The Higher Tempo Press
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Porto fall behind early on in the title race and may ‘focus on the cups’
Porto’s poor start to the league campaign may force the manager to consider making other competitions a priority. When he first joined the club he made it his aim to get Porto back to the top of Portuguese football. After finishing second last season their fans had hoped to challenge and go one better but […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 52
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #52 Ultimate Finale | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a Football Manager series on my channel thats right its Tottenham Hotspur. Today we take on Barcelona in the Champions League Final at Old Trafford, can we make history and win the Champions League […]
Boeren, Boeren PSV: The season that was…
A season that collapsed in the end run but had some pride spared by a KNVB Beker Final victory over title usurpers Ajax. Time to look back and summarise it all. Eredivisie – 2nd Place It was a monumental collapse at the end of the season. PSV, having led for 21 games of the season, […]
Brexit Premier League: Part 8
The Inevitable Yes, it is over. I was told of my sacking while continuing on the 1st of January, as the bar that told me my next opponent changed to tell me of available jobs. I finished my reign with a pitiful 8 points, and I have no one to blame except myself, the players, […]
6 pointer already: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 81
Ungheni are the team predicted to go down with us from the Moldovan top flight. The thought of playing them just now, on the back of a disastrous opener, made me feel sick in the stomach. As I made the short rail journey from Taraclia, where I rent an apartment, to Ceadir Lunga, where the […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 51
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #51 Off To Wembley | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a Football Manager series on my channel thats right its Tottenham Hotspur. Today we take on Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup Final, can we complete a league and cup double […]
1.53 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Title Run-In
Pre-Match Buoyed by their KNVB Beker Final exploits against Ajax, PSV are raring to go in the penultimate league game of the season. PSV know they are now relying on results elsewhere, a win for Ajax over Vitesse will spell the end of their pursuit of this season’s Eredivisie title. PSV are the bookmakers’ favourites […]
Nice problem to have: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 80
I was sitting with Iurie Priganiuc (our assistant manager) at the little bistro-style round table in my office that I use for informal meetings. I hate talking to people from behind my old Soviet-era office desk. We were discussing rather a nice problem. In our previous match (in the cup, versus a lower division side) […]
#FM18 Tempo Thoughts
Hello from Tempo Towers. Not long now, eh? It’ll be here before we know it. No, not Christmas. FM18. It seems that the “community” are doing loads of cool reveals about what they will be doing once the new game hits the laptop screen so I thought we should probably stumble along somewhat aimlessly and […]
AS MoneyCo – Episode Three
The season was not off to a great start for my young Monaco squad. Radamel Falcao had been ruled out with a hamstring injury, and poor finishing was complemented by misfortune to hold my side back. A mere three days after the Sassuolo frustration, Stade Rennais fans were treated to a trip to Monte Carlo. […]
Biggest match in town: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 79
I had mixed feelings in the run-up to our 2nd round Moldovan tie against third-tier Ceadir Lunga, with whom we share a ground. On the one hand, as a top-tier side, we should beat them: that could turn things around for us, getting out of a rut and with luck giving a chance to build […]
The Wandering Eagle Part 4.2: January ’17
We get the opportunity to break the unhelpful habit of not converting our chances when we face Northampton Town, the big surprise of the season at 6th place. They play a revolutionary strikerless formation, which is almost unheard of at this level. Manager Robert Page is either a visionary or an evil madman bent on […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 50
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #50 Going Postal | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a Football Manager series on my channel that’s right, it’s Tottenham Hotspur. Today we take on Real Madrid at White Hart Lane in the 2nd leg of the Champions League Semi Finals, can we […]
1.52 Boeren, Boeren PSV: KNVB Final – Ajax v PSV
Pre-Match PSV will have to pick themselves up after what can only be described as a bottle job of Spurs proportions! The KNVB Beker Final between these two Goliaths of Dutch football takes place at Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium. Ajax are favourites with odds of 6/4 but could PSV spark something of a late revival […]
Playbook again: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 78
My decision is beginning developing a playbook didn’t get off to such a good start, but I decided to persevere. One swallow does not a tragedy make — or something like that. Next up were Dinamo-Auto. Strangely enough the stats showed that they too tended to score most in the first fifteen minutes. I decided on […]
1.51 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 32 – Excelsior v PSV
Pre-Match With 3 games to go and PSV still trailing Ajax by a point, nothing short of a win will do here today! The bookmakers obviously feel somewhat confident in PSV but perhaps not as much as earlier in the season, PSV are odds-on at 4/5, considering the odds a few months ago were considerably […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 25: October ‘19
This is the story of two brothers, a modern-day Cain versus Abel if you will, based now in the Allianz Stadium. If you’d like to replicate this challenge, we’re using the updated medium database with the following leagues: England (Premier League, Championship, League One & League Two), Italy (Serie A & Serie B), Spain (La […]
