I have been feeling under the weather, so it is time to reach for the BeNeLux

[scousevasey]

2033-2034 End of Season

We made it to the end of the season without any major things to upset the season, but that means the questions over how best to improve still stand

League

Our tough winter friendly list helped us to another fast start, and we went through the latter stages scoring three or more in every game except for the penultimate game.  And in that run we only conceded three, which makes things slightly more infuriating

Dudelange weren't perfect, but the six point cushion at the turn of the year was enough.  If we had beaten them in one of our games then we would have the title...such a close margin, with our strong second half meaning we had the best attack and best defence in the league.

We do get back to Europe again, with the aim being to get further through the qualifying rounds.

Cup

Our unbeaten streak ends at 27 games and five consecutive titles.

Fairly even game against Dudelange, using the 4-2-2-2 and slipping to a lone goal, matching one of the league results, so not a thrashing

And looking further, our possession was further forward, with a good range of shots, especially from (26b) Dervisevic in the F9 role.  I may need to look at the DR role here, as it is nearly as advanced as the AMR, possibly leaving us outmatched defensively.

The spanner in the works, is with us struggling against Dudelange again, during the winter break I was considering switching to this tactic permanently.  But we lost to Dudelange again, and still don't have the depth at ST to ensure the suitability of a two up front formation.  The thought process will continue, but I will look to start the season with the 4-1-2-3 formation

Dudelange didn't make it all the way, with Progres defeating them to secure the final European spot through the cup (if they had lost the final, they would have claimed it via the league)

Awards

(30d) Dias loses his crown, but to the man on the opposite flank.  I always thought this was based on the average rating, but (31a) Fellerich has the lowest rating of the three shown.  He does come second in the golden boot though, tied for the lead, but behind on time on the pitch.

 

The fans though that (31a) Fellerich wasn't one of our top three players, with (30c) Pleimling completing a good season by claiming their award.

On to the summer we go...

[scousevasey]

2034-2035 European Adventures

Into the Europa League again, due to the 2nd place in the league, and our huge coefficient means we were seeded for the first qualifying round draw

(image taken after games played this year, so we know our coefficient will increase again next year, before we lose our good run of 1.650 the next year)

The seeding helps our draw where we face Glenarvon (we seem to like going to the landmass of Ireland)

Two simple wins without much stress led us to the 2nd qualifying round draw where we were now unseeded, and pick up the toughest draw possible

Well we scored four against them, which is a good thing, but after the first leg we had no chance of progressing (harsh critics would say before the first leg), so we look to regain our place again next season, where we really need to win the league to get the guarantee of an extra round of games once knocked out of the Champions League.

 

The European games this season reverted back to the 4-1-2-3 formation that was successful in the league to see if some defensive solidarity would help us

[scousevasey]

2034-2035 Season Preview

The league is then upon us, where the bookmakers see us as the best challenge to Dudelange again

With the two top teams being the only ones mentioned in the team of the season preview

This season could be our best chance to beat Dudelange for a couple of seasons due to some upheaval in their camp

A new manager should provide some settling in time where we could capitalise, although Luc May is well versed in the club from his time with the U19s.  Hopefully he has a new preferred formation which takes time for them to settle into.

Unfortunately we don't see Dudelange until late October when they should have settled in, but will still be looking to get a positive result against them.  The big games of Progres, Dudelange and Differdange are spread out which should help us with consistency, and while I am still trying to take advantage of loaning players out for their development I have tried to keep some good back ups around to avoid any injury related drop in form.

Pretty much two players for each position, and while there is a clear difference in quality between the starting 11 and their reserves, there is still potential available in most positions

29 players out on loan, although lots of these were sent out to avoid them grumbling in the U19s.  We still have some overage players left in the U19s who may grumble, but some are coming to the end of their contracts this time round, so I will be able to release those who are not part of my plans going forward, as there has been no interest via the transfer market

[kidthekid]

credible performance against Napoli. Good work!!

[scousevasey]

2 hours ago, kidthekid said:

credible performance against Napoli. Good work!!

Thanks for the kind words

Scoreline flattered us really

First leg (at home) we managed to keep them away from the penalty area, but struggled to engineer shots

Second leg, we managed to be more productive in creating chances, but spent most of the time chasing the ball

Nice to see a 50% conversion rate of goals to shots on target over both legs

 

It could be said the tie was gone after 20 minutes of the first leg, and we never really put them under huge pressure with the best we managed on aggregate being 4-2, 5-2 and then 6-3 where as soon as we scored we let them restore the gap.

 

In the positives column we scored 4 goals against the team who finished 6th in Serie A last time out, and didn't give up

In the negatives column we were out of the tie in the first quarter of the first leg, and struggled to really get a foothold in the games until it was too late

 

Hopefully next season we will get a nicer draw as we go through the qualifying stages

[scousevasey]

Posting rate update

I felt that I was losing momentum with the save without posting monthly, so will probably increase the in season updates from half season, but I am not sure on the exact frequency yet.

[scousevasey]

August and September 2034

We have the first two months in the book, and our margin for error is already zero

Wins in all of the games that they would be expected in, with Kaerjeng and Racing (LUX) seen off with ease.  Over the past few seasons they have dropped away from contention, so aren't the challenge they used to be.

The loss against Progres was frustrating

 

We really should be converting more chances when there are six shots one the edge of the six yard box and two pretty much from the spot.

The challege of the month arrived in the first game where (31a) Fellerich twisted his ankle and only made it back for the Racing (LUX) game.  With his replacement being (33c) Ferron who is an AMR that I am training at AML to provide quality depth we lose a lot.  But we are short at AML depth wise, with AMR being strong with (30d) Dias and (30b) Joachim being quality options.  Moving (33c) Ferron gives him a chance of playing, and improves our depth, so any loss in ability now should pay dividends in the next couple of seasons

 

That means we have dropped three points in the season so far, and Dudelange are still perfect, meaning we need to pick up a win against them to draw level, and then double up against them to gain any advantage

The next five games will be vital to our league aspirations.  Dudelange, Fola Esch and Differdange in a row could be tough, and we really need to be perfect through these five games

[scousevasey]

5 hours ago, kidthekid said:

credible performance against Napoli. Good work!!

Looking at the results of the Europa League qualifying, if we had a better draw I think we would progress

If the team that beat us aren't going any further it is a real shame that we don't get the chance to test ourselves in the next round, especially when we could challenge the Swiss and Irish teams here

[scousevasey]

October 2034 +

After five more league games, four in October and one to start November we are about to start our cup campaign, so it seems a good time to update on the progress.

60% win rate, with the two losses coming at home, and despite them being against the top two teams we will face, we shouldn't be losing at home

Based on the stats both games were evenly matched, but slightly tilted in our favour, with the Differdange being clearer on that count.  This is where a couple of injuries we have picked up highlight the lack of quality depth we have now, even is there is potential depth, the injuries we had caused problems

The game against US Esch was a good 3-0 win but came with a cost as we lost four players due to injury.  (31b) Mota made it back for the next game, and (26a) Payal was able to play against Dudelange but started at DC due to the injury to (26f) Holtz.  This was done to minimise the drop in quality at the back against the best team in the league, and (30c) Pleimling dropped to DM to ensure we were solid, with (32a) Teixeira getting some game time at MC.  (31a) Fellerich was replaced by (33c) Ferron who is a good AMR but currently retraining to play at AML so is a big drop off in quality currently.

On review, with the drop in attacking quality, I should have kept my strongest MC combination together, and tried to cover a weakness at DM or DC as best we could as opposed to securing the defence but blunting our attack

As well as the advantage in statistics, the heat map shows that we controlled most of the possession in good positions, and kept the opposition away from our goal, but were undone once, and that was enough.  With a full strength team we would have won both games, and against any other team in the league we would have won too (see the Fola Esch game for proof).  Frustrating really

That leaves us out of the European spots as we approach halfway, albeit only three points behind Differdange.  With Dudelange being 11-0-0 so far, it is safe to say that the league has gone, and there has been no drop in quality with the new manager (although we can hope that this develops through poor signings).  We should win the two games left before we face the repeat fixtures, and as Dudelange face Fola Esch and Differdange in those two games, one of two things will happen;

1) Dudelange win both, giving us that change to draw level with Differdange, and overtake Fola Esch

2) Dudelange drop points allowing the top four to bunch up a bit, and a fit Rosport team in the second half of the season resurrect our title challenge.

Fixtures wise, first up comes Diekirch in the cup who are a lower division team that we should easily beat.  To aid fitness of our best players there will be rotation in this game, along with the 4-2-2-2 formation.

Once we get back to the league, there are two games until halfway, and four until we hit the break, with the only addition to come being the last 16 of the cup.  There should be five nice green circles to finish the year

[scousevasey]

C-update (awful pun I know...)

