5 ex-Hoppers to bring back in #FM16

October 23, 2015

Today's blog outlines my top 5 staff targets who can count Grasshopper Club Zürich (GCZ) as one of their ex-clubs. As you may be aware, my FM16 challenge sees me do my utmost at developing youth and making the club sustainable. It will be a style similar to Ajax, where 1-2 young players are expected to be breaking into the first team every couple of years. Therefore I need ex-pros who have been at the club and can contribute to the evolution of GCZ. Disclaimer: one or more of these players are not considered 'Club Legends' and they may also be unattainable in FM16 for a number of reasons. There is a possibility I sign none of these ex-players. Anyway, here we go:

5 - Alain Sutter

At 5 we have a Club Legend. Alain Sutter played 8 years in the GCZ 1st team and became one of the most well known Swiss players in Europe during the 1990s. Unfortunately Sutter's in game stats in FM15 reflect a very average coach:

4 - Stéphane Chapuisat

At 4 we have another player who contributed to many good memories for GCZ fans. After winning the Champions League and Bundesliga with Dortmund, Stéphane Chapuisat signed for GCZ. He won the 2000-01 title and maintained a goals to games ratio (in league) of 1.5 during his 3 year spell. After this he made the rather awkward move to Young Boys (where he now acts as their Chief Scout). Maybe not a popular choice in game, he does have respectable scouting stats. Signing him would also weaken Young Boys at the same time!

3 - Hakan Yakin

Anybody who has read my 'Return Of The Enganche' blog knows that I am in admiration for the playmakers. Hakin Yakin is one such example. Elegant on the ball, with an eye for a pass and goal, Hakan developed into one of the best Swiss playmakers whilst at GCZ. His obvious love is his hometown club, FC Basel, but I still think he could be persuaded to join my GCZ revolution. Again his stats are average in FM15:

2 - Richard Núñez

Winner of GCZ's last title in 2002-03, Richard Núñez's playmaking and finishing ability was of the highest calibre. He contributed to a massive 81 league goals in 113 league games and was highly sought after in Europe. Atlético de Madrid made their move in 2004, but the move was a failure (11 apps and 2 goals in La Liga). In 2005, Richard Núñez moved to Mexico where he spent 3 successful years. Now into his 40th year, Richard Núñez is still playing in his native Uruguay. For this reason he does not make the top spot, but you can guarantee I will be keeping a close eye in FM16 if he decides to retire and subsequently stay in the game...

1 - Blaise Nkufo

You may forgive GCZ fans for forgetting about Blaise Nkufo as he is in no way a legend. He played a total of 18 league games scoring 4 times. But he did go on to play in the FIFA 2010 World Cup for Switzerland and propel himself to legendary status at FC Twente (where Blaise Nkufo scored 114 league goals in 223 games becoming their all-time leading goalscorer).

So why try to sign Blaise Nkufo for GCZ? Well, his experiences across 4 continents will help boost GCZ's global scouting pool: (below).

Blaise Nkufo was born in Africa, played in Asia, Europe & North America - the definition of a journeyman.

I hope you enjoyed the more jovial nature of this week's blog post. There is a strong possibility that next week may see the release of FM16's Beta. This will signal the onslaught of a lot of scouting and player reviews from me. So for now...make the most of the 'other' parts of your life, speak to your partners, watch films...because FM16 is coming!

Consider Natural Fitness in #FM16, before it's too late

October 16, 2015

Each FMer will have their own opinion on what is the single most important attribute for a player in Football Manager. But there is one attribute that if often overlooked by the masses: natural fitness (NF). How do I know this? Well take a look at the SI forums in 4 weeks time, where I guarantee you will find numerous threads detailing an overabundance of injuries once FM16 launches.

NF is several things, but it primarily indicates as to how quickly a player recovers between matches. The word 'between' is key here, because the stamina attribute relates to fitness (and the depletion of it) within games. A fit player (let's say Sylvain Distin who has a 20 in NF in FM15) is like a top of the range lithium battery who has an abundance of fitness-capacity to play matches every 3 days. Whereas Adriano (the Parma/Inter one - who has a NF of 1 in FM15) is akin to a Triple A dry cell battery...he's at 50% fitness at Full Time and can no way recover and play within 3-5 days.

