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Up to the top of the hill and down again 6.2
In a previous post I explained that at Hapoel Ashkelon FC we run just one squad: our few youth players train with the senior squad, removing the need for us to employ backroom staff (other than a Head of Youth Development) to develop the youngsters. But in my fifth season I signed a couple from […]
How to choose the best role for your fullbacks
Almost everyone needs them. Almost everyone wants them. They do a lot of work and their role has changed a lot in recent past. I am – of course – talking about fullbacks. Some teams obviously play with three Central Defenders, turning the fullbacks into wingbacks. However, essentially these are still full backs, dropping back […]
Season Two, October
We’re treading a familiar path. Last season we started brightly and then tailed off before the winter break. This season, I’m keen to stop that from happening. It’s been two weeks since that frustrating draw and I was looking forward to getting stuck into training, resting my tired players and catching up with my scouts […]
Easter XI
They say, “there is a fine line between genius and insanity” so with that in mind I bring you another pun-driven beauty. I’ll let you know which category this falls under. What better way to prepare for one of the best holidays of the year than by having a look at a football Easter XI […]
Part 8, Ups and Downs
Board in the USA 8: Ups and Downs I’m not going to lie – with Atlanta United’s season so far, there’s been a lot to be proud of as a new team in MLS. But there’s also been a lot to be upset about. Let’s get straight into it. First 5 games The first 5 […]
To play a diamond you need a play-maker 6.1
After 26 matches, the Israeli Premier League splits in two. The top half dozen, who can no longer be relegated, compete for continental places. Good news: we made the cut. Bad news, we fell apart, winning only one out of ten. I’ve been playing with a narrow diamond. But with a diamond you need a play-maker. […]
The Slack Q&A with FM_Adventure
Matt, otherwise known as FM_Adventure was the latest content creator in the Q&A hot seat as we put some community questions to him. If you have not already caught up with his posts do so after reading this, he has an excellent international save with Kosovo as well as some great one off experiments. FM_Samo […]
The Tempo Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
Champions League Quarter Final (Sponsored by The Higher Tempo Press) Slatham19 (Bayern Munich) vs CMP1985 (Real Madrid) The Tactics Slatham19’s Tactics: The starting formation I will be using is a 4-3-3, utilising two attacking wide men and a lone forward up top. The back four is my main priority, putting the two wingbacks on defensive […]
The Tempo Champions League: Atletico Madrid vs Leicester City
Champions League Quarter Final (Sponsored by The Higher Tempo Press) TheMetodoFM (Atletico Madrid) vs SpiritedKlopp (Leicester) The Tactics TheMetodoFM’s Tactics: My opponents’ screen name on Slack is “SpiritedKlopp”, taking this into consideration and the team he had, Leicester, I prepared to face counter-attacking tactics with a stress on pressing from his part. I have therefore […]
Part 7, Waivers and the Preseason
Board in the USA 7: Waivers and the Preseason As the 2017 season was about to get underway, I took a look at what the Atlanta Board expected me to deliver. I always did a spit take. “The Eastern Conference Semifinals!?” Those seemed like lofty ambitions, given how we were, I don’t know, a new […]
If only you’d listened 5.9
In a previous post I recommended that you should buy a season ticket for my fifth season in charge of Hapoel Ashkelon FC, on account of our hotshots Banin and Reynoso. Well, I concede that they were slow out of the traps – but they did then start banging them in. Especially Banin: His tally of […]
Broken and Lost, Part 1
They say bad luck comes in 3’s, quite frankly I’ve never really taken notice of superstitions like that. As we headed into the new year and left 2016 behind, I felt the need to change my job as I was getting bored and the small amount of work was starting to drive me crazy. Eventually, […]
The Tempo Champions League: Juventus vs Barcelona
Champions League Quarter Final (Sponsored by The Higher Tempo Press) ChrisHatton (Juventus) vs AccordingToFM (Barcelona) The Tactics ChrisHatton’s Tactics: Looking at the Juventus squad that I have been given, I was not very optimistic about our chances against Barcelona. Surely their front 3 would absolute tear us apart, especially if I went with my assistant […]
To Dare Is To Do #9
FM17 | Tottenham Hotspur FC To Dare Is To Do | #9 Fog On The Tyne | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Today we take on Newcastle United in the 1st leg of the EFL Cup Semi Finals! Can we put one foot in the final? Join me on this adventure on Football Manager 2017. […]
The Tempo Champions League: Dortmund vs Monaco
Champions League Quarter Final (Sponsored by The Higher Tempo Press) Reids (Dortmund) vs FM_Adventure (Monaco) The Tactics Reids’s Tactics: This was a very very tough choice and one that took a lot of deliberation on my part. I obviously wanted to play with wingers due the prowess of Dembele and Reus. Aubameyang was the next […]
Part 6, Book-Balancing and the Superdraft
Board in the USA 6: Book-Balancing and the Superdraft After the tumultous time in the Expansion Draft, our hero now faces a new trial, the Superdraft. Little does he know that he will be faced with his toughest enemy yet… accounting. After my expansion picks, I decided to check the books to see how much […]
Ballad of the utility men 3.7
