FM24

10 Players to Retrain in FM24

 
 

by MaddFM.

Retraining players to a new position is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Football Manager - so much so that one of my favourite pieces I’ve ever written was about Retraining Players for Success in FM which I penned for The Byline, Sports Interactive’s official Football Manager blog. There is nothing better than that feeling where you have spotted something no-one else has, identifying something in a player that none of their previous managers have been shrewd enough to visualise, and ultimately that feeling of redemption and triumph once that player takes like a duck to water in their new role and ends up a clear illustration of why you are the greatest and most shrewd master tactician within your FM save universe.

Of course it’s not just in Football Manager that we see players finding and excelling in a new position, whereby even recently we seen players such as Chiedozie Ogbene (AMR to RWB), Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB to CM) and Kai Havertz (STC to CM) all thriving in a new role which has largely been masterminded by their management team and coaching staff accordingly, and of course we have seen even more notable cases down through the years with the likes of Gareth Bale (LB to AML), Michail Antonio (RB to STC) and Joelinton (STC to BBM) all successully advancing in their careers after a significant role change.

Based on this and to inspire you to think more about retraining players in Football Manager, here is a list of 10 suitable players that could somewhat easily and feasibly be retrained to a new role based on their in-game profile and attributes (you can also find the FM23 list here) - players who logically are set to a specific position in-game, but are entirely well suited to a completely different role based on some specific attributes which make them uniquely adaptable in FM24.

1. Sergej Milinković-Savić (CM → TF)

Yes I am casually suggesting converting one of the best creative midfielders in FM history to the traditionally less attractive Target Forward position, but hear me out; Sergej Milinković-Savić is 6’3” in height (192cm) and not only is physically dominant with 18 Strength, 17 Balance, 17 Heading and 16 Jumping Reach - he is also technically ideal for the role with 15 Technique and First Touch, not to mention possessing 15 Finishing and 17 Off the Ball which would make him a mean striker who can receive the ball either at height or to feet, hold up play, bring others into the game and ultimately cause havoc for opposition defenders. Throw in his high Bravery, Work Rate and Determination and you might just have a rare gem on your hands who can offer much more than just creativity and flair in your midfield. BEAST.

 
 

2. John McGinn (CM → LB)

At 28 there is a point whereby John McGinn’s relentless energy and aggression will eventually start to wane in the heart of Aston Villa’s midfield, and as they progress in terms of league position and European adventures, they may look to upgrade in this position as their ability to attract bigger names increases under Unai Emery. Fear not - McGinn can still play an important role for Villa and could easily be retrained either as a Full-Back or Wing-Back on that left-hand side; not only is he left-footed, he has the physical and mental attributes needed for a great wing-back (Stamina, Work Rate, Natural Fitness, Anticipation, Teamwork), has great Passing, Crossing and Dribbling ability while also being solid defensively in terms of Tackling and Positioning; while the likes of Alex Moreno and Lucas Digne have been found to have some weaknesses in terms of defensive attributes, one would not expect the same from John McGinn if retrained accordingly.

 
 

3. Alessandro Bastoni (CB → DLP)

Here we go again - taking one of the best Centre-Halves in recent FM history and converting them to a midfielder? Why not - Alessandro Bastoni is of course solid as a rock defensively, but if you peel back a few layers you will also notice that he has 15 Passing, 15 Vision, 17 Teamwork and 15 Pace not to mention having 14 First Touch and Technique making him highly suitable to operate as a playmaker either in the DM or MC strata. In a world where Italy are relatively blessed in the Centre-Back department (Scalvini, Gatti, Acerbi etc) but still appear quite heavily reliant on an aging Jorginho in the middle of the park, Bastoni could be just what the doctor ordered to help reignite the Azzuri midfield and restore the Italians to national team glory.

 
 

4. Alex Grimaldo (LWB → AMC)

Is it just me or do we not see enough left-footed #10’s these days? Of course the likes of Messi, David Silva, Martin Ødegaard and Bernardo Silva come to mind, but in general a lot of the best #10s tend to be right-footed and there is perhaps a gap in the market for a quality left-footed AMC. Enter Alex Grimaldo, Leverkusen’s high-flying left wing-back who has been a pivotal part of their title challenge this season. Since picking him up on a free transfer, Grimaldo looks to be one of the signings of the season however looking at his FM profile, he very much has the quality and attibutes to perform as a #10 if we look at his First Touch (16), Technique (16), Passing (16), Vision (16), Long Shots (16), Off the Ball (15) and Composure (16) - all attributes which make for a very effective AMC who can get on the ball, dictate play and ultimately be the lynchpin around which attacking play can be built; similar to Bastoni above, Spain are blessed with left-backs but could perhaps do with some additional quality in the #10 role - Grimaldo may just be the guy.

