"Bastardo At War: Epilogue - Ángel” #FM20

October 11, 2019

Ángel (Chapter 3)

Territories in the Bastardo-Chepiga FM World, at the conclusion of Bastardo At War.

“For the happiness of all mankind Russia requires that this treaty holds, and will not negotiate with you."

Chepiga’s bluntness was a quality that Ángel Bastardo always appreciated, until now. It was true, a debt to the Black Bear had to be paid. After all, it was Russian intelligence that led to Bastardo’s early disappearance on the onset of the Great War of Africa. It was also true that he helped coordinate the swift exit of La Plata’s assets, placing it in real estate and in virtual currencies around the globe. The wealth of Bastardo rose into the clouds of unaccountability. Lavish but untraceable was his wealth. But now Ruslan was here giving orders, in Ángel Bastardo’s continent.

Bastardo bit back “Uruguay?! They are farmers, and they hate me. Best put one of those bullets in me now Ruslan. I will not go”.

“You will” replied Ruslan, as he pushed a small envelope towards Argentina’s Most Wanted. The seal was unbroken and Bastardo recognised its mark immediately: Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. Ruslan continued: “Montevideo has long been a neutral port, and the AUF have been clear in their intentions to protect you. There is no love for the Americans there”.

His words sent a chill as Bastardo continued reading the letter. The conclusion: AUF were to make him Óscar Tabárez’s heir, the next u20 Manager of La Celeste.

Ruslan continued: “The Americans will soon close in. Your outpost here is neat, but the Americans won’t hold back like they did with Escobar. They will invade and kill all”.

Bastardo grimaced at the thought of the people dying around him. The foot soldiers he employed had been always disposable, but the Venezuelans? This jungle had changed him.

“I’d take the boy-man Hugo with you too. You will one day need a successor” Ruslan smiled. His dark black hair with hints of grey glistened in the moonlight that filtered into the room.

Bastardo paused. If Hugo goes, so does his nurse mother. He had laid with her twice already, enjoying the warmth of her company each time. But if she goes, then so do her fellow nurses and all the immediate patients they care for too. One-by-one everybody in the outpost would have a reason to join Bastardo in Montevideo.

“He’ll do his duty and remain here”. Bastardo replied. The pain visible on his face as he built the courage to finish his sentence...”Like I’ll do mine and serve the Uruguayans”.

Ruslan slowly nodded with approval, before moving on to the real reason for his visit. “Now your debt Ángel”. His words hissed, the Black Bear poked the Lion. But the lion would bite back.

It was now Bastardo’s turn to pass over an envelope, sliding it across the table...avoiding Ruslan’s glass of vodka.

“Every Colombian shipping lane and eventual destination in Mexico” Bastardo said sternly.

Ruslan unfolded the map and smiled uncontrollably. His eyes studied the potential that Bastardo presented him. The possibility of another continent’s contraband under his control.

There was now a different Ruslan Chepiga in the room. As he rose he folded the map and tucked it into his inside blazer pocket.

Rifle in hand and moving towards the door, he gave one last comment: “The debt is more than paid comrade. Welcome back Ángel Bastardo. The World awaits...”

Note from the Editor - Sometimes in stories, you need to go around the houses in order to get to where you want to be. With Bastardo, I wanted another crack at South America…it's honestly the most fun I've had in Football Manager. But in order to get him from Argentina to Uruguay, I took the long road: invasions of Africa, assassinations in Russia and migrants camps in Colombia. But, after a year of doing all of that, we're finally at the stage where we get to see Ruslan Chepiga playing the part of the Greek bearing gifts.

I've got aspirations and desires from what I want out of Football Manager 2020 and I hope my introductory posts will lay the scene for another great save and story. I hope you can join Ángel and I…

FM Grasshopper

"Bastardo At War: Epilogue - Ruslan” #FM20

October 4, 2019

Ruslan (Chapter 2)

It was pitch black as Ruslan leaned from the side of the helicopter at the huge expanse of Colombian jungle below, the silence only broken by the immense thudding of the KA52 - Alligator's rotor blades.

Fucking Russian GPS, he thought, as they circled their given co-ordinates for a third time. A flicker of light below, no more than a pinprick, through the canopy gave Bastardo away.

As they descended a clearing emerged, their landing was swift. Ruslan was struck by the relatively highly developed infrastructure, communication point, crops, a water tower, Gymnasium, and a relatively large, resplendent administrative building. A sizeable crowd of locals had gathered, Ruslan had faced down much larger groups before, and did not really take them under his notice.

Ruslan exited the Helicopter, as often was the case, the crowd hushed in his presence. His eyes were drawn to a boy, with the gaze of a man full of Fibra, standing before him in defiance. Ruslan had caught this gaze before, he knew he was in the right place.

"Bastardo, Comrade" he whispered in the boy's ear.

I am Bastardo, came the barely audible reply through the noise of the KA52 blades.

It was then the crowd turned, an upwelling of emotion could be felt in the air. Such he hadn't felt since the second Chechen Rebellion in the late 1990s, the hairs on the back of his neck stood erect.

I AM BASTARDO, the crowd cried in unison raising their right arm a loft with clenched fist. I AM BASTARDO! they called again, with such force that Ruslan took a step back as their call to arms echoed through the dark valley.

