Making FM config files by hand can sometimes be a bit confusing, so this guide is here to help

The easiest way to edit the config files is with Notepad, Notepad++ or any similar basic text editor

The start and end of the config file is always the same for all graphics, so it is best to copy and paste another config file and just delete the middle

For the file to work with Football Manager then it MUST be named config.xml, otherwise the game will not read the file and the graphics will not work, naming the graphic files however is a lot easier, you can name them almost anything, but special characters and accented letters like áéíóú will not work, the easiest naming method is just to use the unique id (or UID) to save time

The Start

If creating the config from scratch, then start with this, it is the same for all graphics so do not change it, after the <list id=”maps”> section you need to put the config for logos/facepacks/kits/backgrounds in, and then end with the end section

<record>

<!– resource manager options –>

<!– dont preload anything in this folder –>

<boolean id=”preload” value=”false”/>

<!– turn off auto mapping –>

<boolean id=”amap” value=”false”/>

<!– logo mappings –>

<!– the following XML maps pictures inside this folder into other positions

in the resource system, which allows this folder to be dropped into any

place in the graphics folder and still have the game pick up the graphics

files from the correct places

–>

<list id=”maps”>

Logos

There are five different types of logos you can use on FM, these are; normal, huge, small and background left/right

Below is an example line of code for each

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/club/UID/logo”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/club/UID/huge”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/club/UID/icon”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/club/UID/background/left”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/club/UID/background/right”/>

For these to work you simple have to change the name and UID to that of your logo

If the logos are for a competition rather than a club then the XML should instead be like this

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/comp/UID/logo”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/comp/UID/huge”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/comp/UID/icon”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/comp/UID/background/left”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/comp/UID/background/right”/>

Facepacks

Facepacks are far simpler and just have one config setting, example line below

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/person/UID/portrait”/>

Kits

There are two different types of kits, 2d and 3d, so both have different XML, they also have a section on the end for home/away/third. A good way to name kits would be UID_Home/Away/Third or _H/A/T

2d

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/team/UID/kits/home”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/team/UID/kits/away”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/team/UID/kits/third”/>

3d

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/team/UID/kit_textures/home”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/team/UID/kit_textures/away”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/team/UID/kit_textures/third”/>

Backgrounds

There are a few different types of XML for backgrounds, these are; team backgrounds, stadium/matchday backgrounds, competition backgrounds and player backgrounds

Example XML below

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/team/UID/background”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/stadium/UID/background”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/comp/UID/background”/>

<record from=”NAME” to=”graphics/pictures/person/UID/background”/>

The End

</list>

</record>

Name: John Heitinga
Age: 26
Position: Sweeper/Defender (R/C), Defensive Midfielder/Midfielder (Centre)
Club: Everton
Value: £6,000,000
Caps: 60
Goals: 6

Before the World Cup:

Heitinga has been part of the Dutch international youth teams for a long while, but didn’t make his senior début until 18th February 2004, in a friendly against the United States. His first goal came against Greece. He was put in the squad for the 2004 European Championships, and started as first-choice Right Back for the first two games, before missing the third group game after being sent off. He came on as a substitute in the quarter final against Sweden, replacing Edgar Davids. He scored his penalty as the team won the shoot-out 5-4 on penalties. He wasn’t in the team when they lost in the Semi-Finals against Portugal, though. Despite suffering poor club-form, Heitinga retained his position as first choice Right Back, and was in the squad for the 2006 World Cup, and the 2008 European Championships.

John Heitinga began his career in the Ajax youth team, part of the academy and group like Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder. He established himself as first choice player after making his début on 26th August, 2001. However, he suffered a terrible knee injury, which sidelined him for six months, and then, when he made his comeback, he suffered another injury, putting him out for even longer. He came back from this injury, and re-established himself in the first team of Ajax until he left at 2007-08. He had become a fan favourite, and they were sad to see him leave. He had made 160 appearances, scoring 24 goals.

He then moved to Atletico Madrid at the end of the season for £8.8 million. He made 28 appearances, scoring three times. However, Everton came in with a bid on 30th August 2009, wanting him to replace Lescott, who had moved to Manchester City. He cost them £6.2 million, and made his début on 13th September 2009 versus Fulham. In his first season, he made 35 appearances for the club, and is Everton’s first choice right back.

He also hosts a tournament called the ARC Heitinga tournament, which is for disabled children who are unable to play football on the streets.

During the World Cup:

Holland had always been renowned at not conceding many goals, and Heitinga was an integral part of the defence. He committed nine fouls, but only gained two yellow cards-both in the World Cup final. He attempted 346 passes, being successful 76% of the time, with 262 completed passes. As a defender, the 76% completion rate is really good. The majority of his passes were into midfield, so he was often the starting point of many moves. He didn’t take any shots, however. He covered a grand total of 64 kilometres during the World Cup. He very rarely left his half, which helped to cover the defence and stop them from conceding. He ranks at 33rd in the Castrol Index, with a rating of 9.04. He had a thoroughly successful World Cup, apart from his sending off.

Post World Cup:

The defender has stated that he has happy with life at Everton, and so it looks like he will remain there for this season. He will be very integral at pushing them up the table for the Europa League places. He has scored an own goal in a League Cup match versus Huddersfield, which was the only slight tarnish on their 5-1 victory, as well as missing a penalty. He also played against Wolves. Looks like he’ll remain at Everton for the near future.