Developing a playbook – the opening chapter: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 77
I’m here at FC Saxan by way of an experiment. Our chairman has invited me to approach the business of managing the club as if it were an engineering problem. I’ve decided to do that in three ways: (1) to simplify decision-making through the development of protocols; (2) to adopt an overall systems engineering approach; […]
Porto finish second after late run of form
Going unbeaten in their final eight league games helped Porto to their highest league position in over five years. The club, who finished 5th last season finished level on points with surprise package Vitória de Guimarães but were above due to a better record. Both sides, however, were 13 points behind league champions Sporting, a […]
Under The Lens Part 13: Things Are Getting Steady
We’re in October but things are looking quite similar. We start the month with the news that Nicholas Douchez is out for a couple of weeks which means Pacheco is back in between the sticks for now. The first game with Pacheco back in goal came against EA Guimgamp, but despite them being in 6th […]
1.50 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 31 – PSV v Heracles
Pre-Match The performance against Ajax was a reasonable result considering PSV were a man down from early on in the game. However, the scoreless draw means that PSV are now without a win in their last three fixtures and haven’t scored a goal in any of those games either. Despite this, PSV are still touted […]
Brexit Premier League: Part 7
Final Countdown So, this was to be the biggest December in West Ham’s history. Rock bottom and the board on my back, the requirement was simple. By the end of the month, if the board didn’t feel more confident in my management of the team, I would be sacked. It should be noted, I am […]
Talk of the town: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 76
I’ve chosen the right time to move from my accommodation in Taracliu, one stop down the railway line, into a flat in Ceadir Lunga itself. FC Saxan have drawn Ceadir Lunga, the town’s other team, in the Moldovan Cup. I don’t suppose it’s set the world of Moldovan football alight nationally, but it’s certainly created a […]
FM17 European Gigalo Challenge Episode 18: Moneyball
After shocking everybody at Borussia Monchengladbach by winning the league and the Champions League, where on earth do you go next? The answer is very obvious: Paris. I need to tick nations off my bucket list and when PSG are available you’d be stupid to turn them down. As I beat them in the final […]
1.49 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 30 – PSV v Ajax
Pre-Match It’s not been a regular occurrence this season to see PSV as anything other than favourites in a domestic fixture. Today that honour is given to the visitors, Ajax, who currently hold a one point lead at the top of the table. The bookmakers have given an Ajax win odds of 6/4 in a […]
Simple things you see are all complicated: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 75
The football with which I’m familiar has mostly been English lower league stuff, in the east (or east midlands). Places like Notts County, Peterborough, Stevenage, and Cambridge. There the rules are: 7 subs; of which 3 can be used. In the Moldovan top flight, it’s different: 9 subs; of which 4 can be used. That […]
Southampton’s Black Box: Part 10
Welcome back to ‘Southampton’s Black Box’: a story focused on the organized success of the club known for their over-achievement. As the title implies, the save will be highlighting and representing the recruitment strategy by Southampton. I will be compiling a large database of players in the game to assist me in my FM17 successes, as well as […]
AS MoneyCo – Episode Two
Welcome back! So we covered a busy summer of spending in the first episode, and it’s time for the fixtures to get underway. I had set up three formations. A high-press, quick transition 4-2-3-1, a narrow 4-1-2-2-1 based on ball retention and a 5-2-3 to counter for European matches and PSG. All of which relied […]
1.48 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 29 – FC Groningen v PSV
Pre-Match The bookmakers clearly see the recent loss to AZ as a minor blip in the season’s run in as they place PSV at odds of 1/3 away to Groningen today. Groningen are currently 16th in the league with relegation a very real possibility. The last match between these two teams ended in a 2-1 […]
Strategy for international breaks: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 74
This is the first international break since I joined FC Saxan. I’ve decided my strategy will be: Always organize at least one friendly — more if necessary — to maintain the match fitness of those players who are not away on international duty. Bring in players on trial in order to: (a) bring the squad […]
The Wandering Eagle Part 4.1: January ’17
We played well during December, but got zero points at the end. Still, we managed to make it very difficult for top of the table teams like Millwall and Bolton Wanderers and made them go all the way. This month again sees us face teams far higher up the table than we are, which fills […]
FM17 European Gigalo Challenge Episode 17: Trying for a treble
The first half of the season has been superb; we’re top of the Bundesliga by a point, through to the quarter-finals in the German Cup and have a favourable tie against Bordeaux in the Champions League Round of 16. Naturally, the game wants to ruin my fun. Piotr Zielinski has had his head turned by […]
1.47 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 28 – AZ Alkmaar v PSV
Pre-Match 7th place AZ have turned their season around after an awful start of just 1 point in their opening four league matches. However, the home side are still expected to struggle today against a PSV that have only lost one league match in the last 19 outings. PSV are 4/5 favourties today. Alkmaar’s Alirea […]
Deadline day a non-event; Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 73
