The Higher Tempo Press
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Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 3
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 […]
Extra time… 7.10
…in the 2023 Israeli Premier League Toto Cup final between Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Ashkelon. I began extra time confident that our superior fitness would win out over Beitar. But the minutes ticked away with us creating very little. With minutes to go, I have to accept that the match might go to penalties. Which […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 5: The Hunt for Red October
The first day of October also brings us the first match of October. We visit plucky little Bristol City, who are bottom of the table with only 4 points out of 10 matches. They are yet to win a game this season. For a side overperforming at 2nd place, The Robins should not be a […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 11
We pick up with just nine league games left and an FA Cup semi-final against Palace in the pipeline. Our league season is comatose and the prospect of a trophy is the only thing keeping the fans onside in what was been another largely disappointing campaign. After the pure, unadulterated, ecstatic bliss of that 5-1 […]
The Boys of Borussia Part III
“Not a bad start that, eh Blackadder?” I yelled over at Edmund. We were six games into the Regionalliga West season and my Dortmund II side had won all six without conceding a goal. It was the start dreams were made of, I was sure it would not be long until the Dortmund board saw […]
Match Analysis: Paris Saint-Germain vs Reading, Champions League Final
The build up to this match was dominated by the talk of Reading FC having the chance to win the Champions League for a sixth time in a row. Considering no side had managed to retain the trophy in the modern era this accomplishment would be all the more incredible. The turnaround in fortunes for […]
Second half… 7.9
…in the Beitar Jerusalem vs Ashkelon 2023 Israeli Premier League Toto Cup final. I lied to the lads at half time. I told them they could play even better. By which I meant something like, don’t take your foot off the pedal. But it was Beitar who came out looking more up for it. Within […]
Searching the Stats v3.2
Episode 2 – Centre Backs Last week we got our shortlist for recruiting full-backs for our team that we’ll pursue when we take over our club, but now we need to recruit some centre-backs. First, though we need to work out what stats would be useful in judging potential recruits. We’re adopting the same base […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 10
It’s time to jump on the fixture list merry-go-round once more and we’re back to the beginning. Perhaps inspired by the 5-2 goal extravaganza we served up against Hull the last time one of our games was televised, the powers that be pencilled in our Boxing Day match against Spurs for broadcast. I can only […]
An FM17 Guide to Brexit
It is news you possibly could not have missed, with June 2016 referendum results, the United Kingdom will soon leave the European Union. If you are a European national residing in the UK, be aware that this article would not give answers to your questions. But, for how complex can Football Manager be at times, […]
Pulling the Rabat out of the Fez: A trip into the unknown #1
What do you know about Morocco that doesn’t involve Tommy Cooper’s fez, tourism or the movie Casablanca? Exactly. But did you know they participated in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest? Seriously. Italy gave them their only seven points and they only beat Finland. I’ve personally never been to Morocco myself but virtual me has taken […]
A third goal… 7.8
…in the 2023 Israeli Premier League Toto Cup final, between Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Ashkelon. Beitar gave us a free-kick 20 yards out. I knew young Liran Asefa would take it, he always does. When I saw Beitar post only a two-man wall, I knew Liran would take it as an affront. Two-pace run-up, right […]
The Ultimate Journey | The Nearly Men
Having introduced to our new team in the last post this would be a great way to show you how we fared in when we were in charge of this Chinese club. I got the job when the club had already played 18 games which meant that there were 16 games left of the season […]
The Boys of Borussia Part II
I seriously must be mad to take this on again. I mean, seriously? Manage a team where other fools, bigger fools than I if that is possible, move players around, send them out on loan, give me replacements, take those replacements away, sack my staff, recruit my staff and basically make my life hell? Why […]
Eibar: an Analytics Story Part 1
If you have stumbled upon my work on this site earlier, you probably noticed that most of my stuff is quite analytical. I tend to refine Tactics a lot and look at what they are actually doing on the pitch. Often that means playing on comprehensive in the initial stage of a Tactic and just […]
Rodrigo Bentancur
If you are looking for a versatile talented midfielder, look no further than Rodrigo Bentancur Not only is he suitable to play in a central midfield role but, could easily be used in a winger role as well, and has the ability to become an amazing player that would be worthy of any top side. […]
The Boys of Borussia Part I
Oh, we’ve been here before. We have certainly been here before. And, for some crazy reason, I fancy another stab at this. I made my mistakes in Bilbao, I really did. Equally, I wasn’t treated particularly well by Paco or Rafa, the caniving bastards. But I am back, and I am ready to use that […]
