A thrilling continuation of the season – Bundesliga | Hamburger SV
The Bundesliga is a competition where Bayern Munich wins it almost every year.
So I would describe this season where I recorded more losses than wins.
It is acceptable, if we consider the fact that I took Hamburger after the first part of the season. It takes time for big changes.
That’s why I used the rest of the season to get to know the team in order to find the cause of the problem – 14th place in the table.
If you missed the beginning of the story, these are the links:
As you see the result is the following: 9 wins and 3 draw – 7 defeats.
I’m not counting friendly matches because they were “First Aid” in the selection of the top 11.
At the beginning, I had three tough matches and a few days to prepare.
26/1/2020 Wolfsburg 4-2 (H)
29/1/2020 Schalke 0-2 (A)
01/2/2020 Borussia Dortmund 5-3 (H)
Honestly speaking, this was a serious test which I successfully passed. But…
How to play against strong teams?
I’ll try to explain my system. The most important step is choosing the best 11 in the club.
It doesn’t mean that each of them must have a squad status “first team” or “key player”. – No! Let the ideal combination is a blend of youth and experience.
After that, I form 2 teams (A and B). The first team is for more difficult tasks (1-6 place in the table) and the other for easier opponents (the last 3 teams).
On the other hand, there is a “rotation system”, which is in charge for the golden middle.
It means that the players of both teams must provide help when we have 2 or more matches during one week.
Then I use a popular lightweight training regimen to have restful players.
The final step is tactics. Attention is focused on the ideal positions of key players.
Then I ask myself the question – Does Hamburger SV have the potential for the upper/lower part of the table in the Bundesliga?
So to answer this question solves the dilemma about the choice of formation.
Of course, there are some other things that can be helpful.
For example, playing a home match is a huge advantage because you have a twelfth player.
It’s a great opportunity to attack your opponent with all your forces.
Wins against Wolfsburg (4-2) and Borussia Dortmund (5-3) I couldn’t achieve without the risk and attacking style of play! But you need to know how.
Playing 45 min “attacking with defensive line higher” isn’t a solution.
However, don’t forget that scout report or data analyst means a lot …
Which match was difficult to watch?
It is a defeat by VfB Stuttgart 0-4 on the away match.
Before that, I won 5-2 FC Porto (H). But what happened? The key players were injured in the team!
Then I was forced to give an opportunity to young players.
Ending up in a draw has become the primary goal while minimal defeat was an acceptable result.
However, I slipped my mind that Hamburger was located in the lower part of the table and that any defeat further aggravates morale in the team.
Recovery followed, but a lot of points went down the river. I wanted the 8th place and ended up at the 10th in the Bundesliga.
All in all, I am satisfied with success at the end of the season. It was an exciting adventure.
Top 5 players
I have a lot of quality players in the team, and these are the top five:
- Walace (CM) – Ball Winning Midfielder
- Yerry Mina (CD) – Central Defender
- Lewis Holtby (AMC) – Advanced Playmaker
- Nicolai Muller (MR) – Winger
- Amath N’Diaye (STC) – Poacher
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- Walace
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- Yerry Mina
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- Lewis Holtby
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- Nicolai Müller
I have to point out that certain training tasks have enabled their “FM talent” to come to the forefront.
However, some players will leave the club because I am preparing big surprises for the next season.
How to win the Bundesliga?
Chances are minimal when you know that Bayern Munich is the favorite. Robert Lewandowski easily punishes opponents mistakes and situations 1 to 1 – even easier.
I think it’s smarter to focus attention to the Cup and to target a place that leads to the Europa League in the Bundesliga. It’s a reality at this moment.
The next season, I’ll start rebuilding the team. I’ll bring the right reinforcements to the club, but I’ll keep an eye on the money.
Why should I pay € 50M and more when we know that his ambitions are trophies and Champions League?
It is more challenging to create such a player and earn that amount on the transfer.
On the other hand, the player I brought this season, Salih Ozcan, shows quality on the pitch. But … He’s not ready for big matches. Given that he has only 23, his time is coming.
Tactics
This time, I decided on 4-2-3-1 Wide, 3-4-1-2 and 4-1-4-1.
There was not much time for “tactic familiarity levels” but one thing is for sure – I made a good choice.
I noticed that my players create good chances in every match, but finishing is bad. That’s why reinforcements are needed …
That’s it. I know I have no right to a mistake and that every risky move can make a bad atmosphere in the team.
Hamburger will be much stronger next season, and 14th place is ugly past.
The question is how to stop Bayern Munich?
I think that a victory on their pitch will be a good sign. Thank you for your attention and time.
Author: Alen Stefanovic Game: Football Manager 2017
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