The Higher Tempo Press
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#Tempo10 Ep15: Build Your Own League
Chris (chrisdarwenfmg) returns to the pod to join Mike to talk about his Indian Superleague database. Tired of success in the traditional leagues Chris has created his own to test his skills. Check out the site for the database download link
The Madness of Mumbai Part XXV: चैंपियंस एक बार फिर
Catch up on any parts you have missed right here! Those of you that can cast your minds back 24 hours will know that the Mumbai City Express stopped off at station UNBEATEN on the way to departing to the ISL playoffs. We had a couple of AFC Champions League matches in there, but all […]
Letou Decide: Tottenham vs Swansea Match Preview
Game-day at Wembley and here’s how the two teams are likely to lineup: Tottenham: Swansea: Match coverage starts at 7.30 over at TheHigherTempoPress Twitter account!
Gunning For Glory Episode 9: European Endeavours & Cup Clashes
Arsenal are going strong under Josh and the signs are looking very good. Catch up on the journey so far: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8. The past few months have been bloody fantastic. From a very tight battle for a top-four finish, we’ve turned things […]
Canary Corner – Part 6
Welcome back to Carrow Road. You may remember last time I was poking the board with a rather large stick asking for some money to spend. They’ve relented, and we’ve not won in nine games. Are the two related? Quite possibly. But I’ll be the bigger man and carry on. Spurs are coming. The run […]
The Madness of Mumbai Part XXIV: Mumbai pay me to make the big decisions
Catch up on any parts you have missed right here! Oh, my word do I have an update for you today. I know, I know, they’ve been a little less frequent in the last fortnight but I made the mistake of (a) thinking anyone was reading them and (b) anyone would mind if we spread […]
Irons in the fire: Episode One
Everton decided I was not their man for Football Manager 18. I fell far short of my goal, but it hasn’t stopped me from trying to do a similar thing at West Ham. Slaven Bilic was sacked by the Hammers earlier this season, having been on the brink of it for the best part of […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 12th December 2017
With match-day tomorrow, there are a few things to get out the way, the first of which is a press conference: Reporter: Last time out against Liverpool your team played very well. You must be hoping the side carries that form into the next game? Me: It gives us confidence. The whole team wants to […]
Gunning For Glory Episode 8: The title race heats up
Josh has got his Arsenal side back into the swing of things but will there be an annual Gunners collapse? Catch up with the journey so far: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7. After a spectacular December and a superb start to the New Year, we’re flying high. […]
Behind Enemy Lines: Episode 9
FM18 Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines | Ep 9 | Hot To Tot | Football Manager 2018 Welcome to my channel and welcome to Football Manager 2018 and the current series to the channel Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines, me and my team of Ex Tottenham Players take control at the Emirates to get Arsenal […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 11th December 2017
I’m still reeling from Saturdays triumphant 6-4 win over a strong Liverpool side, that takes us out of the relegation zone. As ever the case at this time of year though the schedule is non-relenting and playing again on Wednesday, as we’re up against a Tottenham team who have been underperforming in the league so […]
FM18 League Guide | The Indian Super League
Let’s Football folks, let’s football. The Indian Super League (called the ISL from herein) is a league that is fast becoming very close to my heart, mainly as I got lumbered with writing about it for www.indiansuperleague.uk – but, shockingly, I have grown to really like it and have invested a bit of time and […]
The Last Tango in Bucharest: Ep. 4
Opening Day Drama THE MISSION: Enter the unforgiving world of Football Manager 2018, beat your bitter sibling rival to claim prestige in Romania and earn the honour of being named the Last Tango in Bucharest. THE SNAG: The Rivalità Tra Fratelli series on Football Manager 2017 raised more questions than answers in Tango Towers. Is […]
The ICT Crowd #3: Nobody likes a show off
Another Saturday lunchtime and another appointment with this ICT mob again. Thankfully, though, this week’s is one filled with positivity and happiness. But don’t worry as I have embarrassed myself in a cup. I’ve played a fair whack so shall we? Irn Bru Cup Last season we had that disaster with Mark Ridgers in goal […]
Letou Decide: Swansea vs Liverpool Match Preview
Without the future of Stuart Reid still in doubt (the vote calling for his sacking was split 50/50!) this is how he’s approaching a likely tough game against a strong Liverpool side: Jurgen Klopp has gone for plenty of attacking swagger in his team, with Firmino, Sturridge and Coutinho likely to be the main attacking […]
The Madness of Mumbai Part XXIII: The Mumbai Express is back on track!
Catch up on any parts you have missed right here! Don’t panic, I’m here. I’m here. Admittedly, I nearly wasn’t but I am here. I had a momentary save wobble last week, but a good session last night got me well back on the Mumbai City Express and we are chugging along at quite the […]
Frankenstein Friday Experiments: What if Rangers and Celtic…?
