Football Manager - I turned Millwall into the most aggressive team in the world - Part VIII

I turned Millwall into the most aggressive team in the world - Part VIII
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I turned Millwall into the most aggressive team in the world - Part VIII

Posted: 15 Feb 2020 02:25 AM PST

Links to Part I / II / III / IV / V / VI / VII

Previously, on "I turned Millwall into the most aggressive team in the world"

Season III was a mixed bag. Despite glimpses of quality and intermittent patches of form things never truly got going, and the poor start to the year effectively killed any chances of promotion off early on. On the fouls front, however, the team rallied to equal our yellow cards record, and smashed the red card record to pieces. But with an aging squad, time is surely running out for this team of Millwall Bastards to challenge for promotion again...

Season IV: Foul Targets

The target for this season is simple. We need to reach the playoffs. I'm willing to accept a slightly lower card count in order to do this – a short term compromise, but if we can get promoted it will be more than worth it in the end. We've outgrown the Championship for shithousery, I need to bring our brand of football to the big leagues.

	Season II	Season II	Season III	Season IV Target
Yellow Cards	156	172	172	155
Red Cards	6	8	15	8
Fouls	1118	1045	1023	1000

Summer Signings

Perhaps concerned that our squad is more suited to Masters Football, the board insist that I try and sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

I ignore this request completely, and instead bring in another veteran shithouse striker – Luton's James Collins. He joins 32-year-old Ashley Barnes, 33-year-old Matt Smith, and 34-year-old James Garner in our forward line.

https://preview.redd.it/7pvjjkq382h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86cac5e8ad668de25e2c5f2e18c8723671de7509

Smith becomes worried that I've brought in Collins to replace him. The guy's legs have gone, but his brain hasn't – he's exactly right! That said, I still want to keep him around the club for mentoring purposes, so I assure him his position is safe.

Back in our first season I'd made the decision to sell towering centre back Jake Cooper. Even at the time I was unsure about it, and his departure coincided with a dip in our form that still hasn't resolved itself. Even the best managers make mistakes. When Norwich transfer list him for a fraction of the £5m they paid us, I swallow my pride and bring him back home. He still isn't quite as aggressive as I'd like, but maybe he's what we've missed. Offensively as well as defensively.

https://preview.redd.it/zv905ay582h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1dde062b17e859f9cb584f77e851e8234e11b864

Other high-profile departures have also fared poorly at their new clubs – evidently the only way is down after leaving Millwall. Ryan Edmondson is yet to start for Leicester, Tom Bradshaw has been released by Burnley on a free, and Ben Pearson has so far played only a fringe role for West Brom. I'm desperate to bring Pearson back, and have a bid accepted, but he refuses to drop down a division.

It's not all about re-signing old players, though. New talents are always being unearthed – such as the vicious Hibs defender Ryan Porteous. The second I clap eyes on his scout report I'm in awe, but his absurd £40,000 a week wage demands scupper any chance of a deal. Nevertheless, he remains a key transfer target for the future.

https://preview.redd.it/lwot1vx982h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b8731dbadf555763e233af778b56e18b1b86b3f

I take some more punts on the likes of Diego Costa and Granit Xhaka, both now on the transfer list, but get nowhere. I do, however, land the lesser-known Taulant Xhaka on loan. He compounds the squad's issues with pace and creativity, but his aggression is through the roof. If he goes all season without a red card it will be a disappointment.

And with that, our transfer business is mostly wrapped up – seeing a very modest outlay of £1.9m of the £7.5m available. I won't spend money for the sake of it – the players have to be the right fit for the club. Just like our last signing of the window, joining on a free transfer:

https://preview.redd.it/qh4kmm6g82h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e51ccd52d73307d7a113ad2f1b9316f8f28adf74

When the press question his injury record, I storm out of the conference. They don't see the qualities he brings to the squad.

