"Fibra of The Future" - Fame & Fibra in La Plata - Season 2 #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity

December 9, 2016

October 2017

Today's blog post seeks to outline my methods of finding 'fibra' within the Youth Intakes of South America during the Autumn of 2017. As you may be aware, fibra is a precious commodity that I have defined in FM17 as high scores in: Aggression, Determination, Teamwork & Workrate. Players who will run themselves into the ground during matches, embracing the never-say-die attitude of Estudiantes de La Plata (EdlP) and anti-fútbol in general. Let's begin...

2017 Regen Dates in South America

Like the other Continents in FM17, South American countries very rarely have the same Youth Intake date as each other. Colombia for example have their intake 8 months before the majority of other South American countries. The country I am managing in for FM17, Argentina, is also early (July). Below are the dates for 2017, for more information on future dates and other Continents, I recommend checking out Passion4FootballManager's site here.

Argentina - 31 July 2017
Bolivia - 24 September 2017
Brazil - 11 September 2017
Chile - 19 September 2017
Colombia - 06 January 2017
Ecuador - 24 September 2017
Paraguay - 24 September 2017
Peru - 14 September 2017
Uruguay - 20 July 2017
Venezuela - 24 September 2017

To clarify - a Youth Intake Day is the annual date where clubs will receive generated players into your u18 teams. The make-up of these youngsters is dependent on a lot of things including (but not limited to): Affiliate Clubs, Coaching Staff employed by the Club and a Club's Youth Recruitment rating. There's also an element of luck and no Youth Intake will ever be the same. It's the joy of FM for me, the unpredictability of how the future plays out. A nation might get lucky and have 2-3 special talents that can affect the Global Game...like with South Africa in my FM16 Grasshoppers save...who went on to win the 2022 World Cup!

Now that my save has progressed as far as October 2017, every South American club has had a Youth Intake and their 'stock' can be reviewed (and possibly poached). I will now go on to outlining the various approaches I use: (1) Player Search (2) Club by Club search and (3) Youth Intake View. Please note - there is no right or wrong way to approach this...it's mainly on how you want to find them and how much time you have.

Disclaimer: 'Time' is the reason why I have opted for turning attribute masking 'off' in my saves, I have a full time job and young family. Therefore my three methods below are for the more streamlined player....please don't hate on me...

(1) Player Search

This is perhaps the easiest and time saving option. It's mainly dependent on having the most appropriate Search Filters that make sense to you. But be aware that not all players will show up on this screen if your Nation knowledge is not 100%. To discover what nations you have 100% knowledge about visit the Scouting/Knowledge tab:

You can see from the above that I have 67% knowledge of South America. But already 100% in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.

So if I am happy with 67% knowledge of South America as a search pool, I can search Youngsters (up to 17 years old) on the Fibra framework: at least '10' in each of Aggression, Determination, Teamwork & Work Rate...

I can systemically drill down and review talents. I can also tweak the search further and solely search on the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, where I have 100% knowledge.

But there's often the niggling feeling that I could miss out on a potential talent from the hideaways within the Andes. I therefore move on to a more laborious task of the 'Club by Club' search.

(2) Club by Club search

So with fibra in mind, this is what I do:

Go to a Nation's page.
Click on one of the major clubs.
Navigate to their U18s/u20s.
Sort by one of the fibra attributes.
Use the up and down arrows to jump between youth teams in different clubs. Until a diamond in the rough grabs my attention.

It's a nice little technique, where I get to see the other clubs around South America. But it runs the risk of me missing out on a decent Regen...because like technique (1), I am solely looking at the Mental attributes within the fibra model. So this brings me on to my 3rd and final method...which is quite a tiring process (but also rewarding)...

(3) Youth Intake View

Probably the most time intensive method I use is to scroll through the Youth Intake by a chosen month. To see ALL of the Youth Intakes in a nation click on 'World' and then 'Transfers'. The default view will probably be set to 'All Transfers'. Change this to 'Youth Intake'.

Below is an example of me checking out Colombia, which have their intake in January 2017.

You can see that my cursor is hovering on the 'i' to bring the pop-up screen showing everything I need...Technical/Mental/Physical attributes AND Personality. If the player perhaps doesn't quite have the fibra but the Personality to develop it...I scout them to know more.

I do this for a time...but after viewing a few hundred players, I eventually get tired and seek to play a match (or two)!

Fibra targets

So the above searches have yielded a few talents, and I'll show four of them today. I will seek to sign them in the Summer of 2018 (as I don't want to waste my 2 transfer slots in Argentina's Restrictive Winter Transfer Window). They are:

Osvaldo di Santo - Boca Juniors (Fibra: 53)

Probably the hardest one to sign will be Osvaldo di Santo who is already valued at £300k and who plays for Boca Juniors. He looks like a special player, Osvaldo has 53 fibra and some nice Technical attributes like Dribbling, Finishing and Technique. I also like a Brave player, which contemplates the fibra model too.

