Argentina & Brazil: Football Manager 2023 Club Case Studies 🌎 feat. @rocksendfm #FM23

November 7, 2022

Hi there,

For the last few years Fernando (@rocksendfm) has joined the blog before each new Football Manager game to introduce interesting South American clubs to manage in FM. This year, Fernando had the idea to conduct more in-depth case study pieces for one club from each nation. Due to word count, we’ll therefore be combining two nation’s case studies per blog.

This blog features case studies for Argentina & Brazil. For a brief synopsis of the league systems visit the previous league guide here.

Massive thanks again to Fernando. Go check out his own website: www.rocksendfm.com, you won’t be disappointed!

We hope you enjoy,

Tony / FM Grasshopper

Argentina

Club: Club Atlético River Plate

Key Details:

Nickname(s): Los Millonarios

Founded: 1901

Ground + Capacity: Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti, “El Monumental” / 70,074

Owner: Club

League: Liga Profesional de Fútbol (Argentine First Division)

2021 finish: 1st

Background:

May 25, 1810, is the birthday of Argentina, and, therefore, a national holiday. It is then no surprise that May 25, 1901, was chosen by a group of teeangers living in the neighbourhood of La Boca to have a meeting. They are the sons of lower class Genovese immigrants, they work during weeks, so they can only meet during sundays and holidays. The reason for the meeting was discussing the possibility of creating a football club, which they would name Club La Rosales. Three years later they would hold another meeting, this time with the members of Club Santa Rosa, to arrange the merger of the two clubs. Out of that meeting was born the Club Atlético River Plate, who would wear the white and red colours of the city of Genoa.

Their first grounds were found in La Boca, in the areas near the Port of Buenos Aires, which would quickly bring about a rivalry with another side in the neighbourhood which was funded by Genovese (or Xeneize) descendants, Boca Juniors. Still, River Plate would quickly find success, achieving promotion to the Argentine First Division in 1908, and started getting recognition and a bigger following. Their first title came in 1914, and their first official clash with Boca Juniors, would come in 1913 (River won, 2-1). By 1920, they won their first national league title.

However, by 1923 the club faced an enormous problem. Not being able to renew the rent of the property where their stadium was, they were forced to move, renting instead a plot of land in the neighbourhood of Recoleta. This switch, from one of Buenos Aires poorest neighbourhoods to one of its most affluent, fundamentally changed the nature of their rivalry with Boca Juniors from local derby to near class warfare, as it changed the identities of who the two sets of fans were and was an important factor in creating Argentine football’s biggest rivalry.

In 1932 they would complete the signing of Bernabé Ferreyra for 35,000 Argentina pesos (£23,000 of the time), which would be a world football transfer record (the first and only time an Argentine team got it) and earn them the nickname of “Los Millonarios”. With Ferreyra, River would win the titles of 1932, 1936 and 1937. In that decade they would also build Argentina’s largest ground, the Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti, named after the River Plate president who secured the funds and the land but better known as the Monumental, which opened in 1938 with capacity for around 70,000 people.

It was a good idea to make it that big, because the 1940s would be good for River Plate. In 1942, Félix Loustau joined Juan Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera and Ángel Labruna to complete the most fearsome striking force football had ever seen. That team would be known as La Máquina, arguably the best team in Argentinian football, winning 10 official titles, including the leagues of 1941, 1942, 1945 and 1947.

From that point onwards, River Plate would continue to be a force in Argentinian and South American football, winning titles in every decade by the 1960s. In 1986, the biggest whole in their cabinet, the Copa Libertadores, was won, and then again in 1996. However, in 2011 the unthinkable would happen: River Plate were relegated. That made it so that Boca Juniors became (after Independiente’s relegation in 2013) the only club in Argentina never to be relegated, something the Boca fans hold very much over their rivals.

Return would be instantaneous, with River winning the Second Division in 2012, and then winning the 2014 title; and yet, their biggest moment was still to come. In 2014, River hired Marcelo Gallardo as their manager, and an era of nearly unparalleled success in Argentinian football history would start. Under Gallardo, River Plate would go on to win three Copa Argentina’s and the 2021 Primera División title. More importantly, however, they would win the 2015 Copa Libertadores, the club’s third ever, and the 2018 Copa Libertadores, beating no one else but Boca Juniors in the final.

Why them in FM23?

On October 13, 2022, Marcelo Gallardo announced he’d be stepping down as River Plate head coach. If you don’t follow Argentine football, you’d be excused to think “A big name coach is leaving. So what?”, but in reality it’s more, much more than that.

For starters, eight year-spells in charge of a club don’t really happen in Argentina, not anymore at least. Right now, Gallardo is the 5th longest serving coach in the history of Argentine football; three of the four men ahead of him did in the 1950s, and the remaining one manages in the Second Division (no disrespect to Pablo Vicó though, awesome man).

Moreover, Marcelo Gallardo is the most successful coach in the history of River Plate. His 14 official titles make him the official trivia answer to the question, but he’s been successful in plenty more areas. Under him, training facilities have been re-engineered to elevate the standards and coaching methodologies have been reworked, including the work of sports scientists and creating a playing DNA that made it far easier for players to transition to the first team. Even the historic Estadio Monumental is set to get a big renovation, which will be completed by 2024 and give it a 81,000 capacity.

Simply put, the departure of Marcelo Gallardo is no smaller a tectonic shift for River Plate than that of Sir Alex Ferguson was for Manchester United was in 2013. You could, theoretically, get a very similar experience managing Boca Juniors, but in all honesty you can do that just about any time. This is an opportunity to take over a massive club right when they will need a steady hand the most. I don’t think a scenario like this will appear in Argentina (or even South America) any time soon, and that’s why you should manage River Plate in FM23.