One of the first things to look for when assessing your new squad is reviewing each player's natural fitness. This is important. Why? Well I argue 3 important reasons:

(1) It will highlight WHERE you need to strengthen

You may have 4 adequate 1st team central midfielders playing in a 4-4-2, which seems enough cover for a long season. However, if 3 of these have poor NF (< 5) you may want to consider a strict rotation policy or even additional resources.

(2) It will indicate where to focus special training

Players of low NF will need to be managed correctly. Overworking them in training will mean they are jaded come match day. Not only does this mean they will perform poorly on the pitch, they are increasingly susceptible to injuries. This is the reason players like Craig Bellamy and Ledley King had reduced training programmes in their playing careers. If you plan on playing FM correctly, you ought to have a specialist training regime for these kind of players. This approach of reducing a player's training is known as Periodisation. The Dutch Fitness Coach, Raymond Verheijen details Periodisation here. One quote in particular from that BBC article has stuck with me since reading it 5 years ago. It changed my view of how I should approach training in Football Manager...forever:

"A lot of coaches treat players the same way, whatever their age, whatever their body composition, whatever their injury history, whatever their playing position"

At the time of reading, I was one of those coaches. My training was a 'one size fits all approach' and I suspect a lot of the fledging FMers who complain about injuries in November will be of the same ilk. By considering NF, you will be given a clear indication of whom to manage differently.

(3) It will highlight WHEN you need to strengthen

I have already explained above that NF will show you where you need to strengthen, in order to cope with a testing season. NF will also indicate the longevity of a player and when you should ideally strengthen. NF dictates how soon a player's prime will end. High NF means that a player has a higher chance of remaining competitive after his 29-30s. An example of this is aforementioned 37 year old Sylvain Distin who, with a NF of 20, has managed an average of 33 Premier League appearances in the last 14 campaigns (since 2001/02). That's 457 apps out of a possible 532.

If you have players with high NF, then consider hanging on to them for a bit longer. On the other hand, if your player is low in NF and is nearing 30...you may want to considering cashing in.

Summary

Caio - A headache for any fitness savvy FMer

With the release of FM16 nearing, I have already started making a list of areas and players I feel may need reviewing with the 3 items above in mind. One player that needs both extra attention and a realistic assessment is Caio (above screenshot), who was mentioned in my Enganche blogpost. Caio's NF of 4 has left me worrying for what lies ahead in FM16. He will be unable to play twice a week and he is already 29 years of age. My Enganche role will help him (as he is not required to move much in the match engine) but I will need a specialist training regime laid out early on in my save. This is a great example of why I feel NF needs to be considered from the onset of your FM16 save. Good luck and thanks for reading.

FM Grasshopper

My #FM16 'Grasshopper challenge'

October 9, 2015

This week's blog sets out my challenges in FM16. If it has not been apparent until now, I will be managing Grasshopper Club Zürich (GCZ) in FM16. If you want to understand why, read my first ever blog post here.

I will make the below article a persistent part of my website nearer to the release date of FM16 (13 November 2015). Failure in any aspect will not result in me ditching the save...I simply wish to complete as much of the below within the documented timeframes.

Here we go...

Short term challenges (Seasons 1 to 3) 2015/16 until 2017/18

GCZ's immediate priority for the 15/16 season is to finish in the European Places (1st-4th) in the Swiss Super League. The club's finances are rather fragile and there is an expectation that a major sale may be a necessity every summer. Therefore, my short term challenges below for Seasons 1 to 3 are perhaps the most testing. Not only do I want to beat Basel to the league title within the first 3 seasons, I also want to compete in the Champions League Group Stage.

I have also set the target of improving the facilities at the club (either Youth or Training) in order to help with the challenges further on in this save. The sooner I can start producing and nurturing young talent...the more successful (and sustainable) I will be.

You will also note I have placed restrictions, in both wage structure and net transfer spend. This will force me to be prudent and should set me up well for the challenges ahead.

Challenges:

Win the Swiss Cup
Win the Swiss Super League
Reach a surplus of £10m in the bank
Compete in the Champions League Group Stages
Improve the Youth or Training facilities

Restrictions:

(1) Maintain a strict wage policy - not exceeding a player wage of £15k per week before tax.

