"Las Joyas de Bastardo: Segunda Parte" - Return to La Plata #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

Orange shirt.jpg

Intro

It's been a while since I last wrote about Estudiantes de La Plata in FM18, and a lot has happened since.  I left you last time a victor: a Copa Libertadores and Copa Argentina Champion.  Two live finals played out on Twitch, both of which I won...it felt so easy then!

Fast forward 6 months and FM had brought me back down to Earth.  Two more live finals played out on Twitch, both of which I lost 0-1...a Club World Cup Final (Vs Club América) & an Argentina Super Cup (Vs River Plate).  There was also heartbreak too in the league, losing out to Boca Juniors on the final day...we would never get so close to the league title without actually winning it!

The hurt I endured has only heightened my desires to challenge again, as I enter my 5th season in La Plata.  But before I do this, I would like to freshen up the squad with some more La Plata youngsters, this is the 'segunda parte' to my youth development ramblings.  But first, Season 4 in a nutshell...

Season 2020/21

Argentina Superliga

We were only 11 league games in to Season 4 when I last wrote an update, due to the fixture schedule caused by the Copa Argentina & Libertadores wins.  So below is how the remaining 31 games played out.

A strong run in the final 10 games simply wasn't enough to stop the Boca-River stranglehold on this league.  That's 5 years in a row now where the Argentine giants have alternated winning the league.  Infuriating, but one hell of a challenge to overcome!  A challenge that Ángel Bastardo recently acknowledged as 'football heritage':

"I say to the fans that the fans are the fans and have the right to their opinions and reactions but there is something that I used to call 'football heritage' - 'football heritage', what a manager inherits"
"It is something like the last time Estudiantes de La Plata won the Copa Libertadores, which didn't happen a lot of times, was in 2009. In 11 years with seven different managers, they did not win the Copa Libertadores. This is football heritage"
"I understand that 2020 was really hard for the people who don't like me - 'here he is again, here he wins again, Copa Libertadores/Argentina Double' For 6 months I win nothing, I beat Boca, Racing, I draw against River and now is their moment to be happy, wankers" (Source: El Día - La Plata)

2021 Copa Libertadores

We were given a relatively easy Group Stage, which proved no problems.  14 games unbeaten now in the Copa Libertadores over 2020 & 2021, so we’re probably the team everybody wants to avoid at this minute.  Up next: Nacional of Uruguay in the Knockout Round.

We’re still going strong in the Copa Argentina, reaching the 7th Round which kicks off again in August.  There are also another two finals to look forward to at the turn of the year: Santiago Wanderers of Chile in the Recopa Finals (Winner of Copa Lib Vs Winner of Copa Sud).  Another fortuitous chance to win yet another trophy (or lose it)!

Las Joyas de Bastardo: Segunda Parte

The Estudiantes Copa Lib winning team [ages in brackets].  Built on €5.8m, and fairly old in places!

Last season I updated you on the healthy financial position that La Plata was finding itself in.  Through sensible recruitment, and living within our means, we have now seen this cost-effective Estudiantes team (built on €5.8m if you include real life fees previously made) win South America’s greatest club prize.  It's up there as one of my greatest achievements in FM...two Pereiras (Álvaro & Maxi) at Full Back in their mid 30s shuttling between both boxes, players signed on a shoestring with a point to prove (Diego Polenta, Emanuel Reynoso & Alexander Barboza) and an Academy boy becoming the hero of his generation (Carlo Lattanzio).  It's the latter that Bastardo perhaps wants to be most remembered for, building a dynasty largely from La Plata.  Seeing young Lattanzio shine was a real blessing - he's from the Academy and he loves the club. 

Entirely homegrown XIs are a Holy Grail for me in FM…and I am not going to put that expectation on this current save, but we do have a crop of 18-20 year olds (who I will partially introduce you to in a bit) which have a serious chance to shine at Estudiantes in 2021/22. We therefore face a crossroads in my 5th season: this generation will be 23-25 by the time I close out my time in FM18 (around Season 10), so it's now or never to integrate them and build something good.  Luckily I have been busy behind the scenes, laying the foundations for this group to come through, working with them on: player trait development, specialised role training & focused attribute development.  I alluded to it in my "Las Joyas de Bastardo" post back in Season 3, but it is time to meet more of them this time round from what I call my Category Bs - the Academy Newgens (read more here).  This is Las Joyas de Bastardo: Segunda Parte.

So my young guys in La Plata follow a certain pathway for development (with a disclaimer that exceptional guys like Nico Rosales, the original 'jewel of La Plata', slot into the First Team sooner).  I usually work on the principal that they sit with me and polish their game via tutoring or individual training until around 17/18.  This is usually the time where I am 'done' with them, and a time where they need first team football.  So I turn to the loan market.  The benefits are twofold (1) they grow at a faster rate when playing and (2) I get to see how they perform within a competitive environment, helpful in gauging their current ability.

The below graphic conveys my typical pathway approach:

Defenders

Let’s begin with the Full Backs, as this is a position that will need cover as the Perieras see out, what I imagine will be, their final year in La Plata.  We'll start with Mateo Allione (Left Back) and Carlos Aparicio (Right Back) - who entered the Academy externally after being poached by Bastardo.  They both have spent a number of months in the Academy being tutored and mixing in with the U20 team, before being loaned out in 2020/21:

Mateo Allione - Defensa y Justica (Primera B) - 30 games, 3 goals, 3 assists, 7.04 Av Rating (all comps)

Mateo Allione in July 2021.

