Creating a footballing DNA - Athletic Club

[Jambo98]

Hi Jambo

I absolutely adore your thread on your Athletic save.

I have been making notes for the past 3 hours so I can start to implement this in my own save.

I have so many questions about how you can use Excel to monitor it etc but I'm not all that good with excel so I was going to ask is it possible that you could send me your spreadsheet to use myself?

If not, how do you think I could set up customised views to give me what I want? Would you mind possibly giving me a few ideas about the titles of varying custom views I could use?

Finally, in terms of youth development if a player has reached 18/19 and still hasn't got all he needs would you then sell him?

In your depth chart you have enough room for say 22/23 players or so, can I assume you would then have an extra depth chart for youth?

How often would you say you buy 1st team players / youth players?

I'm going in on day 1 to a Leeds Utd job I just got and want to get these basics right first.

Incredible work, thanks so much for sharing this, it really plays to my analytical side

Thanks

Lee

Crikey, thats a lot of questions Let me see if i can answer them one by one.

1) I think i had said to someone before, that my excel sheet wouldnt be relevant, thats why i dont share it directly. It tracks the elements i considered to my club DNA - Yours will almost certainly be different and you need to establish what the important things you want to track are. It doesnt need any advanced excel skills to just do some basic tracking of attributes

2) Setting up customised views isnt something i really did much of. I tended to just add in a few key stats (goals, assists) to the "general info" and also make sure i added "match fitness" to my tactics view as that can be important. Custom views are something rashidi1 has written about lots more than me, across a couple of his threads on here

3) Titling of views? I dont understand? As in what you name them? Name them bill bob and bert if you like I cant see that makes any difference?

4) If they reach 18/19 would i sell? Well respectfully, if you have been reading the thread as you say, you will see several examples of exactly the opposite, where i show a couple of players who didnt develop at first but then really kicked on (Celihueta was one). If they reach 21 and havent developed, then i would start to be concerned. There is still lots of development from 19 - 21, particularly with regular game time

5) Depth Chart - I didnt have a seperate depth chart for youth as such. I made sure my B team had enough coverage in each position (a squad of about 18) and for the U18's i just kept the best prospects, regardless of position spread. I actually think that at times 22 players is too many - You struggle to keep that many happy. I think you need a core of maybe 18 senior pros, and then have at least 3 youths who you are willing to play in the first team when required

Hope that helps and good luck with Leeds

[LEEMOD]

Crikey, thats a lot of questions Let me see if i can answer them one by one.

1) I think i had said to someone before, that my excel sheet wouldnt be relevant, thats why i dont share it directly. It tracks the elements i considered to my club DNA - Yours will almost certainly be different and you need to establish what the important things you want to track are. It doesnt need any advanced excel skills to just do some basic tracking of attributes

2) Setting up customised views isnt something i really did much of. I tended to just add in a few key stats (goals, assists) to the "general info" and also make sure i added "match fitness" to my tactics view as that can be important. Custom views are something rashidi1 has written about lots more than me, across a couple of his threads on here

3) Titling of views? I dont understand? As in what you name them? Name them bill bob and bert if you like I cant see that makes any difference?

4) If they reach 18/19 would i sell? Well respectfully, if you have been reading the thread as you say, you will see several examples of exactly the opposite, where i show a couple of players who didnt develop at first but then really kicked on (Celihueta was one). If they reach 21 and havent developed, then i would start to be concerned. There is still lots of development from 19 - 21, particularly with regular game time

5) Depth Chart - I didnt have a seperate depth chart for youth as such. I made sure my B team had enough coverage in each position (a squad of about 18) and for the U18's i just kept the best prospects, regardless of position spread. I actually think that at times 22 players is too many - You struggle to keep that many happy. I think you need a core of maybe 18 senior pros, and then have at least 3 youths who you are willing to play in the first team when required

Hope that helps and good luck with Leeds

Hi Jambo,

Thank you for kindly getting back to me on this, yourself and Rashidi have really got me back into the game again.