An easy win with some younger players getting a run out, with (34c) Langers coming in at STC and bagging two on his debut.  His reward for this...

A tough away game to end 2034, but still one we should be winning

[scousevasey]

November and December 2034

November went well, with us reaching the halfway stage of the season with ten wins and three losses, keeping the pressure up at the top of the table.  The final league game of 2034 was thrown away against Kaerjeng. They are usually tough to play but were languishing in 12th at the time of the game, and despite dominating it, we couldn't find the back of the net

But it is not just our results from this run of games, as the other teams in the top 4 at the start of November were facing off against each other, giving us a chance to gain ground, despite us throwing away two points against Kaerjeng

First up Fola Esch kept ahead of us, but allowed us both to catch up to Dudelange

Then Differdange stopped Dudelange from keeping their gap, with the draw allowing us to close on both teams.

Even better for us is that some of our loanees, and ex-players were doing us a favour in these games

 

Seven of our intake players over the two games, all of whom can't get games for us currently either because they have been usurped (those from the intakes between 26-29, or are lower down the pecking order and need developing away from our U19s, like (32b) Payal

But while we were failing to convert against Kaerjeng, Dudelange did their best to undo the dropping of five points over two games when they faced Mamer

That left the table entering the winter pretty similar to how it was in October.  Six point off the top is a long way to travel, although we do have the metaphorical six-pointers against all three teams to come.  Progres are hot on our heels too, with the gap to 6th meaning we are in a 5 way fight for the 3 European places.

We also had another cup game to end the year, and continued with the 4-2-2-2 formation

It is fair to say it is working well in the cup, and as we lost to Progres in the league, to dominate this much in the cup was a real positive, with the final result being 5-1.  At 3-0 at half time the game was pretty much over.

Unfortunately we get the tough draw in the quarter finals, which sees the top eight in the league apart from Progres make it through, with Union Mertert taking advantage of lower division opposition in both rounds to make up the teams in the hat.  The fact that they needed extra time to beat the team who are bottom of the Promotion Division is probably not a good sign for their hopes in the next round, although the break until April may help them.

After the break we face off against Progres again, before some easier games in the run up to the toughest April slate we could muster

Four games, over three weeks, against the rest of the top 4.  Three of those games away from home, which is going to be really tough.  Our hope of reaching Europe again will rest on this run, as we can't count on Fola Esch and Differdange dropping away, so if we drop points, we could be on the outside looking in, and hoping for a result in the cup, or for the results to fall our way.

Based on the result against Progres in the cup using the 4-2-2-2 formation, I am going to open 2035 with that formation and see where it takes us.

[scousevasey]

Youth Intake 2035

Some good potential again at the top end, where we could have three players who match our strongest players.  Unfortunately two of these come at positions of strength, with the third being able to play as a STC, but being more comfortable slightly further back at AMC which we don't use.  To start with he will train as a ST.

For the first time in a few years, the best players now are those with the highest ceiling, so we should do well from these four, although (35n) Sena will struggle to make an impact due to his low potential.  The rest of the intake is rated as 0.5*s by the HoYD which usually gets downgraded by the Assistant Manager, and after exploring this last season, I am unable to attract any better options.

A balanced range of positions, with only (35o) Teixeira playing a position we don't use.

He won't be breaking into the starting line up any time soon, but is good enough to be a registered player next season and to play if we get a lower division team in the cup

Generally average technically, and falls at about 7th on the depth chart when everyone is at the club, but as he won't be able to be loaned out straight away he is likely to be around the fringes of the squad next season

This might be the most exciting prospect in the intake.  He fits AMC roles much more, but will be trying to break into our team as a ST.  His finishing needs some work, and the Player Trait is not an ideal one, but he could be the first decent ST we have had for a good few seasons, arriving at the same quality as our best strikers currently with room to grow

[scousevasey]

February and March 2035

Not a lot happened in January, where we shipped out a few more loans, and a couple of players who weren't going to play for us.  No money in Luxembourg though, so the only real benefit is clearing our wage bit slightly

The 4-2-2-2 hasn't been perfect, but the usual plan of playing warm up friendlies through the early parts of February backfired slightly as we picked up a few knocks and niggles, meaning we weren't at full strength for the first three games.

We should have been able to collect the points against Progres, but this was our unhealthiest line up, and the lack of depth showed despite the fact we had the best of the game

A similar story against US Esch, along with us having a goal disallowed.  The lack of firepower is a real issue, as we were basically at full strength for this game.  Hopefully the arrival of (35c) Thill will make a difference for us next season

All of that means we enter the final six games still on the outside looking in.

At this point I think we will struggle to make 2nd, and may end up relying on the cup to make it back to Europe, which is a real worry, as after winning the league back to back in 2029/30 and 2030/31 we seem to be falling away again.  One thing in our favour is that we face each of the teams above us, so if we perform, we will close the gaps to them.  Another is that they still have to play each other.

Our tough games come early, before we find out if the cup is an option for us, or if we begin to support Dudelange in the cup this season.

The final three rounds of fixtures for us get much easier, whereas that is when the rest of the top three face off

  

If we play well in April, we could get our reward in May

[scousevasey]

April 2035

Crunch time with the tough run of fixtures

And we really seem to have regressed this season, with the change of formation not making a difference in the result

We deserved to lost against Dudelange the first time round, and if we hadn't beaten Fola Esch there would have been severe question marks.

The game against Differdange and the cup game against Dudelange were close, as were the results, but our lack of form seemed to go against us.  All of which means we are out of the cup and struggling in the league

Three games to go, and we sit four points outside of the European places, with only one left up for grabs.

Fola have a tough run in, with a should win squeezed in the middle.  Hopefully they will get three points and no more, giving them a total of 54

Progres have games against 7th, 10th and 14th.  With 49 points already, two more than ourselves, we need them to drop points in at least one game

We face 11th, 12th and 13th (not in that order), and could relegate Hamm Benfica in the first game up.  That means all three teams should be playing hard, but we should get nine from nine.  That would give us a total of 56 points.  It could be very close in the run in

The cup semi final draw gives hope, that we could have a Dudelange-Differdange final, guaranteeing European football for the 4th placed league team.  This might be vital for the save, as in a recent news item about a sacking, in the so-called 'sack race' I was third favourite to be fired.  With the expectations being to qualify for Europe, if we miss out it could be curtains for the Rosport stage of the career.

And with the semi finals being played on May 2nd, the results come in

4th in the league will be good enough, meaning we only have to overtake one team, with Fola Esch being the most likely due to their tough run in.  Ideally we can take third, but the main focus is that we need to be perfect over the three remaining games

[scousevasey]

2034-2035 Matchday 24

Saturday saw Dudelange do us a favour, while leaving them one point from the title

We beat Hamm Benfica as we needed to, and Progres picked up points as we expected.  The hope is they drop points against Kaerjeng

Two games to go.  We need to make up at least one more point, and hold the best tiebreaker currently

Goal Difference is in our favour.  Games won would be close, but I can't see us losing a 17 goal advantage if we are to close the gap. 

 

Two games to go...

[scousevasey]

2034-2035 Matchday 25

Kaerjeng do us no favours

Neither do Union Mertert

But we hold up our end of the bargain, and extend our goal difference advantage

So it all goes down to the wire.  We need to win, and we need Progres or Fola Esch to drop points.  The only way we can come 3rd and be guaranteed to reach our season expectation is for both teams to drop points.

If we come 4th, I don't know how the board will view it, as European qualification will not be automatic.

Fola Esch have the tough game against Differdange, although the title is out of their reach so it is really a dead rubber for them

Progres face bottom of the table Union Mertert, who are already down but can leapfrog Hamm Benfica if they get more points, or they gain three goals in goal difference when both getting the same result.

We face Mamer who are tied on points with Swift Hesperange in 11th and 12th, and currently hold 11th by virtue of GD (11 goal advantage).  They need to match the result of Swift Hesperange to avoid the relegation playoff

Our best hope lies with Differdange for us to overtake Fola Esch and come 4th

[scousevasey]

2034-2035 Matchday 26

The final reckoning

We did our job, and despite the goal being relatively late, dominated the game.

Union Mertert were powerless to help us

Charles Lopez, a 24 year old, MC, who plays on a non-contract agreement saves our season in the 89th minute.

Two points off of Progres in 3rd, and only one clear of Fola Esch in 5th, and until the cup final is played it seems we have missed out, but we have scraped into the Europa League by the skin of our teeth on the final day.

 

Clearly not our aim for the season, so there will be a detailed off season review, of both formations and how successful they were, along with building for 2035-2036

[kidthekid]

tough end to the season.

[scousevasey]

2034-2035 End of Season

On 28/05/2019 at 21:24, kidthekid said:

tough end to the season.

