Football Manager Tactics: Coudet's 4-1-3-2 (Racing Club) #FM19

April 30, 2019

Hello, this post allows me to break away from my usual Football Manager writing and explore tactical concepts around the World in the attempt to translate them into Football Manager. The aim would be to write about teams that are not at the forefront for most European readers, so there’s likely to be no English Premier League or German Bundesliga analysis here!

Disclaimer: interpreting real world tactics and applying them into Football Manager is easier said than done. Often a team will have several systems that are deployed throughout the match based on in-game scenarios and events, making it very hard to translate this into Football Manager. So I’ve taken what I think are the key elements of their systems and player roles, based on observing key moments of real-life matches.

First up in my wonderfully inventive series title of “Football Manager Tactics”, I thought I would take a look at Racing Club in Argentina, who have recently secured their 1st domestic title since 2014. Manager Eduardo Coudet brought style and panache to Avellaneda in an interesting 4-1-3-2 system that got the best out of older stars like Lisandro López & Marcelo Díaz, and provided younger prospects such as Matías Zaracho the platform to show how good they are.

I don’t want these pieces to be overly cumbersome, so let’s’ get straight into interpreting Coudet’s 4-1-3-2. We’ll work on Racing Club’s Team Philosophy & Formation first, before moving on to Team Instructions and Player Roles…

Team Philosophy & Formation

Between 1913 and 1919 Racing Club won seven consecutive domestic titles and were therefore dubbed ‘La Academia’, which is still used today when referencing Racing. Their 2019 Superliga win had the spirit of La Academia in place too; amassing the most wins with the best attack (goals scored) and best defence (goals conceded).

Their play was facilitated by a flexible midfield pivot of the central four players, which we’ll detail more further on in this post. It encourages shorter passing, as the pivot inter-work with one another which also gave license for two marauding Wing Backs to get further forward and stretch teams wide. The front two, which was often the two old boys of Lisandro López (36) and Darío Cvitanich (34), would complement each other…through López’s stretching runs into the channels and Cvitanich’s driving runs into the penalty area.

In terms of Mentality there’s no questioning that Racing Club’s was a positive one. Often seeking to take the initiative in games with a higher defensive line and quicker tempo than their opponents. When possession is lost, the team is known to simultaneously press the opposition in central areas.

In Football Manager 2019 I translate Racing’s 2018/19 Superliga winning tactic as:

Specific Player Roles

I do not want to focus on all 11 roles in the team, but it’s important to focus on two roles in particular that typify Coudet’s 4-1-3-2: the Half Back and the Roaming Playmaker.

Half Back

The adoption of a Half Back system has been an obvious feature of Racing Club’s play in 2018/19, the man in that role is defensive midfielder Marcelo Díaz, who has the mental discipline to excel in this position.

I’ve highlighted the Half Back’s Key Roles attributed above, and although we can see relatively poor scores in Marking & Tackling; Díaz is cultured enough to recycle possession effectively via his Player Traits. He also has strong ratings in Anticipation, Concentration and Teamwork.

Roaming Playmaker

Díaz’s link up with central midfielder Matías Zaracho has been a cornerstone of Racing’s build up play. Whilst it’s impossible to find a Football Manager player role that 100% relates to what Zaracho does at Racing (because he seems to do a bit of everything throughout a standard match). I eventually settled on the Roaming Playmaker. Zaracho is originally a Winger who has been turned into a central player, under Coudet’s stewardship. He is therefore perfect for linking the flexible pivot and driving forward with powerful runs and incisive through balls:

You can see above what Football Manager deems its Key Attributes. Whereas the Half Back has eight key attributes…the Roaming Playmaker has twelve. It’s a demanding role and something that 20-year-old Zaracho would need to grow into. Although the early signs are good, he has strong Mentals and fairly good Technicals to complement the in-game description:

Real Life Vs Football Manager

So, I took Racing Club’s last game (at the time of writing - 28 April 2019) to see the application of the Half Back & Roaming Playmaker in action. This was a Copa Superliga match (a recently launched cup competition at the end of the 2018/19 campaign) against a team close to my heart: Estudiantes de La Plata.

