The Higher Tempo Press
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Franck Kessie
Welcome to the Franck Kessie player profile. Franck Kessie has been linked with top clubs in Europe and at the start of the game has come very good stats for his age. He likes to take shots from distance but also has the attributes to become a midfield destroyer. In this review we see which […]
The Kosovo Journey 2017 Pt. 2
July July begins with the news that the 2022 World Cup will not be hosted by Qatar and instead will be awarded to China. Take note for your travel plans Kosovans! We’re then presented with the announcement that our Assistant Manager Tord Grip will retire on Christmas Eve…this is not welcome news. Given the youth […]
To The Promised Land 2.3
Back in the spring I decided to renew the contract of Avi Nimni, the Head of Youth Development at Hapoel Ashkelon FC – the one remainder of the staff I inherited when I took. Well, I needn’t have bothered, since he’s been poached by Bnei Sakhnin. When I got wind of the offer, I told […]
Blades of Glory 21
Sheffield United | Blades of Glory #21 | Tykes Trouble | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to Episode 21 of my Sheffield United FM17 save. Today we take on Barnsley in the 4th Round of the FA Cup! Can we win in the local derby to book our place in the 5th Round? Join […]
To The Promised Land 2.2
I started the process of signing players for my second season at Hapoel Ashkelon FC well before the end of the first. I had some spare budget and I created more by gradually terminating players’ contracts by mutual consent. I like to get the bulk of my transfer business done early. A good deal of […]
Taste The Feeling Episode 18 Part 2
Transfers Only 2 players from last years successful season were sold, with striker Cerqueira getting sold to Atalanta for £6m (possibly rising to £8m), not a bad profit considering he only joined last summer (on a free transfer!). Souici also leaves for 150k. We bought him for 300k and got 2 good seasons out of […]
FM17 Who Would Win A European Super League?
The idea of a European Super League has been flirted with for a long time now. It is a concept that would see some of the best teams in Europe compete in one league to crown the best team on the continent. Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, among others is a known supporter of the […]
To The Promised Land 2.1
FM has both a rational side and an emotional side. A harmless way to indulge the latter lies in the organisation of pre-season friendlies. My son, Simon, and I have both developed the habit of organising competitions – cups and leagues. During his long stint at York City, where he took negative football to inexcusable […]
A quiet transfer window?
We move into December and the month starts with a top of the table clash against Hibernian. We’re level on points, and as discussed in the last episode we’d been on a blistering run of form up until our loss to Morton. We stick with our usual 4231 formation coupled with an attacking mentality, and […]
A New Club
Well if you did read the previous blog post you could hint that we did have quite a good season we an average Ajax CT side. There I did say that if there was a job offer which would come about of a club which is in the upper fringes of South Africa. And boy […]
A Player Profile of Kelechi Iheanacho
Manchester City have said they want to produce top young talent in their youth system to one day enter the first team. Kelechi Iheanacho is a player who could reach that level he came onto the Premier League scene and scored some important goals for his club. In this player profile we take a look […]
Champions League Return
It’s been a while but it’s time to get my Liverpool save back into full flow. We return with a bumper episode with no less than six fixtures to look forward to. Also, we finally have Champions League football back at Anfield. Follow me on Twitter – @MarcusBanks7 – Visit my blog The Beautiful Game […]
CM9798 tackles FM17 | Part 7 | Don’t Look Back in Anger
Greetings! Welcome to the 7th and final part of my FM17 experiment. We’ve been through a lot together. We started in those care free December months, where things looked optimistic for a bit. Then as Santa came and went, so did that optimism, and before long I was at loggerheads with half the squad and […]
#FM17 | Emotional Engagement | 5 of 5 | The Role of Narrative
I knew a lot of people played FM. But until recently, when I began to explore the blogosphere, I had no idea how many people wrote about FM. Stories of saves are everywhere. What explains this fecundity? Does FM, like the University of East Anglia’s creative writing master’s, attract a particularly literary set – all […]
#FM17 | A Kolnoscopy Challenge | 4:2
A Kolnoscopy Challenge A Bundesliga Tale: Season 4: 2 Extract from the Managers diary: ‘How many Germans does it take to change a lightbulb?’ Valerien Ismael, the new french assistant manager smiles politely. ‘Nein.’ Valerien stares blankly. *Sigh* ‘I miss Garry.’ So, I entered into my new managers office on January 2nd with my new […]
#FM17 | Hull City | A Tactical Crusade | Episode 3
Being a Premier League manager is hard work, I’ve only been in the job just over a month and already I want to rip my hair out, I don’t understand how Arsene Wenger has done it for twenty years. Our pre-season has come and gone with differing results against an assortment of opponents, this is […]