Daniel García Mancini - Club Atlético Huracán (Fibra: 58)

Daniel García Mancini offers an abundance of fibra for someone at such a young age. With his Passing being so strong, he is probably suited to the middle of the pitch...although I am worried about his Bravery and Positioning. He might have to be a luxury AMC player...which currently does not fit into my system. I will keep a close eye on his development.

Emiliano Soto - Club Atlético Chacarita Juniors (Fibra: 46)

Anybody who knows me in real life knows that I LOVE two-footed players. Being two-footed makes a player better in real life AND in Football Manager (although not without some problems in FM as I discussed last year here). Emiliano Soto looks a real talent from the Argentine Second Division. Combine his two footedness with the already strong Finishing and Technique and we might have a special player. Definitely one to watch, which many could overlook.

William - Grêmio (Fibra: 59)

Brazilian Centre Backs often get an unfair treatment in the modern game. Normally assumed to have good ball retention skills without people actually ever seeing them play. I often hear the same shit in the Emirates when a few overly harsh fans moan at Gabriel Paulista's rigidness at dribbling or playing the limited CB role alongside Laurent Koscielny. William looks a bit like this, with poor Composure and Vision. he will never be a Ball Playing Defender But what he does have is fibra and I am quite keen to have him join 'Team Bastardo'.

Meet: Jorge Rodríguez

Estudiantes de La Plata (Fibra: 64)

But the real fibra whore is a player that is already residing in La Plata. Meet: Jorge Rodríguez the gem from the 2017 Estudiantes Youth Intake. He already has the fibra to make it into the EdlP team, but I've got a few years to polish his game. I'd quite like to see him develop into a boss Ball Winning Midfielder, somebody who can aggressively run that midfield and distribute the ball quickly and effectively with this lovely PPM of 'Tries Long Range Passes'. Expect to hear a lot more about Jorge from me in the future!

Fibra of The Future

This has been me outlining a few fibra targets for the future, I could probably have shown you another 20 odd youngsters that are fitting of the fibra model. The future certainly looks 'bastardy' in my save...and I cannot wait to see it unfold.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read.

FMG

"Blatant Bastardry" - Fame & Fibra in La Plata - Season 1 Review #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity

December 2, 2016

July 2017.

I set out this save to emulate the Estudiantes de La Plata (EdlP) teams of old. Notably the EdlP side of the late 1960s and elements of the Diego Simeone side of 2006/07. Teams who built their successes from the back, whilst playing collectively and orderly. It kick started the whole 'Fibra Project', gathering a collection of players with high Aggression, Determination, Teamwork & Workrate. Players who could maximise the sheer bastardry of my Team Instructions, pushing anti-fútbol to the max. One could be forgiven for thinking that watching 37 matches under 2.5 goals on Comprehensive Match Highlights is boring, but I have honestly loved every second of this save. Now 155 hours into FM17, it's time to summarise my 1st season in La Plata...and all the bastardry anti-fútbol that came with it...

Season 1 Round Up

In an attempt to make this blog post concise, I'm not going to run game-by-game through my season. I am simply going to summarise it in a few words, before move on to the tactical side of my set-up...

2016-17 Argentine Primera División - 4th

We qualified for the 2018 Copa Libertadores Group Stage by finishing 4th! After a solid season with the league's best defensive record (18 goals conceded in 30 games). This included taking a healthy 9 points (out of a possible 15) from the Big 5 of: Boca Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club, River Plate and San Lorenzo de Almagro.

2016 Copa Sudamericana - Winners

This competition has gained Worldwide coverage this week due to the tragic deaths of 77 people in a plane crash, which included the Chapecoense football team from Brazil who were en route to the 1st leg of the Copa Sudamericana Final against Colombian side Atletico Nacional. In short, I won the competition in FM17 and you can read more in a previous blog about it here. But in real life, the real winners will always be Chapecoense. RIP.

2017 Copa Libertadores - 2nd Round (in process)

The Copa Libertadores is the competition where I have dedicated my complete focus & resources on. I got a fairly easy group, avoiding some difficult Brazilian clubs:

We're yet to concede a goal in this competition and we go into the 2nd Round as Group Winners...which means we play our Second Leg at home...against the current champions: Atletico Nacional! We also face this team in the Copa Recopa for winning the Copa Sud:

A few weeks of the same Colombian opposition!

2017 Copa Argentina

To make fixture congestion even worse for the 2017/18 season, I am into the Copa Argentina later stages. I beat Guillermo Brown (PM) on penalties after a savage 0-0 draw, then I took down Nueva Chicago (another 2nd Division side) 2-0. I now face Club Atlético Independiente in the 7th Round, which is nicely sandwiched in between the Home and Away legs of the Copa Libertadores. GRRRR.

