The Hometown Hero - II

 
 

by @FMDoop

It’s funny how football just has a way of producing a narrative out of nowhere. You’ll never guess where we head to for our first away game of the season… Barnsley. So what’s interesting about Barnsley, I hear you ask? They are managed by the man we replaced as Cheltenham Town boss. Micheal Duff. After a hell of a long trip up north, we face a Barnsley team that has just narrowly lost to a solid Plymouth Argyle.

Barnsley (A)

 
 

We started the game at a very fast pace. Working hard to win the ball back and creating lots of chances. And then 6 mins into the game our superstar Alfie May finds the ball in an acre of space at the edge of the Tykes box. He paused for just a moment and then marches the ball into the box. In a flash, he delivers a low-driven shot into the bottom corner making it 0-1 to the Robins. Then it starts. This is where the proverbial shit hits the fan. The onslaught towards our goal was relentless. Double the possession, double the completed chances and 10 times the number of chances created. Something had to give.

And just like that, in the 54th minute, Cheltenham’s goalkeeper Luke Southwood’s clean sheet was gone. Ex-Forest Green player James Norwood looped a header over Southwood and into the empty net. This was coming. I’m not sure if we were just awful or if Barnsley were awesome. I felt this game slipping away. They had all the ball; all the chances and we had nothing. In this part of the game, I always like to have a moment and pause to evaluate. 30 mins to go. So much to lose but, so much to gain. Should I sit and try and hold this point or do we go all out and try and snatch a win to take the points back down south?

I decided to drop the AF-AT into DM DLP-DE. This was to assist the back four, help them out defensively and support them with getting the ball forwards and away from danger. I swapped the CM-AT to a Carrilero. As much as the CM-AT drives with the ball, the Carrilero will help shuttle the ball between the DM and the IF-AT midfield lines. We have a couple of very good ball carriers in the squad, and this helps to keep the ball secure. If you haven’t guessed, I decided to try and shut up shop.

We did switch our mentality from cautious to positive and some small team instructions tweaks. Nothing to write home about really. As the clock ticked the chances slowed, it was strange to see our XG grow, and we saw some good chances go begging. It makes sense, but when this is not what you’re trying to achieve, I find it strange. The fourth official lifted the board to show 2 minutes. No more highlights, please. The full-time whistle goes, and we manage to hold on to the solitary point. Fist pumps to the travelling Robins fans. Well with the way the last 30 minutes went, perhaps we dropped a couple of points. Maybe attack is the best form of defence. Let’s save that tactic.

 
 

After the Barnsley game, we lost 3 games on the bounce. The first saw us crash out of the EFL cup to Millwall. 4-0 to the mid-table Championship side. We are so far from Championship level, it hurts! Then Pompey came to town, 20 minutes into their visit they were 3-0 up. Oh dear, I think I may have underestimated this challenge. Lastly, we travelled to Fleetwood. They blew us out of the park. An 86th-minute consolation goal from our young left-back Ben Williams at least gave the travelling fans something to cheer about.

As mentioned in the previous post, I stated that 4-4-2 was the formation we ran with through the preseason and if it didn’t go to plan in the first few games, I also stated that I wouldn’t panic. You’ll never guess what I did. I panicked. Panicked quite badly!

Time for the change-up.

In the Barnsley game, we ditched the 4-4-2 with 30 minutes to go and this showed we can create chances all while being disciplined and strong at the back. I think we need to explore this more. The 4-4-2 created a lot, however, caused us to leak chances like a sieve. The end of August saw us travel to Exeter and host Oxford and League two Walsall in the Papa John’s Trophy with the new system. Two draws with Exeter and Oxford in the league with very positive performances and a 1-0 win against Walsall with a very weak line-up.

To try to support and improve what we have, I went to the job centre and picked up a legend of the game as a Director of Football. Marco van Basten. We have very limited space for staff, so I have tried to be clever to maximise what little space we have. I have doubled him up as a Technical Director to help build a team to support with all things in the backroom. Looking at him, I should have used his 17 attacking coaching attributes to help with the coaching team.

 
 
 
 

September went a lot better than August, not only with results but performances. We played so well, such a big difference with the new system. The full-backs pushed forward more, creating more spare players in the attacking phase. This is helping with our chance creation. Also, the DLP-DE who sits in the pivot is supporting the back line. This will be Glen Rea’s position, on loan from Luton. Rea is yet to make an appearance for the Robins yet, but his defensive attributes are just as sexy as his passing and vision. But more importantly, his teamwork and positioning are very high. This is going to keep him disciplined and focused on sticking to the instructions given to him. He’s perfect for the role.

 
 

At the start of the month, we were 16th; one month and 5 games later we didn’t lose a game. In this spell, we only conceded 3 goals while we scored 8, propelling us up to 6th place and into the playoff race. Please can we end the season now 🤞.

Thanks for reading - more to follow soon.

Be sure to follow Doop over on Twitter for more Hometown Hero updates, you can also hear him every Monday with the rest of the gang on 5 Star Potential, the longest running weekly Football Manager podcast.