Bastardo's reflection: A-

Despite Mateo Allione playing in the league beneath us, he performed well and was Defensa's 1st choice Left Back all season.  This suggests that he could probably now cope with a few Superliga games in 2021/22, Mateo is already mentally strong and physically ready for the Full Back - Support role.

Carlos Aparicio - Newell's Old Boys (Argentina Superliga)  -  14 games, 2 assists, 7.08 Av Rating (all comps)

Carlos Aparicio in July 2021.

Bastardo's reflection: B

Carlos Aparicio's loan was shorter in length, covering the final 6 months of the 2020/21 season.  But he played a few games and was a starter in the Copa Libertadores Group Stage.  This is a great test for him, playing at the highest level in South America!  The aim for 2021/22 will be to get Carlos tutored with a more senior pro, but gametime will certainly be available following the end of Emanuel Brítez's two year loan from Unión de Santa Fe.  It opens up a place, and I hope he can take it.

Midfielders

Another two guys who spent last season on loan are central midfielders: Ignacio Fernández & Kevin Lizaso...who have both featured for the Argentina U20 squad.  Both Ignacio and Kevin came from the Estudiantes youth system and have the club in their hearts.

Ignacio Fernández - Defensa y Justica (Primera B) - 32 games, 6 assists, 6.90 Av Rating (all comps)

Ignacio Fernández in July 2021.

Bastardo's reflection: B

Ignacio has 23 U20 caps and is usually their go-to playmaker, at just 18.  A Deep Lying Playmaker for Defensa's 3rd place league finish in Primera B, he's been steadily getting the minutes in at a competitive level.  I am not too worried about his 6.90 average rating...after all, the withdrawn passers do not really get the average rating they sometimes deserve in FM (in my opinion).  I am probably going to get some Player Traits in there to refrain him from tackling, that's his greatest weakness, whilst trying to also boost his already high Passing and Balance.

Kevin Lizaso - Independiente Rivadavia (Primera B) - 12 games, 1 assist, 6.82 Av Rating (all comps)

Kevin Lizaso in July 2021.

Bastardo's reflection: C-

Another short 6 month loan, this time for Kevin Lizaso.  I am taking his loan stats less seriously, due to the AI playing him out of position as a Winger...despite agreeing with Independiente Rivadavia that he'd play centrally.  (Note- you can check what role your loaned player is regularly used in via Reports/Form in the Player Screen).  It was really too late in the day to recall, so I left him fighting it out on the wings.  I still see some minutes for Kevin in 2021/22, but I may have to consider a similar 6 months loan in December 2021 if I fall short of that promise.

Striker

I have a number of upcoming Platense strikers coming through, but there's only one forward to talk about today...and it's not Carlo Lattanzio (for a change)!  Meet Renzo Taborda, who came through the youth intake a few years ago and has been developing at an insane rate.  We had already given him 2 loans prior to sending him off to Temperley for the 2020/21 season. The results are pretty conclusive:

Renzo Taborda - Temperley (Argentina Superliga) - 22 games, 18 goals, 4 assist, 7.52 Av Rating (all comps)

Renzo Taborda in July 2021.

Bastardo's reflection: A+

It's a perfect loan to be honest.  Renzo played his games in the Advanced Forward role, as requested by me (thanks AI).  It's clear he is capable at my level, moreover I now know that he can play the Advanced Forward role effectively.  This is useful knowledge as I look to interchange him with current Advanced Forward Carlo Lattanzio in the first team.  Could 2021/22 be the year of Renzo Taborda?  Quite possibly, look at that quickness!!!

Closing Comments

So today I have outlined how I manage my academy prospects, specifically loaning out young players in FM18, and the kind of review system I undertake after each spell.  There is one thing however, that I wish we had in FM18: the ability to ask the AI to match certain senior pros with the loaned youngster for player tutoring.  In my view, it would add an interesting dynamic to the loan process, and an added incentive to choose the right loan for a player.  I'd be keen to hear reader's thoughts on this, so do reach out in the usual places if you have an opinion: @FM_Grasshopper on Twitter or my Slack channel #fmgrasshopper.

As always, thank you for reading/sharing/caring.  We'll now start playing Season 5 in La Plata, vamos!

FM Grasshopper

"Bastardo-ball" - Return to La Plata #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

Previously in Return to La Plata, Ángel Bastardo counted the money.

Osvaldo Zubeldía [left] with Estudiantes de La Plata's 1st ever Copa Libertadores trophy in 1968.

Intro

"Wait ages for one bus, then three come along at once" as the saying goes.  The same could be said for Ángel Bastardo and cup finals.  3 and a half years of work culminated in three 2020 finals: a Copa Argentina face-off with Racing Club and then an all Argentine double bill against Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores.  The pinnacle of South American club football and a watershed moment for Bastardo's Estudiantes, perhaps? 

I rarely write game-by-game breakdowns but I've made an exception for these three spectacles, which were all streamed live on Twitch over the period of seven days.  From these streams we also have a spectator's opinion on each game, who offer their unbiased view on 2020 Bastardo-ball.

Before that, a recap on what's happened in La Plata since May 2020...

