AS Monaco - Find your wonderkids here!

[lukekarts]

AS Monaco - Les Rouges et Blancs

Club History

Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club is based in Monte Carlo and plays at the Stade Louis II, a somewhat iconic, 18,500 seater with a unique design. The club’s colours are red and white, hence the nickname Les Rouges et Blancs. In 2011, a 66% stake in the club was purchased by a group led by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. Monaco have been one of France’s more successful clubs, with seven league titles and five Coupe de France trophies. European success has so far eluded them, with the 2004 Champions League Final defeat to Porto being the highlight.

The Glory Years

One of the more memorable eras for Monaco was the period spanning the late 80s through to the early 2000s, where the team won league titles under Arsene Wenger, Jean Tigana and Claude Puel. The Wenger era was of particular significance, with big names such as George Weah, Glenn Hoddle, Jurgen Klinsmann and Youri Djokaeff playing for the club. Meanwhile, the academy produced Emmanuel Petit, Lilian Thuram, and Thierry Henry, who all went on to have fantastic careers at big clubs across Europe. Notably, the club reached the 2004 Champions League Final, against Mourinho's Porto, under the guidance of upcoming manager Didier Deschamps and some fantastic performances from Ludovic Giuly, Jerome Rothen and Fernando Morientes.

No Money... and then comes an Oligarch

All good things come to an end, however, and Monaco had begun amassing a large debt, which by 2003 had reached €50m - more than 50% of the club’s turnover. Monaco were initially relegated as punishment, but this was rescinded to a ‘transfer in’ ban by the French FA. Small crowds – a result of a tiny local population of just 37,800 (many whom are abroad a lot of the year) and a relatively small fanbase compared to France’s big-city clubs, will likely forever be a limiting factor in Monaco’s growth. The off-field turbulence and player sales led to a steady decline, and by 2011 Monaco had been relegated to Ligue 2 - this time on sporting merit.

Good fortune struck once again though, and the club were purchased by the Russian consortium late in 2011, which led to the appointment of Claudio Ranieri for the 2012-13, some shrewd investment and a promotion back to Ligue 1 for the start of the 2013-14 season. Jorge Mendes, the prolific football agent had a busy summer, with players such as Falcao, James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho arriving for a combined €200m. For the former duo, Monaco was only ever destined to be a stepping stone, but it nonetheless was a huge statement of intent from the oligarch in charge.

Monaco qualified for the Champions League again in 2015 and 2016, but under the fantastic coaching of Leonardo Jardim, have shifted towards a youth policy, becoming on of the hotbeds for talent in Europe and one of the most exciting teams to watch.

Monaco's Got Talent

The current squad topped its Champions League group, sits top of Ligue 1 after 15 games, and is quickly gaining recognition from pundits and scouts across Europe as one of the best upcoming teams. 

Three of the hottest young talents in football play for the club: Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappe-Lottin - as well as a plethora of other young talents mixed with successful veterans. Sidibe, Mendy and Bakayoko are just some of the young talents playing alongside Moutinho and Falcao as the club looks to re-establish itself as a top team in France.

Jardim has experimented with formations a fair amount this season, but often falls back to a 4-2-2-2 / 4-4-2 hybrid, where Lemar and Silva start as the more advanced midfield duo, but often roam onto each flank to give the side more width. It has worked fantastically, with the team having scored over 40 goals but with nobody contributing more than 5 to that tally.

 

Squad Overview

The First Team

Goalkeeper - Danijel SubasicThe 32 year old Subasic is an OK goalkeeper. OK attributes, OK performances. He's worth very little and isn't going to set the word alight, but he's not a liability either - definitely somebody you'll want to replace, but only if you can secure a long-term prospect for the right price.

Left-back - Benjamin Mendy - the 22 year old Frenchman, a summer signing from Marseille, has made the left fullback position his own. He's a solid young player, athletic and solid both offensively and defensively, just falling short of world-class potential but nonetheless being someone you should look to keep around for most of his career.

Centre-back - Kamil Glik - the 28 year old Pole is seemingly a fan-favourite wherever he goes. He's a very good defender - has solid attributes, will peform well and has a real knack for scoring goals. He's an excellent short-term option for your defence, but he seems pretty ambitious in-game and if he gets an offer from Spain or England he'll get unsettle quite easily. The real challenge is getting value for him - he's not worth much at the start of the game and big offers don't come in for him.

Centre-back - Jemerson - the 24 year old Brazilian had a poor start to his Monaco career but this year appears to have settled in and is playing well. He performs very well in-game too, being one of the better defenders in Ligue 1 and attracting big offers from abroad. My advice is to hold out until you get an offer of around 30 million - which will come - before letting him go. The reason being - there's a lot of equally good talent that could be had for less (Issa Diop?!) and that may offer you more in the long-run.

Right-back - Djibril Sidibe - he 24 year old Frenchman, a summer signing from Lille, is one of those players I love in FM - a guy who can play at both fullback positions! So much squad flexibility... anyway, I digress! Sidibe is a good player. He's never going to be world-class but if you want a string of 7-7-7-8-7 in the form guide and an attribute page full of 14s and 15s, Sidibe is your man. He's pretty much the same in real life - good enough going forwards and good enough defensively that Monaco look set at the position for years to come.

Central Midfield - Fabinho - the 23 year old Brazilian is naturally a defensive minded midfield player who can also do a great job at right back where he's 'accomplished' and has played in previous seasons. His attributes are outstanding in that they're not outstanding, but very very good across the board. He's technically competent, mentally strong and physically able - very much your do-it-all player in the centre of the park, and one of the best penalty takers in the world as an added bonus.  He's a guy you should keep around as he performs well and his positional versatility gives you options when assessing the transfer market and deciding to build your team.

Central Midfield - Tiemoue Bakayoko - the 22 year old Frenchman has been prominent in the central midfield role for Monaco this season - with many fans citing his performances above those of Lemar and Bernardo. The reason for this is simple, Bakayoko is the workhorse in midfield and the one who makes things tick. I personally think the game got him and Kondogbia mixed up - Bakayoko is everything Kondogbia was supposed to be, but his attributes don't quite reflect this. Still, he develops into a very good midfielder (although the game may think Traore is better at the start)

Attacking Midfield - Thomas Lemar -  21 year old French prospect Lemar has bags of potential. He's technically gifted and already a strong, athletic player, with potential to be world class for both club and country. He's naturally an attacking midfielder and plays brilliantly when deployed in the 'AMC' role, but is very accomplished on the left flank and in Ligue 1 this season he has drifted between the two positions. He's a great player, someone to keep, or to buy instantly if you're here scouting for a bigger club.

