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From Kingston to Kirkcudbright | PART TWO | You Call That A Summer?

From Kingston to Kirkcudbright | PART TWO | You Call That A Summer?

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Last month I was delighted to debut my article series with “Dictate the Game”. A reminder to everyone that my FM21 experiment is set up to answer one question once and for all. That question is “are football players from the UK overhyped?”. Here we go again with “From Kingston to Kirkcudbright”. Recap There are many ways that we could delve into this question, but for those who read part one you’ll know all about my method. Yes, using FM’s…

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From Kingston to Kirkcudbright | PART ONE | And So It Begins…

From Kingston to Kirkcudbright | PART ONE | And So It Begins…

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As a new writer for “Dictate the Game”, I am delighted to start my first article. Entitled, ‘From Kingston to Kirkcudbright‘, this debut piece is going to take readers on a journey that comes in the form of an FM21 experiment. The article will be looking to answer a question we possibly think we already know the answer to… “Are football players from the UK overhyped?” And whilst plenty of research into this topic has been done in real-life (see…

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Non-League Legends: Vik Maslov, Bobby Moore and The Birth of Modern 4-4-2

Non-League Legends: Vik Maslov, Bobby Moore and The Birth of Modern 4-4-2

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When one thinks of “simple” football, English 4-4-2 usually comes to mind. A long-time favourite formation in Albion, its origin was mistakenly, credited to Sir Alf Ramsey. It was also associated with the transition to modern football. A game that is currently, single-mindedly obsessed with possession, relentless pressing and teamwork. But what led us to the world where Gegenpress has become a household word? The answer is simple. It all began with Viktor Maslov and the Soviet invention of the…

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Non-League Legends: Introducing Future FM21 Series

Non-League Legends: Introducing Future FM21 Series

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Welcome back readers! Hope everyone had a productive off-season. Some might know me as Crusadertsar over on SI Games forums and Twitter. In short, I’m just another guy who spends a bit too much time playing Football Manager. I also double as a bit a sports history aficionado, and like to sprinkle in my research into my tactical musings. You may recognize my ramblings from Man United-focused series Young Devils which debuted on our site last year. And there was…

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Playing time and player development on FM20 – Part 3

Playing time and player development on FM20 – Part 3

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To play or not to play, that is the question for many FM20 managers. Especially when it comes to developing young players. U18 players highly value training, while older players need playing time to keep developing. Playing time alone isn’t enough though, as a manager you need to provide your player with games at the right level. The level needs to be challenging, but not too difficult. The optimal level will vary based on age, current ability and potential ability….

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Playing time and player development on FM20 – Part 2

Playing time and player development on FM20 – Part 2

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To play or not to play, that is the question for many FM20 managers. Especially when it comes to developing young players. U18 players highly value training, while older players need playing time to keep developing. Playing time alone isn’t enough though, as a manager you need to provide your player with games at the right level. The level needs to be challenging, but not too difficult. The optimal level will vary based on age, current ability and potential ability….

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Competing in the Premier League with limited pace and acceleration | FM20 Experiment

Competing in the Premier League with limited pace and acceleration | FM20 Experiment

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How would a team with players of below-the-league average quickness perform in the Premier League? Would they cope against the likes of Adama Traore and Raheem Sterling? Or manage to penetrate through defensive monsters like Virgil van Dijk and Aymeric Laporte? In this Football Manager 2020 Experiment, let’s see if I can surpass expectations using players with limited pace and acceleration within a league known for its end-to-end action.

Playing time FM20
Playing time and player development on FM20

Playing time and player development on FM20

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To play or not to play, that is the question for many FM20 managers. Especially when it comes to developing young players. U18 players highly value training, while older players need playing time to keep developing. Playing time alone isn’t enough though, as a manager you need to provide your player with games at the right level. The level needs to be challenging, but not too difficult. The optimal level will vary based on age, current ability and potential ability….

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Total Football Journeyman: Sir Alex’s Strikerless Masterclass

Total Football Journeyman: Sir Alex’s Strikerless Masterclass

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In a series about Total Football, you might wonder why I am writing about Sir Ferguson’s Manchester United? While Ferguson’s Man United achieved amazing success between 2006-2009, they were not known for playing Possession-style, associated with Total Football. Or for that matter one cannot really pin point a specific style of play or formation to that legendary team. However, one constant that contributed to Ferguson’s success was his masterful management of his players. Sir Alex Ferguson was a people manager…

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Expected Assists (xA) and Received Passes in FM20

Expected Assists (xA) and Received Passes in FM20

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Let me introduce you to the little brother of xG, Expected Assists (xG). Whereas xG tells you the likelihood of a goal being scored from a certain position Expected Assists tells you the likelihood of a goal being scored after receiving a pass. The two go hand in hand in real world football metrics, and there’s no reason why you can’t use them in FM20. We also add another metric to look at. There’s something to be learnt about where…

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