Season 2020/21

There were no major sales in the summer, but we did lose our No.5 Deep Lying Playmaker Abel Aguilar to retirement.  We also said goodbye to a few of the old guard fringe players: Darío Cvitanich, Israel Damonte & Walter Erviti. 

In place of these departures the standout signings were:

  1. Augusto Fernández [Free Transfer from Independiente] - 34 years old
  2. Maximiliano Lovera [Free Transfer from Rosario Central] - 21 years old
  3. Maxi Pereira [Free Transfer from FC Porto] - 36 years old
  4. Raúl Rolón [€2.1m from Libertad] - 18 years old
  5. Leonel Vangioni [Free Transfer from Monterrey] - 33 years old

It's a great mix of youth and experience, but the huge coup is beating the likes of Paris Saint Germain to the signature of Raúl Rolón...who I think will be a huge player for us in future years:

Raúl Rolón in November 2020.

So we continue with the 4141, just the one change in the 1-11 squad number system I use in this save: the aforementioned departure of Aguilar's No.5 shirt going to Fernández.

The 4th iteration of the Estudiantes squad numbers graphic.

Season 2020/21 Argentine Superliga

It is hard to gauge how well we are doing in the 2020/21 Argentine Superliga.  We are 7-8 games behind some teams around us, because we've had to juggle fixture congestion between the domestic and continental cup competitions.  Still, 8 wins in 11 games leaves me with hope that we can build on last season's 3rd place finish and push for the title.

Copa Libertadores

If you read the introduction, you know we reached the final of the 2020 Copa Libertadores.  We've been solid throughout the knockout stages, winning home and away in Colombia and Brazil:

The road to Boca.

But before we taste the greatest South American club final(s), we had an opportunity to win our first trophy: the 2020 Copa Argentina.  Strap yourselves in, it gets crazy...

1. Copa Argentina Final

Estudiantes 5-3 Racing Club

Estadio Libertadores de América.  Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province

11 November 2020

Both teams went into this on the back of away league loss.  Racing losing 5-1 to Temperley and Estudiantes losing 2-1 at Godoy Cruz.  What happened next was a classic, never say die, end-to-end final.  The danger man was Racing Club's Lautaro Martínez, who the AI manager benched due to being jaded.  In his place was Pablo Cuadra, a similar mould to Lautaro, and who netted two first half goals.  Estudiantes went into Half Time 3-1 down.  A solitary goal from Fernando Zuqui, converting Carlo Lattnzaio's fine run and cross.  The 4141 wasn't working, young Carlo was often isolated upfront and Racing's sheer quality on the flanks was pushing us back.

I gave the 4141 a further 10 minutes...before matching Racing's 442.  It's a formation I have struggled to face in FM18, and I find the best method is to fight fire with fire and mirror it.  I went for a classic Big Man-Little Man partnership, with Walter Bou coming on as support Target Man.  I figured we needed an outlet more centrally, somebody who could receive the ball and free up Lattanzio to make runs.  It took just 4 minutes to get going, Lattanzio finding space to make it 2-3 on 59 minutes.

Then there was a great lull, I saw my 18 year old newgen left winger (Ramiro San Martíin) struggling on the final stage.  So I subbed him off for left back Leonel Vangoini...and in turn pushing Álvaro Pereira forward into the ML slot.  We needed crosses...but it was the other side that delivered.  On minute 80 Carlo Lattanzio, as he did in the 1st half, made a great run down the right to cross for Walter Bou.  It was 3-3!

It kicked started the most explosive 6 minutes of FM personally experienced.  Carlos Auzqui, Zuqui's replacement showing the necessary cohones to find space and shoot.  4-3 La Plata...the tide was on our side.  Four minutes later we sealed the trophy.  Lattanzio the hero again, leaving Bastardo with his hands on silverware at last!  5-3 Team Bastardo.

The Twitter Thread:

 

From the stands:

Leaked image of the cocaine residue in the Estudiantes changing room after FT.

"The nerve, the pulse, the sounds of the crowd. Unique to the most important games of South American football.  It was time for the Copa Argentina final against Racing and the first chance for Bastardo’s boys to win some silverware.  It looked promising when Zuqui broke the dead-lock but Racing swiftly turned the game around with three goals before half-time.  I had the feeling that the half-time talk would be a tough one and when one grown man after another came out back onto the pitch with ash grey faces and shiny eyes I knew that I had been right In my assumption.
Last of all came Bastardo with fire in his eyes and his hair on end. The Estudiantes players responded superbly to the half time scolding scoring two goals to get back to even score. When Estudiantes scored the 4-3 goal I spontaneously rose from my seat screaming “Champagne all around”, but quickly sat down when my eyes met the Bastardo “Stare of Death”. I felt ashamed and became terrified I had jinxed the team and would have Bastardo haunting me forever if Racing turned it around once more.
When the 5-3 goal fell I could finally relax, and when my eyes met Bastardo’s he smiled at me and made me feel the way that only he can! I don’t know what happened to the bottle of champagne I gave to one of the Arena guards after the game with the instruction to take it to the Estudiantes dressing room, but when I fell asleep in my bed after the game I dreamt that Bastardo was standing in the shower room with the bottle in his hands, laughing crazily while spraying down Auzqui and Lattanzio, both giggling like school girls out of equal amounts of fear and joy".