In FM2010:

John Heitinga has been an FM darling for a few years. I remember signing him in FM07 and 08, where he was cheap, and really quite good. He’s still a fairly good player, and at the start of the game, scouts believe he would fit in any Premiership team-he’d make a good back up for any of the higher teams, and first team player for any of the mid-table and lower teams. However, it’ll be difficult prying him away from Everton. Here are his stats at the start of the game:

His Heading, Tackling, Aggression, Determination, Influence and Jumping are all excellent, and ideal for a defender, and his Natural fitness means he’d be able to keep going for 90 minutes or more.

The only stats which let him down are First Touch, Crossing and Dribbling, which make him not ideal for a Full Back-he’d be better just being left as a defensive right back.

In two years time:

His stats are fairly similar, which indicates that he is at the peak of his career, so it proves he’d be a good signing for the first couple of seasons. His influence has increased by one, which shows how well he works in a team.

In five years time:

His technical and physical attributes are in decline by the time he hits thirty, however, his mental stats are still increasing. By this time, he’s probably only going to be a squad player, but he would be worth buying just because you’d get 5 years service out of him at least.

Overall:

I think that if you are a mid-table Premiership team, Heitinga would be an excellent signing. He has brilliant stats for a RB as long as you don’t want him as an attacking full-back, and he doesn’t really decline as he ages-you’re going to get at least five years service out of him. So yeah, he’s a pretty good player. I’d rate him at 7/10.

Name: Maarten Stekelenburg
Age: 27
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Ajax
Value: £3,000,000
Caps: 34
Goals: 0

Before the World Cup:

Stekelenburg made his international debut for Holland on 3rd September, 2004, versus Liechtenstein. However, he wasn’t going to be first choice GK whilst Edwin van der Sar was still in the squad. He was called up during the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, but was kept out of the side by van der Sar. Stekelenburg became first choice keeper once van der Sar retired after the 2008 European Championships. He holds the dubious distinction of being the first Dutch goalkeeper to ever be sent off in an international, when he fouled Joshua Kennedy during a friendly match against Australia in September 2008. Before the World Cup, Stekelenburg had 27 caps.

Stekelenburg began his youth career at Zandvoort ’75, before moving to Schoten. He was then snapped up, as a 15 year old, by Ajax in 1997, where he spent 2 years studying under van der Sar. He made his debut for Ajax in 2002 against NAC Breda, aged 20. His first trophy was the Johan Cruijff Shield, the Dutch equivalent of the Community Shield, which Ajax won in 2002-03. Ajax then won the Eredivisie in 2004, but it wasn’t until 2005 that he became first choice goalkeeper. In 2006 he helped them win the KNVB cup and the shield, which they retained a year later. He was Ajax’s player of the year in 2007-8, but in 2008-9 he lost his first team place due to injury and poor performances. However, he has since regained his position, and is now Ajax’s first choice keeper.

During the World Cup:

Holland had always been renowned at not conceding many goals, and Stekelenburg was a large part of this, only conceding 5 goals in the entire tournament. He played every singe minute of the World Cup. He made a number of saves during the World Cup final, only to be beaten in extra time by Iniesta’s finish. Thanks to his defence, he only had to make 19 saves in the whole tournament, with 3 shots every game as the average. He only performed one foul during the entire tournament, which earnt him a Yellow Card, during the second round game with Slovakia. His pass completion rate was 67% out of his 300, with 201 hitting their targets. It was mainly his long range kicking that let him down, but his short/mid range distribution was excellent. He generally passed it short, though, preferring to retain possession and help the team launch attacks from there. He ranked 47th in the tournament, with an overall Castrol Rating of 8.83. He was the fourth-highest ranking Keeper, which is pretty impressive.

Post World Cup:

Stekelenburg has remained in the Eredivisie with Ajax, however, he has been linked with a move to Arsenal. I would love to see him in the Premiership, I believe he is an excellent keeper, and that Arsenal should sign him-I believe he’s as good as Schwarzer, and is much younger. He’s certainly better than Almunia.

In FM2010:

Maarten Stekelenburg is another one who has been touted as a brilliant player in FM. I remember signing him in FM2005, and him becoming one of the best Gks in the game. He’d be an ideal player to replace VDS at Man Utd, or to replace Almunia at Arsenal. He would be an excellent GK for most top teams. He’ll cost a lot of money, though, but he’d be worth it. Here are his stats at the start of the game (click to enlarge):

His Aerial Ability, Handling, Kicking, One on Ones and Reflexes are excellent, as is his Determination. However, his Communication, and Positioning are poor, which could lead to a lot of mistakes. However, he’s still a good, solid keeper, and there aren’t many better in the game.

After 2 years:

He has improved considerably, so is a good signing at the start of the game. His value will continue to go up as he improves, and if you don’t buy him early, you could have to shell out even more.

After 5 years:

He has remained at about the same level-some stats going up, some going down. He’s a good solid investment.

Overall:

Overall, Stekelenburg will probably be one of the best keepers that you can buy in the game. He’s definitely going to cost less than Akinfeev or Lloris, and is better than Eneyeama, so if your team needs a new GK, you should look at Maarten. He will only go to a good team, though, but if you can get him, you won’t regret it. I’d rate him at 8.5/10.

For the past 5 versions of Football Manager I have been developing the same tactic along the same line. It started with a 442 and has gone through quite a few variations but the only things that have changed in 5 years is the midfield. It’s ever evolving and the positions in midfield tend to switch through a cycle. This is the story of the evolution of my ‘Switch’ tactic:

FM2005 – How it all started
When this game came out I was a little surprised but happy to see the changes from the last version of Championship Manager I had played (CM03/04), the name may have changed but the core game was the same – however a few things had changed. For the first time I saw that I needed to rethink my tactical and training ideals and could no longer count on the ones provided for me. I had started up a game as Swansea (my favourite team) and asked for advice on a forum about the best formation for this type of team. I was told to try a 4132 as wingers were not dependable enough in lower leagues and without true quality in the middle, you needed to put men in that area to close down space.