Key Personnel:

So you’ve decided to take over the mantle of the best manager in the club’s history and try your hand at being the Millonarios boss… brave, brave friend. So who do you count on not to make your stay very short and very un-Gallardo-like?

First off, Nicolás de la Cruz. Gallardo picked up the Uruguayan as the replacement to Gonzalo “Pity” Martínez of “y va el tercero” fame and the former Liverpool de Montevideo man has been up to the task. A Flair player, he’s also very much bought into the coach’s pressing scheme and doesn’t need to carried by his teammates like the typical SA creative players.

Able to play on both sides and with both legs, he’ll add versatility and flexibility to your setup, and he can do just about anything from Crossing, to Finishing, to Passing. However, at 24 years old, he will attract interest, and his contract expires at the end of the season, so you may not have him for long.

Next up, Esequiel Barco. The former Independiente number 10, he should be playing in Europe by now, but he hasn’t exactly set the world alight at the MLS with Atlanta United (despite decent performances), so you’ll have him for a year. Similar to De la Cruz, although perhaps a tad more of a wing player, he’s still very versatile and gives you options when you set up.

Last but not least, Paulo Diaz. An Aggressive and Brave defender, he’s the perfect match for a Gallardo-ball defender, with a comprehensive skill set and the physical tools to still do the “dirty” work. At 27, he still has a long career ahead of him, and will be the stalwart of you defence for years to come.

Honourable mention goes to Juan Fernando Quintero.

Want to manage in Argentina but you don’t fancy Club Atlético River Plate?

I’ll understand any non-takers. Perhaps grabbing the rudder after Marcelo Gallardo doesn’t interest you. Perhaps taking such a big side isn’t your thing. Perhaps, like a certain Scottish FMer, you’ve already got your heart painted in the blue and gold of Boca Juniors. It’s ok, Argentina has plenty of options when it comes to football, so if you’re looking for a…

… great youth academy: Vélez Sarsfield

Yes, the usual answer is Argentinos Juniors, with the whole having produced Diego Armando Maradona, Juan Román Riquelme, Fernando Redondo, Esteban Cambiasso and a long, long list more. But right now, few clubs are putting out so many incredible youngsters like Vélez Sarsfield. Sad to miss out on Thiago Almada? Check out Máximo Perrone, Mateo Seoane, Valentín Gómez, Santiago Castro, Julián Fernández or Gianluca Prestianni… none of which are over 19, by the way.

… plucky underdog side: Unión (SF)

“El Tatengue” fans could be looking at the success derby rivals Colón de Santa Fe are having, with the whole getting their first top tier title and reaching international recognition, but they also have been having a good time under Uruguayan manager Gustavo Munúa, and they’ll be competing in the Copa Sudamericana. If that doesn’t convince you, last season’s title favourites-turned-bottlers Atlético Tucumán are also a good pick

… up and coming side: Defensa y Justicia

It is a bit of an obvious choice, and the argument could be put forward that they no longer are an up and coming side but very much a regular contender. Still, Defensa y Justicia have come a long way under the “guidance” of super agent Christian Bragarnik. All they lack is a title to show for it. If the idea of working with the man who could be called “the South American Jorge Mendes” doesn’t entice you, recently promoted Tigre are also building up momentum once again.

… fallen giant: San Lorenzo

There is really no fallen giant in Argentine football at the moment, provided you ignore Ferrocarril Oeste’s 22 year spell in the Second Division, and even then you’re really stretching the definition of “giant”. If, instead, you look at which current big side is further away from the big lights, San Lorenzo de Almagro is the answer. Right now, they’ve made a stupendous recovery under looks-like-he-slept-with-his-clothes-on manager Rubén Darío Insúa and are set to play next year’s Copa Sudamericana, but that’s now and you’re starting in January 2022, so San Lorenzo it is.

Brazil

Club: Club Athletico Paranaense

Key Details:

Nickname(s): Furação

Founded: 1924

Ground + Capacity: Arena da Baixada / 42,370

Owner: Club

League: Brasileirão Série A (Brazilian First Division)

2021 finish: 14th

Background:

As it’s often discussed when talking about Brazilian football history, the game developed in a very focalized way in the land of jogo bonito. Brazil is an enormous country which is often hard to traverse, meaning for most of its history there was no national-scale footballing scene, but rather clubs developed in the micro-sphere of their home city. Big, rich cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo gave rise to big, rich clubs like Flamengo and Corinthians. Smaller sides in smaller cities would still be very dominant locally, as they were competing against clubs their own size, but they had no chance outside of their bubble. Now, however, the nature of the Brazilian game is changing, and there are few better examples of it than Club Athletico Paranaense.

Founded from the merger of International Foot-Ball Club and América Futebol Clube, Club Atletico Paranaense was born in 1924. The two clubs were actually friendly, with América having sprouted as something of a second team for International, and the merger was more aimed at competing better with their main rivals Coritiba Foot Ball Club and Britânia Sport Club. Still, they would only find medium success, winning a few titles in each decade but never really breaking out from the shadow of Coritiba.

Things started to change in 1995. By that stage, the Brasileirão was becoming the top competition in Brazilian football, with clubs understanding it was far more valuable than their internal fights within the state championship. In that context, Club Atletico Paranaense launched the “Atletico Total” with the intention of bringing the club to the forefront of Brazilian football. That year they returned to the Série A, and two years later they began the construction of a new stadium, which would open in 1999.

