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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 […]
The Madness of Mumbai Part XX: You can’t win anything with kids…
Catch up on the ISL journey so far I remember this clip on Match of the Day very well. A youthful Manchester United had just been beaten on the opening day of the season by Aston Villa. Yes! Aston Villa. Alan Hansen got quite a bit right in his playing days, didn’t do too badly […]
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum: Part Four
It’s time for Episode Four. As you may remember from the last instalment, we are in the midst of a dodgy run. So, here goes. It was Chelsea first up in the league. Fresh from snatching three points from Milan, I was quietly confident. In fact, the bookies even made us favourites at home to […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 28th November 2017
Tuesday and it’s press conference time! Reporter: Eden Hazard has been one of Chelsea’s best players this season. Where would they be without him in your opinion? Me: He’s a quality player and has shown as much this season. Reporter: Chelsea are confident they know how you are going to play. Will you be looking […]
Gunning For Glory Episode 4: Huge wins accompanied by a massive loss
Josh has successfully sold Ozil and Alexis. Now Arsenal are looking for new stars within their squad. Catch up with the journey so far: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3. I’m not to sure about how to feel about our start to the Premier League. Granted we beat Liverpool 7-2 and stand undefeated but, if […]
Chalk and Cheese: The Rivals 1.4
Gameday as our 2 managers meet for the very first time! Ferrentino lines his Villa side up like this: Whilst Garrido has opted for the following: The Match 0.01 – And we’re underway here at St Andrews… 1.41 – A Birmingham corner swung in by Liam Walsh – and Marc Roberts heads home! Birmingham take […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 27th November 2017
A quiet Monday, with only my analyst’s report on Chelsea, who we play on Wednesday the only thing to happen. That being said I’m still furious we didn’t get 3 points on Saturday, despite Brighton’s solid start to the season I felt it was a somewhat winnable game, and only getting a point drops us […]
The Last Tango in Bucharest: Ep. 2
Welcome to Romania 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 […]
Letou Decide: Brighton vs Swansea Match Report
A draw was probably the fairest result with both teams likely to be happy with a point. Both teams struggled to take control of the game early on, but Swansea had a lions share of the possession in the first half, but failed to turn the possession into meaningful chances – meaning the teams went […]
The ICT Crowd #1: Catching Up
It’s perhaps fitting that I, the person who wrote the Tempo guide to Scotland for FM18, be the one to subject myself to the misery of Scottish football and its glorious cup competitions. I jest, of course, because as a Scotsman I can only do humour in self-deprecating tones. Anyway, I’m back on Tempo with […]
Letou Decide: Brighton vs Swansea Match Preview
Swansea visit the AMEX stadium in what may very well turn out to be a tough game for the Swans. Brighton have been flying in the league and find themselves in 6th position. Newcomer Stuart Reid is still yet to win his first point as Swansea manager after his debut game to Everton ended in […]
The Madness of Mumbai Part XIX: Times are changing (already)
The emotions were mixed. We trudged back to the home dressing room knowing we’d played our part in a classic but we were not holding the trophy. It was over. We were not the first side to win consecutive ISL trophies. The atmosphere was one of disbelief, how exactly had we found ourselves two goals down […]
Behind Enemy Lines Episode 4
FM18 Arsenal FC Behind Enemy Lines | Episode 4 | 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 […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 24th November 2017
Day before the game can only mean one thing – press conference time! Reporter: Brighton have been the feel-good story of the Premier League so far with their brilliant performances defying expectations at every turn. What have you made of them? Me: Can we talk about Swansea please? Reporter: There has been a lot of […]
CM0102: Walking in a Windsor Wonderland – WCQ2010 Play Off
So here we are, a play off for the 2010 World Cup. If you’re wondering how the hell this happened, wonder no more: Part 1 and Part 2 are there for your reading pleasure! There is no doubt about it, we’re up against it with Turkey here but could we possibly just pull it off, […]
FM18 Formation Guide: 3-4-3
Three at the Back?! Louis Van Gaal was laughed at when he tried to implement a three-at-the-back system at Man United a few years ago. Partially because it didn’t work, but mainly because it was new, and the Premier League doesn’t like change. However, when Antonio Conte arrived last season and played three at the […]
The Madness of Mumbai Part XVIII: The AFC Champions League is a cruel mistress
Catch up on the ISL journey so far Part IX, Part X, Part XI, Part XII, Part XIII, Part XIV, Part XV, Part XVI and Part XVII All aboard the Mumbai Express. Next stop, continental batterings! You don’t want to know about all that, do you? Oh, you do. Fair enough. Well, this is our AFC Champions League Group. I can honestly […]
Letou Decide: Mlog 23rd November 2017
Another quiet day where absolutely nothing happened! With Tammy Abraham winning the vote to lead the line against Brighton, I’ll use this quiet spell to run through my game-plan for Saturday. As you can see, I’ve dropped Carroll all the way back into DM (from his previous role of attacking playmaker), this is a bit […]