(2) Do not exceed net transfer spend of £5m in a season

Mid-term challenges (Seasons 4 to 8) 2018/19 until 2022/23

If I am lucky enough to be in the GCZ dugout for the 2018/19 season, it is hoped I can begin Phase II of my FM16 challenge: domestic dominance with regular European appearances. A real test for title winning teams is whether they can defend their league title the following season. This is a measure of good teams compared to great ones. During this 5 year period, it is also hoped that I will start to see the fruits of my labour with regards to youth development. I therefore would like to push myself to developing 5 International capped players. These must be newgens.

GCZ's philosophy from Day 1 of the save will be to develop players through the youth system. As a result, I have placed rather tight restrictions on transfer spend and wages. I have also introduced a requirement of having at least 5 Homegrown GCZ Newgens*in the match day for domestic games. What qualifies as 'Homegrown' is below in the notes section. This restriction will allow me to blood the youngsters in early and hopefully assist their development. In real life this season we see GCZ currently doing this, with the likes of Alpsoy, Gjorgjev and Tarashaj featuring regularly in the 1st team.

Challenges:

Win two consecutive Swiss Super Leagues
Win the Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup (Domestic Double) in a single season
Compete in the Champions League Knockout Stages
Produce 5 players (Newgens) and see them become International capped players whilst at GCZ
Reach a surplus of £30m in the bank

Restrictions:

(1) Do not exceed net transfer spend of £15m in a season.

(2) Wage policy - not exceeding a player wage of £30k per week before tax.

(3) At least 5 Homegrown GCZ Newgens* must be in the match day squad for each domestic match (league and cup)

Long term challenges (Seasons 9+) From 2023/24

From 2023/24 I will either be a distant memory of GCZ's chequered past OR hopefully their legendary manager. Let's take the view that I have gone some way to completing the above challenges. 2023/24 therefore will be my endgame. There are no restrictions as to when I have to complete the below challenges but I still wish to be frugal with net transfer spend (because I am tight like that) and I still wish to be true to the overall philosophy of the club by developing youth.

What I really hope to complete within the below is seeing GCZ move into a new stadium. Purpose built for them and only them. As to whether I complete any of the rest, you will all just have to follow my story on the blog or on Twitter: @FM_Grasshopper.

Challenges:

Produce and develop a Newgen, through the club's youth intake, and see them go on to become a Ballon d'Or winner (either at the club or elsewhere)
Win the Champions League, Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup in a single season
Win the Club World Cup
Commission a new all-seater stadium for GCZ
Improve the Youth and Training Facilities to World Class

Restrictions:

(1) Do not exceed net transfer spend of £40m in a season.

(2) At least 8 Homegrown GCZ Newgens* must be in the match day squad for each domestic (league and cup) AND Champions League matches. 5 of these must be Swiss nationality

Notes

(1) I will document when I have completed certain challenges in my save on the persistent part of my website. I will document if certain items are also achieved in advanced of the planned timeframes. However, if a challenge is achieved after the planned timeframe I will not count it e.g. Winning the Swiss Cup for the first time in Season 4. For those challenges that can be achieved in a single occurrence, they will looks similar to this:

Compete in the Champions League Knockout Stages - achieved on September 2017 <screenshot>

*A home-grown player will be defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with Grasshopper Club Zürich, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the Season during which he turns 21).

Introducing Loïc Swartzendruber, GCZ's new manager

October 2, 2015

Last week I wrote about how you should consider spending time on setting up your manager's in game attributes, ensuring you invest in the right places to suit your save. This week's blog is more roleplay orientated: spending a great deal of time introducing you to Loïc Swartzendruber, Grasshopper Club Zürich's new manager for FM16.

Early life

Loïc Swartzendruber was born on 02 March 1976 in Lucerne, Switzerland, to Gerhard and Hélène Swartzendruber. Loïc is the first son of their three children and has German and French ancestry due to his parents being born outside of Switzerland. According to his father, Loïc was introduced to football at an early age and was taken to his father's favoured team: SC Freiburg.

Lucerne: Loïc Swartzendruber's hometown — Lucerne: Loïc Swartzendruber's hometown

Playing Career

Swartzendruber was a product of the Fussball-Club Luzern youth system and showed great potential in his formative years. Originally playing as a Centre Forward, Swartzendruber broke several youth team records for goals scored in a season [39] at the age of 14. Although only appearing 5 times in the First Team [3 starts and 2 subs]. Swartzendruber caught the eye of AS Monaco, then managed by Arsene Wenger, and decided to leave Stadion Allmend at the age of 16 in 1992.