Below we can see four screenshots in sequence…without getting in to too much detail, here is the crux of my observation:

Guillermo Fernández finding Marcelo Díaz (The Half Back), who is along the defensive line. I have highlighted the gaps that Racing’s midfield initially leave in red.
Díaz finds Matías Zaracho (The Roaming Playmaker) who drops into the previously unoccupied space. Zaracho passes simply to the left sided Centre Back (in this case Alejandro Donatti).
The ball is moved forward to Alexis Soto, who I have defined as a Wing Back. Racing’s positive mentality is shown with the sheer amount of player willing to get forward (six players in the Estudiantes half).
Lastly, all midfield and attacking options are shown. Racing on the front foot and Estudiantes chasing the game from a simple Half Back + Roaming Playmaker combination.

This exchange was not an isolated incident either, it happens multiple times in the match but also throughout the season. In Football Manager we see similar link up between our Half Back and Roaming Playmaker:

HB to RPM, before moving the ball to the advanced Wing Back, who crosses.

Pivot of Carrilero, HB and RPM before moving it out wide.

The Other Roles

The other team roles were relatively straightforward to pick, with both wide defenders being either Wing Backs or Complete Wing Backs. At times, Racing often play them as Wingers…similar to how Barcelona push their Full Backs on. In defence I have gone simple with two Central Defenders…and perhaps the easiest decision to make was the front two: a Deep Lying Forward and Poacher. Darío Cvitanich in the Poacher role will come alive in-and-around the penalty area and Lisandro López is the perfect advanced link-up player for a Deep Lying Forward. As demonstrated by this simple (but gorgeous goal):

DLF to Complete Wing Back, before crossing to Poacher. Gorgeous.

Replicating Real Life

So, I watched Racing Club real life performances and then tried to replicate Coudet’s 4-1-3-2 in Football Manager, but is it accurate? I would immediately point you to the Disclaimer in my introduction, but I do believe I have created something in the spirit of Eduardo Coudet’s footballing vision.

One pointer for evidence is comparing a real-life heat map to one I have simulated in Football Manager (below). Here we can see a slight preference towards attacking down the right-hand side, and although they are not like-for-like illustrations, you can see similar patterns.

Racing Club IRL heat map Vs Godoy Cruz. 19.02.2019 (whoscored.com)

Racing Club heat map in Football Manager 2019.

Likewise, my focus on replicating the relationship with Marcelo Díaz as the Half Back and Matías Zaracho as the Roaming Playmaker feels accurate. We only need to take a look at an example Football Manager chart of Zaracho’s touches in order to see how mobile his play is. This is something which has led to a National Team call up in real life. Once again, I am happy with this:

The other acid test is whether or not this is a successful tactic in breeding results, after all…Racing Club brought back the spirit of ‘La Academia’ in their play. Replicating their successes should obviously be a focus of mine. After three friendlies (2 wins and a draw) and four straight competitive wins, I’d say we are on the right track.

If you can’t be bothered to set up the tactic as detailed above, I have also published it to the Steam Workshop. Left click on the image below…

As always, thanks in advance for any shares on this piece. Please let me know if you try this system with either Racing Club, or any other team. It would be interesting to see how you get on.

FM Grasshopper

"The Glass Ceiling - Part II: Broken Glass" - Orange Is The New Black #FM19

April 19, 2019

Better than Ole Gunnar Solskjær?

"Finally, YES" - the answer to the above question.

Managing FC Lorient's finances is like emptying the sea with a plastic bottle, our way of doing things had to change and I wrote about this at the end of Season 3 (read it here). Fast forward a season and I am delighted to report that we smashed through that glass ceiling! My FC Lorient side is officially the 5th best team in France, walking on broken glass and into the 2022/23 Europa League. Achilles Goss, in the Autumn of life, is dreaming once again.