Anti-fútbol

The main aim of my tactic is to stop the opposition scoring. If I can do this with EdlP, then I deem ANY result positive. So before going on to discuss my tactic, here are some stats from the 48 competitive games played in Season 1:

28 Clean Sheets
25 goals conceded
11 Clear Cut Chances given to the AI
Conceded more than one goal in only three separate occasions (all 1-2 losses)

I knew we were tight, but counting up the Clear Cut Chances (CCCs) given to the AI shows just how good we were defensively. It averages out as almost 1 CCC for every 4.5 games! Admittedly, this is not always the deciding factor in games...as the AI can score from chances deemed more difficult. But the CCCs have been my indication of how solid we've been from game to game.

The above CCC figure highlighted also includes the Summer & Winter friendlies

I have started with a 4-4-2 in around 90% of games, using a Counter Mentality - something Simeone did whilst keeping 11 clean sheets in 20 games on the way to winning the 2006 Torneo Apertura (the Opening League in the previous Argentinian League structure). I often drop back into a 4-1-4-1 DM formation on a Defensive Mentality. No game is the same, and tweaks to the Team Instructions and Player Roles are frequent. For instance, one thing I have learnt is that Time Wasting and Stick To Positions are my two big influencers in keeping things tight. It's reduced the amount of gambling the players do, and I have found this brilliant for keeping a lead...even if it's just a slender 1-0.

Here is what we look like without the ball (which is generally around 60% of the time):

Solid.  Typically the only way through me is to go out wide and cross it in. — Solid. Typically the only way through me is to go out wide and cross it in.

Does it look familiar? Source: Jake Meador, to read more click here. — **Does it look familiar?** Source: Jake Meador, to read more click here.

What I like is that my £50k bargain buy, José Domingo Salcedo has excelled in the Defensive Wide Midfielder role. With Teamwork 16 and Workrate 17, Salcedo just seems to play well in the narrow shape. Often breaking up attacks through good positioning, Salcedo tucks in and becomes a Central Midfielder at times.

With the ball, my preferred Full Back on Attack (Lucas Diarte) has the license to roam forward:

Again we are Narrow, but the Salcedo inward movement has allowed my Full Back to roam.  Also watch the overload on the right hand side with FB-S and WM-S getting forward. — Again we are Narrow, but the Salcedo inward movement has allowed my Full Back to roam. Also watch the overload on the right hand side with FB-S and WM-S getting forward.

There are advantages and disadvantages of being so narrow in attack. As you can see from above, my outfield players are within the two black lines...this means that when possession is lost we get back into a compact shape very quickly.

We also have rapid forward movement, due to the Much Higher Tempo being player. Below are three screenshots of a Counter Attack in action. From compact defending to marauding runs into space (we play in black below).

We also sit Deeper, normally just outside the area. Combined with the narrow structure, teams struggle to break through us centrally. There's other factors making this effective though: (1) We're generally playing a team full of high Teamwork, so the unit is together for 90 minutes and (2) Stick To Positions has been really useful (albeit curbing our attacking instincts). This is all demonstrated in the AI's Assist Locations from the 30 league games we played:

So only 12 of those 18 league goals conceded came from AI assists. But we can see the weak point clearly: the overlapping Full Back on Attack duty mentioned earlier has led to 6 AI Assists (on the AI's right wing). That's 50% of league goals conceded. Despite this, we can see 11 assists for EdlP on the left wing (also largely contributed by that same Full Back). So it's a question of Risk Vs Reward.

Nevertheless, I am delighted that teams are not carving me up centrally (Home or Away)...which was always a worry with my 1st choice Centre Back Pairing of Leandro Desábato (Acceleration 7) and Jonathan Schunke (Acceleration 9). It shows that having a Deep Back Line in a Narrow shape can prolong an ageing partnership.

Buying Fibra

As I now look forward to starting Season 2, I announced EIGHT deals on Twitter this week. All signings are with the Fibra model in mind, in the hope that I can push anti-fútbol even further into blatant bastardry...

