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PART 1 | KLOPP IS DONE & THE CHOSEN ONE Fresh off the Carabao Cup victory yesterday marked the first trophy in the remainder of Klopp’s reign in real life. So what did he achieve in his last season with us in game? Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to replicate the Carabao Cup triumph as Liverpool FC was knocked out in the early stages, but fans would have been jubilant as we managed to secure a League and European Cup double come May 2024 after a 2-0 victory over Sevilla. The Premier League title was secured with 89 points and bringing it home with a marginal 1 point lead. A great run of form in the last months of the season including a 2-1 victory over 2nd placed Manchester City proved decisive in the title race. The League win also leaves the Club equal in number of titles with Manchester United on 20 apiece. Klopp leaves Liverpool back on the perch it surrendered to Sir Alex’s United a few years ago. Klopp’s departure leaves a significant void, and it is now critical that I identify a sufficient successor to take the reigns. THE MANAGER SEARCH Again, my first port of call is to recap the Board Culture and Expectations to ensure that the new manager selected would be aligned. The updated Board Culture and Expectations for the new season indicate that they want the Club to play attacking, entertaining and possession-based football, incorporating a high-tempo press. Whilst some of the Board’s expectations haven’t changed since day 1, there are some additional constraints placed on us concerning contracts per age group within the squad. This will definitely come to the fore when renewing new contracts and when recruiting new players. So with the Club Culture firmly in my mind, I set out to create a shortlist of 10 managers that have popped up throughout the past few weeks in the media regarding the vacant position and from casting my net identifying possible candidates. The criteria for my manager search are as follows: Must have experience coaching/managing at the top level Must have a strong global reputation Must play with an attacking or adventurous mentality Tactical style must be in alignment with Club Culture – think Gegenpress, Vertical Tiki-Taka, Tiki-Taka, etc A preference given for “More Often” pressing style Must have a strong personality, high motivating and tactical knowledge attributes Preferred formation must not be something that is too defensive – a back 4 or back 5 is ok Whilst Zinedine Zidane’s and Simone Inzaghi’s reputations are strong, I felt the fit is not there. Especially due to the fact that neither of them spoke any level of English and Zidane not being particularly tactically proficient. Although I do think Ange Postecoglu’s management and play style does resemble that of Klopp, I think to pry him from Tottenham’s hands at this stage of his tenure would be difficult and unrealistic. Prior to his failed managerial stint at Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard has always been one touted for Liverpool’s main job. I think that particular job proved decisive in highlighting his tactical shortcomings, and now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia detracts from his appeal. Thomas Frank’s Brentford are seen to be the most stylistically similar to Klopp’s Liverpool if you purely look at the underlying data, but one could argue it’s the Brentford machine behind Frank that is most impressive rather than Frank himself. He would need to prove himself a bit more, perhaps at a different club at a higher level to really be a consideration. The same could be said for Francesco Farioli. An astute tactician who had an impressive 2nd place finish with Nice in game, but someone lacking the real top-level management required, global reputation and “Route One” mentality proved too many negatives to take him to the next phase of the search. THE TOP CANDIDATES Refining the list further, four candidates really stood out to me and it is no wonder they are likely to be at the top of Liverpool’s list in real life. Xabi Alonso has had an incredible 18 months since taking the hot seat at Bayer Leverkusen, remaining unbeaten this season and proving his worth as probably the most coveted young manager in the game today. In game, Leverkusen haven’t been able to replicate this success, failing to break into the Top 4 in the Bundesliga. However, there are many things to like about Alonso – a true professional, an aligned playing style and mentality and a beloved character in Liverpool thanks to his time during his playing career. Julian Nagelsmann is an interesting case and I think