Introduction
Maurizio Sarri has returned to Serie A after just one year in the Premier League. He takes charge of Juventus, who relieved Massimiliano Allegri of his duties. Sarri has said some unsavory things about Juve during his time at Napoli, but he now finds himself leading the 8-time defending champions. He is notorious for his style of play, dubbed “Sarriball”. The biggest question now becomes how will Juventus adapt to his style of play? What players may need to leave, and who could be brought in to support Sarri’s style? That’s the focus of this analysis today, to assess just how “Sarriball” might work (or if changes should be made) for the reigning champions.
Tactical Styles and Adjustments
Sarri’s Tactics (Chelsea and Napoli)
It’s important to see what “Sarriball” is and how it’s worked before diving into any predictions. I would recommend watching these Tifo Football videos from his
Chelsea and
Napoli sides as a really good look into his tactical system. However, I can give a decent summary with both this depth chart and tactical analysis below.
https://preview.redd.it/dk7xb0zzk8631.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=2fd5efd197c492292cbe2d073ca3791baad9d78e
https://preview.redd.it/yi3ak1y1l8631.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=b4365a05b35a61fa9b1688378a641a80c181abb5
Sarri’s 4-3-3 features a midfield three of two central midfielders and a defensive midfielder. The left-sided central midfielder (one of Marek Hamsik, Piotr Zielinski, Ross Barkley, or Mateo Kovacic) usually operates more offensively than the right-sided one (Allan or N’golo Kanté), who operates from box-to-box. The defensive midfielder (Jorginho for both sides) looks to act as a bridge between the build-up play of defenders (Kalidou Koulibaly as the strongest example of this) and the midfield.
The goalkeeper needs to be strong on the ball and work with the central defenders in the build-up. The central defenders need to be particularly strong carrying the ball forward, making passes through the midfield, and provide an option for the defensive midfield. The fullbacks must provide options for the central midfielders and wingers and work in a triangle in the opponent’s half of the pitch. Generally, the left-sided winger will operate more as an inside forward who will look to cut inside and play off of the central striker (Lorenzo Insigne and Eden Hazard being perfectly suited for the offensive portion of this role). The right-sided winger drops off a bit more and plays a bit wider. This works the same for the fullbacks, as the left back tends to advance further forward than the right back (Emerson/Marcos Alonso get further forward than Azpilicueta).
The sole striker will need to drop off to support the midfield’s vertical build-up, but also be the focal point of getting shots off. Movement and awareness is an absolute requisite for this position. This is part of the reason that Chelsea struggled to adapt to Sarri’s style, given that their striker’s were poor in at least one of those area’s. While Dries Mertens’s speed, movement, build-up play, and generally good finishing made him an ideal candidate for the striker role, the same can’t be said for any of Chelsea’s strikers. Alvaro Morata’s poor movement in the attacking third and often times abysmal finishing saw him fall out of favor, Olivier Giroud’s slow pace meant that even his great build-up play and precise movement meant he couldn’t work well as a sole striker, and Gonzalo Higuain, who previously flourished under Sarri, lacked the clinical finishing that supplemented his movement. Sarri was sometimes even forced to use Hazard in the striker position. As you can see from this table, Chelsea’s strikers struggled to replicate Mertens’s form
I've talked previously about the lack of precision in Expected Goals and Assists, but here it shows Mertens's solid finishing and chance creation compared to the Chelsea Strikers.
One of the more damning stats is that even with more minutes than all of the Chelsea forwards, Mertens was caught offsides almost three times less (13) than the forwards listed (37). It shows just how unsuited Chelsea’s strikers were to Sarri’s system (or in Higuaín’s case, how much he has regressed).
The reason for Sarri’s struggles could also be down to the style of play between the two leagues. Many people criticized Sarri for his style of play, saying it could never work in the Premier League. They may not be wrong on that account, seeing as though there is in general style of play difference amongst the two leagues. This is highlighted by
this article from Opta. Although it focuses on the Eredivisie, there are interesting insights for the two leagues we want to focus on. It shows how the Premier League defends more compactly within their own box and attacks more directly in the opponent’s half. This is compared with the Serie A which has lots of build-up play in the center (with a bigger focus on left-sided attacks vs. right-sided attacks) and a higher defensively line. Sarri’s style of build-up play perhaps wasn’t as effective against sides holding very deep, nor was his defensive high-line ideal against a more direct style of attack (
Tifo has an entire video dedicated to this as well).
Allegri’s Tactics
It’s also important to take a look at how Juventus faired under Allegri, and the comparisons that can be made to Sarri’s style. The biggest difficulty with that is simply that Allegri doesn’t really favor a single system. He is renowned for changing styles between matches to foster rotation amongst his versatile players. This within itself will be difficult for Sarri at Juventus, to get them to focus on a single style. On the positive side, Allegri did seem to use a 4-3-3 some of the time. As a bonus, Juventus had more opportunities and shot more from the left side than from the right. Pretty similar to Sarri’s style. The biggest issue comes with defensive styles. Sarri favors high presses to either win the ball back quickly or force teams to clear the ball. Allegri’s Juventus do not press aggressively, looking more for interceptions at the right moment.
What needs to Change?
Obviously, the defensive style will need an overhaul. There is a silver lining for Sarri, in that Juventus usually finds themselves in the opponent’s half more often than Chelsea did last year. In fact, a defensive comparison shows that Juventus actually defended more actively than Chelsea did last year.
The difference in tackles and interceptions are notable for the type of pressing style, but the lower number of blocks showed how little Juventus were under pressure.
While this isn’t too reflective of the pressing styles, it does show that Sarri will have less to worry about in enforcing his defensive style. Having a more dominant team that can control possession more effectively should support any initial defensive shortcomings. Outside of that, getting the team to buy into one system may prove to be a challenge, even with the versatility at Sarri’s disposal. The biggest thing going for Sarri is that he is back in the Serie A, which will make his style of play more effective.
Individual Players
With the tactics and changes lined-up, let’s look at the players Juventus have and see where they could fit in the squad.
The Ronaldo Factor
Sarri has had world-class talent at his disposal (Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, Kalidou Koulibaly, etc.), but at Juventus, he gets a shot at Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star is in the twilight of his career, but you couldn’t tell by looking at his stats or his physique. Having previously solely operating on the left wing, Ronaldo has been frequently deployed at the striker position. His aerial prowess and technical ability have translated solidly to a new league. The question now becomes, how will he perform under Sarri? Theoretically, Ronaldo should be a perfect fit for this system, given his incredible off-the-ball movement and willingness to drop deeper and receive the ball. He should be perfect to build off from if you are one of his wingers. The problem could be in the pressing style. While Ronaldo is again a great physical specimen, he is still aging, and may not respond as well to such an aggressive defensive style. He may need more frequent rest than he is accustomed to. Ronaldo could once again become an option on the left wing if Sarri elects to, given Ronaldo’s prowess there as well (and potential lack at the left wing position, as I will dive into later). Using him as an inside forward who is also a direct outlet could be an interesting choice for Sarri. Wherever he elects to play him, Sarri must utilize the aging Ronaldo accordingly to maximize his world-class ability.
No Jorginho? No Problem
Sarri is well known for his preference of Jorginho as his number six, with the Italian International transferring alongside Sarri to Chelsea. However, it is very unlikely that the Chelsea midfielder will elect to go to Juventus (and that’s not to say Chelsea would sell him cheaply either). However, there is not a need for concern. Miralem Pjanic represents an excellent emulator (perhaps even successor) of the Italian International. While the Bosnian is usually placed within a flat midfield three, he tends to play the furthest back, almost operating in the defensive midfield role. He has had two german midfield partners who have shouldered the defensive portion of the task (Emre Can last season, and Sami Khedira in seasons previous), and Blaise Matuidi also tends to play a defensive-minded role. This is shown in the statistics, where Jorginho blows Pjanic away in about every defensive category (even in per 90 stats, so the difference in minutes are accounted for). But still, there are incredible signs for the two in terms of the passing side of the role.
Again, xG Buildup is only there to be a bit more fair to Jorghino's involvement, but still shouldn't be taken as too precise.
Yes, both operated in different roles in different positions, so perhaps early comparisons are a bit short-sited. But the lack of passing depth from the aforementioned german midfielders makes Pjanic the best candidate for the job. Plus, his set-piece prowess should make his prospects look even better. I’d look for the Bosnian midfielder to be a mainstay in Sarri’s side.
Does Dybala Work?
Transfer rumors are always going to be deceptive and usually untrue. However, given that this post is a prediction for the future, some inferences are going to have to be made, even with all of the noise of the tabloids. One of the players rumored to leave is João Cancelo. There is a very high chance he will leave to Manchester City, so we’ll get to filling the right back role in short time. But what about Paulo Dybala? He’s been linked to a few teams, but why would Juventus want to sell their number 10, especially at such a prime age? Well, the first issue is the number 10. Not the jersey, but in a general sense he does not positionally seem to be suited to Sarri’s style.
If he were to be played as the right wing, there would be issues with him being predominantly left-footed. Dybala tends to cut inside and push higher up the pitch, which would be great if he were right-footed and played on the left wing. He also featured a lot at attacking mid, but that position simply doesn’t exist within Sarri’s system. The best he could do would be the most advanced of the three midfielders, on the left side.
Perhaps his best position would be as the central striker. He played there a few times last season, but almost always featured there during his first season at Juventus and his time at Palermo. He does have the qualities of a good Sarri striker, with quick movement and good technical ability to work with the wings. However, that would mean pushing Ronaldo to the left wing, which may not be in the team’s best interests. It’s a puzzling situation that may convince Juventus to potentially try him out in the market.
Filling Out the Rest
What about the rest of the squad? How will they work within Sarri’s system? Who will need to go and who will slot right in? Let’s go position by position and assess the rest of the squad.
- Goalkeeper will probably still be in the hands of Wojiech Szczesny, although Sarri may want to experiment between him and Mattia Perin in the early parts of the season. The biggest requisites for goalkeeper in Sarri’s system is comfortableness on the ball and distribution, so Sarri will look to see who could fit that bill the best.
- Center Backs are probably the most solidified with the current squad list. Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci will most certainly reprise their roles. Both are incredibly comfortable on the ball, with Leonard Bonucci possessing ball-playing skills (and sometimes defensive lapses) reminiscent and probably exceeding David Luiz’s at Chelsea. Getting those two to work well with a sole holding midfielder will be crucial to getting both a solid defensive style and a solid build-up play. Danielle Rugani should fill in, though not particularly as soundly, should either of the two be unavailable.
- Right back becomes a bit of a question mark with the potential departure of João Cancelo. Even then, he may not have fit Sarri’s style of play best. Cancelo’s attack-mindedness may not have suited what Sarri wants in a more defensively focused right back, but he definitely was the best quality option. As it stands, Mattia De Sciglio, who has featured on both the right and left side of defense, will be first in line to take on the role. However, there may be a new candidate to take the role, who I will discuss later.
- Left back in theory belongs to Alex Sandro. Even though his performances last year were perhaps not up to his usual standard, he still possesses incredible quality at the left back position. In Sarri’s system, where he will look to be a wide outlet and be encouraged to move further up the pitch, he may find another level. De Sciglio could also be another option, rotating between left and right fullback.
- I’ve already discussed Pjanic as the best fitting holding midfielder, but Khedira and Can could still be options here if they can adapt to Sarri’s style of play.
- Central midfield is where we see an insane amount of depth and perhaps not enough standout quality. We’ll start with the more defensive right midfielder, and Blaise Matuidi seems like a solid candidate. He’s featured a lot in the Juventus side and is perhaps the most comparable to Kanté of the options. And before you point of the obviousnesses of a French center mid being similar to Kanté, let me at least talk about the qualities these players possess. Both are engines in the midfield who can operate box to box with decent holding of the ball. Both have some deficiencies in the attacking third but can still contribute. The biggest problem comes with Matuidi perhaps being unable to adapt to Sarri’s style of play. There are certainly some questions about his ability to work in the build-up, so he may indeed be sold. Rodrigo Bentacur could be a great option here, given his well-roundedness and versatility. He works well defensively, can carry the ball, and has great qualities in the final third as well. He’s still quite young, but could be the answer here, if he understands that he must be the more defensive minded of the two center mids. And I do have to bring up Sami Khedira and Emre Can again. Can could actually be great here as well, as he is defensively astute (perhaps more so than Bentacur) and still has enough quality to hold the ball. It’s the attacking part which could spell issues, as he lacks the quality in the final third. Same goes for Khedira, who was utilized even less than Can and is considerably older. Khedira being sold seems quite likely. Still, that’s four respectively options to fill one position.
- The left central midfielder is essentially whoever is decided amongst the other three midfielders who don’t make it. Remember, this is the more attack oriented of the two central midfielders, so Bentacur seems like a solid shout for the role if he isn’t decided for the right-sided spot. Dybala could be an answer if he is willing to learn the pressing system and track back enough. He would represent the best attacking option of the bunch. However, there is a new signing that could be the answer here as well (who I will discuss later, sorry to have so many cliffhangers).
- Left wing, as I mentioned before runs into some problems. Perhaps not as many problems as Hazard created defensively for Chelsea under Sarri’s system, but still enough to discuss. I’ve already mentioned how Ronaldo could work well, but may work better at striker. Douglas Costa leaps out as having solid potential. With a similar skill set and a similar physique to both Hazard and Insigne, Costa seems like an obvious choice. But again, he is primarily left-footed, opting more to cross than to cut inside. Sure, his ability to beat his man is similar, but Sarri’s insistence may see him lose out. He already didn’t feature as much under Allegri last season, so who knows what could happen with him. Early signs are positive for the Brazilian, but he’ll have to prove his place after a quiet season. Another potential option is Mario Mandzukic. While featuring more as a central striker under Allegri, he certainly has had experience as a left-midfielder in a Juventus side. He is notorious for his stamina and pressing ability, which would suit Sarri well. His aerial prowess would be an interesting exploit as well, getting on the end of more direct and vertical passing, which could be an interesting option that adds to the team’s versatility. However, it’s unclear whether he has the technical ability to operate in these tight spaces, and is getting up there in age. Left wing is another interesting position to be in (pun intended) that doesn’t have any standout answer.
- The right wing has great options, but could come down to transfers and a sense of preference. Dybala was mentioned earlier, and he would be the greatest quality here. But I’ve already talked about how he may not be best suited for the role. Two solid candidates could also have a say. Juan Cuadrado, who himself made a switch from Chelsea to Juve, has some solid credentials. Quick, skillful, and able to play out wide, he fits the bill for a Sarri right winger. As a bonus, he already is suited to play more defensively, featuring often as a right midfielder in a 4-4-2, or even times at right back (which I doubt he would play as under Sarri). Federico Bernardeschi also has a good look-in. Although he is left-footed, he still has a solid right foot and has all the qualities Sarri could look for, with the added set piece threat. Incidentally, both players made their mark through Fiorentina, so each has had similar styles impressed on each other. It could turn into another Willian/Pedro situation, where one plays for 60 minutes while the other gets the last 30. However, it could also be likely that if Dybala is chosen for the right wing role, that Cuadrado could leave the club.
- The striker position gets messy, and potentially changes what happens to the other positions. It’s crucial that Sarri gets his striker call right, as that is what hurt him the most at Chelsea. His decision at striker should really be his first call, with the other positions trickling down. Ronaldo seems the obvious call given the aforementioned reasons, but getting him to press the way Sarri wants will be interesting. Ronaldo has also usually featured as a striker with another striker, whether with Manduzkic or Dybala at Juve, Karim Benzema at Real Madrid, or with Gancolo Guedes and the young Joao Felix in the Portugal set-up. If Sarri believes shifting Ronaldo to the left is the right call, then maybe Dybala is the answer. He’ll have to go back to a similar role as when he first joined Juventus and be comfortable as a lone striker. Mario Manduzkic could also be the answer here. He played centrally for most of last year, and has the hold-up play and movement that Sarri will look for. However, at his age, Sarri will have to bet on him not regressing like Higuaín at Chelsea. There is of course a fourth option in the young Moise Kean. He stepped in when Ronaldo was injured and played extremely well. His movement and finishing could be enticing as well. However, he’s still quite young, and needs to become more polished in the build-up play before he should be considered for the starting role. I’d look to see him come off the bench whenever Juventus are in trouble.
New Signings
Bringing up the tabloids again, Juventus have been linked to a multitude of new signings to work in Sarri’s system. Let’s finally discuss these potential new players and see what they could bring to the table should they come to Juve.
Aaron Ramsey, 28, Arsenal (Confirmed Signing for Juventus)
There is one player we know for sure is coming. Aaron Ramsey will be leaving London for Turin this summer on a free transfer from Arsenal. Some critics has scoffed at his hefty wage bill, but I think Ramsey could prove vital for Sarri’s system. He featured a lot as an attacking midfielder last season under Unai Emery, but was deployed almost the same amount in the central midfield. Ramsey has incredible holding of the ball and ability to work with wingers in the build-up play. His willingness to push further out wide could help set up the passing triangles that Sarri is looking for with the left back and left wing. The biggest concern though is coming from the Premier League. We’ve already seen that things do not translate smoothly between Serie A and the Premier League, referring of course to Sarri’s style of play. If Ramsey can make that adjustment and make it fast, he could be vital to Sarri’s side.