Moving to Asia
We have finally moved on from Australia and into the promise land that is Asia (not really). So which club did we end up at in Asia? China it is I got offered a job at Yanbian Fude and they were doing fairly well in the league and I was impressed with the state of […]
How to Evaluate the Defence in FM17
The season is over; all decisions have been made. You have either overachieved, underachieved our you got exactly what you wanted. No matter what, it is now time to evaluate the season and to make decisions going forward. One part of the team that can always be a bit hard to evaluate is the defence. […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 9
I hope I never have to lay eyes on Harry Kane again. In two games against us last season he scored four times and the haunted root vegetable nearly equals that in one game here, bagging a hat trick in a 3-0 win. That seems to be our favourite scoreline against the big boys. Time […]
How to Balance The Books at a Smaller Club in FM17
When I play Football Manager I usually have a journeyman save which consists of several seasons at small clubs with even smaller income streams. I find that at these clubs my role doesn’t end as just a football manager but in order to see the club (and in turn: my own reputation) grow I need […]
The Islanders
SCANDAL IN OKINAWA! News has broken today that FC Ryukyu manager Chris Darwen has been sacked with immediate effect. The facts are still somewhat unclear, but it is believe that Darwen has been linked to illegal betting, tax avoidance through some of the transfer dealings he managed at the club and complaining about a fat […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 2
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 […]
There’s been another goal… 7.7
…in the 2023 Israeli Premier League Toto Cup final. To be fair, no Hapoel Ashkelon player’s head went down after conceding a soft goal to Beitar Jerusalem in the second minute. In fact, they wouldn’t let Beitar near the ball. After one move where we strung together literally dozens of passes — that work-ball-into-the-box instruction […]
Bye Bye Australia
You’re telling me that I have already won the league? I got this comment in my recent post from Patricio Marcos who explained how I had already won the league in Australia twice. So to put this into context he spoke about the Hyundai Finals Series which is something like the playoff or final round […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 4: September Song
After seven matches in three weeks, the international break comes as a sweet release. I decide to use the time to devise a second tactic which I can use when the regular one does not work. I aim to make this one more direct as an alternative for the short passing system we have been […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 8
Remember those summers you had when you were 12? Those lazy June days, where the daylight seemed interminable and you spent all day in the park with your friends, your cheeks painted pink by the relentless sun as you wile away the hours playing countless games of headers and volleys, interspersed with an occasional trip […]
The Trophy Wife #2
So, being left with less options than a vegetarian in a butcher’s shop, I continue my quest to make Manchester United great again. Caryl, our delightful new Director of Football, has had her wicked way with my squad, and disappeared until January, when she’ll review our progress and make any necessary changes. The first post-Caryl […]
Part 19, The Ugly Spectre
Board in the USA 2019: Rash Decisions Where we last left off, we were getting ready to head into the 2019 season fresh off winning the double. Success was not expected – not just by the board, but also me. I had put together a team of champions: now my job was to maintain it. […]
There’s been a goal… 7.6
…in the 2023 Israeli Premier League Toto Cup final. As the match started, I thought the lads looked quite composed. Then, in the second minute, one of their midfielders shows a burst of pace, gets to the corner of the area and plays a little ball into the near post. Their striker cuts across the […]
The Winter Break
Winter in the Ukraine is cold. It’s bleak, lonely and a terrible way to spend 100 days thinking about how you threw the last game away. It’s an even more depressing time when you decide to peruse the club’s finances and see that you’re haemorrhaging money. No wonder the board were so keen to take […]
To Dare Is To Do #13
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #13 Final Countdown | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Today we take on Reading in the EFL Cup Final. Can we win our first trophy of the series against our Championship opponents? Join me on this adventure on Football Manager 2017. Thanks for coming to […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 7
With that first disappointing season put to bed, it’s now time to cast our eyes to the future to try to build a team for next year that doesn’t leave my job hanging by a thread after 5 games. The first part of this is to take a clear-eyed look at our performance last season, […]
Recreating Guardiola’s Inverted Wing-Back Tactic in FM17
Recreating Guardiola’s Inverted Wing-Back Tactic in FM17 Follow @DistanceCovered on Twitter for more. An Overview of the Tactic Halfway through his first season at Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola’s newly educated side were consistently winning matches, yet Pep was found unsatisfied. His players at Bayern loved his fresh new ideas and found themselves leading the Bundesliga […]