FOUR! Estudiantes sign Cabrera (£0), Andrada (£0), Compagnucci (£1.5m) & Sant'Anna (£1.7m) #Fibra #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity pic.twitter.com/cvDEconeLn
— FM Grasshopper (@FM_Grasshopper) November 29, 2016

DONE DEAL. Ernesto Farías re-joins Estudiantes as a Player/Coach. A player for 6 months only, great tutor & coach #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity pic.twitter.com/lTVYmwlqga
— FM Grasshopper (@FM_Grasshopper) November 29, 2016

BIG DEALS. Esteban Cambiasso & Emanuel Insúa sign for Estudiantes for 2 years. Delighted with these deals #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity pic.twitter.com/wzmgjXwS5U
— FM Grasshopper (@FM_Grasshopper) November 29, 2016

LOAN TO BUY. 24 year old Central Defender Fausto Grillo joins Estudiantes on loan, with an option to buy (£1m) #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity pic.twitter.com/I661Rup5dv
— FM Grasshopper (@FM_Grasshopper) December 1, 2016

So that's Season 1 in a nutshell. We look good heading into Season 2, but there are certain things to test in the Match Engine during Pre-Season due to so many changes in our playing staff. Combinations need to be reviewed once more, in order to match the defensive masterclass of my 2016/17 season!

It's been a pleasure sharing my 1st season in La Plata with you and thanks in advance for any future RTs or interactions on Twitter.

FMG

Managing in Argentina - 10 Tips To Survive #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity

November 25, 2016

My save game date with Estudiantes de La Plata (EdlP) is 19 April 2017, I've survived 10 months in this crazy place without resigning or getting the sack! There are a few things I did prior to kicking off this FM17 save, and a few other things I learnt quickly along the way, which have really helped me. Today's blog is briefly outlining what those things are, with the view to helping anyone else who wants to take the plunge with me into Argentina. The tips presented today are:

Average Points
Continental qualification
The Big 5
Rotate, Rotate, Rotate
Lower training intensity
International players' schedules
Understanding the Transfer Window(s)
Do NOT be age prejudice
'Keep an eye on the Argentines abroad'
'Beware the smaller team'

Thanks in advance to @DMendoza1969, @jmpenetra & @talentfactoryFM for their advice and support with this post.

Know the League...

1. Average Points

Firstly, know that anything from here on out doesn't make sense. The Argentinian league system is complex and at best nonsensical. It is also differs quite substantially with other South American Nations. One thing that has been introduced over the last Decade is the 'Average Points System' to decide on what clubs are relegated from the Argentine Primera División. It's a simple division of the number of points acquired over the last 4 seasons (including the current year) divided by the number of games played. My cynical view is that this system is in place to protect those big clubs who have a really bad season. From the onset of the 2016/17 season you can see that AMSyD Atlético de Rafaela are in real trouble of being relegated with an average points per game score of: 0.88...

Average Points table at the start of FM2017

Fast forward to my save in April 2017, and you can see that despite 23 points resulting in AMSyD Atlético de Rafaela sitting 26th in the table (and having 4 other clubs under them)...they are still on course to be relegated with a 0.87 points per game average.

The league table in 2016/17 with 3 games to go

The Average Points Relegation Battle with 3 games to go...

The real winners in the above examples are Temperley, who have done an amazing job so far in my save...jumping from 1.00 to 1.07, enough to see them safe for another year! All because they have amassed 32 points with 3 league games to go.

Luckily for me at EdlP, I've not had to worry about this due to them being 6th in the Average Points table from Day 1 of my save. But if you are choosing another club in Argentina...be sure to check this out straight away. It also creates a fantastic challenge for any brave soul looking to take on the Atlético de Rafaela challenge. Go on, you know you want to try it...

2. Continental Qualification

There are many routes into the Copa Libertadores (the equivalent of the South American Champions League) for Argentinian teams:

1st-4th in the Primera División gain entry at the Group Stages
5th place in the Primera División and winner of the Copa Argentina enter at the First Stage (two stages before the Groups begin, around a month before Group games)
Winning the Copa Sudamericana. South America's secondary Continental competition, which does not run concurrently to the Copa Libertadores, which if you follow my Twitter posts will know that I am playing both the Copa Sudamericana (from August to December 2016) & Copa Libertadores (most of 2017) in one season. I'm tired even writing it down!

A replica of the The Copa Libertadores trophy

Note - the above is all dependent on Mexico's omission from this year's Copa Libertadores because of scheduling. So I am really unsure if this will be reflected in an upcoming data fix. I told you it's mental!

So the point I am making is, don't try to go for everything if your team is stretched. If the league is looking like a safe bet, then prioritise that. If the cups are looking more likely, then rotate players and do everything you can to qualify that way. You will need luck along the way..so for that I wish you well!

If it helps, here are the 2017 Copa Libertadores entrants from Argentina - with the exception of the Copa Argentina Winners, which is currently in the Semi Final stage in real life:

Lanús - as League Champions
San Lorenzo - as League Runners Up
Estudiantes - as 3rd place in League
Godoy Cruz - as 4th place in League
Atlético Tucumán - as 5th place in League
TBA - 2015–16 Copa Argentina champion (or best team not yet qualified)

(It's also worth noting that Boca Juniors are qualifying into the Copa Libertadores in my save...and I have no idea why. I think this is a mistake, but would need to conduct more tests before confirming).