someone FSG really admire. He is a driven individual, tactically astute and likes to play attacking, entertaining football. He also has the highest reputation of all the final four. Currently the manager of the German National Team, his focus will be on the EURO 2024 – does the time post-tournament give him sufficient time to get his feet under the table and his hands dirty with the Liverpool squad? His failed Bayern Munich stint is also a concern as it was his first shot at the big time, which was largely marred by falling outs with players and senior executives. Someone dubbed the ‘most important coach in the world today’ by Pep Guardiola, Roberto De Zerbi will likely be in the running for any top job that pops up. His Brighton plays a fantastic brand of football, with his obsession on controlling the ball and with it, the match. A driven person with all the right credentials from a style and tactical perspective, but comes at a significant cost relative to the other candidates. He disappointedly failed to follow up his first season success with Brighton, finishing 9th in this campaign. Something that has been labelled against De Zerbi is the fact that he seems to only be at clubs for a couple of seasons before moving on – ala Mourinho. Ruben Amorim is an impressive coach with a solid CV to back him up. Having led Sporting to title success in Portugal against the major powerhouses (Porto and Benfica) does make his candidacy appealing. We also know that FSG are sticklers for value relative to cost, Amorim’s ‘measly’ GBP 36k wage makes him even more appealing to the Board. However, failure in the current league campaign, lower global reputation, and lack of experience at the game’s highest levels versus the rest cast a few doubts. THE CHOSEN ONE It was difficult for me to remain objective when it came to selecting the final, chosen one. Xabi Alonso was one of my favourite players growing up and his impressive management of Bayer Leverkusen in real life was just too much to ignore. I am willing to put my job on the line and back the world’s rising star. It will be interesting to see how Alonso adapts to his new club and what direction he wants to play (of course, in real life this would all be known during discussions between the club and the manager to be, but we don’t have that luxury). Will he stick to his favoured 5-2-2-1 system currently implemented at Bayer, or will he revert to a 4-2-3-1 system he utilised at Real Sociedad? Time will tell. The more we go on this journey with him, the easier building a squad in his desired image becomes. (Photo: LFC Transfer Room) Until next time.

0.1 | INTRODUCTION - THE SAVE On the 26th January 2024, Jurgen Klopp shocked the Liverpool fanbase (which includes me) and the broader footballing world by announcing that he would leave the club at the end of the current season (2023/24). Klopp took over Liverpool in October 2015 and built the club back up from relative mediocrity, whilst creating a brand and style of football synonymous with the community – high energy, attacking and entertaining. As of writing, Klopp has achieved what many deemed the unthinkable – winning the Premier League title in 2020 after a 30-year wait, alongside winning the Champions League in 2019, FA Cup and Carabao Cup in 2022, and is currently fighting on all four fronts in this campaign. To call his tenure a success is an understatement and is argued that he could’ve won a lot more had it not been for the Manchester City machine led by Pep Guardiola coinciding with this period. Alongside Klopp, Liverpool will also lose Peter Krawitz (Klopp’s longstanding assistant manager) as well as promising young coaches Pep Lijnders and Vito Matos too. This, against the backdrop of not having an established Director of Football at the helm to oversee the ‘post-Klopp rebuild’ (Jorge Schmadtke was installed temporarily and left the club in January 2024). And so, it sparked my interest in taking the Director of Football role to try to lead the club into a new dynasty. THE RISE OF ZORC The role of Director of Football in today’s game has risen in prominence and has become a critical part of a club’s foundation. In recent times, the most revered Directors of Football to my mind have been Monchi during his spell at Sevilla and Michael Zorc for his work at Borussia Dortmund from 1998 to 2022, who has subsequently retired from the game. So, I thought there would be no better man to rise from the retirement ashes and take on this challenge. Michael Zorc was born in Dortmund and played for his childhood club, Borussia Dortmund, in 572 competitive games across a 17-year playing career and