Gunning For A New Dawn: An Arsenal Exposé

[Logorex]

Holy ****, that's a lot of players. What's the star rating of the "Game Speed" with that setup?
And what're you eating for dinner?

 

[Zidave]

Holy **** this is like the most comprehensive read ever! Great job & good luck

 

[alexdesouza]

Holy **** this is like the most comprehensive read ever! Great job & good luck

Thanks!

Holy ****, that's a lot of players. What's the star rating of the "Game Speed" with that setup?
And what're you eating for dinner?

The star rating when I start a new game? I think it's on 1 star. I don't really pay attention to that. I just notice that the times it gets slowest on this version is when you go to play a new game and obviously also when you go next day or even start a new game it sometimes could take 1 hour if I loaded more than 55,000 with my Macbook. But no issues whatsoever here. I pretty much leave it running all the time but never go on holiday. Days go by really quick and matches/match day is flawless. I'll list my leagues below so the text isn't too cluttered as I never intended to do this many "time out" posts so early I'll try keep focused and smash a few more 'episodes' tonight before the two games tonight (Liverpool 2-1 and Arsenal 3-1 my heart says though I'm probably going to be wrong haha). For dinner I just had takeout because I had a really long day today.

This month will be lots of takeout and FM because I'm saving money and staying home a lot XD

So anyway these are the leagues I'm currently running so bare with me:

- Argentina: main division
- Australia: main division
- Belgium: main division
- Brazil: main division + second division
- Croatia: main division
- England: all divisions
- Finland: main division
- France: main division + second division
- Germany: main division + second division
- Italy: main division + third division
- Netherlands: main division + second division
- Norway: main division
- Portugal: main division + second division
- Russia: main division
- Scotland: all divisions
- Spain: all divisions
- Sweden: main division
- Turkey: all divisions

I found some really, really good players in Africa and in South America too from some of the obscure teams for the most obscure figures but rarely could get a WP for them with Arsenal. I think that part of the game is a little bit unfair because IRL it's a lot easier now for a corporation like Arsenal to get this organised especially by a young player. Yes, it's through methods usually irrelevant to FM or gaming altogether but for example if the player doesn't have it then they can go back to their grandparents/uncles/aunties/whatever in another country and get their passport that way. A lot of Brazilians do this as there are Brazilians all over the world and it's easy to migrate to a country when you have someone to live with (at least that's how it works here). I'd love to be able to sign some of the 19-21 year old Nigerian kids who will be ready for the first team soon but the game doesn't allow for it. I don't have any screen shots unfortunately (I can start a new game when I have time another day and get them if you want? Shouldn't take long... could start a new thread on these "unknown quality players that we have no chance of ever signing unless they go to Italy or something and play for their national team"? Either/or I'll definitely start adding more when I feel comfortable enough with how I go about the opening part of my season.

Keep in mind I will slowly "stop" (just where I don't think it's necessary or I'm being far too repetitive) giving these in-depth reports and go back to regular match reports when the matches go exactly how I want them. At the moment it's all experimenting and careful comparisons of all the player attributes and putting all my personal preferences IRL aside. As much as I hate Walcott now he's our Messi in the game right now anyway because Gervinho was shipped off so that Oxlade can be fast tracked so that Gnabry has a chance of being in rotation by 2013/2014. I really have a lot of faith in Gnabry and Akpom and will definitely look to keep them and out of the other ones as mentioned earlier Kristopher "Sonny" Olsson has some decent attributes I can work with to bring him to a similar level to at least Rosicky which will be good for say 10-15 games definitely per season with a 5-10 game "if he's fit" scenario which is perfect for a future midfield of Pogba, Wilshere, Chamberlain, Ramsey, etc. and Sonny will fit well into that group without feeling like he's being left out.
.
.
.

 

[alexdesouza]

Player Analysis
​

Thought this was a great time to go into another Player Analysis. This time we will take a look at what is essentially my defense for our first 11 if everyone is fit. Even then I might occasionally rotate people based on opponents, match practice for younger players or trying to work them into confidence. So without further adieu here is my Four Horseman for the season 12/13.

5. Thomas Vermaelen


There is little I can say about this man that hasn't been said before. One of the true leaders at the club he leads by the example he sets on the pitch instead of giving his teammates the hair-drier treatment much like his Belgian compatriot down on the Sky Blue side of Manchester. I don't see a need to replace him as captain and agree that we must do our best to keep our talented senior players in order for future generations to have that same winning mentality we have with-in the club. If we're the ones who will be winning all the trophies then why would we want players from losing sides? The Verminator is key to taking this great club to the next level!