The last day of August was transfer deadline day. It was a non-event. I spent it in the office so as to be near the phone, but the only calls were a couple of questions from Sergei Staris, the local journo, who was really just going through the motions. he sounded as bored as I was. I wasn’t […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 49
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #49 Real Deal | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a Football Manager series on my channel thats right its Tottenham Hotspur. Today we take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in the 1st leg of the Champions League Semi Finals, can we […]
1.46 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 27 – PSV v FC Twente
Pre-Match PSV’s odds have shortened slightly after the labored victory over Vitesse but remain odds-on at 4/6 today. Hector Moreno remains the only casualty but will be expected to return in the coming weeks. Twente’s only forced omission today is defender Peet Bijen due to treatment for a twisted knee. The Teams First Half There […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 24: September ‘19
This is the story of two brothers, a modern-day Cain versus Abel if you will, based now in the Allianz Stadium. If you’d like to replicate this challenge, we’re using the updated medium database with the following leagues: England (Premier League, Championship, League One & League Two), Italy (Serie A & Serie B), Spain (La […]
Impostor’s syndrome: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 72
It’s the international break, so I give everyone the Monday off and take a holiday myself. I sit in the park in Taraclia, enjoying the late summer weather, and drink a coffee and then a beer at the Park Place, a decent little place just off Karl Marx Strada. I’m going to move from Taraclia […]
Porto move into Champions League contention as their good run continues
Porto’s current run of form has elevated them to 3rd in the league table and into contention for Champions League qualification next season. After disappointing earlier in the season they found themselves as low as 6th but just one defeat in 12 games has seen them close the gap to those above. Despite this run […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 48
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #48 Short But Sweet | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a Football Manager series on my channel thats right its Tottenham Hotspur. Today we take on Stoke City under the arch at Wembley for a place in this seasons FA Cup final. Join […]
The Fast and The Fluid: An Arsenal Rebuild
Arsenal have well-documented woes. Problems on the pitch, in the dressing room and on the training field. In FM17, they start with an awful coaching staff and an unbalanced playing staff. In real life, they lost their coveted Champions League placement and look in disarray. Looking ahead to FM18, through the eyes of FM17 I […]
Under The Lens Part 12: Oh How The Tables Have Turned
After the first international break of the season we surprisingly went into our next game as favourites. Our first game of the month saw us welcome 13th place Angers to our place. With Douchez not fully fit yet Pacheco stayed in goal for this one as Diony kept his place up top. Well, at least […]
1.45 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 26 – PSV v Vitesse
Pre-Match Ajax are creeping up on PSV in the league table but the bookmakers expecting Eindhoven to complete a professional job today with odds of 1/6 being touted for the home side. Hector Moreno remains out for PSV but Paddy McNair is an able deputy. Vitesse are without the excellently named Marvelous Nakamba due to […]
Brexit Premier League: Part 6
Conceding Goals for Fun So far, things haven’t been going well in the league for the Brexit side. I’m almost certain that the only reason I still have a job is because of our unbeaten form in Europe. Kicking off November, the first game is away at Dinamo. Resting some first team players was on […]
I don’t know what’s going off out there: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 71
Our next match saw Academia travel down from the capital. We played the narrow diamond (with a back three plus libero) again: to be honest, it’s the only idea I have at present. When Cimpoes, our advanced forward, scored a poacher’s goal in the third minute, I thought, ‘There’s a long way to go, but […]
FM17 European Gigalo Challenge Episode 16: Battling on all fronts
We had a good debut season under my guidance for Gladbach and, so far, it’s been a successful summer. The loss of Patrick Hermann through injury is undoubtably a big blow but we have the players capable of stepping-up and it may give young Gabriel Biteco his time to shine. Our first game of the […]
1.44 Boeren, Boeren PSV: KNVB Beker Semi-Final – SC Cambuur v PSV
Pre-Match That loss to NEC and the mystery of the cup have both been taken into account as the odds were calculated today. PSV remain favourites but only at 4/5. Cambuur have three players out injured, goalkeeper Leonard Nienhuis, winger Xander Houtkoop and striker Michiel Hemmen – all first choice players. Defender Robert Schilder is […]
Exploring Newgens: Africa
Welcome to Exploring Newgens: an article series on finding the best youth prospects across the globe for your FM17/FM18 team. From Scotland to Australia, Korea to Nigeria, and Peru to Canada, there are plenty of players generated in-game with the potential to make a difference in your squad. Join Alex Dieker as he guides you […]
Piece of pizza: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 70
On the road again, this time to FC Dacia Chisinau, who for some reason play in a village outside the capital. Nice stadium, very much bigger than ours – as befits a club who are second favourites for the title. The kind of match you have to play, just to fulfil your league obligations: everybody […]
AS MoneyCo: Episode One
Watching AS Monaco’s squad get decimated this summer has been a sad sight. The football club from the Principality captured imaginations last season en route to the Ligue 1 title, and their youth-first approach has been immensely successful on and off the field. Starting my Football Manager save with them was an easy decision. I […]