The season was not without its struggles though, but after four seasons with this club, it's time to take stock on what's happened over the last 4 years and re-assess the aims of this save.

Orange IS the new black bitches…

Season 2021/22

The second half of the season had its good moments, a strong 9 game unbeaten run (all comps) from January to March put us into a good position for European qualification. From there we really stuttered, losing a Coupe de la Ligue final to Marseille in their home ground and losing two Breton derbies against Rennes and Guingamp.

Please overlook me losing to a Paris suburb on penalties back in January!

A recovery in the last two games meant 5th was secured, meaning we bring continental football to the Stade du Moustoir for time since 2002/03. Phew. I only bettered last season's points tally by a single point, so there is still plenty of work to do here at Lorient!

Ole Gunnar Solskjær sacked on the final day of the season. Au revoir!

Why FC Lorient…still?

As I always do before each edition of Football Manager, I ask myself why I wish to manage my starting club. Doing this helps me setup objectives and overall aims that I wish to work towards in the save. It's a way for me to become more invested and probably helps me stick at a save by savouring the journey a bit more. Back in October I laid out these aims (read here), but it's normal for me to pause and take stock as to how I have done and whether anything needs to be revised.

Back when I wrote these, some were a bit tongue-in-cheek:

Don't get sacked and achieve promotion within 2 seasons - Achieved! See the revised objective further on in this blog post.
Be an Entraîneur and use a Director of Football - now ditched in favour of me doing most of it all (see Part I of the Glass Ceiling)
Sign some Africans and Celts - Lots of Africans and one Celt have been signed. Boom.
Adopt a non-restrictive fibra policy - Yep, I've added in some fiery players to my side (see my Fibra Battleground post).
Embrace orange - The vast majority of my blog posts have some element of orange in them, what a colour!

La Jeunesse

The French Play Off system, although incredibly gut wrenching and challenging, was incredibly fun. I really enjoyed the euphoria of playing them on 90-minute Full Match highlight mode. Failing in the Play Offs could have set me back in this save, as I would have found it hard to keep my top performers for another season in Ligue 2. But we did it, at the expense of Dijon who should maybe focus on their mustard more.

After being promoted, spending two seasons comfortably in Ligue 1 and now qualifying for Europe…I need to revisit what I want from this save. I do not expect a title challenge anytime soon (especially after PSG's lavish spending - see below), so I am going with the simple aim of: Win a domestic or continental cup in FM19.

Transfer Net Spend (€m) - Seasons 1-4

Net spend: PSG €805.25m, FC Lorient €-8.99m

Despite the net spend, Achilles Goss was offered just under €5m for transfers in 2022/23.

The initial aims around my save were always based in the short term i.e. get promoted within 1-2 years and then stay up. When you're playing like this, you naturally tend to think and make decisions in the short term. My transfer policy is a good example of this ‘short-termism’, where I have signed players who I expected to do a job in the here and now.

Then there's the youth squads, the knock-on effect of the above is that I have not provided a gateway for the Lorient youth into the First Team (something which goes against their approach in real life). With the exception of Julien Ponceau and Mohammed Diallo, nobody has broken through.

Until now. I want to integrate a few 18-year olds and give them game time in 2022/23. I fully accept in advance that this may make us weaker and less competitive, but it's a chance to enjoy this save and find satisfaction in other ways (and also keep us working within our financial means). So, my new second aim: Include four under-20s in the match day squads (all comps).

Along with Diallo & Ponceau (with the later interested in leaving for UCL football), meet the four academy players I am placing into the First Team from 2022/23:

Alex Rolland (born 09/03/2004 - Lambersart, Lille)

In order to make this work, and give every chance for the young player to develop, I am going to provide these youngsters with as much gametime as possible. They’re training in the First Team squad now, so I can compare how they do alongside their older peers.