 
 

5. Bryan Cristante (DM → DLF)

An absolute pillar of a midfield general, Bryan Cristante has never really been one to steal the headlines and is almost an unappreciated midfielder of his time considering he has played over 30 games in almost every season since breaking into the Atalanta first team before moving to Roma in 2018. In FM he rarely tops the creative or goalscoring charts, however if we run the rule over his attributes we find a midfielder with 16 Off the Ball, 16 Composure, 14 First Touch & Technique along with 13 Finishing which is by no means bad especially when you add in that he has 16 Jumping Reach and 17 Heading for a 6’2” midfielder. Stuck for a forward to pair with a more rapid or mobile striker in a 4-4-2? Cristante could be your answer 👌.

 
 

6. Sacha Boey (RB → DMC)

Bayern’s new signing is of course a right-back by trade, but their recent dip in form has largely been attributed to issues in midfield and the lack of a proper #6 to keep things together in the middle of the park. Step forward Sacha Boey, who incidentally has all the attributes needed to operate as a DM or Anchor in FM24 - 16 Tackling, 14 Positioning, 16 Work Rate, 17 Stamina, 15 Strength and most interestingly 17 Aggression which as we all know is a key ingredient to a successful defensive midfielder. While he may be slightly more limited in terms of passing and ball control, at 22 he has plenty of time to develop and improve under your tutelage in-game.

 
 

7. Scott McTominay (CM → PF)

While Scott McTominay has clearly demonstrated his eye for goal for both club and country in recent times, the idea of him being an actual striker hasn’t really been taken seriously at many levels but in FM24, there is a serious case to be made here; 14 Pace, 14 Finishing and 14 Off the Ball are a great recipe for goals, and when you add in his height, strength, aerial ability and a mix of 19 Stamina and 17 Natural Fitness, there is the makings of a great Pressing Forward here who will run all day while also knowing where the goal is. Scott McTominay as a #9 - get it done.

 
 

8. Lucas Torreira (DMC → RB)

While we have seen quite a few full-backs stepping up into midfield of late (largely driven by the likes of Joao Cancelo, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Reece James, TAA and even Kieran Trippier of late) - it’s not as often that we see a player moving in the other direction, however it can be highly beneficial having a player who can cover multiple positions in particular full-back and midfield roles therefore maximising their place in your matchday squad. Former Arsenal man and current Galatasaray enforcer Lucas Torreira is a great example of a player whose skills and ability can be expanded to cover multiple roles in-game, starting by retraining him as a right-back wherein he already has 15 Tackling, 16 Marking, 15 Positioning and 18 Anticipation in addition to key attributes such as 17 Work Rate, 17 Acceleration and 16 Determination, all of which should see him transition quite quickly into the role as needed; though not very tall, he is also worth considering for the new Inverted Full-Back role which has been an excellent addition to FM24 this year.

 
 

9. Douglas Luiz (DMC → IF)

A glorious all round player who loves taking a corner. Douglas Luiz is an excellent and highly versatile midfielder in FM24 who can occupy almost any central midfield role as needed, however it doesn’t have to stop there; with great all round Technique, First Touch, Passing, Off The Ball, Flair and Shooting/Finishing ability, Luiz could easily be deployed in a more advanced role and with a 14 attribute for both Pace and Acceleration, he is quick enough to offer an attacking threat especially if we think of him cutting in from the left hand side and fashioning goalscoring opportunities on his favoured right foot. This combined with 15 Composure and a player trait of Shoots from Distance open up a tasty can of worms as we think about Luiz operating as a forward player, be it for Villa or any top level European club with those attributes 🔥.