We put ourselves in that position by losing twice to the three teams above us, and then drawing two other games.  Can't really expect the other teams in the league to do us favours throughout the season against the best teams if we cannot beat them.

But...

Dudelange beat Differdange for the double, and the European place we knew was coming was confirmed.  Next season we shouldn't need to wait this long to confirm our travel plans.

 

As a team the same names pop up regularly.  Whenever I think of sweeping formation changes, the fact that two of my best players are AMR/AML holds me back.  (30d) Dias can play as a ST if we were desperate, but their quality means that I am pretty much tied into the two formations already in use.

(29f) Bohnert claims the goal scoring title in the club, mainly due to the fact that in the 4-2-2-2 formation he plays the STC (AF) role, with (26b) Dervisevic filling the STCR (F9) role, and being more of a facilitator.

The club Best 11 over history is a positive sign, as it is most of the starting 11 in the given formation.  The only change that would be made for this season is at DR where (31b) Mota has fought off (27d) Winckel for the berth.  That shows that as a team we are getting stronger, and more settled, with fewer intake players making an immediate impact which is good for the development of the team.  On the reverse of that is the challenge it provides in closing the gap that has started to open up this season to Dudelange.

My job security is still listed as stable despite the news reports saying that we finished mid-table (released before the Cup final gave us European qualification).  The lowest levels of satisfaction are in competitions, which is understandable, and club stature which is a shame as it has grown since the start of the save.

The matches scale is warped by the three good wins to end the season which is nice, and transfers is focused solely on the players we have released, sold for nothing or loaned out, and not something I am paying attention to.  Even if we sold a quality player, we would keep a better player at the club.

The rest of the judgements are strong and keeping me in the job, although there are question marks appearing

The calendar has rolled round into June, so I went looking for a new contract

Not long to run seemed the obvious choice with less than a month to go, with the continuity ones being better for persuading them to keep me earlier in the season.  Turns out the fact we are £150,000 in the red is scaring the board slightly.

Unless they come to me before the end of the contract, I will do two things

1) Wait until the Europa League qualifying stages and ask again after a good result

2) Listen to job offers from Belgian and Dutch clubs, which pop up with some regularity through the season.  This will either persuade the board to offer me a new contract, or keep me moving through the original plan for the save of taking over each country (granted, that isn't quite happening, as Rosport are not dominant, but moving on is an option)

[scousevasey]

Just now, scousevasey said:

or keep me moving through the original plan for the save of taking over each country (granted, that isn't quite happening, as Rosport are not dominant, but moving on is an option)

While the original set up of the save was a youth based attempt to claim domination in the three neighbouring countries, if push comes to shove, I am not sure on what is the best next step.

In previous saves, once I jumped ship from a settled side that I had grown, I lost impetus with the save, but sticking around to fail repeatedly is not overly enticing.

 

I still have my tactical review to do, and this is all theoretical currently, but it will need mulling over

[scousevasey]

Tactical Review

I have been alternating between two tactics over the past few seasons

A 4-1-2-3 formation (different changes to role change the name but bear with me), that I named Rosport when taking over the club as it suited the players we had, and still suits those strengths, particularly at DM and AMR/AML.

Roles have been tweaked as the seasons go on and the players change and develop, but it has stayed pretty similar over the 10+ seasons at Rosport

I then decided to test a more adventurous formation, foregoing the DM, and adding a 2nd ST in, who was offset asymmetrically. 

As this was based on the Rosport formation, the roles have a similarity, and tweaks made to one tend to get carried over the ease the burden on players as we move between formations.  The major change was moving from Attacking to Control, which came when testing the formation originally.  It was rolled out in Cup games, both domestically and European, with European teams destroying us as we sought to attack, something that we could cope with against the lower quality of domestic opposition.

 

This season, with our early issues, I moved from the 4-1-2-3 formation to the 4-2-2-2 formation over the winter break, giving us the 2 month gap to focus on training, and our run of five friendlies to build fitness and familiarity.  This backfired slightly in the early games due to injuries, but we were able to cope.  Despite this, we didn't really improve over the 2nd half of the season, with a similar set of results (3 losses and a draw on each side of the winter break).

So I have decided to look past the results at some key stats to see where our issues lie, and what we can do for next season.

The two teams  not listed on the list (US Hostert and Kaerjeng) played both games against the Rosport formation, so cannot be included in this analysis.  They could be included for averages, but I thought that despite the small sample size, judging against the same opposition would give a clearer picture.  The only discrepancy this causes is with draws, as we drew once against Kaerjeng, but otherwise we have similar results across the comparison.

All averages shown rounded to the nearest whole number.  Teams listed in their finishing positions in the league

Shot Differential - simply the difference between the number of shots we took, minus those of the opposition.

We only trailed in this in one game all season, and this was the hardest overall, Dudelange Away.  We did end up with a higher average SD with the 4-2-2-2 formation

Shots (VR) - our shots (Victoria Rosport)

We were only below 10 in two games all season, the aforementioned Dudelange game, and US Esch away.  Again we created more chances with the 4-2-2-2 formation

Shots (opp) 

Our average was lower with the 4-1-2-3 formation, despite it being more attacking in mentality, it provides more of a defensive setup to begin with.

SoT Diff - the difference between the Shots on Target for both sides.

I am not going to delve into half chances and clear cut chances, but if the shot hits the target, it is better than a high number of wild shots that go nowhere.  Obviously a shot that whistles just over the bar, and one that whistles just inside the corner flag are rated the same here, and a shot straight at the GK is less of a chance than one 6 inches from creeping under the bar, so it is inexact, but a good system.  In simple - if we hit the target often we are likely to find goals.

We only have a negative figure here in two games, away to the top two teams.  Even with that inclusion of negative figures, the average is higher for the 4-2-2-2 formation.

Looking at the SoT (VR), and SoT (opp) figures shows 6 against 10 for us, and 2 against 3 for the opposition.  The question that comes from this is whether it is worth giving up one extra shot on target a game to gain four ourselves.  Based on the quality of our defensive players versus our attacking options this is interesting.  Our GK rates as one of the lowest in the team, as do our ST options, whereas the support around this in the defence and AMs are the better players.  None of our strikers fit the F9 role well (all rated at silver stars), but it was put in to try and take advantage of space.  It may be a situation where changing the roles give us the best of both worlds.

Poss % (VR) - The Rosport possession percentage, colour coded as less than 50%, between 51 and 55% and then 56% and above.

We lose out in the one truly awful game of the season, Dudelange away.  The rest we had more possession than not, which means we are less likely to give up shots.  We don't have the quality in possession of the best sides, but if we have the ball, the opposition aren't in a position to shoot.  Interestingly the average is the same across both formations.  I could look at the areas of the pitch where the possession was held, but while it might be informative seems to be more work that it would give as a benefit due to it requiring each individual game to be clicked on.

 

In relation to results we have the following considerations

We scored one more goal with the more defensive formation, and conceded twice as many.  Obviously there is more than just the starting positions, and the defensively set up 4-1-2-3 has an attacking mentality, but there is something notable here.  Both formations were held scoreless twice, while the 4-2-2-2 had two more clean sheets (5) than the 4-1-2-3.

 

Researching this as I type it means that all thoughts at this point are still under consideration but I am currently considering

1) Making the 4-2-2-2 formation the default

2) Changing the role of the STCR from F9.  The position will be kept to keep the unbalanced attacking line that was designed to stress opponents defensively

Spoiler

On 27/04/2019 at 18:20, scousevasey said:

Tactical tweaks

This is the formation that isn't doing what I want currently

 

As detailed above there are three things that need to be changed, and while it is better to make small tweaks to see what happens, I am going to make all three at once in concert with each other.

If I am dropping the DL back to a less attacking mentality, I will also remove the exploit the left wing instruction to avoid the DL being sucked forwards without the support

When it comes to the STC we face an issue of quality (apologies if this sounds like a broken record)

 

The two best options at the club are near enough identical, which poses some of the problems, as while they are interchangeable they offer the same threat, which currently is nothing

This is the role that has been used, but the fact the main aim is to score, and both options fail at that on a regular basis, it requires a change

 

I have used the CF before without much luck, probably due to the lack of talent.  The AF fits the role suitability of the two players which helps, and is probably the best option at the minute.