At the same time, sporting results improved significantly, winning the Paranaense State Championships five times between 2000 and 2009, and getting to the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 2000, and later they won the Brasileirao for the first time. In 2005 they played in the Copa Libertadores final, losing to Sao Paulo.

As time has moved on, Club Athletico Paranaense (who changed their name in 2018 to avoid confusion with Club Atletico Mineiro), has continued to improve. In 2019 they won the Copa do Brasil, and they’ve also won their first pieces of international silverware, winning the 2018 and 2021 Copa Sudamericanas. This year they’ve been back to the Copa Libertadores final, losing to Flamengo.

Why them in FM23?

The times they are a-changin. The meaning of what big sides in Brazil are is changing. With the national footballing scene properly set up and state championships more a burden than a focus for big teams, being a “big side” is no longer enough to push people around in the Brasileirao. Three of Brazil's Big 12 are currently in Serie B, while Club Athletico Paranaense, together with the likes of Fortaleza, RB Bragantino and América-MG are taking advantage of this new brave world to reap the rewards.

They’re doing it by being smart. Right now, few clubs have the scouting, analytics and coaching infrastructure that Club Athletico Paranaense have in place, with the Brazilian Federation poaching talent from their staff and their sports complex, known as "Cajú", is considered to be the most modern in the country and one of the most innovative in the world, with players from Colombia, Argentina, Spain and even India travelling there to train. The results are showing, and not only in their continental silverware. Fernandinho, Renan Lodi and Alex Sandro all came through the Club Athletico Paranaense academy.

By taking them over on FM23, you’ll be jumping in a project that’s ready to burst into fighting with the heavy weights. Their Arena da Baixada was rebuilt in 2014 and remains one of the premiere venues in South American football, while their facilities will give you the opportunity to develop new talent. Who knows, maybe with the right push that Copa Libertadores can finally be lifted.

Key Personnel:

Taking over a team in Brazil means getting rid of a few of your FM vices, two of them being the love of a short squad and the hatred of people over 30. My first key personnel, ex-Manchester City master of tactical fouls, Fernandinho, explains both points. With the State Championships adding anywhere from 10 to 15 games to your season to the regular 38 and continental competition being a given for almost anyone, you’ll need more than 23 men, even before thinking about the Copa do Brasil or any regional cups. Much in the same way, being the best league in South America but still not at European level means talent is at a premium and there’s no such thing as overlooking a 37 year old who can still control your midfield.

With the Technique, First Touch and Passing to go with his otherworldly mentals, Fernandinho is set to be your main man for at least the first couple of seasons, and should do well to use him wisely, cause he’ll be hard to replace.

Midfield secured, you can unleash diminutive Uruguayan David Terans. Not as iron-willed as the Brazilian, Terans has quality escaping through his pores. A Corners and Free Kick specialist, killer Technique, Flair and Vision should make him the main creative hub of your team for a few seasons.

The future, however, is safe. At least for as long as you can keep hold of 17-year-old Vitor Roque. Technically and physically gifted, he’s no slouch on the mentals side, with enough Composure, Decisions and Work Rate to ensure he won’t be caught sleeping on the job. He’s able to play all across the front of the attack, and he has the skill to Finish, Cross or Pass, so you’ll have to decide which job to give him and how to develop this big talent.

Want to manage in Brazil but you don’t fancy Club Athletico Paranaense?

Picking a save in Brazil can be tricky. The issue with having twelve big sides is that you never quite know which ones are struggling and which ones are basically ready to overpower the whole continent. In any case, here are some options if you’re looking for a…

… great youth academy: Santos

A bit of a daft choice, I agree. Yes, they developed Pele and Neymar, but I like to stay away from obvious picks. Problem is, there’s really not much else in terms of non-massive teams with good academies. You could pick any of Cruzeiro, Gremio or Vasco da Gama as “hard” picks over the fact that they start in Serie B, but they’re still big sides.

… plucky underdog side: Atlético Clube Goianiense

Another club who are working smartly, Goianiense made it all the way to the Copa Sudamericana semi finals this season, and you have that ticket when you pick them on FM23. They aren’t making any massive waves just yet, but there’s potential. América-MG are another good shout.

… fallen giant: São Paulo

Again, any of Cruzeiro, Gremio or Vasco da Gama make more sense, particularly Cruzeiro who almost go down to the third tier a few years back, but if you’re hellbent on starting in Série A, they’re the only big side without international competitions and are a mess of a club right now.

...big side to win the Copa Libertadores: Flamengo

This has to be the easiest save in the whole of South America. The latest Copa Libertadores winners IRL, they have an absolutely stuffed squad with a mix of European-calibre big names and ridiculously talented youngsters. What’s worse (or better, for them) is that they have the economic muscle and youth talent to just keep it going forever. This is PSG on steroids.

South America: Football Manager 2023 League Guide 🌎 #FM23

November 7, 2022

Intro

Welcome back to a more streamlined version of the annual South American league guide. In previous years I have given fairly detailed commentary on the top ‘out-of-the-box’ leagues of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru & Uruguay, but this year I want to keep in concise. Instead I’ll simply present you the headline league information you need to make a decision on which one is right for you. It is also worth noting that subsequent FM23 seasons after 2022 will feel ‘more normal’ than ‘the covid years’ and November 2022 World Cup year which have caused huge upheaval in South America since FM20.

