The Higher Tempo Press
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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. […]
The Kosovo Journey: Euro 2020 Matchday 3 v Spain
They don’t come much bigger than this. Spain lost 2-1 to Italy in their last match so it’s all to play for here. A single point would be enough to see Kosovo qualify from their group – what an incredible thought. It’s not that simple though. This is Spain. A country littered with footballing stars […]
To Dare Is To Do #12
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #12 Wembley Woe | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Today we take on Juventus in the first knockout round of the Champions League. Can we pick up a win at home to set us up nicely for the 2nd leg in Turin? Join me on […]
So this Ultimate Journey, where was I?
I know it has been a long time since I have updated you guys over The Ultimate Journey and I’m really sorry for keeping you waiting for this long. So what did we get into from last time out? As most of you won’t remember, last time out I came to you with a mid-season […]
FM Slack Q&A with Avery
Easter Monday was the next in our series of creator Q&A’s, this week was with Avery who is writing ‘Board in the USA’ released daily on the Higher Tempo Press. Anthony Haynes kicked us off as he was intrigued by Avery’s bio on HTP “Cerebral and unfeeling with a penchant for inappropriate wit”: what […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 4
You can do one, Pep. In the first minute of the game, a trademark Harry Arter daisy cutter squirms loose from Claudio Bravo’s crisp packet hands and Benik Afobe pounces to bludgeon the ball off the Chilean goalkeeper’s face from inside the six-yard box. We’ve got something to cling onto. We’re genuinely superb, defending for […]
To Dare Is To Do #11
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #11 Jose Drops In | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Today we take on Manchester United in the Premier League. It’s 3rd vs 1st as Jose comes to town. Join me on this adventure on Football Manager 2017. Thanks for coming to watch my latest […]
The Kosovo Journey: Euro 2020 Matchday 2 v Slovenia
The players tell the media that they remain upbeat and I like those positive vibes. Slovenia drew their opening match with Spain which puts me slightly on edge. Am I overestimating Spain or underestimating Slovenia? We make three changes from the side that were demolished by Italy. Ali Ferati, Herolind Shala and Erton Fezjullahu will […]
Part 15, We in the big time
Board in the USA 15: We in the big time The moment is here. The business end of the season, crunch time, whatever you want to call it: the 2018 MLS Playoffs would make or break our season. We already won the US Open Cup, could we make it a double? The hype our team […]
Road to Ramat-Gan 7.2
So how did Hapoel Ashkelon FC reach the 2023 Toto Cup final, to be played at Ramat-Gan? Well, the first step was surviving the group stage that immediately precedes the start of the league season. First we had the ‘excitement’ of the drawer. Ah! We’ve drawn Beitar Jerusalem, S.C. Ashdod, Hapoel Be’er-Sheva, and Hapoel tel-Aviv, just […]
Part 2, Tactics, transfers and preseason
In the first episode of this series I focused on judging the players at my disposal and sorting out the backroom staff. Both have been done to my utter satisfaction and so we move on to the fun part: tactics and transfers and how these hold up during preseason. The Tactics In the words of […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 3
Oh God, that went horribly wrong. In line with our guiding principles, I set my team up using a little tactic I like to call “The UKIP”… Ok, obviously not. I can’t, in good conscience, do that to myself. I opt instead for a much more conventional 4-1-2-3 formation: Daniels and Francis as attacked-minded Complete Wing […]
The Trophy Wife #1
What would happen if you played Football Manager, but someone else signed all the players? There’d be no more 5 star newgens plucked from the Norwegian Second Division, no Lucas Romero and Geronimo Rulli on free transfers, your whole transfer policy is set and carried out by someone else. Now imagine that you have no […]
Rivalità Tra Fratelli, Episode 1
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 […]
Part 14, is this finally our year
Board in the USA 14: Is this finally our year? Things have been going swimmingly with Atlanta United. We did one better than last year in the regular season, finishing 1st in the Eastern Conference and qualifying directly into the Eastern Conference Semifinal. Greg Coyne has been an absolute revelation, with 12 goals in 27 […]
Pint that thinks it’s a quart 7.1
28 Jan 2013. Back in the the ’70s, before the the triumph of the CAMRA-led guerillas, the beer industry in the UK was an oligopoly. The conglomerates decided that what the public really wanted was glasses full of nothing but water, gas, and foam. The worst offender was Whitbread Trophy bitter, evidently invented by someone […]
Part 1, The Return of Old Big ‘Ead
Ever since I saw the movie The Damned United some eight years ago, I have been fascinated by Brian Clough. Although he is (rightly so) a legend in the UK, he receives little to no attention in The Netherlands. But since then I have read most books about him and consider myself a bit of […]
To Dare Is To Do #10
FM17 | Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #10 5 Goal Thriller | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Today we take on Newcastle United in the 2nd leg of the EFL Cup Semi Finals. After a win in first leg can we finish the job and book our place in the EFL […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 2
(This file was started before the January transfer window update) A quick glance at my squad reveals a number of footballing and ideological conundrums straight off the bat. But first things first, let’s get the easy stuff out of the way. Nathan Aké. Son, you might be wildly talented and destined for big, big things […]
Part 13, Will the real manager please stand up?