AS Monaco was home to Swartzendruber during his teenage years

Wenger saw a genuine talent in Swartzendruber and moved him deeper into an attacking midfielder role. After spending the 1992/93 season in Monaco's development squad, Swartzendruber made his first start for Monaco in a 2-1 win against Martigues in December 1993. His first goal came against Auxerre from a free kick, a game in which Monaco won 5-0. Swartzendruber finished the season with 5 goals, playing with world class talents such as Jürgen Klinsmann and Youri Djorkaeff. A poor start to the 1994–95 season meant Wenger was dismissed on 17 September 1994, with the team in 17th spot in the table.

The next two years saw great turmoil at the club, with AS Monaco appointing 4 managers in a two year period. Swartzendruber's form and playing time deteriorated as a result. A good start to the 1995/96 season under Jean Tigana's tutelage saw Swartzendruber score 2 in the first 4 games of the season, before he broke his ankle in two places. As a result of the horror challenge on Swartzendruber, Auxere's Antoine Sibierski received a 5 match suspension.

The 10 month recovery time scuppered any chances of a widely tipped Euro 96 Swiss National team call up for Swartzendruber, who was widely regarded as Switzerland's brightest talent. At the age of 20 years old, Loïc Swartzendruber faced his biggest challenge in football.

For the 1996/97 season, Swartzendruber was loaned to French 2nd Division side
Red Star F.C in Paris. Struggling for fitness, Swartzendruber made 10 starts but neither AS Monaco and Red Star would pursue a contract beyond the 1996/97 season.

In the Autumn of 1997, Swartzendruber moved to MLS Cup holders D.C United to play in the 2nd season of the newly launched Major League Soccer. Working with upcoming US coach, Bruce Arena, Swartzendruber played a pivtol role in helping D.C. United maintain an early lead in the Eastern Conference with 6 goals before December. However, an x-ray after a match against Columbus Crew highlighted critical damage in the troublesome ankle. Swartzendruber underwent surgery in Washington, US and would be out for the remainder of the season. D.C United decided not to renew their 1 year contract.

Loïc Swartzendruber (now 22) spent the whole of 1998 recuperating in his native Switerzland, before signing an 18 month deal with his hometown Fussball-Club Luzern. During this time, Swartzendruber played mostly as a shadow striker and contributed 10 goals over 20 games. Despite a restricted training regime due to the troublesome ankle, German cub SSV Ulm 1846 (then playing in 2. Bundlesiga) announced the free transfer in July 2000. Despite being relegated in his first season, Loïc Swartzendruber became a fan favourite with his flair and technique. At 25 years old, playing in German's Regionalliga (then 3rd tier) Swartzendruber broke his ankle for the third time and was told to quit professional football.

The scan released by SSV Ulm 1846 of Swartzendruber's 3rd ankle injury in 2000

Statistics

1991/92 Fussball-Club Luzern 5 apps, 0 goals

1992/93 AS Monaco 0 apps, 0 goals

1993/94 AS Monaco 22 apps, 5 goals

1994/95 AS Monaco 9 apps, 1 goals

1995/96 AS Monaco 4 apps, 2 goals

1996/97 Red Star FC 10 apps, 4 goals

1997/98 D.C. United 10 apps, 7 goals

1998/99 Fussball-Club Luzern 4 apps, 2 goals

1999/2000 Fussball-Club Luzern 16 apps, 8 goals

2000/2001 SSV Ulm 1846 12 apps, 4 goals

2001/2002 SSV Ulm 1846 16 apps, 10 goals

All time record: 108 apps, 43 goals

Post-playing career

After retiring in 2002 Swartzendruber took three years out from football. During this time he completed an Economics degree at the Institut d'études politiques in Rennes, France. In 2005 Swartzendruber was appointed as a youth technical coach at Arsenal FC in London. This reunited Swartzendruber with Arsene Wenger, who had worked together over a decade earlier at AS Monaco. Speaking about his appointment in 2005, Swartzendruber said:

"I spoke to my ex-agent who gave me Arsene's private number. I kept that number in my wallet for 2 weeks before calling. Would he remember me? Would he care?

He invited me to London Colney straight away and was keen to discuss football, both philosophy and tactics. He had followed my progress across America and Germany. I was amazed and humbled.

