Sunderland

FM20: Sunderland 'til I Die

 
 

🎵 On a river where they used to build the boats, by the harbour wall the place you loved the most, I can see you there but all you know, I’ll be there - SKIP INTRO

If you haven’t seen the Netflix series, Sunderland ‘til I Die, then I’m surprised you’ve found your way here as the series was the only inspiration behind me starting this save.

Having played 2 seasons in game and achieving back to back promotions I felt I’d done what Simon Grayson, Chris Coleman & Jack Ross had failed to do and took Sunderland back to the Premier League and with it, my mission is complete… for now.

 
 

It’s time for someone new to take charge of the Mackem’s and secure their position in the top division armed with a war chest of £30m and a hefty wage budget to play with, do you fancy the challenge?

The club was taken over in October 2020 by Lee Harding, formerly of Braintree Town, and to date I’ve had no real issues with the owners getting involved with anything to do with the club.

As I stated above, the Premier League transfer budget is £35m and a wage budget of £515,700 per week (currently spending £309,627 and £80,000 of that is on loan players due to expire). One transfer has been completed at the end of the season and that was for Championship starlet, Ebere Eze, from QPR.

Although a lot of the success has come through playing the loan system, there are a couple of assets for you to build on:

Benoit Badiashile & Jimmy Dunne

At 20 & 23 respectively this duo have been fantastic at the back all year in the Championship. Badiashile’s a well known name in the Football Manager community and he’s locked in until 2024 with a release clause of £32m which is likely to attract a number of clubs in a season or two. Dunne was a bargain pickup from Burnley, he’s got all the Dyche characteristics you would want and he picks up a few goals from set-pieces as well.

 
 
 
 

Eric Court

Court is a newgen that I picked up from Hibs last year and I ever since I’ve signed him I’ve had Bergkamp vibes about him. He’s spent a season playing reserve team football scoring 28 and assisting 15 in 40 games. He’s been capped at U21 level alongside his teammate Billy Gilmour and I really think that if you played a system that suited his style he could be deadly in the hole in a few seasons time.

 
 

Ebere Eze

Eze was another investment opportunity, he was transfer listed at QPR for £12.5m and seemed a bargain at that price for someone home grown and with bags of potential. If you haven’t seen him in real life, just have a little Google, he’s great fun.

 
 

So, do you fancy it?

If you do, here are a few notes from the outgoing manager:

  • I’ve played 2 seasons with an attacking 4-2-4.

  • In the second season I set up with a pacy attack, the loan signings of Nketiah, Obafemi, and Hudson-Odoi allowed us to be lethal on the counter and with Billy Gilmour’s fantastic passing we were set up perfectly.

  • You’ll be a bit light at full back and you’ll need to replace the spaces left when the loanees return to their parent clubs.

So all that’s left is for me to add the download link for the save below, I’ve also added a link for the tactic as well, just in case you fancied tinkering with it.

Good luck and make sure you keep me updated by tweeting me @FridayNightFM.

 
 








The 4-4-2 Diaries - Squad Building

INTRODUCTION

In my last blog for WSFM, I documented my approach to conducting an end of season review where we outlined a strategy regarding the existing squad in terms of who to sell, re-sign or redevelop. The continuation of this is obviously reshaping the squad for next season by bringing in new players. I start by identifying what tactical approach we might use based on the players we are planning to keep and then identify transfer targets for the upcoming window to fill the squad gaps.

 
 

The End of Season Review for Sunderland produced a pretty clear result: rebuild. I had taken over just before the January window and already did the heavy lifting by dumping players with huge contracts that didn’t fit our preferred formation, style, or were simply crap. This left me with a small squad of players to get me through the rest of the year. The review process identified 8-10 players who’ll we planned on keeping so we now need to define an approach to rebuilding the squad for next season.

SQUAD GOALS

Based on the info from the review I defined some objectives in order to focus our efforts in the transfer window:

  • Tactical thoughts: Switch to a counter-attacking system. Solid in the centre of the pitch and more creative from wide positions.

  • No more Jack Rodwell’s. All contracts must be reasonable for a championship level club and within a set framework based on salary limits depending on the players’ squad status.

  • Squad limits: 2 players per position + 2 x Utility slots.

  • Each position either has a Key Player and a Backup or two First Team/Rotation level players.

  • Look for physical and technical type of players.

  • Use a DoF model. Identify transfer targets and then hand things over to the DoF to negotiate transfers in the first instance. DoF to handle transfers for Under 23s.

  • Develop a Younger Core.  First Team signings should be under 27.

THE PROCESS

  • Move all players that are not in our plans for next season to the Under 23’s and transfer list or set to release those players whose contracts won’t be renewed.

  • Review any unsolicited bids for players. We accepted bids for Max Power and Bali Mumba as both were expendable and the latter had his release clause met so the board signed off.