This is Part I of II, with Fernando (Rock’s End FM) returning to the blog to present you one club from each league with a more focussed case study. These recommendations are not necessarily defined as Easy-Medium-Hard as in previous years, instead they’re be ‘interesting saves’ to consider. They will be blog posts with case studies from two nations at a time.

If you like any of these posts, or think it will be useful to others, please share via the link at the bottom of this page. The aim of this post has always been to tackle the “I don't know enough about South American football, which means I won’t go there” attitude towards some of the most fun leagues in Football Manager. Even if this post helps just one person in FM23, then it’s been worthwhile.

Glossary

Opening and Closing - a South American format which sees a league season split between two halves of a calendar year, usually involving the same teams.
Average Points - An aggregation of points from current and previous seasons in order to decide matters. In South America, this is often used to decide relegation.

Argentina

At the time of writing, the 2022 Winter FIFA World Cup is almost here; and Argentina go into the tournament as an outside bet for a surprise win. But whatever happens, it will surely be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup…and then the search for a new legendary playmaker begins. Is this where you come in? Consider Argentina, it’s crazy with year-on-year changes…but most importantly: fun!

Game Start: Argentina offers start dates in 2022 (both start of calendar year or mid-way).

League Structure: February to May 2022, 28-teams begin with two groups of 14 known in FM as ‘Argentine League Cup’. Top 4 teams in each group will play two-legged QFs, SFs before the showpiece single-legged final. From July to November 2022, 28 teams play the traditional league with each side playing each other once. In-game this is called the Argentine Premier Division. Continental qualification can be achieved via winning League Cup/Premier Division/Copa Argentina and also via an aggregated table taking into account both league tournaments (subject to being properly replicated in FM23).

Relegation: Bottom 2 teams from average points table are relegated.

Useful Information: Year-on-year changes mean the number of teams in the top-tier fluctuates. Argentina will keep you on your toes until 2027 where the restructuring stops and sees players end up with a 20 team/38 game season league, in which Average Points relegation is also done away with. My advice is to consult the Overview/Rules section in the league window each year before the season starts!

Brazil

Brazil’s Serie A is a nice entrance to South America for the traditional 38-game-European football fans. However, the state championships Vs rival clubs are a unique challenge…meaning Brazil is a great place to go.

Game Start: Brazil offers start dates for each calendar year (2022 and 2023).

League Structure: April to December 2022 sees 20 teams playing each other home and away.

Relegation: Bottom 4 teams are relegated.

Useful Information: Additional regional state leagues played from January to April offer a nice side-challenge to the save, where you will play geographic rivals.

Chile

Chile is as close to the European way of accepting champions as it gets. The league leader after each team has played each other twice is the league winner. Like Brazil, it’s another bridge league for European players to try out South America with relative ease.

Game Start: Chile offers start dates for each calendar year (2022 and 2023), but you’re also offered the chance to begin mid-way into 2022 and 2023 years.

League Structure: February to October 2022 sees 16 teams play each other home and away.

Relegation: Bottom 2 teams from average points table are relegated.

Useful Information: Whilst Under-21 players are eligible to play in all matches, match day squads must contain at least two Under-21 players. Chilean Primera Division rules also state that teams have to play Under-21 players at least 70% of total minutes, or face a 6 point deduction.

Colombia

In Colombia, prepare for LOTS of games and the scheduling minefields that will ensue. In a complete parallel to Chile, you’re not a champion in Colombia until you have navigated a ‘Quadrangular’ and a subsequent Opening or Closing Final.

Game Start: Colombia offers start dates for each calendar year (2022 and 2023).

League Structure: January to June 2022 Apertura of 20 teams. Repeated again for Clausura from July to November 2022.

Relegation: Bottom 2 teams from average points table are relegated.

Useful Information: After Apertura & Clausura, the top eight teams are separated into two groups of four who will play one another twice home/away (the top 2 teams from Apertura and Clausura will be separated, but the other 6 teams are drawn into each group). The winner of each group (Quadrangular) will then play one another (again home/away) to see who is crowned league winner. This means there will be two league champions each year.

Peru

No league in World Football changes like Peru does, with their Football Association often changing competitions and schedules at relatively short notice. Peru has a traditional Opening and Closing format in FM23, for now at least…

Game Start: Peru offers start dates for each calendar year (2022 and 2023).

League Structure: February to June 2022 Apetura of 19 teams. Repeated again for Clausura from July to October 2022.

Relegation: Bottom 2 teams are relegated. Position 17th faces relegation playoff.

Useful Information: Peruvian domestic football changes annually, which means Sports Interactive has a near impossible task of predicting future seasons. The Copa Bicentenaro [a recently launched domestic cup] has now been cancelled, and is not part of the Football Association’s plans going forward.

For the first couple of seasons, points deductions are applied to teams if they cannot grant 765 minutes to sub-20 players over the 18 matches played. 3 points deducted for every 90 minutes under threshold.

For the first couple of seasons, 1st and 2nd in Peruvian Reserve league awards points to their parent club. Winner grants 2 points bonus, Runner Up grants 1 bonus point.

Uruguay

Uruguay crowns one winner each calendar year from its three domestic competitions: Opening, Intermediate and Closing formats. Technically you could win neither but still top the overall table in which all three competition points feed into, which means you’d make the Grand Final. It is a league where you need to bring your A Game when it matters…

Game Start: Uruguay offers start dates for each calendar year (2022 and 2023).

League Structure: February to May 2022 Apetura of 16 teams. Repeated again for Clausura from August to October 2022. Between the two stages, sixteen teams split into two groups of eight. The group winners play each other in a one-legged final to determine the mid-season Champion.