 
 

10. Joelinton (CM → DC)

A player who completely personifies the benefits of retraining in a new position - Joelinton has been a revelation since transitioning from a failed goal-less striker into one of the most feared and effective box-to-box midfielders in the Premier League, earning him multiple call-ups to the Brazil squad and almost guaranteeing himself to be the first name on Eddie Howe’s teamsheet each week such is his impact and influence on Newcastle’s midfield. That said, in FM24 Joelinton could very much be retrained to play at Centre Back if desired; not only is he strong as an ox and great in the air, his Tackling (15), Positioning (14), Bravery (20) and Aggression (17) make him highly retrainable in this position not to mention his high Determination and Decision Making. With 16 Dribbling, 15 First Touch and 14 Technique you potentially have a top class Ball Playing Defender on your hands - what’s not to like?

 
 

There we have it - 10 players that could be retrained to completely new roles in FM24. By now you can see the point here; the preset in-game positions aren’t everything, and if a player has a mix of the right attributes for a role then it can be highly beneficial to retrain them accordingly, you might just save yourself a small fortune in the transfer market by turning an average player in one role into an absolute gem in another. As we learned in my Byline piece about retraining, it takes approximately six to nine months to retrain a player in a brand new position in which they had no position/role familiarity previously, and about 12 months overall before they can be said to have acquired a ‘Natural’ familiarity in the role. What are you waiting for? GET ON.

Thanks for reading.

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

FM Youth Academy Challenges - Part II

 
 

by MaddFM.

Welcome back for Part II of our FM24 Youth Academy Challenges segment which focuses on clubs to manage in Football Manager who have a clear track record of producing elite level talent (outside of the standard European powerhouses) and as such make for a great save adventure as we gear up for the latest installment of the FM series from Sports Interactive.

Last time out in Part I we spotlighted 6 clubs across Europe (Le Havre, Stuttgart, Brescia, AZ Alkmaar, Braga and Southampton), and if you are here it means you either enjoyed that piece or are still contemplating your first big save when the new game drops on November 6th. Perhaps that will end here, let’s go 👌.

1 . FC Metz (France)

 
 

We return to France to look at another club with an interesting academy model and who despite having a clear track record of elite player development, haven’t yet managed to find a balance between on-field first-team success and off-field youth production. Founded in 1932, FC Metz have traditionally always competed in the French top-tier however have never managed to be crowned Champions of France, with their highest ever league finish coming in 1998 when they finished in 2nd place in Ligue 1 behind FC Lens. Over the past 20 years the club has largely yo-yo’d between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, even suffering the ignominy of being relegated to the 3rd tier in 2013 and after another spell in Ligue 2 last season, they returned to the top tier as champions and commence life in FM24 back in Ligue 1 where they belong.

Despite this inconsistency and below-par performance in the French league, Metz have continued to be at the forefront of elite youth development in France largely largely through three main avenues: (1) Domestic talent recruitment & development wherein the likes of Robert Pires and Louis Saha came through the Metz youth academy before going on to win trophies at the highest levels of European football; (2) Metz’ extensive & established scouting network which has enabled them to be among the first to identify and sign high potential talents such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Miralem Pjanic, Papiss Cissé and (3) their affiliation to the Génération Foot academy in Senegal which has seen the likes of Sadio Mané, Ismaila Sarr and Pape Matar Sarr all make the transition into European club football via the Metz youth system.

In FM24 Metz are a newly promoted side in Ligue 1 which is always a challenge especially in Football Manager, and have also lost their star player with Georges Mikautadze joining Ajax in the summer; that said, with Excellent Youth Facilities and decent training facilities & academy coaching, there is an opportunity to reignite their academy to be the foundation on which their future stability and success can be built in France.

 
 

2. Feyenoord (Netherlands)

 
 

One of the more established on this list in terms of pedigree and quality of youth production over the past few decades, Feyenoord are hugely recognised for their player development and have consistently supplied many of the biggest teams in Europe with superstars and elite talents which were nurtured in their Varkenoord facility in Rotterdam. Having just won their 16th Dutch Eredivisie title last season (the first since 2018), Feyenoord are a very interesting proposition in FM24 given that their rivals PSV and Ajax are both going through a period of transition at present, with the latter very much struggling after what is officially their worst start to a league season in the club’s history.