  • Build a preliminary tactic based on our goals defined above. Put existing players into their appropriate positions.

  • Review/Change Development Training for all first-team players to refine their role training and/or acquire new PPMs.

  • Setup my squad spreadsheet with our existing playing squad less any expected to be sold. I put an indicator next to each player to define if a player is a (1) Key Player, (1A or 1B) First Team/Rotation player, or (2) Rotation/Backup. Note:  I can only have a 1+2 or a 1A+1B combo for each position to control our spend.

 
 

  • Review existing watchlist. Remove any players that don’t fit our system or needs. Set wanted players from watchlist as Transfer Targets for the DoF to start negotiations.

  • Attend matches for any Targets still playing. If playing in England our season is usually over before European leagues so potential target may still be playing. Some of you may already be familiar with the @OfficiallyTeach pursuit already which includes announcing your intention to sign the player to the media.

  • Get DoF transfer suggestions for all positions needed and request scouting reports for any of interest.

  • When adding a player as a transfer target I select the desired squad status so the DoF can negotiate within those salary limits.

  • Let the DoF do his job. If he fails to negotiate a transfer, I usually let him take a second crack at agreeing to terms or step in myself.  On failed deals, there may be something funky going on with FM functionality or possibly demands from the player not necessarily in the club’s best interest to accept.

  • Review Transfer/Loan listed players.

  • My first preference is to bring in players on trial wherever possible before signing.  I will book extra friendlies to do so if needed or play them in the Under 23s and watch highlights.

  • When watching matches I select/highlight the player I’m most interested in assessing so I can track their movement both with and without the ball. Here, I’m watching Vlahovic track back:

 
 


IDENTIFYING TARGETS

There are countless ways to identify players to sign in FM. My personal strategy will depend on the funds available and the objectives I have set for myself with the save (e.g. youth dev, pure journeyman).  On my current save, given the financial constraints at Sunderland, we need to be creative rather than just giving the DoF a shopping list that would command massive transfer fees. We’re a sell-to-buy club at this point but I’m still able to use different methods to find players:

The Talisman - find that quality player that takes the squad to a new level.  There are plenty of disgruntled big-name players who you can snag on loan for a portion of their wages even if you can’t afford the transfer fee.

We came close but ultimately failed to land both Martin Odegaard and Mishi Batshuyi. We made some good signings but haven’t yet found that special player who can transform this team. I will save some budget for January and keep my eye out in the interim.

The Prodigal Son - few football narratives are as powerful as the return of a prodigal son.  

In January 2019 Josh Maja was sold to Bordeaux after refusing to sign a new deal with Sunderland. I’m hoping for a do-over. He’s here on loan for the season but we’ve got an option to buy him outright for £2M if all goes well.


The Prodigy - we all know those young players waiting for that opportunity to get in a load of games and let their talent blossom rather than stagnate on the bench at another club.  

We brought in Xadas from Braga for £875K and young Italian prodigy Luca Vido on a free transfer. The latter has been at Cagliari, Atalanta, Perugia and Milan but hasn’t settled yet despite his obvious talent.

The One You’ve Always Fancied - there’s usually a player or seven out there that you’ve never had the chance to manage and when the opportunity arises, you should...

Josh Vela from Bolton might seem like a bit of a random choice, but I’ve always liked the way he seems to dictate play from midfield. Misic from Sporting Lisbon was our first choice but we passed on him due to wage demands

The Does What It Says On The Tin  - we all have spots to fill on the team sheet and would love to have world beaters in every position but sometimes your wage budget dictates getting someone who is simply good enough to do a job at the level you’re at.

Callum O’Dowda will do a job on the left flank. He has a bit of a trick about him and will be industrious, so he’s a bit of a regular in my Championship saves.

The If In Doubt, Raid Benfica - we all know what a treasure trove Portuguese clubs can be and Benfica is the pick of the bunch. There is so much talent in the ranks of that club it’s not hard to find a stellar talent on the cheap for your squad.

Alex Pinto is our new starting right back and based on his first performances for us, I think I’m in love.

The DoF Suggestion - don’t sleep on suggestions from your DoF. I’ve found plenty of gems this way.

Claudio Reyna put me on to Yanna Regasel (backup right back) from Dusseldorf, Sabiri from Huddersfield (left inverted winger) and Gian Felicoli (starting left back) from Milan. All were signed on free transfers.

The One For the Future - Our Academy of Light kids are our first priority but we augment our Under 23’s by adding young players released from clubs with excellent acadamies.

We picked up Clarke-Salter from Chelsea and Reyna has been raiding Southampton for our Under 23’s.

The Phil Neville - players with good all-around technical and mental attributes that can pinch hit in multiple positions can prove invaluable. I don’t need them to be outstanding. I just want someone to do a job at full-back or in midfield from time to time.