MikaelinhoFM (@MikaelinhoFM) - FM Blogger

ae0310551a3b21528045403b579d9894.jpg

2. Copa Libertadores Final [1st Leg]

Boca Juniors 3-3 Estudiantes

La Bombonera.  La Boca, Buenos Aires

25 November 2020

Away goals count in every knockout Copa Libertadores stage with the exception of the Copa Libertadoes Final (Why? Because it’s CONMEBOL).  It's something that encouraged  Bastardo's initial pragmatism: we'd go 4141 again, structured and try to play on the counter.  But as these live finals were playing out...chaos is the only option.  It was 2-1 to Boca by the 14th minute.  Ezequiel Schelotto & Alejandro Gomez causing Estudiantes problems on the wings.  But Estudiantes were given a lifeline as Boca's Alexis Sosa brought Advanced Forward Carlo Lattanzio down who was through on goal.  Maverick Centre Back Diego Polenta was tasked with the penalty, who smashed the goal and the net.  It was a proper defender's penalty, the best kind!

But Estudiantes were poor throughout.  Carlo Lattanzio was isolated for long stretches and Reynoso AWOL.  To remedy this we went 442 (again) bringing on Target Man Walter Bou...and initially it backfired.  Alejandro Gomez, Boca's best player, putting them 3-1 up.  The lowest moment in the two finals so far, we looked well and truly beaten with 22 minutes still to play.  A few tweaks to the mentalities of player roles and an introduction of Carlos Auzqui changed the game once more.  Auzqui laying off to Carlo Lattanzio, now in the Poacher role, to stab it home.  A lifeline: 3-2 to Boca.

Then boom!  Walter Bou delivering a great cross during an overload counter attack for Lattanzio who made it 3-3 on 84 minutes.  Young Carlo's 4th goal during the two finals.  The fight would return to La Plata, all square and all to play for.  3-3 Full Time - another frantic day for Ángel Bastardo.

The Twitter thread:

 

From the stands:

"I witnessed a great encounter between two sides craving for continental success. Boca Juniors were dangerous on the flanks with ‘Papu’ Gomez and Ezequiel Schelotto creating lots of trouble for Estudiantes’ fullbacks.  A deserved lead for Boca was eventually nullified after Ángel Bastardo switched to a 4-4-2, resulting in two late goals. A great tactical move which massively troubled Boca’s defence.
The referee should have sent off Boca's young defender, Alexis Sosa, for causing that penalty though.  Red cards don’t get any clearer than that!  Let’s hope it won’t hurt Estudiantes in the second leg.  Overall, Estudiantes will be happy to take a 3-3 draw with them to La Plata where they can win their 5th ever Copa Libertadores title.

Vincent Guzman (@VincentGuzman_) - South American Football Analyst

3. Copa Libertadores Final [2nd Leg]

Estudiantes 3-0 Boca Juniors [6-3 on agg]

Estadio Único, La Plata

02 December 2020

Those that know me, or who have read the blog for a while, will know that I am stubborn.  The 4141 had started pretty poorly in each of the previous two finals.  But I was determined to keep it for the biggest game of Bastardo's professional career...after all we were at home and had been solid with it all season (those two finals aside).

But certain adjustments had to be made to counter Boca.  Their strengths from the first game were certainly the flanks, so our Full Backs were more conservative.  35 year old Álvaro Pereira was told to hold his position and 36 year old Maxi Pereira's attacking instincts were restricted, he'd no longer be instructed to get further forward.  I hoped their considerable experience would be enough to tame Schelotto & Gomez, who had both caused carnage against me in the 1st leg.  The knock-on to this would be that we'd be less supportive to the two wide men: Jesús Medina & Fernando Zuqui.  But it's the balancing act we'd have to make.

The 1st half was tight.  No real chances of note, except an Estudiantes disallowed goal.  Alexander Barboza adjudged to be offside when heading in from close range.  But the good news was that Boca Juniors were no threat down the wings whatsoever.  I always trust my boys to show some grit when going in level at on HT...and that's exactly what we did in the 2nd half.  We finally saw true Bastardo-ball in action.  It was glorious.

On 46 minutes Carlo Lattanzio, our Homegrown Advanced Forward, smashed a shot against the cross bar...the stars aligned and it fell to ex-Boca boy Fernando Zuqui.  1-0 Estudiantes.  Then we scored a freekick straight out of the Keysi Rensie handbook: Medina, laying it off short to Lattanzio to run & cross for Augusto Fernández.  The 35 year old powering his volley into the net.  2-0, the La Plata crowd were roaring.

Estudiantes’ third goal on 64 minutes was the archetypal Bastardo-ball goal.  Boca’s corner breaking down, allowing Emanuel Reynoso to incisively pass to Lattanzio.  There is no stopping this kid, he bleeds for Bastardo.  Running the length of the entire Boca half, before laying it off to Jesús Medina.  The Paraguayan made no mistake: 3-0.  Estudiantes hands were on their 5th Libertadores trophy.

But there was still work to be done.  We switched to the Contain Mentality, summoning the spirit of Zubeldía, Sabella and Simeone to push us through.  Anti-fútbol was alive and rocking!  Boca had no answer, and even when they did get a slice of fortune: a penalty on 90 minutes, there was still one man to stop them.  37 year old captain Mariano Andújar, a winner of this trophy 11 years ago in 2009.  Boca’s penalty was saved, and the referee blew for full time: Estudiantes 3-0 Boca Juniors.

