Themadsheep’s Manchester United Guide
Intro
Originally planned to do this sometime back, but since they are time consuming I shelved it. But with work over I have some free time, so here is my guide:
1) Before you Start
Here are a few things I highly recommend that you have before you load up your database:
Suggested Data changes for new 11.2 databases - official
FM2011 Metallic Logos Mega pack
I prefer to make my own tactics, but for those who struggle, or are too lazy I recommend these:
Chris' Arsenal 4-2-3-1
Al's 4-2-3-1: Possession, goals and clean sheets
The Better Half - My finished Plug & Shout Tactics
Training schedules are tricky to put together, so I highly recommend this one:
Dunc's Training
2) Club Expectations
Title Challenge: £17.5 million transfer budget, £1.7 million wage budget
Winner: £21.5 million transfer budget, £1.9 million wage budget
3) Assistant Manager and the Backroom Staff
Manchester United has an exceptionally good backroom staff, with only a few signings, and one sacking, needed. However the current assistant manager, Mike Phelan, is a questionable choice.
Despite being a top class defensive coach, and having good motivational skills, he is somewhat lacking in Man Management and Tactical Knowledge. At this level you ideally want an assistant manager with 15+ in each area if you are look for someone to do your OI and your Press conferences. A good replacement is unattached 1st Team coach Richard Hill. Be advised Phelan won’t accept any other role, so keep him as assistant or sack him.
Below is a breakdown of the staff, and the roles they should be given for optimum balance in training
1st Team, Goalkeeping and Fitness Coaches:
Mike Clegg- Aerobic
Tony Strudwick- Strength
Richard Hartis – Shot Stopping and Handling
Richard Hawkin – Strength
Rene Meulensteen – Attacking
Eric Steele – Shot Stopping
Youth Coaches:
With the exception of Chris Casper, who should have his contract terminated mutually, all the youth coaches should be handed general coaching contracts and given the following roles:
Brian McClair - Shooting
Paul McGuinness – Ball Control
Tony Whelan – Attacking
Eamon Mulvey – Shooting
John Cooke – Tactics
Tommy Martin – Ball Control
Warren Joyce – Defending
I also strongly recommended these coaches to be brought in and given the following roles:
Franco Baldini – Tactics
Valter Di Salvo (1st Team Coach only) – Aerobic
Christophe Lollichon – Handling
Omar Feltosa Strength
4) Squad Analysis
As you can see United don’t have loads of standout players compared to other top sides, such as Inter, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea etc.; but they do have versatility in their side, and this is where you can turn it your advantage. United are a side built for tactical flexibility and so you can easily mould the side to attack the weaknesses of every top side you come up against.
In key area’s age is not on your side, with the likes of Van der Sar, Giggs, Scholes coming to the end of their playing days, so you are going have to bring in 4-5 players over the next couple of seasons to fill the gaps. But an area that stands out is the MCa/AMC slots, where there is a lack of real creativity without Scholes or Giggs. Therefore your first season signings should be a creative wide player and creative central attack midfielder.
Best targets?
Marek Hamsik – MCa/AMC, Napoli - £25.5million
Eden Hazard AMC/ML/AML/MC, Lille - £15.5 million
Arguably two of the best young players out there, at 22 and 20 respectively they can fit in straight and be big players for the next 10-12 seasons.
You should also start lining up replacements for Van Der Sar, and quality cover for Ferdinand to come in at the end of the season
Van der Sar Replacements:
Neuer, Lloris, Akinfeev, De Gea; quality demands quality in goal, and you should be looking towards the very best.
Ferdinand Cover:
Jan Vertonghen; a quality ball playing defender available for £9 million
[B]5) Player Analysis:[/B]
Here we will take a detailed look at each player, with analysis and looking at any weaknesses they have, plus areas to focus on in training, as well as any good PPMs to learn.
Goalkeepers:
Ben Amos
Analysis:
Young keeper with decent potential however doesn’t get much better and there are lots of better options out there. One for the transfer list with the arrival of Lindegaard
Weaknesses: Not a great kicker, and not particular strong mentally, which can lead to suspect performances
Individual Training Focus: Kicking
PPMs: None
Edwin Van Der Sar
Analysis: Getting on a bit, he is still great keeper, very consistent
Weaknesses: Not a sweeper keeper by any means.
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Tomas Kuszczak
Analysis: The Pole In Goal, pretty standard back-up keeper, will do a decent job but not really stand out. Better at rushing out than Van der Sar
Weaknesses: Lack of composure and communication can lead to goalkeeping errors
Individual Training Focus: Composure
PPMs:
Fullbacks:
Fabio
Analysis: The left sided member of the twins, Fabio shares his brother habits in getting forward down the flank and causing mayhem, destined to be a top fullback
Weaknesses: Found wanting defensively, like all young attacking fullbacks, good training and match experience needed to iron these flaws out.
Individual Training Focus: Positioning
PPMs: Knocks ball past Opponent will complement the rest of the PPMs he has.