Relegation: Bottom 3 teams from average points table are relegated.

Useful Information: despite there being three separate tournaments, there is an overall table of which points from all three tournaments are collated. The reason is that the overall table has a say in who gets to be crowned the Uruguayan Grand Champion for that calendar year, and also decides who gets relegated.

To decide the ‘Grand Champion’: the winner of both the Apertura and Clausura play one another in a Semi Final*. The winner plays the team in 1st place of the overall table in a Grand Final. There are occurrences where either the Semi or Grand Final never happen, e.g. a Semi Final winner topping the overall table meaning no Grand Final OR a club winning both Apertura & Clausura AND heading up the overall table, meaning no Semi Final.

Continental Competitions

Can you stop Gabriel Barbosa’s Flamengo in FM23?

Whichever nation you choose to manage in, the spectacles of the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana tournaments are offered to all. Specific details as follows:

Copa Libertadores - South America's most reputable trophy, which runs throughout the calendar year (January to November). 47 teams participate in three stages: Qualifying, Group Stage and Knockouts. Knockouts are two-legged home & away ties…until you get to the final, which is played as one tie at a neutral venue (the 2023 final will be in the Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo, Guayaquil, Ecuador).

Winning the Copa Libertadores will mean you qualify for it once again. The winner will also enter the FIFA Club World Cup & the Recopa during the next calendar year (see entry below).

Copa Sudamericana - South America's second continental competition, which also runs throughout the calendar year (March to November). 44 teams enter in at various stages, which includes a Group Stage of four teams in eight groups (32 teams) after First Round. Knockout games are two-legged home & away ties, except final which is played as one tie at a neutral venue (the 2023 final will be in the Arena BRB Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil). The winner will qualify for the subsequent Copa Libertadores campaign and also enter the Recopa (see below).

Recopa Sudamericana - This is the South American Super Cup: winners of both the Libertadores and the Sudamericana face-off against one another over two legs home & away. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner.

Although not as prestigious as the Copa Libertadores, clubs and fans will still place a great deal of importance on winning this trophy. In my opinion, the move towards neutral venues in both the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana may also heighten the excitement for the annual Recopa tournaments. As it would give more fans the chance to once again see their clubs win continental honours live in their own stadium (something the Libertadores & Sudamericana have recently ditched).

I hope you found this guide useful, and you enjoy Football Manager 2023 on the South American continent!

Tony / FM Grasshopper

A Tactical Evolution at Club Atlético Lanús (from 4-2-3-1 Control Possession Preset to 4-3-3 DM) #FM23Beta

November 1, 2022

Hi Everybody 👋

I planned to go all things Catenaccio with Spezia Calcio during the #FM23Beta, until I remained winless in the first 6 games of Serie A and “didn’t feel it anymore”. Instead, I felt like I needed a bit of fun/magic, something away from Europe, and as I perused some of my favourite leagues around the globe I fell on 41-year-old José Sand:

This is the guy, his name is José Sand ♥

Those that know me will cite my love for Argentine Oldies, and there’s not many older than José Sand in the game database. ‘Pepe’, as he is affectionately known, continues to regularly feature in the Argentine Premier Division aged 41. His team, Club Atlético Lanús, are a nice blend of experience and some exciting youth prospects: Julián Aude, Maximiliano González, Franco Orozco and Pedro de la Vega (injured for the first 7-8 months of 2022) to name just a few.

Firstly, let’s take a closer look at Sand, because he is the player that piqued my interest for this beta save…

You can see that Sand is a great finisher and intelligent off the ball. He is ultra-aggressive, brave and hard working for his team mates. His weaknesses are twofold: his flair (ability to do ‘magic’ when on the ball) and his relatively slow quickness. Just from a brief look at these attributes, I’ve already ruled out a number of Striker roles such as Advanced Forward, Complete Forward, Deep Lying Forward and Trequartista. He isn’t one to make regular sprints throughout 90 minutes of football, and he will not be very effective in a creative striker role.

His traits of ‘Play Short Simples Passes’ and ‘Does Not Move Into Channels’ further refine what he probably can and cannot do effectively. It looks like there are only a few roles I want to select him in: Poacher (Attack), Pressing Forward (Defend and Support) or Target Forward (Support and Attack) because neither require the player to move into channels and stretch the play. But before I choose, I want to see what other roles I can place around him…

4-2-3-1 Control Possession

Has anybody tried to pass off a preset tactic from SI as one of their own? Because that’s exactly what I am doing today on the blog . But in all seriousness, the game makes it easier for newer players these days. But that being said, I’ve been recommended a trio of tactical styles: Route One, Fluid Counter-Attack or Park The Bus, neither of which really fit in how I would want to meet the Supporters’ vision of playing attacking football. That’s not to say those styles can’t bring about high shots/goals-to-game ratios. But I personally feel that we should be more proactive; whereby we take the game to the opponent and dictate the play. Afterall, Lanús are supposedly a top 6 team based on the Media’s prediction.

I therefore decided to use the Control Possession preset. The style is a lower tempo, counter-press…whereby the ball is worked into the box…a box that hopefully will be filled with Pepe Sand. I’ve ignored a recommended 4-3-3 Wide and 5-2-3 Wide, because I would like to see how a No.10 does when working off Sand. Instead, I’ve plucked for a 4-2-3-1 Wide…but there are a number of things I want to change from the roles initially offered in the preset:

Default roles in 4-2-3-1 Control Possession. Not great, not terrible.

