worrying. Even more reliant on home support than ever before, a yard-trimmer from Alexander Bury gave us the lead, not long before being pegged back. However, our resilience showed again, as we managed to score again through Stephane Mvibudulu, finally looking like ourselves again. The intricate play secured us the win and closed out the month on a positive note. This is how the table looked at the conclusion of this set of games. Early stages of the season and we're the pace setters. A decent 4 point-sized cushion to Hertha II is a welcoming addition, but that can shrink at the blink of an eye as tougher obstacles loom near the horizon. With the distant aspirations of going invincible forgotten, we have put somewhat of a stable run together to put ourselves in the driver's seat of the league table. Cottbus did not have a good start to the season, but they remain as the force to take the crown this season. A 9 point gap to them is nothing in this league and it is early to be caught up in title-contention talk. As said many times previously, take one game at a time and see what comes of it. See what comes of it indeed. Goals of the Month August - Tom Gruendling vs Energie Cottbus (GW6) It is a no-brainer - Tom Gruendling's strike against Cottbus was important and stunning. He gets the award for this month. September - Benjamin Luis vs Viktoria Berlin (GW8) Tom Gruendling's strike in August will be paired with Benjamin Luis' supreme volley against Viktoria Berlin. Wonderful stuff! ----- Allez BSG!

August '22 "Our aim is to get promoted this season. I do not care for those who think we don't have the squad for it. I do not care for those who may be laughing at me now [smirks]. I believe we have a fantastic crop of players, perhaps the best in the league. I believe in my players, I trust in what they do, how they play. However, it is also up to the lads if they want to enjoy playing football this season." - Petr Havlicek, speaking to kicker.de After a long awaited start to the season, BSG Chemie Leipzig are looking to improve on their finish last season. After the signing of Lucas Pinckert on a free, Die Chemiker are feeling bullish about their chances for the title this year. While it is easier said than done, Petr Havlicek is the man at the helm, who will be responsible to guide the unfancied side from Leutszch to promotion. Stronger prediction than last year but still got work to do if we are to go up this year. Energie Cottbus, after bottling promotion last season, are unsurprisingly the hot favourites for the second season running. We are here to crash the party and spoil the fun. Our wonderkid turned captain, Max Kessler, is the bookies favourite to finish with the golden boot this season. Too early to call this yet, as a relatively major tactical shift is on the agenda this season (see the posts above). Without further ado, after a series of friendlies against varied but mostly weaker opposition, Die Chemiker were ready and raring to go. Altglienicke away. First trip of the season coincidentially falls on the first day of the season. Max Kessler's penalty on the 5 minute was canceled out by an attack down our right, exploiting the gap we left in front of our own goal. Going into half-time a goal a piece, Chemie never looked like they wanted the win. However, one player on the pitch was there when we needed him most. Coming on as a late second-half substitute, veteran Andy Wendschuch ensured Chemie got off to a winning start with a curling free-kick on the 78th minute, sending the travelling support happy and optimistic about their chances in the league. Der Leipziger-stadt Derby Lok Leipzig at home should and was a guaranteed win. One pattern throughout August which appeared obvious was our tendency to frequently win penalties. While it is a good sign, we have scored only 3 of our 8 goals scored this month from open play. Nothing needs to be really said, a hat-trick of penalties + a stunner from newboy Lucas Pinckert gave the Chemie Leipzig fans bragging rights over their neighbours from the south of the city. Winning by a 4 goal margin just makes things that bit sweeter. To round off the month, Chemie faced another trip away, this time to Auerbach. A ball from deep over the defensive line from Florian Bruegmann set Stephy Mvidbudulu one-on-one with the keeper, who confidently tucked it home past the keeper in the 19th minute. We then double our advantage through very good play, where Mvibudulu turns provider for a Max Kessler tap-in. After the three games played in August, this is how the table looks come the end of the month. Goal of the Month I decided to include this new section, which I plan to feature in each monthly update (because hey, why not?) Anyway, given that all of the open play goals were really simple in aesthetic quality, I decided to award the Goal of the Month to one of the two freekicks scored in August. Lukas Pinckert v Lok Leipzig (GW2) https://gyazo.com/149dde60f24bc60044347522c3b046c9 Given that the player is new to the squad, I thought it was a perfect occasion to give him the Goal of the Month for August. A curler perfectly disptached up and over the wall to give Chemie a 3-0 lead over their rivals. Congratulations Lukas! Transfer Dealings Around the time after the game against Auerbach, Stuttgart came in with an offer for one of our more promising players - central defender Ben Kessler. Brother to Max, he kicked up a fuss (who saw that coming huh?) after Havlicek rejected the offer. After contemplating on Lucas Surek's dealing of the matter, the manager took a firm stance. Chemie needs players who are there to play for the shirt. If a certain individual doesn't feel that way, they are free to leave the club. BSG Chemie Leipzig needs determined, ambitious AND loyal players. Add the potential financial incentive from such a reputable club like Stuttgart, it was sensible to allow Ben to leave. With the added cash, Havlicek moved quickly to secure the services of former Lok Leipzig defender, Leon Heynke. On a free, he looks like a steal. Young, room to improve. While technically not brilliant, he is decent in the tackle and makes good decisions. As I have talked about DNA in my last post, I used the selected 7 traits to scout for the player. Moving forward, I intend to use it frequently when searching for players overall. For Regionalliga Nordost, I will seek for players who have a sum of above 70 for all the 7 attributes (taken from the requirement of the 7 attributes being above 10, which is more or less the average of the league. 10x7=70.) In Leon Heynke's case, Technique - 9 Teamwork - 9 Work Rate - 10 Off the Ball - 10 Decisions - 14 Determination - 13 Anticipation - 7 Total = 72 DNA = Satisfied Thus, it seemed this was our man. We swiftly pounced on him and are delighted to announce him on a 3 year deal. Welcome Leon! After seeing Benjamin Boltze retire, it was sensible to bring in a back-up central midfielder, as we were looking light on midfielders. After scouting for the right profile, Havlicek stumbled upon Dominik Wieland from Eintracht Braunschweig. Technique - 11 Teamwork - 13 Work Rate - 14 Off the Ball - 8 Decisions - 8 Determination - 8 Anticipation - 11 Total = 73 DNA = Satisfied Fitting with our DNA, and being a very good physical presence in midfield, Chemie were eager to strike a deal. Eintracht had a high price tag on him, but were willing to send out on loan. This meant that Dominik becomes our player for the season. Welcome Dominik! With the transfer dealings done, now it is a case of taking the season game by game, adapting to problems that may head our way. If we deal with those, there is no reason why we will not be able to mount a title challenge this year. A winning start is essential for this. Hopefully, this marks the start of a memorable season to come. Hopefully. Thank you for reading. ----- Allez BSG!

