The Higher Tempo Press
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Porto unveil new boss but look set to miss out on Champions League football
FC Porto fans have had a few games now to get to know their new manager but it hasn’t been the best of starts. The former Leiria boss joined last month but has failed to have an immediate impact and the club is now only likely to qualify for the Europa League next season. After […]
Classic Championship Manager: Scotland on the Road to Euro 2004 Part V
Greetings! It’s the summer of 2003 and in a time long before Andy Murray was making Scotland proud, Scottish sports fans are still clinging to the fact that this bunch of idiots were World Cup runners up in 2002. However, we’re now passing 12 months since that happened and our form has started to deteriorate. […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 44
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #44 No Guts No Glory | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a Football Manager series on my channel thats right its Tottenham Hotspur. Today we take on Bayern Munich in the 2nd leg of our Champions League 1st knockout round tie after losing […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 43
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #43 Final Countdown | 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 Manchester United in the EFL Cup Final, its brings me head to head with Jose again can we […]
The Land Down Under Epilogue
GOSFORD, NSW – The Central Coast Mariners board of directors has announced today that their head coach, American manager Damon McKnight, has resigned from the club after five years on the job, breaking a recently signed contract to stay on with the club. Mr. McKnight will long be remembered at the Central Coast Stadium, and […]
1.40 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 22 – SC Herenveen v PSV
Pre-Match PSV are heavy favourites away from home with odds of 2/5. Herenveen are without the injured midfielder Stijn Schaars. PSV have a full roster available and Marco van Ginkel will rejoin the starting XI. The teams: First Half Herenveen dominate the opening 15 minutes of the game and it almost pays off when Martin […]
Brexit Premier League: Part 4
The EFL Cup When you’ve had a tough time of it on Football Manager, the best thing to do is forget about it, and on the next session start brightly. Last week we had an awful time, losing all but one of the games, and conceding way too many goals in the process. The plan […]
Work ball into box: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 61
The next few friendlies in my first pre-season with FC Saxan — all against lower domestic opposition — taught me one thing: at least while we play with a narrow diamond, we’re going to have to concentrate on working the ball into the box. The positive argument for that is that we have some strikers […]
FM17 European Gigalo Challenge Episode 12: The Champions League
My first full season with Marseille was certainly successful, as we finished way above expectations by coming runners-up in both the league and the Coupe de la League- and our reward is my first season in the Champions League. My squad needs more depth to cope with the European involvement and I’ve been prepped; Brendan […]
1.39 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 21 – Feyenoord v PSV
Pre-Match Today’s match is a close one to call for the bookmakers. PSV just shade things based on current form with odds of 4/5 for the away side. Karim El Ahmadi is on international duty with Morocco while Feyenoord have a further four players injured: Kenneth Vermeer, Renato Tapia, Miquel Nelom and Nicolai Jorgenson. Marco […]
Flat back four: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 60
My second match in charge at FC Saxan was a pre-season friendly to a Moldovan third-tier club. We lost 1-0, which doesn’t greatly concern me. The goal was from a set piece: I hope we can devote time to practising how to defend those better. We continued with the narrow diamond but, having temporarily bolstered our […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 42
Today we take on the ultimate challenge that is Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena! It’s the 1st leg of the 1st Champions League knockout round, so can we get a decent result to give us a chance in the second leg of knocking out one of the favourites for the converted European Cup trophy? […]
Southampton’s Black Box: Part 9
Welcome back to ‘Southampton’s Black Box’: a story focused on the organised 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 […]
Under The Lens Part 10: A Summer of Preparation
So, we’re almost there, Ligue 1 football is getting even closer to Racing Club de Lens. Since you last heard from me though there has been a pretty eventful summer. Firstly, here’s how we played in preparation for the season. Overall I’m quite pleased with how our pre-season went. Out the five matches we continued […]
1.38 Boeren, Boeren PSV: KNVB Beker Quarter Final – Go Ahead Eagles v PSV
Pre-Match PSV are the favourites for this cup tie being touted at odds of 4/5 away from home. Go Ahead come into this fixture with a depleted squad. Elvis Manu is on international duty with Ghana, Achenteh and Schenk are suspended while Antonia and Rexhepia are both injured. Guardado remains out for PSV, McNair will […]
Adapting the diamond: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 59
My first match in charge of FC Saxan was a pre-season friendly away to a fourth-tier Romanian team. We won 3-1, not that that matters. The lack of wide players at the club constrained my choice of formation. I went for a narrow diamond, with a midfield of anchor + two central mids + an advanced […]
The Wandering Eagle Part 1: A New Job
The first thing everyone does after resigning a job or being fired is to check the job centre. I’m happy to see there are 26 clubs looking for a new manager. But I’ll have to be realistic. Of course, I can take a chance and apply for the vacant managerial position at AA Gent or Malmö […]
Test Tempo: Can the Seagulls soar to 35 points?