A volley of shots fired into the air from his Kalashnikov managed to disperse the crowd momentarily, apart from the boy-man. Ruslan sighed heavily, as the youngster drew a pistol, safety still engaged, and raised it to the general's head. The boy was shaking, beads of sweat running down his face, but he did not yield, Ruslan paused..

"HUGO - stop!"

The dark silhouette of a man emerged from the shadows; it was Bastardo. He finished his Cigar with one long draw, and slowly approached Ruslan.

"Keep calm, these men are friends." He called, his gruff voice piercing the cool night air.

The two men, completely encircled by locals, greeted each other as brothers and shook hands vigorously.

"I knew one day you'd come here." Bastardo murmured in Ruslan's left ear.

"Debts must be paid Ángel." Ruslan replied his tone as deep as it was sinister.

"Bastardo always pays his debts, my Russian friend, please, come inside for a drink."

The two men sat opposite one another, Bastardo lit a cigar, Ruslan rolled his own cigarette and placed his rifle on the table. The room was lavish by the standards of the others Ruslan could see; there were scantily clad women and servants stood in its four corners. The men toasted each other and the Motherland.

"It's over Bastardo, the Americans have agreed not to pursue you any further. Russia has negotiated a peace treaty with the UN."

"Fantastic! I will reign once again, hahaha, come Ruslan why delay, is Mike According here, when do we leave for La Plata?" Chortled the Argentinian dictator.

"Ángel, no, I fear you have not understood the situation, you are to be sent to Uruguay, and there you must stay. You must gather your most trusted men and leave immediately. For the happiness of all mankind Russia requires that this treaty holds, and will not negotiate with you."

Note from the Editor - I initially planned to write the Ruslan Chepiga piece, but it always felt I was intruding on the fabulous character created by Chris Eadie (@FMEadster). So, I got Eadie on board.

My aim was always to show the same scene laid out in Hugo, but with subtle viewpoint differences. It highlights that we all see the same thing but naturally put bias and prejudice on things. Well done to Chris for taking this on board and executing it with perfection.

We also finally see the great man himself: Ángel Bastardo. Our anti-hero of the story, and our viewpoint in the conclusion to Bastardo At War…

"Bastardo At War: Epilogue - Hugo” #FM20

September 27, 2019

Hugo (Chapter 1)

My name is Hugo Ojeda. I am fifteen years old.

I did not know what hyperinflation was before my mother and I were kicked out of our home. To me it is the same as everything else in Venezuela: chaos. We spent weeks on food supplies after seeing whatever money we had turn worthless overnight, the price of a banana exceeding that of the cars outsides. Even the supermarkets refuse to put the price on things anymore. My country, the one with all the oil, has given up. Worthless.

So my mother and I walked to Colombia. Like so many others did, over 1 million in fact, desperate for another chance in life. It took weeks, perhaps even months to get to the frontier near the Colombian city of Cúcuta. A small jungle outpost where we would be told to make our homes. It was here where I first met Ángel Bastardo.

He never spoke about what he was before coming here. But many people tried to guess: convict, drug dealer, government official, humanitarian…some even suggested he was an ex-Football Manager turned military dictator. But I never cared to find out, Ángel Bastardo looked after us. All of us. For me, he was our guardian angel; a gift from God.

Bastardo had the outpost secured so that raiders couldn’t get to any of us or our supplies, even if they had dared to try. It was said that the Colombian jungle now belonged to Bastardo, that he could see through the eyes of the trees and was always a step ahead of whatever came for us in the dark. He saw everything. In three months of turmoil, it was the happiest I had ever been. I slept well.

Until 06 June. The day when they came…a helicopter descending on the village at 0200 in the morning. The winds from the helicopter's blades rippled through the gymnasium's large bay windows where I, and around 50 others slept each night, my naked body exposed as the bed covers danced in the ballet of the night. I was terrified.

There was panic, as villagers raced from the hall and into the village square. A wall of people stood in front of Bastardo's offices to face the visitors from the sky. Once scantily dressed, I headed for the same square whilst loading the pistol that Bastardo had previously given to me. I remembered his words to me on receipt of this gift: "a gun in hand is better than a cop on the phone". I needed to summon what he called 'fibra', as I saw soldiers exiting from either side of the helicopter doors. They were shouting in a tongue I had never heard, neither Portuguese or Spanish. These were aliens.

One word could be made out though: "Bastardo". They wanted Bastardo, and they continued to shout it loud. With their rifles pointed towards the crowd they abruptly stopped the shouting as a smaller man, with a thick head of black hair, exited the helicopter. I remember the noise around the square quieting as the shadowy figure walked up to the crowd. This is where I brandished the pistol, facing him with him in the sights of my gun. But he was unfazed by the threat, "Bastardo comrade" he whispered to me, his accent clear enough to distinguish the two words. This man was Russian, who I now know to be Ruslan Chepiga: Superior Agent of the Russian Federal Security Service and liberator of the African world.

