MaddFM .

MaddFM .

Euro 2024 according to Football Manager 2018

 
 

Before the real-life tournament kicks off, let’s see how Euro 2024 played out according to #FM18 👀

A lot can happen in 6 years...

Research indicates that in real life Germany weren’t confirmed as host country for Euro 2024 until late in 2018, and as Sports Interactive implemented the FM18 data lock prior to this, the in-game engine has decided that Turkey shall be the hosts of the 17th edition of the UEFA European Championships.

 
 

No major shocks in the qualifying phase; notable absentees include the likes of Czech Republic, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland who all failed to emerge from their groups. A Tony Pulis-led Wales will be Turkey-bound this summer, while Northern Ireland reach their first Euro finals since 2016 with clashes against France and Germany to look forward to.

 
 

What will actually shock you? Let’s start with the England Manager who for some reason was offered the role after winning the Championship with Aston Villa in 2022 (having relegated them the year before)

Arise, Sir Steve Bruce 🥬

 
 

Speaking of England - the media seem most surprised by the omissions of Harry Winks & Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from cabbage-man’s 26-man squad, while there are somewhat surprise call ups for Brentford’s Joe Wildsmith (currently at Derby County IRL) and Jamal Lascelles who picked up the last of his 2 in-game England caps back in 2021.

No sign of Declan Rice (Reading) who to date has been capped 12 times for Ireland 👀

 
 

In Group A Croatia are stunned by a 2-0 victory for Slovakia having travelled without Luka Modric after he retired in 2021 at the age of 35, FM18’s view on longevity clearly differs from modern day. England start with a backline of Eric Dier, Reece Oxford, Nathaniel Chalobah and Josh Tymon (his 35th cap btw) and are held to a 1-1 draw by Romania with Rashford on the scoresheet 🤷.

Both recover to pick up 3 points before facing off against in the final group game - a 2-2 draw includes a Harry Kane brace and both progress to the Last 16 so all is right in the world again.

 
 

Group B holds few surprises as Rafa Benitez’ Spain win all 3 games to top their group ahead of runners up Sweden, Samu Castillejo rising to be Spain’s talisman so make of that what you will. 

Dortmund’s Alexander Isak was an FM18 wonderkid but fails to score in any of Sweden’s group games, John Guidetti the unsung hero as they beat Switzerland to finish 2nd in the group.

 
 

In Group C Patrick Cutrone is the hero of Italy scoring 3 goals to help the Azzurri finish top on goal difference ahead of Jan Jansen’s (aka Danny Blind) Netherlands, yep, that was a thing. Donny Van De Beek and Rick van Drongelen are the standout stars for the Dutch, while Van Dijk has to make do with a pace on the bench - the multiverse eh.

 
 

Group D is arguably the group of the tournament in terms of surprises; after being held 1-1 by Wales in the opener, Belgium go on to lose 3-1 to Ukraine and only a surprise victory over group winners Portugal (without a retired Cristiano Ronaldo) sees them qualify as a best 3rd place nation - De Bruyne and Lukaku retiring from international football in 2020 and 2022 respectively hasn’t helped anyone’s case and sadly Stoke’s Gianelli Imbula and Barcelona’s (!) Divock Origi haven’t really cut the mustard 🤷. 4 goals by Artem Dovbyk see Ukraine finish 2nd, while Tony Pulis surprises no one as Wales finish bottom.

It’s Euro 2024 and we’ve mentioned Stoke and Tony Pulis in the same sentence…

 
 

As is the theme of today’s thread, it’s no surprise that Robert Lewandowski is also retired from international football (in 2018 for no apparent reason) however Poland still manage to limp through by finishing 3rd in Group E; Turkey who aren’t led by Fatih Terim finish 2nd and Russia top the group as this is a world where they haven’t started a war and therefore are allowed to participate.

 
 

Group F is a straight out battle between Germany and France however and it’s the Germans who finish top after beating France in the opening fixture; I can’t tell you anything about the Germans as they were unlicensed in FM18 and I forgot to do a name-fix, while France are led as normal by the likes of Mbappé, Griezmann, Pogba and..Jean-Kévin Augustin. I love football. 

 
 

It’s knockout time at Euro 2024 as we reach the Last 16! Tammy Abraham nets the winner as England overcome Belgium 2-1 after Nathaniel Chalobah opened the scoring, man-of-the-match award for Deli Alli, what could have been. A Pietro Pellegri hat-trick leads sees Italy demolish Sweden, as does Kylian Mbappé as the French dispose of Sweden (Isak still hasn’t scored). Isco helps the Spanish limp past Romania while there are also wins for Croatia, Portugal, Germany and Ukraine courtesy of a brace from Dovbyk who already looks set to win the Golden Boot.

 
 

We’ve reached the Quarter Finals. It’s the Croats who continue to outperform at major tournaments, a Marco Pjaca inspired 3-1 victory over Portugal despite Gelson Martins winning the man-of-the-match award. A brace by Alvaro Morata sees Spain dump out the Germans, so glad they are out considering their left-back is called Eduard Egg and I can’t be dealing with that.

Cutrone is the hero again as Italy knock out Ukraine, while in Istanbul England have comfortably beaten the French with goals from Harry Kane and you guessed it, Lewis Cook ✅.

 
 

EURO 2024 SEMI-FINAL

Despite Croatia’s heroics up to now, Spain prove to be too strong and goals from Pablo Fornals and Jorge Meré (I miss him) see the Spaniards advance to the final of Euro 24 with Rafa Benitez at the helm and David De Gea still in goal..impressive seeing as the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal don’t even exist in this universe.

Meanwhile Italy play England in a repeat of the real-life 2020 final which I suppose is somewhat poetic for the narrative - unfortunately the outcome is the same, heartbreak for England as an 86th minute Moise Kean header beats Jack Butland to send the English home and put Italy through to the final. Steve Bruce holds his head high and remarkably keeps his job - I feel we should almost have a spin-off to see what he gets up to next, but that’s for another day.

 
 

THE FINAL 

Here we are - live from the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul in front of 75,000 fans, it’s the Spain versus Italy in a repeat of the Euro 2012 final in which Spain ran riot to win 4-0 on the day; is this to be revenge and redemption for the Italians, or will we see Spain pick up their 4th European Championship?

In this world Iñaki Williams has declared for Spain and not Ghana, music to Spanish ears as he opens the scoring to give them an early lead. Italy manager Stefano Pioli shows he is not afraid to make the big calls - the misfiring Kean and Cutrone are replace by Pellegri and Emanuel Vignato on 56 minutes, and it’s the latter who repays the faith in his manager to score in the 69th minute - a goal which proves to be decisive as the game goes to extra-time after both teams cant’ be separated in 90 minutes.

The clock ticks on - Italy bring on Fede Chiesa while Spain deploy Saúl and, Munir? A quick Google tells us he currently plys his trade at Las Palmas so the multiverse strikes again, but this commentator ends up eating his words as the ex Barca forward pops up with a 114th minute winner to send the Henri Delaunay trophy back to Spain once more.