Before you start reading, I apologise for the radio silence again. Don't worry, this save has not gone anywhere; I have been running it in the background. I have been busy in the past month. With that aside.... Technical & Tactical Empathy - a DNA Author’s Note: I have been heavily inspired by Arsene Wenger and whilst researching him, I found this article – it may be worth a read (for those who enjoy the philosophical side of the game). https://jwzfootball.medium.com/expanding-on-the-concept-of-technical-empathy-33658911409 Credit to the author of this post, John Zuidema, for serving as inspiration for this update. ***** Judging by the previous posts about Wenger, his method of coaching, tactical thinking, managing, you may wonder if I am hit with a wave of nostalgia. I do admit, and I have said it before, that in my eyes, an Arsenal game in the late 2000’s was not a 90-minute exhibition of 22 players, one referee and one ball. Far from it. For what it was worth, the players, who dedicated their game to the cannon on the badge, these people produced art. While at times this display wasn’t manifested on a consistent basis, it still left a lasting imprint on young, casual followers of the sport like me. Players like Alexandr Hleb, Eduardo, Abou Diaby, Carlos Vela shifting position, playing interplay between themselves made football seem easy. In general, the fluid, such interchanging type of football is achieved through what Arsene Wenger calls “Technical Empathy”. “Passing the ball is communicating with another person; it’s being in the service of another person. It’s crucial. For the pass to be a good one, the player has to put himself in the position of the person who is going to receive it. It’s an act of intelligence and generosity, what I call technical empathy.” Wenger was noted to have his players produce whatever they desired for themselves if it led to a strong result. At times, admittedly, they were punished (sometimes more brutally than in other instances) by more resolute sides such as Sir Alex’s United, Benitez’s Liverpool, and Mourinho’s Chelsea. In addition, Arsenal post-Highbury were often lambasted by the tabloid press for their naivety, lack of physicality and lack of fight against sides such as Stoke City, Bolton, and Birmingham City. However, if we roll back the years, before Wenger’s presentation to the British media in 1996, with the Frenchman smiling while finding comfort in Highbury’s empty seats, the manager arrived with new ideas, new philosophy, and a new love for the game. Nagoya Grampus Eight, the ‘lab rabbit’ of Monsieur Wegner’s ideas, were synonymous with individuality. Wenger forced his players to think for themselves, rather than seeking instructions from the manager. Most of the time, this worked, given the players were competent to deal with the task at hand. Later down the line though, this would rub off negatively on Arsenal fans, with Wegner being accused of being passive and rather detached on the touchline. However, the crux of this whole introduction is to force players to think for themselves. When this happens, we see an almost telepathic connection form between the 11 individuals on the pitch. Now, Pass and Move. Part of the cornerstone that made Arsenal who they are today. Throughout my days of playing the sport, coaches always drilled the importance of passing and moving into space. I guess this is where my virtual coaching style comes from. The only way to unsettle the opposition, in my opinion, is to create constant movement. Passing is the ingredient which triggers it. Essentially, Technical Empathy is a tool which helps to achieve the pass and move type of football. Tactics on their own are well and good, but what if the personnel in hand is not up to scratch? Why hasn’t player X tracked back? Why is player Y not continuing his run? Why is player Z not moving into space like I asked him to? Throughout my time playing as various clubs across Europe, I realised the importance of having the right player profile. The right player will make an average team tick. So, how exactly should this be achieved? DNA. A collection of attributes suited to the style of football we want to play. These will be dependent on tactical principles and areas of the pitch. At Chemie Leipzig, I intend to employ a set of attributes and player personalities, which will permeate the club from its squad, down to the academies, fans, and club representatives. First and foremost, to breed a winning mentality at the club, we need players who persevere, players who push themselves to be better, players who are dedicated. This makes the first attribute to form part of the DNA. Determination. Players who are determined represent the club. If the players move forward, strive to push themselves, the club reaps its benefits. If the club progresses, the type of players in the roster advance in their development. There is a connection between these two entities – the club and the players at the club. On the pitch, every player on the pitch must ask themselves. What can I do to support my teammates on and off the ball? From here, we separate the game into two parts – Attacking and Defending. The Key Attributes: The overall concept of Empathy in football, in my eyes, overarches two aspects of the game – the tactical and the technical side. In Football Manager, I see the three attribute categories like this. Mental -> Technical <- Physical The Mental side of the game affects technicality. Technicality can be sustained by Physical attributes. Most importantly, I find the Mental Attributes are just as important, if not more, than Technical Attributes. When we are in possession, players look up, assess their options, consider the type of player they pass to and make a resulting judgement of action. This is the “Technical Empathy” that I wish to install in my teams, no matter the club, no matter the players at hand. The only way such instinctive movement can be achieved is through a collection of desired skills and team cohesion. For this, we need to consider what the players need to be conscious of their actions. - Teamwork This is perhaps the most important attribute in Football Manager. Beautiful sequences of play happen because the player in question is willing to give