The FM Technical Area - A Football Manager Podcast

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Every team needs a star. They need the pieces around them to fit just right in order for them to be able to show the world just what it is they are capable of. In FM24, I'm building my first season around Jean-Kévin Augustin - a Shadow Striker. And as of recording time, he's not just my best player, but he's potentially the best player in Switzerland this season!

This week, we:

• Define the role of the Shadow Striker
• Analyse the squad makeup needed to bring out the best in a Shadow Striker
• Dissect the tactical considerations needed to make a Shadow Striker the team's star
• Discuss the counterarguments of focusing on one star, but pose an evolutionary solution that may not be as long-term or sustainable as I initially hoped

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Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Every year, it may change, but nonetheless, every year, it's a problem we face - The Bogey Tactic. We can't beat it. It just has our number. Whether it's a stubborn defensive setup or a relentless high-pressing game, bogey tactics can frustrate even the most seasoned managers. But fear not, as today we're going to be diving into the strategies you need to overcome them, so that bogey tactics can become a thing of the past!

This week, we:

• Analyse the bogey tactic itself
• Establish the elements of a Game Plan
• Dissect the weakness of the 4-2-3-1 & 3-5-2 shapes that listeners identified as their bogey tactics
• Discuss what to do when playing against a high press or low block

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Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

After being blown away by them in person, Simeone Inzaghi's Inter have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in Europe this season. Their interpretation of the 3-5-2 is but one example of how prominent this shape is becoming again in football. This week, let's dive in to how it works, what key considerations are needed to develop your own, and what lessons we can learn from Inzaghi's Inter side.

The reading I did this week:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

As I reach the Winter Break of my first FM24 season, my #9 has 17 goals and my #10 has 16. Without them, my season would be floundering, so how have I built around them to reach these heights? What happens in the matches they struggle in? Well, let's get into it!

The View From the Touchline (@VFTT) pieces I mention

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Never before has a Summer passed where Goalkeepers had as much prominence. De Gea or Onana? Raya or Ramsdale? The world may have been split, but we don't have to be in FM. So, as FM24 finds its fledgling wings, how do we know if he's a 'keeper?

FM & Goalkeeping

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

FM24 is here! And while some eyes are already on FM25's "Great Reinvention", FM24 promises a celebration of the first 20 years of the franchise. So, starting off Season 4, GG talks through his save plans (yes plural), what's new-ish in FM24 and why SI have scored another own goal (you may have heard this rant before).

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Change is inevitable. Sometimes it's forced upon us. Sometimes we need to find it. This week, we're talking about the need to find a way to make the change, and wondering when/how it's best to find a new way forward.

If you want to deep dive yourself into some of football's biggest changes, then you can check out the links below that helped me put this episode together:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

No one saw Napoli as potential Scudetto Winners last Summer, yet 12 months later, the champions are rebuilding (again). So how did they do it? And what can we learn from them for our Football Manager saves?

If you want to deep dive yourself into the Napoli way, then you can check out the links below that helped me put this episode together:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Ridiculed when he spoke of his desire to play a 2-7-2 formation, Thiago Motta has gone and proven himself to be an exciting manager. But is his tactic truly revolutionary? Are there any lessons we can learn from his sides?

If you want to deep dive yourself into Thiago Motta's philosophy, then you can check out the links below that helped me put this episode together:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Not since the days of James Richardson sipping an espresso in an Italian piazza, the pink sheets of Gazetta in his hand, has there been as much excitement around Italian football as there is now. With a new focus leading to many teams playing with an attacking swagger, a calibre of coach on the touchline the envy of clubs across the continent and the possibility of Italian clubs clean sweeping Europe's 3 club competitions this season, Italy is fast becoming European football's place to be. So, with all of this, it's time we spent a while getting into the reasons why your next save needs to be in this reawakening giant.

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Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

The Box Midfield. It's taking over. From the Brazilian Box to Guardiola's interpretations, amongst others, the key to dominating a midfield now seems to be kept in a box. Where did it come from? How's it going? How do I use it in FM? Let's find out...