🏆 SPAIN ARE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS 🏆

 
 

As predicted, Artem Dovbyk wins the Golden Boot with 6 goals ahead of Mbappé and André Silva on 5; despite their Quarter Final exit, it’s Mbappé who wins Player of the Tournament with an 8.0 average rating, so the world rights itself again in that sense I suppose.

The Euro 24 Dream Team is announced - FM18 wonderkid Jorgé Mére is included, a world away from the Mexican league where he is currently on the books at Club América; there is also a place for England and Chelsea’s Josh Tymon who for some reason has become one of the best left-backs in the world within this universe despite (oh no I’m gonna say it again) starting FM18 at Stoke City…

 
 

There we have it - Euro 2024 according to FM18 and for sure a lot can happen in 6 years; be sure to also check out our list of Wonderkids to Watch for the real-life tournament, and follow us on X for all of our latest Football Manager content.

Enjoy the Euros - I’m off to uninstall FM18 again forever...👋

Premier League Licensing in Football Manager

 
 

The day has finally come.

No more generic Mickey Mouse club logos. No more Microsoft Paint football kits. No more endless downloading of graphics packs, faces, logos, kits. No more Man UFC…

 
 

On Monday the 10th of June 2024, Sports Interactive confirmed that the Football Manager game series will officially be licensed by the Premier League, a “multi-year partnership” which will see all 20 Premier League clubs officially licensed in the game for the first time in its history.

What does this mean?

This is huge. To start with, no more downloads. Though the game has always contained Premier League data in terms of player and club info, those of us who want to enjoy a fully immersive experience have long had to install multiple renditions of facepacks, kitpacks, logos, stadium images etc in order to create a truly realistic environment when managing in the Premier League - a feat which required multiple downloads each year (of varying lengths depending on size and internet speed), intensive PC memory to store thousands upon thousands of images, manual intervention in the event that your favourite Wonderkid was omitted from a particular facepack, not to mention the need to frequently keep images updated as Wonderkids grew older and their original facepacks became ever so slightly outdated in-game…

 
 

Throwback to Joe’s OG facepacks 😁

On a more serious note - what we will in fact see is far more realism in-game when it comes to the Premier League. Sports Interactive being officially licensed should open up new doors in terms of club access, data accuracy, player and staff info, backroom structures, transfer & contract details, club facilities, youth team setups - all of which have been relatively accurate in previous games however there was always that “pinch of salt” element, a virtual asterisk* on every PL club knowing that no official relationship or licensing agreement existed between the Premier League and Football Manager.

From this...

 

*Brighton & Man City were previously the only licensed PL clubs in FM24

 

To this..

 

Beautiful

 

And from this..

 
 

To this..

 
 

NO MORE MAN UFC

Furthermore - official Premier League licensing will also ensure both accuracy and an ability to keep up with an ever evolving landscape in which PL clubs play and operate; that means that any planned or implemented changes to things like VAR, Profit and Sustainability, Coefficient Data, Prize Money, League Rules etc should all not only be updated and accurate at all times in-game, but also allow Sports Interactive to plan ahead for any future changes as well as deploy updates if and when substantial events or changes do take place in the real world - again something that will foster even more realism and narrative which is what we as Football Manager enthusiasts often crave more than anything else when it comes to our save adventures.

Premier League licensing is a welcome and long overdue addition to the Football Manager series (props to all involved in making it happen 🤝), and this combined with recent updates from the studio about the future of Football Manager and the new Unity game engine make for an awesome build up and hype ahead of the release of FM25 in a few months time. What may be even more interesting is whether we will learn further as to what has enabled this licensing agreement to finally get over the line, a deal which to many would have seemed impossible to achieve in recent years - we will discuss this and much more over on the 5 Star Potential podcast in the coming weeks.

As you can tell, we are very excited..are you? Let us know over on X or in the comments below! 👇

Thanks for reading,

Euro 2024 - Wonderkids to Watch

 
 

With Euro 2024 on the horizon, we’ve picked out one Wonderkid to Watch for each participating nation at this year’s European Championship 🔎 

Group A

Germany - Maximilian Beier (Age 21)

A rapid attacker with 16 goals in 33 games for Hoffenheim this season which earned him a deserved place in Germany’s final 26-man squad; while he may find himself behind the likes of Kai Havertz and Niclas Füllkrug in Nagelsmann’s pecking order, he offers a more explosive and unpredictable option to Germany’s frontline if given the minutes in this year’s tournament.

 
 

Scotland - Billy Gilmour (Age 22)

Still only 22, Billy Gilmour became a mainstay in Brighton’s midfield this season with 30 league games played, and looks set to take on a key role in Scotland’s midfield alongside John McGinn and Scott McTominay. His quality on the ball and ability to break down play in midfield should be crucial if Scotland hope to advance from a tricky Group A this year alongside Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.

 
 

Hungary - Milos Kerkez (Age 20)

A player who made an immediate impact on the Premier League since arriving at Bournemouth last summer and one who could play a huge part in Hungary’s Euro 2024 campaign. While Dominik Szoboszlai is the obvious talisman for the Hungarians this summer, keep an eye on 20-year-old Kerkez’s performances as an explosive wing-back on the left-hand side.

 
 

Switzerland - Fabian Rieder (Age 22)

One of the more aged teams in this year’s competition, Switzerland generally rely on the solidity of midfield duo Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler, however in the absence of any real attacking threat centrally, keep an eye out for Rennes’ Fabian Rieder, who finished the season strongly in France following a €15m move last summer; good on the ball with strong passing and vision and excellent technical ability, he adds an additional layer of class to this highly consistent Swiss side who have qualified for every major tournament since 2012.

 
 

Group B

Spain - Lamine Yamal (Age 16)

Who else could it be? The minute Lamine Yamal takes to the pitch at this year’s Euros he will become the youngest ever player to feature in the tournament; still only 16 and not 17 until after the competition, we are looking at the youngest player and goalscorer in both La Liga history and on the international stage for Spain, so there is little doubt that we will see him grace one of the biggest stages in world football this summer.

 
 

Croatia - Martin Baturina (Age 21)

Another talented youngster who finds himself among an ageing squad, however being touted as the next Luka Modric should give him plenty of confidence and with the latter now at the age of 37, there is every chance that Baturina will get minutes in Germany either off the bench or as a substitute depending on whether results go in Croatia’s favour; with 7 goals and 9 assists for Dinamo Zagreb last season (impressive for a deep-lying playmaker), he has since attracted interest from Arsenal and looks set for a big future in the coming seasons.

 
 

Italy - Riccardo Calafiori (Age 22)

With Italy’s defensive line having been rocked by the injuries and subsequent absence of Francesco Acerbi and Giorgio Scalvini, there is every chance we will see Calafiori take up a key role in Luciano Spaletti’s side especially with the wily Italian expected to deploy a back three in this year’s tournament. Having impressed highly and played a key role in Bologna’s Champions League qualification this season after being moved from Left-Back to Centre-Back by Thiago Motta, it’s little wonder he is the first name on the list of the latter who looks set to take the reins at Juventus.