#FM17 | Emotional Engagement | 4 of 5 | The Role of Decisions
In this mini-series of posts I’ve been exploring what factors account for the extraordinary ability of FM to engage managers’ emotions. This post examines the fourth of five factors, namely the role of decisions. The more that you as manager make decisions, the more emotionally engaged you will become. I don’t mean any old decisions. […]
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part 12
This is no time for a preamble. The push for promotion suffered a near fatal blow last time, but I won’t let that discourage us. If we keep pushing and the teams at the top have something cataclysmic happen to them then, mathematically, we can still do it. Illichivets come to visit, it’ll be a […]
#FM17 | International Management | The Kosovo Journey | 2017 Pt. 1
I’m going to vary the format slightly here to make sure the bits you definitely want to read are the most prominent…bear with me while I find the best way to update you! ====== Our competitive losses in 2016 were expected so it would be slightly harsh to say I was in any way disappointed. […]
Sheffield United | Blades of Glory #20 | Corner Turned | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017
Welcome to Episode 20 of my Sheffield United FM17 save. Today we take on Reading FC. Can we keep up a recent good run of form? Join me as we continue our adventure on Football Manager 2017 Hit the LIKE button for more Football Manager 2017 content! ✔ Remember to like & subscribe! And thank […]
#FM17 | Emotional Engagement | 3 of 5 | The Role of Pattern
In the evolution of our species, the role of pattern has been vital. Our survival would not have been possible without the ability to perceive patterns, and deviations from patterns, and the ability to produce them. That, for example, is how we make sense of our natural environment – from bush people in the Kalahari […]
#FM17 | The Islanders XVIII
OSU! We’re all about the J1 today and, for some weird reason, I am wishing this season away. ‘Why’s that?’ someone at the back just enquired. Well, we’re not going down, we’re not going to qualify for the ACL and I doubt we’ll get past FC Tokyo in the League Cup. It feels a little […]
#FM17 | Emotional Engagement | 2 of 5 | The Role of Character
The purpose of this mini-series, of which this post is the second of five, is to explore what it is about FM that engages the emotions of its managers. The first post considered the most obvious factor — enjoyment of success with a club. Here i consider a second factor, namely character. Character resides […]
#FM17 | Player Profile | Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard came out of nowhere and was so popular that Sports Interactive asked for his parents permission to add him into the game as he was under the age of 16. He has since secured a dream move to Real Madrid, made a few appearances for the first team and is currently out on […]
#FM17 | Predicting The Final Premier League Table
As it stands, Chelsea are on course to win their second Premier League table in three seasons after establishing a ten-point lead at the top of the table. The race for the finish in the top four is heating up with a number of teams in contention. Just one point separates fifth from second with […]
#FM17 | Football Manager and Emotional Engagement | 1 of 5 | The Role of Success
Some saves, you engage with. They arouse the emotions: excitement, hope, jubilation, even love (and the greatest of these is love) – but also the negative emotions, such as anger and frustration. Others saves leave you cold. They grind on without ever catching fire. You go through the motions, try the usual things — but […]
#FM17 | Taste The Feeling Episode 18 | Part 1 | Silkeborg
Transfers: Giambattista Stefanelli (loan): Rejoins Silkeborg after a season on loan in the Pro League. I really don’t get why this guy always performs so well, his stats don’t look fantastic but he’s always reliable and does a job fantastically in front of the defence – despite the low tackling attribute. Hasan Yakut (loan): Picked […]
Sheffield United | Blades of Glory #19 | Wasted Chances | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017
Sheffield United – Blades of Glory #19 | Wasted Chances | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to Episode 19 of my Sheffield United FM17 Save. Today we take on Bristol City. After our current run can we get ourselves upwardly mobile? Join me as we continue our adventure on Football Manager 2017 Hit the […]
#FM17 | Forward Asia | S3-3
On April 11th, 183 mad Laskar Wong Kito (a snappy nickname, I’m sure you’ll agree) fans joined us on our journey to Myanmar to take on Boxing Cake, aka Yadanarbon FC in the Confederations Cup. All the more mad as they could have just watched it on TV. Nevertheless, the team didn’t let down the […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.66 | No end?
‘There is no end, to a good thing, oh no’ according to the first line of a song by Israel Vibration. Well, seasons come to an end — as has my first season at Hapeol Ashkelon FC. But then another season comes along. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his […]
#FM17 | How would Diego Simeone fare as Arsenal manager?