Wonderkid Watch - Julian Duranville

 
 

by @FMDoop

There must be something in the water over in Belgium because in recent years they’ve seen more exciting talents coming through than I’ve seen hot dinners. Through their Golden Generation we've seen world-class talents such as Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne all excel and succeed at the highest levels of European football and this has continued through the likes of Charles De Ketelaere, Romeo Lavia and Jeremy Doku. Next up on the Belgium talent conveyor belt is Julien Duranville.

 
 

Julien Duranville put on the purple & white shirt colours of Anderlecht for the first time at the age of seven, growing up in Neerpede as part of a talented 2006 golden generation. The winger impressed with his lightning-fast speed and technical skills throughout every stage of his journey through Anderlecht youth academy, and he (literally) moved quickly to show his talents off at the most successful Belgian club in history. Even at an early age, Julien's agility and quickness allowed him to maneuver through tight spaces and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. His excellent dribbling skills and close ball control make him a constant threat to opposing defences. Duranville possesses a powerful shot and is capable of scoring goals from distance as well as inside the penalty area. He soon earned the nickname “lightning bolt” due to his speed as a youngster, and his career seemed to progress with comparable drive and momentum at a club recognised throughout Europe for helping talented youngsters to reach their potential.

 
 

The now Dortmund attacker (following an €8.5m move in Jan 2023) made his professional debut two weeks after his 16th birthday - playing his first match for Anderlecht against Club Brugge on the last day of the 21/22 season. In September of the following season, he got his first senior goal against OH Leuven. Julien came off the bench for his first appearance of the campaign, where he found the ball at his feet with not a lot of time on the edge of the area. With minimum backlift, Julien brilliantly planted the ball in the top corner to score a statement first goal for the club.

 
 

Since the FM23 Winter Update, Julien is at Dortmund aged just 16. Despite his young age, Duranville has shown maturity beyond his years, both on and off the pitch. He displays excellent determination and teamwork skills, making him a reliable performer in high-pressure situations. His tactical awareness and ability to adapt to different formations and styles of play further enhance his value as a player.

 
 

With this versatility, it allows managers to operate him in various positions, including attacking midfielder, winger, or even as a false nine. If you get him retrained early on with proper guidance and game time, Duranville can evolve into a key player and a linchpin of any team's attacking prowess.

This is what I did with him at 1860 Munich. We had multiple adequate wingers yet we had a big hole in midfield for a creative player and no money to buy someone new. This gave me the chance to retrain him as an Advanced Playmaker on Attack duty in midfield. His ability to bring the ball out, find a pass and his overall pace and explosiveness makes him a suitable ball carrier from midfield. This is shown in his league stats for the season - 32 games played, 16 goal contributions.

 
 

Overall, Julien Duranville is an exceptional player to have in your squad. His technical skills, versatility and growth potential make him an exciting prospect to nurture and develop into a world-class winger or whatever you retrain him to. Whether you're managing Borussia Dortmund or any other club, Duranville can be the figure that you build your team around to become that driving force behind your team's success. Have you used him this year? Let us know your experiences in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.

Be sure to follow Doop over on Twitch, Twitter and hear him every Monday with the rest of the gang on 5 Star Potential, the longest running weekly Football Manager podcast.

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info.

U20 World Cup 2023 - 5 Players to Watch

 
 

by MaddFM.

The U20 World Cup. While this competition is often overlooked due to the fact that many of the best eligible players who are already established senior internationals are usually left out or not released by their clubs, it remains a hugely anticipated event which showcases some of the best talent international football has to offer, and the aforementioned frequent absence of the best U20 players out there often creates a pathway and an opportunity for lesser known players to show what they can do on a global stage.

Previous Golden Ball winners from this tournament include the likes of Paul Pogba, Lionel Messi, Adriano, Sergio Aguero and Javier Saviola so there is little doubt as to the level, quality and pedigree of footballers in action at U20 level and this year is no different as we see some of the world’s top talents take to the stage for what has been a long-time coming with the previous tournament in 2021 cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

That means that the last time this competition took place was in 2019 when Poland hosted a 24-team tournament wherein we saw the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Moussa Diaby, Julian Alvarez and Rafael Leao all feature for their home nations. It was Ukraine who ended up lifting the trophy after a 3-1 final victory over South Korea, slightly overshadowed by a young Norwegian striker who scored 9 goals in one game against Honduras to finish as Top Scorer for the tournament, with South Korea’s Lee Kang-In awarded the Golden Ball after a highly impressive tournament from the now Mallorca forward.

This year’s tournament takes place in Argentina after Indonesia were controversially removed as hosts by FIFA, and the likes of England, France, Brazil, Italy and Argentina will all be vying to be crowned champions - with the domestic club football season rapidly approaching an end, we thought it would be a good time to switch our focus to the International scene and look at 5 players from this year’s tournament who are worth watching and most importantly, worth your attention in Football Manager 2023.