 
 

Albania - Kristjan Asllani (age 22)

A €10m signing from Empoli last summer, Asllani is yet to fully break into the Inter Milan midfield with the trio of Çalhanoğlu, Barella and Mkhitaryan proving unflappable throughout the entirety of their Scudetto title win last season. That said, a host of promising cameo appearances suggest he is highly regarded by Simone Inzaghi and a big tournament this summer would go a long way towards forcing himself into first-team contention at the San Siro next season; likely to hold a more defensive role for Albania especially considering the group they are in, Asllani has excellent positional sense, great feet and can unlock an opposition block through his passing and vision with ease.

 
 

Group C

Slovenia - Benjamin Šeško (Age 21)

The obvious choice, by a country mile. Not only a legendary FM wonderkid in recent seasons, Šeško has gone from strength to strength since moving to RB Leipzig and it’s little wonder he is arguably the most coveted striker in Europe this summer, not only based on his 14 league goals in 17 starts (14 sub appearances) but also his unique style and ability with many comparing him to a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic at this early stage in his career. Arsenal are rumoured to be leading the chase for his signature, and a good performance at this year’s tournament will surely add digits to his price tag.

 
 

Denmark - Rasmus Højlund (Age 21)

Another obvious choice but again we have a top prospect who finds himself surrounded by a group of ageing players who will have one last hoorah at Euro 2024 for Denmark. Likely favourites to finish second in their group behind England, they will need the young Man Utd striker to be firing on all cylinders with the likes of Jonas Wind and Youssef Poulsen having proven ineffective at times for the national side. 

 
 

Serbia - Lazar Samardžić (Age 22)

While Serbia’s combination of Sergej Milinković-Savić and Aleksandar Mitrovic usually defines their on-field success, keep an eye on Udinese’s talented playmaker Lazar Samardžić who has been heavily linked with the likes of Juventus, Napoli and Barcelona in recent months. Technically gifted with outstanding vision and ball control in the middle of the park, he could be a gamechanger for Serbia if given the minutes and freedom in Germany this summer.

 
 

England - Adam Wharton (Age 20)

A natural toss-up between Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton for England’s one to watch, however the latter is arguably more intriguing after his performances for Crystal Palace literally forced himself into Gareth Southgate’s squad - made even more impressive by the fact that he only joined Palace last January. While unlikely to be a starter, if England perform as expected in a group where they are by far the strongest team on paper, then Wharton might just get the opportunity to show the world what he can do on the international stage in Germany.

 
 

Group D

Poland - Kacper Urbański (Age 19)

Another contributor to Bologna’s successful Champions League qualification this season, the 19-year-old was uncapped before being called up for this year’s tournament however a highly impressive debut in a friendly against Ukraine might just convince manager Michał Probierz to give him his chance in Germany this summer; highly versatile with great ball control, vision and movement - he brings something new to an otherwise predictable Poland side and alongside Nicola Zalewski represents a new generation of Polish internationals.

 
 

Netherlands - Xavi Simons (Age 21)

There’s not a lot we can say about Xavi Simons that hasn’t already been said over the past few seasons, with the main question mark being where he will play his football next season after a highly impressive loan spell at RB Leipzig which saw him notch up 8 goals and 13 assists in the Bundesliga this year. Another who finds himself in a slightly ageing squad setup, he looks set to play a prominent role for the Netherlands this summer as arguably their most productive outlet going forward if given the gametime and creative freedom he needs to thrive in this Dutch side.

 
 

Austria - Nicolas Seiwald (Age 23)

Another from the RB Leipzig hype train, at 23 Seiwald finds himself as the youngest player in Austria’s 26-man squad but increasingly likely to feature prominently for Ralf Ragnick’s side in Germany due to his team-mate for club and country Xaver Schlager picking up an ACL injury ruling him out of this year’s tournament. A tough tackling combative midfielder, he offers a steel core in midfield which in turn allows the likes of Marcel Sabitzer and Christoph Baumgartner to push on and offer more of an attacking threat to support lone striker Marco Arnautovic.

 
 

France - Warren Zaïre-Emery (Age 18)

Despite starring regularly for PSG throughout the season, the depth and quality of France’s midfield (combined with Didier Deschamps’ often more reserved tactical approach) mean that Zaïre-Emery might find game time limited at this year’s Euros. That said, should France struggle to comfortably navigate their group as expected then the young Frenchman offers a more dynamic and creative option in midfield when compared to the likes of Kanté, Tchouaméni, Camavinga and Rabiot and should Antoine Griezmann fail to perform or require rest at any point, Zaïre-Emery offers an intriguing option to this year’s tournament favourites.

 
 

Group E

Belgium - Johan Bakayoko (Age 21)

Off the back of a title winning season which saw him contribute 14 goals and 14 assists for PSV, Johan Bakayoko has done everything possible to deserve a start for Belgium in their opening fixture against Slovakia and looks set for a big move this summer especially if he shines for his national side in the coming weeks; his pace and energy make it easy to compare him to compatriot Jeremy Doku however Bakayoko offers even more in terms of ball distribution, decision-making and overall end product off the right-hand side. Already heavily linked with the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle and Bayern Munich.

 
 

Slovakia - Tomáš Suslov (Age 22)

A January signing for Hellas Verona, Suslov finished the season strongly with 3 goals and 5 assists in Serie A and broke into his national side during qualification scoring a crucial winner against Iceland to help Slovakia finish second behind Portugal in the group stages. Highly versatile with the ability to play anywhere across the attacking midfield strata, he offers an exciting and dynamic option in a tough group alongside Belgium, Romania and Ukraine.

 
 

Romania - Radu Drăgușin (Age 22)

By far the youngest player in Romania’s final 26-man squad and with that their most important player if they stand any chance of qualification from the group stages; though they went unbeaten in qualification and topped a group containing Switzerland, Israel, Belarus, Kosovo and Andorra - they are largely expected to struggle in Germany and Drăgușin will be key to marshalling their defence in the hope they can stifle the likes of Belgium and Ukraine. 

 
 

Ukraine - Illya Zabarnyi (Age 21)

Another Bournemouth player makes the list, they really are playing FM in real life. While Ukraine are somewhat blessed with attacking options with the likes of Mudryk, Dovbyk, Tsyhankov, Yaremchuk and Malinovski to choose from, they will need to prove themselves defensively solid if they are to go far in the competition and a big tournament from Zabarnyi could prove crucial if they are to progress from the group stages; having played every league minute for vastly improved Bournemouth this season bar one game missed against Brighton, he should be full of confidence coming into the Ukraine camp in a group where they are expected to qualify alongside Belgium.

 
 

Group F

Turkey - Arda Güler (Age 19)

A flip between Güler and Kenan Yıldız for Turkey’s one to watch, but it’s simply impossible to ignore the former’s performances for Real Madrid in the back end of last season, returning from injury to score 6 goals in just 373 minutes of football for the La Liga champions - propelling him to international stardom and setting him up for a big role in Turkey’s Euro campaign this summer in an exciting midfield alongside Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Orkun Kökçü. If Turkey can get it right this year following a number of disappointing tournaments, then expect big things from Güler when the time comes.