Attacking Midfield - Bernardo Silva - the 22 year old Portugal starlet is 'the one that got away' in Benfica fans eyes - as he's quickly developing into one of the most exciting attacking midfielders in football. Quick, technical, creative, Bernardo is a natural attacking midfielder but much like Lemar, can play on the flank (this time, the right) with ease and often drifts out wide to deliver amazing crosses. Equals Lemar's potential in the long-run, a must-keep or must-buy depending on why you're reading this...

Centre Forward - Falcao - 'IF' he ever stays healthy for a long-period, Falcao is the most gifted striker at the club. The 30 year old Colombian, club record signing, suffered cruciate ligament damage in 2013, an injury that took him from Europe's most prolific striker to the laughing stock at United and then Chelsea. Lack of confidence and game-time hasn't helped, but he's still quality by Ligue 1 standards and in his limited appearances for Monaco this season has been clinical and effective. If you can keep him healthy he's absolutely an asset to your team, but his age and physical fitness means you should seek replacement from the moment you take charge.

Centre Forward - Valerie Germain - the 25 year old Frenchman has just returned to Monaco following a reasonably successful loan spell and inherited the lead striker role following a concussion to Falcao. He's played pretty well, although he's not a prolific goalscorer and lacks the potential or youth that most of this Monaco squad possesses. He'll fetch 10 million Euros should you elect to sell him.

The Bench

Goalkeeper - Morgan De Sanctis - he's 39 now, has been a journeyman all his career. Need I say more?

Centre-back - Abdou Diallo - the 20 year old Frenchman is very much a squad player at present, and is likely to remain that for the duration of his career. He's underwhelming in terms of attributes and potential, and whilst he's done decently for the club, he's worth keeping around as a cheap backup and for his homegrown status, but nothing more.

Centre-back/Right-back - Almamy Toure - the 20 year old Malian is an athletic centre/right-back hybrid (natural right-back) with excellent physical attributes and the ability to develop into a very good player. Due to his potential, he's someone that attracts a lot of interest in the early game, but due to both Sidibe and Fabinho being better options at the position, he's someone you could consider selling depending on how to take your squad forwards.

Centre-back/Right-back - Andrea Raggi - the 32 year old Italian centre-back has been at Monaco for a few seasons now, and is clearly coming to the end of his career. He can still do a job, so provided he doesn't cost much, is a useful backup to keep hold of. I'd prefer to give his minutes to younger players, though...

Central (defensive) midfield - Adama Traore - the 21 year old Malian is struggling to break into the real Monaco first eleven, however the game rates him higher than Bakayoko so you'll need to consider this when building your team. He's physically and technically more competent after a bit of tutoring, and shows a bit more flexibility in the positions he can play, making him a great utility backup but also somebody you can sell if the price is right.

Central midfield - Joao Moutinho - one of the three marquee signings of the Rybolovlev era, the 30 year old Portuguese playmaker is well known for his times at Sporting, Porto and for the national team. He's more of a creative playmaker than the tireless midfielder type, due to his weak physical attributes, and he can decline quite quickly. That said, he'll pass accurately and notch up 7 after 7 after 7 in match ratings and he seems happy to stick around. He'll start most of your games, as you deal with injuries and suspensions to your frailer and more aggressive central midfielders.

Attacking midfield - Boschilia - the 20 year old Brazilian prospect is a 'good young player'. He'll score the odd goal off the bench, but he just doesn't quite put it all together and that's also reflected in-game. If you get great performances, by all means keep him, but there are better players deserving of game time in the squad.

Right-wing - Nabil Dira - the 30 year old Moroccan winger has nothing to offer this squad, he's a tier below the required quality and a backup at best.

Winger/Forward - Kylian Mbappe-Lottin - the 17 year old French wonderkid has bags of potential as one of the best young prospects in the game. He's naturally a left-winger in game, although appearing more as a forward for the real life team, scoring goals and showing promise - he's not just lightning fast, he has great technique too. You can mould him into a world class winger or striker in the game, or just as a general 'play any attacking role' player should you prefer. Make him love you and never sell him.

Forward - Guido Carillo - the 25 year old, tall Argentinian has an uncanny knack of not scoring goals. He's looked much better this year in real life (on course to have his best scoring season) but he's more of a Heskey than an Owen. If you can get him to perform, sell him when his value is high.

[lukekarts]

Budget & Expectations

The club begins with a transfer budget of £21.5m, a wage budget of £878k p/w (£875k already spent) and a bank balance of £37m. They expect you to qualify for the Champions League, but in future seasons the expectation will grow to competing with Paris Saint-Germain for the Ligue 1 title.

Rybovlev is not short of cash, but he very much takes a background role this time around, and in both my saves I've yet so see any additional cash injected into the club.

You will find that unless you are successful, the club won't generate an annual profit, so you'll have to sell players in order to fund future transfers. That's why the youth focus is so exciting - and is my recommended strategy going forwards.

Tactics

My recommendation is to start with either a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-2-2 to mimic the real life setup. However, as the game progresses, you'll likely want to switch things up to suit your own playstyle. Using the 4-2-2-2, I was able to finish 2nd in my first season, largely using the following:

However, I later looked to a 4-2-3-1, in order to integrate Mbappe-Lottin into the side, whilst also considering the lack of outstanding strikeforce options.

Transfer Targets and Recommendations - What's not so good in Monaco?

You may have already got this impression from my squad overview post, however if not, to me the biggest areas to improve this squad are in goal, central defence and up front. You currently have good short-term options for all positions, but your prospects elsewhere have plenty of room to grow - and as you aspire for bigger and better, the likes of Germain, Jemerson and Subasic may fall short of your team's European ambitions.