Looking at my squad there was not enough to even play this formation in my opinion so I went and signed a bunch of free transfers to try this new formation out. Within a few months I saw that it was stopping me losing games but we couldn’t score goals for love nor money – and so the first evolution came about. The four midfielders consisted of a DM/MC; AMLC; AMRC; and an AMC. During games I switched their positions about to suit the in-game situations. If I needed a goal or two then I switched them about again pushing up the DM to replace the middle of my midfield three, who in turn went up to AM and supported the strikers – who could now seek the space in the channels and leave the AMC to occupy the central defenders. If there was just a few minutes left and we still needed to score then it became a 4114 with a DM and an AM, also the AMLC and AMRC pushed up front and out wide leaving the strikers to only try and score. This was the only time our tactics changed from defensive to attacking. We struggled at times and a good winger was all it took to destroy us even though we dominated possession and chances, so I decided to look into it but with FM2006 around the corner I would try it again there.

FM2006 – Locking the defence
One of the main weaknesses of the tactic on FM2005 was the defensive mindset of the outfield which led to us struggling to win these games we were controlling – and that resulted from the fact that the defence was a shambles in terms of both player quality and instructions as I had focused too much on the midfield. I remembered Houllier’s Liverpool team and the fact that the back four all played like centre-backs and their style of defending was simplicity itself. From this I devised my three rules of defending: 1) ‘Get in the way’ – block the shot or pass with anything you can. Toe, knee, face. 2) ‘Get it rid’ – Don’t bother to run it up field or try a killer 40-yard ball down the wing. Just get it and then get rid. (If unsure then aim for row Z), and finally 3) ‘Never leave it’ – If you can get it then go do so, NEVER leave it for a teammate, all this causes is confusion.

Using these simple ideals I set the back four to the most defensive settings I could – with the keeper the same. This was also the first time I decided to retain our shape even with corners and free-kicks (ie keeper in the net, back four in defence, midfield taking set pieces and supporting, and the strikers trying to score). This defensive base then allowed me to switch from a defensive team mindset to a more attacking one. The team did seem stretched at times but we were scoring more goals without conceding many. I was very happy with the result of this tweak and I found that rotating the positions of the midfielders during matches was still working well – in fact with the stability at the back I could now even switch a few individual instructions about to better accommodate them in their new roles. Again our weakness was a good winger or striker attacking from the flanks.

FM2007 – Protecting the flanks
I needed to minimise the threat of the opposition down the flanks as this had become a real problem once I reached the Premiership with Swansea and especially started challenging for European places. The wingers I was beginning to face were of too high a quality to ignore and without protection from the midfield my fullbacks started getting overrun and the goals started flowing in against us. I spent a while studying the match engine in a bit of detail and saw that we had been poor at picking up AML’s and AMR’s once the opposition full/wing-back had pushed upfield. whilst this left space for us to exploit we tended to see either the winger or fullback occupying my defenders whilst the other was free to enjoy the space and time he’d been afforded. The midfield dominated the middle of the park but once it reached the touchline – they were letting the opposition play – that had to change.

I set up the team instructions to play wider and pegged back the outside midfielders creativity and mentality. This meant that they would try to stay in position a bit more and just recycle possession rather than trying to get forward themselves. Once we lost the balls these players would move to mark the opposition full-backs as they bombed forward which meant that my own full-backs could just concentrate on the wingers. This had the desired defensive effect but now the strikers got isolated and the AMC was swamped by the opposition midfield whenever he got on the ball. More changes needed but I could see that we’d nearly gotten the balance right and it would not be long before I was happy.

FM2008 – Self destruction
Before now I could only score or keep clean sheets in most games, and that was decided over the quality of the opposition’s midfield more than my own team. This was the game where everything went wrong and I seemed to start to unpick the good work that I’d done so far. The main problem was that I changed to one up front, and turned the other striker and the AMC into wingers. This, I thought, would provide extra width and shorten the gap between midfield and attack, meaning we’d be able to keep our defensive shape but also create better chances to score. Variations of this theme led me to adapt to a 451 for many months but we’d just play boring football and either win or lose 1-0. This was not acceptable after years of free-flowing football and in direct counter-point to the style that had led Swansea to clinch the League One title in real life.

So I again adapted from 451 to a 433 which led us to goals galore – at both ends. I had moved completely away from my ideals that I has spent three years on in a reckless attempt for a quick-fix. Sadly it was not until later that I realised this and before I knew it the new version of Football Managers had hit the shelves. This came at a good point as I could roll-back to my end-of-FM2007 tactic and start afresh without the complications I had added to things in 2008.

FM2009 – Learning patience
As quick as I had been to drastically change things in the previous version, I had to learn to make small changes again and wait to see how they affected things. The 2007 tactic was working well for me and with a small bit of tweaking I was happy with both our general defending and attacking but the same problems that had bugged us for the past few years were still evident – generating width in attack and protecting our flanks. I took a look around in real life football and noticed the trend for English League teams to adopt a 451 formation where the fullbacks moved into midfield, the wingers pushed forward, and the DM sat to help defend. The level of positional changing during games struck me as similar to my own, but whilst my changes occurred due to changing our shape for periods of play, the real life changes resulted from a the wide-reaching roles that each player had been given. This was not easy to replicate in FM2009 so I felt the need to try and replicate the movement between attack and defence but once again concentrated on the midfield to provide this change.