 
 

Georgia - Georges Mikautadze (Age 23)

While most eyes will be on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia when Georgia open their campaign against Turkey in a few weeks time, Georgia’s “redeemed” golden boy Georges Mikautadze is very much one to watch this year especially knowing that opposition defences will largely be focused on the threat of “Kvaradona”. Tipped for big things after a €16m move to Ajax last summer, he largely unimpressed having failed to score during the first half of the season and was subsequently loaned back to relegation threatened Metz in January; this seemed to light a flame for Mikautadze, his end of season form (11 goals in 12 games) helping Metz avoid relegation and propelling him right back in to manager Willy Sagnol’s first XI plans this summer. 

 
 

Portugal - Joao Neves (Age 18)

One of the big favourites this year, the only thing stopping Neves from having a breakout tournament is that Portugal are absolutely STACKED when it comes to midfield options; Palhinha, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes - manager Roberto Martinez has his work cut out for him in terms of team selection, however it can’t be ignored that Neves has been one of the standout midfielders in Europe all season and regardless of what happens in Germany, looks set for a huge move this summer from Benfica. Though only 18, his quality and composure on the ball combined with his strength, aggression and press resistance make him a ready-made all-action midfielder for this Portugal side and he is certainly one to watch if given minutes in this year’s tournament.

 
 

Czechia - Adam Hlozek (Age 21) 

A player all FM enthusiasts are well aware of however he hasn’t reached the same levels in real life as yet; extremely highly rated as a youth player which led to a €13m move to Leverkusen in 2022 after being linked with almost every elite club in Europe, he has struggled to break into Xabi Alonso’s first team and managed only a host of cameo appearances during their title-winning campaign; that said, he and club-mate Patrick Schick are arguably Czechia’s most potent goal-threats, and Hlozek would highly benefit from having a breakout tournament with his future largely uncertain at Leverkusen next season.

 
 

Did we miss anyone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!! 👇

10 Teams to Rescue in FM24

 
 

The end of March. A crucial point in the season. The end of the last mid-season international break and that period where the fate of teams who may find themselves in a more precarious position than planned slowly starts to take shape, with the proverbial “squeaky bum time” beginning to truly sink in as the hopes and dreams which held so strong at the beginning of the season finally start to fade as fans set about accepting the ominous disappointment that may be about ensue upon their club.

This time of year is also a crucial point in the Football Manager cycle. A point where after some 4 or 5 months of gameplay, many saves begin to falter and eventually die as the novelty of a new game wears off and the often inevitable boredom of an existing save combined with a yearning for something new starts to creep in.

If that time is now for you - fear not, here are 10 Teams that are in need of rescuing at this point of the season and need your help to turn their fortunes around and/or use your managerial prowess to rewrite their lack of progress this season. 

1. Sassuolo

 

Currently 19th in Serie A at the time of writing, Sassuolo have consistently been a mid-table or Top 10 side since gaining promotion in 2013 and taking a place in the top tier of Italian football for the first time in their history. A 6th place finish under Eusebio Di Francesco also saw them play European football for the first time when they reached the Europa League Group Stage in 2016, followed by a very successful spell under Roberto De Zerbi where they achieved highly respectable back-to-back 8th place league finishes and thrived with the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Davide Frattesi, Giacomo Raspadori, Franco Acerbi, Gianluca Scamacca, Manuel Locatelli and Matteo Politano in their squad during this successful period.

Fast-forward to the present day and things are not going so well. With 2 months of the season remaining, Sassuolo find themselves planted in the Serie A relegation zone, and despite bringing in the likes of Andrea Pinamonti, Marash Kumbula, Samu Castillejo and Matias Vina to join talisman Domenico Berardi, they have continued to struggle which culminated in the sacking of manager Alessio Dionisi in February 2024 meaning they are very much in need of your help in FM24. Are you up for the challenge?

2. Birmingham City

How many clubs do you know who won a major trophy and got relegated in the same season? Memories of a League Cup Final victory over Arsenal in 2011 are likely distant in the minds of Birmingham City fans considering the same season saw them drop to the Championship and enter continued mid-table mediocrity before spending much of the last 7 seasons engrossed in relegation battles and survival dogfights in the second tier of English football. 

Annual Manager changes and chaotic leadership ensued, most notably this season wherein the club somewhat inexplicably replaced then manager John Eustace with the more “reputable” Wayne Rooney with the club lying in a very respectable 6th place in October 2023, and since then the club has tumbled down the league to the point where Rooney was sacked after 83 days in charge, leaving Birmingham in 20th place and very much embroiled in yet another relegation battle.

For a side who hasn’t played in the third tier since 1995, relegation to League 1 is almost unthinkable particularly given the size of the club, fanbase and stadium but at the time of writing the Blues stand very much on the brink of relegation sitting just one point outside the danger zone; if ever there was a time for redemption it’s now.

3. Celta Vigo

We all very much enjoyed when MaddFM was sacked by Celta Vigo in FM23 after just 4 months in charge, however their real-life fortunes are unfortunately no better at present despite being under the stewardship of the ever reliable Rafa Benitez for most of this season until his departure earlier this month, with the club currently sitting just outside the relegation zone in Spain’s top tier. Having lost starboy Gabri Veiga to the Saudi league last summer as well as talented left-back Javi Galán to Atlético Madrid, mediocre signings and poor overall performance has left the club very much in free-fall based on their form in 2024 and relegation would be disastrous for a club steeped in La Liga history who have been consistent performers at the top level since returning in 2012. Don’t let Madd curse this team forever, please.

4. Nantes

A team who has contested the Coupe De France final for the past two years in a row and played Europa League football just over 12 months ago, now find themselves currently battling relegation and in real danger of returning to the French second tier after 10 consecutive seasons in Ligue 1. Make it make sense! As the 5th most successful French club in history with 8 league title wins, it’s absurd to think this club should even be flirting with relegation but considering they are now on their 4th manager in 12 months, this period of instability has taken its toll despite having the talents of Alban Lafont, Pedro Chirivella and Mostafa Mohamed, the loss of talisman Ludovic Blas in the summer has proven more costly than planned and the danger of relegation is very much real with just 8 games remaining at the time of writing.

5. Schalke 04

It feels like this team will perennially be in a “teams to be rescued list”, particularly with repeat and ongoing financial troubles creating all kinds of rumours in terms of the club’s ability to continue should they suffer a second consecutive relegation. Having dropped to Germany’s second tier last year, their on-field struggles have continued to the point where another relegation is very much on the table in Bundesliga 2 which is almost unthinkable for a team that once boasted the likes of Manuel Neuer, Joel Matip, Malick Thiaw, Ivan Rakitic, Leon Goretzka, Julain Draxler, Mezut Ozil and Leroy Sané in their squad over the past 10-15 years not to mention multiple Champions League campaigns including a Semi-Final in 2011 and a Quarter-Final in 2017.

While their current squad is nowhere close to Schalke teams of old, for a club of this size and stature to be so far away from the top tier of German football is a travesty - FYI the German word for “rescue” is “rettung” 👌.