John O'Shea
Analysis: Utility defender, not quick by any means but good for shutting down a flank defensively, and for man marking jobs.
Weaknesses: Playing a high line with him can asking for trouble against quality wingers if set as an attacking fullback
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Patrice Evra
Analysis: World class full back. Will dominate that left hand side from by-line to by-line, allowing you use the left winger in other ways if you so choose. His stats speak for themselves, he stands up to scrutiny in attack and defence, highly determined big game player, with the pace and positioning to deal with any winger
Weaknesses: Compared to the rest, his crossing is only good instead of great, hardly the worst weakness to have.
Individual Training Focus: Crossing
PPMs:
Rafael
Analysis: Very talented young fullback, set to be the first teamer right back for years to come, starts off well and only gets better with good reading of the game and bags of pace, and a good cross on him.
Weaknesses: As with young fullbacks positioning and decision making need work, but these will increase with game time and a good training schedule
Individual Training Focus: Positioning
PPMs: Knocks ball past opponents
Centre backs:
Jonny Evans
Analysis: Very good upcoming defender, reads the game very well. Good consistency, and already quite determined meaning you can demand more from him without the pressure getting to him. Central defender (defend/cover)
Weaknesses: Not physically imposing yet, an area to work on if not deployed alongside a bruiser. He’s a better second ball defender than first ball.
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Nemanja Vidic
Analysis: The hard man defender, and your current captain. The best defender in the side and one of the best in the world, he is top class in all the key areas. Monstrously good in the air, he should also be focus of all your attacking set pieces and he is as good in the oppositions box as he is in own. Very aggressive and highly determined, he is a big game player. Demand the best from him in your team talks and he will deliver it in the key games. Central defender (defend/stopper)
Weaknesses: His only slight weakness is his slight lack of pace, though with pace and acceleration at 12, he isn’t exactly a slouch. Best partnered with a quicker ball playing defender, in Ferdinand you have one the best, and therefore one of the best partnerships out there.
Individual Training Focus: Quickness
PPMs:
Rio Ferdinand
Analysis: Top class composed defender. Very good in the air, but what he excels at is his reading of the game, intercepting through balls and making covering tackles. His pace means he covers Vidic well, and is skilled enough to be deployed as Ball playing centreback.
Weaknesses: Not an overly aggressive defender, better at the second ball than the first. He is coming to the end, so his pace will fairly soon start to drop off.
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Wes Brown
Analysis: The poor man’s Vidic. Will provide some good back up, or fetch a decent price in the transfer window. Limited defender
Weaknesses: Can’t pass, or see any creative options whatsoever
Individual Training Focus: Passing
PPMs:
Defensive/Central Mids:
Darren Fletcher
Analysis: The archetypical Box to Box midfielder, can do pretty much whatever you ask him, has supreme mental stats and fitness, mean he’ll nearly always play at the top of his game and for 90+ minutes. Can play virtually any midfield role, bar Advanced playmaker.
Weaknesses: Not one for 25 yarders, though if given space can crack a few in.
Individual Training Focus: Composure
PPMs:
Michael Carrick
Analysis: Technically gifted central mid, excels as the deep passer of the side, will keep possession ticking over nicely. Very good eye for a pass, and can split sides with the right PPMs. Best deployed as deep lying playmaker
Weaknesses: Not full of flair, so don’t expect too much of the unexpected, and isn’t going to be making too many runs to lose his man with his low off the ball stats. Not hugely determined, so unwise to put too much pressure on him in team talks
Individual Training Focus: Off the ball
PPMs: Tries long range passes
Owen Hargreaves
Analysis: The only dedicated holding midfielder in the squad, he is either a good squad player, or a vital member depending on how you approach the game. With very high attributes in aggression, anticipation, bravery and a supreme engine, he excels at breaking up opposition play via interceptions and tackles, and moving the ball on quickly to creative players. Best deployed as an Anchor-man, Defensive mid, Ball winning mid, or Central mid (defend/support roles)
Weaknesses: Somewhat injury prone, not particularly strong in the air.
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Attacking/Central Mids:
Anderson
Analysis: A powerful driving central midfielder, capable of being the engine room of the side, very difficult to shrug off the ball, Anderson can cut through the opposition with his runs, and split them with his passing. Good player now, great one in future. Best deployed as Box to Box, or Advanced Playmaker (attack/support)
Weaknesses: His decision making and positioning are still suspect, but good tactical training and match experience will significantly improve these.
Individual Training Focus: Positioning
PPMs: Looks for pass rather than shot
Paul Scholes
Analysis: Coming to the end of his career he is still the most creative player in the side Top class technical and mental skills allow him to create chances out of nothing, and pass with pinpoint precision. Very good finisher in and outside the box, and complimented well with a superb range of PPMs. Best deployed as an Central mid or Advanced playmaker (support roles)
Weaknesses: Lacking physical ability, needs to be looked dafter through games, rotated and rested well. Don’t expect him to play every game of the season.