1 . Marcos Leonardo (Brazil)

Heavily linked with the likes of Man Utd, Arsenal, West Ham and Roma in recent months - Marcos Leonardo remains a Santos player however it is unlikely this will last for long after he bagged 13 goals and 4 assists in 35 games last season and to date has scored 4 in 8 for the first team. Resembling a more traditional striker profile in terms of his strength, decision making and combined positioning and off-the-ball movement, Leonardo is expected to shine in this year’s tournament which in itself will be an audition for him to convince Europe’s biggest clubs that he is worth their time and investment.

In FM23 Leonardo is a 19-year-old poacher with outstanding forward attributes across the physical, mental and technical focus areas. With 15 Finishing, 15 Composure, 14 Off the Ball and 15 Acceleration he offers an explosive striking option at a relatively low fee, and with him already highly coveted at the start of a new save, I wouldn’t wait around long - in my own save he has been banging for PSV and is one of those players you just know is going to score against you regardless of what you do..don’t let it happen to you 😉.

 
 

2. Yaser Asprilla (Colombia)

Already an FM23 favourite and an established first-team player at Watford after featuring 37 times in the Championship this season, Asprilla is widely tipped for a great future and while he would have liked to notch up more goals and assists than the respective 2+1 from this season, it can also be said that Watford’s struggles and chaotic governance have had a part to play and the World Cup will be a great opportunity for Asprilla to showcase what he really can do at this level. Having already played and scored for the Colombia senior team, this is likely to be Asprilla’s last underage tournament and he will definitely be one to keep an eye on if Colombia hope to qualify from their group containing Senegal, Israel and Japan.

In FM23 I would be amazed if you haven’t already crossed paths with Asprilla at some point as he is clearly set up to be a wonderkid in-game; he has very strong all round attributes for an 18-year-old and is highly versatile in terms of how and where to deploy him - definitely worth looking at while he is still at Watford and there is no doubt you could turn him into an elite player with the right training and development plan in place..DO IT.

 

3. Alan Virginius (France)

Signed by league champions Lille last summer after impressing for Sochauz in Ligue 2, Alan Virginius has had a gradual transition to top tier football and has found most of his opportunities to be from the bench in Northern France this season. That said, he has looked like a livewire in the majority of his cameo appearances, so much so that he has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle in recent weeks with Eddie Howe thought to be a big admirer of his ability and potential. Rapid quick with excellent dribbling and ball control ability, Virginius offers a powerful and highly creative outlet with high energy and pace that would ignite most team’s on pitch fortunes - as a Newcastle fan looking at the project being built on Tyneside, safe to say I would love it if we were to land the Frenchman who will captain his national side at the U20 World Cup.

In FM23 we can clearly see Virginius’ versatility and speed with pretty good all-round attributes for a 19-year-old - he also offers plenty of retraining options depending on your needs and with a value of €4.6m - €6.8m he is very much attainable once a few in-game months have passed.

4. Valentin Carboni (Argentina)

An 18-year-old striker who is half-Argentinian and half-Italian? Sign me up now. Valentin Carboni is very highly regarded at Inter and it’s no surprise that he has drawn early comparisons with the likes of Paulo Dybala and James Rodriguez. With exceptional technique, ball control, passing and shooting ability Carboni is a defender’s nightmare and we have seen glimpses of this already in Serie A with 5 substitute appearances made as well as seeing him scoring and creating goals at will for club and county at youth level (interestingly he featured for Italy at youth level before switching allegiance to Argentina 👀.

From an FM23 perspective we can clearly see Carboni’s potential already reflected in his attacking and technical attributes particularly his combined Technique, First Touch, Passing, Dribbling, Finishing and Flair which go pretty well with that lovely 18 Determination rating - definitely a wonderkid on our hands who you should be pursuing from day 1 in FM23; either that or just take over Inter, simples.

5. Alex Scott (England)

I know I know - this will be the 3rd or 4th mention of Alex Scott on this website however we simply can’t leave him out. He is arguably one of the best in-game wonderkids in FM23 this year particularly since he received a substantial attributes boost in the recent winter data update, and he is clearly realising his real-life potential having just been named Young Player of the Year in the Championship and earned widespread plaudits for his exceptional ability to read and control games, echoed by Pep Guardiola after his side’s 3-0 cup win over Bristol City earlier in the season. He has since been linked with Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton and if he can maintain his club form to help England progress far in this tournament, it won’t be long before a bid is tabled and accepted for his services.

In FM23 - this is a player who can play in any midfield role and who rapidly develops to be able to play for almost any team. With a contract until 2025 he is very attainable and is a player that one should build a team around if a long-term save is your thing. It’s little wonder that the Football Manager social team recently confirmed him as the most-signed player since the winter update was released; enough said.

There we have it - 5 players who should be watched very closely at this year’s U20 World Cup and whom are very much tipped for bigger things both in real life and in Football Manager 2023. There are a host of others of course with honourable mentions for the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea and England), Maxime Perrone (Man City and Argentina), Andrey Santos (Chelsea and Brazil), Niko Takahashi (Barcelona and Japan), Cesare Casadei (Chelsea and Italy) and of course 16-year-old Ecuadorian Kendry Paez who we can’t even mention as he is not even in Football Manager yet. I think we can say with confidence that this year’s tournament will be a cracking affair and has the potential to influence a number of big clubs’ transfer strategies this summer - we wouldn’t have it any other way 🔥.