This is the new formation we are going to roll with.  It is currently loaded as formation three, to check for familiarity, although that is high due to a lack of positional change, so I may introduce it straight away.  The changes made are 

1) DL to FB(S)

2) Moving the AP(A) role from MCR to MCL.  This was done due to change 3

3) Changing the second MC role to Mez(S).  Based on descriptions this moves the MC further forward which may help with the goalscoring issues.  Support has been chosen to begin with so we are not overstretched defensively.  The reason this is the right hand role is the phrasing in the description "the Mezzala is essenitally a central/half winger."  With the AML being an IF, my understanding of the instruction was that the two players would fill the same space, whereas this should challenge the defence be having the AMR wide pushing on any fullback, the MCR on the outside shoulder of the DC, the STC between the two DCs, and the AML cutting between the DL and DC.  Hopefully the lack of quality in Luxembourg leads to a breakdown in communication where the three players that occupy the minds of the DCs manage to cause an overload somewhere, and the free man is able to create (and convert) good chances

4) STC moved to AF(A)

 

In additional tactical musings, without as much thought I have created a 2nd tactic as a random experiment.  This will only be played in cup games against lower league teams to begin with as I have no idea how it will play out

The reason for not using it in the league, is that it removes one of our best players in (26a) Payal from the DM position, and he won't easily displace one of the two MCs, and moves that player up to play as a False 9.  I have not moved the STC role to a STL position, with the idea being that the DC on the left would be confused by facing the STC on their inside shoulder, the MCR on their outside shoulder, and the STR drifting in front of them.  Depending on any success in the cup, with a rotated squad it may make it into the league for games against weaker opposition

 

3) Consider the training and roles of the STs at the club, especially the incoming best ST (35c) Thill, who can also function as an AMC and how best to utilise him.

4) Consider the roles of the MCs and the defensive players to maximise our chances of defensive solidarity, alongside the Team Instructions and mentality.

5) Keep the 4-1-2-3 Rosport formation as a back up, and play around with roles and TIs to make it a better option for what we want.  This will be tested in the Luxembourg Cup.

6) Keep hoping for a top quality ST player from the intake who can lighten the load and make this all easier

[scousevasey]

Tactical Improvements (hopefully) - Part 1 - musings

12 minutes ago, scousevasey said:

1) Making the 4-2-2-2 formation the default

2) Changing the role of the STCR from F9.  The position will be kept to keep the unbalanced attacking line that was designed to stress opponents defensively

3) Consider the training and roles of the STs at the club, especially the incoming best ST (35c) Thill, who can also function as an AMC and how best to utilise him.

4) Consider the roles of the MCs and the defensive players to maximise our chances of defensive solidarity, alongside the Team Instructions and mentality.

5) Keep the 4-1-2-3 Rosport formation as a back up, and play around with roles and TIs to make it a better option for what we want.  This will be tested in the Luxembourg Cup.

6) Keep hoping for a top quality ST player from the intake who can lighten the load and make this all easier

Progress on the six point plan for improvement

1) Easily done

2/3) - Under consideration - see below

4) - still to come later

5/6) - ongoing through the season based on what happens in the games we play

 

This is all of the players who can play ST at the club.  There are twelve players to choose from

5 of these are best suited to playing as an Advanced Forward, which has been the main STC role in the past

3 are best as a Target Man

2 are best as a Defensive Forward

1 is best as a Poacher, and 1 as an AMC Advanced Playmaker.

Unfortunately the best player currently, and by potential is (35c) Thill who is best as an AMC.  There is the possibility of the right role as the STCR can play into his strengths.  The decision make here on roles will impact the later decision on the roles of the MCs.

(32n) Feller has developed while on loan, and still has room to improve.  Deciding what is best for him next season will be key.  If he is not going to play regularly then another loan will be best, but if we are playing two STs, then really there need to be four in and around the main squad

(34c) Langers and (31h) de Graca are probably those rounding out the conversation about who plays this season, with (31o) Deville being on the cusp.  His lower potential may make him better suited to the 4th striker role which will be a case of him playing if we have an injury crisis, to allow those with a higher potential the chance to play elsewhere.

Looking at potential (35f) Todorovic needs to go out on loan, solely to move from silver to gold stars, and begin to close on his 3* PA.

(31h) da Graca, (34c) Langers, and (32n) Feller have all been on loan previously, and will probably benefit from going out again to avoid wasting away on the bench.

(29f) Bohnert and (26b) Dervisevic have been the best options over the last few seasons, and are not going to improve massively due to their ages.  (26b) Dervisevic is one of the older players in the team at the ripe old age of 24.

Based solely on these it looks like the following will make up the depth chart for next season

(35c) Thill - starting each game, and being first choice for role and position (STC or STCR)

(29f) Bohnert/(26b) Dervisevic - the second starting berth, based on role suitability and fitness.  The other will take the bench slot, and will get minutes as the Assistant Manager decides in game.

The fourth ST registered will come from those listed above as being in the reckoning, (32n) Feller, (34c) Langers, (31h) da Graca, (31o) Deville.  The two with the best chance of that berth are (32o) Feller and (31o) Deville, but the decision will probably fall depending on the roles chosen in the formation.

I will probably register a fifth ST for the league to give us scope in case of an injury crisis, with (30d) Dias also being able to step in up top.  If (32n) Feller is not the 4th choice he will go out on loan, and I will decide on 5th as I look at registration.

 

The next step is a closer look at each of the listed STs to see what roles suit their skills and the rest of the formation.

[scousevasey]

Striker Review

After having a look at the Squad Depth, via the Team Report, there are a couple of other players in consideration for the striking roles.

This rates players by their suitability for the ST position, so we see (35c) Thill drop from 1st to 6th by CA, with (30d) Dias, (30b) Joachim and (33a) Lombardelli making an appearance in the list.  While the two (30x) players are now 20+ so would struggle to retrain fully, (33a) Lombardelli will be an option.

The plan is to go through each player in depth, looking for positives and negatives, alongside their role suitabilities.  As there are 10 players up for discussion I will post a screenshot of each player as a spoiler to avoid filling up the page too much.

(29f) Bohnert

Spoiler

Positives

Finishing is high.  Dribbling means that he can play a role away from the box.  Acceleration, Off the Ball and Natural Fitness are all good

Negatives

Passing is poor if we are looking for two strikers to link together.  Not the most determined.  Positioning, Vision, and Jumping Reach are poor

Roles

Has spent most of his time playing as a Poacher of Advanced Forward.  Could fill a role as a Deep Lying Forward although his passing would be a detriment here

(26b) Dervisevic

Spoiler

Positives

Finishing and First Touch make for a good player in the box.  Good in the air, and strong with it, points to a Target Man

Negatives

Poor Passing, Work Rate, Vision and Teamwork challenge that role conversation

Roles

Best as a Poacher due to playing there over a few seasons, same with AF.  Some of his attributes seem to suit TM, but not all.

(30d) Dias

Spoiler

Positives

Great First Touch (for our level), and Physically gifted. 

Negatives

Finishing is poor for a ST option, and moving him from AMR would make us weaker there, without enough upside to compensate

Roles

Not the best in any role, and will only play at ST in an emergency

(32n) Feller

Spoiler

Positives

Good First Touch, and Heading, alongside the Jumping Reach and Strength to play a TM role. Good Work Rate

Negatives

Finishing is poor, and Passing is not good enough for a TM

Roles

Best as a TM, but would struggle to lead a line, and fit in other roles

(31h) da Graca

Spoiler

Positives

Finishing allied with Pace means the supporting STCR role bursting into the box could work well.  Good Teamwork and Work Rate alongside this could work well

Negatives

First Touch, Passing and Positioning leave something to desire

Roles

Having trained as an AF over the past few seasons he works well there, but could fit a DLF role joining the fray late

(35c) Thill

Spoiler

Positives

Mentally strong, with good fitness

Negatives

Average across the technical skills, but still only 15 so there is time for development.  More suited to AMC currently, but depending on his training could develop well

Roles

Best suited as an Advanced Playmaker or Shadow Striker as an AMC, would fit the DLF role if used

(30b) Joachim

Spoiler

Positives

Good First Touch, and Physical attributes

Negatives

Finishing is poor, as is Passing, meaning moving from AMR to ST will be a challenge.  Unlikely to usurp (30d) Dias there, so may struggle to have a future with us

Roles

Doesn't really fit any ST role well

(34c) Langers

Spoiler

Positives

Good in the air

Negatives

Not a great finisher or passer, and not very determined

Roles

Fits the TM role reasonably well, but will need to improve his Passing and Finishing

(31o) Deville

Spoiler

Positives

One of our best pure finishers, with the Acceleration to get behind a defence.

Negatives

Not great at the other stats needed to work as part of a 2-man strikeforce, and our 4 strong front line.  At an age where he won't get a huge about better

Roles

Best suited to something that plays the ball in behind, but will struggle to play for us

(33a) Lombardelli

Spoiler

Positives

Good Physical skills, alongside Team Work and Workrate

Negatives

Poor Determination, and Passing could limit him

Roles

Could be a decent DF with the physical skills to support the rest of the front line.  Decent finisher, so could develop nicely.