Firstly, I’m not a fan of the Complete Forward-Attack role for Sand for reasons previously mentioned. Changing this in turn means I’d also want to change the No.10 role behind him. I’m leaning towards an attacking role in the AMC slot, somebody to roam around and have full creative freedom. There’s one role that pushes this to the max: The Trequartista.
IF we go with a Treq…I’m keen to ditch the idea of a Target Forward (one of the three roles I had left in my head to choose from). My thinking is that there will be an over reliance on pinging balls into the central striker area, because both roles are ‘ball magnets’. A Poacher could certainly work, but I’ve instead chosen a supportive Pressing Forward mainly because I think Sand could do a great job of holding the ball up for us…allowing wider men in the 4-2-3-1 to be brought into play.
From the base 4-2-3-1, I ditched the Winger role and replaced it for an Inside Forward. Why? Because I felt the Winger would not have a great deal to cross for. It could work, but I’m thinking Club Captain Lautaro Acosta is more of a threat cutting inside and playing off Sand as an IF.
Looking at the deeper roles. The next domino that kick-starts a few extra changes is related to the penetration I want from the central area. DM-S and BWM-D are a solid pivot, but for games I expect to win (certainly ones at home) I have opted for a Segundo Volante on Attack. This is a deeper version of a box-to-box midfielder, and on attack should be regularly linking up with the Trequartista. For away games, I will look to curb the advancements somewhat and will choose a Support mentality.
IF we go with a Segundo Volante. I first wanted to try an Inverted Wing-Back to fill the void in the DM space when in possession. But sadly this does not seem to work in x2 DM systems for another year, so instead opt for a supportive Wing Back. I’ve also adjusted the mentality of the right sided Wing Back to further exaggerate that natural overlap on the right hand side with the Inside Forward cutting in.
The last tweak is an extra Ball Playing Defender, but on Stopper duty in order for him to move forward if the Segundo Volante is caught up-field and unable to press oncoming opposition. I’m confident that this could work well having a few CBs with high Aggression and relatively high Decision attributes.

So, this is how we set up for the first 6 months of Argieball (January-June 2022):

4-2-3-1 SandBall. A nice balance of Attack-Defence-Support.

Season 2022

2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional

In the first 6 months of fútbol, there was not much in the way of game-to-game changes. In terms of player roles, I mentioned previously that dropping the Segundo Volante mentality down was a common tweak when I’ve gone in front and looking to close out the match. I would also consider only having a Support SV when I am in a big away game (e.g. Vs ‘The Big Five’ teams). In terms of instructions, I turn off Counter-Press when there is no need to be so risky when we are out-of-possession. I also turn off Work The Ball Into Box when I feel like my wide players are better off pumping the ball into the box from wider areas.

Sand hit form as soon as the season commenced as our Pressing Forward on Support duty, reaching 10 goals in his first nine league games. But then went seven games on the bounce without netting, as we struggled with fixture congestion and fatigue due to the 2022 Copa Sudamericana. He ended up at the midpoint of the season with 13 goals (all comps). You can see how inconsistent we were throughout the first 6 months:

2022 Argentine Primera División

With a 40-day break before the second half of the Argentine season commences, I thought I would see if I can get a Director of Football into the club to make some deals. 83-year-old Roberto Saporiti, who played for the club in 1962, answered the call. His first task was to see if he can bring in a flair based player via a short Recruitment Focus, until I realised that the transfer window was also disabled for the second window of the save. Bug OR my ignorance on database creation? I think the latter, I had started in February…so what I think is the second window is actually the first. Never mind, I’ll go all Arsène Wenger and say that the returning Pedro de la Vega in 5-weeks would be “like a new signing”. However, Sand also signed on for a further two years to take him into his 44th year, well done Saporiti!

I cannot go into the Data Hub to determine where things could do with a tactical adjustment ahead of the 2nd half of the season. This is because the Hub only populates with league game data…and the opening league system is [possibly incorrectly] coded as a cup tournament. So, it feels like I am playing a pre-Data Hub edition of FM, but luckily I have watched all of the matches played. For the second half of the year, I propose the below tactical tweaks:

I’ve not seen enough of the Segundo Volante (just 3 goals) to warrant its continued inclusion, despite it being one of my favourite roles from other saves. He’s getting forward in the highlights I’m seeing, but I can tell it's far from perfect. However, it’s the No.10 position that worries me more (3 goals and 1 assist from my 1st choice ffs). I changed Treq to Advanced Playmaker on support duty…but more importantly brought him down into the central midfielder area, alongside an attacking Mezzala. My reasoning is that the playmaker can now get on the ball more and see players ahead of him, which now also includes an attacking Inside Forward - who I hope can get beyond the supportive Pressing Forward who drops deep and holds up the ball. Elsewhere, there are a few other little tweaks in the midfield and within the backline. But largely the same roles throughout.
I downsize in Team instructions though. I’m no longer forcing so much through the middle, but we’re keeping the controlling style of play. I have also permanently ditched the counter press, and in turn have decided to also do away with the high lines…instead settling on a Mid-Block. One of the benefits I see here is that I can adjust the lines, and add out-of-possession bits as I see fit during the games themselves.

Here is SandBall v2, which is now a 4-3-3 DM…

The 4-3-3 with DM was the most popular shape during FM23 Beta.

Annoyingly I wished I had made the changes sooner, but I was determined to smash Continue and review at the season mid-point. The v2 of the tactic has made a real difference, despite initially earning a few too many draws…I could see a real difference in the style of football, in the xG I was now accumulating and eventually the results! We hit form, building up a sequence of wins to put us into the Copa Libertadores places after the first 10 matches after the re-start.