6. Laurent Koscielny

This is the first and last time I was ever skeptical at a Wenger signing. When he came into the club I honestly thought a lot of my boys in the U18s were miles ahead of this weird looking Frenchman. But it was one performance that absolutely sold me on 'Boss-cielny' and it wasn't the same one a lot of others are thinking. Yes, he did brilliantly against the little wonder magician that is Messi at the Camp Nou in 2010. However is one specific day at Man City when he first arrived that the club did I begin to myself see his potential. That raw speed, his jumping ability was actually better than our captains in a defending sense and that's just immensely difficult to pull off unless you're Per. I'm hoping he'll be able to contribute more in terms of putting the ball into our opponents net instead of our this time around though. A consument professional that I will no doubt look to during all times of the season and reliability and consistency is key this man!

3. Bacary Sagna

There is a reason every single Gooner loves this player. Probably the fan's favourite as far as the squad is concerned post-Robin Van Purse-y. Been at the club since 2007 when he signed from Auxerre. He is a full France international currently one of the best players in the squad. A fantastic right back his greatest attributes is his consistency and flawless defensive attributes which is rare for a modern day fullback. I'm not sure whether or not he will end up retiring at Arsenal like some of the other folks because I think he is class and deserves to play. But playing second fiddle to him is Carl Jenkinson who is fast knocking on his door and Kenny Tete is in my youth squad taking advantage of the facilities. I'm not a fan of having 4 dedicated full-backs in a team that has to compete sometimes for 3-5 trophies playing anywhere between 55 and 70 games per year depending on friendlies, internationals, and what have you. So lets make sure we use him to his full potential while he's here and make use of his experience by getting him to mentor my young defenders.

28. Kieran Gibbs



I'm getting back some really positive reports back from the scouting staff on Kieran's potential. Signed from (the real) Wimbledon at a very young age I think he can definitely stay at this great club and push for that left back birth in the future simply because he's good enough right now even at such a young age and not being highly rated by the coaches or his peers. But ultimately my choice will be proven to be the right one because the boy has class and class is permanent. The one thing I remember of my time with Arsene and Kieran was that Kieran was superb going forward and that his physical attributes were of great quality but just short of world class. I wasn't able to bring in a young left back. Santos is the only cover we have so we will look to make a move in the Summer for someone. I heard on the grape vines that Luke Shaw of Southampton was in fine form this season for his youth side and maybe should be looked at closer...
​

.
.

​

 

[alexdesouza]

30/08/2012
​

Arsenal Inside Right
Two wins out of two and two clean sheets - two good!

​

That's right! Arsenal FC won both their games this month in convincing fashion despite the performances being somewhat stuttered in the second game. New signing Jovetic seems to be another Chamakh. We've changed managers but that doesn't mean we have changed approach. And zonal marking, what's with that? Stay tuned for more hard hitting facts on Arsenal Inside Right!

Also an Arsenal player was nominated and won player of the month. Can you guess who that was?

Santi Cazorla

That's right! With 3 goals and 4 assists he was the clear winner in front of the two United boys.

So here's a little song someone else prepared earlier:






[video=youtube;ShvJT5_ogCI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShvJT5_ogCI[/video]




We didn't receive any other individual awards but I've made a competition within our club for the goals of the month and we'll tally them up as they come in. This month's contender was Santi Cazorla for what was in fact our very first goal of the season, and in fact my management career, not to mention the very first minute in the game also! Some nice play and a great finish. We scored some much more composed goals but this was my favourite as it opened up the match much more and allowed our players to have faith in the system despite my lack of experience as a first team manager:




[video=youtube;TEixnvh65sE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEixnvh65sE[/video]





Till next month's issue guys - stay safe and keep on Gunning!





​

 

[TheRealMourinho]

Looking good so far mate, if i was you i would take a miss on the video highlights. The whole process of rendering the video and then embeding it into the story is a drainer. Maybe just post the real screamers or highlights for cup finals?

 

[alexdesouza]

Player Analysis

​

So the next in line is the midfielders. This is the most crucial part to my overall play but how I score and stop goals is with my defenders. My midfielders occasionally can win me games by vital tackles or shots but it's more in the passing and interceptions realm that they dwell and they do this very well. We've finally got to the first player that I've signed intended for the first 11. I'm really upset that I had to drop Abou however unlike Wenger I just do not trust his injury record and I love him as a player far too much to risk making him play in a league that he can't ever catch the pace again. I think he needs to be rotated very slowly which is why I brought in Everton midfield stalwart Marouane Fellaini. He's big, strong, very intelligent and has good to great technical attributes. I really enjoy the partnership he creates with Jack and Santi. The only downfall is the pace and acceleration for me but I think he makes up for that in talent and we can definitely compensate for his weaknesses with the strength of team work and high work ethic.