Goalkeepers

I like to play thematically, so young and French would be a great fit for Monaco, and there just happens to be a fantastic 17 year old goalkeeper who is making great strides at fellow Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse - that is, Alban Lafont. One of the highest rated young goalkeepers in FM17 (and real life - perhaps second only to Donnarumma?), Lafont is a perfect option for you and whilst he may cost £20m (in installments), just pretend you're Juventus weighing up whether or not to buy Buffon all those years ago... You may also considering promoting Nardi from your reserve team (out on loan) to compete with Lafont for the starting spot, at least until he develops fully.

Central Defence

Being completely honest with you, I really struggled to sign any affordable centre-backs for Monaco, so you may need to be patient. However, I was able to bring Elaquim Mangala on a relatively cheap loan from Man City for my second season, and subsequently lured Lucas away from Atletico Madrid (who still saw very little game time behind Godin, Savic and Gimenez)... if you can sign him, he's an absolutely essential asset for pretty much any cost up to £30m.

Centre-Forward

Again, centre-forward is an area you may struggle - I certainly did. I brought Munir on loan from Barcelona which later turned into a permanent transfer, but you may wish to go a different route here. Fortunately, this Monaco side is full of goals all over the pitch - so don't expect your striker to be relied upon for 30 goals per season - especially if you play three attacking midfielders which you can easily do with the assets at your disposal.

 

A Glimpse Into The Future!

So here's what your star trio develop into, if you give them time. Please don't hate me for selling Bernardo, they paid £119m for him... :'(

[MANUMAD]

Saint-Maximin who's out on loan first season is a total god. Also Boschilia is much better than you give him credit for. Ive used both extensively on loan .

[bestbrother]

Whats the situation financially?

Do you get an endless pot of money again? Or has it be dialled back now?

[Jogo Bonito]

@lukekarts Very good guide, full of tips and opinions. Monaco had a clear change in transfer policy ahead of last season and it makes them much more likeable. A very exciting young team and lots of talent beyond that too. One I recommended in my French football guide, well done on the thread so far.

[Jean-Luc]

Okay, now you just devastate me. I have a Monaco guide written almost 80% finished, including pictures, screenshots and everything. I didn't mention it in the "who does what"-Thread, because I didn't expect anybody else to go for this.

[Hoarau]

6 minutes ago, Jean-Luc said:

Okay, now you just devastate me. I have a Monaco guide written almost 80% finished, including pictures, screenshots and everything. I didn't mention it in the "who does what"-Thread, because I didn't expect anybody else to go for this.

Id still like to read this as I've just started a Monaco save, any chance of a joint venture between the two threads?

[Jean-Luc]

Not sure it makes sense to have a long introduction of players followed by another long introduction of players.

Might even make more sense to just have two different threads. But that would hurt participation, which is already rather low in Non-England threads.

[Hoarau]

It'd be a shame to lose what we all know will be a quality thread, and selfishly a help.

[Jogo Bonito]

@Jean-Luc,  feel free to adapt it in to a very long intro to your own save and put in my thread if you like? If it creates activity and interest in France, we will all be happy

[lukekarts]

20 hours ago, MANUMAD said:

Saint-Maximin who's out on loan first season is a total god. Also Boschilia is much better than you give him credit for. Ive used both extensively on loan .

Maybe - he just seems a relatively poor prospect compared to the rest of Monaco's midfield... I mean, you have Lemar, Bernardo, Moutinho, Fabinho, Traore and Bakayoko in front of him, all of whom are better right now and show more potential.

I'll add more about the loanees and reserve squad later - there's a few players worth keeping around for sure, S-M and Nardi amongst the better ones.

[lukekarts]

20 hours ago, bestbrother said:

Whats the situation financially?

Do you get an endless pot of money again? Or has it be dialled back now?

I'll add more to the original post, but to quickly clarify - in the two saves I've played as Monaco, one short-term and one long-term (currently 7 seasons) I've never had money thrown at me - there's not been a single cash-injection.

That said, I've never been in a position where I've been in debt, so I don't know if the chairman bails you out if you get a negative bank balance. You never have a lot of money to spend without selling players, due to the relatively small stadium and attendances, but the board seem very willing to invest in infrastructure if you're successful (I'm now in a new stadium that's almost 40k seats...)

Teams go crazy trying to buy your players though. In 2020 I sold Bernardo Silva to PSG for £119m... I bought Rabiot after he fell out of favour there, for £5m, two seasons later Real Madrid offered me £77m for him. I think I've ended up recouping £1bn in transfer fees in 7 seasons, whilst spending only half of that. 

[lukekarts]

16 hours ago, Jean-Luc said:

Okay, now you just devastate me. I have a Monaco guide written almost 80% finished, including pictures, screenshots and everything. I didn't mention it in the "who does what"-Thread, because I didn't expect anybody else to go for this.

Oh no  Sorry, if I'd have known I'd never have done this.

I'm in a similar position albeit I posted what I'd already got already. Screenshots, tactics, finances, and my save progress update all to follow this evening (UK time).

But, as someone suggested, I'm happy to collaborate and take your feedback on board, or feel free to drop all in this topic, I don't mind. I don't want to take credit for it... just happy to have more people willing to talk about what I think is one of the most exciting squads in football right now  

[bestbrother]

2 hours ago, lukekarts said:

I'll add more to the original post, but to quickly clarify - in the two saves I've played as Monaco, one short-term and one long-term (currently 7 seasons) I've never had money thrown at me - there's not been a single cash-injection.

That said, I've never been in a position where I've been in debt, so I don't know if the chairman bails you out if you get a negative bank balance. You never have a lot of money to spend without selling players, due to the relatively small stadium and attendances, but the board seem very willing to invest in infrastructure if you're successful (I'm now in a new stadium that's almost 40k seats...)

Teams go crazy trying to buy your players though. In 2020 I sold Bernardo Silva to PSG for £119m... I bought Rabiot after he fell out of favour there, for £5m, two seasons later Real Madrid offered me £77m for him. I think I've ended up recouping £1bn in transfer fees in 7 seasons, whilst spending only half of that. 

That's a shame, fancied running amok with the money in France...

Thanks for clarifying though :

Spoiler

 

 

[lukekarts]

3 minutes ago, bestbrother said:

That's a shame, fancied running amok with the money in France...