3. The Big 5

If like me at EdlP, and you don't play as a Big 5 Club then look at for these fixtures. The Big 5 refers to the five most supported clubs in Argentina, they are: Boca Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club, River Plate and San Lorenzo de Almagro. Between them, they represent around 80% of the footballing fan-base in Argentina.

If you're going to get anything out of these games, you will certainly need your best players fit and healthy. The AI can also completely screw you over and put the Big 5 in one successive chunk of the season. Like it did with me at EdlP:

Thank you AI - one month of Big 5 Clubs in my 1st Season at EdlP

My advice is to ensure you go into these games...either with the aim to push the Big 5 all the way with your best players...OR simply park the bus and hope for the best. For my run above, I had to do a a bit of both due to the intense fixture scheduling (which also had the Copa Sudamericana sandwiched in). But I am delighted with 9 points out of a possible 15.

For those that want to see on a map where the Clubs are located in Argentina, good friend Nestor @talentfactoryFM has mapped them out for you. Be sure to zoom in and out and see just how close some of the Clubs are to eachother...especially Club Atlético Independiente & Racing Club. Please click here or on the map to the right ->

Know your Squad...

4 Rotate, Rotate, Rotate

In my 1st season I am on course to play around 60 games (30 league, 10 Copa Sudamericana, at least 8 Copa Libertadores, at least 2 Copa Argentina games and a 2017 Recopa Sudamericana Final). It is therefore essential that you rotate in order to keep players fresh. In my save, I haven't played anybody below 90% condition...it's simply too much for any player to play in the 80s% and be expected to recover in 3 days time on a regular basis. So in my view, you may as well get used to rotating straight away in your save...ensuring that as many of the squad are match fit.

Whilst managing EdlP, I am often thinking 2-3 games ahead, and the likely combinations of players that I will be using. It's certainly a polar opposite scenario to my FM16 Grasshoppers save...where the most common break between games was 7 days (with a lovely 2 month Winter Break half way through the season).

5. Lower training intensity

There have been times in the save where the intensity of the training has been set to 'Low'...mainly because there is hardly any time to train between playing Continental away ties and the league campaign. I have found players pretty exhausted during these runs. In the months of September, October and November I played 19 games...which is around a game every 5 days.

I haven't tested the impact if I were to leave the training as Average or High...but I assume that I would run the risk of players becoming jaded or increase the likelihood of injuries during training. To further my paranoia I've been insistent on a mandatory Rest Day after matches throughout the season, and have also at times ensured the team rest the day before the game.

6. International players' schedules

Check what International players are in your squad...because the relentless Primera División will pause for nobody. Luckily at EdlP, only new signing Lucas Cavallini is a Senior International (with Canada). But the risk isn't just with the Senior National Teams, as the South American U20 Championship 2017 takes place in January 2017. At EdlP, I lost Santiago Ascacibar for a whole month...but the impact could be greater felt at Clubs like Boca Juniors and River Plate who have a wealth of young talent.

So my tip is to look out who is getting called up in your squad...and note down the dates that they'll be absent. Also be aware that players from major tournaments may come back jaded, like what I experienced with Santiago Ascacibar...who was rested for a few weeks to recuperate.

Santiago Ascacibar crops up in every blog post - sorry!

Know your Transfers

7. Understanding the Transfer Window(s)

There are two Transfer Windows in Argentina, similar in months to the European Windows (a Summer and a Winter)...however they quite different with their restrictions. In Summer, Managers in Argentina will have July and August to work the transfer market. You can make as many transfers as possible.

In the Winter, you can only make 2 incoming transfers from mid December to mid February, but you can make unlimited sales. Only being able to bring in 2 transfers requires an assessment of your playing squad and possibly tough decisions having to be made. For example, there might be a Wonderkid available on the market...but if he doesn't address a part of the team that is weak in quality or number...then you might want to think twice about signing him.

In Season 1 of FM17, the transfer windows are:

Summer: 01 July - 31 August 2016

Winter: 17 December 2016 - 10 February 2017

8. Do NOT be age prejudice

Some of the best players in Argentina are over 35 years old. It's the same at EdlP, with Club Captain Leandro Desábato and Midfield General Rodrigo Braña playing into their 38th years. Older players can offer a lot in this league and shouldn't be ruled out. One of the burning desires in FM17 is to recruit a certain type of player (those with ample 'fibra'), and older players are generally full of it!

37 year old Rodrigo Braña is in his second spell with EdlP, after re-joining in the Summer of 2016. Fibra score: 68/80.