On the one hand, Yarden Abohazira: On the other, Adil Konstantinos: Abohazira is the sole survivor from the squad I inherited in the summer of 2016. He’s worked his way up with the club and now holds the record for first-team appearances. Each season, between windows, I think of selling Abohazira on the grounds that he’s […]
Episode 20 Part 4, the 23/24 season with Sunderland
Transfers: Jadon Sancho: Bought on the cheap from Man City for just under £1m, he’ll be useful backup and has some fantastic technical stats. Joshua Hallberg: A hefty purchase at close to £10m, he should hopefully make a good shot-stopper. Adrian Voicu: After a decent loan spell at Sunderland he makes the step up to […]
Euro 2020 Build Up
So, after that fantastic victory over Belarus in the Playoff Final we sat with baited breath awaiting the draw for the UEFA European Championship 2020 Finals. Group F: Italy, Slovenia, Spain and… Kosovo! I’ve been practising hard at my “there are no easy games” soundbite. Two warm-up matches have been agreed for June against Czech […]
The Islanders XXIV
OSU! Yes, you are right. We are very much due an update from the Island. Sorry, sorry. I’ve been busy you know! Anyway, it’s now July 2023 and our third season in J1 is flying by. We’ve also made our debut in the AFC Champions League, spent some fairly big money on players, invested in […]
Part 5, The Expansion Draft
5: Rookie Mistakes Man, I suck at this job. I’ve always known I wasn’t a great FM player, but this stint with Atlanta really stuck it in. Even when I did not have to manage the tactics, I still bottled the task somehow. But self-deprecation aside, there’s a lot to learn from this update and […]
Variations on a theme
Valentine’s Day, 2021. A little more in love with the team. We’re not safe arithmetically, but in practice we’re virtually there. The thing that’s made the difference I think is tactical variation. When I want to refresh the tactics I usually go for a big change in formation. But this time I’ve had the patience […]
Belgradian Rhapsody
Zdravo, life in Beograd has started off very well indeed, setting what now seems very low expectations, we find ourselves sitting in first position in the Serbian Premier League after a mere ten games, after setting the goal of building on our eight position last season. The Total Football approach I have brought to the […]
Part 4, Planning for the Expansion Draft
Board in the USA: Planning for the Expansion Draft The time has come. It’s time for my first real test as the Director of Football. The 2016 Expansion Draft. Because I take my position very serious as the DoF of Atlanta United (rather than treating it like just a video game), I put in a […]
MLSsien
In The Higher Tempo Press HQ, the ideas presented fit into two separate yet equally important groups: 10/10, top quality writing; and good puns. This is the latter. (Credit to anyone who got that Law & Order reference) What would it be like if Michael Essien, former Chelsea midfield hero, moved to MLS? I hear […]
Part 3, The Pregame
Board in the USA 3: The Pre-Game Boy, this Director of Football work is tough. I’ve scanned so many scouting reports and fielded so many calls for deals that my eyes bled. My only respite from all this is to tell you how it all went down. With that, we’re off! This update is to […]
Recreating Klopp’s Tactics in FM17
Jurgen Klopp has been winning praise for the way he aims to be only the 3rd manager to take Liverpool into the top 4 within the last 10 years, but is it possible to replicate his “heavy metal” style of football in FM17? To work out how to implement this in Football Manager we first […]
Part 2, Squad Assessment
Board in the USA 1.0 : Squad Assessment You know the feeling you get as a kid when you open a Christmas present in 2004, under the expectant gaze of your parents? You shake it, turn it, feel it in your hands. You know what you want. You know they know what you want. You […]
Q&A with ^AH
Monday saw the third in our series of creator Q&A sessions, this week with Anthony Haynes, writer of ‘The Promised Land’. As usual we asked the questions in the HTP channel on the FMSlack. If you are not signed up all ready it is a great way to speak to your favourite writers and content […]
The future of Football Manager
uMAXit have published a video called The future of football video games. It’s available on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVKWZZmbGeU&t=615s). The video is presented by Martin Race and includes interviews with Jon Hare (Sensible Soccer), Simon Read (New Star Soccer), Kristan Reed, and Iain Macintosh. Most of the content concerns simulations, though manager games (principally FM) receive some […]
Part 1, Introductions
Board in the USA 1: Introductions You’ve lost in Football Manager. You have no idea why. You’ve pored over pages upon pages of tactical treatises on the Internet, trying to find some solution to your inexplicable loss-filled woes. There have been times you have considered quitting because you just cannot seem to catch a break in […]
Blackpool look to strengthen ahead of new season
Blackpool will be looking to strengthen their squad over the summer as they prepare to make the step up to League One this season. The club was relegated straight back to League Two the last time they achieved promotion. From then they hired new boss Bruce Parker and he brought them straight back up winning […]
Do I really want this centre-back? Making sense of the numbers
When I look at a player’s profile, I tend to think, “Too much information!” The sheer amount of data can be overwhelming. All those numbers: where to start? So I’ve been working out protocols for arriving at informed decisions. Here’s my protocol for centre-backs: Check the personality. I do this even before I look at […]
To Dare Is To Do #7