I was scared, like everybody else, expecting to be fired at. That's when I did something that I still can't quite fathom: "I am Bastardo" I replied proudly. The words resonated with all of us, individually we were nothing but a government statistic: 1 million unwanted Venezuelan immigrants…with Bastardo we had become something better: a community. "I am Bastardo" people started to cry out; men, women and children joined the chorus of cries. This time I cried out louder in defiance:

"I am Bastardo"

And again:

"I am Bastardo"

Notes from the Editor - So, we’re back with some creative writing to move the Bastardo storyline forward. This is the first entry of a trilogy of short posts around the same scene, but from three different viewpoints.

‘Hugo’ took a few different iterations before I finally settled on the Point Of View of a 15-year-old Venezuelan migrant. What that country is going through right now is shameful. But perhaps what is more shameful is the International Community who are not ‘doing enough’ to help in my opinion.

Save The Children

"Bastardo At War: Russia” #FM19

March 16, 2019

Previously in The Bastardo Cinematic Universe, Bastardo invaded Africa with the help of an old friend.

Ángel Bastardo’s bones were old and hard, but they had never felt a chill like tonight.

Russia was a frozen Hell. He left Africa in the hands of his Generals, readying for another war. His Maghrebian loyalist were instructed to increase their Mediterranean naval strength and a further 200 anti-aircraft missiles were to be stationed by the Suez canal. The European Community are merciless in the face of weakness…so Bastardo had to ensure the Republic of La Plata was ready to respond with whatever military action the axis of evil would throw at him.

He was in Russia to meet Ruslan Chepiga, an expert in the dark arts of poisoning & subterfuge. The UN needed to be sent a silent but deadly message…

The Alliance

Ángel Bastardo wasn't the first military dictator Ruslan Chepiga had broken bread with but he was certainly one of the most intimidating. He stood well over 6 foot, built like a prize bull, with slick black hair.

Ruslan fixed his gaze on him and did not falter. "We can take care of your problem, we do this sort of thing all the time. But let me be clear there will be a price, a heavy price, for our expertise. If you fuck with us, we will do, what Russia does, you will not see it coming, you will feel safe, you will probably be smiling at home in your favourite chair, or making love, when the Russian Bear bites".

"Do not threaten me Russian, I have faced down bigger men than you. I am La Plata" Bastardo reached over for his drink, and Ruslan smiled: "I wouldn't touch that if I were you".

Ruslan grabbed the glass and poured its contents across the pristine mahogany desk, Bastardo smiled as the liquid dissolved straight through onto the carpet below.

"Do we have an accord or not!" the Russian exclaimed.

Ángel Bastardo didn’t have to say anything in return. Russia would stand with Bastardo.

FC Anzhi Makhachkala Vs América de Cali

One of the requirements that Bastardo insisted upon as part of his visit to Russia was that Ruslan Chepiga would host a Winter Break friendly against a top European side. If Bastardo was to be spotted by the media, he’d play the disguise of the ex-football manager watching a glamour tie. After all, his 8 years at Estudiantes de La Plata brought worldwide notoriety as a football manager…the European press do well to forget this when branding Bastardo awful terms, such as ‘Dictator’, ‘Mercenary’ & ‘Tyrant’.

The Anzhi Arena: home of ‘The Bastardo Glamour Friendly’.

So, imagine the disappointment for Ángel Bastardo when Ruslan Chepiga introduced América de Cali as the ‘glamour friendly’. Bastardo did not like Colombians, his time at Estudiantes made sure of that. Teams such as Atlético Nacional & Once Caldas had always put up a fight in the Libertadores, and more importantly, they could never be paid off. Their loyalty was solely to Colombia and the drug cartels that financed them.

However, América de Cali though had come a long way to correct its tarnished image from the 1990s, where being owned by the Cali Cartel, under the direction of the Orejuela brothers (aka The Gentlemen Of Cali), meant being placed on the dreaded 'Clinton List'. Their image had improved somewhat since 2018 with the appointment of a young Englishman in the name of Mike According. His América side playing some neat football over the last few years, with a rejuvenated Mateo Cardona pulling the strings from central midfield as a No.10. If there was ever a Colombian team that Bastardo could fall in love with, it could well be According’s Cali.

Anzhi Makhachkala, on the other hand, had a growing reputation for the dark arts of football - another Bastardo love. Ruslan Chepiga would often play a traditional 4141 and keep his wingers behind the ball, ready to counter on the turnover of possession. They were coming into the glamour friendly to boost confidence…after crashing out of the Champions League Qualifiers to FC Zürich of Switzerland. The good news is that the Europa League Group Stages still await: Roma, Sparta Prague and Young Boys the opponents. Chepiga had the love of his people - surviving a one-year transfer ban by blooding Anzhi youth into the First Team and insisting on only recruiting players from the Eastern Block. Anzhi Makhachkala were now seen as the workers' club, which is a far cry from the Anzhi of old, with its over-elaborate transfer policy of the mid-00s.

The Interview

Two managers, two stories in motion: Chepiga & According. Anzhi & Cali. It was time for Bastardo to meet them…

AB: Hola caballeros. How are your teams coming into this match?

RC: We’re in Season 3 right now. The Russian League has started well, the only defeat coming against Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Krasnador. We’ve looked good in other games, especially defensively. Could match 3rd again. Sacrificed the cups in previous two years.