Thanks for reading,

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info.

 

The Hometown Hero - I

 
 

by @FMDoop

Horse racing festivals and the birthplace of..Me. These are the two things that Cheltenham is famous for. Or to bring to Football Manager, many may know their last manager and ex-player Michael Duff. Duff was a must-buy for almost all managers on CM 01/02. Last season Michael Duff led his side to the club's highest English Football League finish after ending the campaign in 15th with 56 points in League One. After setting this new record, Duff decided to notify the board that he wished to pursue new opportunities.

 

Mike Duff - Championship Manager royalty

 

This is where it’s time to meet me if you haven’t already.

One mile as the crow flies.

That’s the distance from that special delivery room where I took my first breath, to Whaddon Road and the home of Cheltenham Town. After ripping up trees at Under-7’s grassroots football, Cheltenham contacted me to take over. Can I lead Cheltenham to glory? Can I take them to new heights? Or will I fall at the first hurdle?

 
 

I’m a strange FM player. I take things a little too seriously. If that’s even possible. I even have a spreadsheet for Squad Numbers. Hold on tight, you’ll see this later. I just like things the way I like things, I like to stick to what I know. If a system is proven and gets results, why would you move away from that system? I use @FridayNightFM’s custom squad views and I normally take hours before I hit continue for the first time. I have a checklist that I must complete before advancing to the next day. I like to think that I’m sitting at my manager's desk at Whaddon Road. I lean forward and I take my notebook out of the top drawer. First page:

  1. Squad summary – Have a good look at the players I have, the players in the youth teams, and those out on loan. Pick your early favorites. Spot holes in the squad. 

  2. Chat to Staff – No such thing as a silly suggestion. Have a meeting with the staff, listen, watch, and learn. Make a good first impression. Work out quickly who you trust and who you want to get rid of. 

  3. Chat with the board – Can we get more staff? Improve facilities? It’s early but remember - if you don’t ask, you don’t get it.

  4. Prepare for tomorrow’s press conference - Remember the 7 P’s (Proper Planning and Preparation Prevent Piss Poor Performance)

  5. Get the friendlies sorted – 1 tough cup. One local cup. One easy cup. The last game is a confidence booster. 

1 - SQUAD

You know, I don’t dislike this squad. I plan to go into pre-season with a 442 with a good spine of loan players to strengthen the squad. We are very lucky to have a very good pair of forward players in the shape of Alfie May and Aidan Keena. May is big and strong yet very mobile. He has the player trait of he likes to wind up opponents. My guy. This is lower-league gold. Shithousery to the max. I’m hoping to have a pressing forward and an advance forward as my forward line. Well, May could do both roles, easily. The young Irish striker Aidan Keena is very much a carbon copy of May - arguably more of a natural finisher but time will tell.

Another player I think deserves a mention is the right winger, Ryan Broom. A workhorse. Great with the ball at his feet and always looking to distribute the ball when he can. If we could strengthen the depth in the centre of midfield, that would be awesome. I'll pop a couple of feeders out and get my DOF on the phone. But looking at our budgets, we might just have to work with what we got.

 
 

2 - STAFF

My hands are very much tied here and I don’t like it (my wife might beg to differ). I love a big team around me to help, support and advise as we go along. In recent years I have been all for hiring the best technical director I can find and then setting him to work on improving the staff, only checking in on his work every few months. But with the lack of funds and the lack of willingness from the targets, I see no changes. This means I don’t have a new backroom coming in with me. However, I will look to strengthen and improve the staff as we go along if I can.

 
 

3 - THE BOARD

This brings me nicely onto the board. Nothing. Just nothing. They won't let me add staff. They won't let me get an affiliate. They won't let me have more money. They won’t even let me scratch my arse at this rate. Let’s move on. 

4 - MEET THE MEDIA

After hours of shuffling bits around trying to find my ticket stub to the 2002 Football League Third Division play-off final which led a 10-year-old me to the Cardiff Millennium to watch FM wonderkids Michel Duff and Jamie Victory beat Rushden and Diamonds.

I get chucked into the mix with only three reporters, asking for a reason why I picked Cheltenham. Am I happy to be here? Am I happy with the squad? Do you know what I answered to each? Second from the left. If you know, you know. 😉

5 - FRIENDLIES

Again with me taking this game too seriously, I like to area-link each friendly. I like to make sure we are staying as close to home as possible to reduce travel time, costs, and fatigue and play games in clusters depending on the area we are visiting. 

 
 

We started with a little tour of the local area. Working on the system. Having a good look at the players. Upping the confidence. Then we moved on to the friendly cups. Joe wrote a great piece on The Byline about how to earn the maximum during the preseason by creating Friendly Cup competitions. I follow this like the letter of the law regardless of the level of football you are managing. This is a great way to generate funds.