up the ball to his teammates. The player in question is willing to make a pass, and in fact, finds that in most situations, sending a pass is better than going alone. Teamwork is one of the most important attributes that achieve this. - Technique/Passing Without the Technique however, Teamwork is only half as effective. In order to ensure that Mental attributes are translated onto the pitch, the technical aspects of the game must be equally as good. First Touch and Passing serve as supplementary attributes, but if we want to switch the ball across the field in an instant, technique is important. - Off the Ball Because we are talking about Passing and Moving, good technique and teamwork are good on their own. On the other hand, it just promotes passing for the sake of passing. A lot of the side-to-side sequences of play are caused by the lack of movement of the ball. We want to be progressive and fluid. Off the Ball, as an attribute, makes sense to use on players who are involved in the middle and the final third of the pitch. However, I find it is also suitable for use for defenders, especially for systems that prefer to play out the back (good for press resistance). - Decisions Decisions are key in any position on the pitch. Why? I need any player in my starting XVIII to be able to make the right calls, choose the right option during key moments. If this is done to a suitable degree of success, key opportunities in transition and attack occur. - Anticipation This is the attribute that I like to think of as the root of instinctive play. Each player knows each other well, everyone knows their role and the roles of their teammates. Anticipation promotes the idea of mutual cohesion between the players, the mental communication between each single working component in a machine. Anticipation will be used as a supplementary attribute for selected players, rather than the whole team. There are plenty other attributes that I have missed out (what about First Touch? Positioning?). This set of attributes has been chosen as a general rule of thumb of the type of team I want to build - effective, understanding, all-knowing. As each position is unique to the type of player I want to have, there will be other attributes that I will look for to build the team I want to build. Generally, though, these are the “pillars” that form the DNA of the club. Before we delve further though, I will point out that players will not be strictly judged whether they meet the criteria for all key attributes – these types of players are almost impossible to find in the lower leagues, who are complete, and play their game at high quality. A little bit of mixing and matching should be enough. “Fine, but you’ve mentioned about Tactical Empathy. What is that?” Whereas Technical Empathy is responsible for phases in transition and attack, Tactical Empathy follows the same principles but on the defensive side of the game. The players, when losing the ball, must ask themselves. How should I act to support my teammates who are defending? A pressing side always has their whole team working in tandem. If you look at modern day Liverpool, Firmino does not press on his own. Salah, Mane support by angling their runs in such a way, to restrict space for the opposing team. At times, Keita or Thiago will step in to cover the free space behind the front three. Players, when the ball is in their area of responsibility, trigger their runs towards the opposing person with the ball. If the ball moves along the pitch, the Player X hands off his/her responsibility to Player Y. Player Z to Player A. A striker will hand off responsibility to the wingers and midfielders if the opposing ball reaches the middle third. This is the key to understanding how sustained pressure works. Gegenpress - the reason why it was so effective in the previous versions of the game, was because it took this concept to the extreme, without any repercussions to the Physical side of the game (I’m specifically talking about Stamina). With BSG Chemie Leipzig, it is impossible to tell my players to go out and press for the full 90 minutes. Instead, I use individual player instructions to achieve the effect of sustained pressure. I would rather see my players make a consistent but average effort rather than be good for 10 minutes then drop off. An over-the-top example, but you get my point. Same set of attributes, but with a restructured list of importance apply. Teamwork and Work Rate are the most important, followed by Anticipation. For those lost and confused, the DNA will be formed using the following attributes: - Teamwork - Technique/Passing - Work Rate - Off the Ball - Decisions - Determination - Anticipation Here is a Venn Diagram to visualise the whole DNA better. To produce a good, effective machine, you have got to consider all the possibilities. I do not want to go too much in-depth into the game than I already have, but I have tried to consider the main ingredients of our game. Off the pitch is another matter (i.e. Training, Youth Development, Mentoring, Injury Management), which I am currently figuring out. However, I feel like I have got the necessary set of tools to eventually succeed on the pitch. The 7 attributes will form a DNA, a shared set of skills a player needs to have in order to play for the club long-term. Back to where the update started from - Technical Empathy. Empathy is the science of understanding and sharing the feelings of one another. Technically, Empathy helps with the use of the ball. Tactically, Empathy helps to get that ball back. These two meanings go hand in hand in this sport. Ask yourself the question when next time on the pitch - would your teammate enjoy playing with you? Would the manager want to play for the team? Purely thinking about these not only does it elevate your game, but also elevates the game of others. In my eyes, football is a game where one ball is shared between 22 individuals for 90 minutes, give or take. In order to win, you need to learn and know about the other 10 people in your team- their personality, their skillset, and their identity. If this condition is satisfied, then will the team progress. Otherwise, a simple misunderstanding has the potential to undo all good. Thank you for reading.