Jobs for the Boys

In non-playing staff news, Lee Cattermole taking the Assistant Manager role was only the beginning. Following in his footsteps are Joe Garner (Player/Scout), Darren Fletcher (U18s Coach), Paul McShane (U18s Assistant Manager), and Lee Tomlin (Head of Youth Development). Felipe Melo will join the U18s staff in December. I'm expecting great things from our next youth intake. To be coached by Tomlin, McShane, and Melo is surely the stuff of dreams for the Millwall academy players.

https://preview.redd.it/bdet3wsl82h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a53afc7b38e5c452c2409d0e968cb00d7747403

And as if that line up wasn't enough, we add to it in October. Long-term target Scott Brown, sadly having already hung up his boots after a farewell season in Russia, finally joins the crew. Not seeing him play in the famous Millwall blue is something I'll regret for the rest of my life.

https://preview.redd.it/nd8e1pbp82h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0dfe803852548e52c5d15ce554666c00f01e494

The City of Love

Without consulting me the board book our summer training camp in Paris. Magaluf would've been more suitable. Making the best of a bad situation, I bring the fight to France, with exhibition matches against Brentford, Leeds, and Charlton all booked in neutral stadia. We commit around 20 fouls a game, scoring one single goal in total. I'm certain the Parisians hated every minute of it.

Season IV: Kick Off

We begin the season with suspensions for Cattermole, Rafferty, Melo, and Thompson, leaving us with two centre midfielders to choose from. Not ideal, but the players show grit, grinding out a dull goalless draw in the curtain raiser against Charlton. Budget Xhaka starts his Millwall career the right way, committing the first foul of the new campaign after 28 seconds, whilst Collins manages to pick up a booking on his debut.

I'm less pleased with the result after learning Charlton are predicted to finish 22nd, but keep the same tactics at home to Fulham three days later. It pays off. Collins opens the scoring with his first ever Millwall goal, a scuffed finish at the near post, before breakaway goals from Garner (still scoring at 34-years-old), and Toney seal the victory.

The next three games see us receive three FA disciplinary fines in succession for the second time in my career – including a 3-1 victory over Barnsley that sees Ashley Barnes score his first goals after months out with a fractured leg. Rather fittingly for the reigning Millwall Player of the Year, Kenji-Van Boto becomes the first player to be dismissed, sent off for scything down one of our ex-players.

https://preview.redd.it/sgjozwppb2h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60cec05304757ae231a61c2756254fac5ddc7a62

https://preview.redd.it/hr22rbjw82h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1dab223b33910a4b65719abbed832ddfed2ade19

On the whole, however, the results aren't great, and an injury time defeat to Blackburn leaves us down in 16th position after eight games. Perhaps we're doomed to Championship football forever… In better news, our fouls and cards counts are through the roof – the team getting at least five bookings in six consecutive games. We've already reached 200 fouls, 39 yellows, and two reds. At this rate we'll get over 220 bookings…! The Premier League can wait, we have records to set here…

The Art of War

Over the last two seasons, too much messing around with a back four and various tactical systems has surely been one of the causes for our basket case form, so this season I vow to keep things simple. A high-pressing, high-fouling system where we get the ball forward relatively quickly.

Following in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola, I persist in reinventing our best midfielder, Karamoko, as a centre back. He's the only player with any pace who can play there, and is key in enabling us to play a high press. Before long he's a natural at it. Even better, his mentoring has been nothing short of incredible. The lad now argues with officials, winds up the opposition, dives into tackles, and gets the crowd going. The perfect Millwall player.

https://preview.redd.it/v5n8akn192h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6511edb3ac5086d0dd2d00492ee14924c502159e

Formation-wise, I base things on the 5-3-2 that's led to our best form in the past, initially moving a CM forward into an AM role to try and give the strikers more support and to try and unbalance the midfield, leading to more last-ditch tackles from our players. Despite initial promise, the fact that we're in 16th tells its own story.

Player selections are for display purposes only, I'm not mad enough to actually pick this line up

After some more messing around with numerous slight variations on the same theme, I finally hit on something good. Ditching the AM completely, instead moving to an attacking 5-2-3, produces exactly what I want. Fast attacks, a decent number of chances created. And shedloads of fouls.

Player selections are for display purposes only, I'm not mad enough to actually pick this line up

This Month in Mentoring

The Millwall mentoring system, though slow to get going, is now working to perfection.

https://preview.redd.it/6ww68lsi92h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=622d6a2faf200603f4f738afb4ca6de931e3e49a

Season Continued

Tactical tweaks take up the best part of four games, in which we drop more points, but also fall away in the fouls department. Toney scoring all four goals in an easy win at Tranmere only papers over the cracks – we commit a pitiful 11 fouls, the joint lowest tally under my stewardship, and receive no cards at all. In fact, we receive only nine bookings and one red in the four games, the bulk of those coming in an abysmal 4-0 defeat to Birmingham. The promised land of 200 bookings is drifting away.