The Twitter Thread:

From the stands:

So, having watched the first leg and seeing Bastardo's tactical masterclass lead to a 3-3 draw after being down 3-1. Coming into the second leg of the final, essentially being 0-0 due to a lack of away goals, I was slightly nervous due to Boca's strength and their dominance in leg one, but it was clear that Bastardo was able to take the game to Boca.
An early disallowed goal (Boca trying to pay off the refs, surely), was the only real thing of note in the first half, but the second half was full of excitement. With three, well worked goals, the second being my favourite, it was clear who the dominant force of South America was: Ángel Bastardo's Estudiantes de La Plata. Los Pincharratas dominated once the second half whistle had blown, due to Bastardo's strong words at halftime, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable watch, with 3 masterclass goals, amazing tunes, and I'm happy I was able to watch it

Servalarian (@ServalarianFM) - FM Blogger

Copa Libertadores (5): 1968, 1969, 1970, 2009....2020.

The Future of Bastardo-ball

A few people have asked if wining the Copa Libertadores means the end of my time with Estudiantes de La Plata in FM18.  It actually couldn't be further from the truth.  Ángel Bastardo has finally delivered on his promises to the Board & Fans, who together can now begin working on the remaining objectives (the ones I set out in my intro post):

The 'La joya de Bastardo' aka Nico Rosales came good at FC Porto and was called up for an Argentina friendly, earning his first International Cap.  Playing 17 minutes in one of the warm up matches, before being selected ahead of the 2020 Olympics squad.  That ticks off (5).  So now we look ahead to league titles and Club World Cups.  Bastardo can only dream, and make no mistake, he's a dreamer.

Thanks in advance for reading/sharing and caring.  Also massive respect to everyone who took an interest in those 3 finals, whether you stopped by for 1 min or 270 mins of those finals...it's appreciated.  Or even if you just read the live tweets and enjoyed it, it's been a blast.  I wouldn't expect many more streams from me in FM18, I'm only doing the 'first' finals before I win them.  So the next logical destination is the Club World Cup...this month!

Until then, punch strong.

FM Grasshopper, in the guise of Ángel Bastardo.

"A Fistful of Dollars" - Return to La Plata #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

Intro

Even the overly ambitious Ángel Bastardo would acknowledge that the most significant achievement in his first 3 years in La Plata has been to avoid the sack.  Obviously trophies are a clear and quantifiable measure of success in Football Manager...but satisfaction can also come from moving through the struggles. 

Make no mistake, the Superliga 2019/20 was at times a struggle.  The mammoth campaign saw 24 teams play 46 games each...a domestic feast of 506 league matches culminating in 1,331 goals, 12,517 fouls and 58 stadium sellouts.  For all the peaks and troughs that came about, Bastardo's Estudiantes finished up 3rd in the league.  Progress from previous 6th and 5th place finishes.

Today we look at how Season 3 concluded, before moving on to a brief financial summary of how things stand in La Plata three years in. Vamos!

Season 2019/20

Argentine Superliga

We struggled in the 'Big 5' matches during the 2nd half of the season (especially at home Vs Independiente), but I take some pride in going away to both Boca and River Plate and coming away with a point in each.  However, it was the 12 domestic games unbeaten during February to April that put us in contention of a top 3 finish.

Spare a thought for Temperley fans, who watched their side score 30 more goals than Lanús, yet still missed out on continental football for 2021.

We have to be happy with the progress shown this season, we pretty much played a game every 3-4 days for months on end, and showed a resilience to dig in when it mattered.  Squad selections were often switched to accommodate another successful Copa Libertadores Group Stage...

2020 Copa Libertadores

It was almost a perfect Group Stage...2-1 up away at Santos with 1 minute left on the clock.  Then BOOM.  A Diego Polenta own goal and a freakish long shot on 90+3 mins saw us lose 3-2.  Never mind, we topped Group B and our reward is a two legged tie against two-time champion Atlético Nacional of Colombia.

Copa Argentina

For the first time in this save, we're through to the 7th Round.  We knocked out Boca Juniors and Sarmiento de Junín with tight 2-1 wins.  Like most Argentine fans, I am not really making much of an effort with this competition...but now that I am just 3 rounds away from reaching a Final, I may as well start trying.  Up next: Atlético Tucumán in late August.

A Fistful of Dollars

I intend to make this the first in a trilogy of financial summaries.  The 1st is obviously today’s post at the end of Season 3.  The sequel will probably follow after we conclude Season 5 (i.e. the mid-point of my save).  Before finishing up with a post at the twilight of my time in La Plata (Seasons 9 or 10).

Before we discuss the finer details of club growth, I thought I would show some key facts as part of an infographic in order to refresh our memories of Seasons 1-3:

Seasons 1-3 in summary.

You will see from the above that we have made a net profit of €5m on transfers during the last three years.  Obviously this isn't a huge amount as we've been extremely risk adverse in our recruitment, often limiting ourselves to 3-4 signings per season.  But I get the sense we are on the verge of making major financial gains in the Transfer Market in the near future, mainly due to the age profile of our successful(ish) squad.