I’ve clipped some of the gorgeous interplay that has led to goals below. When we were good, we were really good. Although we have been prone to the odd narrow defeat, usually in the crunch games against super clubs like Boca and River or those in ridiculous form like Club Atlético Unión de Santa Fe and Vélez Sarsfield.

IW-S to Mez-A Vs Rosario Central

AP-S to IW-S Vs Estudiantes

AP-S, IW-S, PF-S to AP-S Vs Racing

IF-A to IW-S Vs Rosario Central

Seeing as I had no transfer window in the end, it forced me to give plenty of minutes to some of the brilliant youngsters that Lanús have in the squad. This save started out all about a 41-year-old but I enjoyed seeing the young wonderkids come into the match day squad and surprise me too:

Julián Aude (1,578 minutes), Maximiliano González (1,240 minutes), Franco Orozco (3,436 minutes) and Pedro de la Vega (954 minutes) all receive glowing recommendations from me. They’re awesome!

2022 Argentine Primera División final table.

We ended up finishing 5th in the Premier Division with 50 points, which secured qualification for the 2023 Copa Libertadores which is above the board expectation (top half) and a place above the media prediction of 6th. Furthermore, this feat was superseded by a Copa Argentina penalty shootout win against Barracas Central. Although it did come at a huge personal cost as 34-year-old Club Captain Lautaro Acosta broke his leg in the showpiece final, who is now considering retirement. He faces 8 months out of action.

However, José Sand brought me here; so it’s only fitting I should sign off with one last mention to our top scorer of 2022 with 20 goals (all comps). His goal rate may have plateaued by the end of the year, but he had a solid season and justified the extra two-year deal to remain at Lanús until his 44th year. It sounds incredible, but also typically Argentine Primera División!

Too boring/long/short; did not read? Hopefully this tactical journey has been an interesting read [to some]. The finished style which I ended up on is not overly complicated, it does not require a detailed commentary on the inner-workings. It’s simply a modified preset, tailored to the nice squad I inherited here at Lanús. I won a trophy, got 20 goals out of a 41-year-old and captured some nice #GIFGoals.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy the FM23 Beta.

Tony / FM Grasshopper

Gonzalo Higuaín - gracias

October 3, 2022

Gonzalo Higuaín* went from brief Wonderkid to unattainable Real Madrid elite asset in the Football Manager series. From a few editions of him being an unstoppable Complete Forward who could do everything, he quickly fell into the archetypal Poacher role. Not overly fast or full of flair, but a clinical finisher nevertheless.

He isn’t a player that would have typically piqued my interest in FM. Yet, as I published my FM22 save intro this time last year…he was a factor in my decision in choosing Inter Miami. Getting the best of a player who looked to be on “their last big pay cheque” (my words last year) was a motivating factor to choose Florida over anywhere else.

In truth, I was probably too harsh on Gonzalo at the time; I acknowledge that. Despite initially being dropped by Phil Neville in this current IRL 2022 season, he’s since forced his way back into the team again, sometimes playing deeper as a 10 alongside Leonardo Campana…but still scoring key goals. Late goals. Good goals. The clinical goals which I saw in FM22.

In fact, his trajectory in my FM22 save was pretty similar to how the 2022 real-life season is panning out. He was pretty dire in the early stages as a lone forward (in either a 4141 or 433)...scoring just once in the first two months of Major League Soccer! But an adjustment to partner him in Football Manager, allowing him to solely focus on scoring goals, in a 442 was the moment the save kicked off for me. Gonzalo was my first FM22 domino, once he fell into place…everything followed. I don’t need to repost the save updates in here (you can read that all here), but I wanted to pay tribute to my favourite player of Football Manager 2022. I’m pretty sure that I have never had a player score four consecutive hat-tricks in a row. But Gonzalo did exactly that.

So, my message to you the reader is clear: don’t overlook a player who appears on his last legs in Football Manager 2023. Challenge yourself to give them one final moment in the sun.

Believe me, you won’t regret it.

Gracias por todo, Pipita xoxo

Notes

*Gonzalo Higuaín announced his upcoming retirement on this day (03 October 2022) after conclusion of 2022 MLS season.

"Why AD Ceuta FC in #FM23?" - Plazas de Soberanía

September 23, 2022

“Plazas de soberanía / Strongholds of sovereignty” - a term for the collection of overseas Spanish territories that have been part of the modern country since the 15th & 16th Centuries. They are closer to Africa than mainland Europe.
Ceuta - a semi-exclave Spanish autonomous city, on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.

Intro

There are pockets of geopolitical spaces that have always fascinated me. Often they're weird borders, like how Norway wraps around Finland to have a border with Russia. Or how a narrow slither of Namibia, a South Atlantic coastal country, pierces so far east into the heart of Africa that it almost touches the Victoria Falls of Zimbabwe.

Then there are enclaves + exclaves, settlements surrounded by another state OR detached from their political mainland. There are interesting enclaves such as Lesotho and San Marino - countries consumed by a single greater country. Then there is the Kaliningrad Oblast standing out as one of my favourite exclave examples; fractured through multiple empires and wars to be separate from modern day mainland Russia.

My FM23 adventure begins in a semi-exclave. A territory with a sea border, but with no land border to its mainland: the Spanish territory of Ceuta, which sits on the African mainland bordering Morocco.

Why AD Ceuta FC in FM23?