Well, you can’t really blame Chris Hughton from walking away can you? In that real world thing that some of you readers will dabble in from time to time, Brighton are yet to score a Premier League goal, meaning they share a dubious honour with Harry Kane in the fact they have not netted in […]
FM17 European Gigalo Challenge Episode 11: Our season ends
Our fantastic unbeaten run of ten games across all competitions, nine of which were victories, came to an end against Lyon and it’s put us back in the battle for a top-three spot. We’re third, one point behind Monaco and six ahead of Lyon. Thankfully a ten-point cushion over Montpellier means we’re almost guaranteed to […]
1.37 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 20 – PSV v Roda JC
Pre-Match It’s the first match after our transfer dealings and the odds remain in our favour, maybe even strengthened so, with odds of 1/6 as the home side today. Andres Guardado remains a few days away from a return to full training but Sebastian Haller is in line for his starting debut with McNair and […]
The Land Down Under XXIV
G’day! The celebrations are still ongoing in Gosford as I write this end-of-season update. You will recall from the previous update that we capped off the 2020 calendar year by winning the Club World Cup in our competition debut! I’ve since run through the remainder of the season, and I’m here to provide an update […]
Thoughts from Tempo: 7 things I’ve loved during FM17
Hello folks, how’s the British bank holiday treating you? Ironically, it is cloudy in Spain today as if it knew what weather I am supposed to get on a Bank Holiday Monday. And, it’s not even a bank holiday here. Typical. Anyway, I thought I’d get into the habit of writing a weekly post about […]
Under The Lens Part 9: A Quick Recap
This installment of Under the Lens will be a bit different from our usual monthly roundups. Unfortunately, I had problems with my USB and wasn’t able to retrieve the last few episodes of the season. Luckily though I’ve managed to go back into Football Manager 2017 where the Lens save is still intact, so this […]
1.36 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Winter Transfer Dealings
The winter transfer window is simultaneously one of the most enjoyable and one of the most stressful points in any Football Manager season for me. Having assessed the first half of your season you have an idea of where your squad already has strength but also the areas that you need to strengthen – January […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 21 (Juventus)
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 […]
Strategy for pre-season friendlies: Anglo-Saxan Chronicles 58
I have delayed the start of the pre-season at FC Saxan for as long as possible in order to give me time to focus on off-the-field matters, such as scouting players. But the time has come! For me, the main value of pre-season friendlies is to develop match fitness. My decisions about starting line-ups and […]
Leiria hit awful run of form as coach delays decision on future
Eight league games without a win has seen Leiria slip down the league table. The newly promoted side had started the season well and harboured slim hopes of breaking into Europe. These hopes are now all but gone as they slide to 14 points behind 5th place. It is not so much the points gap […]
The Land Down Under XXIII
G’day, mate! The Central Coast and all of Australia are buzzing with excitement as I write this update to conclude the 2020 calendar year! In the last update, we saw the Mighty Mariners secure the 2020 AFC Champions League, and I declared “Mission Complete!” for the club angle of the save, with my next goal […]
1.35 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 19 – Go Ahead Eagles v PSV
Pre-Match PSV are again favourites today with odds of 1/3 in what is a dress rehearsal for the KNVB Beker Quarter Final. Go Ahead have a depleted squad today with three players out suspended and Marcel Ritzmaier and Chris David out through injury. PSV have no new squad problems, Guardado the only casualty. The Teams […]
Brexit Premier League: Part 3
Teething Problems I’m going to level with you. This week didn’t turn out well. You get those sessions on FM sometimes where one tiny thing goes wrong in the first game, and the team never quite manage to turn it around. When we left off last week, we were sitting pretty in 7th, having won […]
Overall staff assessment, completed: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 57
The third and final way I assess the backroom staff as a whole is by looking at the comparison in the database with other clubs: Well, what do you know> For all the underwhelming-ness of our recruits, they’re judged above average for the Moldovan top flight on every count! And on six counts we’re best […]
FM17 European Gigalo Challenge Episode 10: Marching on with Marseille
My first full season at Marseille has started fantastically, we’re second in the table with five wins and one draw from seven games. We’re the second-highest scorers in the league with 17 goals, five of which have been scored by new signing Willian Jose. With our pre-season expectations being to qualify for the Europa League, […]
How to Build the Perfect Squad: Part Two
I’ve written about squad building before, and I want to touch on this again. Why This blog stems from me being a tad bored and starting a new save for funsies as Barcelona. I’m sat having a look at the squad, and say to myself, “blast me, this is terrible”. My girlfriend, knowing sweet-F-A about […]
1.34 Boeren, Boeren PSV: KNVB Beker Third Round – PSV v VVV-Venlo
Pre-Match As you would expect PSV are favourites for this fixture, VVV are performing well in Jupiler League as they sit in 2nd place. However, the bookmakers can’t see beyond PSV as is illustrated by odds of 4/7. Guardado is still some way from fitness for PSV. The Mexican is expected to be missing for […]