What am I considering doing is to create something similar to what you did where you have a certain requirement by a certain age. This needs planning so much and I’m as yet to decide what I want that to look like but I am going to have these Tier 1 & Tier 2 attributes across all my team and then 4 or 5 positional attributes which they also need.

Tier 1 – Concentration/First Touch/Composure/Determination

Tier 2 Teamwork/Work Rate/Stamina/Anticipation

I then have other attributes by position, I am playing a defend/cover/defend combo so I need my centre back to have very good acceleration for example and all of them to have heading/jumping as a priority.

How do you think I can put all of this into some form of matrix for myself? I have created myself a custom view so it has those tier 1 & tier 2 attributes but how would you measure the other more ‘positional attributes’? I think if I include these in my own custom view it will be overkill.

To come to your second point, I just mean what titles could I have? So for instance I may have one for just tier attributes but then others for positional ones.

My system I have put together is very much going to be based on the work of Jurgen Klopp, high pressing.

SWEEPER KEEPER (support)

Central Defender Defend / Cover / Defend

Defensive Midfielder (Defend)

Two Wingers or Defensive Wingers depending who we play

Two Box to Box Midfielders on a support duty

Advanced Playmaker (Attack) – the brains behind it all.

Poacher – pure goalscorer

I then have certain PPM’s I want from each position and using your depth chart I will try to monitor who slots in where so I can ensure game time/ rotation.

I have gone for the following but what other PPM’s do you think would be good?

Central Defenders

Plays short simple passes

Defensive Midfielder

Tries Killer Balls Often

Dictates Tempo

Comes Deep to Get the Ball

Shoots with Power

Box-to-Box Midfielder

Tries Killer Balls Often

Get Forward Whenever Possible

Shoots with Power

Plays one-twos

Winger

Runs with Ball Often

Knocks Ball Past Opponent(if quick or poor dribbling)

Tries Killer Balls Often

Plays One-Twos

Likes to Switch the Ball to the Other Flank

Advanced Playmaker

Tries Killer Balls Often

Runs with Ball Through Centre

Moves Into Channels

Plays One-Twos

Poacher

Runs with Ball Through Centre

Places Shots

Moves Into Channels

Plays One-Twos

I’m sorry if I missed your post on development, it’s a lot to take in so apologies.

Finally in relation to depth charts, would your advice to only have one then, so I would include all my squads in the one and then get rid of any surplus which don’t fit in?

Cheers

Lee

[LEEMOD]

Hi Jambo, I wonder if you wouldn't mind getting back to me?

Thanks

[Jambo98]

Im sorry, what is it you want me to do? Play yours save for you?

All of the guidance you need is either in this thread or in the other great threads on the forum. I cant tell you what you should name our custom views (!). Name them billy, bob and bert, like i said in my initial answer.

I cant tell you what PPMs I think would be good because that is irellevant. I am not managing your team - You are. The PPMs have to be those which you feel will produce the kind of football you want and fit into the system you have defined. Its great that you are taking the time to consider the PPMs, but the process of actually doing so has to be one you define.

Depth charts are a tool. How that tool is used is up to you. You can have either one for the first team, one for the reserves etc, or you can have one organisational depth chart. Either approach is valid, its down to how you prefer to manage your club.

You have read the thread, its great you've taken it all in and want to replicate something similar at your own club, but this approach only works if you want to get into the detail of management of a club yourself and shape your own DNA.

Good luck

[LEEMOD]

Hi

No I don't want you to play my save otherwise I would have said 'can you play my save for me'.

I just asked a few questions although based on your response I wish I hadn't now.

[Siddo]

Hi Jambo,

Sorry to hijack the thread but wanted your help regarding the style of play Hearts under Neilson have used this season. I'm interested as you've mentioned the idea of building a club is something they are trying to do. I'm playing with Notts County and want to apply the principles of this thread.