My dilemma was that I was stuck between a 4132 and a 4312 formation. One had proven great for defending and the other was great for attacking, but the weakness was my own recognition of when to switch from one to the other during matches – any mistakes and we’d invariably concede. During one of these changes I manually moved my DM to MC and the central MC to AM – or so I thought – but only the second change occurred. This new 41212 was very narrow but provided a great pivot system for changing between attack and defence. When we attacked the DM seemed to move between our MC’s and aided in the re-cycling of possession. In defence the AMC dropped back and allowed the MC’s to move into wider positions to pick up the opposition fullbacks. Still the attacking width needed increasing and now moving the strikers out wide just meant that their markers could go with them and there was nobody to occupy the space. A quick change to the fullbacks saw them playing like the central midfielders and getting forward to keep possession and stretch the opposition defence. Only against a quick counter-attack were we vulnerable but the solution to that was about to arrive!

FM2010 – The tactical revolution

With the new tactical system and introduction of roles I finally had the tool-set to build the tactic that I had longed for back with FM2005. The 2009 tactic had come close but still suffered from the bane of my life – the quick striker or winger. With this new system however I could minimise that threat by assigning team tactics to aid our attack, individual tactics to keep our shape and minimise the opposition threats, and now player roles which allowed me to revert to the stability of the 4132 whilst still enjoying the players movement between attack and defence. The sideline features and in-game shouts also helped me to make the changes needed without actually changing tactics. I could now switch our style, shape and mentality without loading a different tactic.

The Tactic
The basis of the ’4132-Switch’ tactic is quite simple – the defenders defend, the midfield is the engine, and the attackers score the goals. Width is provided by the fullbacks and attackers, whilst the centre of the field is protected by the midfielders. The one weakness of this system is that it only works with certain player-types but seeing as the type of player needed is available at all levels of the game (at least I have never struggled to find players that fit the requirements – usually on free transfers), this is not really a problem to fufil. The toughest roles to fill are usually goalkeeper and strikers. I tend to use counter-intuitive strategies for each opponent – ie for teams I expect to dominate I use Contain and not Control, whilst for those I expect to dominate me I use Control and not Contain. I find that this works better with this tactic that the ‘correct’ strategies, and that one of these two are all I need at the beginning of each match.

The Player Requirements
ALL – For this tactic to work all players need decent anticipation, work-rate, determination, and physicals. This is the core of this system as they will be (hopefully) running the game for the whole 90 minutes (or beyond).
GK – 6′ plus, needs good handling, and reflexes. Needs decent rushing out.
DR/DL – 6′ plus, needs decent concentration, and marking. Crossing is useful but not essential.
DC – 6’4 plus, needs decent concentration, heading, and positioning.
DM – Needs decent passing, tackling, team work, and positioning.
MLC/MRC – Needs decent passing, team work, and positioning.
Central MC – Needs decent dribbling, passing, creativity, and off the ball.
SCs – Needs good anticipation, and off the ball. Needs decent finishing, composure and dribbling.

The In-Match Shouts
For full effectiveness of this tactic you need to play certain shouts together. When you need to defend – ‘Play to feet’ and ‘Get ball forward’; and in attack – ‘Pass into space’ and ‘Retain possession’ both work well. Usually I leave the rest alone unless I am having problems with certain players and then I use the ‘Drop deeper’, ‘Push up’, ‘Play wider’, and/or ‘Play narrower’ shouts to combat that player. It’s normal for me to change the shouts every 15-20 minutes during a match and those times could be even shorter if the opposition is making changes.

The Download

Download the 4132 Switch now from SendSpace

Link to the article in our FMV Forums

Pre-season fixtures have long being something that many FM players have just left to their assistants. I have to admit i was often one, i would just look at the ratings and see who played well. However then i realised their is a reason why managers in real life used them, and surely they can’t all be wrong? Since i decided to take part in my pre-season fixtures i have noticed a marked improvement in my FM form, so i decided to give you five quick tips to utilizing your pre-season fixtures.

1) Try out new tactics – Many times in FM, half way through a season i have being stuck with the team just not performing in a certain tactic anymore and i have often needed to start building a new tactic halfway through a season. So why not try more than one tactic in pre-season? One you may perform well in a system that you never dreamt you would, two you may have more knowledge on where you will need to strength, and three it makes you flexible. Flexibility is key, if your stuck in mid table in January the ability to be able to call on a new system half way through a season, and the players being used to this system has to be an advantage.

2) Develop Partnerships – Pre-season is not a time for you to starting putting your first eleven out every time, you never say Man Utd putting there’s out in pre-season early on, so why should we on FM no matter who we are. However it is key to start developing partnerships early on in a season, these are key to you performing through out a season. Pick your team on partnerships not on individuals, i.e play your first choice centre backs together, and your first choice cenre midfielders together. This way you can still give everyone a game, yet your players will be developing partnerships that will be key for when the season comes about.

3) Fitness - Over the years with FM i saw myself playing friendlies and taking players off because they where not playing well, but they where the one’s who needed the game more than anyone else. This is one key thing to remember about your side, don’t take players off if they aren’t playing one, stick to the plan you had before the game. Winning may breed confidence but if your first choice midfielder is injured, and your second choice one is not fit because you did not blood him in pre-season you will regret it over time.

4) Picking Opponents - Picking opponents is something that people may not take interest in, however it is absolutely vital who you choose to play. Often people choose to play teams for the money, often in lower league games this is often a good way to raise extra finance, however if you do not test yourself against different types of teams you will not be ready for the season. You will not get away with a season without playing a season against big teams, and you won’t go through a season without playing a team playing quick passing football. So you need to be able to test yourself against these in pre-season and find partnerships that would work against them.