 

So that’s my preseason. Simple. Takes far too long and if we lose a few of the opening games it all gets ripped apart and I head back to the drawing board. I like to think I don't panic but naturally, when you sink hours into pre-season and it all goes Pete Tong, I think it is inevitable that the panic sets in. But the expectations for us this season are very low. We have been asked to avoid the drop. Bravely. This is mirrored in the season preview. Second favorites to go down. Also compounded by the fact that we open up the season hosting newly relegated Peterborough. Talk about easing us into the season.

First Game - Peterborough (H)

All I ask is we get off to a good start. I don’t expect a 10/10 performance. I just want to see players working hard, working for the team, and giving it their all. Peterborough was always going to be a tough game. On my monthly projections (this is another spreadsheet) I had this game down as a low-scoring defeat or if we are lucky, a draw. But the home crowd was loud and players came out of the blocks at 100mph. Peterborough was shocked. We had four really good chances in the first ten minutes hitting the woodwork twice. Then success. In the 27th minute, Aflie May popped at the back post with a header to score his first of hopefully many goals this season to give us a well-deserved lead half an hour in.

Half-time oranges came and went and we started the second half just as we started the first. Keena ran through and tucked a low-driven shot into the bottom corner. Life is Bliss. Management is easy. Slippers on. Cigar lit...oh shit, they've scored. Awful defending by Cheltenham leaves us with a very nervy 30 mins. We didn't park the bus, I just asked the players to waste time where they could and be more disciplined. Which in turn, led us to a wonderful start and a well-deserved 3 points.   

 
 

Last season saw Rotherham promoted to the championship with 90 points. 87 to go then. 29 more wins. 

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 

40 points is enough to keep you in the division. 37 more points. 13 more wins. 

Here we go.

A cracking start to Doop’s new career as a blogger and as Cheltenham Town Manager - more to follow soon but if you can’t wait, be sure to follow him over on Twitter and you can hear him every Monday with the rest of the gang on 5 Star Potential, the longest running weekly Football Manager podcast.

Wonderkid Watch - Gianluca Prestianni

 
 

by @RocksEndFM

Argentinian football has a tradition for mavericks. From Alfredo Di Stefano to Mario Alberto Kempes to Diego Armando Maradona to Lionel Messi, each era has had a defining Argentine diez to bring awe and joy to the public. While it is entirely too early to suggest Gianluca Prestianni is ready to join that illustrious list of names, it's not that crazy to give it some consideration.

 
 

The 17-year-old was born on January 31, 2006 (FM lists it as January 15th), and it didn’t take him long to draw widespread interest and admiration. Coming from Velez Sarsfield, one of the best academies in the country, he’s always been ahead of his age group; few things show it as clearly as his debut last year, a 4-0 thrashing of Estudiantes de La Plata in the Copa Libertadores where he featured prominently aged just 16 years old.

Since then, his growth hasn’t stopped, and he’s now a mainstay in the Velez Sarsfield starting eleven under former Perú manager (and Vélez great) Ricardo Gareca, providing the few flashes of brilliance and joy the fans have had in what has otherwise been a languid and disappointing season for the club.

While he can play across the entire front of midfield, he’s been mostly used on the wings, either on the right with his favoured right foot or inverted on the left, where he can cut inside and shoot or look for a pass in behind. With his short stature, quick feet and rapid speed, he’s already drawn some comparisons to Lionel Messi, although his potrero style play with lots of feints, cutbacks and tricks often makes me think of another Argentine maverick, Ariel Ortega.

 
 

What better proof of that than his first ever professional goal. With Vélez Sarsfield on a rare 3-0 lead against a weaker Central Cordoba, the kids were let out to play, and it was a run from Brazilian-Argentine youngster Lenny Lobato that assisted Prestianni for a clear chance. It would have been understandable if, given his age, he rushed it and hit it first-time, but instead he showed composure beyond his years. A quick feint, an enganche out of the very best Argentine street games to send the keeper packing and an even easier pass to an almost empty goal. The celebration that followed was a dream come true: he’s a Vélez Sarsfield fan through and through.

 
 

Going to FM23, he’s 15 years old on the January 2022 start date for the Argentine league (and on a Youth Contract), but he’ll be 16 in the regular European-leagues’ start of June/July and on a professional contract for the first team. Valued between 7 and 10 million Euros, depending on where you’re managing, you’re going to have to wait a bit to get him as he often prefers to continue his development at Vélez Sarsfield.

Despite his young age, however, he’s got a fairly good technique, solid mentals and is already very quick, meaning he’ll be able to contribute very soon. With 13 Dribbling, 13 Technique and 12 Pace at just 16, he’s bound to give defenders trouble off the bench, and his five star potential suggests that’s only the beginning.

 
 

In my Parma save, despite starting from a lower point in the original 23.0 DB, he has developed into quite the deadly option from the wings, although he may not reach full potential due to being stuck in the Argentine Primera Division for far too long. Still, he had six assists and two goals in his first season with us (still only 22 years old), and established himself as a regular starter on the left flank.