MA: My Cali team are at the mid-point of Season 3. We had our 1st league title in season 1, and since then two domestic Semi-finals. On the continental stage, we’ve has a Semi Copa Sudamericana. Playing quite well in recent weeks, and I’ve stopped rotating as much as I previously was doing. Quite defensive in the league. 8 goals conceded in the first 19 games of the league. Anti-Futbol? Possibly.

AB: Who are your star players?

RC: Player of the season last year was Right winger Savichev: average rating 7.23, 8 goals and 8 assists. Very often he was set free on the right by long cross field passes by my favourite player, Right footed Left midfielder (WM-A) Doston Xamdamov from Uzbekistan. Excited by new signing Glushakov his player traits of gets forward and arrives late in opponents’ box are perfect for my system. 60+ caps for Russia.

MA: Mateo Cardona. No.10, top scorer and assister in the previous season (2019). Joined on a free at the start of 2018. 19 year-old Gustavo Carvajal, América youth prospect and highest potential player in the squad. He plays at DM/CM and is vice-captain and has led the side on many occasions.

AB: Do you have any perceived weaknesses?

RC: Quite often on the left side it can be open. Full back is in space to advance but can be exposed. On the lookout for a better LFB. I’m also limited in the save to players from the former Eastern Bloc so difficult to source replacements. Squad depth isn’t good after first XI, so it’s very limited. I am always too eager to adjust the tactic if you lose 2-3 games.

MA: Too negative football mostly using support roles (I’d rather win 1-0 than 3-1!). We’re quite low scoring and I value a clean sheet above all else. I’m slow on the changes too. We’ve put too much faith in young players or out of form players to turn it around.

AB: Describe your team in up to 5 adjectives.

RC: Blunt & Serious. Our club motto is: “through hard work and skill we shall overcome our foes”. This is what I’m working towards.

MA: Strong, Physical, conservative, robust.

The answers to the above questions left Bastardo worrying about the ambition and quality of these two teams. A 0-0 bore draw was looking likely and Bastardo longed to witness Mendoza-ball again. But would Anzhi Vs Cali play out this way? Let’s find out…

The Match

Tactical

When a team from one continent meets another it often throws up huge tactical intrigue. Perceptions on how football should be played develop within their national or continental bubbles. National identity and pride therefore directly translate into football, such as the contrasting styles of mentalities (Defensive vs Attacking) and the profile of footballers it creates (Physical Vs Technical). The same contrasting views can be seen when Cali came to Anzhi. Despite both managers painting a picture of hard work & pragmatism, there were subtle intrinsic differences in the players on shown. Form Mateo Cardona's technical mastery to Denis Glushakov’s relentless industry in midfield, this was a match that promised a lot: East meets West. Chepiga Vs According.

Line Ups

Both teams similarly lined up with flat back fours and a central striker. The major difference between the two sides was the midfield, with Chepiga instructing his wide players to play deeper and in line with the central pairing of Konstantin Savichev and Doston Xamdamov. According’s Cali would rather have his wide players more advanced and feeding off Fernando Aristeguieta who was playing as a Target Man upfront.

Key Players

Key players for Anzhi include Ivan Novoseltsev at the back, who is on loan from Zenit Saint Petersburg. Doston Xamdamov is unquestionably the poster child of Anzhi football right now, with good Technique and Vision. If Anzhi were going to win tonight, it would be Doston who’d no doubt feature heavily on the flanks. Lastly, Chepiga’s biggest transfer coup is Denis Glushakov - who has amassed 64 caps for Russia. His drive and experience would be key for Anzhi tonight and Bastardo was looking forward to seeing what he could bring to the team in central midfield.

According’s Cali was equally homegrown. Nicolás Vidal has a presence about him between the sticks with good Aerial Reach and Command Of Area. Fernando Aristeguieta was also one to look out for, after a failed spell in Ligue Un with FC Nantes the Target Man has become a bit of a cult figure in Cali. Aristeguieta has the player traits to suit such a role, and Bastardo was looking forward to seeing how he matched up against Ivan Novoseltsev. The third and final player that Bastardo couldn’t wait to see was Mateo Cardona. A raw and untamed talent that would be playing as a Mezzala on Attack in the centre of midfield.

Defensive Organisation

The subtle differences in the 4141s deployed meant the location of attacking spaces were different for each side. However both teams were overly cautious in the first 45 minutes, and neither team could take advantage in open play.

Chepiga’s Anzhi were extremely disciplined without the ball, keeping their shape with good defensive organisation.

Cardona's artistry

With both teams being so reserved, it’s little wonder that the 1st Half only saw 2 shots on target (1 from each team). Fortunately for According’s Cali, that shot on target came from the right boot of Mateo Cardona…

América de Cali 1-0 (Kvaskhvadze OG, 13 mins).

One of the standout South American bargains in FM19 (available on a Free Transfer in July 2018, if you have South American players loaded) is Colombian gem, Mateo Cardona. His attributes and overall performance in this year's match engine is perhaps vastly inflated considering he can't keep a club side in real life (at least five clubs in 2 years!). But under Mike According, Mateo Cardona is the perfect 10…showing incredible guile to put Cali 1-0 up with a glorious freekick. Cali would lead at Half Time. Chepiga needed a response.

Second Half

Both teams remained unchanged after Half Time, with Ruslan Chepiga continuing with the flat four in midfield. Cali on the other hand were looking to exploit the right flank more often, after identifying Doston Xamdamov as a player who often cuts inside.