Stefan de Vrij, Robin Van Persie, Georginio Wijnaldum, Jurrien Timber, Orkun Kökçü, Noa Lang, Marten De Roon, Tyrell Malacia, Gustavo Hamer - a consistent flow of top tier talent flowing from the Feyenoord academy each season all of whom have gone on to play elite tier football at domestic, continental and international level - Feyenoord’s track record is unquestionable when it comes to the production and development of players not to mention selling them on for considerable profit which goes a long way towards explaining why the club has only once ever won the European Cup (Champions League) back in 1970 in a famous win over Jock Stein’s Celtic.

Back to present day and Feyenoord present a healthy challenge in FM24 - having only lost the aforementioned Orkun Kökçü from their title-winning first XI last season, a domestic league title challenge is a fair expectation however the real challenge is to see if you can blend a successful youth academy project with advancement in the Champions League beyond their more recent track record where they haven’t progress past the Group Stages since 1999; rated as Excellent for their training & youth facilities as well as their junior coaching and youth recruitment will certainly do no harm in helping accelerate this and bridge the gap accordingly 🔥.

 
 

3. Sheffield United (England)

 
 

We mentioned yo-yo clubs previously and here is another one. Sheffield United were one of the original members of the first ever 92/93 Premier League season, but since then they have bounced between leagues repeatedly to the point where they even spent 6 seasons in League One before their gradual ascent and return back to the Premier League this season. Putting this to one side however and if we peel back the layers on Sheffield United’s internal structure and youth system, we have a club who have consistently churned out some of England’s top talent, players who have gone on to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe as well as taking up key roles in the national team throughout.

The list is quite impressive - some of these names include Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Aaron Ramsdale and Phil Jagielka - all players who started their careers at Sheffield United and have since gone on to make big money moves and play elite level football; unfortunately Sheffield United haven’t been able to capitalise on this and therein lies the challenge of balancing the loss of your best assets with maintaining consistent first-team performances.

In FM this is another newly promoted side who do have some strong and promising players in their squad (Cameron Archer, Gustavo Hame and Anel Ahmedhodžić to name a few) - with good all round facilities (and room for improvement), there is the makings of a long-term project here if you can manage to keep them in the Premier League long enough.

 
 

4. Las Palmas (Spain)

 
 

Somewhere a bit sunnier perhaps? Las Palmas, the capital city of Spain’s Canary Islands and home of one of La Liga’s up and coming football clubs who have returned to the Spanish top tier after a 5 year hiatus since being relegated in 2018. Formed in 1959, UD Las Palmas have never won a major Spanish trophy and shy of their 2nd place finish in 1969, the club hasn’t enjoyed a Top 4 finish in La Liga for almost 50 years.

Despite this and while the club has endured on-field struggles over the past 10-15 seasons, the standard and quality of their youth sides have rapidly increased to the point where a number of their homegrown products have gone on to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe; striker Sandro Ramirez (who you may remember from a disappointing spell at Everton) is a local lad who came through the Las Palmas ranks before moving on to Barcelona; we saw a similar situation with Vitolo, who left island life for Sevilla and Atletico Madrid before going on to earn 12 international caps for Spain; more recently, the likes of Yeremy Pino (Villareal) and Pedri (Barcelona) have also emerged from the Las Palmas academy to become two of Spain’s most exciting youth prospects, both of whom are already fully-fledged internationals and look set to be vital components of Spain’s future international success.

Safe to say there is a clear track record of pedigree and quality when we look at the Las Palmas youth system and this is reflected in FM as we see a club with Great Training & Youth Facilities and a solid foundation of coaching and recruitment to build on. In FM24 we already see the next elite talent emerging with Alberto Moleiro still at the club despite being linked with moves to Liverpool, Barcelona and Aston Villa this summer; combine this with exciting players like Mika Mármol, Maximo Perrone as well as the experienced Munir and Jonathan Viera (another local boy) and there is a tasty save to be had in Gran Canaria this year.

 

5. Anderlecht (Belgium)

We had said we would bypass some of the more elite youth academies but it’s impossible to overlook the achievements and successful output of Anderlecht’s youth academy, who not only consistently produce some of the best talents in Belgium but are responsible for successfully developing some of the best players in Europe over the past 20 years. As the most successful Belgian side ever in terms of league titles and European participation, you may be surprised to hear that they haven’t won the Belgian Pro League since 2017 with their only major European trophy coming back in 1983 when they won the then UEFA Cup Final against Benfica; that said, this is a club steeped in European footballing history with one of the most successful youth academies in world football.