But once I concoct the 5-2-3, things take off. We win three in a row, hanging onto a narrow ten-man victory over Reading, before a smash and grab 2-1 victory away at Sam Allardyce's Leeds. Despite committing 32 fouls and receiving seven bookings we manage to keep everyone on the pitch, Tyler Burey hammering in his first Millwall goal from the edge of the box late on to steal it.

https://preview.redd.it/kpea45uo92h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b25e4578c98cf2b84e90f242671fff81659b242

https://preview.redd.it/edfqzour92h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=543385b0a6ee9a147dcf858f8dab714aec6a8490

https://preview.redd.it/q6g5zult92h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39d849cde3f2e12cb463062176cf609ad95daf49

A draw with Sheffield United is only a temporary setback – we're victorious in the next four fixtures, including a 2-0 away win over top-of-the-table Norwich, keeping up our card count and keeping three clean sheets. It's an incredible run, and sees us sitting in second place in the league…!

There's just one game left before a seven-week league break for the Qatar World Cup. If we can beat lowly Swansea we go into the break in the automatic promotion positions. Everything goes wrong. Ex-Millwall flop Edmondson, having been sold by Leicester, scores the fourth goal in a 4-0 drubbing, our second such defeat of the year. We can't even use the red card as an excuse, as we were already four goals down when Collins was dismissed. I hope it's just one of those days, and move on.

https://preview.redd.it/mvoujfgy92h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4b356778175e4f39e7d2fffd5b44be6f85dd761

The Mid-Season Break

I'd initially planned on going to watch multiple World Cup games to support any Millwall players there. Sadly, however, none have been called up. I attend the opening game anyway, hoping to see some horror challenges but instead getting a bland 2-0 victory for Cameroon over Qatar. The cheeky bastards in the media are apparently "at a loss" to explain my presence at a World Cup.

The board refuse to let us play Canelas in a "friendly", so on my return to London I am forced to arrange the usual bunch of fixtures against our club rivals. The opening game, against Charlton, is the pick of the bunch – both sides reduced to ten men, and Andy Carroll finally scoring an actual goal. Incidentally, his entire Millwall contribution so far has been to miss in a penalty shootout and to refuse to accept that his training level has been sub-par.

https://preview.redd.it/1au9dcy8a2h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c387cf52a3dd45688f587bf4fdcf6ffb74ddf75

With Felipe Melo approaching retirement, I want to give him a proper send-off. I fail in my attempts to arrange a testimonial competition, with the likes of Juventus and Inter refusing to play us. They blame it on club stature, but I choose to believe they're simply afraid. I manage to organise a friendly against Galatasaray instead. This will take place when the season restarts, crowbarred between key league games, but if anyone deserves this sacrifice it's Melo.

As Things Stand

And with that, the first half (ish) of the season draws to a close. In spite of the Swansea capitulation we remain in an excellent position after 21 games – sitting firmly in amongst the promotion contenders.

In addition, our fouls and cards counts are unreal. We've been fined four times, but have reached five bookings or more eleven times in total. At this rate, we're on for a stunning 188 yellow cards and 1080 fouls…! Maybe I was too negative in reducing our targets – our form appears to be proof, at last, that my philosophy can reap rewards, and that fouls and points need not be mutually exclusive.

https://preview.redd.it/5163yjwqa2h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82de3e77683d2768954385b6ed7df318d8ef9a7b

https://preview.redd.it/e04wxmzta2h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15586c0549847db8c8b75442f07ccac4a738d28d

https://preview.redd.it/z5p17jdva2h41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d07f5d5d9fb311a7ace86585339821a44243020c

submitted by /u/Hurball
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No one leaves Lyon 'til I say they can

Posted: 15 Feb 2020 01:03 PM PST

submitted by /u/newestusernameFR
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Just built the biggest stadium in the country with Doncaster Rovers in 2058 - here's some screenshots

Posted: 15 Feb 2020 03:03 PM PST

Capacity is 97,571, will max it out before retirement. Biggest stadium I've ever had built on FM, it's even bigger than the fully maxed out Old Trafford.

Corner angle

End to end view

Aerial view

A concrete eyesore to some but it's beautiful to me

submitted by /u/likesiamesefish
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Me on youth intake day:

Posted: 15 Feb 2020 04:24 AM PST

submitted by /u/NandosMan06
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Alphabet Challenge - Season One

Posted: 15 Feb 2020 01:05 PM PST

Right so before I delve into this absolute monstrosity I thought i'd make sure everybody know what is going on here. The alphabet challenge is likely one of the hardest and most time consuming challenges Football Manager has to offer

The Rules

So I started unemployed with some simply atrocious leagues loaded. Aruba, Anguilla and Antigua. Just to name a few.