Once again the ‘Wenger Out’ campaign is in full flow. Some Arsenal supporters have become disillusioned with life under Arsene Wenger after another title challenge seemingly fell apart. Others believe Wenger deserves more respect for all he has achieved with the club. It is worrying for the Frenchman that the same flaws have appeared yet […]
#FM17 | The FM Sessions | 4 | Top of the Table Clash
The race to the Scottish Championship is heating up, and just like in real life they are only two real contenders aiming for the title and that much-sought after Scottish Premiership spot which comes with it. Thankfully we’re one of the two clubs in this dogfight, and we start this episode with our first bout […]
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part 11
In the film 3:10 to Yuma, Christain Bale agrees to hold the captured Russell Crowe who’s awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as Crowe tries to psych out Bale. I mention this because it reminds me of our current predicament. Except, instead of the 3:10 to Yuma, […]
#FM17 | The Ultimate Journey | Overachievers
So after the introduction to the squad in the previous blog post here you’ll get to know how we actually faired in the season. This might be a longer post so stick along till the end! Transfers There were quite a few dealings in the transfer front. Though to be honest there were many more […]
#FM17 | The Jamie Vardy Managerial Challenge | Part 2
Those that have read episode one of this series will know that I took over at Dover as my first management job in this rags to riches story. Although the club was 23rd in the league with no wins from their first 12 games, I saw potential. The club was predicted to finish 7th in […]
#FM17 | Hull City | A Tactical Crusade | Episode 2
It’s my second day in charge and I’m still here! To be honest I thought I was either going to freak out and resign the minute I saw the state of the player’s health, or the board was going to realise that they had brought in the wrong man and sack me, would still have […]
#FM17 | Player Profiles | Gianluigi Donnarumma
When it comes to top wonderkids to buy goalkeepers are rarely the first position that you think of. Well, Gianluigi Donnarumma may make you rethink your transfer plans. Italy has a very good track record of producing quality keepers but Gianluigi Donnarumma is already a top keeper. At just 17 years old he is number one […]
#community
I have not been around the #wearethecommunity for long, I honestly wasn’t sure that people wrote much about football manager. To find out that not only were a lot of people writing, but people actually read what you have written, it opened my eyes. I am new to writing about FM having only starting with […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.64 | Squad assessment: We happy few
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” Henry V, Acy IV, Scene 3 Following what I heard was David Pleat’s habit – deciding, at the end of the season, which players should be classed as winners and which as losers – I look at the winners we’re left with (we’ve already shipped […]
#FM17 | International Management | The Kosovo Journey | 2016
You’ve hopefully read my introductory post by now so without any further blagging or bluffing let’s catch up with International Manager’s diary… July I’m welcomed to the Kosovo National set up. The FA break the news to me that they don’t expect me to get beyond the qualifying stages for the World Cup 2018. I […]
#FM17 | A Kolnoscopy Challenge
A Kolnoscopy Challenge The Bundesliga Tale: Season 4: Intro Extract from the Managers diary: ‘Garry? You there mate? Hellooooo. This is the fifth message I’ve left now, Gazza. Where are you? Gaz? Gaz. GAZ!!!’ Bright blue skies stretched as far as the eye could see. The sun blazed overhead with an intensity of heat […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.63 | Hi ho silver lining
I once heard David Pleat say that, when he was manager of Luton Town, he would go through a list of his squad at the end of the season and divide them into winners and losers. As the play-offs ground on, I found I could make that decision with increasing ease. Playing a sequence of […]
Sheffield United | Blades of Glory #18 | Bood In Da Hudd | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017
Sheffield United | Blades of Glory #18 | Bood In Da Hudd | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to Episode 18 of my Sheffield United FM17 Save. Today we take on Huddersfield Town who are currently top of the Championship. Can we reverse our poor current run of form? Join me as we continue […]
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part Ten
When I arrived in the Ukraine back in June, there were a number of things I never thought would happen. At the top of that list was falling in love with a Ukranian winger, but perhaps an even more surprising event is agreeing to extend my stay for another 12 months. There’s no time to […]
#FM17 | Player Profiles | Johannes Eggestein
Welcome to the Player Profile of striker Johannes Eggestein Johannes Eggestein is a young striker who plays in Germany for Werder Bremen. At the start of the game he is tipped to become a world class talent but is this expectation justified? In this video we follow him over the course of a few years to […]
#FM17 | Hull City | A Tactical Crusade | Episode 1
As a new and undeveloped (another word for crap) manager I tend to find myself bowing to the whim of the tactical genius that is my assistant manager, sticking the players I have in a formation they are adamant will win us games, of course, this ultimately fails and I find myself down the job […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.62 | All Mike Ashleys now
Here’s an idea that I find interesting but my sons find ridiculously boring. Staff holidays. On FM managers can take holidays but other staff can’t. ‘Yes, I know you were looking forward to spending the half-term break with the family, but I need a back-up right back and I have a hunch that Albania’s the […]
Sheffield United | Blades of Glory #17 | Steel City Derby | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017
Welcome to Episode 17 of my Sheffield United FM17 Save. Today we take on arch rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City Derby! Can we collect the 3 points and grab those all important bragging rights? Join me as we continue our adventure on Football Manager 2017 Hit the LIKE button for more Football Manager […]
#FM17 | The Celtic Way | 2017/18 Part 1
Transfers First in was my two pre-contract signings. Lovre Kalinic who looks good enough to be my long-term number one battling it out with Craig Gordon the next couple of years. Young Matt Knox joined from Livingston and was sent to Morton for the season to continue his first team development. David Henen cost us […]
#FM17 | The Ultimate Journey | Welcome To Ajax CT
After a break of 4-5 days I’m back to bring you The Ultimate Journey. If you did read last blog post then you would be aware that we were offered by two clubs-Wits and Ajax CT. Well most of you would have recognised which one we did finally end up at. Club History Well for starters the […]