Webster’s Dictionary defines an experiment as… “an operation or procedure carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law, to test or establish a hypothesis, or to illustrate a known law” The Old Firm in… Scotland? One of the questions that often comes up when people talk about The Old […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 8th December 2017
Another day with not even a press conference to take, so it’s time to look at tomorrows game at home to Liverpool. Liverpool have been flying high in the league and find themselves in 3rd place. We’ve (obviously) been in terrible form – so the most I can do is try to suppress the Liverpool […]
Gunning For Glory Episode 7: Success across the board
Josh’s Arsenal side are starting to find their rhythm but there’s still plenty to do. Catch up on the journey so far: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6. The turnaround last time out was superb. After our blip, I’m pleased with our improvements and the 4-2 win over Chelsea at […]
Behind Enemy Lines Episode 8
FM18 Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines | Ep 8 | Anfield Crap | Football Manager 2018 Welcome to my channel and welcome to Football Manager 2018 and the current series to the channel Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines, me and my team of Ex Tottenham Players take control at the Emirates to get Arsenal back […]
FM18 Formation Guide: 3-5-2
The Juventus System When Antonio Conte became manager of Juventus in the summer of 2011, he realised that the formation that would get the most out of the available players was 3-5-2. At the time, he was working with the classic Juventus back three, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio in midfield, and Alessandro Matri up […]
The Land of Opportunity III
We’re back at it again with another series of international matches in our quest to outdo Bruce Arena and take the USMNT into the 2018 World Cup. In this update, we’re going to cover the March international friendlies and June’s World Cup qualifier matches. Before we get into that, if you’re just now finding this […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 7th December 2017
Another day where not much has happened, apart from the analyst giving me the data on Liverpool’s last match. It’s time to start thinking tactics as the vote is currently poised at a 50/50 split between sacking me or keeping me, so I could still be in charge for Saturday. I’m leaning towards the 3-5-2 […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 6th December 2017
A quiet day other than receiving the scouting report for Saturday’s game against Liverpool: So begins the tactical planning for the match, although I may not be in charge – with the vote poised precariously. If you haven’t voted on whether to sack me or give me another few games, head on over to the […]
#Tempo10 Episode 14: Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone
Mike (@accordingtofm), Matt (@FM_Adventure) and Jack (@OffThePitchFM) talk about their Football Manager comfort zones and stepping out or stepping up to another challenge. Like a Gillette Soccer Saturday panel, the team show utter shock at a world of football outside of Europe’s Elite leagues. Don’t forget to tweet @thehighertempo with your guess at this week’s #TempoTrivia
Behind Enemy Lines Episode 7
FM18 Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines | Ep 7 | Short But Sweet | Football Manager 2018 Welcome to my channel and welcome to Football Manager 2018 and the current series to the channel Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines, me and my team of Ex Tottenham Players take control at the Emirates to get Arsenal […]
Canary Corner – Part 5
Greetings! When you were with me last, Norwich were becoming the new entertainers. Goals fly in at both ends and the results are all over the place. It must be great for the neutral but I can’t tell you how annoying it is to routinely score twice and not win. As if to prove my […]
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum: Part Five
We are back! Back in rather unpleasant circumstances. As you may remember, Farhad Moshiri handed me an ultimatum. Eight points from five matches. Five matches that were: West Brom (A), Huddersfield (H), Arsenal (A), Southampton (A) and Leicester (A). The Baggies were rock bottom with one win to date. They were a complete mess. Tony […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 5th December 2017
5th December A quiet day other than stewing on my defeat. Tuesday consisted of a team meeting to boost morale (although I may well not be in a job for long) that saw all the players respond in a positive fashion and an FA cup draw that saw draw Bristol City away. Time to start […]
Gunning For Glory Episode 6: The big tests come thick and fast
Josh’s Arsenal side are slowly improving but there is cracks between the lines. Catch up with the journey so far: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5. It wouldn’t be fair to say I’m unhappy with my side but the defeat to Bournemouth was incredibly frustrating. Clearly, we’re not quite at the level I want […]
Letou Decide: Swansea vs Bournemouth Match Report
Heartbreak for Swansea and their manager Stuart Reid as despite a dominant first half performance, they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Cherries. Swansea started the first half full of attacking swagger and things looked to be going well when Abraham was pushed over by Arter in the box – referee […]
Letou Decide: Swansea vs Bournemouth Match Preview
The lineups are in! Swansea manager Stuart Reid has switched to a three at the back formation that looks strong on paper, with Bony and Abraham likely to cause problems for the Bournemouth defence. Eddie Howe has opted to carry on playing the 4-4-2 formation they’ve used all season. The pace of Afobe is likely […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 4th December 2017
It’s the day of the match so that can only mean one thing: press conference time! Reporter: What are your thoughts on Tottenham parting company with Mauricio Pochettino? Me: It’s an unfortunate part of the game and could easily be me in the same situation with a few poor results. It’s never nice to see […]