This was demonstrated by the sale of 18 year old Nico Rosales who left for FC Porto of Portugal in January 2020.  As discussed last time out, Nico was my brightest prospect...but I knew that he would probably be the first to leave and in no way realise his potential in La Plata.  So we negotiated, what I think is, a beast of a deal:

In total, the guaranteed upfront money Estudiantes will receive is €3.5m...but the potential short term income is likely to be €6m: a fistful of dollars!  In addition, further long term financial gains could be made as La Plata will receive 50% of whatever profit is realised from Porto’s original €4.2m fee.  So €6m could well end up being €16m, €26m, €36m...who knows!  All I hope is that this money is received before my save is over.

We’ve got a whole host of 17-18 year olds, like Nico, ready to step into the First Team.  For this reason, successful players of 2019/20 like Maxi Romero and Emanuel Reynoso could be sold on for huge profits.  Both attracted interest in January 2020 from the riches of the English Premier League.  Bastardo's loyalty does not rest with his players, rather the bank notes that they can bring him.

Financial Highlights 2017-2020

So, our 3 year financial summary is found below.  We opened up this save in July 2017 with an Overall Balance of €6.5m, but these reserves were always going to take a hit as Bastardo improved the playing squad and fleshed out La Plata's backroom staff.  Things were not helped when previous Club Chairman Juan Sebastián Verón took out a TWENTY THREE YEAR bank loan of €15.2m!  This equates to an outgoing of €55k a month (€660k pa) until 2040.  Unfortunately we cannot pay off this debt in one lump sum...so, as discussed earlier on in the series, Bastardo paid to get rid of Verón.

Note - a notable factor in the revenue increase for 2019/20 is the record breaking 46 game Superliga: meaning 23 domestic home games :-) 

Without the meddling of Verón in his way, Bastardo has had free reign on financial matters: increasing revenue by 74% in 3 years, with player sales contributing heavily.  Juan Bautista Cascini's sale to River Plate for €4m upfront cash really helped balance the books at the start of Season 2.  But Leonardo Jara's sale of €2.7m (again to River Plate) and the Nico Rosales deal (mentioned earlier) have taken us to a secure financial level.

Furthermore, the wage bill has been kept at a reasonable level...only rising 18% in 3 years.  This is mainly due to a strict wage cap of €50k per month on playing staff (around €12.5k a week), which sees Estudiantes sit 6th in the salary table.  No prizes for guessing who sits 1st and 2nd in the salary table: River Plate and Boca Juniors of course! 

So can we go one step further, by continuing the Marxist wage structure and win a league title in 2021?  OR will I have to eat into some of our early profits by signing 1-2 marquee players in order to win silverware?  As always, stay tuned to my save updates to see what we do and how we do it.  You can find me over on:

As always, thanks for reading/sharing & caring.

FM Grasshopper

 

"Las Joyas de Bastardo" - Return to La Plata #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

Intro

25% of my 10 year FM18 save has already passed, and we've won absolutely nothing!  However, Ángel Bastardo came mightily close to reaching his 1st final.  In fact, we were just 2 minutes away from going through on away goals to South America's great club event: the 2019 Copa Libertadores final(s)...until €8.5m rated Maycon gave Corinthians a 1-0 away win in La Plata.  In truth, Corinthians played the better football over the two legs...but it was still gutting to go out after being so close.

But I'm determined not to be too downbeat in today's post, we're still in a job and we're looking to the future, with Youth Development being today's focus.  Before that though, I'll update you on the progress of my third season in La Plata which has reached its mid-point.  Vamos.

Season 2019/20 - progress?

Bastardo sticks with the 4141 this season, the only major outgoing was Leonardo Jara who moved to River Plate for €2.7m (a profit of €1.4m made).  In came replacement Emanuel Brítez on a 2 year loan deal from Unión de Santa Fe.  We also invited Carlos Auzqui back to Estudiantes on a similar 2 year loan deal, ending his 18 month stay at River Plate.  Another La Plata return occurred too: Walter Bou (ex-Gimnasia La Plata striker) arrived on a Free Transfer from Boca Juniors.  Also, Emanuel Reynoso finally grabbed that No.10 shirt:

The annual tradition continues: Estudiantes de La Plata Squad Numbers 2019/20.

2019/20 Argentine Superliga:

We finished 6th in our 1st league season, and we followed up with a 5th place finish last time out.  So a 4th place finish is the next logical step right?  Well, that's where we currently reside at the mid-point of the 46 game 2019/20 league season:

Despite the little blip of three consecutive losses in late December, we've handled the relentless schedule really well.  Fernando Zuqui as our Wide Midfielder on Attack is leading the way with 9 league goals in 19 games.  Maxi Romero is not far behind, with a year of fitness under his belt [after his disastrous start with injuries in La Plata], he's bagged 7 league goals in 13 starts.  My No.10 Dreamweaver, Emanuel Reynoso, has created 18 scoring chances in the league and provided 6 assists...he's also waded in with 5 goals too.

2019 Copa Libertadores

Maxi Romero saved his best football for the continental stage though, scoring 9 goals in the first 4 knockout games.  He sadly blanked both times in the Semi Final matches, young Carlo Lattanzio getting the important away goal for La Plata on 89 mins.  But as mentioned earlier, Corinthians largely dominated the second leg, with Maycon leading his club to their second consecutive Copa Libertadores final...which they won Vs Boca Juniors.