Overall assessment of staff, contd: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 56
The second way I assess the backroom staff at FC Saxan is the most obvious: I look at the training allocations. This looks underwhelming. But I suppose you could say it’s decent. We achieve at least a two-star lead coach rating everywhere, except handling. And the coaches workload is manageable, being a mixture of ‘light’ […]
Where Eagles Dare Part 7: December ’16
The first match of December see us travel to the deep south to lose against Roda JC. They are 11th in the Eredivisie and have some pretty decent players to field. You know, the type of players I don’t have at my disposal. In a futile effort to end this month on a positive note, […]
Under The Lens Part 8: Things Are Getting Tense
Ever so slightly moving into the latter stages of the season we could start to put the pressure on if we were to win against ESTAC Troyes away from home. They’re currently stuck in 15th so I’m expecting a win and with Bilal Bari continuing to impress in his debut season in the first team […]
1.33 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 18 – PSV v Sparta Rotterdam
Pre-Match Back to matches that matter and league leaders PSV are 1/6 favourites for the visit of Sparta. Andres Guardado is the only casualty for PSV today. Kenneth Dougall and Martin Pusic miss out for Sparta. Back to our full strength squad today and there’s a return to the starting line up for Jetro Willems. […]
Slack FC: Season 2
Alright guys! Welcome to another edition of Slack….yeah yeah, I know what you’re thinking… “Regista, you took your bloody time with this update didn’t you?” Yeah, you’re right. I did. I’m incredibly sorry about that. This isn’t how I’ve wanted this save to go, but with moving house and changing jobs real life has intervened […]
Overall assessment of staff: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 55
I have decided to use three methods for assessing the backroom staff that I’ve recruited. First, I look at the mental attributes of the team: In particular, I look at determination, discipline, and motivation. The database reveals that nobody (apart from the chairman) has a determination attribute of less than 8 out of 20. No […]
Where Eagles Dare Part 6: November ’16
November will be a very big month for us. Not only do we face our arch rivals PEC Zwolle, we also travel to Rotterdam to take on Feyenoord. Furthermore, we are given the opportunity to put Excelsior at greater distance. Our first match of the month is also our biggest. The rivalry between PEC Zwolle […]
To Dare Is To Do Episode 41
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #41 Goodbye Jan | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to a Football Manager series on my channel, that’s right its Tottenham Hotspur. Today we say goodbye to Super Jan who’s asked for a new challenge, we also have the small matter of the visit […]
FM17 European Gigalo Challenge Episode 9: Moving to Marseille
I’ve got a new job and it’s a big club, it’s a chance for me to build my reputation. However, the Champions League victory in 1993 means they won’t count towards my challenge- it is a fantastic opportunity though and one I’m keen to dive straight into. I’m greeted by the news that Dimitri Payet, […]
1.32 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Champions League Match 6 – PSV v Napoli
Pre-Match I could try and get excited about this as our last European game of the season but we’ve been a disappointment in Europe as is illustrated by Napoli being odds on 4/7 favourites away from home. Team news feels somewhat irrelevant as I’ll be resting my first team and sending out the reserves/youngsters. The […]
Staff costs and club finance: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 54
I’m sure that Mr Merciu, our chairman, as the owner of a successful agricultural machinery company, knows about finance. It’s tempting, therefore, not to worry about money and leave it all to him. But what harm would it do for me to keep a weather-eye open? How could prudence on my part do anything but […]
The Land Down Under XXII
G’day, mate! Welcome back to the Central Coast! When we last left off, we had a strong preseason. We lost the FFA Cup again for some reason, but we had the team warmed back up and ready for the season. It’s the start of December as I write this, and I’ve got some wonderful news […]
Under The Lens Part 7: That’s More Like It
After the winter break we’re finally back with some football, but before we get into that there were a few ins and outs to tell you about. This deal was settled before the window opened on New Year’s Day. Yes, Guira does seem decent but over my for few months at the club he just […]
1.31 Boeren, Boeren PSV: Eredivisie Match 17 – PSV v ADO Den Haag
Pre-Match PSV are again instilled as heavy favourites at 1/6. PSV are missing Jorrit Hendrix through suspension with Guardado, Schwaab and Lammers on the injury list. ADO Den Haag have a total of 7 players on the treatment table added to the fact they are now managerless following the sacking of Alfons Groenendijk. I feel […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 20 (Palermo)
This is the story of two brothers, a modern-day Cain versus Abel if you will, now based in Serie B. 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 Liga […]
Appointing a coach: Anglo-Saxan Chronicle 53
Previously I set out my criteria for appointing a coach at FC Saxan: The candidate needs to be strong in an area of coaching in which we’re currently weak (notably, attacking). He needs not to have an inappropriate personality. He needs to be at least fair mentally, in such areas as determination and discipline. And, […]