'Do it like Diego': Mendoza's top two bonus tips

The next two tips come from Diego Mendoza, who was a real inspiration for me in deciding to come to South America. He had a great save in FM16 in Caracus, Venezuela and he's doing equally great stuff now in the Middle East. Do check his blog: passthebloodyball.wordpress.com.

9. 'Keep an eye on the Argentines abroad'

This is a great shout from Diego:

"Keep an eye on the contracts of experienced South American players playing abroad. They might not seem interested initially but will most likely join when they are released by their European club".

It can be quite demoralising asking for a player to come with them frequently rejecting even discussing terms. But there is hope that when a big players leaves and goes on a Free Transfer he may become more agreeable (or desperate) to a return to Argentina.

I do hope that in my EdlP save, I can at least attract 1 or 2 big ex-National Team players and bring them back home. Perhaps Fibra-infused Javier Mascherano...

Javier Mascherano's FIbra score is 74/80!

10. 'Beware the smaller team'

Diego says:

"South American football on the whole is quite defensive and will only increase as your reputation increases. Beware the smaller team"

It's something I have also noticed since being in Argentina. I very rarely come up against a front 3, instead teams are quite deep and reserved in attack. The implication for this is that you need to be aware of the Counter Attack and hope you have enough quality in the final 3rd to break down teams. At EdlP, I have set myself up to be deep, narrow and defensive (normally in a 4-4-2, but sometimes in a 4-1-4-1 DM) embracing Anti Fútbol as much as I can. Often I am using Time Wasting and Stick to Positions. But even then, I have had some rather embarrassing loses to Belgrano and Defensa y Justicia (both 0-1s), where the smaller team has won.

Good Luck!

So that's 10 tips which should help you on your way to success in Argentina - I do hope it encourages some readers to consider Argentina, or even South American in general. It is so much fun. But in unusual fashion, I finish today's blog with a Disclaimer regarding all contents above...

Disclaimer: the above information (to the best of my knowledge) is relevant to the 2016/17 season at the time of writing (November 2016). However there are certain changes proposed within Argentina's league structure. The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) have announced plans to trim down the league structure over a 5 year period, with the eventual aim being a top league of twenty-four teams in 2019.

As the AFA stagger the changes year by year, it's clear that this kind of review would need to be made for each yearly edition of Football Manager. But at least the stage is [partly] laid out for FM17 users above. I hope some of you can join me...

Good luck,

FMG

Estefanía Bernal is representing Argentina for Miss Universe 2016. 80/80 fibra

"Feeling Giddy In Guayaquil" - Fame & Fibra in La Plata - Season 1 #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity

November 15, 2016

Following on from Thomas Paine's (@Armchair_Gaffer) use of Kate Upton in his latest blog post, and my vow to follow suit for one week only, may I present to you: Estefanía Bernal. Who I wish every success in the 2016 Miss Universe competition (held on 30 January 2017). 180 cm of quality fibra, Estefanía has every chance to cause an upset and take back the throne from the Philippines, which would end a 54 year wait for Argentina.

Unfortunately today's blog isn't about Miss Universe, it's about my FM save in La Plata, Argentina. I've hit the mid-season break: a one month pause to reflect on the previous few months of competitive games, which include a glorious 2016 Copa Sudamericana campaign and an update on two key signings...

Copa Sudamericana 2016 Winners

The Copa Sudamericana, South America's secondary continental competition, has been a refreshing tournament to be a part of...and it's unlike anything Europe has to offer. Firstly, it's only ever a Knockout tournament...with games being played home and away between clubs from South American's Football Confederation, known as CONMEBOL. Secondly, I've visited teams I only come across when Regen hunting for clubs back in Europe - clubs like Club Bolívar and Emelec. Both clubs have a proud history in their domestic countries of winning titles and competing on the continental stage...yet they rarely make their way into mainstream European media. Lastly, it has a two-legged Final - a spectacle for fans of South American football. Away goals are discounted during the Final, something I quickly realised when over-celebrating Carlos Auzqui's 51st minute strike away at Club Deportivo Universidad Católica of Chile. Yet Estudiantes de La Plata (EdlP) went on to win the home leg, 3-1 (thus 4-2 on aggregate)...sealing EdlP's first ever Copa Sudamericana title. Here are the games below:

On the whole, the draws were favorable...with EdlP avoiding tough ties in Brazil and Colombia. Instead we went to less reputable clubs like aforementioned Club Bolívar and Emelec (where I grabbed a fantastic away win in Guayaquil, Ecuador). In total, the travel to Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile equated to 16,566 kilometers.