26) Marouane Fellaini

Current record signing for Arsenal after a £22m transfer was agreed after a transfer battle with Chelsea. The one thing that I appreciated about Marouane immediately was that he was willing to take a £50,000 reduced pay at our club because he said the cause was close to his heart. A tenacious midfielder who gets on really well with our captain Thomas Vermaelen which adds an extra voice to our midfield as Vermainator can sometimes go quiet when it comes to demanding decisions off referees (like certain players from other teams seem to do proficiently... no names though... United, City, Chelsea, Stoke, Newcastle... haha). I have high hopes for him and he'll be a great mentor for all my players at the club but especially Paul Pogba who I want to one day lead the club in this position along side future Arsenal legend Jack Wilshere.

10) Jack Wilshere

When I came to the club much was touted about this youngster. In fact a lot of people are under the impression I wouldn't have taken the job if it hadn't been for Jack's potential. This actually might not be too far from the truth. Jack's overall abilities outweighs most others in modern football because of his well-roundedness. He can tackle, he can pass, he can cross, he can shoot, he can yell, he can take a tackle and most of all he's the opposite of injury prone. Anyone who doesn't know his history he was injured when he was still in the youth squad and went two years untreated on his ankle and even managed to get 50 odd appearances for the club with such a serious injury at such a young age. He handled it amazingly and like many great pros of the past it has made him stronger both mentally and physically. I look forward to working with him and might need his assistance in the coming years with captaining the side as I want to build a truly formidable squad of lads close to the club.

19) Santi Cazorla

What can I say that you don't already know? If you watch the best game Xavi has ever played and you watch the best game Cazorla has ever played you would take Cazorla. Just because he makes it look that much better. We have Jack and Fellaini to do all the dirty work and what I needed in my squad was a magician and that's exactly what I have. Most of the plays with come through him. He will be the club's playmaker. He will play that number 10 role almost exclusively unless I need his passing attributes on the left side if I'm hit with injuries. But aside from Jack I don't see anyone getting near the efficiency or effectiveness levels that you can get out of this guy. Some of the stats he gets in games is impeccable. For example he is yet to have less than 90% passes and he's only been robbed of the ball once in two games. I'm sure this will change but I'm hoping that our higher press will enable him to play a little more fluently because the oppositions defense will simply have to sit back with the likes of Walcott on one wing and Jovetic on the other.
.
.
​

 

[alexdesouza]

Looking good so far mate, if i was you i would take a miss on the video highlights. The whole process of rendering the video and then embeding it into the story is a drainer. Maybe just post the real screamers or highlights for cup finals?

Thanks heaps and I'll definitely keep to that I think. That took forever and the quality wasn't even that good despite trying it at 1080p and my computer having a good graphics card.

Oh well, as you said, screamers, highlights for cup finals and any footage of streakers will be posted immediately!

 

[Logorex]

I love this story so much!
It might be my favorite Arsenal story yet! You better not be one of those guys who quit it right in the middle of it!
But yeah, keep it up, mate!

 

[alexdesouza]

01/09/2012
​

Barclays Premier League
​

Two games into the season and we're yet to concede a goal. The Swans have caused heartache to the Gunners before (in another parallel universe ) and so I was pretty cautious going into this game too. I also had the Chelsea fixture in mind and with my training focused heavily on tactics and teamwork as well as match day with defensive positioning I had to watch out for our players energy reserves. They're not quite developed yet and despite the strong pre-season a) it still wasn't good enough to my standards (will be calling for a longer preseason next season) and b) it's still left the players without adequate match practice as I had to cancel one of the extra friendlies I had organised. I like my teams to be fully prepared before the season starts so whilst a 16-day break before the Chelsea might look good to some I would have much preferred to play games to get better match fitness and to be in more peak condition.

Anyway on to the game. I definitely jinxed it though and Szczesny was finally beaten at his far post (kudos to him for yelling at Sagna for being out of position). However I wasn't pleased with our strikers performance yet. The issue is also motivating him because he's not reacting yet to any of my talks unless they're over the top and it's not worth making him happy for the rest of the team. If it keeps annoying me to a point where I highlight it I will have no choice but to drop him and it will be a steep climb back to the first team with Jovetic, Podolski, Walcott and even Zaha teething at the bit for a place with performances like this. This is just between me and you guys though. I would never blow my cool like this to reporters or other managers. (H)

​

The fixture of the game didn't help at all. I had to rotate for the third time in a row and now face a 16-day break. Wow, have I caught "The Arsene"? Blaming congested fixtures on squad fitness so early on too?! What would Stewart Robson say? John Cross? PIERS MORGAN?! I really couldn't care less to be honest and I don't think anyone else internally care either. We're focused and will overcome enemies even on our family side! |)