5) Workload – This is something that links into the above point, you need to look at your squad and decide on how many games to play. If you are Exeter there is no point playing 10 games and going on a trip to USA, however much money it will make you. You need to be realistic on how many you play, personally i feel outside of the Premiership no more than five is needed, now this is far less than most people play, however it is for me the perfect amount to get your squad fit and ready and yet still be fresh for the new season. However if you are Premier league side it is up to you as you are likely to have a much bigger squad and be able to cope with the more games.

Anyway this may be a load of rubbish to some of you however, i hope it helps at least one person out there. Feel free to share any pre-season tips you may have with me. Don’t be to harsh fella’s i only just decided to start writing once more.

They were founded in 1898 and are one of the few teams that have been a permanent fixture in La Liga since its inception in 1928. They have had a varied amount of success in the past and have won the league 8 times in its history, a record bettered only by Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. But since 1984 they have not won any silverware be it league or cup, with 1984 being their most successful season when they completed a domestic treble by winning the league, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.

Perhaps the most famous, and respected, thing about Bilbao is their loyalty to the “cantera” policy in which they only sign players who are from the Basque regions of Spain (Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Araba, Naforroa and Naforroa Beherea) as well as those of South West France (Lapurdi and Zuberoa). Though it has been relaxed slightly to allow non-Basque nationals to play for them as long as they have been brought though the ranks at a Basque club.

Famous Players

• Joseba Etxeberria
• José Ángel Iribar
• Francisco Yeste
• Jonás Ramalho Chimeno

Famous Managers

• Javier Clemente
• Howard Kendall
• Ernesto Valverde

Top 3 Facts

1) Seven of the first 11 Bilbao managers were English.
2) They are 1 of only 4 “socios” in La Liga, the club being controlled by its associates and hence not being a sports corporation.
3) Their nickname is Los Leones which stems from early Christianity. Their stadium is built near an old cathedral and a man called Mammes was thrown to the lions by the Romans and the lions refused to eat him, he was later made a saint. (San Mames)

La Cantera

La cantera has a literal meaning of “the quarry” in English is mainly used in reference to youth academies in Spain but also to the geographical area from which a club recruits its players.

Further Reading

http://servicios.elcorreo.com/especiales/eleccionesathletic/noticias/not270501a.html

http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_11653.shtml

Welcome to La Liga!
The Primera División (First Division) of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional (Professional Football League), commonly known as La Liga (The League) or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA (BBVA League) since 2008, is the top professional association football league in Spain. It is contested by 20 teams, with the three lowest placed teams relegated to the Segunda División and replaced by the top three teams in that division. A total of 59 teams have competed in La Liga, nine of which have been crowned champions. Since the 1950s, Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated the championship. The former have won the title 31 times while the latter have won it on 20 occasions. However, during the 1930s and 1940s and in the last two decades, La Liga has seen other champions including Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, Real Sociedad, Deportivo, Sevilla and Real Betis. Barcelona are currently back to back winners of La Liga.

La Liga is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world, with an average attendance of 29,029 for league matches in the 2007–08 season. This is the eighth highest of any domestic professional sports league in the world and the third highest of any professional association football league, behind the Premier League. La Liga is currently ranked the second strongest league in Europe according to UEFA’s league coefficient, based on recent European performances.

The competition format follows the usual double round-robin format. During the course of a season, which lasts from September to June, each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, with the highest-ranked club at the end of the season crowned champion. The top four teams in La Liga qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with the first, second, and third placed teams directly entering the group stage and the fourth placed team entering the third qualifying round. The fifth and sixth placed teams qualify for the first round of the UEFA Europa League.

Athletic Club Bilbao

Athlectic Club is based in the city of Bilbao in Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions. In the historical classification of La Liga Athletic Bilbao are in 4th place and one of only three clubs which have never been relegated from La Liga (the others being Real Madrid and Barcelona). The club also has a women’s team, which has won 4 championships in the Spanish Superliga.

The club is known for its cantera policy of bringing young Basque players through the ranks, as well as recruiting top Basque players from other clubs (like Joseba Etxeberria or Javi Martínez). Athletic official policy is signing professional players native to the greater Basque Country, including Biscay, Guipúzcoa, Álava and Navarre (in Spain); and Labourd, Soule and Lower Navarre (in France). Still, in recent times, this policy has been somewhat relaxed and players with direct Basque ancestry or with no Basque ancestry but formed in Basque clubs have played for the team. This has gained Athletic both admirers and critics. The club has been praised for promoting home grown players and club loyalty. Athletic is one of only four professional clubs in Spain (the others being Real Madrid, Barcelona and Osasuna) that is not a sports corporation; the club is owned and operated by its associates (socios).

In recent seasons Athletic Bilbao have languished in mid-table and the club was embroiled in a relegation battle during the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 seasons. In 2006 top-flight survival was ensured on the 37th match day when Deportivo de la Coruña were beaten at Riazor 2–1. Javier Clemente began his third spell as club coach in 2005, at a time when the club were last in the table. He is widely acknowledged to have brought defensive stability to the team, and so is also credited with having saved the club from relegation, despite this he was not left in charge for the 2006–2007 season. The 2006–2007 season has been the worst in the club’s history, top-flight survival was ensured on the last match day when Levante were beaten at San Mamés 2–0. In December 2008 Spanish media claimed that this match had been fixed and that some of Levante UD players accepted a bribe from the Basque club. Despite the lack of on-field success, a majority of the club’s supporters think the club’s identity is more important than winning trophies. According to an El Mundo survey in the 1990s, 76% of Athletic fans would rather see the club relegated than give up the cantera policy. The most successful Athletic team of recent times has been the women’s football team who have won the Superliga Femenina four times between 2003 and 2007.