 

 

Ten players, with nobody truly standing out at the minute.  I am going to try and work out what I want to do with the roles and players, before continuing on.  Any comments on the best options, or something I have missed would be welcome.

[scousevasey]

European Adventures 2035-2036

We are off to Finland this time around

 I have never heard of KuPS, but they came 3rd in the league last season.  Hopefully we can move past them to the 2nd round and continue our journey this season, with the aim being to get to the 3rd round

[scousevasey]

Tactical changes (update)

Nothing is set in stone yet, and from reviewing the options I did consider a 4-2-3-1 formation utilising (35c) Thill at AMC where he fits best, but without any cover in that position I have decided against it.  That is not to say the idea is dead, as I am currently only using two tactics slots regularly, with the third being used to play with ideas.  I will create a 4-2-3-1 formation, mirroring some of the roles we currently use in the 4-2-2-2 formation to see if we can use it on odd occasions where we need to shore up the midfield a bit more

Having looked at the players available, I have gone with a TM (A) and DLF (S) pairing, still set up asymmetrically.  The hope here is that with the AML-IF(A) cutting in there will be three players arriving in the box, with the AMR-W(S) working with the MCs to get the ball to them.  I may play around with the mentality of the AMR-W and the MC roles, as time goes on.

I have also changes the Team Shape to Flexible from Fluid to try and develop a little more defensive solidarity, and removed the Look for Underlap instruction, as I don't think it was working with the roles chosen.

Obviously there will be changes with who plays with this formation, with the removal of the DM in the formation, so I will look to provide a Depth Chart for each position.  There is also need for a squad clearout, and sort out.   Instead of flooding the thread with posts, I will do as I have done previously where all players are moved to the Main Squad, and I decide on the following

1) Starter

2) Back up (registered for the league)

3) Emergency cover (registered for the league in positions that may require more cover)

4) Loans - those players who need game time to avoid stagnating, and would sit as a Back up at best

5) U19s - Players who are too young to go out on loan (usually only the most recent intake players), who will fill our U19 squad

6) Players to be released.  We are nowhere near our wage budget cap, but are going into the red each month, so moving on from some of the weaker players who will never make it will save some cash, and avoid us having a squad that is too bloated

Once this is done I will post the Main Squad (numbers 1-3 above) by position, from both the 4-2-2-2 and 4-1-2-3 formations, along with the AMC situation if we go with a 4-2-3-1 formation

[scousevasey]

Squad Review and Depth Chart

These are the players who will be registered for League and European competition this season.  There are 30 slots available for the league, with 25 for Europe.

The aim will be to have 2 players for each position where we play one person.  Three registered for the positions where we play 2 regularly, along with depth as required for heavy rotation or likelihood of injury.  There will be no more than 5 players registered at any position, as they won't get game time, and will be better placed going out on loan

Goalkeepers

(27e) Goncalves (GK) keeps the #1 jersey, with a couple of compotent backups who want game time being offered out on loan.  If they develop well during the season this could be the final season where (27e) Goncalves (GK) is our starter.  (34a) Martins (GK) will be registered for competitions, but I don't carry a GK on the bench, so will be made available for the U19s.  He may get a chance to play in the cup depending on the draw

Defenders

There is a bit of an odd depth chart this season in defence due to the removal of the DM

This is all of the defenders who will be registered with the depth chart being as follows

DR - (28e) Weis, (31b) Mota, (31d) Vogel - Weis has starred at DC for us, but tends to play as DR for the national team, so will move across here.  Registering two back ups here is because (28e) Weis will be the first rotation option at DC, so (31b) Mota may be called on regularly, with (31d) Vogel sitting in the U19s all season in case of emergency

DC - (26f) Holtz, (26a) Payal, (28e) Weis, (33f) Hahm/(30c) Pleimling - (26a) Payal moved back to DC, where he is our third ranked DC, but pushes (28e) Weis out to DR to allow all of our best players to be on the pitch.  (33f) Hahm will return from loan to be registered, but his chances of playing are low, as (30c) Pleimling can drop back to DC if required.  Hopefully neither option will be needed, but this gives us the cover we may need

DL - (29d) Albuqueque, (27l) Turpel - (29d) Albuqueque has cemented his place in the team, with depth being a bit of an option.  (27l) Turpel has grumbled about playing time in the past, but is unlikely to play apart from if we have injuries.  There isn't much cover behind these two, with those who are high PA going out on loan to give them game time

Defensive Midfield

Pretty much as it is listed, although (33b) Mutsch has developed nicely at the club, and would probably play at DM ahead of (30c) Pleimling to avoid too much of a reshuffle.  All three are versatile players so we are not wasting registration spots here

Central Midfield

Again pretty much as listed, with (33b) Mutsch being flexible enough to cover here.  (32a) Teixeira and (32b) Payal will go out on loan to give them minutes, with (32b) Payal did successfully last season.  (35b) Payal and (34b) Menster are too young/on Youth contracts, so cannot be loaned out.  Both will be registered but spend the season in the U19s, being called to the bench when we have injuries

(35c) Thill can play at MC, but won't be used here

Attacking Midfield

AMR - (30d) Dias, (32g) Marti - (30d) Dias still leads the way, with (30b) Joachim going on loan to avoid stagnating.  (32g) Marti provides a player who can step in if required, but won't be too uppity about not playing regularly

AMC - (35c) Thill - not a lot of options at the club behind him, with the only options being players who are on their way out, such as (25b) Flick and (25a) Bozic who are upset about being replaced and not good enough to start, so have been out on loan recently.  Their contracts end as the season ticks over so will leave.  That means that the 4-2-3-1 formation can only work if (35c) Thill is fit, and will be a rarely used formation

AML - (31a) Fellerich, (33c) Ferron - Another position without much depth, which is why (33c) Ferron retrained.  To aid this he may get the start against some of the weaker teams, with the aim of giving him 45 minutes on occasion

Strikers

The problem position, with no clear stars.  The depth chart here will be by role/position in the 4-2-2-2 formation.  Of the seven shown, not all of them will be registered, but the decisions about who goes on loan are still being made.  I will look to register five players here, so only two will miss out

STC-TM(A) - (32n) Feller, (26b) Dervisevic - Youth gets the first chance here, as there is still room to grow.

STCR-DLF(S) - (35c) Thill, (29f) Bohnert - Again youth gets the chance

The decisions to be made will be about the bench player and the loan options.  Both (34c) Langers and (31h) da Graca have room to grow, and will be unlikely to get regular games, so I will look to loan them, and use (31o) Deville as the 5th option in case of emergency.

The other issue developing is the bench.  For the league there are five spots available, where I usually carry a DC, MC, AMR, AML, ST.  With the changes in defence this season, I may fill the defensive slot with (31b) Mota as DR, to allow flexibility across the backline.  Playing two ST roles, and starting two younger prospects makes the ST sub option interesting, as both (26b) Dervisevic and (29f) Bohnert have strengths and weaknesses, and will be third choice for the role they don't play.  This may come down to fitness of the starting option, with me rotating who starts every so often to give the younger players a chance to recover.

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 European Review and Season Preview

The unknown side from Finland were too much for us

Not enough going on for us, as we bed into the new season

First leg was closely matched, but their possession was congregated in our half, while we spread it throughout

The second leg was much of the same, with us taking our possession out to the right hand side.  Not the ideal opening to the new formation.

That means that for the board expectations for the season we are already failing

The sack could be coming this season if we continue in this way, as we were poor last season too

The board's expectation matches that of the bookmakers, with ourselves and Dudelange listed with a small gap back to Fola Esch, who are expected to leap past two of the European qualifiers from last season.

There is a clear gap between Racing (LUX) in 8th, and those chasing, so it will probably be a league with a clear split

And this is the route we will take.

US Hostert give us a nice warm up for the tough games against Fola Esch and Differdange, before we get an easier game against US Esch before Progres.  That sees us face three of the top five teams in the opening five games, with Dudelange being the only other big challenge on the season.

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 Update 1 (Matchday 5)

The new tactic is settling in, but there is still work to be done with it

After five games (about 20% of the season), we have played three of the four other big sides from last season, and been fairly consistent with our exploits.  Three games scoring three, and three clean sheets, all while not being able to settle on the first 11 due to injuries

(35c) Thill was injured in a friendly, and while he was able to start the first game against US Hostert was still trying to regain fitness

(32n) Feller picked up a knock in our final friendly, and only made it back to be on the bench against US Esch, and again against Progres, where he picked up another minor knock.  He should be fully fit for the next fixtures

(29f) Bohnert hurt himself against Differdange, and will be struggling for fitness next time out, but probably starting on the bench

(30d) Dias has also picked up a knock and while not at the ST position will weaken our team slightly.