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC | To Dare Is To Do | #7 – Hammer Time! | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Today we take on our London rivals West Ham United at White Hart Lane. Come and watch a huge Premier League clash! Join me on this adventure on Football Manager 2017. Thanks for coming […]
The Kosovo Journey Euro 2020 Playoff Final
If you look toward my details at the bottom of this article you can find links to my social media accounts and SteamID if you’d like to follow me/talk about anything I’ve written. By clicking my author name, “FMAdventure”, you can also view my previous pieces on Tempo. ======= The day had arrived and with […]
Captain is dead, long live the captain 5.5
No, well, the first half of Hapoel Ashkelon FC’s 2020-21 season didn’t go quite according to plan. We bumped along just above, and sometimes actually in, the relegation zone. We didn’t often fall apart, but we found ways to convert wins into draws and draws into defeats. No consecutive wins We were tetchy. Penalties conceded, […]
Q&A with Footballmanagerzone
Last week saw the second content creator Q&A, this time with YouTuber Footballmanagerzone. Richard has been posting videos on The Higher Tempo Press for some time now so we wanted to know more from him. As with last time it was on the FM Slack channel, if you’re not already a member then sign up […]
A guide to Leon Goretzka
When Goretzka came through the ranks at VfL Bochum, the biggest names from all around Germany, including the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Bayern München and obviously, his current club Schalke 04. With his contract at Schalke running out at the end of the 2017/18, there is supposed interest from some of the better clubs in […]
Totally Rad: The Total Football Effect
Zdravo, welcome back to the third episode of ‘Totally Rad’. Since you were last with us we have played our first ten games of the season with our new philosophy and objectives. Before we have a look at how well we got on first we need to go through all the transfer dealings we have […]
Roll up, roll up, it’s the greatest show on earth
So I’ve been shipping out players who bore me and acquiring players who excite me. Players who, if I was a fan in the stands, I’d pay good money to come and watch. Players who I hope I can sit back in the dug-out and admire. Players like our strike-force, Juan Reynoso and Aviran Banin. […]
Episode 20 Part 3 and the 23/24 season for Antwerp
Transfers: Kamal Shassah: Joins as a decent home-grown play-maker to replace Jenderson who’s off to Leiria. Probably won’t be a starter. Amar Plojovic: Whilst a bit raw at the moment I reckon he could be fantastic in a few years if we polish up a few of his weak points. David Lopez: Some very poor […]
Can EU Believe It?!
Welcome back to the best story to come out of the whole Brexit ordeal since that “May v Sturgeon: Who’s got the best legs?” thing the other day… We finished off last time with the winter transfer window about to open. We had just been drawn against Milan in the Europa League, and we were […]
Ousmane Dembélé
Dortmund have a very impressive record of finding young talent gems that are unknown and cheap and creating them into world class talent. One of the more recent players to join that list is Ousmane Dembélé. Blessed with amazing potential and pace this kid has the tools to go far in the game and is at […]
The Power of a Slump
Lessons Learned from Rocky Ground To follow me on social media, check out my profile at the end of this post and to see what else I have written click on my name. On the 22nd of March 2017, Ronnie Moran passed away aged 83 following a battle with a short illness. The 83 year […]
From Porto to Ashkelon is further than you think 5.3
On 4 August 2020, a Lufthansa flight from Porto arrives in Tel Aviv. Off steps 22 year-old Alfa Esteves, a Portuguese-speaking footballer from Guinea-Bissau. Up to now, Alfa’s played all his club football in Portugal, first for Benfica and then for Varzim. Most of the time, he’s played in central midfield, though he’s also been […]
5 Hungarian fullbacks that are worth trying to sign!
One of the most exciting aspects of Football Manager is the part when you can finally spend the money you saved up to bring in your next stars. The thrill of signing a fantastic player is something only a true football fanatic can experience! Everyone tries to exploit the market in their own way. Some […]
Return of the sweeper 5.2
One of the players I’ve brought in – Gal Mio – can play sweeper. As can one of the players I’ve had in on trial – Yarin Hasan. On that basis I decide in the pre-season friendlies to reintroduce my sweeper system. Only that isn’t a very honest way of putting it, since it makes […]
The Kosovo Journey Euro 2020 Playoff Semi-Final
The squad is named for the upcoming fixture, Herolind Shala and Fanol Perdedaj will be big losses due to injury. Two days before the fixture we get the news that full-back Benjamin Kololli has suffered damaged cruciate ligaments – 7months out! Stuttgart’s Samir Bahrami is called up as a replacement. Georgia tend to favour a […]
The action of the tiger 5.1
Last season (2019-20) at Hapoel Ashkelon FC left me with a feeling of such equanimity that we took a longer holiday than usual, not because we needed a holiday but because I felt I could spend time away without worrying. We continued our tour of biblical antiquities, which not for the first time ended with […]
To Dare Is To Do #6
FM17 Tottenham Hotspur FC | To Dare Is To Do | #6 – Derby Day | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Today Tottenham Hotspur take on our South London rivals Arsenal at White Hart Lane for a huge Premier League clash, in what will potentially be the last North London Derby at our current stadium. […]