earned himself seven caps for Germany. Upon his retirement at 36 years old, Zorc played a key role as Dortmund’s Director of Football, leading the club out of financial ruin and winning the Bundesliga in 2002, 2011, and 2012. He stepped down in June 2022, replaced by Sebastian Kehl. I have rekindled Zorc’s profile from FM22 and matched it as best I can. PLAYING AS THE DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL IN FM I have never done a DoF save in FM, and I am really excited to give it a go. For those not familiar with the concept, some brilliant YouTube channels are undergoing similar saves that explain the intricacies much better than I do. Check out Clayts (https://www.youtube.com/@Clayts) and Games Tell Stories (https://www.youtube.com/@gamestellstories). Essentially, I will be undertaking all the scouting, recruiting and hiring/firing of staff (including the manager) for the Club in alignment with their strategic objectives. Anything related to the tactics, team selection and training is delegated to the Assistant Manager (in this case, I have used the Editor to bring Klopp back as the Assistant Manager but he will make all the decisions as if he were the actual Manager). The Club Vision and Supporter Expectations are the first port of call for establishing what is expected from me as the DoF. Things relating to my job are: Hiring/Firing the “Manager” – I will need to consider the type of football the Board desire and what also relates to my desired vision [Klopp obviously retains his job until the end of the season, after which we will need to hire a new manager that aligns to this vision] Hiring/Firing Staff – again to the point above, building a staff that complements the Manager Establish a Scouting & Recruitment Model – I will touch on this in more detail later in this post, and ensuring it aligns to the Board expectations [In this case, the Board wants me to focus on players under the age of 23 for the first team] Establish a Squad Building Model – again, I will touch on this later in the post [At LFC, the Club’s youth academy has been a relative success and I will ensure that the youth recruitment, facilities are upgraded and best in class, but ultimately the player pathway will be at the manager’s discretion as to whether or not to develop and use players we have in the Club] To set up this save, I have chosen to have a comprehensive database of +/- 100k players which will give me enough scope and competitiveness to make it an enjoyable challenge, especially for having a buoyant transfer and loan market available across the continent. One interesting quirk that I have chosen to do is to start the game as close to today’s date as possible. To do so, I added Malaysia and started the game on Malaysian League start date (12th February 2024) whilst downloading a Fixture and Result update from Sortitoutfm [https://sortitoutsi.net/content/63851/premier-league-real-fixtures-2023] to get the actual English Premier League results up to 7th January, whilst fixtures from that date to 12th February have been simulated by the game. Unfortunately, the update does not include Carabao Cup fixtures where we have been eliminated in the Third Round (Liverpool are in the final irl). SCOUTING AND RECRUITMENT POLICY I have read and re-read @MattyLewis11 brilliant article (https://steinkelssonfm.medium.com/fm21-monchi-masterclass-removing-the-luck-factor-from-recruitment-b141052b6d45) summarising the Monchi Masterclass [YouTube] and I want to adapt this and use this as my approach to scouting and recruiting in this save. What better than to try bring realism into the game using one of the most renowned and successful DoF’s in the game today. The basic premise is to align to three core principles – Direction, Planning and Teamwork. Direction – set out by the club vision and culture (touched on previously) Planning – removing the element of luck in recruitment by using as much information as possible and avoiding improvisation [Establishing a transparent process, aligning the players to a DNA and forward planning transfers] Teamwork – establishing a team of individuals I can trust and lean on (Scouts, Analysts) [Having a team of scouts that have at least 15 for Judging Player Ability and Potential, with Adaptability and World Knowledge being important too] So how will the Scouting and Recruitment process work? In phases. Phase 1 – Gross Tracking – will run from July to December and will have one main objective which is to populate the database. Scouts will be assigned to leagues using a tiering system. Tier A – leagues of a similar profile to the club [Think English