 

All of this means we have been without our first choice striking partnership so far, and have rotated between all four options.  (31o) Deville was allowed out on loan just before the window closed as I couldn't see us needing to use five strikers and wanted to avoid too much unrest.

 

In regards to the big three fixtures so far, there are positives and negatives

We controlled most of the game against Fola Esch, with three areas of red in their half on the heat map.  Their area of possession just inside our half is a slight worry

Again statistically in control, but the worry here is the huge swathe of red for Differdange in the middle of the park.  Part of this is their 4-1-3-1-1 formation, giving them lots of players in the same area, so possession would be likely to congregate there, but they edge too close to our area for comfort

Statistically we should have won against Progres, so I am not too worried about the formation yet, and their heat map is the coldest so far, but the majority still comes in our half.

This probably means there is an issue with the MC roles, with the two we deploy in the centre being outmatched numerically if the AMR/AML don't track back, and totally outnumbered against Differdange's 1-3-1 midfield formation

Due to this I have dropped the DLP to a Defend mentality (from support), and kept the Mezzala on Support (the most defensive option), and will judge how this goes over the next run of games

The next five see Titus Petange who have tried to make the top group of teams in recent seasons as our most testing game before we start November against Dudelange.  This may well move to midweek due to the cup draw, but will be a big game no matter what.  We really need to be perfect before that game to keep ourselves in the chase for the title.

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 Update 2 (Matchday 10)

We weren't quite perfect before the Dudelange match, but neither were they

A shame to draw against Titus Petange, but it wasn't our best performance.  But in the same round of matches Dudelange were held by Differdange and while we defeated Jeunesse Esch, Progres managed to hold Dudelange too.

A fairly even game against Titus Petange, with us having most of the possession but in areas that hold little threat.  After the injuries of the early season we lost (26f) Holtz from the backline, so (31b) Mota came in at DR and (28e) Weis slid back to DC.  Not out strongest backline, but (31d) Mota has developed nicely so there wasn't a huge drop in quality although he wasn't fully match fit for this run out

The total shots is not in our favour against Dudelange, but we evenly matched when hitting the target, and our extra possession was telling.  It is interesting on the heat map that our AMR is pushed back in this game, giving us a look that is nearly level to the Dudelange flat 4-4-2 formation.  but the difference comes with the large patch of red where we had lots of possession against them.

We are still stretched defensively, only keeping one clean sheet through the five games, but have continued to score regularly with both of the younger strikers who I decided to start up front beginning to find the net.

That means after 10 games we are top of the table, but only just.  Going into the game against Dudelange we trailed by one point, and still trail them on goal difference so there is work to be done.

Progres are three points behind us, so cannot be written off, with Differdange three further back.  With Progres having taken four points from their games against Dudelange and ourselves, and Differdange beating Progres and drawing with Dudelange things do seem to have tightened up this season.

Fola Esch had a tough opening run of games, facing Progres, ourselves then Titus Petange in the first three games, and after picking up their first point in the third game have been playing catch up ever since.

There are four league games left until the break, finishing the first round of fixtures with the teams currently in 7th, 8th and 9th, where we should be winning despite our troubles against Kaerjeng over recent seasons.  The return fixture against Fola Esch should be winnable based on our respective form so far this season, but there are potential banana skins throughout the rest of 2035.

Marisca Mersch are lower division opposition who we should progress past easily, giving a run out to some of the fringe members of the squad, before a hopeful last 16 tie to end the year

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 Update 3 (Matchday 13/Cup Last 16)

We made it through the first cup game as expected, so this review contains six games in total

In simple terms, this group of games went well.  The only goals conceded were in the cup game with a fully rotated team, many of whom were not fit.  It is quite nice that (26b) Dervisevic and (29f) Bohnert can still perform when called upon and aren't getting grumpy about not playing, as some of the younger fringe players are starting to ask questions about game time.

If they had bothered to accept the loan offers in the summer then they would be playing, and as we hit the winter break and transfer window, more attempts will be made to move some on in the short term

Our perfect run meant we were guaranteed to stay top, but things have improved in the quest for the title.

Progres only dropped 2 points but that means we move to be five points clear of them.  Dudelange had a poor run of games dropping four points from 12, and not really recovering from their loss to us.  Jeunesse Esch, Differdange, and Titus Petange make up the next group of teams a few point further back from Dudelange and there has been lots of the top six taking points off of each other helping our cause.

The cup sees one lower division team in Diekirch in the pot with the rest being National Division teams.  We get one of the easier ties available based on form, but it is seven of the top eight in the league still in the cup at the minute so we could end up with a similar scenario as in the league.

As usual January will be moving some grumpy players out on loan, and looking to get some who chose to sit in the U19s a chance to improve elsewhere.  February will be a run of challenging friendlies to build form and fitness before the remaining 12 games of the season.  I will probably preview this, then do updates after six games to balance out the season

[psychonaut]

Good luck for the rest of the season. Maybe one day you'll get to a European group stage

[scousevasey]

16 hours ago, psychonaut said:

Good luck for the rest of the season. Maybe one day you'll get to a European group stage

Thanks for the support

 

I think the European Group stages are a good decade away for a couple of reasons.

1) We have a pretty decent team by star ratings and in relation to the rest of Luxembourg.  Making improvements against our stiffest competition (Dudelange) will be tough, and they struggle to win rounds in Europe

2) The 4-1-2-3 formation is not strong enough going forward with our ST options against the best teams in the qualifying rounds.  The 4-2-2-2 formation is largely untested, but we were pulled apart in Europe when we used it.

It is possible that a different tactic could give us an advantage, but getting familiarity at the start of a season can be a challenge.  We would also need a kind draw and to be league champions, giving us the fall back of being able to lose a round and drop the the Europa League.

If I make it to the groups by 2050 at this rate I will be happy (assuming I don't get fired, or FM20 doesn't come out before then)

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 In Season Update 4 (The signs of spring)

Having made it through the transfer window with most of the players who are upset at not playing failing to find suitors, we may end up losing a couple of players who have decent potentials but won't sign new contracts.

Our run of mid season friendlies did what was required

The first four games against teams classed as larger reputation, all of which were played with a fully reserve team starting, and out first string coming on during the 2nd half to regain fitness.  The only injury we picked up was to (35h) Vanek, a  backup DL, which is good because we haven't lost any starters, but he is the only one left at the club as the rest are out on loan

It is not a long term injury, and he should be back for the 2nd league game if we need him

 

That second game is one of the easier ones on the horizon, sandwiched between Differdange and Progres, both away.  Having already lost to Progres once this season, and only being 5 points clear of them in 2nd, this mini run of games will be important, along with the game against Titus Petange, the only other team to have taken points off us this season.

We should have four wins, and be looking to get at least a fifth.  Drawing against Progres wouldn't be the worst result, but we should look to take advantage of extending the gap at the top of the table.

[scousevasey]

Youth Intake 2036

It has only taken 15 intakes to get to this point, but it is a good feeling

 

(36a) is finally a ST... and the OPPA is high.  And his CA is close to our ST options now.  Practically perfect for our situation

Another good GK option, where we are fairly well stocked for decent PPA options, so it is more about moving from PPA to CA

By CA we have two players who are close to breaking into the first team

(36e) Hinsberger as an MC comes into a fairly crowded position with us having six or seven players above his level, but if he goes out on loan there is a chance that by 21-22 he will be ready to play for us

(36a) Schwitz is practically ready to start, and with his 15 Determination is only going to get better.  The question is where he fits best in the team.  If we keep the 4-2-2-2 formation then there is a choice of role for him, but there will need to be training.  But he could also be good enough to allow us to move to a 4-2-3-1 to accomodate (35c) Thill properly, of go back to the 4-1-2-3 formation

He needs to work on his Composure and Concentration, probably his passing too, but at 16 is looking like a really good option for us

Positionally we add depth at DC which is needed, and more DMs who are not required currently, so they will look to retrain.  Most of the PPA is central positions which is good

When looking at only those who have a Determination of 10 or above there are two good things to note.

First 10 of 16 are on this list, showing that we are moving in the right direction.  Second, it sees players listed as a, b, d, e, in the list, where previously our better players have not had great determination, so we should see better rates of conversion from PA to CA

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by scousevasey
Embedding video

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 In Season Update 5 (Matchday 20)

Things are looking up as we go through the month

Six good wins, only one goal against, in a game we were well clear in.  A slight drop in goals scored, with three games at 2-0 and two 1-0s but the solid defence helps

Differdange seem to have the better of the possession with their heat map, and shade the amount of ball they saw, but couldn't generate any shots, with their 4-1-3-1-1 formation giving them lots of players tightly grouped together.  This would explain the area of possession as there is no width, and lots of short passes, but the narrow play is easy to shut down

Having lost to Progres at home, it was nice to get the win on their turf.  Fairly even on possession, with a big spread on the heat maps as opposed to areas of red.  Again we held the opposition to few shots, and there wasn't a huge about to do for the GK apart from take goal kicks.