6. Sampdoria

The last time a club won Serie A that wasn't one of Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma, Lazio or Napoli? You guessed it - back in 1991 which kicked off a glorious period of Italian football for the rest of that decade, Sampdoria lifted the Scudetto title with a squad boasting the likes of Gianluca Pagliuca, Pietro Vierchowod, Attilio Lombardo, Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini, and while that should have been a springboard on which these Italian giants (at least at the time) should have grown, sadly the opposite is true with the club now playing second tier football for the 6th season since and very much facing a 7th with the team languishing in mid-table at the time of writing. When you consider this is a side that has seen the likes of Duvan Zapata, Lucas Torreira, Luis Muriel, Mauro Icardi, Mikkel Damsgaard, Milan Skriniar and Bruno Fernandes all pass through Sampdoria in recent years, financial issues and mis-management at the higher levels have pushed the club into yet another downfall with little light at the end of the tunnel for I Blucerchiati fans who are crying out to be rescued with current hopes resting on the shoulders of Andrea Pirlo - can you do better?

7. Reading

We spoke about financial issues, but Reading arguably take the proverbial biscuit in that category. HMRC sanctions, unpayable debts and wages, multiple points deductions - their fall from grace has been beyond belief and understandably Royals fans are outraged at how poorly the club has been managed. After setting the English Championship record winning the league with an incredible 106 points back in 2006, Reading went on to finish 8th in their first Premier League season under Steve Coppell with impressive performances from the likes of Marcus Hahnemann, Nicky Shorey, Steve Sidwell, Stephen Hunt, Leroy Lita and Kevin Doyle. The following season was much more disappointing, at the end of which Reading were relegated back to the Championship and despite a fleeting return to the Premier League in 2012, further demise ensued as they tumbled down the championship table season after season until the club were disastrously relegated to League 1 in 2023, and at the time of writing their misery continues with the club lying in 18th position and not yet safe from a second consecutive relegation - if ever there was a club in need of rescue, it’s Reading.

8. Bordeaux

In May 2009, FC Girondins de Bordeaux were crowned Ligue 1 champions, becoming the first club to do so since 2001 and dethroning a Lyon side who had won the previous 7 league titles prior. 13 years later, Bordeaux were relegated to Ligue 2 for the first time since 1991 amidst much financial turmoil and chaos at board level. 

This is a madness. A 6-time French champions which once boasted names such Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu, Sylvain Wiltord, Eric Cantona and Christophe Dugarry (also Henri Saivet but the less said about that the better) - for them to be in their second consecutive season in Ligue 2 and at present languishing around mid-table is a travesty. 

9. Mainz O5

Since getting promoted to the Bundesliga in 2009, Mainz have been a mainstay (insert pun here) in the German top tier ever since, regularly obtaining mid-table and/or Top 10 league finishes with the highlight being a Europa League campaign following a 6th place finish in 2016. Their rise to prominence has been rapid over the past 15 seasons which has seen players such as Taiwo Awoniyi, Moussa Niakhaté, Jonas Hoffman and Jean-Philippe Mateta all go on to make big money moves elsewhere, with Mainz very much viewed as a place for younger players to thrive and develop playing in a progressive high-pressing system (particularly interesting that former Mainz Managers included Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel).

Fast-forward to 2024 and things are not quite as rosy as previous years; at the time of writing they are 6 points from safety, occupying 16th place which would mean a playoff against whoever finishes 3rd in the division below which no team would ever wish upon themselves given the stakes at hand. Despite the talents of Tom Krauß and Nadiem Amiri in addition to the power of strikers Ludovic Ajorque and Jonathan Burkhardt, just 3 wins from 26 games has them in a perilous position just one point above the automatic relegation places - new manager Bo Henriksen is the man Mainz hope will be the saviour, but maybe you can do better 👀.

10. Everton

We talked about clubs that have been in freefall; parking Financial Fair Play, poorly-timed Stadium Builds, random managerial appointments and overall questionable decision-making at board-level to the side for now - Everton are a club who have almost lost their entire identity in recent seasons, particularly on-field where their performances have been dull and drab at best for a club who previously have earned thirteen Top 8 league finishes since the year 2000 and regularly contended for European if not Champions League football, and now find themselves battling relegation for a third successive season after 16th and 17th place finishes in the past two season respectively. Glory days under David Moyes are almost a distant memory, as are the standout performances of the likes of Tim Cahill, Romelu Lukaku, Marouane Fellaini and even Dominic Calvert-Lewin who was once battling Harry Kane to be England’s first-choice striker. While Sean Dyche has brought an element of stability and consistency to what is ultimately a poor squad struggling to compete at this level, it’s clear that some form of overhaul is needed throughout the club, and where better to do so than in Football Manager.

There we have it - a lot of teams in need of rescue, and a lot of choice to go with it! If you have found yourself at that point where a new save is on the cards or if you simply love a challenge, then rescuing, reinvigorating and ultimately restoring one of these clubs to glory might be just what the doctor ordered to get you back on track and back in the thick of FM24 once more, with a long time still to go until news of FM25 beings to dissipate from the powers that be. Until then - there’s work to be done 🛠️.


Thanks for reading - let us know in the comments below if any of the clubs above have tempted you into a new save!

Skin: https://coffeehousefm.com/fmrensieblog/fm24-rensie-custom-skin

 

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.

Top 10 Contracts Expiring in 2024

 
 

by MaddFM.

At the time of writing, the circus that is the January Transfer WIndow is in full flow with the wildest of daily rumours continuing to circulate despite a widespread consensus that almost every club hates both buying and selling during this window. The annual catch-22 wherein clubs who are challenging or struggling are either unwilling to sell or are held ransom in order to maximise a player fee is a mainstay of the football season, and it is becoming clear that patience and strategy always eventually prevail and clubs who are smart enough to do so usually end up in a far healthier position than those who panic-buy in mid-season.

As Football Manager enthusiasts, we have always been aware of the free agent market and the satisfaction of agreeing a pre-contract agreement as soon as the option to enter talks with a player appears in-game ahead of their current contract ending (all hail Jean-Marc Bosman). In a world where player-power has never been stronger, many clubs find themselves at the whim of their best assets and their agents, meaning the steady flow of elite quality free-agents continues each season much to our delight as we look to snap up a bargain during our latest save adventures.

Today we will look at exactly that - 10 players whose contracts are due to expire in 2024 and who at the time of writing are yet to either sign a new deal or agree a transfer elsewhere. While the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Adrian Rabiot, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are all free agents this summer as things stand, we will instead look at some more realistic and more importantly affordable & attainable options who you should immediately be taking a look at when you load up a new save in FM24.

Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham)

 

As free agent centre-halves go, you will do well to find a better quality defender than Tosin Adarabioyo, not only based on his FM24 profile but also in real-life where he has attracted interest from the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Monaco among others. Still only 26 years old with just 6 months left on his deal, Fulham fans are most certainly sweating and with Pace 14, Acceleration 14, Tackling 14 combined with 17 Jumping Reach and Player Traits of Tries Killer Balls Often, Tries to Play Way Out Of Trouble and Tries Tricks, this 6’5” Ball Playing Defender should be at the top of your list if you are looking for a bargain basement signing this summer.