Premiership, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga etc] Tier B – leagues of lessor quality [Here I will use ‘roaming’ scouts to scout lessor nations, national teams, ad-hoc scouting tasks] Tier C – National and Regional Tournament [As and when any key tournaments will be played, whether it be a senior or junior tournament] Completion of this phase should provide a wide net of players, which I will include in a Shortlist called “Scouting Pool”. I will only include players that are presented with at least a C- grade. Phase 2 – Net Tracking – will run from January through to May which will be used to refine the Scouting Pool to players of interest. According to the Masterclass/FM Steinkelsson, this process includes: Watching the Players and tracking them in different matches and different situation [Here I will set up that players of interest will be watched by at least 3 scouts, for 3 matches providing sufficient information about the player in different matches] Ranking Players [Once the player has been scouted above, each scout will give their opinion on the player which is considered and will give us a rank of the potential target – I will use the rankings provided in the game but adapt in a way that can be useable] Creating a Definitive List [All of the above should give us ample information to which we could create a definitive list] To help create a definitive list of players, a set of criteria or parameters are included: Physical Profile [DNA] Technical Profile [DNA] Psychological Profile [DNA] Economic Conditions [Budgets, Speaking to Agents etc] Squad Dynamics [Social Groups] Potential To achieve the Physical, Technical and Psychological profiles of the player and align to the current Liverpool scouting policy which I read about on The Athletic a few years ago, I will establish a DNA. We want physically robust players, display strong work ethic, football intelligence and technically proficient, as well as considering the player’s personality. Physically Robust – STAMINA, NATURAL FITNESS Work Ethic – DETERMINATION, WORK RATE, TEAMWORK Football Intelligence – ANTICIPATION, COMPOSURE, DECISIONS Technically Proficient – FIRST TOUCH, PASSING, TECHNIQUE Of course, this is just a high-level overview of what I am trying to implement, and it will take at least a season or so to fully scale. I will look to write up an example of a transfer from start to finish to really communicate the process in more detail. For the remainder of this season, though, we are already in February so we will use the details about the squad as it stands and use the scouting system to fill gaps required for next season. SQUAD BUILDING You can have the best and most well-thought-out scouting and recruitment process, but the ultimate success will be the construction of the squad for the manager to use effectively. My idea here is not to stockpile a bunch of Wonderkids (ala the Chelsea model) but to make well-thought-out recruitment across all teams and ensure sufficient pathway for the younger players to thrive – at the end of the day, it's win-win. We either develop talents well and they can play in the first team, or they get sold for a substantial profit. So what am I trying to achieve here: Players that are developed or recruited by the Club align to the Club’s DNA Construct well-considered squads, from first team to U18 Implement a wage structure – I know Liverpool are very conscious of the wages given by the Club For the First Team squad, my ideal structure would be the following: 4-5 Star or Important Players 9-10 Regular Starters 8-10 Squad Players For a total squad size of 22-25 players, which will then be supplemented by youngsters For the U21 and U18 squads, I am looking to structure the squads with 18 players suitable to the playing style and DNA of the Club. SAVE OBJECTIVES The day Klopp walks out the doors at Liverpool FC will be an extremely sad and heart-wrenching day but one of immense pride for all Liverpool supporters who have enjoyed the time we have had with him, someone who has embodied what the club stands for and means to people, akin to Bill Shankly in the ‘60s. But it is my job now to ensure that the club manages its way to hopefully a decade of success on and off the field. My inspiration for this save would be to try to replicate the success that Shankly’s successor, Bob Paisley achieved after such an icon walked away from the hot seat. In the next post, I will look to summarise the remainder of the season, draw to an end the era under Klopp (hopefully with a few trophies in his boot), and select our new manager who will lead the club forward, on-the-field. Until next time.