On the 50th minute, Anzhi Left Back Dmytro Nemchaninov had a horror show to forget. Losing possession in the attacking third, to Gustavo Carvajal - who had impressed Bastardo through his defensively sound pressing and maturity with the ball. The young Colombian found the deep lying Target Man, Aristeguieta. The damage was done as soon as Inside Forward Mayer Vidal had the ball. His driving run inside from the right flank (as you’d expect) caught the Anzhi backline off-guard. It was Nemchaninov’s missed interception (his second mistake in the same minute)…meant Mateo Cardona had a chance to smash in his 2nd of the night. 2-0 América de Cali.

An Anzhi comeback?

With just under 15 minutes to go, Ruslan Chepiga instructed his team to become more positive, as a counter measure Cali’s response was to go Cautious. This brought about a thrilling climax to an otherwise nervy encounter.

On 82 minutes, under heavy Anzhi pressure, the Cali defensive masterclass finally crumbled. Defensive anchor, David Silva, recklessly bringing down Konstantin Savichev in the area. Penalty Anzhi:

FC Anzhi Makhachkala grab one back: 1-2 (Glushakov 82 mins).

Concentration always plays a decisive factor in the closing stages of any game, and this one was no different. The Anzhi war machine had taken a while to start purring, but with 5 minutes to go there were pockets of attacking spaces opening up to exploit. Below, left sided Centre Back Ivan Novoseltsev picking out a perfect ball to release substitute Advanced Forward, Timur Zhamaletdinov…

Zhamaletdinov’s wasted chance - 85 mins.

Bastardo had been praising Gustavo Carvajal’s defensive displays all game, but on 86 minutes the most insane bit of decision making was used to cynically take out Anzhi’s Taras Puchkovskyi from a defending throw-in. It was a chance for Chepiga’s Anzhi to draw level and make it 2-2…

Gustavo Carvajal’s incredible challenge. 86 mins.

Nicolás Vidal would be the hero, not Denis Glushakov…whose penalty was a disappointment for the Russians.

Conclusion

This match will never go down as a classic, and perhaps not even register in the consciousnesses of most FMers…but it’s a noteworthy entry into Bastardo’s Lore. We had two beautiful moments of Cali play, capitalised ruthlessly by Mateo Cardona’s untamed potential. It’s perhaps “what might have been” for Ruslan Chepiga’s Anzhi. There’s no doubting their work ethic and commitment for the shirt…but they have to be more clinical in future skirmishes. South American flair triumphant this time round: FC Anzhi Makhachkala 1-2 América de Cali.

The Gentleman of Cali

The day's events involving assassination plots, political intrigue and spectating football had left its toll on Ángel Bastardo, he was tired and weary. Yet he could not sleep. Wars would do that to a man. The battles might be over but Ángel would revist them over-and-over again, the men he had killed would be there in the dreams to keep him awake at night. He knew their faces as well as his own.

The silence in the room was broken however, with a deftly whisper…crisp and sharp like the deadliest of blades.

“Ángel” whispered Bastardo’s squire, Pablo Rodríguez, a young man who has made the trip down to Bastardo’s bed chambers late at night. He continued worriedly, ”Libya has fallen. All of the Maghreb has fallen”.

Ángel Bastardo’s pause was long and solemn, the anguish in his voice was clear as he grated out the words “El Diego?”

“Mendoza is in Arabia now. He’s held up there, it’s where we should go. The UN and the América are coming for La Plata. It’s only a matter of time before...”

As if by magic, and before Pablo Rodríguez could finish his sentence, Ruslan Chepiga emerged from the shadows in the room. His voice as cold as the night breeze hitting the window pane: "Sympathetic allies around the world are important for a burgeoning dictatorship my friends. Should you fall on hard times, you have my word, Mike According will help you. Do not hesitate to go back to Colombia with him at this very instance"

Bastardo turned to reach his gun, using the cocking handle as his aim met with Ruslan's eyes.

”Yes, Ruslan. I’ll go to Colombia, with The Gentleman of Cali.”

Pablo & Ruslan nodded as Bastardo holstered the gun onto his hip before careful placing the silkskin blazer onto his broad frame. All-out war had begun, Africa may fall and many will perish, but Ángel Bastardo had never looked so cool.

Note from the Editor - huge thanks to both Ruslan and Mike for coming on-board the Bastardo bandwagon and moving the story forward. It was great capturing their match and I hope others find it equally entertaining. If you do not already, go check out their work. They are two great FM storytellers who always make time to chat FM and are good guys:

Ruslan Chepiga / @FMEadster - fmeadster.wordpress.com

Mike According / @accordingtofm - accordingtofm.wordpress.com

As always, thanks for reading/sharing and caring.

FM Grasshopper

"Bastardo At War" #FM18 #FM19

October 12, 2018

Intro

The tanks rolled up outside the parliamentary buildings at midday, the country of Equatorial Katanga had been secured. 65 days of fighting was all it had taken to overrun the Central African country, 20,000 hired guns on the payroll of Ángel Bastardo had caught everybody by surprise. Not least the international community who were now frantically trying to understand who Ángel Bastardo was and what he represents.