Are we seeing a shift from marquee signings to functionality players? Interesting, looking forward to the next update!

I think you confused the AML with the DL. The DL, in the pictures, is actually Number 4. You can see how far he cuts inside, which allows him to stay involved at all times during the build up phase. With the AML (in this case Denis Japel), yes, perhaps he does seem isolated in certain phases of the game. In the game where this system was played, he was obviously the least active player on the pitch. The potential problem with this is that I need him to be active and in the game for the majority of the 90 minutes. If the AML does not get the action he needs to see throughout the game, anyone playing in that position can switch off and feel disconnected from the game. I am not sure as to whether that is down to the fact he got injured early on or whether he does seem isolated. 35 passes completed in 56 minutes is not such a good showing. Second lowest out of the front 5 and ran a lot less than everyone else. You can see the stats in a different game against Beerschot VA (a top-flight side in Belgium), where we lost 1-0. Again, it is quite hard to read if it is down to the role, down to the opposition or another factor that I have not yet considered. 75 passes attempted with 12.7km worth of running on the pitch indicates that he was in fact part of the game. Maybe it was down to the nature of the opposition? I am not quite sure, to be honest. I will need to monitor players playing in this role in future games. I feel only this way will it become certain whether he disconnects from the game or not.

Highly recommend Dynamo Dresden. I may be biased towards German football, but they have a rich history (an interesting read!). The club recently got relegated into the 3.Liga (due to Kaiserslautern beating them over the two legs), without a win in 2022. Most successful side in the former GDR now trying to find their feet again after stagnating and eventually declining. How are you finding this strikerless system? I have never got it working myself and interested to see what you think of it.

+1 on the DNA. All first team players need to be of a certain mould in order to play in a certain way. Some require more, some require less, just depends on the way you want to play I suppose.

Patrick Berg is a quality system player. Not the shiny type but very hard working - a normal, regular cog in a machine. Should raid Scandinavia more often too, some great pickups on low fees are on offer. Otherwise, great bit of business, saving some of the incoming transfer revenue for the financial health of the club.