Thanks for clarifying though :

  Hide contents

 

 

You don't need money to do that! Just time, because half your squad turns world class in 3 years. All you need to do is sign a top keeper, centre-back and striker...

[bestbrother]

Just now, lukekarts said:

You don't need money to do that! Just time, because half your squad turns world class in 3 years. All you need to do is sign a top keeper, centre-back and striker...

I like to wheel and deal, no time to develop players

[Hoarau]

 

After starting a save with PSG I realised quickly it was not the same as it was in years gone by so I restarted back in France and have landed in a club who are approaching things the way I hoped PSG would. This is a club bursting with potential and they are not afraid to throw them in if they're good enough, that's what I was looking for. Don't get me wrong, they still have a strong financial backing but it's not anywhere near the Parisian's. The club first came to my attention when a player from one of my cities biggest rival and fellow countryman joined them, John Collins. Much like when Paul Lambert moved to Dortmund I kept a close eye on the happenings at this team and I grew up watching this club dominate at times, with a great mix of experienced campaigners like N'Doram, Barthez, Djorkaeff, Petit, Sonny Anderson, Weah and exciting youngsters like Thierry Henry, Lillian Thuram, Gallardo and of course a personal favorite of my at all his clubs David Trezeguet.

Jogo gave them a great run down, one I won't bore you by repeating. I will however outline my sort of mantra for starting this save.

Honouring youth. I want to give back to France by halting the massive influx of journeymen foreigners, now don't mistake this for domestic bias, in this save I will and already have make signing from abroad but they'll stick to a similar formula, one which if you look at the history of the club is engrained in its foundations. I want us to develop both the best in domestic talent aswell as become a factory for nurturing the top promising young players from around the globe, specifically focusing on South America, Africa and of course France. Ive already went outwith this when moving for players but as I said if you look at Monaco's history they've been open to players from all over.

I have spent a lot which I know seems to go against why I binned my PSG save and started this one but if you look I've maybe only got a net spend of around £18m which while still high isn't ridiculous compared to what Ive just witness PSG spending.

Transfers out:
After reviewing the squad and setting up a couple of tactical systems I'm going to start out with I realised the centre of the midfield had no place for our most valuable player. While he's extremely talented I just couldn't justify changing my whole set up to protect him, being nearly 30 and on quite a significant wage I decided Joao Moutinho would be thr sacrificial lamb to fund a bit of a strengthening. Liverpool came in with a decent opening bid of around £26m but after some negotiating I accepted their £32m deal. A good fee for someone as I mentioned couldn't give me what I need in the middle of the park. Not sure if this is a mistake of not, depending how he does for others on thier saves?

Guido Carrillo could have stuck around if I wasn't overly keen on someone else. He gives a different option but after securing my number one target I didn't want to cause any squad unrest with a player not getting enough game time. He moves to Gladbach for around £5m.

Next on the way out is another player I couldn't find a place for due to Incomings players who would fill his position. Nabil Dirar heads to La Liga to join Espanol for about £4.8m.


Transfer In:

This is where things get a little crazy for some I think, now thr vast majority of these are youngster who are either spending time in our youth squad or going out on loan, them aside it's still a big summer of investment, perhaps not to everyone's tastes but I like to get set up early for the forthcoming seasons.

1st Team Signings

Frank Kessie
My biggest expenditure by far but someone I want to build a future around, that being said with how he looks and my scouts report I don't reckon I'll be able to keep him away from Europe's elite in the long run. He's almost a complete midfielder, ideal for box to box but I may mould him to another role. Delighted to bring in one of Europe hottest prospects.

Hirving Lozano
This was a transfer I made by force, I had my eye on Hirving but he was originally a long term target until I noticed PSG's interest in him so I decided to step up our pursuit. A large fee, but one I'm sure one be too long in being recouped 10 fold. He's looked great in preseason with his direct running and quality delivery into the box, he gets into some good goalscoring positions but fluffs the shots so I may ask him to learn to place his shots, see if that helps.

Khuouma Babacar
Was my main target, I like Falcao bur with his age and fitness concerns I wanted a big Drogba like front man to lead our line. Hes a great age and according to his report has bags of potential to become a leading Ligue 1 striker.

Cheikh N'Doye
The big man from Angers! This signing stems from a game of FIFA I had with a colleague where we picked random teams, I ended up Angers and fell in love with this big lump! A pretty low fee, experience of the league and a great presence in the centre of the park.

Jefferson Farfan
Brought in on trial and really impressed, after I judged Dirar was going to leave and the two remaining wingers just too young for a full season of expectation to fall on them. Ive had experience in the Bundesliga with him before and he provides a genuine threat aswell as cover on both flanks.

Future Prospects

Carlos Soler
This may be a common statement I make but I was delighted to sign Carlos on a tribunal decision, £800k well invested. I'm hoping to mould him into a young Xabi Alonso, he's a ball playing midfielder who may lack the presence of my other midfielders but his technique and vision will stear him right.

Toni Lato
As with Soler, this was a great deal for us. Very highly rated by our scouting team and looks like he could cover for Mendy from the go, which leave our squad with Sidibe and Fabinho at RB, with solid depth. Very excited about him.

Ebenezer Ofori
Taking advantage of the loose French rules on African players with this one, another player with an engine. Young enough to develop into a good Ligue 1 player according to reports, he can also cover at LB if a crisis arises. Great squad player to have and one of a number joining us from the Nordic regions.

Marius Lundemo
A personal favorite, had great success with Marius, a very undemanding team player. Has the ability to do pretty much it all, can cover a number of roles and scores some cracking goals at times.

Sander Berge
Only 18, great scout report and potential to be a leading CM in Ligue 1. He's away out on loan for the season, very much like Lundemo in that at the moment he's very well rounded without excelling at a particular role, some training after this loan period will hopefully help me figure out exactly where to fit him in.

Mande Sayouba
Wanted a younger Gk to back up Subasic, so took advantage of the French loop holes regarding African players and moved for another player who plays his football in Scandinavia. Has some solid stats and hopefully with tutoring from the two older heads of thr goalkeeping union he'll be our number one in a couple or seasons.