If you want to take a deeper dive into the box midfield, check out:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

From flying winger to divisive Head Coach, Damien Duff is cutting his managerial cloth at Ireland's top level with Shelbourne. Taking over from a side fresh from Promotion, Duff turned Shels into the League's grittiest side. But with his ideals, Duff has needed to be pragmatic as well. What can we, as FM players, learn from Duff's first season in management? And why should we be watching his second season closely? Let's get into it!

If you want to take a deeper dive into Duff's Shelbourne, check out:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Finally back from a Bundesliga-esque Winter Break, I've managed to waffle on for 50 mins about Recruitment - The steps I follow to identify a new signing, the process I take in doing my due diligence and how I try to not break the rules...

There's some fantastic FM23 content on Recruitment out there and here's some of my favourites:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

It's here! FM23 Touch is a thing again, and we should all be delighted...shouldn't we? After a one year hiatus, SI have released FM Touch again, but this time it's for Apple Devices only (sorry Android users), and then not all Apple Users, but only for those paying for an Apple Arcade Subscription. Have SI scored an own-goal here? Have they made the game more appealing? Or, is it a case of FM being out-of-touch?

Just before you head off, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Goals win games. Attackers win Awards. So, how can we make sure we have the best front line in the game? How can we go about making sure our attack is balanced? And is a 4-2-3-1 a four-forward tactic? Let's get into it!

Some great reads that helped me:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

In FM23, we are all starting on a blank tactical slate. Tactical creation begins with positions, roles and instructions, some of which have been slightly tweaked since we loaded up FM22 for the first time. So, what do we need to think about with our new tactics?

Some great reads that helped me:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

In FM23, I'm shunning Attributes. It's all about Stats for me. It'll be Stats for Scouting and Stats for Coaching, but with the Beta now in the wild, how am I feeling about Data now the time is upon us?

Just before you head off, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Planning for FM23? Ever consider how important your Dynamics, Hierarchy & Culture are to the development of the club? I haven't spent much time thinking about it before, but after seeing an image of the whole squad in one Social Group, it got me thinking...Ability may mean success on the pitch, but is adding the most talented player the best thing for your squad? 

The Reading List:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

With a goalscoring drought on my hands in my final FM22 season, I turned to a former striker with modest attributes and a C- Scout rating. While his attributes said he wouldn't be the answer, his goalscoring exploits from the previous 3 seasons said otherwise, and lo and behold, he had 6 goals and 2 assists in his first 6 games for me. Are attributes a thing of the past now? And should FM just be a stats-based game going forward?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

I've lost my way in FM22. It's almost been 2 years since I won a trophy (IRL time) and I've also built a squad without a real tactical identity. With ambivalent results in my 4th season with Utrecht, I don't know whether or not the time has come to move on, or move Heaven and Earth to finally end that trophy drought with a club I've fallen in live with. 

Just before you head off, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

It's that time again, where a manager is put in the limelight, and the Community have voted for Jorge Sampaoli to enter the limelight! What has Bielsa said about him? What makes him such an interesting manager? And, is there anything I can learn from him as a Football Manager player? It's time to find out!

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Football has evolved. Possession of the ball is not enough. Energy and aggression now fuel the game. With an increasing number of teams opting for 3-player midfields, and so we often see teams operating with a “lone striker”, we’re seeing a steady decline in teams operating with a standard #10. So, where have they gone? Are they coming back?

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

If the 4-3-3 is the perfect formation, what makes a Perfect Midfield Three at the heart of it? Or, if you're thinking in another way, how can a midfield three be the heart of something else? Whatever it is you're thinking, we're discussing all things balance, creativity, and movement alongside 

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Today, hope to have a lighter tone and start with the biggest outlier on a football pitch - the Goalkeeper. As football's definition of a Goalkeeper has evolved from the non-footballer to the deepest-lying playmaker, just what makes a good goalkeeper and how can we build a School of Goalkeepers at our club?