 

Christian Kouamé (Fiorentina)

25 years old with 16 Pace, 17 Acceleration, 15 Dribbling, 14 Flair & 14 Determination - did I mention he will be available on a free? Christian Kouamé is an Ivorian international who can play comfortably on either wing or up front and in this match engine can wreak havoc with his speed and technical ability not to mention that lovely “Knocks Ball Past Opponent” player trait; a player who should be attainable for most Premier League level clubs and beyond but you may need to act quick to secure his signature for next summer.

 

Gabriel Barbosa (Flamengo)

The GOAT. Gabigol himself. As Football Manager heritage goes, there aren’t many strikers out there who have guaranteed goals in the way that Gabriel Barbosa has done for several renditions of FM now, so much so that it’s hard to believe he is still only 27 years old at the time of writing (no surpise that he takes a place in the prestigous 5 Star Potential Hall of Fame). Attributes-wise he remains an elite forward who can provide goals at almost any level in-game - particularly that Mentals column where we see a minimum of 16 for Anticipation, Composure, Determination, Off The Ball, Vision and Leadership not to mention 15 Dribbling & First Touch along with 14 Finishing and Technique. With 7 player traits already assigned to him in-game (yes, SEVEN) - this is a forward who strikes fear into the opposition and is available on a free transfer at the end of December 2024.

Juan Miranda (Real Betis)

A former La Masia graduate and still only 23 years old - Juan Miranda was once hyped to be Barcelona and Spain’s left-back for years to come and although things haven’t gone exactly to plan in that regard, we are still looking at a top-tier full-back or wing-back with excellent technical ability combined with rock-solid defensive attributes. Though slightly on the slower side with 11 Pace and 13 Acceleration, his Set-Piece ability (16 Free-Kicks, 16 Penalties and 19 Long Throws) are second-to -none as free agents go, and he can most certainly add quality and/or depth to most top level teams in-game.

Federico Redondo (Argentinos Juniors)

A player we just can’t get away from, having spoken about him multiple times on the 5 Star Potential podcast as well as in various other FM24 articles here on the website. Son of former Real Madrid, AC Milan and Argentina legend Fernando (a CM legend in his own right) - Federico Redondo is showing signs of living up to his father’s legacy and looks sure to make a big move to Europe at some point in the very near future. Just 20 years old, he already as phenomenal all-round attributes for a versatile midfielder who can occupy almost any role in the middle of the park, and in particular his Determination & Work Rate combined with Passing & Movement set him up to be an elite midfielder in FM24; with a contract that expires in December 2024, it’s little wonder the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Man City are all rumoured to be interested in his services currently so you better move quick.

Alex Meret (Napoli)

Despite winning the Scudetto title last season, Napoli find themselves in all kinds of trouble this year with a mass exodus of their best players expected to take place between now and next season (so much so that this is one of two Napoli players to make our list today). Alex Meret has long been one of the best young goalkeepers in FM over the past few years, and continues to be an elite option between the sticks with his contract set to expire in June 2024 and still no sign of an extension being agreed. With excellent Handling and Reflexes not to mention 1v1 and Aerial command, this is a bargain pickup if you can lock in a deal before Napoli convince him to hang around a bit longer at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Gianluca Prestianni (Vélez Sarsfield)

Another whom we’ve waxed lyrical about on the pod repeatedly since he was first profiled here on site by @RocksEndFM as part of our Wonderkid Watch series, and more recently by @FridayNightFM after he signed him in his FM24 save at Famalicão. 17-year-old Gianluca Prestianni, who has been making plenty of headlines since establishing himself in the Velez first-team so much so that he has been heavily linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool although it looks like Benfica may have eventually won the race for his signature. That said, in FM24 we see a highly talented wonderkid with a contract expiring in December 2024, and his all round attributes and excellent technical ability for his age make him a very exciting target especially if you can lock him in on a free transfer once he reaches the end of his deal. ONE TO WATCH.

Yusuf Yazici (Lille)

What is it with Turkish #10s? Arda Güler, Can Uzun, Kenan Yildiz, Orkun Kökçü - this nation is literally stacked with talent in midfield and it doesn’t end there. A key component of Lille’s title winning side in 2021 - Yusuf Yazici is a highly talented attacking midfielder who jumped to fame when he scored back-to-back hat-tricks in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League against Sparta Prague and AC Milan respectively. In FM24 we see a wizard on the ball, a gifted technician with 18 First Touch, 16 Dribbling, 16 Technique, 16 Flair and 16 Vision meaning he has the ability to unlock a defence and provide line-splitting passes and through-balls. Though not the fastest, he is a #10 through which a lot of your build up play can flow, and not only is his contract up in June 2024, he should also be quite affordable from a wages perspective 👌.

Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)

We might as well add an already-elite player to this list and that comes in the form of Piotr Zielnski, the second Napoli player on our list today. While he has been around for years and always been highly rated from an FM perspective, he is still only 29 years old and can pull the strings of almost any midfield out there - with over 450 senior club appearances, 65 goals and 55 assists not to mention 82 caps and 10 goals for Poland - this is a world-class midfielder whose pedigree and quality are unquestionable, clearly evident through his importance in Napoli’s Serie A title winning campaign last season during which he featured 37 times racking up 3 goals and 9 assists. Highly versatile with outstanding Passing, Technique, First Touch and Vision as well as clearly knowing where the goal is based on his Finishing and Long Shots attributes, picking Zielinski up on a free almost seems criminal, yet at the time of writing he has less than 6 months remaining and therefore has to be one for your shortlist in FM24.

Valentín Gómez (Vélez Sarsfield)

Our final entry takes us back to Vélez once more. While FM24 has seen wonderkid Valentín Barco grab all the headlines, most recently following his high-profile move from Boca Juniors to Brighton during the January Transfer Window, there is another left-sided Argentine defender (also named Valentín) who is deserving of your attention this year in the form of Valentín Gómez, a 20-year-old Centre-Back who has established himself as a first-team regular but who also is yet to renew his contract having been repeatedly linked with a move to Europe over the past 18 months. With Left-Footed Central Defenders being something of a commodity in modern-day football, Gómez ticks a lot of boxes in terms of his defensive and technical ability - good on the ball, strong in the tackle with an eye for a pass and a glorious mix of high bravery & aggression combined with the “winds up opponents” player trait. Again, we are looking at a very affordable defensive option with huge potential to grow and develop in one of Europe’s Top 5 leagues - by December 2024, he could be yours for absolutely nothing 🔥.

There we have it - 10 players whose contracts will expire in 2024 and at the time of writing have not yet extended their deals or agreed moves elsewhere just yet (though Prestianni to Benfica looks set to be confirmed on his 18th birthday). Shout-outs also to the likes of Daichi Kamada (Lazio), Luke Thomas (Leicester), Tiago Djalo (Lille though looks to be Juventus bound) and @FMDoop’s old favourite Gaetano Castrovilli who are all also entering the last 6 months of their current deals; one thing is for sure, there are some absolute bargains to be picked up once we enter that glorious 6 month period before contracts will expire, and everyone loves a bargain right? Happy hunting 🎯.