 
 

However, with a Winter Upgrade that undoubtedly improved him and if signed early to further develop him in the European game, you could have a world-beater on your hands.

Simply put, Gianluca Prestianni has shown to be an extraordinary talent both on the virtual and real football pitches. He is perhaps the most interesting emerging star in Argentine football (already linked with a real life move to both Barcelona and Real Madrid), and he’s has captivated fans and pundits alike with his performances so you’d be wise not to miss out on him before he inevitably makes a move to a bigger market.

Thanks for reading.

RocksEndFM is a top quality Football Manager blogger and content creator - check out his Football Manager save adventures and FM guides over at RocksEndFM.com and be sure to give him a follow on Twitter.

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info.

Building a Coaching Team

 
 

I’ve often wondered how people put their backroom teams together, are you an attribute whore, do you get the old boys back together or do you play so far down the leagues you’re happy for the bloke that cuts the grass to stick a few cones out for the lads to run around? 

For the purpose of this conversation starter I’m going to focus purely on the coaching team but the basic principles will cover how I recruit for the other staffing areas. 

As you may be aware, I’ve started a new save with Valencia (if you haven’t the opening post is here and there’s a Twitter thread to compliment it here) and at the start of the game their backroom team is close to being one of the worst in the league, which is not a shock considering how badly run this team is. 

When I start a save building a backroom team is probably second on my to-do list and honestly, I can’t tell if it’s actually important but I feel like my process mixed with the results I get in game makes it something I never leave to chance. 

We begin at the Coaching Staff page where I identify our recruitment opportunities where we have space for 7 Coaches and 4 Performance Analysts. My rule of thumb with coaches in the top division is that their key attribute should be between 15-20 mixed with the Determination, Discipline and Motivation multiplier. I don’t use staff calculators but I believe they use a similar format to rate staff and there’s plenty out there that are a great help. 

 
 

On this page I have my Coaching View that breaks down the attributes I’ll be looking for and honestly, I make it really simple - 7 coaching spaces for 6 attribute groups; Goalkeeping, Defending, Attacking, Tactical, Technical & Fitness and that list is what I’ll use to start my staff search.

 
 

In the Staff Search screen I have my Staff Search - Coaches View selected which loosely mirrors the view we have in the Coaching Staff page making what we do next fairly fluid. I go in to New Search and set my parameters for a defensive coach:

 

Determination + Level of Discipline + Motivating + Defending - 15

 

Paul Robinson always comes up in this list and I sign him nearly every save that I’m in a position to do so, he just gives me old school defending vibes. One thing I would mention is that I do weight DDM over Adaptability but if there is a choice of candidates with the same attributes and mentality I’d use their Adaptability attribute as the decider. 

In the scenario where I use the above search filter and no staff are found I start to reduce DDM by one point until a suitable candidate is found. 

Repeat these steps across the attribute groups and you’ll have the best backroom team possible for your club, it might not be the best in the league as some clubs will have more scope for more coaches so don’t be disheartened, the more success you have, the more chances you’ll have to increase your coaching team. 

 

One coaching space left to turn that Fitness bar from green to gold

 

As the seasons progress and you’re faced with an inbox of expiring coaches contracts I like to start making the coaching team a bit more personal, little things like the goalkeeping coaches being the same nationality as my goalkeeper - why the goalkeeper? Who knows, it’s just something I do… During the seasons I’ll be keeping tabs on coaches I’ve seen and adding them to the shortlist for later, I’ll start looking at their personal mentality, they’re playing and tactical styles and start aligning them with the philosophies we have at the football club.

One final point I’d like to add and it’s something I don’t think I’ve ever done, is to take advantage of the Secondary Job, it’s something I’ve seen Doop use a few times in the lower leagues and it gives you the opportunity to cover two roles with one staff member, in fact, looking at the backroom team at Valencia we have Juan Monar who is contracted as a Sports Scientist with his Secondary Role as a Fitness Coach, it’s just a shame he’s not up to scratch at either! 

Thanks for giving this a read, I’d love to know how you build your backroom teams and why you choose the staff you do and yes, Pablo Aimar is on my Staff Shortlist for when the inevitable happens. 

David Villa aka FridayNightFM 

Wonderkid Watch - Alex Scott

 
 

by @DGear86

Position: DM/MC/AMC (Centre)

Traits: Tries Killer Balls, Runs With Ball Through Centre, Likes Ball To Feet

Recommended Role: Roaming Playmaker 

🗣️ “The  Guernsey Grealish”

Alex Scott joined Bristol City from Guernsey FC at 17 years old having made his senior debut for Guernsey in August 2019 to become their youngest ever player at the age of 16. He has progressed through Bristol City’s Under-18s and Under-23s, signing a professional contract in March 2020.

Scott had an excellent 2021/22 season, playing 39 games and contributing to six goals, scoring four and assisting two in a breakthrough season that saw him play a variety of positions and deservedly win the Young Player of the Year award.