Board in the USA 13: Will the real manager please stand up? Where we last left our heroes, things were shaping up great. We had a strong, young squad with exciting young talent. We were looking to build on our Eastern Conference Semifinals last season and mount a strong showing over the coming years. However, […]
Episode 21, The End Of The Road and Analysis of the Model
Episode 21 – End of the road – Analysis of the Model It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing the end of regular updates of the Taste The Feeling save, obviously the save takes up a huge amount of my time, time that I’d like to spend on other projects that I’ve been granted […]
Brexit Bournemouth Part 1
As 2016 quietly fades into memory, it leaves a trail of emotional devastation, and a discomforting sense of doom for what the next twelve months will bring, in its wake. In that annus horribilis, the perpetual loss of beloved cultural icons and a omnipresent political turmoil became the new normal. Even so, on these shores there was one […]
The Kosovo Journey, Euro 2020 Matchday 1 vs Italy
The match takes place at the famous Olimpico in Rome. 70,000 tickets have been sold to see the greats of Kosovo take to the field. The squad selection remains unchanged from our final friendly against Greece. It takes only 8 minutes for Italy to mount their first dangerous attack. A neat ball down the left […]
Part 12, One Man’s Trash
Board in the USA 12: One Man’s Trash Have you ever woken up in cold sweat, days or weeks after losing a championship? You think what might have been. So you keep going. You want that championship. You need that championship. And whatever is in your way will be torn down. With the meeting of […]
Ugly challenge, there’s no place for that 6.3
Scene: Our apartment in Ashkelon, Israel. Time: morning, 15 May 2022 (following the end of my 6th season in Ashkelon). My wife, Karen, and I are sitting at the breakfast table. There is a stony silence. Karen’s face makes Putin look warm and cuddly by comparison. Me: What’s the matter? If it’s the burnt bagels, […]
Blackpool top the league after unbeaten start
Unbeaten start to the league sees Blackpool top / September 2019 Following their promotion last season many people outside of the club may have assumed Blackpool would struggle in the division above. Instead it is them who are the early pace setters and top the league after eight games played. Following a fine preseason in […]
Rad Recalculation
Zdravo, twenty games in and we are still flying high at the top of the Serbian Premier League, four points clear of second place but with the mighty Red Star breathing down our necks. Since the last update, I have had a bit of a think about our formation and what we can do to […]
Part 11, Stopping Short
Board in the USA 11: Stopping Short Atlanted United had made the 2017 MLS Eastern Conference Playoffs. We had finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference, which meant that we had to play the MLS Wild Card Game against 6th placed finisher New England Revolution. I was fairly confident in our chances. New England Revolution was […]
November Rain
Two games to go until the winter break and we’re still very much in the hunt for the top spot. Illichivets in first place are a strong unit, they’ve splashed the cash like nobody’s business, but sooner or later their Europa League exploits are going to catch up with them. All we have to do […]
How to give your club an identity in FM
Rise Like Bournemouth, Fall Like Barca On Tuesday June 14th 2016, the European Championships featured the Icelandic national team for the first time. Cristiano Ronaldo spoke about Iceland’s performance saying “When they don’t try to play and just defend, defend, defend, this in my opinion shows a small mentality and they are not going to […]
Part 10, No one crosses me
Board in the USA 10: No one crosses me The MLS regular season is over. Long story short, Atlanta United has made it to the playoffs. As you can see, our away form was completely atrocious – we just couldn’t buy a win away from home. As Director I was slightly disappointed at the results. […]
Oliver Burke
Oliver Burke is a young winger who has taken a massive step of moving to the Bundesliga at a young age. At the start he is blessed with great pace which will make him a nightmare for full backs to deal with but will his technical stats reach the heights of the very best? Let’s find […]
Adapting Aspects of Moneyball into Football Manager
Adapting Aspects of ‘Moneyball’ into Football Manager Follow @DistanceCovered on Twitter. The Real-World Concept After gaging initial opinions on the concept of ‘Moneyball’, it was evident that it’s a very sensitive issue and people have varying perceptions on the definition of the theory and what it involves. For those wanting a historical background; Moneyball was […]
Cristian Pavon
Argentinian football has a long and storied history of producing talented young players who are forged in domestic competition before going on to star in European football. From battle-hardened defenders like Roberto Ayala and Daniel Passarella to classy midfielders like Fernando Redondo and Javier Mascherano through to two of the best players that the world […]
Part 9, On Holiday, Do Not Disturb
Board in the USA 9: On Holiday, Do Not Disturb With the number of holidays I’ve taken as the “Manager” of Atlanta United, I’m surprised I haven’t gotten the sack yet. But if the team is doing well, no harm no foul right? To compensate for my lack of man hours spent on the team, […]