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.

 

Top 10 Best Release Clauses in FM24

 
 

by MaddFM.

Another year of Football Manager means another host of elite talents, bargain signings and high-potential wonderkids to be found in-game, and there is nothing sweeter than making a great-value acquisition wherein you can land a coup for your club either below their existing market price, or where their value soars after signing and outperforming for the team who are fortunate to be your club of choice in this year’s rendition of the game.

Negotiations can be fun, but sometimes there is nothing quite like pulling the wool over another club’s eyes by identifying and taking full advantage of a release clause inserted into a player’s contract - usually included when the player initially signs and often regretted by the buying club once that player begins to shine and show their true potential on the bigger stage.

Here are 10 of the best Releases Clauses that can be activated at the start of FM24.

1 . Serhou Guirassy (VfB Stuttgart)

  • Age: 27

  • Market Value: €16m - €20m

  • Release Fee: €20m

15 goals in 9 league appearances is elite level scoring particularly for a Top 5 European League but that is exactly what Serhou Guirassy has achieved so far this season, only failing to score in one of his nine Bundesliga appearances and lifting his side towards the top of the table early in the season.

Only second in Europe’s goalscoring charts behind the machine that is Bayern Harry Kane - on paper his release fee is not that impressive compared to his value but it’s clear that one is dictated by the other, we are looking at an elite striker in-game with outstanding all-round attributes in particular his Pace (15), Off the Ball (15), Finishing (16) and Heading/Jumping Reach (both 15).

The €9m Stuttgart paid for him is looking like a bargain now, and they will be desperate to increase or remove that release clause - you better move quick 👀.

 

2. Paulo Dybala (A.S. Roma)

  • Age: 29

  • Market Value: €9.6m - €14.5m

  • Release Fee: €12m (Foreign Clubs) & €20m (Domestic Clubs)

No your eyes do not deceive you. World Cup winner and Football Manager legend Paulo Dybala is enjoying his second season at Roma and although things seem rosy at the moment, the reality is that he has a minimum fee release clause of just €12m which he agreed upon signing, likely due to (a) hope that a bigger club would come calling if he could prove his fitness and performance levels, and (b) perhaps an ounce of doubt in the club’s trajectory with the ever unpredictable José Mourinho at the helm.

In FM24 we have one of the most skilled and versatile forwards available, still only 29 and despite not being the quickest, we are looking at a player with 19 Technique, 18 Flair and 17 for Dribbling, First Touch, Free Kicks, Long Shots, Passing and Vision - we are talking monstrous attributes in Football Manager.

Though his value is low due to a combination of his release fee and contract length (June 2025) - €12m for a player of this quality is not to be scoffed at.

3. Valentín Barco (Boca Juniors)

  • Age: 18

  • Market Value: €7.4m - €9.4m

  • Release Fee: €9.25m

We will be amazed if you haven’t already heard of this kid - the most signed player during FM24 Early Access as confirmed by Sports Interactive, and with good reason. Valentín Barco is one of if not the best wonderkid left-backs in-game, still only 18 but with excellent defensive and offensive attributes which make him ideal for deployment in any full-back or wing-back role.

Even though he only has one year left on his deal when you start a new save in FM24, €9.25m is a bargain in terms of (1) knowing Boca have to accept and (2) you avoid any undesired battles for his signature once he becomes eligible for a pre-contract agreement. Don’t miss the boat on this one folks.

4. Oihan Sancet (Athletic Club)

  • Age: 23

  • Market Value: €21m - €32m

  • Release Fee: €30m

Getting a player out of Bilbao is never a cheap venture due to their Basque-only policy which makes them exceedingly unwilling to part with their best assets (see Kepa @ €80m for more info). While release fees are universal in La Liga, it’s unusual to see one so close to their true value not to mention one who is already capped and has scored for Spain.

In FM24 Oihan Sancet is a 23-year-old versatile midfielder with superb attributes as a creative or attacking outlet - 15 Passing, 15 First Touch, 15 Vision, 16 Flair and a lovely 17 Determination - the lad can arguably play for any top tier side and still has plenty of room to improve under your tutelage.

5. Williot Swedberg (Celta Vigo)

  • Age: 19

  • Market Value: €6.4m - €9.4m

  • Release Fee: €8.25m

Let’s do a slightly lower one in terms of value (as we don’t all manage at the moneybags clubs do we?). 19-year-old Williot Swedberg is an excellent option for a mid-tier club largely because he can play in almost any midfield or forward position and is primed to be trained/retrained for whatever role you need him for.

Having already scored in La Liga this season (and played just 42 minutes across 5 sub appearances), he is clearly highly rated at Celta Vigo and in FM24 he shows great Off the Ball, Determination, Anticipation, Composure and looks like he can score a headed goal or two - definitely the makings here of a good player for an even better price.

6. Hugo Duro (Valencia)

  • Age: 23

  • Market Value: €26m - €31m

  • Release Fee: €26m

There aren’t many out and out strikers available for less than €30m these days, but with 6 goals in 13 appearances for an average Valencia squad this season Hugo Duro is shaping up to be a quality La Liga striker for years to come.

In FM24 we don’t yet see any green attributes, however with 14 Pace, Acceleration, Composure & Finishing along with 15 Off the Ball and Determination, this lad will most certainly score goals wherever he goes and €26m could prove to be a steal for the right club and the right system.

7. Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim)

  • Age: 20

  • Market Value: €12.5m - €15m

  • Release Fee: €20m

I like this one. A lot. While you might think a €20m release clause is high for a player valued at €15m - Maximilian Beier is sure to develop and even get an attributes boost in the next data update having racked up 6 goals and 4 assists in just 11 Bundesliga games for Hoffenheim this season.

17 Pace, 16 Acceleration, 16 Work Rate, 16 Determination - pair that with decent technical & attacking attributes and you have an explosive versatile forward at your disposal who can do damage in this year’s match engine.

8. Gianluca Prestianni (Vélez Sarsfield)

  • Age: 17

  • Market Value: €5.6m - €10m

  • Release Fee: €11.25m

€11.25m for a 17-year-old Argentinian who has already amassed more than 20 Primera Division appearances for Vélez and who was recently named among The Guardian’s 2023 NxGN Top 60 Best Young Talents in Football? Sign me up.

We have known about Gianluca Prestianni for a while now ever since he was profiled excellently by @RocksEndFM for our Wonderkid Watch series during FM23, and it looks like he has maintained and improved his ability and potential this year as we see a 17-year-old whos is already first-team ready with huge scope to rapidly develop and progress in-game ; he can play on either wing and the combination of 14 Dribbling & Flair at such an early age is frightening.

9. Bruno Petković (Dinamo Zagreb)

  • Age: 28

  • Market Value: €2m - €4.1m

  • Release Fee: €2.5m

I’ll admit that this player even took me by surprise. 6’4” Bruno Petković of Dinamo Zagreb, a World Cup semi-finalist with Croatia who for those of you that don’t remember, scored a 117th minute equaliser in the Quarter Finals against Brazil which Croatia went on to win before losing to eventual winners Argentina in the semi-finals.