Tactical Interlude #2.3 - Bringing Wengerball to Non-League The 3-1-6 has been covered. So has the 3-2-5. But what about the 2-3-5? Well, it is good that you ask that... The 2-3-5 can be interpreted as the WW. The cousin of the 3-2-5 but yet seen more frequently in today's game than the WM, the 2-3-5 is the system that has been used for decades in modern football. Pep Guardiola's teams are famous for utilising structural positional play in the opposition third, often seeking to play passes first and foremost. While for some it is the standard nowadays, for others, back in the late 2000's, the Tiki-Taka was a novelty never seen before. However, I am not here to discuss about Guardiola's philosophy of football. There are plenty other threads for that. I am here to replicate Wengerball and try to use its interpretation with BSG Chemie Leipzig. Arsene Wenger employed the 2-3-5 on occasion when his team needed to either win emphatically or needed a goal. Their midfield changed throughout the years, Diaby - Denilson - Fabregas, Wilshere - Song - Fabregas, culminating in Ozil - Coquelin - Cazorla. Now, while the 2-3-5 was employed very often, it stemmed from either the variants of the 4231, if the opposition had creative midfielders, or the 433, which was more commonly featured during Wenger's stint as Arsenal boss during the early to mid Emirates era. The key to Wengerball was the ability of players to switch between counterattacking moves and possession in the final third. Think of it as the precursor to Vertical Tiki-Taka. What this means is that in Football Manager, Shorter Passing and High Tempo is set by default if we are to reach anywhere with getting results close to real-life. We also need the front five to roam from position, something that requires high intelligence and physical ability. Hence, if this tactic were to last for longer, we need to refine the recruitment policy at BSG Chemie Leipzig, about which I will delve into in a later post. So, with the theory out the way, how will this look like in FM? Now, one thing that I have done differently to Wenger here - the wingbacks. More specifically, I've gone for a pack-the-middle approach here, while the Frenchman used a pair of overlapping, high workrate Complete Wingbacks. Of course, there is room for variation. I could have gone for the hardcoded 433 instead of the 4231. I could have wanted a pair of overlapping wingbacks. But this is what I love about this whole concept - I can be tactically agile as I am reluctant to be found out by the other sides in the league and the cup. Key differences here to my other setups: Much Shorter Passing - To seek more of the ball if our counter attacks get stopped. Encourages the fluid movement off the ball even further when paired with higher tempo and attacking mentality. This is as sensible as it will get without going into the extremes of Gegenpress-esque style of buildup. Higher Line of Engagement - If we need a win or a goal, we pen the opposition this way in their own half. I think I have explained enough the reasons for the Roam from Position PI. The PFa is experimental in this case, as the role really depends on the type of player I have at disposal. I may look to switch between the DLFa, DLFs and/or the PFa, depending on the player I play here and the type of result I want from a given game. Stephy Mvibudulu is suited to play the DLFs but Jorden Winter or Max Kessler are not. The reason as to why I selected the role of a Winger on support rather than the IW as previously used in my other systems is simple - the IWBs behind him already occupies the same half-space. While an IWs is better in terms of possession, I don't want high possession numbers if we cannot penetrate the opposition defence. The Winger ensures that the left-flank is occupied most of the time. This is my Alexis Sanchez role. Given the license to do anything in attack, I just want him to stay wider before cutting inside. The IFa prompts runs from deep into space behind the defensive line, which creates rotation with the PFa, as the striker is likely to come wide before letting this role to cut in. The Attacking Midfielder (the Fabregas) on support duty, when considering the CMs plays alongside on the left, emulates the sort of 433 @SixPointer played with his Sparta Rotterdam, with two advanced 8s exploiting the hole in between the midfield and defence. What I love about this role is the AMs dropping deep when the team is in possession, creating a 433 in essence. Move into Channels and Roam from Position allow for positional rotation in the final third. This is my Cazorla/Diaby player. A runner from deep, extra outlet when we look to cross, the CMs will look to get further forward into the space of the AMCL when in possession while coming short and carrying the ball forward. Tarik Reinhard has 11 dribbling, which is above the league average. For this reason, I didn't tick the Dribble More PI. However, if someone else were to play in this role, I would probably have Dribble More on. Here is my Song/Coquelin type of player. Look to cut passing lanes, stay back and screen the defence. Play safe passes when building up in our own half and look to retain the ball when possible, this is the crucial position in our setup in terms of our defensive solidity. Close Down Less encourages positional awareness more so than anything, as any player in this role will look to adapt his position in order to limit space for opposition attacks. All of the TIs, PIs, roles and mentalities combine to produce something like this on the pitch. At times, the IFa, No.14, gets too far forward while the ball is still in our half, which could cause problems with ball retention in future, but should be fine for now. We don't occupy all five channels at once (think this is party due to the AMR, AML and the STC all roaming), but this will hopefully come with tactical familiarity and a couple of tweaks. However, what is good to see is the clear W formation during buildup. 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. In addition, a keen eye may have noticed the lack of a playmaker in all 3 systems. This is intentional. This year, I find that the Playmaking roles slow down the play and partly become the cause of sideways passing that we so often see in this game at times. As we want to progress the ball up pitch, a playmaker goes against what we want to achieve with this tactical interpretation. Before I forget, I would also like to outline when we seek to use each system. The 2-3-5 will be used if: - We are at home, and in need of a win - The opposition play one man up front (i.e. 433, 451, 541 etc.) - The opposition play 5 at the back (532, 523, 541). Why? As we have got the 5 men up front, they will occupy the 5 defenders, simply creating a 5v5 situation when we cross into the opposition half. The 3-2-5 will be used if: - We face against tougher opposition (the 3-2 structure helps with the defensive solidity if we happen to turnover the ball) - The opposition play 2 striker systems - The opposition play on the counter The 3-1-6 will be used if: - We face weaker opposition - The opposition has more creative players in the middle - The opposition has high possession numbers These are just the basic criteria for when and where to use certain systems. Of course, some of these may overlap (i.e. a 5 at the back on the counter) in which case I will seek to pick the system based on the most important/critical factor. Please do note that these systems are far from perfect and could be interpreted differently in different ways. Such is the beauty of FM. Of course at times, these will be subject to change depending on our results. But, based on what I saw from our preseason friendlies, these systems look encouraging.

I am currently toying with the idea of going Much Shorter Passing and Much Higher Tempo, as I have seen success with it in one of my other saves. However, for that, I need the right player profiles, something that is currently lacking in this Chemie Leipzig team. But this is my thinking behind the attacking mentality - loads of support duties and maybe one or two on attacking duties, just to aid with the final third output - this all forces the team to play as a collective, all of whom will look to attack the spaces in front, rather than a bunch of mismatching individuals. The "Fluid" and "Very Fluid" tasks don't carry the same importance as they did in previous versions of the game, but it is nice to see that my thinking be reflected by a simple label on the bottom right of the formation screen. Thank you. Just need to set the training regime up to help with the Tactical Periodisation, something which is currently difficult to do, given we are a semi-pro side at the moment.

With the GK deal, I like the thinking behind it. Sensible, solid. While Onana on a free sounds like a steal, I like seeing people sign players that are not as frequently used by other FM players but are still decent.

I wonder - assuming that you will have a full DNA and a Club Recruitment philosophy up and running, are you looking to micromanage the youth sides too? Monitoring their development, filtering for personalities, mentoring, finding coaches suited to your brand of football?