I've found the following reading the internet:

Formation: Tends to be 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1

Emphasis on constructive, passing football. I'm thinking an approach of Control at home and Counter away would best reflect this.

Pace on the wings and a solid central midfield unit (self explanatory).

Hard working professional team (again self explanatory, combination of attributes and personalities)

Thanks in advance for any response

[LEEMOD]

Jambo - please accept my apologies for my earlier reply, I just wanted some advice.

I didn't mean to snap at you, I really do admire your work on these forums.

I miss your older Hearts idea where you focussed on 1st touch / composure / technique / passing.

It seemed a really good, simple way of managing youths.

Thank you

[Jambo98]

Hi Jambo,

Sorry to hijack the thread but wanted your help regarding the style of play Hearts under Neilson have used this season. I'm interested as you've mentioned the idea of building a club is something they are trying to do. I'm playing with Notts County and want to apply the principles of this thread.

I've found the following reading the internet:

Formation: Tends to be 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1

Emphasis on constructive, passing football. I'm thinking an approach of Control at home and Counter away would best reflect this.

Pace on the wings and a solid central midfield unit (self explanatory).

Hard working professional team (again self explanatory, combination of attributes and personalities)

Thanks in advance for any response

No probs, interesting to see someone wanting to model on Hearts . I think you have it pretty much nailed in what you say. The key sapects of Hearts have been:

- Flat back 4 with attacking type fullbacks who will advance high up the pitch and provide assists and even goals in the final third.

- Always a solid CM 2 who probaly operate in the DM strata. The players here tend to be a combination of a destroyer/pressing type and a more refined playmaker type

- Pace and goalscoring threats from the wide areas, at times utilising inverted wingers. They have tended to play high up the pitch but also work hard to cover back

- Variation in the strikers. Whether its 2 up top, or 1 with 1 in behind, Nielsen has brought in a variety of player types to allow him to flex how we play up front

- Overall the focus is on possession and attacking football, often foccusing through wide areas and with bodies getting forward to support the attack (the attacking fullbacks and even at times one of the DM's will get forward)

- ANother key point is the professional attitude and approach. The team train harder than any others in the league and always work hard and never let up - Hence some of the very high scoring wins where we could easily have backed off at 3 nil but go on to get 5

- Youth is of course also a key focus, bringing through our academy products

- Transfer wise Hearts looked different specific types - a) Those with experience of the division/scottish game - Bauben, Gomis, Keatings, Alexander b) "Stalled prospects" who had reached the age of 22/23ish and perhaps fizzled out a bit, but still had a ability and looked for a second change to prove it - Ozturk, Sow, El Hassnoui, Anderson, Zeefuik c) A bit of experience - Eckersley, Pallardo

Hope some of that helps. I have a hearts save on the back burner which i should really restart and built a club DNA

Jambo - please accept my apologies for my earlier reply, I just wanted some advice.

I didn't mean to snap at you, I really do admire your work on these forums.

I miss your older Hearts idea where you focussed on 1st touch / composure / technique / passing.

It seemed a really good, simple way of managing youths.

Thank you

No worries - It is a simple but effectve way, and you can easily pick your own 3/4 attributes and do the same. You could easily do that rather than go with the slightly more complex approach i did with Athletic where i started to vary it by role etc. Good luck in which ever save you have gone for in the end

[Siddo]

Thanks again Jambo, that's help me immensely. Would you say the team is more structured or fluid? Also Hearts being one of the top sides in the division I'm guessing Attacking is maybe the way to go to aid the points discussed above?

[Jambo98]

Hmm the fluidity is an interesting question. I would say its fairly balanced. Middle ground or possibly fluid. Defo not either extreme.

I think Hearts are flexible in terms of mentality. Against most teams we will start "attacking" and run over the top of the likes of Cowdenbeath, Dumbarton, Livingston.

Against Hibs and Rangers, we are perhaps more cautious. More like Standard i would say.