They did well to hold possession as you would expect however we absolutely dominated them in the shooting department. Slightly more shooting chances created this game too but a lot of them were missed horribly by the centre forward Jovetic and Giroud in the second half (Jovetic to be fair to him was in fact training that week as a left winger so I couldn't expect the world) but Giroud really needs to do better next time out. A few key statistics that I think swung the game in my favour include but aren't restricted to:

First up is my teams passing. As you can see it's a lot more "normal" now and less focused on the wings but Walcott was still a little more isolated than I'd like him to be. He was able to receive some long balls and was always ready to pounce but that also meat that he not only had 40% passes less than anyone else in midfield but he also misplaced a further 35% more than the other players too. Not a good game overall in terms of our possession game but they were pushing so hard for the win that I was able to concentrate my passing all over the pitch with our team and also enable some of the squad players to get a start.

Arsenal's passes: Jack and Cazorla show

Next one up was my shots off target. Cazorla, despite putting in a man of the match performance and becoming quite a force both in front of goal and also chipping in with a few assists, was the main culprit for missing the most chances. They were clear cut but as you can see he should have scored two of them in front of goal and perfect distance out for a long-range shooter like him and also two other shots that he shouldn't have ever taken. I guess I can accept 1 if it helps a player get out aggression or whatever else but any more than that and I start to worry about his concentration levels and how much he's actually applying himself.

Cazorla high and wide shots

And these last two examples are to show why high pressing, or alternatively 'medium' pressing with a more fluid or attacking playing style, is vital as well as the players playing in those positions. They were able to win the ball in much more prominent areas in what was again another weird game. The first game was okay and pretty standard, then Wigan played this really expansive formation that required a lot of creativity on the wings and now Swansea's passing game meant that if I did win the ball especially through a tackle more so than an interception that it would be one of their deeper lying midfielders as they needed to constantly press in the second half to get anything out of my team.

Swansea's misplaced/intercepted passes

Arsenal's tackles won/interceptions

7 or 8 of the tackles were won high up the pitch so I'm really happy about that and keeping the defensive midfield area pretty clean with Wilshere and Fellaini equally sweeping away any signs of danger. I have started to tinker with the tactic just slightly and put down shots and the like all down one notch as I saw fit. For example Fellaini from the BWM (D) role was having too many shots altogether but Santi was only having too many long shots so I put his long shots down one notch whereas Fellaini's attacking mentality was shifted one notch to see the differences in their attitude. I know tinkering too much can often lead to trouble but that's what I' m here to do is to learn as well as implement things for others to learn at my club. So far I love this place and I love the close relationship I have with the fans.

I've been able to play players like Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Ramsey and Paul Pogba a little due to an injury earlier that I forgot to mention for Arteta. I hope it's not a long time because I could see it impacting on him though not to be a fear-monger I will definitely have no hesitations to put him back into the squad and forgive him for errors as long as he eventually gets to somewhere near his best. He will initially be out for 2-3months but that means his stats will drop and will need to spend more time in the gym, etc...


I will go into the final Player Analysis for the first 11 and start with occasional entries of squad players. I've also got the big, big game with Chelsea at the Emirates that I will be prepared for but what will the result be?
.
.
.
Till next time folks!
.
.
.
​

 

[alexdesouza]

Uh, I think now is a good time to stop the blog until further notice or the blog gets more noticed that I think it's actually worth my time and effort. I'll continue to post fixtures like everyone else does but no tactics or anything else till I get more feedback. This site is really frustrating to work with too because it lags so much and it's harder for me to make all these entries with the thought in the back of my head that the people who are just simply reading are stealing information or at least making sure they're in the position to say that whatever piece of information was always of their own.

Thanks for supporting - everything will be started on a new, proper TACTICAL blog tonight. The more I read around here it just seems like a place to type results and transfers which isn't how a game is won or lost.

 

[Logorex]

Aw ****, too bad. I loved reading your stuff, mate.
It's without a doubt the best career I've read for quite some time, but I can see what you mean. Just hit me up with the link for the new blog in a private message.

 

[andy_14clark]

Me personally i think this could be a top quality story. I just think that there is too much going on with the detail and it is a lot to read. With matches you should stick to the basics, show the score and stats as your doing but just add a small report of the match, key points etc. You dont need to go into depth with interceptions, player analysis etc. And at the end of each month do what others are doing and pick your player of the month and why.

Would it be better for you to remove some of the leagues as well so you can get much faster game play?

Keep the story going!