The ex-manager of Estudiantes and Prince of La Plata was now an African king and the International Community was powerless to intervene, for Bastardo had bought his alliances: much of Northern Africa & Russia were now benefiting from a cut of the diamond trade. Half of the UN were also subject to underhand payments, “sweeteners”, taken directly from the Estudiantes accounts, ensuring that the world will sit quietly and watch this fibra revolution unfold.

Crowds of over 10,000 had gathered to see Bastardo remove himself from the ceremonial tank, emblazoned with the Estudiantes club logo, and walk up the parliament steps to take his first day in office. He would address the nation on TV, and all the nations immediately surrounding Katanga (renamed as The Democratic Republic of La Plata). Bastardo was here to stay, his career of club management was over, it was time to rule a nation.

Bastardo quickly needed a flag for the new Democratic Republic of La Plata. So he mocked up Liberia’s current flag and changed the colours to replicate Estudiantes de La Plata’s club logo. Et voilà !

When Bastardo Met Mendoza…again

One could be forgiven for thinking that Ángel Bastardo was now the most famous Argentine on African soil, but that special feat belonged to a talented manager a few thousand miles north on the Mediterranean Coast. They referred to him in Tripoli as ‘El Diego’…from the House Mendoza. A long-time ally of Bastardo since the early La Plata years and a loyal confidant.

Mendoza was critical in the African revolution of Katanga, offering a continental platform for Bastardo to consolidate his troops, recruiting mercenaries from around North Africa and the Middle East. Mendoza was the key to the rest of the World, providing the gateway to Europe and beyond. The cost to Bastardo was Mendoza’s hefty cut of the diamond trade…but effective alliances work both ways.

Some background as to why Mendoza was here in Tripoli, from the man himself:

“Africa…who the fuck has ever managed in Africa?!? After all there is only one out of the box African League which is South Africa so it’s not surprising that so few people have tried their hand at conquering this footballing continent.

In recent years though Claassen’s excellent league packs have opened up a whole new world of FM opportunities [You can find Claassen’s league packs here], one that I myself have embraced over the last few years. Now let’s be clear that what Claassen provides is just the league structure and competitions, he doesn’t touch any of the team or player data within that nation. I can’t blame him as that would make it even more of a mammoth task. Therefore, what I’ve done over the past few years is to try and do a bit of research myself to try and make sure the league I decide I’m going to play in is has some longevity. After all there is nothing worse than investing yourself in a save only to find out it’s a non-starter 1 or 2 seasons in.

Twitter is a wonderful place for doing this, I’m amazed at the quality of real-life football coverage that is available. I follow some fantastic twitter accounts that cover Iraqi football, Lebanese football, African football, Asian etc. I think it can be easy to get caught up in the European game and forget that football is a global game. Just because there isn’t maybe the same level of ability in other areas of the world, it doesn’t mean there isn’t the same history and passion of support seen at any of the more famous European clubs. Last year I had a fascinating save with Al Wahda in the UAE and although initially I returned to South America to manage Olimpia, I was still craving something different.

Africa in the Bastardo-Mendoza FM Universe.

What about Africa? I headed to my favourite place for inspiration…Wikipedia. I needed an interesting team, one that had a nice kit and more importantly had a decent fan base. I must have spent the best part of an hour browsing through various teams, I thought about Raja Casablanca in Morocco, Ittihad in Egypt and a few of the Nigerian teams…then I spotted Libya. Now for those of you that don’t know I’m quite interested in my Middle Eastern politics, having studied it at Uni. Libya has obviously had some tough times since the Civil War started in 2011 and the country still remains as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. The Libyan league itself is one of the strangest formats you’ll see, with teams playing in city groups before a playoff being played in neighbouring Tunisia to determine the overall winner. Stadium bans have only just been lifted but are still heavily restricted and teams cannot fly between cities due to the threat posed by rival militias anti-aircraft missiles.

Now prior to the civil war the Libyan football world was very different. For starters it was ridiculously corrupt and run fully by Colonel Ghaddafi’s son, you remember? The guy that played for Perugia back in the day? Despite the corruption, games used to bring in 50,000 plus supporters with the main stadiums in Tripoli holding up to 80,000 fans. People play FM in different ways and that is one of the great things about FM. Many like to play as realistically as they like and don’t touch the editor, I on the other hand like to mix things up a bit in order to hopefully boost my interest in the save. As such I quickly realised that only playing 20 games a season was going to becoming very boring very quickly. As such I decided to create my own fantasy Libya where the war had finished, stadiums were open to fans again and a proper football competition was created. I therefore changed the Libyan league format back to a standard 20 team format with a 2nd division also containing 20 teams. I reinstated the Libyan League cup and Libyan Cup that had not been played since before the war to give some variety to the competitions we’d play in each season. I also thought about the player restrictions for each competition that forced teams into playing and developing Libyan players but also not so restrictive that the AI couldn’t cope with them as was the problem during my time in the UAE. One thing I also like to do is set the Youth contract age to 14 which means that any newgens will arrive aged 14 or 15 rather than 16 or 17. I like this primarily because it feels like I have more opportunity to develop and mould my youngsters into the Mendoza way. Plus, everyone loves a story about a 14-year-old Hugo Ojeda or Rais Salah making his debut and impressing.

Editing the Newgen minimum age in the FM Editor.