Athletic also fielded a black player (Jonás Ramalho) for the first time in their history in 2009. It should be noted that this situation was not a result of any previous official all-white rule at the club but more a consequence of the Basque/Cantera policy – immigration to the Bilbao area from without Europe was fairly uncommon until the 1990s, so there were few local footballers from ethnic minorities who could have played for Athletic in that time. Today in addition to Ramalho the club has several other promising players of various other ethnic origins in their (consistently successful) youth teams, which says more of the applaudable aspect of the club’s policy as supporting local young players, as opposed to the more questionable angle of their employment of only ‘Basque’ players at the exclusion of all others.

Key History
La Liga: 8 (Last in 1984)
Copa del Rey: 23 (Last in 2008)
Supacopa de Espana: 1 (1984)

San Mamés
Estadio San Mamés, AKA La Catedral (The Cathedral), is the home of Athletic Bilbao, known as “Los leones de San Mamés-Bilboko leoiak” (The lions of San Mamés). They are known as Los leones because their stadium was built near a church called San Mamés (Saint Mammes). Mammes was an early Christian thrown to the lions by the Romans. The lions refused to eat Mammes and he was later made a saint.

Opened in 1913, it is Spain’s oldest built stadium (the oldest playing field being El Molinon), a distinction that together with its religious heritage has granted it the nickname, la Catedral (the Cathedral). San Mamés can seat almost forty thousand people and is renowned for the unique and boisterous atmosphere its crowds of devoted and loyal fans create on match-days.

The club has unveiled plans for a new stadium. From the 2014/2015 season, Athletic will play in the San Mamés Barria, a 53,000 capacity, UEFA 5-star stadium, built at a cost of 160 million euros. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2010, and when it is three quarters completed, Athletic Club will move into their new home and the original San Mamés will be demolished.

CHALLENGE DYNAMICS

-This challenge will last for five seasons and once this period is completed no more points may be scored.

-You must manage Athletic Club Bilbao and no other team.

-You must start set your manager experience as “Automatic”.

-You have until the 11.59pm on 22th August 2010 to post your proof and accumulate as many points as you can.

-If you are sacked then the challenge is over and any points you have accumulated to date in this challenge will be your total.

HOW TO SCORE POINTS

LA LIGA
Relegation – 25 points
15th and below – 1 point
14th – 2 points
13th – 3 points
12th – 4 points
11th – 5 points
10th – 6 points
9th – 7 points
8th – 8 points
7th – 9 points
6th – 10 points
5th – 15 points
4th – 20 points
3rd – 30 points
2nd – 50 points
Win La Liga Title – 75points

LIGA ADELANTE
Relegation – -10 points
14th and below – 1 point
13th – 2 points
12th – 3 points
11th – 4 points
10th – 5 points
9th – 6 points
8th – 7 points
7th – 8 points
6th – 9 points
5th – 10 points
4th – 12 points
3rd – 15 points
2nd (Promotion) – 30 points
Win the Promotion Playoff game – 20 points
Win Liga adelante title – 40 points

LIGA 2DB
Relegation – -25 points
Survival – 0 points
7th – 1 points
6th – 2 points
5th – 3 points
4th – 4 points
3rd – 5 points
2nd – 15 points
1st – 20 points
Promotion – 25 points

SPANISH CUP
4th Round Win – 1 point
5th Round Win – 5 points
Quarter Final Win – 6 points
Semi Final Win – 8 points
Winner – 20 points

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Qualify for Groups – 2 points
Qualify from Groups – 5 points
Win in 1st Knockout – 10 points
Win in 2nd Knockout – 15 points
Win in Quarter Final – 20 points
Win in Semi Final – 50 points
Winner – 100 points

EUROPA LEAGUE
Qualify for Groups – 2 points
Qualify from Groups – 5 points
Win in 1st Knockout – 10 points
Win in 2nd Knockout – 15 points
Win in Quarter Final – 20 points
Win in Semi Final – 35 points
Winner – 75 points

RIVALS
Beat Osasuna – 5 points (Every time you do it in a competitive fixture)
Beat R. Sociedad – 3 points (Every time you do it in a competitive fixture)
Beat Barcelona – 3 points (Every time you do it in a competitive fixture)
Beat R. Madrid – 3 points (Every time you do it in a competitive fixture)

FIVE YEAR ONE OFF ACHIEVEMENTS BONUSES
Increase bank balance to £40m – 20 points
Increase bank balance to £60m – 40 points
Sell a Regen from your youth team for £5m + – 30 points

POINT DEDUCTIONS
Sacked – -25 points

So there you have it. The challenge is to make this proud Basque club as successful as possible during your 5 year stay. Can you turn them into contenders or will you forge a path in other competitions? The choice of path is yours. Hoping to see some cool Current Game threads with the challenge and post any screenshots as proof of point earnings here as replies to this thread – Good Luck!

Join the tour here: http://forum.fm-view.com/topic/12059-athletic-club-bilbao/page__view__findpost__p__278243

Haris Vučkić – the undiscovered NUFC talent.

Some of you might already know him, and know the Slovenian Haris Vučkić is a real talent in the beautiful game of Football Manager 2010. With the right training and enough match experience in his early years (I would recommend to loan him for the first season, maybe two), you can turn this attacking midfielder/ centre forward in to one of the biggest talents in England! When you take a look at the screenshot taken in December 2009 below, you see that his attributes doesn’t look that promising, but appearances are deceptive.

