ollieconnolly
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Hey what's up everyone. Some of you may remember me from some in-depth stories both here and over at SIGames. Unfortunately time commitments and writing about baseball full time has given me no time to really get into a good FM save. But now I have some free time and I can get into a cool long-term journeyman save.
Setup
I've decided to load the following leagues. The biggest and best in Europe. I know some people like to start at a 3rd division Belarus side, but I wanted to keep my and everyone else's interest levels high. So I'm going with the biggest leagues and a 'professional' starting status.
Rules
I don't have a lot of rules, but i'd like too:
- Stay at a club for a maximum of four years
- Win a league title with Liverpool
- Topple Bayern Munich & Dortmund in Germany
- Win a European cup with a Dutch side
- Win each league title by the careers end.
My Philosophy
I have been working with a football manager philosophy for a long time. I've developed and redeveloped my fulcrum system. It's based predominantly on an Ajax philosophy with a genesis from early Barcelona sides. As a big fan of the intricacy's of football tactics I've spent a long time studying and learning about Brendan Rodgers a young manager I really respect and appreciate.
?I like to control games. I like to be responsible for our own destiny. If you are better than your opponent with the ball you have a 79 per cent chance of winning the game?for me it is quite logical. It doesn?t matter how big or small you are, if you don?t have the ball you can?t score.? (Rodgers 2012)
The Tactic
The idea is based upon a pivoted 'fulcrum' deeper player to sit and keep the game ticking over, the main idea of the formation is to keep short passes in the middle of the field. with the 3 central midfielders and defenders looking to play around 60 passes a game and the fulcrum around 100-120. The constant passing should move around the defenders and midfielders and hopefully isolate either 1 on 1 situations with the Wingers up against the fullbacks working the ball through various channels and quality of goal scoring opportunities (rather than quantity) are apropos of the Tiki-Taka school of football. To achieve the success found implementing Tiki-Taka football, not only are a particular set of players required but a template to enable the ever-flowing movement advocated by Spain, Barcelona, Ajax and Swansea:
My template for everything is organisation. With the ball you have to know the movement patterns, the rotation, the fluidity and positioning of the team. Then there?s our defensive organisation?so if it is not going well we have a default mechanism which makes us hard to beat and we can pass our way into the game again. Rest with the ball. Then we?ll build again.? (Rodgers 2012)
The Overall Philosophy
Zone 1 ? ?the sweeper goalkeeper? ? This specialised zone is expected to take charge of a much larger zone in Tiki-Taka football compared to the more direct approach. The emphasis is on the goalkeeper to play with the ball at his feet and play far more short threaded passes than usual. Characteristics in this role include: good stature, efficiency with balls in the air, bravery, agility and willingness to play on the deck without fear ? the keeper is expected to act as a pressure relief for under pressure team mates.
Zone 2 - the ?Libero? ? The players in zone 2 are (like the goalkeeper) expected to play a much larger role in ?keep-ball?. They are too expected to act as pressure relief to a compact midfield as a way-out option. The two centre backs are expected to compliment one another: one technically brilliant and one with a powerful physical presence (see: Puyol-Pique). The more technical of the two is to act as a playmaker for changing the pace of the game ? Ashley Williams made more long ball attempts than any other outfield player during 2011/12, mostly fast yet grounded balls played forward to feet. As a Libero? you have the whole picture in front of you ? you are in a position to say pim let?s go this way, pim let?s go that way.
Zone 3 ? the ?volante de salida? ? This player must be particularly good at playing his way out of trouble and yet still excellent at winning the ball back. Typical characteristics are the ability to read the game, act as an outlet for under-pressure team mates consistently and continually pass the ball within pressure:
?I get the ball, I pass, I get the ball, I pass, I get the ball, I pass.? (Xavier Hernandez 2011)
Xavi?s hypnotic approach to the game summaries the mindset for the player in this particular zone and like Leon Britton should boast a remarkably high pass completion rate ? a 93.3% pass rate was widely acknowledged in January 2012.
Zone 4 ? the wing backs ? the players in this zone will need to be prepared to work particularly hard up and down the wing; both defensively and in more advanced positions. It is important to note that crosses will now be made from the by-line rather than from deep ? within zone G (8).
Zone 5 ? the box to box creative midfielders ? flair, the ability to change the pace of the game within a second, the decision of when to do so and an all round technical ability are required to fulfill the roles in zone 5. Zone 5 players are expected to continually find space amongst the ?traffic? and complete the triangles in possession. The players should not constantly look to create the spectacular but are expected to simply knit the possession and keep the ball more often than not.
Zone 6 ? the inside forwards ? Messi, Alexis Sanchez, Sinclair, Dyer et al. all represent the highly creative, technically gifted and unpredictable player expected to fulfil the requirements of this zone.
Zone 7 - the linking target man ? This player is expected to be technically gifted when assessing his first touch, link up play and off ball movement.
Zone G (8) ? the goal scoring opportunity and assist zone ? this zone is vastly important zone to understand. The quality of chances cannot be stressed enough. Liverpool has, over the past five years, been noted for creating chance after chance without scoring. The players who break into this zone should be extremely good at making the decision as to whether a goal scoring opportunity is available or to turn back and play the ball back into the organism of Tiki-Taka. Barcelona however, highlighted the danger in over relying on this concept as their play became slower and more predictable as the game went on against Chelsea in the Champions League 2011/12.
En Assemble - The formation laid out sets about moving forward as a team and defending as a unit too. The team are expected, rather poetically, to move back and forth much like turquoise waves crashing onto shore:
?You win the ball back when there are thirty meters to their goal not eighty? (Guardiola 2009)
The Six Second Rule
This is based on the principle that when a player regains or receives possession he as at that moment, or for a few seconds, is vulnerable to being dispossessed.
But, and this is crucial, if you cannot win the ball back within those 5 or 6 seconds then you must recognize as a team that you can?t run around pressing the ball for 90 minutes. It?s just not physically possible. So you retreat, regain your defensive shape, and wait for the ?signs? to start pressing again.
?You cannot go (press) on your own, You work on zonal pressure, so that when it is in your zone, you have the capacity to press. That ability to press immediately, within five or six seconds to get the ball, is important. But you also have to understand when you can?t and what the triggers are then to go for it again because you can?t run about like a madman.? Brendan Rodgers
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