Straightaway I can see that Alex Rolland is fairly versatile, playing centrally at DM and MC but also on the right side of midfield. He is pretty explosive too and with favourable Mental Attributes in Aggression, Bravery, Concentration and Work Rate. For this reason, I have started to train him as a Full Back on Support in the RB slot. This is a position where I am currently lacking in, so my aim would be to sign somebody and have Alex Rolland as his deputy. Long term I hope that Alex Rolland can become a decent Full Back for us.

Roland Le Moigne (born 05/12/2003 - Brest, Brittany)

Roland Le Moigne is not quite near the level of Alex Rolland. His game is also simpler and I am reluctant to re-train him when I am not quite sure on his pathway and don’t want to take ability away from him just yet.

For now, Roland Le Moigne is going to have to sit tight as a back-up central defensive player. I’ll be keeping a close eye on his training & mentoring in order to see if he makes gains. He has the physique for top level football, which will help him cope with the demands. Fingers crossed!

Matteo Julien (born 16/07/2004 - Quéven, Brittany)

I am going to need an understudy to Vincent Le Goff as he enters his 33rd year. Matteo Julien could be that guy. He has strong physical attributes and some solid mental qualities. He does have his work cut out however in order to become a more technical and expressive player.

The jury is out on Matteo, but a predicted 2.5-star gap in current to potential ability from my Head of Youth Development leaves me with hope that he has room to grow.

Adam Rousseau (born 08/06/2004 - Ploemeur, Brittany)

The Achilles Goss right wing has been a fruitful position to play. Fonsinho lit up the Stade du Moustoir from 2019-2020 and since then it has been filled by Julien Ponceau, who re-trained successfully into a natural winger.

Adam Rousseau could be the next heir, should Ponceau depart for Champions League football. Rousseau has great quickness for a winger and is a relatively good crosser of the ball. There are a few Player Traits I might add, like Knocking The Ball Past His Opponent…due to this Acceleration & Pace.

I would also like to boost his Technical attributes, so I am putting in an intensive focus of ‘Passing’ which will train First Touch, Passing & Technique.

Introducing: FC Lorient Stadium (24,950 capacity)

If the above is not enough to keep me interested in FC Lorient for a few more seasons, then perhaps this will:

Ouch. This simmered down my euphoria slightly.

A new stadium! I’m absolutely delighted to be leaving the Stade du Moustoir, a stadium which we have outgrown by selling out more often than not. The new FC Lorient Stadium will be open in 2 years, so my main motivation now is to have Achilles Goss continue here and manage the 2024/25 season (which will be my 7th season in charge of Lorient in FM19).

It’s poetic justice for that catastrophic database failure I had in FM14, which I wrote about in my introductory blog post:

‘Les Merlus’ were hitting the big time, with a new stadium in construction funded by the inflated coffers brought about by my astute transfer dealings. There was no stopping my side…until…a catastrophic database failure.
Source: fmgrasshopper.com/why-fc-lorient-in-fm19-orange-is-the-new-black

To finally see them have a new stadium, due to my handiwork, will be incredibly satisfying. So, the 5 aims [revised ones in bold] of this save going forward are:

Win a domestic or continental cup in FM19
Include four under-20s in the match day squads (all comps)
Continue to sign some Africans and Celts
Continue to adopt a non-restrictive fibra policy
Continue to embrace orange

Thanks again to the readers of this blog and to all those who interact with me about A.Goss’ Lorient journey. Merci à tous et joyeuses Pâques!

FM Grasshopper

Five NEW Challenges in Football Manager 2019. Please Retweet #FM19 #WeAreTheCommunity

April 1, 2019

I have experienced a love-and-hate relationship with Football Manager 2019. I don't think I am the only one either, as I have seen a lot of people fall out of love for the game, take extended breaks or mention burnout - and it genuinely kills me seeing people switch off and head to Other Games. So, I thought I would spend some time noting down FIVE challenges that could see you get the FM thirst back…

(1) The Dan Gear 7 year Bolivia Challenge

This challenge needs no introduction: Daniel Gear went 7 years without winning a competitive game of football with the Bolivian National Team in Football Manager 2017, thus becoming Daniel Gear [of Bolivia fame] on the cult FM podcast: GrassNGear. Dan set the lofty bar at 7 years, but now it's your turn to play the '7 year Bolivia Challenge' and win a match sooner:

Manage the Bolivian National Team from July 2018 in FM19 and win your first competitive match by July 2025.
Can you sneak a win against South American giants, such as Ecuador, Peru & Venezuela?
Shithouse your way up in the clouds at home (altitude is in FM19) and win against an Argentina or Brazil?