It was gutting to come so close to reaching the Final(s), but this campaign offered so much joy.  It's especially notable because we only qualified due to San Lorenzo's Copa Argentina win in 2018.

We were the last entrants into the tournament, and one of the last to leave.  Team Bastardo will be back for the 2020 party, as we enter at the Group Stage!

Las Joyas de Bastardo

Training.jpg

Now onto the future...

Like most things in FM, I place realism at the forefront of my thinking with regards to youth development.  I try to base my decisions around what I would do in real life (if I was a manager).  The key thing I always have in mind is that: "it's easier to improve a player's strengths, than it is to remove his weaknesses".

Keeping the above quote in mind, decisions regarding youth are naturally easier to make.  I do what's best to improve them and do not:

  • Place great emphasis on whether they fit within my current 1st team tactical setup, roles/mentalities etc.
  • Worry about whether certain attributes are shockingly low.
  • Always listen to my staff...because they often give rubbish advice.

It's worth pointing out that only a small % of the crop of youth will make it into my 1st team…(because they have to be better than what's currently there and/or better than what I can get externally).  A Homegrown XI has always been a Holy Grail for me in FM, so part of the satisfaction I take from youth development is making players better and moving them on.  I'm no hoarder either, I prefer to work with a youth squad...not squads.

In my current save I have worked with three different types of youth:

  • Category A: Those that exist at your club from day 1 of your save (real players).
  • Category B: Those that come in via your annual youth intake (newgens).
  • Category C: Those that come via external recruitment (real or newgen players).

Today I will introduce three players, one from each of the categories above.  I will outline what I have done so far with them, and also predict where I see their career taking them.

Disclaimer: I have looooads of youth that I could introduce to you today (most from Category B), but for the purpose of keeping my post concise...I am sticking to just the three.  They aren't necessarily the best within the Academy (although one certainly is), but all three players chosen today have had a certain level of thought and micro management applied to them.

Let's meet Bastardo's jewels...

Carlo Lattanzio (Category A)

Carlo Lattanzio met Bastardo on Day 1 of the Return to La Plata save, sitting in the Reserves as a 19 year old.  He had good Acceleration and Pace combined with solid scores in Composure and Finishing.  I'll be honest, I didn't see a long term future for Carlo at Estudiantes, but I was certain I could better his game and sell him on in the future.

Carlo Lattanzio in July 2017.

The first thing I did was have him tutored with the experienced head of 35 year old Mariano Pavone, who has a Driven Personality and 18 Determination.  Mariano Pavone also had the 'Shoots With Power' Player Trait, which I didn't really want Carlo to have.  So I opted for the bottom of the two entries when tutoring: "As a member of the team, I think it would be beneficial if you were to take Carlo Lattanzio under your wing and mentor him off the pitch".

I associate 'Shoots With Power' as a trait for a beast of a striker (think Brazil's Hulk).  So I looked at the attribute scores in Long Shots & Strength and saw that Carlo only has 9 and 7 in these attributes.  So I would rather train 'Places Shots' manually for a more delicate finish in the penalty area.  Hence my decision to only take the Personality traits and Determination from Pavone.

The instant impact was that Carlo's Personality changed to Resolute.  I also saw a growth in Determination to 18 and I started training him as an Advanced Forward in the Position/Role training section.  Sadly I never saw huge gains in him and I decided that he needed 1st team football to take that next step during my second season in La Plata.

Carlo was loaned to Argentinos Juniors for the remainder of the 2018/19 season, because the AI promised he'd be a First Teamer in the Advanced Forward role.  Unfortunately the AI lied...and Carlo was rotting in the reserves, which he could be doing with me anyway!  I also noted a drop of 1 attribute score in Determination.  So I immediately recalled him from loan (TIP: always add this clause in)...and the rest is history as I discussed in my previous blog post.

Carlo Lattanzio in 2020.

He's now my 1st choice pacey striker in a more direct 4141.  Carlo offers a different option in games compared to the stronger [and slightly less mobile] Maxi Romero and Walter Bou.  This means Carlo gets plenty of game time, whether I’m chasing a game or notice lethargic opposition CBs.

Appearances: 18 starts (and 17 subs).  Goals: 13

Bastardo's reflection:

+ Successful tutoring with Pavone.
+ Some sublime performances in the FM18 Match Engine.
- Still yet to learn that 'Places Shot' Player Trait, after failing a few months ago.
Carlo has an immediate future in La Plata's 1st team and could potentially move to Europe in the future.

Nico Rosales (Category B)

Nico Rosales is Homegrown from within the La Plata academy (Category B), arriving in my 1st intake during November 2017.  Straight away I could see he was special, with a strong set of Mental attributes, particularly his Decisions and Determination standing out.

Nico Rosales in May 2018.

Nico arrived as a fairly quick and extremely agile player too.  Perfect for a link role in midfield, whether it’s at DM linking the defence or further advanced linking the attack.  So my initial thinking is that he is a future heartbeat of the team.

Seeing that he is natural at DM, and not wanting to waste any of his ability re-training him in another position, I decided to sign 37 year old Walter Erviti to help tutor Nico.  It’s a costly measure, but I had no real suitable tutor and I was craving for him to learn the 'Dictates Tempo' Player Trait.