We picked up Marcus McGuane who was sitting in Barca’s reserves for the past couple of years. He’s able to put in a shift in eight different positions in either midfield or defensive. He may never play more than a game to two for us, but he looked decent in friendlies and gives us a lot of value for money in terms of cover.

So at the close of the window, I think we’ve done some decent business with £12.5M in sales and only spending just under £4M. I am still pursuing a couple of free agents as I think we can get them on cheaper wages than their initial demands during the window, but overall I’m happy with the business we’ve done.  We’re nearly £100k under the wage budget and still have £2.4M in transfer budget remaining.

 
 

Here’s the completed spreadsheet:

 
 

Compared to the rest of the division we are way under our biggest rivals but I’m aiming for playoffs and/or promotion this season:

So between the End of Season Review and the above squad building approach that about does it for my approach to getting things ready for the new season. The situation with Sunderland is way more chaotic than my usual approach but it’s a rebuilding situation.  I’m keen to crack on with some games and stop blogging so I’ll leave it there.

Sparky, Out!











4-4-2 Diaries - End Of Year Assessment

INTRODUCTION

Like all FM’ers I go through an evaluation process for my entire squad at the end of the year.  While I am constantly evaluating my squad throughout the season, that work is largely informal with a few just a few notes jotted down here or there in a spreadsheet or notebook and it might be about form, injuries, tactical compatibility, or just how annoyed I am at their stupid haircut. At the end of the season when the ref has blown full time and the lads are pissing in the communal bath, I start my formal review.

Many folks just glance over their squad and chuck a few on the transfer list and have a fairly fluid approach to squad management but I’m a nerd so I’m looking for any excuse to crank out a spreadsheet! The end product will be a final decision on whether a play stays, gets a new contract, is transitioned to a new position, dropped up or down the pecking order, or ultimately sold to whoever will take on our rejects.  

Like the tactical development process in my last blog for WSFM, this is a top-down process that is ultimately driven by the ambitions and status of the club and its finances.  Budgets, performances, age, positional depth/redundancy, and overall squad numbers will be the core determining factors. Team Reports, Coaching Staff Opinions and Analysis will also be factored into the equation for every player.  This forms our strategy for the post-season for that player. Whether we are successful or not is obviously not guaranteed as situations like selling a player or trying to get them to agree to a new contract with the club aren’t a given, but we at least have a plan.

THE PROCESS

I go to my general custom Squad View (see below) that I use for a lot of decision making during the year, and use the Print Screen to Web Page function to create a HTML file that I import into a Google sheet.

 
 

I then make some formatting changes to the spreadsheet and add several columns to record various notes such as:

  • Tactical Role - noting what role in our tactics the player was used for.

  • KPIs - any additional Key Performance Indicators I want to include such as pass completion ratio.  Our KPIs may change from team to team or season to season.

  • Future Squad Status - whether I wish to upgrade/downgrade the player in the pecking order compared to his current squad status

  • Managers Notes - my general notes on the player. I may have some notes that I have taken throughout the season and consolidate them here. I will usually note this on my own opinion before I consider the Coaches Reports.

  • Coaches Notes - anything I consider worth noting from their Coach Report or Team Report specific to the player

  • Decision - the desired outcome from the above (e.g. sell the player, re-sign at all costs, reduce squad status, etc)

  • Next Season Depth Chart - this is a very basic squad depth chart similar to the one on the Team Report page noting the number of players I will have next season for each position. Utility players will be counted in each spot they can play but I’ll include a note as a reminder.

  • Budget - I include the available transfer budget for next season along with our committed wages and wage budget for next year.

  • Transfer Priorities - arguably the key output of this activity - how many players do we need to buy for each position? This keeps me focused on the actual need rather than merely chasing the best players available


I then go ahead and assess every player in the first team squad and then repeat the process for both the Under 23’s and Under 18’s, but usually in less detail.  It’s a process that usually takes me 1-2 hours.

I go through each players Profile screen and check the attributes including whether they’ve improved or decline, match ratings and comparisons. I will also check how they performed against any KPIs that I have established.  For Sunderland, it was Pass Completion %. I make my Managers Notes and flag (highlight) certain data points such as contract end dates to act as prompts to consider when I’m doing the final assessment on the player.

For those players retiring, already sold, on loan and returning to their parent club, or already decided to be released, I skip the remaining steps for those players and simply strike-through the data and highlight the row in grey.

Here’s a working example of this seasons assessment for Sunderland:

 
 

As you can see it’s a bit of a shit show at Sunderland! My recent blogs cover this but we took over and immediately oversaw a massive clearout in the January window to sort out the finances. We then had a threadbare squad just to get us through the rest of the season where we ended up in in the Championship and knocked out on pens in the playoffs. We’re essentially hitting the reset button, keeping a few solid squad players and starting again. At least we now have some budget room, an excellent crew of coaches and scouts on board so let’s get to work!

Sparky, Out!




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