Dayot Upmaecano
Potential. Brought in with the future in mind, well known around here so not much to say. Hope to have him join my other 2 CB Signings as our stalwarts for many seasons to come.

Ozer Ozdemir
As above, a bit raw so will spend the season in the reserves and maybe next year out on loan but looks a promising player.

Jerome Onguene
A rock, can't wait to pair him with Sarr and Dayot for years to come.

Malang Sarr
Again I am thought it best to get these lads in early and get them used to each other early. An exciting future building nicely.

 

Tactics

 

This is our main set up, I have another i'm experimenting with that involves no strikers and three players at the AMC position, but this is what I've started the season with. I'm trying to somewhat replicate Jurgan Klopp's gengenpress and hassle the opponent high up the park. I've set up the OI in quite an intense way, lots of hard tackling, tight marking and closing down. It does run the risk of collecting cards but its a risk/reward situation so i'm gonna go with it for now.

[lukekarts]

2 hours ago, bestbrother said:

I like to wheel and deal, no time to develop players

You can most certainly wheel and deal. Teams offer you crazy money for your players... in my 7 years in charge I've spent £566m and sold £940m worth of players!

 

2023 Monaco 11:

GK - Alban Lafont

DL -  Mahmadou Diarra (regen, 19)

DC - Lucas

DC - Kurt Zouma

DR - Djibril Sidibe

MCL - N'Golo Kante

MCR - Tiemoue Bakayoko

AML - Kylian Mbappe-Lottin

AMC - Thomas Lemar

AMR - Ousmane Dembele

FC - Jean-Luc Troin (regen, 21)

 

Quite pleased I still have four of my original team in my starting 11 (with a couple more on the bench).

As aformentioned, I've had some insane offers for my players. I'll never sell Lemar or Lottin, but I did succumb to a £119m bid for Bernardo Silva from PSG back in 2021.

I've also had some other crazy sales, including:

- Andrea Horta - £97m to Man United in 2022

- Paulo Henrique - a regen 21 year old left-back to Chelsea in 2022 for £81m

- Jorge Mere to Barcelona for £65m in 2021

- Adrian Rabiot and Munir to Real Madrid in 2021 for £77m and £74m respectively

- Benjamin Mendy to Bayern for £40m in 2017.

 

My record signing is Jean-Luc Troin from Toulouse in 2021. This guy is a god.

[MANUMAD]

On ‎01‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 15:14, lukekarts said:

Maybe - he just seems a relatively poor prospect compared to the rest of Monaco's midfield... I mean, you have Lemar, Bernardo, Moutinho, Fabinho, Traore and Bakayoko in front of him, all of whom are better right now and show more potential.

 

Its exactly why I mentioned him. Cos with all those wonderkids he's very easy to overlook. But I used him in 5 different saves so far and he is great from the off (while he also greatly improves).

[Jean-Luc]

On 1.12.2016 at 14:25, lukekarts said:

Oh no  Sorry, if I'd have known I'd never have done this.

I'm in a similar position albeit I posted what I'd already got already. Screenshots, tactics, finances, and my save progress update all to follow this evening (UK time).

But, as someone suggested, I'm happy to collaborate and take your feedback on board, or feel free to drop all in this topic, I don't mind. I don't want to take credit for it... just happy to have more people willing to talk about what I think is one of the most exciting squads in football right now  

Thanks, and don't worry, it was certainly my fault as well, and I learned my lesson here.

I guess I will finish my write-up on the players and then decide what to do. In a way, it's even very interesting to have two point of views who might be slightly different or offer different angles. I am not sure if adding my stuff now to the thread would be very helpful to anybody, as it would be hidden among an ongoing discussion, and people would not find it or even might be annoyed by having to scan through another lenghty part of introduction.

Mixing both up, maybe in different colours, might be one option, but if would make the opening thread also rather lenghty, of course. I just saw that you added the pictures: Nice job there!

I am even wondering if, in this case, opening a second thread, posting my stuff, while still linking to yours in the opening post might not be the smartest idea. This way, people can read both if they want, but they know what's coming. I am thinking especially of people who might use the search. The problem would be that this can split the discussion, which would be stupid. Maybe I just open the thread but point people to yours then.

[Hoarau]

Been handed a £69m 2nd season transfer budget, everyone get similar?

[Hoarau]

 

 

MONACO: SEASON 1 OVERVIEW

I could look at this season as a real disappointment, we won nothing and were soundly beaten by PSG 3 times. It should be a seasonal review full of upheaval and assessment but it's not, instead I'm actually happy with the season gone. I set out with Monaco as I wanted a challenge and that's definitely what it is, one which I'm thoroughly enjoying. We finished 2nd, miles behind PSG, for me though the season was one of learning and enjoyment. This young squad grew as the season went on and towards the end played some exceptional football. A lot of the young players, either signed or already ready there have come on leaps and bounds. We disappointed in the cup and the early stages of the league but as usual that was down to the drastic change in tactics and the players feeling that out, of course some inexperience on both mine and the players parts didn't help but I honestly feel we've grown as a unit this term.

You know, I actually mean that. I feel connected to these players and this club now, we are a standing force together. I've enriched myself in their history, my new favorite player if Delio Onnis, what a legend. This is a project for me, there's so many players I plan on giving game time to over the next season I actually expect to perhaps suffer a little form wise. I want to try and keep this core together, I know its going to be tough to do that now that the big boys are circling, I will try my best though.

Ill give a brief run down of my star performers and promising youngsters, as well as quickly stating my plans for next season which are well underway. My board also to my delighted and surprise announced the building of a new 45,000 seated stadium, due to be completed in 2019. This surprised me to no end but they additionally gave me a transfer budget for season 2 of around £69m, I'm hoping to actually be in profit overall despite making one or two large Signings, which I'll explain more in detail below.