7 years older, in the year of 2016, Vučkić doesn’t look like the Vučkić we knew from 7 years back. In the game where this screenshot has been taken, I wasn’t managing Newcastle, so he could’ve been even better!
Over these 7 years, you see that Vučkić has grown a lot in all 3 sorts of attributes. Technically, mentally and physically Vučkić has now grown out to be a “good signing for most Premier League sides”. And in this 2016 screenshot below, he is only 23 years old, which means he will still grow!

Best Position:
Vučkić’s best position would be AMC (= attacking midfielder central), although you will probably all know what AMC means. Vučkić is a perfect ‘number 10’ just behind the striker(s), with his perfect 16 at passing and his 17 at technique he fits in that position perfectly! As I said, AMC is the best position for Vučkić, but he can play in many positions like: ST, AML and MC. In those positions he can certainly be of some value for your team, but these aren’t his best positions. You can of course try to train him in to one of those positions as his ‘Natural’ position, looking at his age, it’s very possible you would succeed.

So, would he come?
In the game, Vučkić is regarded as a big talent for Newcastle. So it’s not very likely they will sell him to you, unless of course you offer a large sum of money. 4.8 million in your first season would probably do. When it comes to wages, Vučkić is a very cheap player. He will probably sign for wages around £ 900/1000 a week, and is even interested in signing for clubs like Leeds United (with all respect, of course).

In real life.
Vučkić is one of the Newcastle United talents who is likely to ‘break through’ this season. Where his long awaited break through was originally planned in last years season, it was suspended because of knee and ankle problems in early October, which sidelined him for long then first expected. Vučkić was out for about 6 or 7 months. He made his return with the reserves at April 20, where he immediately scored 2 goals. Vučkić scored his first senior goal on the very first friendly of the season against Carlisle United in a 3-0 win. Watch out for him this season!

Rating.
7.5/10 – As a Newcastle United supporter, I always follow the progress of Vučkić in Football Manager closely. And I think you can, as I said above – with the right training and match experience turn Vučkić in to one of the best players in the Premier League.

As someone who has preferred to play as modest teams more often than not in my 12+ years of playing football management simulations, I have developed into quite a defensive player. I like my teams to be compact, organized, possession orientated, and difficult to break down above all else. Just as can be said in real life, if the team isn’t one of the better ones in the division, you have much more chance of preventing the opposition from scoring than you have of scoring yourself, so this can be and often is the platform for their results. To be boring but effective is ultimately what the cautious manager sets out to achieve. Of course, it is possible to play defensive football on a large pitch in FM, but this requires ever more emphasis on team structure and sitting back, as well as making direct passing a necessity. In conclusion, it should be remembered that defensive football can be effective for top sides, as well as less reputable ones.

There are two different approaches with home fixtures in mind:

Minimum allowed
I believe this is beneficial and important for a player who advocates a defensive mindset combined with possession orientated football going forward. A bigger pitch will not only compromise your intentions to make your side difficult to beat while playing this way, but it will also benefit stronger teams that are able to make better use of the extra space than you are.

Maximum allowed
I’m of the view that a large pitch should be chosen if the following cases apply: A) My squad is generally poor on the ball to the point of not feeling assured about the chances of them being able to retain and recycle possession effectively on a small pitch. B) I have a big targetman capable of coming out on top, pun very much intended, in physical battles with opposition central defenders. I also have wingers who are reasonably quick for the level they’re playing at, or they are uncharacteristically good in the air. C) My central defenders possess at least average speed in proportion to the attackers in their division (due to the increased vulnerability to route one balls).

On a larger pitch, I’d say it’s important to be even more meticulous about maintaining team shape. This is because it is easier for defending players to be pulled out of position, as well as the fact that good players are more comfortable when they have more space and time on the ball.

Personally, I prefer formations with just the one forward. Of course, this is to allow for the benefit of having one extra player defending and supporting. A formation need not be chosen and set in stone, although my favourite whenever possible is a standard 4-5-1 in the TC (DMC, 2 MCs and 2 advanced wingers). When choosing a formation based on the opposition, I try to adhere to the rule of having 1 extra player dealing with their attacks. A classic example of this is 4-5-1 vs 4-4-2.

Small pitch:
Home: Rigid – Rigid vs all.
Away: Rigid/Very Rigid – Rigid vs weaker teams-similar strength teams. Very rigid vs strong teams.

Large pitch:
Home: Rigid/Very rigid – Rigid vs weaker teams. Very rigid vs similar strength-stronger teams.
Away: Very rigid vs all.

The logic? I don’t want to compromise defensive stability in favour of smoother transitional play when building team moves. As a defensive manager, stability and resilience always take priority. This policy is even more essential on a larger pitch.

It is difficult to set general rules and principles here. I go by the rule that initial passing should be short on a small pitch, and more direct on a larger pitch. However, passing is something that one needs to monitor constantly over the course of a match. I don’t believe it is merely a co-incidence that no fewer than 10 of the touchline instructions/shouts alter your team’s passing either as a main change, or a minor one alongside something else. Needless to say, you gain the most insight from what you see (extended highlights always gives you plenty of clues), but the match stats also help a lot. If playing direct on a larger pitch, I feel that 45% passing completion is fine all things considered; it may even be very good if your opposition are themselves playing a short passing game, thus inflating their stat and deflating that of my team’s. However, if you’re trying to execute a short passing game and the stats are going that far against you, it is clear that your team is being outplayed and are struggling to construct moves for one reason or another. Alternatively, if passing completion is in excess of 60% while playing a shorter passing game, I feel it’s worth considering usage of a control match strategy if you’re not already, as well as the Get Ball Forward shout (increase in passing length). Another option when dominating possession is to encourage through balls by using the Pass Into Space shout. In a nut shell, if I have plenty of possession yet am not winning the game, the goal should be to get the team to do more with the ball than they are. If a team move of 20+ passes doesn’t come close to creating a chance, it is blatant that the passing game is not penetrating enough.