Wenger said I had disappointments that other players will never have. This is not a weakness but a strength in management"

London Colney - Arsenal's training centre where Loïc Swartzendruber has honed his coaching skills

During his contract with Arsenal, Swartzendruber is credited to have helped local English talents breaking into the First Team, such as Jack WIlshere and Kieran Gibbs. In 2014 Swartzendruber successfully completed his UEFA Pro Licence, allowing him to manage a the top level of a nation's league system on a permanent basis. On July 01 2015 Loïc Swartzendruber, aged 39, was appointed manager of Grasshopper Club Zürich, Switzerland.

Quotes on Swartzendruber

"Despite his debilitating ankle injury, Swartzendruber is the perfect No.10. A pleasure to watch for both fans and coaches" Bruce Arena 1997

"He was very much in my plans for Euro 96. I spoke with him at length after his injury and we always hoped he would come back to play consistently" Roy Hodgson 1998

"Loïc Swartzendruber was the most technically gifted teenager of his generation. I have no doubt he would have gone on to become a world class attacker" - Arsene Wenger 2005

"There is no doubt in my mind that Loïc Swartzendruber will make a great insightful Football Manager. Even at 16/17 he was telling us where to run and what to do in games" Jürgen Klinsmann 2015

Investing in the right places: Manager attributes in FM

September 25, 2015

Sports Interactive have announced that Football Manager 2016 will offer players the chance to create how their manager looks on the touchline. I suspect many long time players will treat this new feature with a certain amount of apathy. There is also a danger that players new to FM16 may become too concerned about how their players appear and overlook the other parts of the manager creation set up. This week I argue the importance of thinking a bit deeper about setting the right manager attributes and how you ought to think about your new save prior to starting out. Knowing what kind of manager you want to be, and where you want to go, can have a huge impact on the importance of certain attributes.

When starting a new game on FM15 you are given a certain amount of manager points to invest in both coaching and mental attributes. The number of points allocated to you depends on your coaching badges and past playing experience, as below:

There is no right or wrong experience to choose, it depends on your save and whether you want realism or add a certain degree of role play to your manager. For instance, I only ever played to Sunday League level...but I always suit my past experience to the level of which I am managing at e.g. Bromley - Semi Pro, Exeter - Regional Pro and Man Utd - Intl footballer.

What kind of manager do you need to be from Day 1?

The first thing I would ask new FMers to think about is whether they are in a position to distance themselves from training. For instance you could be managing a huge club like Real Madrid, where an exceptional level of training already occurs. If your new save sees you managing a cash strapped Torquay Utd...then you may not be able to employ good coaches. The focus is then on you to invest some of your finite points on the green coaching attributes above.

Some FMers also consult the game editors or programmes such as FM Scout to see player current ability/potential ability as well as hidden stats and player sale values. (There is nothing wrong with taking this advantage, as long as your fictional FM world is played out where all human managers know that these are being used). If these are being used, then there is absolutely no need to invest in the Player Knowledge or Youngster Knowledge attributes. It can also be argued that those managing higher reputable clubs, with extensive scouting networks, OR those disabling attribute masking do not need such a high number in these attributes.

Some players (which sometimes include me depending on the save) dislike the repetitive nature of team talks and team meetings and thus delegate this work to the Assistant Manager. If you fit this mould then the motivating attribute can be reduced, providing your have a decent assistant manager and coaches who have high values in motivating.

Where do you want to go?

Some players adore the 'Journeyman save', where a number of leagues are loaded and players can drift from one challenge to the next in an existing FM Universe. If this sounds fun to you (and it is), then you may want to consider investing in the Adaptability attribute. Being adaptable will increase your chances of being offered work abroad. However if you intend on being a 'One Club Man' like I do in FM16 with Grasshopper Club Zürich, consider reducing your investment in this attribute.

It is also worth noting that FM15 allowed managers to go on coaching courses to improve their manager attributes. Providing your club has (1) enough budget and (2) can temporarily compensate a reduced contribution from your coaching stats whilst you're at college, then you may consider reducing some attributes to around 16-17. This will then give you a chance to improve to 20 in the coming months/years.

I hope this week's blog will lead others to think about their attributes before diving head first into a save. I now leave you with a quick quiz of guessing the three managers below, solely from their attributes (the names of the managers are in binary below each image, to translate visit here). Clue: they all currently manage in the English Premier League as of 25 September 2015.

Good luck, FM Grasshopper