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Today, we take a narrowing look at fullbacks/wingbacks. What is the lure of inverting the run? Is there a better way to narrow the runs of a fullback? How best do we use Inverted Fullbacks/Wingbacks? Let's get into it here!

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Today, we take a broad look at formations before honing in on 4-3-3. What makes it so popular? Why do teams use it? And, is it an inevitability that you'll end up using it in FM?

Just before you head off, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Today, we're all about the bumpy starts, when your tactical principles come into question as results bring everything into question. So, should you stick, or should you twist?

Just before you head off, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

This week, we're talking about the end - the end of the save you've just started? Do you go all season on one save, or will your save have twists and turns as you embark on an adventure? How do you know then when the time is right to begin the next adventure?

Extra reading on the topic:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your  FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo. 

This week, we're talking all things the First Season, something many of us will have to navigate in the coming week as FM22 finds its way onto our laptops on Tuesday!

Just before you head off, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your  FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo. So, I'm back. New Season, New Me but no FM Touch 22 to fuel the journey. So, a short rant to get things started again, before the opportunity comes to get this show back on the road.

Just before you head off, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your  FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo. Starting something new this episode, with the 60s dedicated to some controversial discussions. So, although Ep62 is recorded, why not get involved in the upcoming Episodes? Send in you thoughts through Twitter polls or comments, DMs on Twitter, through email or even a voice message/recording! Every contribution is welcome

Check Out:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your  FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo. Starting something new this episode, with the 60s dedicated to some controversial discussions. So, although Ep61 is recorded, why not get involved in the upcoming Episodes? Send in you thoughts through Twitter polls or comments, DMs on Twitter, through email or even a voice message/recording! Every contribution is welcome

The List: 

• Ep62: Attribute Masking On is Better than Off
• Ep63: Why you should turn off the First Transfer Window 
• Ep64: Delegating Everything to the Staff Makes FM Better
• Ep65: Why the 2D Match Engine is Better than the 3D Match Engine
• Ep66: You Should Only Use Default Tactics
• Ep67: Newgens Ruin FM. Change My Mind
• Ep68: Trophies, not Tactics, Shows You’re Better At FM
• Ep69: I’d Rather Have an FM Son Than a Stadium Named After Me

Just before you head off to grab your pitchforks, why not subscribe (if you haven't already), leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo. Back to one of our favourite miniseries, the Managers in Focus series. This time, it’s not just one, but some of the big figures on the MLS ahead of the 2021 season. Maybe we can find some inspiration in these undervalued characters. Sources: 

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Your heart breaks when you see the news. Your talisman, your icon, the heartbeat of your team is leaving. Whether it's a retirement, transfer or contract-ending decision. you are now left in the unenviable position of needing to fill the gap they're leaving. Whether you saw it coming or not, we discuss how best to fill the gap, to preempt the departure and maybe use this end to start your next great beginning...

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Fixture Congestion is becoming a regular topic of conversation as impact of COVID-19 on football is still felt one year on. As the next few seasons will continue to feel the burden of extra games in shorter timeframes with the alterations of seasons due to the Winter World Cup in 2022 and the arrival of the Europa Conference League from the 2021/22 season, coping in FM has suddenly become sink or swim.

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

It's one thing getting to the top. It's another thing staying there. It's also easy to go all out and put your eggs in the short term basket of success. But how do you ensure the trophies keep coming in? We discuss some of the models to success that could send us to the top, and keep us there, in FM.

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Having a steady stream of young players developing through a club can have many positives - financially, philosophically, tactically. So, why set one up? How to set one up? How do others go about doing it and why do they do it? Let's take a look.

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Ah, the 4-4-2, a simpler time when everyone played the same tactic and no surprises were sprung. But while the world has become more obsessed with complexity, I want to get into the simpler side of life, where the 4-4-2 isn't just the 4-4-2.

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

We're back to our regular programming this week, with an Episode dedicated to a topic that I've been spending a lot of time considering and researching - Abandoning the specialist roles of FM tactics and throwing it back to the plain and simple approach. Why not?!