Romelu Lukaku; Vincent Kompany; Anthony Vanden Borre; Youri Tielemans; Alexis Saelemaekers; Jérémy Doku; Leander Dendoncker; - all players who can call Anderlecht home and who have gone on to far bigger and better things at domestic and international level, so much so that scouts from many of the top European clubs are practically season ticket holders at Anderlecht youth and senior fixtures and one could argue this was illustrated perfectly by the fact that Borussia Dortmund moved to sign Anderlecht’s most recent wonderkid Julian Duranville for a fee of €8.5m at the age of just 16 years old having only played ~300 minutes of first-team football - heartbreak for FM enthusiasts but a clear testament of the regard held for Anderlecht’s youth academy.

Similar to Feyenoord above - a save with Anderlecht may not necessarily be about domestic success but more so aimed at building and expanding this successful youth production, combined with attempting to better their European competition record knowing that the club haven’t progressed past the Champions League Group Stages since the 2000/2001 season. The facilities and infrastructure are all in place to create a dynasty in Belgium this season 👑.

6. Charlton Athletic (England)

Last but not least we return to England for perhaps a slightly unexpected suggestion for a Youth Academy challenge; Charlton Athletic, who some of you may only know as being long-term League 1 residents while others may remember the glory days when Alan Curbishly led the club back to the Premier League where they stayed for 7 consecutive seasons peaking in a 7th place finish in 2004, only narrowly missed out on European football for the first time in the club’s history before their eventual relegation in 2007.

In terms of academy graduates we are looking at some big names who went on to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe and beyond - England internationals such as Scott Parker, Jermaine Defoe and Jonjo Shelvey all came through the Charlton ranks before moving on to pastures new and as we know went on to play for the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle. More recently, players such as Ademola Lookman, Jordan Ibe and Ezri Konsa have also emerged from Charlton’s youth system which shows that the club continues to recruit and develop top talent despite having to compete alongside London’s top clubs with 7 Premier League teams all playing in the Premier League currently.

What’s interesting is that FM does not really reflect this slight overachievement in terms of youth recruitment and development, with room to improve in their facilities, coaching and recruitment departments - that said, Charlton present arguably one of the harder challenges of this list but when it comes to FM, that’s what you are here for right?

That’s your lot. 12 teams outside of the standard European giants who have a clear track record of high-quality youth production, upon which you can build the foundations of your FM24 save as you look to drive both on-field and off-field success by leading the first-team to domestic and/or continental glory while simultaneously putting the club’s youth academy at the heart of all decisions made and at the epicentre of your save adventure. Let us know if any of these interest you in the comments below and if you have any other suggestions as we kick-off a brand new edition of Football Manager when FM24 hits our screens on Monday the 6th of November.

Interested in becoming a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

 

FM Youth Academy Challenges - Part I

 
 

by MaddFM.


During his time coaching in the famed Ajax youth academy, Dennis Bergkamp was once quoted as saying that “The only team that needs to win is the first team. The youth teams don't need to win, they just need to make their players better”. When speaking of youth football, former Scotland international player and football coach John Collins once said “Winning games is for the coaches ego. It should be about developing technically, gifted footballers”. A quick visit to the Southampton academy website tells us that the club’s mission is as follows:


“To produce a first team year-on-year made up of 50% Academy graduates who are world-class in their technical ability on the field and behaviours off the field competing on the European stage”.


So what does this tell us? As Football Manager enthusiasts - perhaps nothing new, as we for years have invested countless hours combing through obscure youth leagues and focusing on building and enhancing the quality and output of our annual youth intake in-game. That said - it’s also fair to say that our first team’s exploits generally take front and centre when it comes to how we play FM, with youth production often a side project as we look to dominate and conquer within our save universe.

For some of you, hopefully that all changes now. If you are still on the hunt for your first main save in FM24, then you may have come to the right place as we take a look at the Youth Academy challenge in Football Manager, whereby the premise is to specifically take charge of a club with the primary intention of building and maintaining a world-class youth academy, producing players internally to be ready for promotion to first-team football, or alternatively developed and sold on for profit which in turn can be pumped back into your youth facilities accordingly.