Tactically I stuck with the shape I set out with at the beginning of the season, it definitely developed and altered until both I and the players felt comfortable. It's been small tweaks here and there, especially in the two CM roles and the AMC role, up top we've excelled with both our main strikers being fairly consistent. Our main threat came from out wide with both Lemar on the left and Farfan/Lozano providing great assists while chipping in a few goals. This is how our stand out performers ended the season statistics wise :

TOP PERFORMERS OF THE SEASON

Bernardo Silva
My main man, as I'm sure everyone who manages Monaco would say, he's just sooooo good. My teams heartbeat without question. His vision, technique and ability to find a teammate in space is exceptional. While watching my games this season if he wasn't the one providing the assist he was the player passing the ball to the guy who does get the assist. Ending the season with 19 goals & 18 assists in 41 Games, getting a rating of 7.44. Just oozes class, a player my team will be built around until someone offers me over £100m.


Thomas Lemar
Due to Silva's owning of the AMC spot Lemar has found home out playing AML, where he has been fantastic

Kylian Mbappe
What a prospect! I'm overawed with how good this lad is and can become, he's only 18 and is running games, so dangerous. Has a real eye for goal, especially at the start of season 2 where he's got 4 goals in 3 games. Going to be careful with his development and choose some key traits to compliment his game. Great talent.

Falcao

What a season from our captain, stayed fit all season and it really helped. He still has such a good eye for goal, could have got a lot more but I roated him with Babacar. Definitely keeping him around, he's our franchise player. Our Zlatan if you will..

Khouma Babacar

Same as Falcao, would have scored more if I had played him more but I kept them fresh by rotating them. It didn't have the detrimental effect youd have thought. He's our Drogba, great presence who bosses defenders at time.
Carlos Soler
Has developed well in his limited apparences, is destined to be a top level technical midfielder. Hoping for more solid performances with increased involvement next season.
Jemerson
Solid next to Glik, really stood out last year and is attracting huge interest, think he may go as it's clubs beyond us sniffing around. Very solid, consistant performer who moved quickly over the ground which helped against the leagues abundance of pacey frontmen.
Fabinho
The man, he's soooooo consistant, I play him mainly as a RB and he's fearsome out there. Bounding forward putting quality on the head of our strikers. It's like having Cafu in our side.


MONACO: SEASON 2 PREVIEW

As for the season ahead I will allow some players to leave, some unhappiness about playing time and such has made it difficult to maintain everyone's morale so I'll have to succumb to their will to leave for regular first team action which is understandable. I had agreed a whole host of under 15 signings to bump up our under 19 squad, according to reports their is some real talent in the ranks so I'll be following a Monaco like cycle of trying to bring them through. Only pre-arranged the one first team signing and it is a significant one, we've spent £32m on last seasons League terrorising, wondered from Bordeaux - Adam Ounas. A hearty fee yes but one I feel that's worth it, especially with a player we've lost. Should recoup his fee and then some if he performs as he did last year, very exciting prospect.

We have, including that purchase, went on to spend just under £105m this summer which sounds crazy but I have also so nearly £80m worth of players also, with interest still strong I'm a couple more so we could see more of that recouped before the end of August. It seems excessive but it's mostly large fees on certain players than a load of signings.

He's followed into the club by another signing from within the league, this time a large outlay was made to our main rivals, who in truth didn't need the money, PSG. Presnel Kimpembe joined us for £26m, after a season of pursuit from myself, he was my number one target this window as I feel he could go on and lead us for 10-12 years, would even be a possible club captain should the situation arise. Both Glik and Jemerson were really good but they just seemed to miss a step in tough European games, with another new partner at CB I feel these two going forward will be come world class and take us on a level. Which brings me to my next addition...

Mauricio Lemos joined us from La Liga, another large outlay of £23m, again I know it doesn't seem very "Monaco" to throw these large fees around in quick succession but the combination of the players we've sold, currently £99m worth of sales, and trying to compete with PSG who have spent an absolute fortune! On Lemos though I feel like we have the making of a true dynasty with him next to Kimpembe, two young, strong and hungry defenders who'll hopefully use Glik as a mentor for some experience throughout the season.

I was really happy with Falcao and Babacar last season and didn't feel the need to make any moves as we have two players in our ranks who I'd like to give game time to this season or next, those would be Chaibi and Jean. But after a scout report landed on my desk and a review of Falcao's age I felt we might benefit from one more should injuries arise and such. So I made a move for a player very sought after according to his report, Celtic's Moussa Dembele joined for around £11.25m. A good fee I felt for a very exciting player who actually offers us a different type of foward to our two main options, Falcao natural technique and Babacar's brushing physicality may not always be the avenue to success. Dembele offers pace, directness and youthful exuberance, he fits in well with the core we are building here, young, French and bags of potential. Very happy to add him to the club.

Another exciting addition came again from a scout report, which I feel are much more useful this year? Anyone else? Playing in Belgium and getting a 4* reports spiked my interest, upon reviewing his stats I was blown away with the potential I could see. An absolute jet engine bombing down the wings terrorising Ligue 1 full backs, with skill and the ability to put in deadly balls I knew it was someone I had to add. Now much like Dembele there are players in my ranks who I also want to bleed into the first team, espically in the wide positions but this term they'll be out on loan getting full seasons of football so this signing made sense. In came Leon Bailey from Genk for 10-12m, raw and exciting so a good deal for us I thought.

Benoit Costil joined us on a free,a solid Ligue 1 goalkeeper. With Subasic leaving for Ajax I didn't want to just throw Nardi or Sayouba in, I feel it'll be another season before either take over fully. So I offered Costil a trial and he impressed, he Knowes the league, the language and provides solid experience between the sticks. My only concern if it's a fully new triangle at the centre of the defence with Costil, Lemos and Kimpembe just joining, I'm hoping it won't take too long for them to gel as a unit.

And last but not least my absolute favorite signing, a player I've liked for years both in real life and in FM but have never managed to get in a squad. A former Monaco player, which was a big part in the signing, someone who can help take us up a level again and a player of calibre that, despite his age, rivals PSG's best. Yaya Toure joins us on a free transfer, not ridiculous Wages given where he's just came from, £80,000 a week, yes it's more than anyone else in the squad but its Yaya. He's been put on penalty and free kick duties and has already delivered preseason so I'm very optimistic of getting a decent contribution from him in the forthcoming campaign. A true giant.


News from around Ligue 1.

