The Higher Tempo Press
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Tempo Experiments #004: John Terry: Legend, Leader, Manager?
John Terry has done a bit for Chelsea over the years. Some might say he has already been assistant manager for best part of a decade. But, now he has officially left Chelsea as a player, what would happen if he came back to Stamford Bridge as the manager? Let’s find out!
Banished To Bromley Part 6: George Graham Who?
Today we take Bromley to Gloucestershire, where in real life I live during Uni times, to play a 7th placed Forest Green Rovers. Going into the match we were only two points off them so a win could help catapult our season into a top half finishing one. After impressing against Maidstone new signing Sergio […]
To Dare Is To Do #22
Today we take on Chelsea in the Premier League. After coming so close to winning at the Bridge last season, can we go one better this time around and finally banish over 25 years of hurt? Join me on this adventure on Football Manager 2017. Thanks for coming to watch my latest Football Manager […]
Disciples of the Rafalution: Some Tactics
Outthinking the Opposition My Disciples of the Rafalution series is all about adopting the man’s approaches to the game, especially his time at Anfield, and apply them to the squad of today. Rafa proved himself to be a master tactician, despite the team lining up in a 4-2-3-1 hybrid system over his tenure, each game […]
What about the football? Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 2
My curiosity about Moldova was whetted by an article in the Financial Times by Mike Carter (‘The perfect place to escape other tourists’, 22 May 2015). The World Bank had, according to Carter, identified Moldova as the place in the world second least visited by tourists. Carter set out to discover whether there was anything […]
Searching The Stats 3.7
Episode 7 – The Striker Episode 1 – Introduction and full-backs Episode 2 – Centre-backs Episode 3 – BWM + B2B Midfielders Episode 4 – CM (Su) Episode 5 – AP (Su) Episode 6 – AP (ATT) With our potential squad now forming nicely, it’s time to find a couple of strikers. The criteria we’re […]
COYW! Season 1, November
THE OBJECTIVE: TO MANAGE MY HOME TOWN CLUB, DOVER ATHLETIC, IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE. DOVER HAVE NEVER PLAYED LEAGUE FOOTBALL. I AM GOING TO TRY AND CHANGE THAT. November The first week of November and we are in FA Cup action. Wycombe Wanderers are our opposition in what is the first round proper. The […]
Does Sead Kolasinac lead Arsenal to glory?
This week saw the announcement of Arsenals new signing Sead Kolasinac. He joins the club from Bundesliga side Schalke as competition in the left back position. His arrival possibly signals the intention to build on the three at the back formation which was successful at the end of the season. Whether he will replace Kieran […]
Our common European home? Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 1
Bliss was it that dawn to be alive From The Prelude by William Wordsworth In Strasbourg on 6 July 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev gave a speech as President of the Soviet Union. He took issue with those who were ‘not unwilling to put the USSR outside of Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals by confining […]
Tempo Player Analysis: Cristian Pavón
Following on from Lee Scott’s excellent piece on Cristian Pavón here, we have turned it into a YouTube video for you all. Today’s piece, narrated by Chris, includes real life footage as we take a look at whether SI have done a good job at translating the real Cristian Pavón into the FM17 Match Engine. […]
The Ultimate Journey | The Apertura
Last time out you read about me taking over at a club in Mexico- Queretaro. They were a side who were recently promoted into the top division of Mexico which is obviously Liga MX. Now the board just want me to fight bravely in Liga MX but with that, I had to first understand the […]
The Land Down Under
Hello, Tempo readers! Allow me to give a quick introduction before we begin my inaugural post on Tempo and my professional debut for the team starts in earnest. My name is Damon, and I’m a 24-year-old American soccer (I do want to apologize in advance for using soccer and football interchangeably) fan who’s been playing […]
Eibar: An Analytics Story Part 8 – Small changes – Big Impact
Hello, Eibar is back. We got through the transfer window in the last episode and today we will take a look at what happened after our 0-0 draw against Leganes. At the end of episode 7 I was teasing about a small change that we made and this episode will be about that small change […]
הֱיה שלום Ashkelon 17.5
It didn’t take long to sell the apartment. We stayed our last night in Ashkelon in a hotel — nothing fancy, just the Holiday Inn. After all, it has a pool. And then we made the short rail journey northwards to Ashdod. We’d manage to book a couple of passenger berths on a cargo ship sailing […]
Five Tips for Premier League survival
So you actually did it. You’ve taken over a Championship side and managed to get promoted. A gruelling 46 game campaign ended in a ticket to the Promised Land. Congratulations! Well done! But the hardest part of the job has just started. As a newly promoted side, you’re just like the new kid at school. […]
Banished To Bromley Part 5: Record Breaking and A New Face
Just two days after our last outing against Guiseley and Bromley are back in action in front of a home crowd to face Eastleigh, still labouring in mid table at the moment this game is a must win to keep up with the rest of the pack. In a match that was littered with yellow […]
Konquering Kosovo with Ferronikeli: 2024/25 Season
The aim remains to Konquer Kosovo, last season we completed a Superliga and Superkupa e Kosoves double. The one trophy that has eluded me thus far is my aim this season: Kupa e Kosoves. Transfers We released Ryo Kato, Kaan Kanak and Petrit Nika out of our own choice, feeling they were not up to […]
Sailing to Byzantium? 17.4
Doc Peres was the club doctor at Hapoel Ashkelon FC for many years. We always got on well – he always said he was pleased that my fitness policy meant there was never much for him to do – and we’ve stayed in touch since he retired. He still comes to games, bless him – though […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 18: Feb – May ’18
Sweet, short February. We only play three competitive matches with an 18-day gap without matches in between, which I decide to fill with a friendly against Galway United. Why? Because I love Ireland, that’s why. Of these three matches, we only get a single point. But that point was earned during a hard fought display […]
Tempo10 Podcast #4: What save shall I do?