Part 18, A hard pill to swallow
Board in the USA 18: A hard pill to swallow We last left off concluding evaluations and making deals for backup players. This update, let’s get to the real juice of the matter, shall we? Offers came in for Brad Guzan and Chris Mavinga. These guys obviously weren’t playing around. They wanted these guys badly. […]
Line up 7.5
For the 2023 Israeli Premier League Toto Cup final I decide that Hapoel Ashkelon FC will play a narrow diamond. It’s not really my thing, but it worked for us in the semi final. I decide the main criterion for selection will be psychological. Players who lack a big match temperament out, regardless of status; those […]
Run, Forest! Run! Part 3: The Guns of August
And so it begins. 46 matches stand between us and… and… what? Promotion? Relegation? Mid table obscurity? I gues we’ll have to wait and see. We showed fine form in preseason and I hope this well get us a nice, comfortable start of the season. Right before our first match chief scout Martin Wilkinson informs […]
Introducing Slack FC
Welcome to the first instalment in the story of Slack FC! This is a community project put together by the members of the FM Slack community. Over 750 members have joined to discuss their saves, tactical ideas and generally have a bit of banter about the game. Fancy joining in? Head on over to Samo’s […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 6
We start 2017 with a sloppy and frustrating 2-2 draw with Leicester. That amazing result against Chelsea has papered over the cracks slightly as that’s the only game I’ve won in the last 7 games. There’s no real pressure from the board, but I don’t want things to spiral out of control again. It’s FA Cup […]
How Game Time Affects Development
Make sure to follow @OffThePitchFM on Twitter. Almost all long term one-club saves on Football Manager have some focus on developing youth. Almost everyone loves seeing one of their own players coming through the ranks, and almost everyone loves talking about youth development. Thanks to the two above statements it is clear that youth development […]
Part 17, Back up, we have a new sheriff in town
Board in the USA 17:Back up, we have a new sheriff in town By the end of 2018, Atlanta United has already won the US Open Cup and the MLS Cup. Our next stop: maintaining that legacy. This update brings us from the beginning of the 2019 transfer window up to the Superdraft in January […]
The 2023 Israeli Premier League Toto Cup Final 7.4
So we’re at Ramat-Gan for the final. This time we’ve brought 6,000 Hapoel Ashkelon FC supporters, who can be relied upon to out-sing the 34,000 Beitar Jerusalem fans (and neutrals), for whom the Toto Cup’s no big deal. By way of setting the scene, let me tell you about Ramat-Gan. It’s the home of Hapoel […]
Searching the Stats v3.1
Part 1 – Introduction + Recruiting Full-backs Football Manager is sadly the closest most of us will get to managing a professional football team and for the most part, it’s very realistic but for me, there’s one unrealistic part – recruitment of players. How familiar does this scenario sound? You need a new left-back, you […]
Brexit Begins
Welcome back to Brexit Means Brexit. After a short hiatus, it’s time for an update on what’s been happening at Celtic Park… We finished off last time with a remarkable victory in the Europa League, following an unbeaten season in the league. It would have been easy to accept that as the end of the […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 5
And so, onto January. Looking back over the first half of the season, I’m not too displeased with how things went. Sure, we’re currently stuck in 15th and we obviously have much higher aspirations than that but I’m confident that we’ll rocket up the table in no time. However, 15th is roughly where the media and […]
Can Brighton survive in the Premier League?
So, Brighton Hove Albion were the first team in the Championship this season to get promoted. This got me thinking, will Chris Hughton and his men be able to survive in the Premier League? Using the power of Football Manager, we swapped Sunderland with Brighton. Transfers We’d expect that as Brighton are in the Premier League […]
Part 16, The job in review
Board in the USA 16: The Job in Review As you readers know, Atlanta United managed to achieve its goal of winning the coveted MLS Cup in two seasons. For a new team on the block, that is definitely a remarkable achievement that I am very proud of as the Director of Football. That being […]
Road to Ramat-Gan, continued 7.3
So I was explaining how Hapoel Ashkelon FC have reached the 2023 final of the Toto Cup, to be played at Ramat-Gan. Well, after the group stage, we drew Kiryat-Shmona in the two-legged quarter final. I like that it’s two-legged. Not only does it provide additional opportunity for squad rotation: it also provides something a bit […]
Maximiliano Romero
If you are a fan of young, talented, high potential strikers then look no further than Maximiliano Romero. Even at the start of the game he has some impressive stats for such a young player, but does he have the killer instinct infront of goal that all top strikers need to succeed at the top level […]
The Higher Tempo Press @ BetBright FM17 Cup, Glasgow
For a game that has been in existence (through one name or another) for 25 years, there aren’t many things the Football Manager series hasn’t seen. However, nobody has ever taken that brave, extra step. Something nobody has dared to do. Yes, the BetBright FM17 Cup has brought FM players together in actual human contact. […]