THE BEGINNING

So after starting the save unemployed, one huge team, a powerhouse of world football, a side who have produced some legends of the game immediately caught my eye.

Pago Youth

Yes. Pago Youth, safely one of the best teams in American Samoa, 4 titles to their name and already possessing a strong squad I had to make them my no.1 target. I applied for the job and the club were delighted to have me onboard, the players were also happy (at this point they didn't know that they were going to be replaced by my quite frankly ridiculous number of new recruits). My first week was... eventful to say the very least. A full backroom team and 10 players had come through the doors within 5 days. The best was arguably Joe Koroiad (JoKo)

JoKo

Early signs of us buying the league followed we shoed in another 11 bodies before our first game of the season Away at Royal Puma.

Pre Season was very strong (and boring, probably like this post). The game started half a year before the beginning of the season which meant I had to play about 30 friendlies (mostly against my B team), we lost only 1 game, ironically against our reserve side.

This was our best moment

COMPETITIVE GAMES

The season started very well, a 5-0 victory at the hands of Royal Puma, which would begin our run of 9 games in 28 days. In this run we'd face our 2 biggest title rivals, Vaiala (Who we beat 7-0 in pre-season) and Green Bay. New starmen, Joko and Palauni Tapusoa, absolutely smashed at is we kicked off the season in fine form

Vs Green Bay

Vs Vaiala

Another highlight of the month was Ball Playing Defender, Jaiyah Saelua scoring his first goal of the campaign, becoming the first Fa'fafine player to score in the American Samoan top flight. 9 games in and we had 27 points on the board, the league had proved to be too easy and we were battering teams while putting out second string sides. Our defence wasn't solid by any means, we were conceding 1 or 2 every game but we were scoring 4 or 5 which very much set us on our way to a prestigious league title. At the halfway point we had won every game and the title was very much in the bag. In October we conceded 5 in just 4 games but we scored 15, yet again proving that you don't need a sturdy defence to succeed. Come the end of the season we had blown everyone away, scoring an average of 3.5 goal per game. We won the league, without dropping a point. Or so i thought...

League Table

THE PLAY-OFFS

In the play-offs 1/2 finals we were drawn up against PanSa, a giant of football in American Samoa, I was understandably nervous despite the fact that we had beaten them twice over the course over the normal campaign, 4-1 and 2-1 respectively. My nerves however were instantly calmed when Jaiyah Saelua scored twice as we dispatched of them 8-3 over two legs. Then came the 2 matches what would decide my fate, winner or specialst in failure. Taputimu came to town as clear underdogs and that suited them down to the ground. The first leg in the final was scary, we dominated but were held to our first draw of the year

https://preview.redd.it/51tux4scf5h41.png?width=381&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed46607c109742b8fdc796805e17a0d62e917c32

We went into the second leg scared and I instructed an unusually conservative approach, which backfired when we conceded in the 14th minute. We couldn't lose the league after 25 unbeaten and our hopes rested on one person. JAIYAH SAELUAAAAAAAAA. 42 Minutes on the clock and Jaiyah Saelua had us infront. 2-1 with half-time beckoning the title was ours and my nan knew all about it, arms flailing in the living room. A minute into the second half and my arrogant persona had backfired, we let in a sloppy goal to make it 2-2. 60 minutes gone, a Taputimu corner goes into the area. There is a push. We have a penalty to face with 30 mins to go. 39 Year Old, Nicky Salapu knows that the league title hopes are in his hands. One of his last actions in his career would be to either win us or lose us the title. SALAPU SAVES, its raucous in the crowd. Key man MJ Foao-Danielson comes on off the bench as he had done many times this season and scores, we hold on and in the 92nd minute winger Roy Ledoux wins us the league title with an effort on the counter. We win the league for the first time in 7 years. Our U21 side also romp to the league title unbeaten in a monumental season for us.

U21 Table

Player of the season

Top Scorer

So that's it we romped the league and in the process killed Ilaoa & To'omata by signing all of their good players. 1 nation down, still over 200 to go. where will I be when you next meet me? Aruba? Afghanistan? Anguilla? Well I'll leave you all guessing. Ill probably see you back in a few days, considering I dont forgot about posting updates.

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Zidane's done a Figo

Posted: 15 Feb 2020 10:37 AM PST