I've been enjoying an epic save with The Saints - although it took me several seasons to start winning trophies. I began my game the day FM14 came out and have obviously had the same database ever since. I see yours is updated.
I started with my FM11 favourite formation of 4-5-1 Assymetric but I'd recommend you go straight to 4-4-1-1 (as I eventually did) with James Ward-Prowse and Morgan Schneiderlin operating as DLP_S and BWM_D respectively. You can rotate Schneiderlin into the DLP role and bring Wanyama into the BWM position. You'll likely be offered big money for Wanyama early on from Real Madrid or someone, and I'd take it to reinvest in the squad - he's a yellow card magnet, anyway. You should still have Jack Cork, who can do a good job in midfield and at right-back until you're ready to bring in a top player to improve beyond him.
Tom Ince was brilliant for me as my first signing at M/AM_L, but I got him from Blackpool. His stock has probably risen in your database so he'll be more difficult to get - and you've got Tadic who I think plays on the left-wing anyway.
Train Jay Rodriguez to play in the Shadow Striker role. His height, creativity, shooting ability, pace etc make him ideal for this position and he was my star player for several seasons, scoring goals galore:
JAY RODRIGUEZ - GOALS BY SEASON (ALL COMPETITIONS)
2013/14 - 7 goals (playing mostly as Shadow Striker in 4-5-1 Assymetric formation)
2014/15 - 18 goals
2015/16 - 12 goals
2016/17 - 14 goals
2017/18 - 22 goals (this was the season I switched to 4-4-1-1; won Golden Boot at 2018 World Cup with 6 goals)
2018/19 - 24 goals
2019/20 - 32 goals (thirty-two! One of my DLF's also got 32 goals in this season)
2020/21 - 25 goals
2021/22 - 3 goals (long-term injury limited him to 7 starts, 5 subs)
2022/23 - 4 goals (1 start, 9 subs - due to emergence of younger players)
You need a Deep-Lying Forward_Support in front of an SS, and I don't know whether Osvaldo or Pelle would be better - so try them out and see what happens. Gaston Ramirez blows hot and cold but is quite versatile and capable of the occasional spectacular goal. If you want to keep him, train him to play from the left but you can also use him in the No.10 position as either a Playmaker or a Shadow Striker, or to deputise in the DLP_S role, but don't expect him to survive a tackle. If you like Inside Out wingers, he can play form the right as a left-footer (but not in a 4-4-1-1, obviously).
Team Instructions
- Retain Possession
- Shorter Passing (except Ward-Prowse and Schneiderlin whose preferred moves include long-range passes; they are both excellent at switching the play and picking out men in space)
- Work Ball Into Box
- Play Out of Defence
- Float Crosses
- Exploit the flanks
- Play Wider
- Hassle Opponents
- Get Stuck In
Mentality: CONTROL; Fluidity: BALANCED.
(Reserve the Push Higher Up; Higher Tempo and Be More Expressive options for when you are chasing a goal or the opposition are down to 10 men, and switch to Mentality: ATTACKING; Fluidity: FLUID).
Get your keeper to pass the ball short to defenders, to encourage ball retention. Defenders pass short; Ward-Prowse and Schneiderlin go more direct, as I said; check out your wingers' creativity and tell the better one to play More Risky Passes; SS and DLF play short passes - both Move Into Channels - SS Shoot More Often.
Put James Ward-Prowse on set-pieces. Schneiderlin as captain to begin with, but JW-P can take over in future.
Fonte's a bit of weak link; if Tin Jedvaj is available, get him. Clyne's not really a left-back; see how Matt Targett is doing among the reserves (if you don't already have Ryan Bertrand on loan from Chelsea). Otherwise, you might be able to get Daley Blind from Ajax - I did, but I still have Luke Shaw so Blind never really made much of an impact before I sold him to Fenerbahce.
Out here in the real world, Ward-Prowse is already established as a 1st team player and Matt Targett, Sam Gallagher, Lloyd Isgrove, Jack Stephens, Harrison Reed and Sam McQueen are regarded as the pick of the next batch of youngsters (or future Liverpool players, before anybody else says it!), but it remains to be seen how well that is reflected in your FM database. I'd be inclined to give them a look during pre-season and use the best of them to aid your squad rotation and provide some back-up. Remember it's important to have homegrown players when you get into Europe and also for your Premier League squad and having a lot of U21s who don't have to be named in your squads provides extra depth.
Artur Boruc is alright in goal, but if you have loads of money from the sale of all our best players, then see if you can get Jack Butland or somebody better. I actually signed Fraser Forster from Celtic first - art imitating life - but then replaced him with Butland three seasons later, which was an improvement.
Right-wing is probably your biggest problem position. I think Isgrove can play there, but if you have cash available then I'd scour the U21 squads of all the best teams in Europe and find a player who can improve with the squad over the next few seasons. You can usually sign Dutch, Serbian or Scandinavian players easily enough if they are not already with top European clubs. Check their contracts to see if they have minimum fee release clauses that you might be able to trigger. In particular, keep a close eye on youth products coming out of FC Utrecht in the Netherlands and Genk in Belgium and remember that signing a young player and loaning him back to his original club for a season can help his development and help you to manage the contracts of outgoing players.
Look at the Serbian, Adem Ljajic. He's quite a versatile and skilful attacking player that I always wanted to sign but by the time I could get him he was too old. You might have more joy. I guess he's about 23 or 24 in your game and you could retrain him to play at M/AM_R, because he's right-footed. That reminds me, I did exactly that with Jonjo Shelvey and he was quality for me for several seasons - another versatile player and good in the air. Also, very distinctive during the match animation with that bald head!
Some screenshots from my game (now up to 2024/25) to support my many and varied claims:
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