Hello podcast listeners. Haven’t the DLP done well, 100 up and what an episode to bring up the ton. Well, we are new at the crease and have nurdled another single to bring us to four not out. Come on, it’s summer so we can talk a bit of cricket. Not in the podcast though, […]
A User Guide to FM Touch
For those with limited time or computer capability who are maybe not getting the full use from Football Manager, there is another option. FM Touch is more streamlined, so if you are guilty of hitting space one too many times to get through the season, it could be right for you. What follows is a […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli: Episode 9
This is the story of two brothers, a modern-day Cain versus Abel if you will, based in the northern powerhouse Italian city of Milan. 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 […]
After 800 matches: the downside 17.3
After a good lunch of hummus and taboon bread, I return to my apartment and continue my assessment of my position as manager of Hapoel Ashkelon FC. On the wine rack is a bottle of Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon, which I feel sure will aid my powers of reflection. I settle down in the armchair again, […]
The Boys of Borussia XVII
So, er, yeah. Hamburg. The job I always wanted, right? It’s been a dream of mine to represent Hamburg, I have supported them since I was a boy and Kevin Keegan took his perm to Germany. Who do you think I am, Robbie Keane? I have no connection to this club, I am still spinning from the […]
Leiria endure difficult start under new boss
Just two wins from the new managers first eight games have left Leiria on the back foot in the promotion race. Their most recent 3-3 draw at home to Feirense was the fifth straight game without a win leaving them eight points behind the final promotion place. Although they twice took the lead, the home […]
Submit your Goal of the Week!
Hey folks – so, we hope you are enjoying our Goal of the Week competition – we announce the winning goals in the next week’s video. If you haven’t had a looksie and vote, check out the latest one here. As we said in the video, we’d like you guys to submit your goals of the […]
An Alternative Guide to Alternative Leagues: Argentina Primera Division
We all know those times when you just can’t seem to get attached to a save in Football Manager. If you are looking for something new, fun and challenging, this is the series for you. In this series I guide you through some of the lesser known leagues in Football Manager, mainly focussing on South […]
Eibar: An Analytics Story Part 7 – Transfer Window
It’s that time of the year again – it’s the transfer window time. We are obviously in January so it’s only the short window, but with 23 players and only La Liga and Copa del Rey to contend with, some sales are imminent because players are going to be unhappy and there is no point […]
The Tempo Goal of the Week Competition #1
Welcome to the very first Tempo Goal of the Week Competition! We have 10 goals for you, scored this week on FM, and we are asking you to vote for your winning goal. No prizes, just a bit of fun – well, the winner might get a treat from Tempo Towers… Enjoy the goals, there […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 17: January transfer window
With the funds added by Mr. Romanov, we have a decent transfer kitty to strengthen our squad for the second half of the season. But at the same time, £15m isn’t as much as it used to be. So we still have to be selective in what areas to strengthen and who to strengthen it […]
Will Dominic Solanke make it at Liverpool?