PSG, not content with winning everything last season, they thought it wise to let thier manager leave for Real Madrid and replace him with none other than Zinedine Zidane..Yep, not just that though, to get Zidane they must have offered him some bounty as, since his arrival, they've spent £283m on players. In comes:
Aysmeric Laporte
Alexi Vidal
Felipe Anderson
Mauro Icardi

Lucas Biglia

Ezequiel Schelotto

Sven van Beek

Victor Lindelof

Saul

Marseille not to be outdone have went cash happy with their spending, making a great signing in Victor Kovalenko for £37.5m.

 

And how's this for a group of death in season two's Champions League draw!!??

[Hoarau]

Forgot my seasons transfers, remember before going into shock that most of these signings are under 16 :

 

[TheJanitor]

Good team guide! Monaco is always a team with some good player, but this year they are defenitly the most fun team I've played with yet. I'm trying to replicate rl Monaco, looking to develope young players through the academy as well a signing good prospects from Belgium, Portugal, South America and of course France. Just got past Shakhtar and Ajax (thanks to a late as hell goal) in the CL qualification rounds. Got drawn into a though group with Real Madrid, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon.

Bernardo Silva is an absolute boss, chipping in with 6 goals and 2 assists in 5, what are the odds of me keeping him for the long run? I normally have no problem replacing players, but Silva is the perfect #10, and still so young.

Lemar and Mbappe in the OP screenshot looks like phenomenal prospects aswell. Trying to find a system that all 3 fit in, 4231 with Silva as the AMC (AP/a), Lemar at AMR (IF/a) and Mbappe at AML (IF/s). Silva and Mbappe do well, while Lemar just returned from an injury so I haven't had to much time judging him.

Can anyone tell me how good does Adrien Bongiovanni end up getting? Looks like a cracking player for a 16 y/o.

[BoobyBlah]

Jumped into a Monaco game to have a break from Leverkusen. I holidayed through the first season and took over season 2.

 

Not made too many signings, had about 30M to work with. Redid all the staff first, and then had to clear the wage bill. They were somehow 280k over the wage bill! How does that even happen?! I shipped off a bunch of players including Falcao and Moutinho. The club had already purchased Hojberg before I got here, so hoping he can have a good season then I can sell him next year as he's on about 100k which is far too much.

 

Going to use a bunch of the reserves this season so I can keep spending down a bit.

[hbsssj]

What P.Is you are using to Lemar and Bernardo Silva. I think they could perform better with me. I'm playing with Silva in AMC (AP-A) and Lemar in AML (IF-A) 

[BoobyBlah]

I'm using Lemar as an Attacking Midfielder - attack AMC. Silva is an Inside Forward - support at AMR.

 

Silva kills it at AMR, but Lemar is a bit hit or miss.

[BoobyBlah]

Season 2018/19 I was on equal points with PSG on the last day but with a better goal difference. They won and I drew with Marseille. It was heartbreaking. Also got knocked out of the UCL in the semi finals. I won 3-1 at Man City, then they won 4-1 in Monaco. Again, it was deeply upsetting. Won the French Cup, but overall a disappointing season.

 

This is my current squad

I will need to loan in another striker because I've only got Origi at the moment but I have a beast regen coming in January. I've got 266M in transfer money and 836k free in wages. So finances are going well.

[Flettycfc]

on my 3rd season with Monaco, team as follows 4-2-3-1 formation
GK. Donnarumma , Nardi

DR. Fabinho , Toure , Sidebe
DL. Kurzawa , Tierney , Mendy
DC. Roamagoli , Lemos , Keane , Mere , Diallo

MC. Saul , Dele Alli, Bakayoko, Adama Traore, Berge

AMR. Bernardeschi, Saint-Maximin
AML. Lemar , Mbappe, Depay

AMC. Bernardo Silva, Boschilla

ST. Belotti, Embolo, Kuki

What do use think of that squad? ive 106 million to spend but happy with what ive got at the time being

[matsnor21]

After playing mainly in England in FM 2017, i decided to start a new adventure with AS Monaco. There is so much quality and talent in the squad. My first reaction is that i should play a 4-2-3-1 formation, but wanted to try something new, and chooses to start with a 5-2-3 formation with wing backs, which means that i retrained Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe to other position. And what a season we had!

Transfers:

Ligue 1:

 

Coupe de la Ligue:

Coupe de France:

In Champions League we did farerly well. Got a extremely tough group with Barcelona, Tottenham and Napoli. Finished at 2nd place. The funny thing is that we only took 2 points at home and winning all the away matches. Beat Manchester City in the first knockout round. But lost on away goals against Juventus in the quarter finals.

 

[matsnor21]

Really happy with the first youth intake, these two looks like they can be develop into some quality players.

[luka_zg]

In my 5th season with L'Pool. Bought Lemar and play him as an IF on AMR. The guy scored 27 goals and added 19 assists. What a player! World class.

[TheBigBoss]

Easily one the more enjoyable saves, talent in abundance, talent coming from the youth ranks, young side, fully expect more people to start a Monaco save in a few weeks

[talhak]

Really it would be a nice, enjoyable experience to start a career with these wonderkids (ie. Lemar, Silva, Mbappe, etc) but just wonder do they become unhappy/unsettled when the offers from top clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal are rejected?

[Ronaldo Beckham]

I did a recent save with Monaco and if you sign them to new contracts from the start and just reject the offers then you will be fine, they will still play well.

[matsnor21]

Monaco is a fantastic team to play with, players with bags of potential and a excellent youth setup. Finished the 2nd season.

Transfers:

Ligue 1:

Thropee des Champions:

Coupe de la Ligue:

Champions League:

[ChrisBones1990]

Just started a save with the new update. 

 

Only major out was falcao to get his big wage off the bill.

Only in was Donnarumma

Looking to bring in Mousa Dembele in at the January transfer window. 

Hoping to get Martial at the end of the season and Rugani to strengthen the defence.

[talhak]

On 2/27/2017 at 17:48, Ronaldo Beckham said:

I did a recent save with Monaco and if you sign them to new contracts from the start and just reject the offers then you will be fine, they will still play well.

that's good, thanks for your feedback 

[ryan045]

@matsnor21 Please tell me how your regen Adama Kouako is getting on, for a 15 years old he looks ridiculous

[Roy Race 9]

got to say well done on the thread, its excellent some of the other threads here are just a brag fest on how well everyone does spending trillions etc etc

great in depth here on the players and bringing youth through.....the way it should be along with BVB hopefully AS can hold onto these wonderful players and develop into a power house 

[JohnShepard]

Does anyone can help me to realize that the tactics of Leonardo Jardim this season?