Let us know how you get on, make sure you hashtag the challenge #7YearBoliviaChallenge.

Recent FM Pioneer: Dan (@DGear86)

(2) Giving a million to a Football Manager YouTuber

Often YouTubers are giving themselves virtual millions to spend in-game. But how about I, FM Grasshopper dot see oh em, invest in a YouTuber with real life monies? This challenge involves depositing a large wad sum of cash into a YouTuber's Patreon or PayPal account, and seeing what happens.

On this basis, I invested a 308 million Vietnamese Dong (£10,000), to see what Paul The Northman did. You won't believe what happened…

(1) He rented his local supermarket for a weekend and walked around in it…naked.

(2) He bought 500 shirts, 200 hoodies and 364 mugs (one for every day of the year), so he’d never have to do household chores again #scenes

(3) He acquired the land of the Vikesa Stadion (Bjerkreim IL) and will host the inaugural ‘FM Fyre Festival’. Coming: 2020, featuring your favourite FM influencers.

Let us know how you get on, make sure you hashtag the challenge #FMTYVietnameseMillionaire.

Recent FM Pioneer: Paul (@TN_TheNorthman)

(3) Numberless

Cleon81 paved the way in FM19 for playing without attributes. It was innovative and unique, which was quickly adopted by lesser-known bloggers once they caught wind of the approach (See: Oliver Jensen & Dan Gear). But can you go one step further than Cleon: by playing the game without numerical values whatsoever?!?

Download the new ultra-realistic FMG 'Numberless' skin from the Steam Workshop (see example screenshots below).
Play FM the way it was mean to be played (if this was set in the 1920s), by only looking at players in the match engine and go with your gut instincts.

Let us know how you get on, make sure you hashtag the challenge #NumberlessFM.

Recent FM Pioneer (traditional attributeless): Cleon (@Cleon81)

(4) Galatico Challenge

Why not start at the very top? It's a perverse thought, I know. But imagine a series like Non-League to Legend without any of the boring lower league nonsense. Straight away you can find yourself at the pinnacle of our sport, competing against the very best teams.

The Galatico Challenge is simple: every signing must break your previous transfer record. Sky's the limit. Can you build a team that rivals the Galatico Project of old? Can you win the UCL in your first season?

Let us know how you get on, make sure you hashtag the challenge #GalaticoChallengeFM.

Recent FM Pioneer: Joe (@FridayNightFM)

(5) Reverse Moneyball

Moneyball is a concept that has been applied, with various levels of accuracy, to several FM saves over the past few years. But imagine a statistical concept like Moneyball in the reverse: sign defensive players with favourable attacking statistics (such as Dribbles per 90 minutes, or Key Passes), your attackers could be judged on their Tackling success or Interceptions. Go a step further too, judge them on reverse attributes: Defenders with high Flair and Technique or Attackers with strong Positioning and Tackling.

Moneyball encourages shrewd and unbiased signings…so why not flip this on its head too? Combine the Reverse Moneyball Challenge with the Galatico Challenge: sign big, sell cheap. How low can you sell your marquee signings and yet remain in the job? The Reverse Moneyball Challenge may be the one to reignite the passion for FM19.

Let us know how you get on, make sure you hashtag the challenge #ReverseMoneyBallFM.

Recent FM Pioneer (traditional Moneyball): Jonathon (@JLAspey)

Good Luck!

What else can I say? Whatever you choose, my only request is that you have fun and enjoy Football Manager 2019 in the months we have left.