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Wingers:
Antonio Valencia
Analysis:
The typical winger, he has one aim; beat his man for pace, burn down the wing and get the cross in. Will pin back defenders with his sheer pace, and his good delivery means he is a menace to sides who struggle to defend crosses. Gets a decent amount of goals at far post by beat his man to the left sided cross.
Weaknesses: One footed, so he is a largely one dimensional player
Individual Training Focus: Composure
PPMs:
Get him to stop shooting with power, get him running with the ball down the right flank and hugging the touchline.
Nani
Analysis: If Valencia is your classic one footed speed merchant, then Nani is the tricky, skilful and occasionally frustrating two footed winger. He is as dangerous coming inside as he is crossing on the outside, perhaps more so. This makes him a great attacking outlet as teams struggle to deal with him. Technically gifted, and with an eye for long range, he is best deployed as a winger or and inside forward (attack roles).
Weaknesses: Lots of flair, but average decision making means he will occasionally try the unnecessary, good tactical training will sort that out. Ambitious, but not hugely determined means he responds better to encouragement than hard words
Individual Training Focus: Composure
PPMs:
Park Ji-Sung
Analysis: Don’t let a first glance at his stats fool you, Park is a lot better that the sum of his parts and is a very good squad player. His mental attributes coupled with his PPMs mean he gets in good scoring areas in the box, and will put away important goal. Not a flyer, he is best used cutting inside from the left wing or playing just behind the forward.
Weaknesses: Fitness, drive and work rate aside, he is not particularly standout in any areas. Could do with being better composed
Individual Training Focus: Composure
PPMs:
Ryan Giggs
Analysis: Like Scholes he is also coming to the end of his career, but is still one the more creative players in the side, able create chances out wide, or through the middle. No longer blessed with pace, so is better utilised moving into channels or cutting inside, than a pure wide man.
Weaknesses: Physical stats will drop off, needs to be nurtured though the season
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Forwards:
Dimitar Berbatov
Analysis: Mercurial Forward, with top class creativity, passing, first touch, technique and flair, if he was more driven, we would have to invent new words for him. As it is, he is just very good. Deployed right, he will create and score hatful’s. Advanced Forward, but TTB often
Weaknesses: Slightly inconsistent, doesn’t like to get stuck him for aerial balls
Individual Training Focus: Quickness
PPMs: Get him to speed up play, and play one two’s
Federico Macheda
Analysis: Young upcoming forward, well rounded finisher
Weaknesses: Not the most creative player, so don’t expect fireworks, just clinical finishes
Individual Training Focus: Dribbling
PPMs:
Javier Hernandez
Analysis: Speed merchant of a forward and a lethal finisher, will convert pretty much everything the side creates. Any side playing a high line will be punished
Weaknesses: Not very strong at all, can be bullied fairly easily
Individual Training Focus: Strength
PPMs:
Michael Owen
Analysis: In his heyday he was the most lethal of finishers, some say he still has it. I say he’s eating 50k a week that I can’t really afford. However set him as a poacher, without moving into channels, and watch him convert any loose balls. Pure finisher
Weaknesses: Walking sick note. Offers nothing else to the side
Individual Training Focus:
PPMs:
Wayne Rooney
Analysis: The best player the side and one of the very best in the game. As close as you will get to a complete forward, Rooney can do pretty much anything you ask him, he will create and score for fun. To play him as a poacher is a waste of his supreme talent, best deployed as a Deep lying forward or Complete Forward (support roles). Big game player, highly determined, again always demand the best from him and you will get it.
Weaknesses: Can pick up a few cards as he’s an angry young man who likes to get stuck in
Individual Training Focus: Dribbling
PPMs: Stop shooting from range
6) Tactical Approach:
As I mentioned earlier, United have a lot of tactical flexibility, though my preference is to use a fluid 4-4-2, or a 4-2-3-1. United’s high work rate, teamwork, fitness and intelligent players means they are very suited to fluid philosophies and tactics involving lots of movement, attacking and defending as a unit. They do lack height so drilled crosses are the way to go unless you bring in some height in the transfer window. If you are stuck for ideas look at the tactics I recommend above.
[B]7) Match Approach:[/B]
You are Manchester United, you are expected to win, and win well, and therefore you should be playing on the attack at home, or control to break them down; and attack or standard away. Only against tougher opposition will you need to possibly be more conservative, but even then you should be trying to impose your game on them.
8) Future Thinking:
Saddled with the Glazers’ debt, long term success depends on you being fairly prudent, looking to sign high quality youth rather than large marquee signings. It’s important to keep the wage bill under control, and you should start by offering lower contracts to the old guard around ending third of the season.
At the end of first season a top class keeper is a priority; and if not bought already, a top cover/replacement for Ferdinand should arrive as well.
That ends the guide; hopefully you will find it useful. If not, then in the words of Goldfinger: F*** you, and your cat.
Themadsheep
) it's bound to be good.
I'm kidding, really really great guide. I'm thinking of starting a United file, got bored of footling around in the lower leagues.