The Madness of Mumbai Part XXII: You can thank us later India
Catch up on any parts you have missed right here! I do love starting a catch up with some very good news. In the last update, I was worrying that it might take forever for India’s reputation to improve enough for us to get at least one Champions League place back. It turns out by […]
The Last Tango in Bucharest: Ep. 3
A Tactical Sweep THE MISSION: Enter the unforgiving world of Football Manager 2018, beat your bitter sibling rival to claim prestige in Romania and earn the honour of being named the Last Tango in Bucharest. THE SNAG: The Rivalità Tra Fratelli series on Football Manager 2017 raised more questions than answers in Tango Towers. Is […]
The ICT Crowd #2: How to embarrass yourself in the Betfred Cup…
So, season one ended in a seventh-place finish and a crap ton of money leaving the club’s coffers. To say things were precarious financially was the understatement of the century. The board’s £24,000 wage budget in season one turned out to be far too ambitious for our puny gate receipts to stay on top of […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 2nd December 2017
Since we’re playing on Monday there’s a rare Saturday without a game, this lets me take in the scores as they happen, and I’m glad to see all the teams around us lose which means a win against Bournemouth will take us up into 16th. So it’s time to plan for the game. According to […]
The Madness of Mumbai Part XXI: The Dilemma
Catch up on the ISL journey so far Welcome back to India where we have just finished our AFC Cup campaign. The AFC Cup does seem quite a strange competition, given that it straddles two seasons and involves playoffs here there and everywhere. Having won an “InterZone Playoff Semi Final” I was clueless as to what […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 1st December 2017
With people on social media calling for my sacking/resignation after the defeat to Chelsea that leaves me (and Swansea) winless for 3 games, it’s hard for me to concentrate on the match ahead, knowing it may very well be my last. Luckily we’re up against a struggling Bournemouth side on Monday night, so hopefully, we […]
Behind Enemy Lines Episode 6
FM18 Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines | Ep 6 | Goals Goals Goals | Football Manager 2018 Welcome to my channel and welcome to Football Manager 2018 and the new series to the channel Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines, me and my team of Ex Tottenham Players take control at the Emirates to get Arsenal […]
FM18 Formation Guide 4-4-1-1
False 4-4-2 It’s fair to suggest that every formation that utilises four defenders is just some variation on a 4-4-2. Whether it’s a deep-lying forward playing as a CAM, or a diamond shaped midfield, the overall shape is still essentially the same. The common format of 4-4-2 is to have a bigger, more physical striker […]
The Land of Opportunity II
It’s time for our first international break in charge of the United States Men’s National Team! In the month that’s gone by since the save’s start date, I’ve looked at the nothing available to me for performance statistics, and I’ve pondered what my first starting eleven would be, and now we’re going to take a […]
Behind Enemy Lines Episode 5
FM18 Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines | Episode 5 | Let’s Play Football Manager 2018 Welcome to my channel and welcome to Football Manager 2018 and the new series to the channel Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines, me and my team of Ex Tottenham Players take control at the Emirates to get Arsenal back to […]
Gunning For Glory Episode 5: Derby days and finding our feet
Josh has started to find his rhythm at Arsenal and the big summer loses seem negligible. Can he continue? Catch up with the journey so far: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4. It’s all going well so far and I can’t have too many complaints, although Aaron Ramsey has picked up a knock […]
Letou Decide: Chelsea vs Swansea Match Report
A dominant Chelsea performance saw them emerge as 3-1 winners at Stamford Bridge as Swansea manager Stuart Reid is beginning to face questions about his future as Swansea fall into the relegation zone. Chelsea had a huge amount of possession in the first half and were rewarded when Morata poked home from close range after […]
Letou Decide: Chelsea vs Swansea Match Preview
Swansea manager Stuart Reid is still looking for his first win, and he’ll do well to get it in what will most likely prove to be a tough game for the Swans. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has gone for a 3-4-3 formation, with Fabregas and Kante in the middle, with Pedro and Hazard most likely […]
Tempo Tactics The Glesga KISS: Big Man – Little Man
Years ago, when I was learning more about designing a website’s User Experience, I was introduced to the acronym KISS – a phrase that has stuck in my mind more than most things I have learned and one that I believe is suitable in many scenarios including FM. Knowing my audience, you are reading a […]
Tempo10 Ep13: When It All Goes Wrong…
Specialists in failure, Mike and Matt discuss what they do when their saves hit a rough patch: do they stick or twist? Stay tuned to the end for this week’s #TempoTrivia question!
CM0102: Walking in a Windsor Wonderland – 2010 World Cup
Here we are at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Argentina! six years ahead of the game plan for this challenge, I’m as shocked as anyone else! The excitement was obvious as the draw was taking place, would we be lucky and get a group full of underdogs? Er… no! Brazil, Uruguay and Nigeria – […]
Canary Corner – Part 4
This went well. Better than I could have hoped. We had debts to pay and there were only two ways they were going to be cleared. Option one involved a fire sale, but the problem with that idea is that nobody wanted to buy most of my squad, and they weren’t really worth that much […]