Thanks in advance for reading/sharing/caring,

FM Grasshopper

"Tactical Tweaks & African Adventures" - Orange Is The New Black #FM19

March 26, 2019

Previously on Orange Is The New Black, Achilles Goss looked into the finances and saw the glass ceiling.

Season 2021/22

I cannot write about smashing through the glass ceiling, as I have not done it yet! We’re half way there though, and the good news is that we are on course…just about. 6th in the league and into the Coupe de la Ligue Quarter Finals after besting 9-time winners Paris Saint Germain in Les Parcs des Princes. Obviously, Ole Gunnar Solskjær remains the common foe; his LOSC lying 5th in the table and a point above Goss’ Lorient.

Our form has been woeful at times, but a strong December has seen us flirt once again with the prospect of qualifying for European football in 2022. This is my glass ceiling and I really need to break it this time round.

Recruitment

Last time out I delved into the finances, which painted a very stark future for the club. To counter this I concluded that I would need to sell-to-buy in the Transfer Market. In addition, I would handle player contracts for new recruits and in player retention. The first 6 months of this new way of working has been beneficial:

Players sold: €13.25m
Players bought: €7m

These gains (€6.25m) have been offset slightly by an increase in the player wages:

Previous wage total per month [end of Season 3]: €1,570,966
Current wage total per month [mid-point of Season 4]: €1,648,286

I don’t need to worry too much, as this will only be temporary as I look to re-adjust the playing squad over the coming transfer windows; with plans to bring through a few academy players (more on that next time out on the blog). I have however improved the team a fair bit for this current campaign. Highlighted by the signings of Chris Mepham (€6m) and Alessandro Murgia (€925k loan fee).

Note - you may think it’s crazy to rent-a-player for near a million euros, but I stand by the decision to get Murgia. Furthermore, his contract is up in the Summer, so hopefully I can convince him to extend his stay and swap Serie A for Ligue Un.

Of course, I’m always sad to see my favourite players depart. Rivaldo Coetzee was one of these players for me in FM19, and like Fonsinho before him…he was found in Africa and sold to the riches of the Bundesliga. It’s a €7m profit made on a classy player who put in some stellar performances for Lorient.

His replacement though is my record signing, Chris Mepham. The Welsh International has been solid at the back and although I rarely judge a signing after 6 months (I like to give them at least a full year), I think I am on to a winner with him:

Chris Mepham, Goss’ record signing and the 1st Celt to join Goss-ball.

Tactical Tweaks

Regista

The subsequent change in personnel meant I made some tweaks to my 4141/433 system. The departure of Fabien Lemoine, my ageing Deep Lying Playmaker on Defend, and the arrival of Alessandro Murgia meant I had a more aggressive and mobile central midfield. Murgia links up with his Italian counterpart Luca Valzania & industrious Assane Dioussé. As a threesome, they offer a lot in both defensive, supportive and attacking sides of the game. It’s quite a powerful engine room at last.

So, I decided to switch to a system of a Regista at DM, A Ball Winning Midfielder (Support) and a Mezzala (Attack). They press higher and get forward more often, which is good to see. In fact, they’re so good at it that I’ve removed the Counter Press Team Instruction, as I noticed we were often overly committed in the press.

Quicker transitional play

I have removed the Shorter Passing team instruction, which has been a mainstay in my setup since the start of the save. The change to Standard passing encourages the team to be more varied in passing length and at times move it forward with more penetrative passing. The reasoning behind this change is largely due to our new attack, which has become younger and more explosive in terms of Acceleration and Pace for 2021/22. Speed combined with the Pass Into Space team instruction are now our go-to weapons in attack.

The Diallo-Zirkzee-Ponceau share 23 goals between them (all comps) so far this season. Their average age is 20 years!

Above are our attackers, with the preferred front three on the tactics screen. However, I do have the luxury of being able to interchange the wingers often…Jimmy Cabot is good in either the Inside Forward or Winger role…and Alphonso Davies is back! The worst ever FM19 signing (read it here), has been given another chance to shine in Brittany. To accompany him, I’ve brought in fellow Bayern loanee Joshua Zirkzee to compete with Enzo Crivelli up top as the Deep Lying Forward.