While these two games don't have the attacking verve of some previous games, the solid defensive performance is good to see

Six games to go, and we are six points clear.  We are also guaranteed a trip to Europe again, but will be looking to press on in the remaining games. 

Jeunesse Esch in 6th followed by Dudelange in 2nd is a tough combination of games.  If we win both, we will be a minimum of nine clear with twelve points available, although Dudelange hold a slight GD advantage as they are the highest scorers in the league by a long way.  We have the stingiest defence giving us a chance of closing the GD gap.

We should defeat Swift Hesperange and US Hostert easily, with the games against Racing (LUX) and Kaerjeng always being tough, but we should be looking to win again.

We cannot tie up the league before the cup game, and Dudelange is on a short week, so fitness will have to be managed  in that run.  I would rather win the league and fail in the cup, than claim the cup but fall away in the league, so we will be prioritising the game against Dudelange, and resting players for Racing (LUX) if required.

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 In Season Update 6 (Matchday 23 and Cup Semi Final)

I was aiming to update at the end of the season, but two results have led to a change of schedule

Dudelange, our overall nemesis in the game rear their heads again.  Giving us our 2nd loss in the league is not the end of the world, with three games left in the season, but our performances against them in the cup and league are worth considering in more depth.

All of the other games played in this run were run of the mill wins without any worries

The league game first up, where shots were fairly even, but we couldn't hit the target.  With our swathe of red, and forcing their possession wide, a  2-0 loss is probably a bit harsh against us.  Not ideal, but against the toughest team in the league it is something that can happen although we did manage to win earlier in the season with a similar situation, the difference being that we were away for this game.

In the cup I kept a strong team, as if we mess up in the league I wanted to ruin the chances of a double for Dudelange.  The only changes I made to the starting 11 was to bring in (36a) Schwitz and (26b) Deresevic up front.

We had the worst of the possession battle, and shots but the most telling part of this is the wastefulness of Dudelange.  Only 14% of shots hit the target, and most were from in good positions.

Four shots from the edge of the six yard box all missed the goal, with our GK only being forced into a save twice.  I like the optimism of the shot from halfway, and because it came from the opposition, I like the result even more.

We may not have had the volume but the shots came from decent opportunities, and we took advantage late on.

That means the league looks like this.  Europe is already sorted, with Progres nearly guaranteed to be in 3rd.  Koeppchen have struggled miserably this season and are already down.  Grevenmancher need only 2 points to doom US Esch, or for US Esch to fail to claim points in any of their remaining game.  Swift Hesperange and US Hostert are at risk of the playoff with three points the gap and three games to go.  This mirrors the top of the table.

We have a three point advantage, but are eight goals worse of on goal difference, so we may as well call it 2.5 points lead.

 

We face 9th, 8th and 10th, two of whom are safe, and US Hostert should be safe by the final game.

Dudelange face 12th, 6th and 14th, with Grevenmancher looking to pick up points to secure safety.  Jeunesse Esch are five back of 4th which may get the European spot, although they are our opposition in the cup final.  If they can gain fourth they will guarantee the Europa league regardless of the cup, but they will struggle to close the gap.  Hopefully it is still in play for them with two games to go so they play hard against Dudelange.  A final game against Koeppchen should be a walkover.

Looking at the games left, Dudelange are pretty much guaranteed 7 points, and more likely nine.  Jeunesse Esch did manage a draw at Dudelange earlier in the season, so it is something that may work in our favour.  Seven points gives them a total of 65 (with a maximum of 67 points).  That means our target has to be 68 points to avoid losing out on goal difference.  With 61 points so far, that means we can afford one draw at most, and the title cannot be secured before the final day if Dudelange stay perfect.

Tense times ahead, so I will update game by game as I did with last season, although this season is much more positive than trying to scrape a European spot

 

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 Matchday 24

We kept up our end of the bargain, but the early penalty made it tougher than it should have been

Dudelange did what was expected.

Jeunesse Esch won, but so did Differdange and Titus Petange, so they are still 5 back from fourth, with only six left to claim.  While they are still going to be playing hard it is going to be a hard ask for them.  That is the marquee game this coming week being played on the Saturday, so we will know their result before we play

Two games to go, three points the difference (2.5)

Next up for us is Kaerjeng at home, while Dudelange travel to Jeunesse Esch

Tension is now at 7 out of 10

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 Matchday 25

Dudelange were up first

Despite a valiant effort by Jeunesse Esch, Dudelange take the three points, so as the Saturday ends, they claim the lead in the title race

Pressure on as there is no room for error

We face Kaerjeng, one of our bogey teams

And manage a comfortable win.

We go back to the top of the table, and most of the league is settled before the final day.

All seven games kick off at the same time, but with IR there won't be goal by goal updates.

One game to go.  A point or more wins the league.  A loss requires something from Koeppchen, who have four points all season.

We need a point.

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 End of season

Koeppchen were close, but despite a red card Dudelange managed a win.  That meant we needed a point

In the end it was fairly comfortable.  2-0 at half time, with US Hostert pulling one back but two minutes later we restored the two goal cushion.

Finally after a four year gap we are back at the top, and onto the cup final

Another comfortable game with Jeunesse failing to get a shot on target

The best Rosport had managed before my reign was runner up in the cup (2008), and winning the Promotion Division (2014).

This is our fourth title in the past 8 years, and 7th cup win, with five in a row from 2029 onwards

Progress is being made.

Differdange are no longer the dominant force in Luxembourg, but we still need to overcome Dudelange.

And we get to test ourselves in the Champions League again

[scousevasey]

Loan Review

As the season was drawing to a close, inbox messages about the players out on loan showed the benefits of loaning out enough players to fill a squad.

This is a quick look at the results, with an in depth squad review required to consider if there needs to be any changes to the main squad for next season

Sorted by Average Rating

Ten players getting ratings of 7.00 or above, with only two of those playing fewer than 20 games (12 and 19), all of which were unlikely to be played here.  While the lowest average was a 6.57, giving an 18 year old games in the competitive Promotion Division is still better than sitting in our U19s

Sorted by age

The older players on this list have dropped down the pecking order, but fail to get offers to sign them.  Part of the reason for them not leaving is to ensure we have enough depth, but part of it is because I haven't had an in depth clear out for a couple of seasons.  There is a slight attachment to (25h) Turpel who played a key role in our growth.

More than half of the players out on loan are over 19, so would be ineligible for the U19s on a regular basis, and keeping them in the main squad but available for the reserves would lead to unrest

Sorted by CA

The biggest benefit of the mass loan system.  (33a) Lombardelli plays at AMR so would sit behind (30d) Dias in the pecking order.  He has grown to be 3.5* while at our affiliate Junglister, meaning he is ready to step in if we need it, but at 19 will hopefully still improve with another loan, with the aim being to send him to a National Division side this coming season.  (32b) Payal is an MC who earned his first international call up while on loan at Fola Esch this year.  At 3*CA he could challenge for a place in our starting 11, or at age 20 could go out on loan again.

These two successes of the system, is a real boost, despite the hiccups of some players rejecting the offers of going out on loan.

Sorted by PA

There is still a lot of room for potential growth in most of these players, and while boosting their standard to make a profit is not really an option in cash strapped Luxembourg, it does mean we have a bit more competition for the main squad.  This has become fairly settled over recent seasons, so while I am not aiming to upturn the applecart, there is the possibility of boosting our solidity across the board

 

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 End of Season Awards

Our good seasons sees rewards flock in

Two of the best three players in the league is a real positive.  The leading goalscorer had 21, so (31a) Fellerich getting 17 as our third goalscoring option cutting in from the left is nice to see

Our capacity is 3100 and a few extra seats, so we are getting close to being able to expand or get a new stadium, depending on finance

Which if we can keep bringing in sponsorship money will be made easier

 

[scousevasey]

2036-2037 Build up

The league fixtures throw up a challenge

Progres to bookend the season will be tough, with the Titus Petange, Jeunesse Esch, Racing (LUX), Dudelange run of games being make or break for our title hopes

In Europe we have lost some coefficient points

We were never good enough to be seeded, topping out at just below 6 previously, but the chance to gain more points means we should recover

Not the lowest rated team in the draw, and our drop hasn't seen much change in position

And we are off to Wales (ish), to face the weakest seeded team, with the prize on offer being being a trip to Moldova or Albania, both new experiences for us

 

[scousevasey]

2035-2036 Squad Review

Apologies if this goes long, but based on the loan developments over the past couple of seasons it could take a while

Goalkeepers

Based on CA there is not a huge amount between (27e) Goncalves who has been our mainstay over the past few seasons and the rest of the bunch.  I am not sure why the team report has (32c) Minelli and (31f) Theis as lower than the squad screen but anyway.  While 25 is not anywhere near finished, the lack of room for improvement for (27e) Goncalves means he is probably done.  The loans over the past couple of seasons hasn't led to him being overhauled, but the lack of PA is what does for him.