Of course, it would be easy to look at some of the more well-known clubs in terms of having world-class academy setups in place - the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Benfica and the aforementioned Ajax all are among the first to spring to mind when we think about top-tier youth academies globally. We could also wax lyrical about Athletic Club de Bilbao whose entire model relies on internal youth production to propel their first-team sustainably, but that in itself is a whole other save concept entirely. Instead, we bring you a selection of slightly less-renowned clubs who pride themselves on their academies and have a track record of elite player production to prove it - some of which may be familiar to you, some of which you may just find surprising.

Here are 6 clubs to manage in Football Manager who have a clear history and pedigree in terms of producing elite talent via their youth academies; Part II and 6 more to follow soon 👌.

1. Le Havre (France)

 
 

Based in the North-West of France in Normandy, Le Havre Athletic Club are steeped in French football history, participating in the first ever French Championship in 1894 and becoming the first non-Parisian club to win the Championship in 1899. That said, the club has never won what is now known as Ligue 1 with their last major trophy coming in 1959 when they won the Coupe de France defeating Sochaux after extra-time.

In terms of academy production, Le Havre have a sturdy reputation in terms of notable graduates wherein the likes of Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez and Dimitri Payet all learned their trades in the Le Havre youth system as did the likes of Lassana Diarra, Loic Badé, Steve Mandanda and the three Mendys (Edouard, Ferland and (sigh) Benjamin).

Fast-forward to present-day and Le Havre have returned to Ligue 1 after winning the Ligue 2 title, and therefore are in the top tier of France when we load up Football Manager 2024; with Great Training and Youth Facilities, Good Academy coaching and some room for improvement in terms of Youth Recruitment, Le Havre make for a highly challenging but intriguing challenge as you look to battle with Ligue 1 heavyweights PSG, Monaco, Marseille and Lyon both on and off the pitch to secure and produce some of France’s best future talents.

 
 

2. VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

 
 

If Le Havre are flying high after returning to the top tier, then Stuttgart fans are flying higher judging by the start they have had to the 2023/2024 season, sitting in 2nd place at the time of writing with 6 wins from 7 games largely thanks to 13 (yep) goals from star striker Serhou Guirassy. Recent years have been somewhat of a rollercoaster for Stuttgart - winning the Bundesliga in 2007 (largely thanks to some homegrown talents whom we will touch on shortly), then being relegated in both 2016 and 2019 before returning to the top tier in 2020.

In terms of that homegrown talent - that Bundesliga win was largely fueled by academy products Mario Gómez and Sami Khedira who both went on to make big money moves to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively, and though they have twiced dropped down a division, they have continued their successful production line through the likes of Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Timo Werner, Antonio Rudiger and Bernd Leno - all German internationals who again went on to bigger and better things post their emergence at Stuttgart.

In FM24 Stuttgart already have Excellent Training Facilities, Great Youth Facilities, Good Academy Coaching and Good Youth Recruitment - a ready-made recipe for a youth academy challenge, made all the more interesting by the fact that the likes of Bayern and Dortmund are increasingly spending on first-team ready players rather than producing from within. Advantage Stuttgart ✅.

 
 

3. Brescia (Italy)

 
 

It can be easy to label Brescia as some kind of retirement home for players approaching the end of their careers having seen the likes of Roberto Baggio, Pep Guardiola and Mario Balotelli all moving to the Stadio Mario Rigamonti towards the twilight period of their football journeys, but there is far more to Brescia than meets the eye if we truly take a look under the hood in terms of former youth players and academy production. Although the club has never won Serie A previously and have been languishing in Serie B since they were relegated in 2020, the club has long been a stalwart of Italian football and more importantly, the production of footballing talent either side of their neighbouring rivals in Milan and Bergamo.

Let’s talk midfielders; in 2004 the club signed a 17-year-old Marek Hamsik and a year later he was making his Serie A debut, which teed up a future move to Napoli where he became one of the most influential and explosive attacking midfielders in the division. In 2018, an 18-year-old local boy by the name of Sandro Tonali led his hometown club to the Serie B title, quickly outgrowing the club before securing moves to Milan and then Newcastle where he became the most expensive Italian player in history. He wasn’t the first local hero to make a big impact at Brescia however - that mantle was first taken by an even bigger name who at 16 became the club’s youngest ever player: one Andrea Pirlo, and the rest as they say is history.

Added to that list are recent FM wonderkids such as Sebastiano Esposito and Lorenzo Lucca and Brescia are teed up to be one hell of a save in FM24, not only challenged with developing their academy but also restoring them to the higher echelons of Serie A 🚀.