The downside is that we’d lose some Determination score, but I figured that this could be brought up with future tutoring at a later stage from somebody else.  So we used the top option when tutoring: “As a senior member of the squad, I'd like you to tutor Nico Rosales as I think you can help improve his game". 

Usually tutoring lasts around 6 months, but in the case of Nico-Walter it was only around 3 months due to a falling out.  Unfortunately not all of Walter’s Player Traits were passed on, but it was a partial success as Nico could now dictate the tempo of a match.  This was my initial intention and justified the risk I took by losing 3 points of Determination.

Next, I wanted Nico to learn to switch the ball to either flank.  By the time he reaches maturity he should have a solid Passing-Vision combo, and him being central on the pitch at DM means he’d make use of this Player Trait well.  Unfortunately he failed to learn this over 2018, so it’s something I will revisit again over 2020.

The reason for the year gap in re-attempting was because I was conscious that we needed to get Nico’s Determination back up, sooner rather than later.  So I’ve made 37 year old (and soon to be retiring) Israel Damonte his mentor.  The result is an increase of Determination to 17. 

Nico Rosales in January 2020.

Increased gametime has been Nico’s biggest growth factor.  He’s trained and played as a Deep Lying Playmaker on Defend duty and doesnt look out of place in Argentina’s top flight.  He has the highest passing rate in the squad and has already become a heartbeat of my team...at 18 years old.

In my opinion, Nico Rosales will go to the very top of club football and it’s a question of ‘when’ he moves to Europe not ‘if’.  Paris Saint Germain are already interested and are likely to bid within the next two Transfer Windows.  Until that time though, I will work with Nico and continue to make him better.

Appearances: 23 starts (and 18 subs)

Bastardo's reflection:

+ Partial success of tutoring with Erviti & Damonte
+ 91% passing success rate in the 2019/20 Argentine Superliga.
- Still yet to learn that 'Likes To Switch Ball To Other Flank' Player Trait, after failing last year.
Contracted to 2023, Nico will command a fee if he is to leave for Europe and graduate from Team Bastardo.  A future playmaker for the National Team?  I think so.

Lucas Pessarini (Category C)

Lucas Pessarini represents my third category of youth: those that come into the youth team externally.  I found Pessarini when scouting the 2nd tier of Argentina, where he was playing for recently relegated Quilmes in Primera B Nacional.  He made 4 appearances in total during 2017/18, with one of them being a Man Of The Match performance.  With his contract running down, Bastardo moved in to bring him to La Plata.  Here's how he looked in May 2018:

Lucas Pessarini in May 2018.

He was classed as a Young Centre-Back, but I saw an opportunity to work with him and develop him.  He had strong physicals and could also head, mark and tackle...all key for the Centre-Back role.  It's worth noting that I do not think Pessarini has incredible potential, but it goes back to the point I made earlier in this post: the satisfaction I get when I see a player grow and move on.  We are also likely to make a bit of money too, as he signed for €0!

I partnered him with Uruguayan Centre-Back/Full Back Diego Polenta, who has 16 Determination and has a Fairly Determined personality.  Like I did with Carlo Lattanzio/Mariano Pavone, I opted to only take the tutor's Determination and Mentality, as I was reluctant to take the Player Trait of: 'Runs With Ball Down The Left'.  It's not really useful for a Centre-Back.

Lucas Pessarini in January 2020.

The gains have not been incredible, but Lucas Pessarini's Determination has increased to 16.  He's had a year in the youth team, playing 48 times.  This season he has spent 6 months with my First Team squad, sitting on the bench for a number of games  However, he is still not good enough for First Team action.  So for the remainder of 2019/20, I have chosen Club Atlético Huracán as his 6 month loan.  I am hoping that he can get a taste of action there, after the AI stated he'd be a Rotation option.  But don't worry, I have placed a recall option into the deal, if he is not being played.

Appearances: 0

Bastardo's reflection:

+ Has improved, becoming a 'Promising Centre-Back' during 2019.  Now rated as 'Centre Back'.
+ 48 youth team games in 2018/19 and has been recognised by Argentina U20s (12 apps/2 goals)
- Remains mentally poor, which is a huge barrier to making it into Team Bastardo.
I'll be honest, I do not think Lucas can make it here.  But I am keen to see how he does at Huracán in 2020.  He is contracted until 2022, so I am in a position to make money from him...should he get suitors within the next 2 years.

My #FM18 Checklist

Remember this checklist from one of my intro posts?  Don't worry if you cannot, I am not easily offended.

We've actually been meeting (6) and (7)...but there's still some time in achieving the other items.  We're currently miles behind on item (4): my 250 clean sheet target (we're on 44 clean sheets in 2.5 seasons).  This is probably the likeliest to fail.  Grrrr.

If I had to guess what I would complete first, it's perhaps (1) or (2).  But there is an outside chance that Nico Rosales will help me achieve (5) before anything else.  Can 'La joya de Bastardo' come good and lead La Plata’s Golden Generation to glory?  We'll have to wait and see.

Keep up-to-date on my Twitter (@FM_Grasshopper), Slack channel (#fmgrasshopper) or here on my blog (I have a handy URL for all FM18 content: fmgrasshopper.com/fm18).

Thanks for reading/sharing/caring,

FM Grasshopper