[enders357]

Hey guys - great thread!

I started a Monaco save recently and am half way through the January window (I had the first transfer window turned off). I got £7m budget, almost all of which had to be used to level the wage budget out but I then accepted a £70m offer from Real Madrid for Bernardo Silva (£50m upfront, and I keep him for the rest of this season). So, with a couple other sales I had a £55m budget and about £100k in wages available - but after signing Angel Correa for £14m and £59k per week wages I can't do anything! I still have £35m and £37k p/w available but the board won't let me offer anyone more than £240 p/w wages!!! I'm listed as likely to fail FFP so I assume this is why, but why are the board giving me these budgets if we can't afford to spend it? Jeez. Is it always like this? Must be frustrating! Any advice on managing such tight finances? 

In happier news, I'm in love with the team. We're second in Ligue 1, and still going strong in the cups. We didn't start very well but no they're familiar wit my Simeone-like tactics we're flying. The highlight was a 6-1 win against Dortmund in the Champions League group stage.

[we dont do that]

On 25/03/2017 at 21:52, enders357 said:

Hey guys - great thread!

I started a Monaco save recently and am half way through the January window (I had the first transfer window turned off). I got £7m budget, almost all of which had to be used to level the wage budget out but I then accepted a £70m offer from Real Madrid for Bernardo Silva (£50m upfront, and I keep him for the rest of this season). So, with a couple other sales I had a £55m budget and about £100k in wages available - but after signing Angel Correa for £14m and £59k per week wages I can't do anything! I still have £35m and £37k p/w available but the board won't let me offer anyone more than £240 p/w wages!!! I'm listed as likely to fail FFP so I assume this is why, but why are the board giving me these budgets if we can't afford to spend it? Jeez. Is it always like this? Must be frustrating! Any advice on managing such tight finances? 

In happier news, I'm in love with the team. We're second in Ligue 1, and still going strong in the cups. We didn't start very well but no they're familiar wit my Simeone-like tactics we're flying. The highlight was a 6-1 win against Dortmund in the Champions League group stage.

Your sign a new sponsorship deal with a Far East drinks/telephone company for massive money to get round FFP so don't worry about failing it 

[TAYLORSAFC]

On 3/8/2017 at 23:49, ryan045 said:

 

Finished 1st season with Monaco and won League with 84 points, also won Coupe de Leigue 

only bought 1 player young French Defeender Diop and sold Raggi

Retrained Mbappe to play as striker as play a 4-3-3 formation, sometimes play with inside fowards but been getting better results with 4-3-3

just mainly playing all the good youth players have a few out on loan for 2nd season, my wage buget is upto 1.8m but stilol says i will pass FFP rules

[talhak]

4 hours ago, TAYLORSAFC said:

Finished 1st season with Monaco and won League with 84 points, also won Coupe de Leigue 

only bought 1 player young French Defeender Diop and sold Raggi

Retrained Mbappe to play as striker as play a 4-3-3 formation, sometimes play with inside fowards but been getting better results with 4-3-3

just mainly playing all the good youth players have a few out on loan for 2nd season, my wage buget is upto 1.8m but stilol says i will pass FFP rules

 

Could you share Mbappe's first season statistic as a striker? I wonder his performance, even his first season.

[TAYLORSAFC]

15 hours ago, talhak said:

Could you share Mbappe's first season statistic as a striker? I wonder his performance, even his first season.

He played 38 games in total not all as starter and got 12 goals in all comps, his stats are improving from all the game time he got. He still need to improve his finishing for a striker as still only 13 for that and does waste some good one on one chances

[talhak]

3 hours ago, TAYLORSAFC said:

He played 38 games in total not all as starter and got 12 goals in all comps, his stats are improving from all the game time he got. He still need to improve his finishing for a striker as still only 13 for that and does waste some good one on one chances

 

I will retrain him as a striker after retraining as MR. I completely agree with you, he has all the required attributes to be a good striker except his finishing. Hopefully, with an individual focus on it, his finishing and composure improve a lot. I mainly play him as AMR (with Winger role) for his first season for my Man City did well. But I expect a lot more from him for the coming seasons.

[TAYLORSAFC]

21 hours ago, talhak said:

I will retrain him as a striker after retraining as MR. I completely agree with you, he has all the required attributes to be a good striker except his finishing. Hopefully, with an individual focus on it, his finishing and composure improve a lot. I mainly play him as AMR (with Winger role) for his first season for my Man City did well. But I expect a lot more from him for the coming seasons.

Yeah in my second season now and he is getting better already had 5 goals in 10 games, i play 4-3-3 in league and use a 4-3-3 with inside fowards for champions leagues games

 

i like to use my 4-3-3 tactics most as has won me leagues in other saves so just have to try and fit the players in that system, but must say him and Lemar do play better as inside fowards

 

my 4-3-3 tactics

 

DLF   AF  F9

 

RP  BWM  AP

 

WB  BPD BPD WB

 

       GK

 

MY 4-3-3 with inside fowards

        f9

IF                 IF

 

BBM  BWM  DLP

 

WB  BPD BPD WB

   GK

 

Both tactics are play narrow with retain possesion, have been scoring loads goals so far in season 2, already have 37 goals in 10 league games

[talhak]

2 hours ago, TAYLORSAFC said:

i like to use my 4-3-3 tactics most as has won me leagues in other saves so just have to try and fit the players in that system, but must say him and Lemar do play better as inside fowards

2

Cool, do you use reverse foot IF method (which is based on playing right-foot inside forwards on the left side, and similarly playing left-foot inside forwards on the right side) or not?

[TAYLORSAFC]

7 minutes ago, talhak said:

Cool, do you use reverse foot IF method (which is based on playing right-foot inside forwards on the left side, and similarly playing left-foot inside forwards on the right side) or not?

Yeah i have Mbappe on left so cuts in on right foot, and lemar or silva on right so cut in on there left foot on IF roles