Dominic Solanke’s transfer from Chelsea to Liverpool raised a few eyebrows when it broke earlier this week. With the 19-year-old’s contract due to expire next month, he is understood to have signed up to start a new challenge at Anfield from next season. With first team opportunities limited at Stamford Bridge last season, the young […]
Slack FC: Season 1 – January to February 2017
At long last, the wait is over for the next Slack FC update. This is where it gets a bit exciting, and maybe a bit awkward as some members, some big players (and some not so big clubs) will leave, and some players will stay. And what will this mean for Slack FC manager Emile […]
After 800 matches: the upside 17.2
Early December 2033 saw my 800th match in charge of Hapoel Ashkelon FC. Unfortunately, we produced one of the worst performances during my time here, losing 0-4 at home to Ramat Sharon. And, as Shankly would have said, we were lucky to get that. Still, I suppose it was only one game out of 800. […]
Searching The Stats 3.6
Episode 6 – Attacking Playmaker Part 2 Episode 1 – Introduction and full-backs Episode 2 – Centre-backs Episode 3 – BWM + B2B Midfielders Episode 4 – CM (Su) Episode 5 – AP (Su) Last episode we recruited a creative attacking playmaker, this week we’re after another, but this time someone who can score goals […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 16: Dec ’17 – Jan ’18
So, just to recap for a moment: we started our first Premier League season in an indifferent form. We had an already legendary win away at Leicester City, where we came from 2-1 behind to win 2-3 with 90th and 92nd minute goals. But overall, the season has been abysmal with 2 wins and 2 draws […]
Southampton’s Black Box: Part 2
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 […]
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #21 Taxi For Inter | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #21 Taxi For Inter | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a brand new series to the channel for FM2017; that’s right it’s my beloved Spurs. Today we take Inter Milan in the Champions League after defeat in game 1 against Porto can we […]
Can you win things with kids? 17.1
So my 16th season at the helm of Hapoel Ashkelon FC was the first of my ‘anti-Hansen’ strategy in which I set about trying to win things with kids. We have an extraordinarily talented crop and the season’s intake brought in yet more talent. I felt uneasy about the policy. The photographer we brought in for […]
Tempo Experiments #003: The Regista Returns
Pirlo. What a player. The ultimate regista with a football brain to die for. So, naturally, he’s going to make a great manager isn’t he? Isn’t he? Well, we should probably find out as the Regista Returns to his former kingdom, Italy…
Run, Forest! Run! Part 15: Aug – Oct 2017
And so we start our first Premier League season in 17 years. Everything but relegation will be considered a success. I expect to win few matches, cry a lot and having a horrible time. But it’s the Premier League! Gary Lineker talks about us every week. Alan Shearer will be showing exactly why we fail. […]
Changing of the guards 16.1
So signing Marcus Rashford for Hapeol Ashkelon didn’t end so well. We got ten league starts out of him, but in the second half of the season Eva Carneiro, the physio we assigned to him, saw more of him than the fans did. At least he was generous about the terms for mutual termination. So, […]
My Tips For Managing In Lesser Known Leagues
If you’ve been following my posts then you’ll be aware that I have swanned off to manage in the Kosovan Superliga. Managing in strange territories can sometimes be quite daunting but I have a method that I use to help myself acclimatise to the local surroundings as quickly as possible. If you haven’t yet caught […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 14: Pre-season Season 2
This promotion has been a bit of a surprise. Even though we played well and were in the top ten for the entire season, still something in me doubted that we could go up. But by George, we did. And we did it well. But we will have to adapt if we want to stay […]
How to Build a Perfect Squad
When embarking on your journey to Football Manager glory, it is fundamental to your success that you get everything right. Critical to this is establishing a coherent, organised, and achievable plan that can guide your every move. The core of such a plan is squad management. This post will detail what a squad should look […]
The new Sven? 15.5
“So I just wanted to say that it’s wonderful to have been asked. Really, a very great honour – especially since I’m not Israeli. But after careful consideration I’ve had to decide that managing the national team is not for me. I’m 71. I really don’t think I’m up for all those away trips to […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 13: Season Review
What can be said about such a season? We spent large parts of it on the edge of the top six, being kept out by our own inconsistency and Birmingham City. But at the end, a run of 12 matches without defeat was enough to secure a place in the promotion playoffs. There, we defeated […]
The Boys of Borussia XVI
“You what? I’ve won you three effing titles in a row. You’ve released players, you’ve sold players, you’ve promoted players, you’ve loaned players out and every single season I have overachieved. And now we’ve had one bad start to a season you want a meeting? Seriously? I’ve turned down six bloody Bundesliga jobs to stay […]
Konquering Kosovo with Ferronikeli: 2023/24 Season
So, the aim is to Konquer Kosovo – complete the clean sweep of trophies. Last season we managed to secure the league title in my first season in charge. Now we have to improve on that. Transfers We didn’t lose anyone that mattered, a collection of deadwood was released to free up squad places. Six […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 8
This is the story of two brothers, a modern-day Cain versus Abel if you will, based in the northern powerhouse Italian city of Milan. 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 […]
Welcome to Israel, Mr Rashford 15.4
The fire-sale that I embarked on to prevent Hapoel Ashkelon FC’s board’s profligacy from destroying the club went so well that, by the end of the 2030-31 season, I felt I could look at doing a spot of recruiting. That’s when Marcus Rashford’s agent faxed the club. I was straight on the phone. Between ourselves, […]