The little tweak has brought about some expansive play. I’ve shown one example below, as I see this goal quite often in the Match Engine (Winger Support to Inside Forward to GOAL)…but it also nicely captures all midfield and attacking roles in my setup*.

*It’s also against PSG :-)

We now look something like this going into the final 5 months of the season:

Achilles’ Africa

Two in-game years have passed since I last updated you on my African player recruitment project for FM19. The reasons why I am targeting this continent were laid bare in my introductory post (read that here). To date, 11 African players have been recruited. This might not seem like a lot over three and a half years, but consider that 7 of those 11 have been recruited direct from Africa. This adheres to the postcolonial way French clubs recruit African players in real life, which is what I originally intended to replicate in FM19:

The standout signings are Mohamed Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire), and Assane Dioussé (Senegal), who have both featured heavily in my side over the last two seasons. Mo Diallo, a Newgen attacker, signed on a Free Transfer from the famed ASEC academy. There's a bit of romance for me, as this is the same club that produced Fonsinho…an FM19 player that I hold close to my heart. After having Diallo for 18 months, there's no doubt that he can be an even better Lorient player than the ‘Fons’: 14 goals, 8 assists in 30 starts so far for FC Lorient.

Assane Dioussé, on the other hand, was an established named in Ligue 1 when being signed from relegated ASSE in 2020. He is a versatile midfielder who has the gift of being able to function as the playmaker, the runner or the defensive destroyer in my three-man central midfield. It's meant he has always found game time in my team, which has helped him attract some clubs from La Liga and Serie A. For now though, he's part of Team Goss.

The other four guys, recruited direct from the continent on Free Transfers, have rarely featured for Lorient, but they have age on their side and hopefully I can give them minutes over the next couple of years. They are:

Moses Nyarko (Ghana) - an explosive fullback from Ghana. Who is understudy to Vincent Le Goff. 23 years old.
Yaw Moses (Ghana) - another Ghanaian who has relatively strong mental attributes, which should help in central midfield. 22 years old.
Mohamed Lamine Khaled (Algeria) - A right sided fullback that had a recent [failed] trial with AS Roma. Achilles Goss snapped him up and immediately loaned him out to Auxerre for match experience. 20 years old.
Abdou Koné (Senegal) - A raw, but technically gifted teenager who joins us in January 2022 direct from Senegal. Still undecided on whether he is good enough, but worth a punt. 17 years old.

I’m unsure if any of the above four have long-term futures here, but if I can develop them and move them on…then Monsieur Goss will be happy.

The Future Is Still Orange

I debated for a long time about leaving FC Lorient in this save universe, but after much deliberation, I have decided to extend my stay for another year (until July 2023). Europe is in my sights now and we just have to realise it, I believe the future is still orange.

Thanks for reading/sharing & caring,

FM Grasshopper

"Bastardo At War: Russia” #FM19

March 16, 2019

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

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

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

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

The Alliance

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

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

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

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

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

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

FC Anzhi Makhachkala Vs América de Cali

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

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

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

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

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

The Interview

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

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

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

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

AB: Who are your star players?

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

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

AB: Do you have any perceived weaknesses?

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

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

AB: Describe your team in up to 5 adjectives.

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

MA: Strong, Physical, conservative, robust.

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

The Match

Tactical

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

Line Ups

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

Key Players

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

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

Defensive Organisation

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

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

Cardona's artistry

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

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

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

Second Half

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

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

An Anzhi comeback?

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

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

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

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

Zhamaletdinov’s wasted chance - 85 mins.

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

Gustavo Carvajal’s incredible challenge. 86 mins.

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

Conclusion

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

The Gentleman of Cali

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ruslan Chepiga / @FMEadster - fmeadster.wordpress.com

Mike According / @accordingtofm - accordingtofm.wordpress.com

As always, thanks for reading/sharing and caring.

FM Grasshopper