So I was set, just needed to pick a team.

Al-Ahli Sports Club Tripoli

Play in green kits made my Adidas – Tick
Play in the 80,000 seater stadium 11th June, Tripoli - Tick
Good fan base – Tick
Watch a few highlight videos of them on YouTube and like what I see – Off we go then.

And the rest as they say is history.” D.Mendoza

The Greatest Team in the World?

Yes, Mendoza certainly did make history in Africa. 5 years, 5 leagues wins and 22 cup trophies and a chance for a 23rd on the greatest stage: the Club World Cup Final. Bastardo had taken time away from ruling The Democratic Republic of La Plata to watch from the stands in Canada to see Al-Ahli Sports Club take on Tottenham Hotspur of England. Cue some FM analysis…

Al-Ahli relentless

Mendoza's Al-Ahli are vastly different to Bastardo's Estudiantes, most notable is the amount of attacking duties placed into the Mendoza's 4-2-3-1 narrow formation. 5 of the 10 outfield players are set to attack. The marauding wingbacks of Gastón Silva & Issifu Maman are known for creating effective overloads in attacking spaces. Their movement into the attacking third creating opportunities for the tricky AMC trio of: Ramírez, Cardona and Giménez (two Shadow Strikers either side of an Enganche). When Al-Ahli were hot, they were scintillating.

It was clear from the onset that Al-Ahli were not here to make up the numbers, their constant pressing and tight marking were leaving no room for Tottenham, who lined up in a 5-2-2-1, to breathe and take time on the ball. The left and right sided attacking midfielders (Ramírez & Giménez) were supremely effective at man marking Tottenham’s full backs.

Below is an example at how selfless the attacking midfielders work. Ramírez (11) tracking back deep into his own half when out of possession to man mark. However, when possession is regained, and Al-Ahli have the ball, Ramírez’s natural reaction is to run back into a central position. Likewise Wing Back Silva (3) is bombing forward, overloading the midfield. Time and time again the AML/AMR sacrificial behaviour was thwarting Tottenham and in turn creating opportunities when the ball was back with the Libyans.

15 mins - AMC man marking on the DL/DR at work

15 mins - Al Ahli’s DL/AMC movement when in possession

31 mins - GOAL - Al-Ahli (1-0)

A good corner delivery from Mateo Cardona saw Gino Hurtado leap highest against Harry Kane and Jorge Meré…the resulting knockdown was hammered home by Jair Rodríguez. It’s what the game needed after a relatively tight 30 mins.

Risk Vs Reward

Mendoza’s attacking spearhead of Miranda as the Deep Lying Forward on Support duty was immensely effective at drawing out Tottenham’s Centre Backs. Miranda would often drop deep to link with Enganche Mateo Cardona in the AMC strata, allowing Ramírez and Giménez the licence to roam forward.

Miranda’s role this evening was to provide link up, which meant he rarely got in behind the Tottenham back line, except one time on 53 minutes. Cardona putting great through ball into Miranda meaning a 1:1 situation occurred between the Bolivian and Frenchman Hugo Lloris. It was a Clear Cut Chance (CCC) spurned by Al-Ahli, with Lloris making the save.

Miranda’s performance once again typified the sacrifices made from players under the Mendoza regime. His prevailing movement away from goal meant he only managed 4 touches in the opposition penalty area and only another 57 elsewhere on the pitch before being substituted on 73 mins (15-year-old Rais Salah his replacement). A direct contrast to the likes of Giménez who managed 220 touches in the on-rushing Shadow Striker role (admittedly he played the whole game). It’s a demonstration of how roles (such as the quartet above) work as a collective, rather than in isolation.

At 57% possession, Al-Ahli’s chance creation was really good for supposedly underdogs. The Libyan high line and constant intensity continued to frustrate Tottenham throughout. Unfortunately for Mendoza though, yet another CCC was spurned on 70 minutes: Newgen Juan Campo playing an exquisite through ball into Cardona. Another 1:1 with Lloris, only this time the Frenchman did not need to save…Cardona’s shot would drag wide. It was the third golden opportunity of the night and Al-Ahli really should have been at least two or three goals up by now.

Despite the Cardona miss and a temptation to become more reserved with 20 minutes to go, Mendoza’s boys continued to attack. Wing-Backs Maman and Silva frequently advancing into the Tottenham half, which highlights Al-Ahli’s biggest strength…and also their greatest weakness. Mendoza's 4-2-3-1 narrow had its flaws and it was quite obvious when you consider the use of double Wing Backs on attack duty. If the Shadow Strikers or the Wing Backs were too far forward when out of possession, a gaping hole is left for opponent wingers to exploit. One teasing cross and good attacking movement and Tottenham could be in against Mendoza's less-than agile Centre Back pairing.

That’s exactly what happened with 6 minutes remaining on the clock, the space left wide open by Maman was exploited by Tottenham’s Spanish Left Back Aarón. His cross eventually finding its way to Marcus Edwards to level the tie.

84 mins - GOAL - Tottenham (1-1)

But the best chance of the 90 minutes was yet to come, Tottenham’s Martin Ødegaard threading a fine ball into Marcus Edwards who bent his run perfectly to stay onside. With Al-Ahli’s backline sleeping, Marcus Edwards only had Argentine Goalkeeper Fernando Monetti to beat. SAVED. It would end 1-1 on 90 minutes. Mendoza’s men perhaps feeling fortunate to have survived that late scare.