Just before you head off to experience the lighter side of FM life, why not subscribe (if you haven't already, leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

It's been a while since I last spoke to you. So, this is just a short & sweet episode to say hello, touch base, and fill you in on everything that's been happening since December 18th. Not a content-driven episode, but there's some excitement about what could happen next week!

Just before you head off to experience the lighter side of FM life, why not subscribe (if you haven't already, leave a positive review, or share on your socials with your followers if you’ve enjoyed the podcast?

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

FM Touch offers players the spirit of FM, despite some compromises on what may be offered. Since 1992, Championship Manager & Football Manager have become aa part of the footballing landscape, drawing in avid players from inside and outside the world of professional football. Since 2005’s release of Football Manager, the game has continued to push the boundaries, with SI & Sega backing the game’s development since the Eidos split following CM4. Not content to continue to push out the sole desktop version of the game, SI/FM have sought new avenues to launch the game, and now in 2021, we see perhaps the biggest suite of FM versions in the history of the game. Since 2006, we have had the ability to play FM on-the-go, a game that kept the essence of the PC/Mac versions, but designed to be more similar in nature to the original iterations of the computer-based versions.

So what does FM21 Touch offer? And does it have a place in the Community when it comes to content creation?

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Way back when, SI teased us with the prospect of FM21’s new features, among them, the introduction of the Recruitment Meeting featuring the key stakeholders of the Football Club – The Chairman, Chief Scout, Director of Football (if one is at the club) and of course, you the Manager stood out as a significant evolution from FM Editions before. While building a squad has always been an essential (and fun) part of FM, now our process has a new layer of realism, so what is it that we need to do to maximise our ability to bring in the future stars of the club?

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Jack Charlton is a rare individual, living fondly in the hearts of both Englishmen and Irishmen thanks to his contributions to the football teams of both nations, but also because of what he brought to the people of Ireland at a time in our country when life was at it most bleak.
Jack’s playing legacy brought success to Leeds and England, but in Ireland, he got us over the line, brought us to international tournaments for the first time and helped Ireland become a nation that believed in itself again. So, how did he do it?

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

“In sports, a dynasty is a team or individual that dominates their sport or league for an extended length of time. Some leagues maintain official lists of dynasties, often as part of a hall of fame, but in many cases, whether a team or individual has achieved a dynasty is subjective.”

“Legacy is that which is handed down from the past. In terms of major sporting events it is what is left after the event is concluded.”

So, when The First Day is long in the past, and it’s time to reflect on the Dynasty you’ve built and the Legacy you’ve left behind, where can we find inspiration?

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

Look across Europe, and the trend is obvious - Managers don’t last long in the job. The days of Wenger, of Sir Alex Ferguson are over. When you loaded up FM21 for the first time, you began the process of beginning a project. On The First Day, it’s all about setting the foundation for success, so beginning the save with some key tasks can set the tone for how the future plays out.

Key Pieces:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

This week, we're looking at a few bits and pieces, from FM21 Beta reaction, the revised data & Advanced Metrics the headline FM21 and of course, the recognising those who've felt underwhelmed by FM21's beta

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your (mostly) weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

This week, we're taking a step back, to take some time to breathe, reflect, and see what’s happened over the past version of the game and what we can do to improve going into the next version. A little over a year ago, I wrote a piece entitled “Management Self-Evaluation”, after a time where engagement with CPD Courses encouraged me to reflect and take time to see how I can improve my teaching practices, so I decided to translate this to an FM standpoint. The pod is adapted from this blog post

Sources:

Welcome to the Technical Area, your weekly FM podcast brought to you by Gaffer Graemo.

This week, we're pushing forward from Ep44 to the Unorthodox Wingers, the wide players who are not exactly what we stereotype as wide players. When FM introduced the Inside Forward, suddenly our wing play had a new dimension. With the additional developments in the wide areas, suddenly, our options on the wings were transformed by the new opportunities available to us. FM/SI have always driven the game towards reflecting realism, so as the game has evolved to reflect these changes (and the ME has adapted to these roles), creating new dynamics on the wing has allowed us develop and shape our sides in new ways.

Sources: