Rising from the Ashes – Partizan’s Journey to Redemption!
It’s been over a year since I last delved into Football Manager, but the time has come to continue my FM narrative about my beloved club.
Partizan finds itself in a precarious financial situation.
There are staffing challenges and a hint of animosity between the fans and the club’s management, a reaction only to be expected given the on-field results.
My mission is to reach the heights achieved in FM 2021 when I orchestrated transfers exceeding €50M.
The path ahead won’t be easy, but the challenge is set, and I’m ready to steer Partizan back to glory!
Red Star vs Partizan
I must admit that our fierce rival, Red Star, has achieved remarkable results both in the domestic league and on the European stage.
It can’t be said that they’re thriving financially, but organizationally and in terms of personnel, they are in a much better state than Partizan.
When it comes to the derby, I can confidently say that they are the favorites on paper, and this trend is likely to continue for the next two seasons, as I will provide young players with the opportunity to shine.
Before we delve further, I suggest you watch the video below, showcasing how Partizan’s fans create an incredible atmosphere at a basketball match …
Unveiling a Plan for Partizan’s Resurgence
Young talents will be given the chance in the first team, but I am counting on a significant outgoing transfer around €10M + to secure financial stability for the club in the short term.
Players with the potential for such a move include: Samed Bazdar (ST), Nikola Terzic (AMR), and Nemanja Jovic (AML).
Partizan is currently burdened with a €40M debt while operating on a €15M budget for this season.
With a mere €1.5M available for player transfers, I’ll leave this fund aside.
If I manage to play a minimum of 5 seasons with my favorite club, the primary aim is to have EUR 50-100M in the account!
Achieving this is impossible without participating in the Champions League, and currently, success means clinching a spot that leads to the (UEFA) Conference League.
I have to be realistic and admit that Partizan doesn’t possess the quality required for Europe’s most elite competition.
However, the board holds ambitious aspirations …
Staff Members
The first task at hand is to surround yourself with “people smarter than you” in your new FM save.
Unfortunately, without stable finances and decent salaries, achieving this can be difficult.
I employed various FM negotiation tricks: favorite club, offering 3-4 year contracts, and including bonuses for success in specific competitions.
Regrettably, I couldn’t secure crucial staff members due to salary constraints.
Compromises must be made, and careful consideration is needed when selecting options like “Mutual Termination” or “Terminate Contract”.
The question then arises – what’s next? Finding quality coaches and scouts isn’t a simple task …
Tactics
During the tactical selection process, I recalled an interview with Siniša Mihajlović from his time as the Serbian national team coach.
The journalist asked the following: “Mr. Mihajlović, why didn’t you use the XYZ system instead of ZYX?”
He simply smiled and responded: ” It’s not about whether we’ll play with two or three forwards, but rather about having players in the squad who can fit into such a system.”
I found myself asking the same question while looking at Partizan’s starting eleven.
Carefully, I examined their attributes, primary positions, past season injuries, international experience, height/weight, player preferred moves, and some insights into their “form” over the recent seasons (whether they were benched or actively involved in the team).
Can chosen players perform in a 3-4-3 Formation? – Certainly!
Is it wise? – No!
It demands fast players, quick transition, and high pressing, carrying certain risks.
Examining player attributes like pace, stamina, first touch, agility, and passing reveals our current shortcomings.
What’s the solution?
A classic 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 Wide formation as a backup.
In defensive and/or midfield-focused scenarios, the answer lies in 5-2-1-2 WB.
There can’t be much space between defense-midfield-attack! I want short and quick passes and readiness for counter-attacks.
That’s why it’s crucial for players to stay on their half when defending, avoiding constant pressing as we lack the stamina for it throughout the full 90 minutes.
An additional option is the “Pass into Space” …
Season One Triumphs: A Glimpse of Progress!
At the beginning of the season, I had 5 friendly matches that helped me make decisions about the starting 11 players throughout the season.
Disciplinary measures were set very high as criteria for evaluating their performance, given their solid contracts.
It’s worth noting that staff members arranged friendly matches (Staff → Responsibilities → Match) for me to take the reins during the ‘winter break’.
I carefully selected opponents and awaited the match against Ajax with great anticipation.
We lost 1-3 as visitors, but I saw many positive aspects concerning our young players.
Europa Conference League
We tried to qualify for the Europa League but ended up securing a spot in the Europa Conference League.
Our fellow contenders included Hapoel Be’er-Sheva, Omonia, and CSKA Sofia – formidable opponents indeed.
Against the odds, we navigated our way through the group stage, only to face Antwerp in the next phase.
Realism dictated that our chances of progressing were slim, yet we decided to treat the fans to a footballing spectacle: an enthralling 5-6 away match followed by a closely fought 2-3 home encounter!
Despite the losses, I was still enjoying playing FM 2023 at that moment …
SuperLeague
When it comes to the domestic league, the SuperLeague, Red Star clinched the title.
I experimented a lot throughout the season, which means a lot of risks and poor results on the pitch.
Partizan secured 76 points – 22 wins, 10 draws, and 5 losses. There are more reasons for satisfaction than sadness, as the fun is just beginning.
Patience is crucial when dealing with young players, in order to have a cohesive team in a season or two.
I noticed a high number of mistakes in midfield, which is unacceptable (losing aerial duels easily and having poor passing accuracy).
Ricardo Gomes is a goal machine, while Samed Bazdar left a positive impact on me.
The defense is solid, but reinforcements are necessary.
What annoys me the most is when a defensive player steps up and sends a long ball to the attacker, leading to an opponent’s counter-attack and a conceded goal.
However, this can be resolved with the help of tactics and player preferred moves.
Serbian Cup
I dedicated full attention to this competition, as through the national cup, we can secure European matches for the upcoming season.
The challenge lies in the packed weekly schedule and the occasionally tough opponents, making it impossible to field the strongest team every time.
Injuries present a separate issue, and if key players are sidelined for 3-4 weeks, I face a serious problem!
Thus, having a higher number of physios and specialists for swift player recovery is invaluable.
We clinched the Serbian Cup this season, a great achievement given the overall club circumstances.
Anticipating the Upcoming Season?
The Red Star Dominance will persist, but Partizan is set to grow stronger than ever!
My personal goal is to remain Partizan’s manager and establish a reputation among the players.
However, achieving this hinges on both on-field results and stable finances.
Ahead lies a period when foreign clubs will begin pursuing our young gems, sending tempting offers that could easily be accepted by the club’s management without consulting me as the manager.
On the flip side, declining such offers leads to player dissatisfaction!
Their rationale often revolves around the desire for further advancement, a stronger league, and better financial conditions.
When I say, “It’s not possible or not the right time,” the entire locker room jumps in, exerting pressure … which is why I like FM 2023.
By the way, I’ve been immersed in this FM save with Partizan for a long time, so there are plenty of intriguing FM stories to come.
Why Have I Not Been Active on FM Shot?
For over a year, I’ve been engrossed in a project aimed at elevating my dog breeding kennel’s operations (search for “Sarplaninac FCI 4302”).
I intended to offer internet users a fresh array of content on the website. I wrote around 90 articles and added 1678 products.
This is the main reason I haven’t been active on FM Shot.
In the meantime, there has been a significant drop in visits to this site, which is entirely expected. Expectations were high for new adventures, guides, and more …
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to those visitors who made product purchases, bolstering FM Shot (be it headphones priced at £3.99 or a laptop valued at £600).
One visitor’s purchase of a £295 refrigerator brought a smile to my face – a reminder that I’ve yet to carve out a space for them in the “Store” section. This purchase could have been done “without a middleman” (directly on Amazon) … So a big thanks!
Thank you all for taking the time to read one of my articles! If you’ve found any useful information in them, it brings me a lot of joy …
Author: Alen Stefanovic Game: Football Manager 2023
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