Tactical Interlude #2.2 - Bringing Wengerball to Non-League While setting a profound impact before, during and after his time, Arsene Wenger was not the only man to revolutionise English football. Some of you may remember this guy. Herbert Chapman. The Gunners, under the steady leadership of Herbert Chapman, steadily rose from mid-table obscurity to First Division champions. At a time when most teams employed 9 striker formations, a 1 man defence, the Arsenal manager changed football thinking at the start of 1930. While the popular trend was to throw as many attackers as possible, neglecting every other position on the field, Chapman's side appeared to be balanced across the pitch, giving solidity at the back while not compensating for efficiency in attack. Chpaman's 3-2-5, or more commonly known nowadays as the WM, was set-up with the aim of covering all spaces on the pitch, all five channels across all thirds. The Gunners blew their competition out the water, finishing top with the highest goals scored (127) and the least conceded (59). Moreover, they finished with a decent 7 point gap down to second at the end of the 1930-31 First Division campaign. The season after finished in the same fashion, with another trophy bagged under the leadership of Chapman. Now, even if the 1930's were a long time ago, we can still see traces of the 3-2-5 employed in modern football today. Wenger used the principles of the 3-2-5 in some games, but no manager had been set on using the set-up as Pep Guardiola, the pioneer of Juego de Posicion. https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/2016/8/30/12682782/pep-guardiola-tactics-manchester-city-analysis "The formation, though it is often presented as a 4-3-3 on the pre-match graphic, transforms into a 3-2-5. There are various nuances to the correct implementation of the functioning formation, but some of the more important ones are attacking and defending with five, width, midfield ball retention, and movement. All of these key aspects, combined with positional discipline, high work rate, and counter-pressing, make up the Guardiola playing philosophy at Manchester City." As there are a countless of threads talking about Guardiola and his tactical philosophy, I thought I would chip in too. Here is how my hardcoded formation looks: Similar instructions to the 3-1-6, I wanted to aid efforts with the tactical familiarity, to allow the players to get used to our pass and move football. I will not delve into the team instructions this time, for the reasons aforementioned. However, what I will explain is the PI and the reasons for me choosing roles I had chosen. As I have got a Shadow Striker in the system, using a holding frontman is needed to maximise the effect the AMC will have on our pattern of play in the final third. Out of all roles, I find the DLFs suits our purpose and the way we want to play. Considering Stephy Mvibudulu is in the frame to operate in that position, him as a Targetman does not look like a good idea. Close down More is to avoid setting the whole team to press, while Roaming From Position is needed in order to encourage fluid movement between the front four + opens space for the SSa to operate and thrive in. In previous versions, I could never get the SSa to work. Maybe this year is the year. Based on what I have seen from this role, the results look encouraging. Again, I have ticked the same PIs as the DLFs, wanting to have these two players work in tandem with and without the ball. Definitely the role to keep an eye out for later in the season. The IFs in this instance is the player we will look to cover the gap created by the SSa on the right hand side, hence the Sit Narrower instruction. It should aid with the buildup between the relatively conservative midfield and the attack as the IFs will look to drop deep and ask for the ball when in the middle third. Because of this, I have set the IW to Get Further Forward, again, using PIs to generate the natural fluid movement. Both are on Close Down More to operate a split block in transition. WIthout the Hold Position engaged, I felt as if the DMs ventured too far forward for my liking, going as far as to be in the box or on the very edge at times. Considering the aim of maintaining the structural integrity in our half, Hold Position is a must. The WBL is told to stay wider to encourage the overlaps on the left hand side, again, as part of the fluid movement that I intend to create. The DCL covers the space vacated by the WBL, thanks to his Stay Wider instruction. Here is how the system looks when we have got the ball. Again, the front 5 look slightly disorganised, but that is completely intentional. Wengerball thrived in chaos, as mentioned in my previous major update. I wanted to cultivate some of that chaos and become witness to the fluidity in attack. Thanks to the movement of the front 5, due to their roles and PIs, we are creating natural movement and positional rotation. The IWs tucks in, creating space for the onrushing WBL to run onto on the left-hand side. In the centre, as the IWs drops in, we try to create numbers so that No14, Max Kessler can use the space and beat his man 1v1. No15 Lukas Pinckert can always run in to support the play if needed. More importantly, look at the amount of space No17 Tom Gruendling has around him. While zonally marked, there is a large space to operate in. This is thanks to our conservative midfield base of BWMd and DMs. We don't necessarily pack the centre, which in turn permits the central attacking players to work in the 'hole' between the midfield and defence, the area where he is most proficient and effective in. I realise that I may have not spoken much about Wenger in this post despite the title. The main principle of Wenger's teams was the positional fluidity in the opposition third, playing short, zippy, one-touch passes. Pass and move. Rinse and repeat. This is what I am attempting here. Moreover, in the last image, you can see that we are outnumbered on the left flank, a 5v6 situation. However, this allows our spare man to be available on the right flank, creating a 4v3 situation, which is a huge positive - a quick switch and we manipulate space this way, while not necessarily occupying all of the 5 channels as intended. This all leads to the same outcome, beautiful, flowing, smart football. A very laissez-faire brand of football. Thank you for reading.

I came across a thread in the Tactics forum actually about the Soviet hockey team from the 80s and it did get me thinking. I wanted to also portray the positional interchanges and I do really think I have got it working. As you said, I have learnt a lot from others, particularly @crusadertsar and @Ö-zil to the Arsenal!. The way they play this game is mind-blowing, the ins and outs, the finer details etc. So massive thanks to them for their contribution to the FM community. As promised, here are the 3 clips showing the system in action. One thing to note - Number 4 Manuel Wajer does drop deep in some instances, but that was prior to pushing him up to WBL.