Extra Time
At this point of the match, Tottenham were becoming increasingly tired. It’s no surprise then that on 95 minutes the industrious Newgen Juan Campo converted 15-year-old prodigy Rais Salah’s fine run and cross. Special vindication for Mendoza who took the bold move of taking record goal scorer Miranda off…for a young boy!

95 mins - GOAL - Al-Ahli (2-1)

Despite Tottenham needing a goal, and a new energy and fresh impetus, they stuck with the three central defenders (which included David Alaba). They seemed void of new ideas, and I am surprised they didn’t push the Austrian maestro further forward.

A chance did come in the form of a free kick on minute 107. Once again it was David Alaba who was ignored in favour of Marcus Edwards, whose freekick was fired a few centimetres away from the post. Fernando Monetti well and truly beaten but Al-Ahli continued to lead 2-1.

With 10 minutes to go Diego Mendoza continued with the 4-2-3-1 narrow…with slight tweaks to player mentalities. The Wing Backs now both on Defend duty and the Central Midfielders both dropping to DM. However, that didn’t stop substitute midfielder Landry Koné taking a needless pot shot from the breakdown of an Al-Ahli corner (long shots are a heredity trait in any Diego Mendoza team). Both Al-Ahli Centre Backs were sent up-field in this nonsensical attacking corner routine and now they had to run the length of the field to get back into position. With fullbacks covering, Hugo Lloris took advantage and picked out Cristian Eriksen, who in turn showed real quality to find an on-rushing Marcus Edwards. It was 2v2…

With pace and precision, Edwards finds Croatian Šime Vrsaljko (2) who duly places it into the net. It’s 2-2 in the cruellest of ways, with the goal clocked at 120+1 minutes.

120+1 mins - GOAL - Tottenham (2-2)

Penalties

So, ten Al-Ahli players with a Penalty Taking attribute score under 10. Surely this was merely an exercise we had to get through to see Tottenham claim the Club World Cup trophy? Think again, Mendoza’s boys (I really mean boys) stepped up and delivered. This included 15-year-old Rais Salah who covered his penalty like a seasoned professional. It was 21-year-old Tashan Oakley-Boothe who missed the decisive spot kick for Spurs, Fernando Monetti the hero of Tripoli. 4-3 on penalties. Diego Mendoza’s Al-Ahli were Club World Cup Winners.

Al-Ahli 2-2 Tottenham AET (Al-Ahli win 4-3 on penalties)

If my words, images and GIFs are not enough to recapture this epic match of Football Manager, then have a watch of the fine video that good friend Ted Redwood has put together for Diego Mendoza. It’s a great tribute to what was a roller-coaster of emotions on the night, thanks Ted.

Just make sure you listen all the way to the last 20 seconds…

Post-match interview with Diego Mendoza

AB: Diego, just wow. This was truly one of the most remarkable games of FM I have witnessed. What were your thoughts after both Tottenham equalisers?

DM: Ángel, after the first equaliser I was angry, the second I was distraught but at the final whistle I was elated. I love this team but my God do they take me on an emotional roller-coaster. The mental side of the game is something I spend a lot of time on. I’m forever shouting from the touch line to concentrate and continually reiterate the need to use our brains on the pitch. The two goals conceded today came from lapses of concentration and the lads know that despite the win they’ll be in for a bollocking come Monday for that.

AB: Who impressed you the most out there?

DM: I could say any number of players as we were excellent for 118 minutes today. For me though the unsung hero was Ahmed Moied. 18 years old and tasked with keeping Tottenham’s attacking midfield quiet and he did exactly that. He’s one of a number of young Libyan players in this side to get excited about despite not being as glamorous as the likes of Al Hark or Salah. He’s come along leaps and bounds this season and forms an excellent midfield partnership with Juan Campo. The CWC performance and win was the icing on the cake for his season.

AB: Rais Salah. 15 years old. How far can he go in the global game?

DM: Rais Salah is a great prospect and certainly has the potential to be the greatest ever Libyan footballer. He’s had a tough year after breaking every record going last season as a 14-year-old. But now aged 15 he has mostly been injured. He’d only just got back to full fitness in time for the CWC. It was a bold move to throw him on for Bruno but I’m a big believer that players learn best playing in pressure situations in important matches. He showed he’s got the talent and mentality today with his assist and penalty. He’ll go far.

Sadly I don’t think I’ll be around to see it...

Return to The Democratic Republic of La Plata

Bastardo & Mendoza returning to La Plata (AFR) on the back of a Toyota Hilux. FM18 is complete.

With the Club World Cup title sealed, Bastardo & Mendoza returned to Africa victorious on the promise that the revenue earned would be reinvested into homeland security. This meant a second wave of reinforcements into La Plata (AFR), repelling any partisan resistance that remained in the state.

It remains unclear as to what Bastardo’s end game is in Africa after the second wave is triumphant, but you can be sure that Diego Mendoza will have a role to play in whatever comes next.

If Katanga can fall…so could the Republic of Aswijan. The FM Community held its breath…

Ángel Bastardo & Diego Mendoza