Small pitch:
Home: Default/More Disciplined – Default vs weaker-similar strength teams. More disciplined vs stronger teams.
Away: More Disciplined vs all.

Large pitch:
Home: Default/More Disciplined – Default vs weaker teams. More disciplined vs similar strength-stronger teams.
Away: More Disciplined vs all.

When playing away, I prefer my team to retain discipline no matter what. At home and on a smaller pitch, I am more open to allowing players some freedom to deviate slightly from tactical instructions since the consequences for doing so seem much less dangerous than on a larger pitch.

Small pitch:
Home: Stand-Off/Default – Default vs similar strength-stronger teams. Stand-off vs weaker teams.
Away: Stand-Off/Default – Default against weaker-similar strength teams. Stand-off against stronger teams.

Large pitch:
Home: Stand-Off/Default – Default vs weaker teams. Stand-Off vs similar strength-stronger teams.
Away: Stand-Off vs all.

Conflicting principles here. At home on a small pitch, I actually prefer higher levels of closing down against similar strength-stronger sides (a la’ defending from the front), despite the fact that higher closing down is preferred by most FM players only when attacking, yet this guide is supposed to be concerned more with defending. However, this is to achieve the aim of disrupting the opposition. They will already struggle a little to get their passing game going due to playing away from home, let alone when being restricted further by being closed down quite avidly on a pitch where they already have limited space due to its compact dimensions. In contrast, against weaker teams playing away against me, I prefer to be as inviting as possible with low levels of closing down. This helps entice them forward, which then leaves the space to be exploited that may otherwise be hard to come by. Away from home, I have the opposite preference. I seek to deny space against weaker-similar strength teams, because they will be attacking as the home team and won’t need inviting like they do when playing on my patch. Then, I give respect to the stronger teams and feel that less closing down / more emphasis on keeping shape is a better strategy when playing them away. After all, this case entails being an underdog going into the lion’s den!

On a larger pitch, I very rarely advocate high levels of closing down regardless of the strength of the opposition. This is due to the ease in which players may be dragged around the pitch, thus creating far more space than if this happens on a small one. Low levels of closing down tend to be very important for a team looking to keep its defensive shape on a large pitch. Only at home against weaker sides am I open to moderate levels of closing down. I do not believe in inviting a weak team forward like on the small pitch. This is purely down to how they are not able to be as compact when parking the bus here, so the space to attack them is much less elusive and I’ve no reason to be counter-attacking for this reason. Therefore, better to hassle them and attempt to get the ball back sooner.

Small/Large pitch:
Home: Default/More Aggressive – Default vs weaker-similar strength teams. More aggressive vs stronger teams.
Away: More Aggressive vs all.

At home, I prefer to invite the weaker teams to make mistakes that I can punish them for, but this aim can be compromised with a physical approach which breaks up play too soon. Against the stronger sides, I like be as physical as possible since I’d rather focus more on keeping them at bay, as opposed to seeking to counter their much more dangerous attacks. Away from home, I feel that aggressive tackling is important whether your team is seeking to deny space, sitting back and being resilient, or trying to play on the counter. After all, the home team will be throwing plenty of players forward. Even if you break up the play early with stern challenges, there is always going to be space to be found on the break.

Small/Large pitch:
Home: Zonal/Default/Man Marking – Zonal vs weaker teams. Default vs similar strength teams. Man marking vs strong teams.
Away: Man Marking vs all.

I believe man marking to be generally superior defensively, but again, I adjust marking according to my rule of how inviting I want to be. Instead of acknowledging the definitions here, I think of it as “how much space do I want to allow?” with looser/zonal marking being the most lenient, and man marking as the most restrictive. If I want to invite a team to attack with a view to hitting them on the break, I feel it’s counter-productive to man mark since this seems to lead to the breaking up of attacks much earlier.

Small/Large pitch:
Home: Float crosses/Drill Crosses – Float Crosses only if attacking, as well as fortunate enough to possess good wingers *and* having a forward who’s very good in the air. Drill Crosses in all other scenarios.
Away: Drill Crosses vs all.

Float crosses allow for emphasis on the quality of crosses if attacking, but why bother if A) You don’t have a top class winger for your division & B) Don’t have a top class forward to get on the end of the cross? Drill crosses can be very effective on the counter, which may be as good as you can hope for. Away from home, I always go for drill crosses since I’m of the opinion that flows better when hitting teams on the break. i.e. Getting it forward and then into the box ASAP, in the hope that someone finds the space to get on the end of it.

Small/Large pitch:
Home: Default/Stick To Position – Default vs weaker-similar strength teams. Stick To Position vs strong teams.
Away: Stick To Position vs all.

I only ever go for a standard freedom to roam at home if I believe that I am able to see much more of the ball and should make more chances, or else the allocation of free roles gives the other team too much space to counter-attack. Against teams who will look to attack me, I much rather players to remain as organized as possible. Away from home, the emphasis is always on players sticking to their instructions.

So, there you have it. I feel the need to reiterate that the aforementioned are but opinions and personal preferences. I feel that they work very well for me. If you have found this at all helpful or the slightest bit thought provoking, I’m glad. If not, and you have very different views or counter-theories, I’m sure that would make for some good discussion and/or debate. I tried to condense it as much as possible in the hope of preventing it from being a dull wall of text. Thanks for reading!