Tactical Interlude #2.1 - Brining Wengerball to Non-League Before reading, please note that this will be a three part post as I ramble on for quite a bit about only one of the three setups that I look to employ with Chemie Leipzig this season. Expect another two to follow very soon. Last season was a good one for us. The right formation, sensible TIs and picking PIs that suit the playstyle we wanted to achieve. That is all well and good, but during the dying embers of the previous campaign, I found ourselves to be less effective against the same type of opposition. We either lost confidence in our abilities or just were a tad unlucky. Maybe it was a bit of both? Regardless, I was keen to mix up the play style, as I grew slightly tired of my variations of the 4231. I still wanted to be defensively solid, but definitely more attacking and fluid when going forward. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to embed a certain tactical playstyle, I sought for some inspiration. And I didn't have to search far for it: Before you groan, yes I am an Arsenal fan (despite my confusing Dynamo Dresden banner, an Andriy Shevchenko avatar, and my favourite team indicated as AC Milan in my profile.) Yes I also support many other teams, but none as much as the Gunners. Watching Arsene Wenger's teams attack is what made me fall in love with the game in the first place. Free-flowing movement, one touch passing, dynamism off the ball, positive management of the ball. This is all what Wengerball was about throughout his tenure. Albeit the results with this were a mixed bag, as Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2003/04 and looked wildly inconsistent. But on their day, the Gunners put up a show, a form of entertainment, as seen attached above, with many more examples existing in the realms of the internet. While Wenger shifted ideology twice throughout his tenure (with the first being after the move to the Emirates (442->433/4231) and the second following Conte's mini-revolution in 2017), I will focus on Wenger's side between 2008 to 2016, where perhaps the most beautiful football was played in my opinion. This particular positional map was from Arsenal's 4-1 win over Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool in 2015 Wenger's 4231 morphed into a 316 in attack, with Moneral, Koscielny and Mertesacker staying put, with Coquelin screening the defence from potential counterattacks. What this presented is - 1) the license for the 6 in attack to interchange and interplay with each other, often creating chaos, due to the constant positional rotation between each other and 2) secure structure in the build-up for when Arsenal played out the back, as Sterling, Markovic and Coutinho had a lot to do in order to close down the back three + Coquelin. This gave Arsenal a spare man to play into when in their own half. Ozil was given pure freedom to patrol the space between Liverpool's backline and midfield, inviting Sanchez and Ramsey to attack the half spaces vacated by the German's smart movement. Often, this created a 4v4 situation, where each attacker was responsible for creating space and taking on their man or pass when they chose. Part of Wenger's laissez-faire football is evident in Sanchez's third goal (see the clip above). What I am trying to replicate is the 3-1-6 shape in the buildup + the positional fluidity of the players upfront. While it may not be a perfect replication, more as an interpretation, given the limitations of FM and lower league football, I believe I got it working somewhat. Right so, where do we begin. As @SixPointer, or any FM veteran correctly pointed out, the hardcoded formation is the shape of the team in defence. The individual roles and instructions are the main proponents of my interpretation. The reason as to why I had moved the LB into the WBL strata is to encourage the movement forward. Mentality Attacking mentality? What? While you may be surprised at this decision, there is quite a bit to unpack, which should hopefully make sense as I try to explain my way through my thinking. Nearly all of our team is on Support duty? Why? Because I find that having a Positive Team Mentality with a clear split between Attacking and Defending duties is equivalent to having Support duties on attacking mentality. The bonus of having the former is that the team plays as a collective rather than a group of individuals. Wenger's Arsenal was about playing as a collective (and yes, some individuality did help with how they played, but I see it differently). Shorter Passing and Higher Tempo seems a bit overkill, considering the Attacking team mentality. However, this facilitates the one-touch, progressive football that I am looking for. The team mentality just complements that idea. Work Ball into Box allows us to slow down when we get into the opposition penalty area and introduce runners, who will seek to search and exploit the space in the box. Wide is selected with the aim of having one of our wide players to hug the touchline at all times, granting 1v1 situations, where we should in theory reign supreme as we have got excellent wide players for this division. The Transition instructions permit me to not select Play out of Defence, the instruction that I wanted to stay away from given we are a lower league side. The Out of Possession instructions seem strange. Why is there no team press? Why is the line of defence at least not on higher? Hopefully it will make sense as to why when we start to look at the PIs Our forward is the spearhead of the attack. Because Wenger emphasised upon the fluid interplay between his attackers, I thought I would tick Roam from Position. Yes, it is the Regionaliga Nordost. Yes, most of the players in this division may not exactly have the attributes needed to execute the fluid interplay. However, I find that for certain systems to work, certain things must be in play. Roaming is one of them. Both wing players have very similar instructions. In my eyes, the IF is the scorer and the IW is the creator in this dynamic. Both are asked to close down more, along with the PFa, which makes a front trident to engage in the press once the ball is lost. In this setup, I want my Mezzala to co-operate with the IFs. As the role naturally uses the right half-space, the passes and the overlaps between the two were very infrequent and far between. Hence, Run Wide With Ball is ticked in order to encourage the positional rotation on the right hand side. Rather than choosing a BBM role, I decided to go for the vanilla CMs with similar instructions to a hardcoded BBM. I feel that this gives more of freedom for the player in this position to do whatever he likes, a bit like Ozil in a sense. What is not like Ozil is the requirement to Close Down More. "Why is there no team press?" As with the Mezzala, I have the front 5 engaging in a press. Once we have achieved this, I see no reason as to why we should have Press More Often as our TI, when a combination of PIs do the job already. "Why is the line of defence at least not on higher?" Our defence is not great at defending, put it mildly. Nearly the slowest in the league, below average in Positioning, Tackling and Heading - this will become an accentuated problem if we raise our Defensive line any higher. One simple long ball over the top will undo all of our backline if we are not too careful. Going lower defensive line is just asking for trouble in FM (although I have seen some people pull it off before). So I feel it makes sense to leave our defensive line as is. The DCL is asked to stay wider. This makes the 3-1 shape in defence when we build up, as the WBL pushes higher up and the IWB tucks in to form a back three. This is best seen in our friendly against Fortuna Koln. This leads me to another point. Remember how I signed Lukas Pinckert nearer to the end of last season? One of the benefits in this system is that he can play anywhere across the backline. Most importantly, he can double up as a centre back. This is extremely useful for our interpretation of the 3-1-6. Plus, he ticks the boxes for general attributes of Passing, Work Rate, Vision, Teamwork and Decisions. These five attributes will eventually form into our DNA (more of this in a later post). Back to the system... This is a perfect example of how the 3-1-6 works in action. Number 7, Alexander Bury, is with the ball. He has several options to pass to. He can either make a cross-field ball into Number 4, or play it safer to someone like Number 5, Paul Horschig. Many passing options, triangles and notice how Fortuna are defending very narrowly here. This leaves space for either of our outside players to get involved in the play and exploit the space in behind. The build up shape is what I care about most however, as it sets the foundations for everything else that follows. The 3-1 structure provides an edge against any 1/2 striker formations, avoiding the opposition press and forming a diamond as a base for the 6 attackers to use the room in front of them. While I am not that bothered about the exact positioning of the front 6, you can see how much we stretch the play, often having at least a player on each wing. What this allows us is to overload one side of the pitch in order to facilitate a 1v1 situation on the other side where there is space. Given that our side is one of the best in dribbling and technique, I fancy us to win a lot of those 1v1s and contest for the free space of green on the pitch. We won that friendly 1-0, against a side who were a division above, which was pleasing to see. While opinions on positional play may vary, I find that I may have cracked the code with the 3-1-6. The football we play has become more intricate and free-flowing as a result of the shift in tactical ideology. I will definitely link some clips of our play in later posts (once I figure out how to do that). But before that happens, I have prepared another two tactics based on the 2-3-5 and the 3-2-5, which will be revealed and explained soon. Thank you for reading.