0.1 | INTRODUCTION - THE SAVE It's May 2023 and Napoli, led by Luciano Spalletti have clinched the Serie A title, amassing an amazing 90 points and securing only their third league title in their history. Scenes of jubilation and celebration surround the streets of Napoles and the stands of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, fittingly named after the last superstar to raise the league title for Napoli. Fast forward to today, however, and scenes of despair and disappointment surround the southern Italian city, as Napoli sit 5th in Serie A after 14 games. Luciano Spalletti left the club in the summer to take a sabbatical from the game which lasted all but a month before assuming the role of coaching the Italian National team and was succeeded by Rudi Garcia. The Frenchman lasted 12 games and has subsequently been replaced by former Napoli manager, Walter Mazzarri. To call this season a disaster after such a joyous period is nothing short of an understatement. Was it inevitable that there would be such a spectacular drop-off when Spalletti decided to leave the club? Has ending the title drought become an impossible feat for any manager to follow? To quote James Horncastle from The Athletic, “Finding someone willing to step into Spalletti’s shoes was harder than expected…” And so this is where our story begins… WHY NAPOLI? The club was founded in 1926 following the merger of US Internazionale Napoli and Naples Foot-Ball Club. Boasting former players such as Gianfranco Zola, Lorenzo Insigne, Fabio Cannavaro, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi among others, but it was the late, great Diego Maradona that really etched Napoli into the fabric of football folklore leading the Gli Azzurri to two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup (old Europa League) during the late-1980s. Following the departure of Maradona, the club suffered financial difficulties and endured several relegations even filing for bankruptcy before the takeover and the club’s re-incarnation by Italian film producer, Aurelio De Laurentiis. Under his stewardship, the club managed to stabilise and enjoy some minor successes before landing the country’s top prize last season. Having read the whole article by James Horncastle just referenced, I stumbled across an interesting passage stating that Aurelio De Laurentiis, when weighing up hiring Antonio Conte or Igor Tudor, was “worried about entrusting a team built to play 4-3-3 to coaches who have established reputations playing three at the back.” And this got me thinking, why not try? I have also never taken to playing a back three so it felt like a good opportunity to take over a great team in need of a lift, whilst trying my hand at learning a new tactical framework. But my thinking didn’t stop there… BRINGING THE X(ABI) FACTOR Xabi Alonso has taken the Bundesliga by storm since his employment at Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022 replacing Gerardo Seoane. At the time of writing, Leverkusen sit on the top of the Bundesliga after 13 matches and 3 points ahead of Bayern Munich. His team play an exciting brand of possession football that entertains and is attractive to the eye and coupled with energy, positional relativism and high pressing, the tactical geeks are gushing. Alonso had an illustrious playing career with the privilege of playing for some of the world’s best managers including Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Rafael Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti, and you can see a bit of each one in the development of Alonso as a coach. It's fair to say that Alonso as a player was destined for a coaching career – intelligent, tactically astute, an organiser and a leader. After his playing career and completing his UEFA Elite Badges, Alonso spent his first coaching role back at Real Madrid U14 leading them to an undefeated season in 2018. He was then appointed by his boyhood club, Real Sociedad B, where he gained promotion to the Segunda Division in his second season. In October 2022, Alonso assumed the role of Head Coach at Budesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen and has become one of the most exciting coaches in the world. Alonso began life in Leverkusen with a team that was designed to play on the counterattack by utilising its pace and directness. However, since the start of the current season (2023/24) and his first full season in charge, Alonso has opted for a more possession-heavy, press-and-possess style of play recruiting technically gifted individuals and highlighting on-the-ball intelligence. By drawing inspiration from (and in the process recreating) Xabi Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 / 5-2-2-1 tactic, I will look to bring success to the faltering defending Serie A champions. CLUB VISION Aurelio De Laurentiis plays a very active role in the running of Napoli and from what I have read is very demanding on his coaches. FM has replicated that by a vast array of stipulations placed on us, but none are of concern and I will enjoy trying to match up to them. The Napoli-Argentina love affair doesn’t stop with the club history or club vision as the manager to take over this challenge is the (fictitious) Argentine cousin of Xabi Alonso – one Javi Solano. SAVE OBJECTIVES I have set myself ideally two to three seasons to achieve the two primary objectives of the save, being: Win the Serie A title Successfully recreate and implement a tactic/style of play inspired by Xabi Alonso Realistically, Season 1 will be a year of tweaking, recruiting and bedding down the tactic whereas Season 2 will likely be the big push for success Bonus: Win the Champions League As an additional challenge, the first transfer window will be disabled and I will play the game in “Original” mode so that I have the full squad in place to assess from the get-go. To wrap up this post, let’s have a look at the Board and Supporter Objectives over this three-year cycle: CLUB EXPECTATIONS SUPPORTER EXPECTATIONS In the next post, I will delve deep into the initial tactical recreation and assessing my Napoli side against that of their Bundesliga counterpart. Arrivederci.