Travel included to and from La Plata (but excludes trips to Belgrano and San Lorenzo in Argentina)

I also knocked out two Argentinian teams en route: Belgrano and 'Big 5' team San Lorenzo. In truth the games were pretty dire but I saved my best football for the 2nd Leg Final appearance against underdog Universidad Católica from Chile. The second half of that game to be precise, where Carlos Auzqui netted a 24 minute hat-trick...forever justifying my persistence in turning him from Right Winger to Advanced Forward. My in game persona: Ángel Bastardo had delivered a trophy to Club Chairman Juan Sebastián Verón at the earliest opportunity. Absolutely buzzing.

The Continental Hangover

However, the league form has suffered due to Bastardo resting several of his Bastards for key Copa Sudamericana games. The impact is that 3 of my 4 loses come directly after a Copa Sudamericana match...proof that the Continental Hangover also exists in South America.

But the good news is that we have already faced off against the five biggest clubs in Argentina, collective known as the 'Big 5': Boca Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club, River Plate and San Lorenzo de Almagro. We picked up a respectable 9 points out of a possible 15, which notably included a 2-1 comeback with 10 men against the mighty Boca Juniors.

The league table at half-way point (15 games played)

We're now at the half way point, sitting in a respectable 9th position. In 2017, the games will come thick and fast once more, as EdlP enter South America's premium club competition next (the Copa Libertadores), which kicks off in early 2017. It's time to reinvest some of the Ascacibar money (as mentioned in last week's post) and flesh out the squad...

The 'Restrictive Transfer Window'

But with this being Argentina (and its lust to be different), I am only able to bring in two transfers. In what is known as 'The Restrictive Transfer Window'. So I have opted for two young Domestic players who should easily integrate into the squad for the 2nd part of the season. Luckily for me, the Ascacibar money has given me real power in the Transfer Market allowing me to sign the 'crème de la crème' from the Argentine Primera División...Rodrigo Bentancur & Nicolás Tripichio.

Both are well known to most FMers, but I've never managed either of them. They fit the fibra model I am trying to install at EdlP (providing Bentancur improves by one fibra point before 21 years of age). They also have great re-sale value (signing for a combined fee of £7.5m), and with no minimum fee release clause in place, I am hoping a European Super Club comes in for them in 2-3 years.

So that's my quick mid-year review of sorts. It's deliberately short, because I REALLY want to get back to playing this amazing save. Thanks for reading/sharing the love through RTs on Twitter and generally interacting with me. You're all brilliant.

Now let me get back to Estefanía Bernal...

FMG

"Selling Santiago" - Fame & Fibra in La Plata - Season 1 #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity

November 9, 2016

I didn't expect things to get this crazy so early on in my FM17 save. Only days after Juan Sebastián Verón announced debt repayments from a previous £21.76m bank loan (payments lasting until 2040), I was celebrating the successful sale of Santiago Ascacíbar to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a South American record transfer fee of £55m. Today's blog discusses this crazy deal and summaries a frantic first few months at Estudiantes de La Plata (EdlP). Let's begin...

Pre-season in La Plata

The first priority at EdlP was to begin working on the style of play, as I have detailed in previous Fame & Fibra posts (fmgrasshopper.com/fm17). I had two semi-working formations on the Beta - both of which contained contrasting mentalities and shapes. A Counter Attacking 4-4-2: which I envisage being used in home games (and against teams who i feel can be 'got at' away from home), and a Defensive 4-1-4-1 DM: used to defend and keep things tight. Both systems aim to reduce the amount of Clear Cut Chances I concede to the AI opposition. Ultimately, I wish to emulate EdlP's intrinsic style: winning at any cost and upsetting 'the status quo' with anti-fútbol.

The Beta tactic was slightly tweaked over the course of the four friendlies, but I didn't notice any drastic changes to the way things were working between Beta and Live. We had one crazy game in Uruguay (against Defensor Sporting)...but other than that it was solid:

The early arrivals were announced during my marathon FM session on Friday 04 November (thanks to @talentfactoryFM for assisting with the lovely graphics). All three signings were within their respective Fibra scores, as detailed here. José Domingo Salcedo joins as my only non-Argentine signing whose over the age of 25 years, providing 62/80 fibra in the Left Midfielder role. Both Cavallini & Paz are for the future, but are certainly able to contribute to the EdlP 1st team in 2016/17.

A re-cap on the three signings made today at Estudiantes de la Plata: Cavallini, Salcedo and Paz #FM17 #WeAreTheCommunity #Fibra pic.twitter.com/Bk2YqOnG5l
— FM Grasshopper (@FM_Grasshopper) November 4, 2016

Selling Santiago

Santiago Ascacíbar is attracting interest in real life for his dynamic performances in EdlP's central midfield. I knew going into this save that his long term future lies in Europe, even in FM Santiago normally makes it to the top end of European football. See @FULLTIMEFM's Wonderkid projection here:

There was no surprise at all when PSG came knocking in July 2016, with a measly bid of around £1m. PSG were the only ones bidding, but there were a other few clubs interested: Benfica, Porto, Sevilla and Valencia. After 3 more bids from the Parisian Capital, Santiago himself took matters into his own hands and voiced his displeasure about the rejected bids. It was time to accept defeat and engineer a move for Santiago with EdlP's best interests central to the deal (using the Offer To Clubs function). What happens next is, quite simply, un-fucking-believable...