 
 

4. AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)

 
 

Since winning the Eredivisie in 2009 ending a 28-year wait since their first and only league title in 1981, AZ Alkmaar have enjoyed a lengthy spell of successful league campaigns, qualifying for European football every season bar two and firmly establishing themselves as the “best of the rest” outside the big three of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. This has directly impacted their internal recruitment and youth production wherein they have consistently developed players into their first team and subsequently sold on for large transfer fees.

Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta - €14m), Calvin Stengs (Nice - €15m), Myron Boadu (Monaco - €17m), Tijani Reijnders (Milan - €19m), Owen Wijndal (Ajax - €10m) - the bar is high at AZ even if their model is to cash in on their best assets rather than try to retain them and compete with the aforementioned big three in the Netherlands.

Top scorer for the past 3 seasons Vangelis Pavlidis looks set to be the next big-money departure however in FM24 he is a clinical finisher at a club possessing Superb Training and Youth facilities along with Excellent Academy Coaching and Youth Recruitment; the Eredivisie is always a hotbed of talent in FM, and balancing this with the constant reality of losing your best players to bigger clubs poses an excellent challenge as save adventures go.

 
 

5. S.C. Braga (Portugal)

 
 

Braga are similar to AZ in my eyes in terms of their wonderkid production being more recent than historical as is the case with some of our other recommendations. Up until the early 2000’s their most notable academy graduate was Tiago Mendes who went on to feature for the likes of Benfica, Chelsea, Lyon, Juventus and Atletico Madrid, but what is even more interesting is that since the same period, they have relentlessly improved and maintained their league finishes all the way through, from a world of mid-table mediocrity throughout the 90s to consistent European qualification over the last 20 years, peaking with their best ever league finish in 2010 when they finished 2nd behind Benfica.

Since then we have seen an abundance of homegrown talent produced through the Braga academy, all of whom largely moved on to bigger and better things whereby the likes of Pedro Goncalves (Sporting), Pedro Neto (Wolves), Francisco Trincao (Barcelona), Pizzi (Atletico Madrid), Vitinha (Marseille) and David Carmo (Porto) all come through the Braga ranks before advancing to pastures new.

With the Portuguese perennially dominated by the likes of Sporting, Porto and Benfica, leading Braga to compete and overthrow these is always a challenge but a history of producing top talent combined with good facilities for doing so makes for a tempting challenge in FM24.

 
 

6. Southampton (England)

 
 

We couldn’t really leave them out right? Southampton’s record of producing elite talent far surpasses their on-field success having been relegated three times in the last 20 years - somewhat perplexing for a club who up to 2005 had featured in every Premier League season since the competition’s inception in 1992 with back-to-back Europa League qualification in 2015 and 2016.

Again we are looking at a club who are clearly operate a produce/buy low and sell high model (gone are the days when Matt Le Tissier was a one-club player) - in recent seasons we have players such as Gareth Bale, Ben White, James Ward-Prowse, Tyrone Mings, Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana and Nathan Tella all pass through the Southampton academy, a huge improvement from a time where the Saints’ main notable graduates could be counted on one hand as we saw the likes of Kevin Phillips and Wayne Bridge both start their careers in Southampton.

In FM24 we find Southampton in the Championship following relegation in the 2022/2023 season but still maintaining Premier League level Youth and Training facilities in comparison to the majority of their rivals in the division. Even a fraction of the club’s previous player development would be deemed successful for this side, but there is only one way to find out 👀.

 

There you have it - 6 clubs to manage in Football Manager whereby their Youth Academy have been notorious in producing elite level talent and therefore the onus is on you to continue this work and take their academy to new heights hitherto unknown. With the full version of Football Manager 2024 dropping on Monday 6th November 2023 (and early access likely dropping a couple of weeks before this) - it’s time to get our saves ready, however if you are not yet convinced then fear not, Part II will be released shortly and will contain another 6 suggestions who each have their own pedigree and track record of successful youth production, and therefore are worthy of your consideration before you launch your first big FM24 adventure. As the saying goes - PROGRESS NEVER STOPS.

Thanks for reading.