1. Geographic Parameters

Mixing geography and FM is something a few Bloggers have done [very well] recently. The last time I did it was probably in FM19, where I put a strong emphasis on recruiting African players in order to continue FC Lorient’s recruitment strategy (read more here). This year in FM23, I want the focus to be a bit tighter, but also realistic, and I believe AD Ceuta is perfect for this.

AD Ceuta’s location in North Africa will see me place a strong focus on recruiting and nurturing North African talent. I will therefore be recruiting from countries known as ‘The Maghreb’...that’s Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. The most famous player from AD Ceuta is probably Nayim (as much as I hate to be reminded of him), he is an example of a Maghrebian player and one of my aims in this edition is to see if a homegrown Ceuta player can bask in continental glory…just like Nayim did back in 1995.

But the save would become very difficult if I only recruited from those North African countries…that’s why I am also allowing myself to recruit Spanish players. I think having permanent signings limited to just Spain and the Maghreb is the perfect balance of challenge Vs realism.

2. Twinned Cities

I know what you’re thinking: “FM Grasshopper is going to struggle without any Argentines in his squad!”...and you’d be 100% right in thinking that. But fear not…I’m stealing the ‘Twinned Cities’ approach from FM Rensie’s FM22 series by justifying the use of 1 loan signing each year from AD Ceuta’s twinned cities of Aci Catena, Italy / Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santarém, Portugal. These affiliates will be set up in the Pre-Game Editor as Regional Academies, in the hope that I also get a Newgen from there too. This means I am linking up with clubs that are relatively modest in size:

Aci Catena is a suburb of Catania in Sicily. So, that’s a nice club to link up with having seen them fall on bad times recently and admitted into Serie D.
Buenos Aires is probably the City I am most excited to link up with. The obvious choice is Estudiantes de La Plata…although I am surprising even myself by opting for Club Atlético Platense. The reason is that it’s within the metropolitan area of BA (whereas Estudiantes is not) and it’s a small enough club with a great legacy of producing good players outside of the big five Buenos Aires clubs. See Platense graduates: River’s Agustín Palavecino, Journeyman Striker Gonzalo Bergessio and World Cup winner David Trezeguet as examples.
Lastly, Santarém in Portugal has a really small football club: UD Santarém. I’m not expecting much from this club…having seen them drop to the 4th division of Portuguese football…but you never know!

3. Recent Events

Beneath Spain’s Primera División and Segunda División lie a mixture of 130 semi-professional and professional clubs in a revised 3rd and 4th tier. AD Ceuta FC find themselves newly promoted in the third division (Primera Federación) having beaten AD Unión Adarve away from home in the promotion play-off earlier this year.

Before any philosophy and grand plans come into effect…the primary objective in FM23 is to remain in the league. It will be quite a challenge too, AD Ceuta in real-life are bottom of the division (at the time of writing) and are quite reliant on one or two elder statesmen of the squad like 32-year-old Pito Camacho upfront and 34-year-old central defender José Carrasco.

4. ‘The Symphony’: flair, fight and fitness

When you think of players of North African descent, what kind of player do you think of? To me, they are often heavily flair based like Mustapha Hadji, Rihad Mahrez, Hatem Ben Arfa, Samir Nasri and Zinedine Zidane. On their day…any one of those players could be the 10.0 MOTM performer! Unpredictability (by doing the unexpected, duh), is what made these guys special players. A priority in this save will therefore favour players who are high on flair in the attacking positions of the side. The formation and tactic I use will also look to support this kind of player by helping them flourish, whether that’s a guy recruited into the 1st team externally OR a homegrown player from the youth setup. I plan to write about it post-release, and how training, system and recruitment all interconnect with one another in terms of this philosophy.

It doesn’t stop with flair, I also need some fight in the side too. From my deep-dive into statistical fibra a few months ago, I came to the realisation that fibra works best when it is in moderation - place it into your team in the roles that matter. Hardly ground-breaking stuff from me, I know, but I wanted to go through the motions to get to this conclusion with evidence. It's why in FM23 I will only focus on fibra in the key roles that matter i.e. the positions in the side where there are more frequent battles to be won: that's the central defensive areas.

Underpinning both the flair & fight is the fitness. I'm going to need fit players to replicate the Spanish pressing system that dominated club and international football a decade ago. Again, a focus will be placed on high stamina players, looking to work hard for the team. Some bits can be trained, some bits are inherent in the player…regardless, it will be a focus of mine.

So, over time I would like my: attackers to have flair…defenders that can fight and everybody to be relatively stoic by showing a willingness to work hard for one another.. This all comes together in what I'm dubbing 'The Symphony'…mainly because I could not think of a better title.

My FM23 Aims

Now it’s time to share my FM23 ambitions with you…

I hope that the entirety of my FM23 time can be spent with AD Ceuta (we call this a One Club Save). However, I’m wise enough to know that my 1st hurdle is not to get sacked, so this is my first aim. From there, I’ll then look to challenge for La Liga within 5 years. I guess this sounds totally absurd, but I figure that if I can get into La Liga within this time…then why not try to win it once you’re there?

Throughout the save I’ll be looking to see if a North African alumni of mine can achieve International stardom whether that’s with me or at another club (like Nayim did) and I’ll also see if I can get a bigger stadium. Either through expanding the current collection of bricks (currently 6,500 capacity) OR by building an entirely new home.

My final aspiration is winning the Champions League. It would be nice to be the first African based side to win European honours…and it would be even sweeter if I did it in the FM edition that has the new headline feature of UCL branding.

It’s time for the champions. It’s time for AD Ceuta FC.

Tony / FM Grasshopper