A powerful forward who can play as a #10 or an out and out #9, Petković has an insanely low release fee of just €2.5m in FM24 for a player who has 19 Flair & Teamwork, 17 Technique & Vision, 16 First Touch & Anticipation not to mention 17 Strength & Jumping Reach; this is a meta player if I ever saw one, and a player who is also enjoying a great start to the season in real life having picked up 7 goals and 6 assists in just 14 appearances for Zagreb this season. If you need a cheap forward who is ready to hit the ground running at the top level, this is your man.

10. Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

Age: 24

Market Value: €100m - €120m

Release Fee: €100m

We couldn’t possibly leave him out (@FMDoop would never forgive us). Another from the list of the Top 10 most signed players during FM24 Early Access; to put it simply - Victor Osimhen is arguably the best striker in FM24, and I don’t say that lightly when we have the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane floating about. After scoring 31 goals in 39 appearances last season across all competitions and helping Napoli lift their first Scudetto title since 1990, Osimhen has been on every elite club’s radar and he continues to fire on all cylinders this season scoring 6 goals in 9 league appearances for the defending champions.

In FM24 we simply cannot ignore the fact that this is a player boasting a 19 Pace & 17 Acceleration with 18 Finishing & 20 Off the Ball; add to that his aerial threat (18 Heading & 16 Jumping Reach) and we are looking at the most feared striker you can imagine in-game, a defensive nightmare and one for whom €100m is an absolute steal if you have the means and wherewithal to nab his signature. At 24 he has his best years ahead of him - we know he likes when we put his shirt on the wall too 👌.

There we have it - 10 of the Best Release Clauses you can find in Football Manager this year, but for sure not the only ones - there are always plenty of bargains to be found if you put in the work, however that said if you would like to download a shortlist of some 40 players with release clauses in FM24, then you can do so below (I also recommend using my Player Shortlist view which includes a column to see Minimum Fee Release Clauses).

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.

 

FM24 - Tactical Notebook

 
 

by Louis Bent.

The full version of Football Manager 2024 finally reached its hotly anticipated release on Monday, with players around the globe ready to transition from those testing beta saves to pride and joy expeditions in the main game.

With a new edition of the game comes new ways to win, with different tactical styles and player roles set to make the human vs computer battle even more enticing.

So, after playing the early access version and subsequently the main version for a few days since, here are some tactical perks I’ve found in my own saves that you may find useful in yours.

Inverted Wing-Backs - Plural?

Call me Pep Guardiola for coming up with this one, joking, no seriously please do. But having double Inverted Wing-Backs proved largely successful in my early access save with Ajax.

In FM23 I found using the double IWB system made a system too narrow, with little width involved and too easily exploited by wide midfielders in opposition teams on the counter. Even one became quite taxing in the previous version of the game, I found a quick switch to be very difficult to contend with when the ball was played over the top of said IWB.

However, it appears that a slight tweak to the role has left it more useable in the current edition of the game. The IWB now appears to drop back towards a normal defensive shape a lot more fluidly in comparison to previous versions of the game, you could put that down to teams in the Eredivisie being slightly less incisive when moving forwards against a better side (us) but still I’ve seen a reduction in IWB’s being exposed.

 

IWB average position out of possession (red line) versus in possession (blue line)

 

Creatively, the IWB looks like a winner, just take a look at some creative and attacking statistics from Juan Miranda, who joined me as a smart pickup from Real Betis in the summer.

 
 
 
 

He not only blows the league average out of the water but has excellent long throws which proved very helpful in those games where we struggled to find an opener.

A Libero - but in Midfield?

With the new function of this role set to revolutionise the way that the Libero works, I certainly found that when trying it out during my Ajax save.

Kenneth Taylor was the guinea pig for this, with him able to play the role that I hoped to use against sides we were likely to beat.

 

Libero Kenneth Taylor against Napoli in the Europa League

 

He’d play on the right of a two-man centre-back pairing with those Inverted Wing-Backs on either side. It allows the midfielder ahead of him to have the Half-Back shackles taken off and move into a more advanced role. Taylor would move into midfield when in possession, giving us numerical dominance over teams but quietly slipping back into our traditional defensive structure when we lost the ball.

The role allowed us to completely control teams we were likely to beat, with there always being en extra man in the middle of the park to pick up possession.

With positional rotations a new feature in this game too, you could see good rotations between him and whoever would be in the Half-Back role. I’ll admit, I’m still getting the hang of using this one in my teams, but there are definitely benefits which are mainly constrained to games we dominate.

Double Mezzalas

Possibly my favourite player role so far in the game (and it’s clear that MaddFM is also a fan judging by recent podcast episodes), the Mezzala poses a completely different threat to the opposition, offering overlaps in the wide positions. Now think about that and double it, two Mezzala’s could change your system for the better.

I struggled to get Dutch football stalwart Stephen Berghuis to suit a winger role in my Ajax side, I tried him as an Advanced Playmaker, but there was no luck with that as he struggled to impact the game.

So why not combine a more attacking central midfield role with some of those wide midfield qualities that he possesses, so there came Berghuis the roving Mezzala.

 
 

We then became fairly one-dimensional, only having one side to play into (the left where Berghuis moved into), despite the former midfielder’s performances improving gradually.

There was another player who could undergo a similar transformation, a player struggling in an Advanced Playmaker role, unable to flourish as a Winger - but a good mix of those two roles.

Gabriel Misehouy, one of the club’s top prospects who I’d aimed to integrate into the first team had developed okay, with mainly upwards-facing arrows but there were far too many games in which he went missing and struggled to find space.

So I thought, let’s give them both a try together. We were up against Excelsior who were in the relegation zone, a game we were expected to win. I felt that with either Edoardo Bove or Andre in the Half-Back role behind them, the pair of them would be free to roam as they pleased.

As much as I was surprised by their effectiveness in the roles, I was also intrigued at their tendency to create underlaps in wide space, particularly when facing a low block.

 

Berghuis loves a run into this area when a wide player has the ball.

 

When a wide player has the ball, he waits until his full-back begins to press to make the pass to our underlapping Mezzala who rampages into a dangerous half space inside the box - he’ll then cut back the ball to a striker for a shooting chance.

 

Berghuis in advanced positions.

 

I’ve begun to use these roles in my 3-5-2 at Elche, with two Mezzala’s to supplement wing-backs - hopefully, it’ll work to a similar effect.

All in all, these roles and tactics might not work for everyone, it would be pointless trying someone like Rodri as a Mezzala because he's the best holding midfielder in the world and overlapping in wide areas wouldn't be one of his strengths.

The same could be said for trying a non-league centre-back with low composure as a Libero on support when he's better suited to a No-Nonsense Centre-Back on defend.

It's all about what works for you, and if you can find a balance in your team and the players to suit these particular roles, you might be in for a successful reign at your club.

Thanks for reading - feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or @5StarPod on Twitter.

Louis.

This is Louis’ second guest article for 5 Star Potential following his excellent piece on Simplifying Player Roles in Football Manager - make sure you are following him on Twitter for more of his FM content!

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

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