This season he’s nailed down a starting position through the middle of midfield switching between Defensive, Center or Attacking Midfield, with 5 assists so far this season coming from when he was in the deeper roles of Defensive Midfield or Center Midfield.

 
 

So far this season he’s played 46 games with 2 goals and 5 assists, rapidly becoming a pivotal part of the Bristol City starting XI regardless of which role he has been deployed in. 

 
 

As you can see they have moved him around mainly through the middle and he’s been at his most influential when he’s in the deeper positions of Defensive or Central midfield. 

 
 

He is fast approaching 100 appearances for the senior side but with only 3 games left this season and a big move in the summer looking increasingly likely, he is unlikely to reach that milestone. 

 
 

A skilful nimble player who likes to dribble with the ball (hence the Grealish nickname), although he doesn’t play as high and wide as JG, this could be a potential future switch for him at a higher level and there is little doubt that Scott is good enough to take on such a challenge. He loves looking for that through ball along the ground to the attacking players and is a consistent threat both in terms of goal scoring and chance creation.

He has been widely linked with a move to the Premier League this summer with clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle showing an interest, Bristol City fans will be sweating with every mention of his name as the transfer window edges closer and rightly so from what we have seen from Scott this season

 
 

In Football Manager 2023 Scott has the perfect build for a Roaming Playmaker either in the DM or CM spots. His traits of tries killer balls often, runs with the ball through the center and likes balls played into feet describe the type of player you are getting. He will get the ball deep played into his feet, turn, carry it through the middle of the pitch before picking out that killer through-ball to your attacking players. Main thing is to make sure you surround him with players ahead of him to pass to and look to receive the ball.

 
 

Why Roaming Playmaker?

A Roaming Playmaker is a versatile and dynamic midfielder who moves around the pitch to influence the game in various areas. Their primary objective is to contribute to the team's offensive play by getting involved in build-up play, creating chances, and even scoring goals.

They have the freedom to roam laterally and vertically across the field, making them difficult for opponents to mark and track. This constant movement allows them to exploit gaps in the opposition's midfield and defence, as well as link up with teammates in different areas of the pitch. They also like to bring the ball forward with their dribbling ability. Something the other two roles don’t really do.

Roaming Playmakers are usually more involved in the physical aspect of the game, pressing opponents and engaging in duels to win back possession. Their energy and work rate is key to their success in this role, and they utilise their dribbling more by default and like to drive forward with the ball at feet.

Future Progression

 

End of 2024/25 season playing as a RPM

 

Here he played as a Roaming Playmaker and as you can see he’s made 9 assists and scored 7 goals which are highly reflective of his real life stats.

 

End of 2026/27 season playing as a RPM

 

A season later and he has had 7 assists and 1 goal, but importantly has also added the traits “Uses outside of Foot” and “Dictates Tempo”. Again, his numbers are reflective of real life but we are seeing a consistent elevation of his attributes and development in-game as an RPM.

Roles to partner the RPM with in a double pivot

In a Defensive Midfield Pivot I’d likely play Scott alongside a DM role to give the midfield some defensive security so the RPM can roam and dribble forward at leisure. 

In a Center midfield pivot I’d partner him with a CM on defend for the same reasons.

Roles to partner the RPM with in a Midfield 3

A nice trio to use would be a Ball Winning Midfielder in the DM slot and a Mezzala in the second CM slot alongside the RPM.

How to improve him in FM23

As above - adding the traits mentioned will help with those nice playmaking passes and empower him to dictate the tempo so he helps control and influence games. Focusing on improving his weak left foot to make him a two footed playmaker will also help greatly, while of course Position, Role and Duty training for a Roaming Playmaker will also help accelerate his development. 

What a player - sign him up early before the bigger clubs come swooping in and his price soars, if you are lucky then you can turn him into the playmaker that drives your team forward right from the get go. 

Thanks for reading.

Dan Gear is one of the unsung heroes of the Football Manager community not to mention one of the top bloggers on the scene. Be sure to follow him on Twitter, check out all his Football Manager content over at ViewFromTheTouchline.com as well as hear his wise words of wisdom on the GrassNGear podcast.

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info.

Wonderkid Watch - Andreas Schjelderup

 
 

by @afmoldtimer

This is possibly both the hardest and the easiest article to write about one of the top wonderkids in Football Manager this year. Why? What hasn’t already been said about Andreas Schjelderup? In doing research on this piece, there are so many articles out there already about this FM23 wonderkid, and most of them aren’t even about his exploits in the game.

The 18-year-old Norwegian is yet to achieve an international cap, but it feels like it could only be a matter of time should he break through at Benfica. Already twice capped at U21 level, he has impressed scouts at all the major European sides, and Schjelderup reportedly turned down a host of elite clubs in favour of a move to the Portuguese giants.

 
 

Signed by the Lisbon-based side in January of this year from Danish title contenders FC Nordsjælland, Schjelderup had mostly played as either an inside forward on the left-hand-side or as a false nine in the Superligaen. Over the 2022-23 season, he scored 10 goals in 17 appearances, including three penalties, telling the teams in the bigger leagues that he was ready for the next step.