(36b) Schiltz would be first choice based on his Determination and Personailty, but at 16 may be a little too young.  (30e) Silva may get the first choice with (36b) Schiltz as a cup option until he is old enough to go on loan or start.  I will look to loan out the other options, and see if anyone wants to buy (27e) Goncalves

Defenders

Not a lot of change in the strongest by CA, but there are still questions to be asked

(28e) Weis played well at DR last season, and (31b) Mota has improved over the past couple of seasons to challenge him for the starting berth. (31d) Vogel may oust (31b) Mota due to his determination level, and another season on loan, but there is not a lot behind them.  Fortunately they are all young so can cover for a good few seasons.

(33d) Schnell and (31g) Andrade need good loans to help them develop, although (31g) Andrade may have missed his window to improve.  (29d) Albuquerque will be the starter again and has done well to reach 3* over the past could of season.  (32h) Lopez is likely to be the backup here

(26a) Payal slotted in well at DC, and allows us to put more quality players on the pitch together in the 4-2-2-2 formation.  (28e) Weis will continue as cover for the starting two as the DR depth is better than the DC depth, with there not really being a lot of options elsewhere.  While it may be a risk to play him, I am tempted to keep (36f) Osweiler and (35a) May as the backup (4th/5th option) for DC due to their potential, although there is a big drop off in talent level.  While we are deep at the position, there are not many great options

Defensive Midfield

We are not using this position in our first choice formation, but it is worth looking at

(33b) Mutsch is a good option, and is improving at MC.  The advantage we have is the top three players all earn their squad position somewhere else giving us flexibility.

Midfield

A slight drop off from (30c) Pleimling with (32b) Payal closing the gap on him.  The starting two are still going to be the same, but the questions come about the 3rd option who will start on the bench every week, and the injury depth, while sending people out on loan. (33b) Mutsch has grown while on the bench, so will probably fill that role due to his use at DM, with (36e) Hinsberger and (35b) Payal being options 4 and 5.  The reason why (32a) Teixeira, (32b) Payal, (34b) Menster and others miss this is because a loan at a top level club will benefit them more

Attacking Midfield

Quality at the top and then a drop off is the main issue we face at AM, but the quality means we can't really abandon the position

(33a) Lombardelli could be better than (30d) Dias, but I cannot fit them in the same team, so the younger man is going to go back on loan.  (30b) Joachim rejected numerous loan offers last season, but then also got upset about not playing.  Not the ideal situation, but he will probably be back up this year to give (32g) Marti a chance to try his look elsewhere.

(31a) Fellerich has been a real starlet over the past couple of seasons and could well be come the best player at the club.  (33c) Ferron has been retraining to cover AML, but it looks like (36c) Bossi may become a better option, so the younger man will stay and the older option be offered out on loan

Not a lot of depth here in case we go to an AMC, and with (32b) Payal going out on loan to develop, and (31k) Pauly being low down the list so he will probably go on loan to, it really isn't a workable position at the minute

Strikers

Currently we have a bit of a logjam, but in terms of potential there is a big range of Potentials.  With playing a two striker formation we need to keep four options minimum,

(36a) Schwitz and (35c) Thill are two of the big names for the future, with (32n) Feller playing well currently and possibly having room to grow.

(31h) da Graca has not really performed for me although most of his chances came while as a lone striker, and (26b) Dervisevic and (29f) Bohnert are at the lower end of the scale by PA, and both have interest in the loan market without being listed.  I will probably keep (34c) Langers as the fourth option to back up (32n) Feller, with (35f) Todorovic going on loan with the aim of reaching a full star by January when he might swap with (34c) Langers.

 

[scousevasey]

European Adventures 2036 - Stage 1

We went down 1-0 in the first leg, which included (26a) Payal playing at DC being sent off for two yellows.  With TNS getting the away goal it wasn't looking positive

The second leg looked similar statistically, although we managed to gain more of the possession and have it in better areas, with TNS being hemmed in on their heat map.  And the result...

Scraping through by the skin of our teeth to make the second round.  This matched our expectations, and means that we will get money from three European ties this season

Our second stop will be in Albania, where hopefully we will come into fitness and be able to cause an upset, although I am not overly hopeful

[scousevasey]

European Adventures 2036 - Stage 2

Between the two rounds we managed to get a Spam email in the FM inbox

Not quite a Nigerian Prince, but equally as absurd.  I would take the Luxembourg job if it came up, but nothing bigger at this stage

Albania went better than we thought (or at least the home tie did)

We didn't even need away goals this time, and as their goals in the second leg came in the final 20 minutes we were comfortable throughout

Which means we are off to Austria

As Red Bull Salzburg are regulars in the group stage I have zero confidence in our chances of progress, but it does mean we will get a fourth tie in Europe (with three of those coming in the big time), which should mean that we have the money for an upgrade or two

[scousevasey]

BAD NEWS

Last night when I saved after running out of time to keep the European Adventure going, I upset the FM Gods.  Clearly I needed to continue the run at the expense of sleep and work to appease them.

After I saved, FM froze and wouldn't allow me to do anything, and all I could do on my computer was to open the start menu, but I couldn't click anything on the menu.  Having shut the lid (laptop) and come back to it today there was no option to continue last save, and when I went to load game the game was not showing any options.

As you can see the auto save back up was a day old, because I was saving progress after the squad review, and then after each European round so I didn't lose it - the perfect example of the law of sod.

So we are now back to the 19th June, which is about 10 days before the previous loans return to me, but just after we received the league fixtures.

Everything else has gone.  Fortunately I recorded the squad review above so don't have to delve through the squad again, and this time can avoid upsetting (33a) Lombardelli who was upset when he was moved to the U19s (my default for players who won't be in the Main Squad as while I sort out their loans).

So job one is to go back through the squad to send everyone who isn't key down to the U19s and move any others back to the Main Squad.  But we still have to face the Champions League draw and the nerves of the first round again

[scousevasey]

European Adventures 2036 - Stage 1

Same seedings, so nothing much happened in the Preliminary rounds

And the same draw (9 days after the save point for those who discuss saving and reloading as a way to change things).

So we are hoping for the same results coming from the two legs (although two wins would be better than scraping through on away goals

We also have the same draw for the second round...

[scousevasey]

European Adventures 2036 - Stage 2

Slightly less nervewracking this time around, without the need for away goals.

2-0 at home helped as we didn't have to worry about losing on away goals so held the advantage, and were able to earn a comfortable win, leading 3-0 at one point in the return leg.

With the same draw for the first and second round, we also have the same match up for the second round.  A slight difference this time around is that we go to Albania first up, whereas last time a 4-1 home lead in the first leg helped our progress.

 

And if we manage to win in Albania?

Spoiler

Yep, that is the same draw for the third successive round in the reload

 

[scousevasey]

European Adventures 2036 - Stage 3

This time we have completed the 2nd round and not lost the save, so all is good.

What is better is that we are going through again after a great home leg.

Which gave us the same draw as last time, as RB Salzburg win through again.  So Austria it is.

 

We are at home in the first leg

Does anyone want to hazard a guess about what the final score was in leg one?

For those who want to catch the game on Match of the Day, look away now.

Spoiler

Between leg one and two we have the draw for the final qualifying round, where if we get that far we will be guaranteed group stage football.

We are seeded by virtue of RB Salzburg's coefficient, which gives us a more favourable draw

This will be even more favourable because our coefficient is lower than every other team that is unseeded.  With two undecided teams in the unseeded draw, we may not be the weakest team left in the draw, but we are going to be close to it.

And if we get through we will have the easiest draw available to us.  If we defeat RB Salzburg, then whoever comes out of this tie into the Champions League groups will be on the end of some absolute hidings.

 

[scousevasey]

During our European adventures we have also broken another record which is a positive one for us

The total may not be huge in the terms of global football, and our stadium maxes out at 3,121 of which only 1,621 are seated, but we played this game at the national stadium (capacity of 8,050), having played the previous two rounds at our own ground.

The first time we reached Europe all games were in the national stadium, then we expanded the ground and have played at home since, with this being the first time we have gone back to the big stadium in Europe.  Clearly we now have enough seats for a minimum standard but that this increases as the competition goes on.

Even with that influx we are still in the red, although we should reach a positive bank balance once we either get knocked out or we reach the group stages