I assume it has got to do something with an ageing squad with very average abilities. Plus, all that spending in previous seasons for such players has finally caught up to them. Could be wrong though.

Brilliant stuff. Interested on who you plan to sign, seeing as competing in the UCL can be a tough ask at times.

Tense finish, but a pleasing result for the Pompey. Congratulations

All will be revealed in the next post

End of Season Report - 2021/22 "The 21/22 season for BSG Chemie Leipzig went well, exceeding expectations set during pre-season. Although unfortunate to not win the title by the end, Die Chemiker should be proud of their efforts this season - they have deservedly earned their summer break." The season drew to a close and it is now time to briefly sum up key events and moments, conclude the year and set out targets for next season. Key point here - Andy Wendschuch is most likely leaving at the end of the season, as we don't intend to renew his contract. While very useful and crucial this season, at the age of 33/34, he is dropping off in quality. We may renew him for an extra year, but that isn't looking probable, as we need physicality and fresh blood in midfield. Some sales and/or loans are needed if we are to bring new faces in for next season. Great performance from Stephy - the tally could've been bigger though had he not dropped off in the second half of the season. In the end, Cottbus lose their play-off against Weiche from the Regionaliga Nord, meaning that Energie Cottbus stay in our division next year. *groan* In the end, the league table was tight at the top, fine margins separating us and Cottbus on the xPTS table. We both outperformed the numbers, but again, we were unfortunate to come out second best after maintaining top form throughout the season. The most goals scored and the least conceded sounds like title winning form. It is difficult to say what could be improved upon, as it was the run in March that proved to be our undoing. Otherwise, I fancied us for top spot and winning against Weiche to promote ourselves to the 3.Liga. But Brian Clough didn't take Forest into the First Division in his first attempt either. The takeaway here is - we need to focus on the league next year and take each game seriously. With our ailing finances and operating on a shoestring budget, turning professional is absolutely crucial for the health of our finances. A shift in tactical identity and player recruitment is already undergoing its development phase, as Havlicek looks to increase the odds of promotion for next season. All of this will be revealed in the next update. And finally, we say goodbye to Benjamin Boltze, who has performed excellently when called upon. I'm sure those free-kicks scored from close out will be remembered in Chemie's hearts. But for the Chemie players, it is a matter of taking a break, relax and forget about football for a bit, as Havlicek will look to double down on his players next season. (Thank you for sticking around so far! I appreciate reading individual replies and enjoy answering any burning questions. As my life IRL has gotten much busier over the past few weeks, I'm not sure whether I will be able to post regularly in the future (as if I do already post with a consistent schedule ). I have the pre-season update in the works, but beyond that, it may be a while before I come here to post again. This is just to let you know that this is the case and hopefully the next update won't be too long of a wait. But until then, and as always, thank you for reading!)