 

Career stats to date (Source: BeSoccer.com)

 

So far he has only made one substitute appearance in the first-team, coming on in the last minute of an away game against Marítimo. However, he has recently been named on the bench in the Champions League games against Club Brugge and Internazionale - being registered in Benfica’s Champions League squad at the age of 18 perhaps isn’t unusual given their business model, but that’s more common if you are Portuguese national or perhaps Brazilian. To make this step as a Norwegian is no mean feat, even if he hasn’t played yet.

For someone so young, he's not afraid to make big moves. He left FK Bodø/Glimt, his hometown team having grown up in Bodø before even making a senior appearance. It's obviously impossible to know the road not traveled, but you probably can't deny that leaving to be part of the FC Nordsælland youth team before being fast-tracked to first team minutes has rapidly enabled him to develop into the player he has thus far become.

Whilst at FC Nordsjælland, Schjelderup was either protected from being over-played, or needed to work on his stamina/natural fitness, having only completed ninety minutes twice over seventeen games. If it’s the former and he is being protected, then this was shrewd from the FC Nordsjælland management team - avoiding any early injuries to a player at a tender age can actually aid their development, and avoids them being burnt out (see Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney). He never missed a matchday at FC Nordsjælland in the 2022-23 season in the time that he was there - giving him time on the pitch to continue to develop his game.

A tricky inside forward, he looks to play in a direct, fast fashion. He will happily take on his opponent, either with a piece of skill through his quick feet and dribbling ability, or by looking to make a progressive pass. His passing ability is backed up by his vision - he has honed his play to be able to recognise the attacking runs of his teammates and the defensive fragility of the opposition. He also has the technique to pull off his flair and passing, and is able to finesse the ball with ease.

In FM23 - well, see for yourself..we are looking at an 18-year-old that is already primed for first-team football, possessing excellent technical skills and bags of room & potential to develop rapidly in-game.

 
 

In terms of player traits, Schjelderup looks to cut inside from the left wing. Any video clip you see of Schjelderup on YouTube will tell you the SI researchers have been astute in their work with this, though I'd be keen to add more to his game than just that sole trait (see his 2029 player profile below for some that I and the AI have added before and after I became Bayer 04 Leverkusen manager).

He will need training on his physicals, with the lack of completion of games reflected in his stamina attribute. His balance is also something of a concern given his dribbling ability, but again, this is something that can be worked on in his positional and additional training programme.

 
 

It is perhaps no surprise that he has taken extra steps away from regular training to improve his abilities. His use of technology to improve his play was shared by the technical director at FC Nordsælland, Flemming Pedersen, helping him to make more calculated decisions when playing. This has likely helped his anticipation and composure, being able to play the ball that he wants to play, or take on an opponent when the time is right to do so because he has already played out the situation in his mind hundreds of times, but without putting his body through the physical strain of that level of intense training.

Benfica's training systems may well have been what appealed to him, as they have elaborate, state-of-the-art training systems using technology to help players to improve their agility, first touch, passing, vision, and decision-making.

Given that Benfica have been part of the pathway for the likes of Darwin Núñez, João Félix, Enzo Fernández and Rúben Dias to name a few, it’s likely that Schjelderup saw the opportunity to move to a larger European side, with the idea of being able to work his way through their set-up in order to establish himself on a larger stage. With the oligopolistic nature of Portuguese football, enabling Benfica to qualify regularly for Champions League football, Schjelderup is backing both his talents and Benfica's dominance alongside Porto and Sporting that this is where he can make a breakthrough.

Whilst his move will mean that signing Schjelderup will be off the table in the initial stages of a new save, he’s certainly not someone that you want to sleep on if you are playing as a manager at a top-level side and you are looking for a youth option. His versatility, skillset and high ceiling will likely make him an attractive option despite the considerably higher asking price for him compared to when he was at FC Nordsjælland upon the release of Football Manager 2023.

With the right game time, coaching, training and facilities, Schjelderup can develop into an elite wide player, as seen below for my Bayer 04 Leverkusen side. I was fortunate to arrive at Bayer 04 with Schjelderup already in the playing squad.

 
 

If you're able to sign him as a team who are in but not really competing to win the Champions League, expect him to be wanted by those clubs that are particularly based on his in-game potential. Equally, anticipate he'll likely want a minimum fee release clause to increase the chances of him achieving that big move, should your league permit such an addition to the contract. His ambitious nature will mean that he will look to move his career to the highest he can achieve - and with the right guidance, it could be higher still than Benfica.

Time will tell, and highlight reels on YouTube are an appalling way to scout a player, but if the eye test is anything like the highlights then Norway are set for an exciting time ahead with Haaland, Ødegaard and potentially Schjelderup leading their attacking line in the near future 🔥.

Thanks for reading.

If you enjoyed this then you best head over to @afmoldtimer’s excellent Football Manager blog where you can find some of the best FM content out there which combines data and metric analysis with excellent save narrative and insight - you won’t regret it 👌.

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info.