The Ascacíbar Deal in Focus:

(1) The Loan Back

With only a day away from my opening Copa Sudamericana fixture against Belgrano and the Transfer Window deadline looming, I knew time was against EdlP finding a replacement. I therefore wanted a loan back option in the Ascacíbar Deal. This was an essential part of the transfer, so I placed a 2 year loan back as non-negotiable requirement. This should also be of interest to those Clubs bidding, seeing as though EdlP has State Of The Art training facilities, ensuring that Santiago improves with regular game time.

(2) The % of Next Transfer Fee

With @FULLTIMEFM's video in mind, I wanted Santiago Ascacíbar to move somewhere which would act as a stepping stone to a bigger club. I didn't expect to receive a cash offer over £5m, I therefore wanted him to move to either: Benfica, Porto, Sevilla and Valencia and hope that one day PSG would come calling again with lots of cash. I therefore placed the non-negotiable requirement of 50% of any transfer fee in the future for him. I envisaged this would be where I receive the most money from the deal - perhaps up to £10m - in the next 5-10 years.

(3) The Friendly

Budgets are hard in South America and attracting a big club like Benfica or Porto to La Plata would be a real coup. It's something I placed into the deal as I see it was something easy for the bug clubs to offer to me. Non-negotiable, of course.

(4) £5m after 1 International Appearance

It won't be long before Ascacíbar is given a chance by Edgardo Bauza in Argentina's midfield. I therefore thought that receiving £5m would be a reasonable figure to expect in my save at about 3-4 years in. I hesitated to put this as a negotiable offer, but I thought I would offer it firstly as a non-negotiable item (and be flexible on the upfront value instead).

(5) The upfront money - £1.8m

I offered Ascacíbar's market value, which weighed the deal at around £6.8m overall. This was left negotiable to entice Clubs to bid...but I wouldn't have sold him for less than £1m.

The Bids

Benfica, PSG and Valencia were the keen bidders. All three made bids to the amount requested (£6.8m with add-ons). Now this is the key part: before even looking at the Benfica and Valencia deals I wanted to deter PSG. I did not want to sell to them, on the basis that the 50% next transfer fee may never be achieved.

I therefore, put a non-negotiable £50m fee to them on the table. To my astonishment, PSG accepted this proposal:

A bug?  Or accurate portrayal of our mad real life transfer market?  I'll let you be the judge... — A bug? Or accurate portrayal of our mad real life transfer market? I'll let you be the judge...

Benfica and Valencia were willing to negotiate, but only up to around £5-7m upfront fees. I therefore had no choice to accept this incredible bid from PSG.

There is so much included in this deal, which makes it one of my best EVER CM/FM sales: EdlP have their star youngster for two more years (who is now outside of EdlP's wage budget). EdlP are also protected with future income in (1) the Argentina appearance that will inevitably happen and (2) a lucrative friendly, which I will host in 2017.

But most importantly, the deal sees EdlP rid of the worries regarding the 24 year Bank Loan repayments that I mentioned earlier on in this blog. In one clean swoop The Ascacíbar Deal has erased the fear of annual repayments of around £700k for the next 2 and a half Decades.

Ascacíbar's Legacy

I received 50% of the £50m upfront cash, but had little time to do anything with it. I am going down the route of Fibra...and the excess money doesn't really change much as the players with ample fibra are not always the most expensive. For sure, I can now compete in the Transfer Market...buying up the players that suit my system. Even tempting some of the best young players away from the famed Academies of Boca and River. But this money is best used internally within the club...

So the first thing I did was flesh out the backroom staff (both the 1st team and U20s), ensuring that I make use of the State Of The Art training facilities at EdlP.

The result is an increase in Professionalism, the key influencer in encouraging players' development.

The money has also allowed us to open up our 1st Argentine Affiliate arrangement with: Club Atlético Brown de Adrogué. Club Brown play in the 2nd Division and have 'Fairly Basic Youth Recruitment'. The agreement might not yield much talent at all to poach, but it will provide me with another avenue for youngsters to get 1st team football.

Making the club sustainable will be Ascacíbar's legacy.

Next Up

The next blog post will detail how the competitive fixtures have gone during my formative months in La Plata. Thanks for taking the time to read, I hope you've enjoyed reading about this incredible transfer deal and how it has shaped my vision for moving fowards. RTs and sharing most welcome :-)

FMG