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

 

Simplifying player roles in Football Manager

 
 

by Louis Bent

When the conversation of player roles comes up during your standard Football Manager chat, there seems to be an element of gravitas towards the more exciting names: the Raumdeuter, the Mezzala or maybe even a Segundo Volante.

Whilst all those positions have their benefits, the tendency to overcomplicate roles by picking the most intricate-sounding names or adding more individual instructions is fairly prominent when constructing those all-important tactical setups.

However, I’m here to show you there can be upsides to keeping things simple and holistic when selecting player roles in Football Manager.

The Centre-Back

When using centre-backs in either a three-at-the-back formation or a four-at-the-back system, there can be an inclination to reach for the ball-playing defender. Although its base instructions are useful when building up from the back in possession, which include ‘take more risks’ and ‘hold position’ in order to keep the ball more efficiently in a possession-based system - there are different instructions to add to the standard central defender role.

 

Example using Nico Jones as a centre-back with ball-playing as a high priority.

 

Keeping your team instructions on shorter passing whilst using these personalised role instructions ensures your centre-back will keep the ball more efficiently without trying to break lines as the BPD instructions would do. This has been particularly effective in my Edinburgh City save, where my defenders don’t necessarily have the elite technical ability to play the BPD role but do have ball-keeping composure and technique for the level we’re working at.

Occasionally if I find that my centre-back is a little quicker than average, I’ll use them as a cover central defender, so when playing in a mid-block it can be helpful to have someone sweeping behind the line with that extra yard of pace.

In Midfield

In similar fashion, when playing with a possession-heavy style of play it’s useful for me to have two deeper midfielders in different roles.

I like to use a DM on Defend duty as a screen in the back-line, which acts in a similar fashion to the Half Back player role, but offers a little more in terms of mobility in possession and can drift from those central areas into wide channels to offer an extra option when with the ball.

 
 
 
 

The DM on defend will still recycle the ball as a Half Back would, but isn’t necessarily glued to the gap between the two centre-backs, despite having the hold position instruction on - the player will drift into wider areas to help progress possession. This doesn’t necessarily mean your DM is going to start breaking defensive lines with his movement, think of him as doing ‘crab’ movements all the way through the game.

 

Thomas O’Connor’s average position in possession (blue) and out of possession (red).

 

Here’s the success I had with my Edinburgh City midfielder Thomas O’Connor, who played in this role in the Cinch Championship and since beginning this article has earnt his big move to fellow Lothian-based club Hearts. He was almost perfect for the position and despite a difficult season results-wise, still proved to be a consistent performer in this role and with the instructions applied.

 
 

The DM on defend works well when paired with either a Deep-Lying Playmaker or even a Regista if you are in possession of a player with that well-rounded type of skillset.

Now for some attack

We’ve covered a couple of defensive positions and assuming these roles have worked for you and you’ve managed to progress into the attacking third, what role might you use if you have someone in Attacking Midfield?

Well in keeping with the shape of the article I like to use an Attacking Midfielder on Attack duty, where the instructions almost mirror your typical ‘number 10’ position. This position relies on late arrivals into the box whilst ensuring the amount of creativity you’d enjoy seeing from a player in this position.

 
 

I once again had huge success in two divisions with the lovely Steven Boyd at Edinburgh City who would pride himself on waiting for a melee in the six-yard box whilst calmly waiting his chance to strike when the ball eventually drops.

 
 

Using the standard instructions along with ‘cross less often’, ‘close down more’ and ‘take more risks’ leaves them with a decent level of creative responsibility within the side.

In the attacking roles, be sure to also try a Winger on attacking duty with ‘take fewer risks’ and ‘shoot less often’ for similar effects in your wide positions, the same with an Inverted Winger but with ‘shoot more often’ on to ensure their cutting inside isn’t to no avail.

Summary

In short, it can be good to add the more fancy player roles to your tactical setup, however, it might well be useful to play them alongside or maybe even use these simpler roles instead.

Obviously opting for a holistic approach depending on the players at your disposal, for example, encouraging shorter passing for a player with poor numbers for passing, technique and composure will lead to issues, but as long as you take into account the personnel you're working with - this might just work for you.

I've seen some long-term success with it in my saves, perhaps you might as well.

Thanks for reading.

Louis Bent.

This is the first Football Manager piece Louis has written for 5 Star Potential - if you enjoyed it and want to see more, drop him a follow here and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

Cart (0)