Elseid Hysaj, 25, Napoli
The right back issue has had two possible solutions linked. We’ll start with the least likely, with Elseid Hysaj as a potential rumor. Sarri has of course worked with Hysaj before, so having someone who knows the system could prove vital. However, with Napoli's president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, being openly hostile with Juventus in the past and with his berating words of Sarri’s betrayal, Napoli will be unlikely to want to give up the Albanian right back.
Kieran Trippier, 28, Tottenham
The option that has been much maligned but the most linked has been Tottenham full back Kieran Trippier. Juventus may well be getting two players from North London sides. Trippier had come off the back of a stellar 2017/2018 Premier League season and one of the best World Cup performances in the English side. Last season, there was a drop-off in performance which saw Trippier’s quality to be doubted. Sarri has had an up close and personal look at Trippier at Chelsea, and
may well remember the own goal Trippier scored for his side. However, this is just one moment in one match, no matter how embarrassing. The truth is, Juventus are going to need a fullback, and their options are frankly limited. Trippier is well known for his crossing ability, both from set pieces and from open play. Having him cross from deep into Ronaldo or Manduzkic almost sounds like cheating. The biggest concern of course is going to be the defensive adjustment. Trippier will not only have to adjust to a single system (as Mauricio Pochettino changed systems almost as frequently as Allegri did), but he will have to adjust to an entire new league with a completely different defensive makeup. Trippier has also looked the strongest in a 5-at-the back like he did for the English side, as he has struggled last season in a four at the back. It would certainly be a gamble to see if Trippier could adjust defensively to Sarri’s style. But the offensive contributions he could provide may just be what Sarri will need in his right back.
Matthijs De Ligt, 19, Ajax
If Juventus are to get their hands on perhaps the most coveted young center back in Europe, then their depth problem at center back is instantly resolved. Matthijs De Ligt has the makings to be not only one of the best center backs in Europe, but a perfect Sarri center back. He can deal with the aerial balls caused by the high press (he won almost four aerial duels a game last year). He had a freakish 90% pass accuracy in the Eredivisie last season. He’s an aerial threat from set pieces (
Juventus fans won’t forget his header against them in the Champions League). He’s accustomed to both passing short and working with a defensive mid in Frenkie De Jong. He’s worked with another ball-playing center back in Daley Blind. He was played under a one system coach that used a 4-3-3 in Erik ten Hag (granted with a different midfield shape). He’s Ajax’s captain at 19. Everything seems in perfect order for someone like De Ligt to be an instant success in Sarri’s system. The only potential issue comes with the style of play between Eredivise and Serie A. Looking back at the
style of play article by Opta, it becomes clear that possession is held mostly with the two center backs, rather than quicker, more vertical build up play through the midfield. While Ajax’s center back do play a bit more progressively (especially under ten Hag), it will still be a change in system. But again, De Ligt is still only 19 years old, and could be chosen over one of the Italian center backs if Sarri elects to do so. This could represent a massive investment in Juventus’s future.
Adrien Rabiot, 24, PSG (Available on Free Transfer)
Juventus have also been linked to three midfielders of top quality. Let’s start with the most likely in Adrien Rabiot. He’s available on a free transfer following his fallout with Paris Saint-Germain. While the French club may want to keep the midfielder, a transfer to Juventus has still been discussed as being quite possible. Rabiot possesses some interesting skill sets that could suit Sarri’s system. He’d most likely slot in the right central midfield position due to his quality in quick-passing and well-roundedness. However, he could also make a case for the holding midfielder position if he is able to learn the system. He also represents height and a bit of a physical prescience in the midfield, which is lacking in the side.
Paul Pogba, 26, Manchester United
Another option is Paul Pogba. He’s been linked with a move back to Juventus, given the rumors of him being unsettled at Manchester United. Pogba flourished under the Turin side, earning him a move back to the club who developed him. Pogba contains similar qualities to Rabiot, but has an incredible passing range and creativity within the final third, which would probably see him play in the left sided center midfield role. The biggest issue I could see would be the strictness of Sarri’s system. While Pogba would be able to play the highest up the pitch of the theee midfielders, he can tend to roam to fit the conditions of the game. It’s what makes him so unpredictable and decisive in matches, and the system may hinder that.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 24, Lazio
A third option could be Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. He was tipped for a move to Juventus after an incredible 2017/2018 season, but had a poor World Cup. This season has seen a bit in the drop of form for the Serbian, which may have lowered his price. Again, another creative central midfielder who is a physical presence, but SMS may be the most accustomed to Serie A currently.
All three of the players I just talked about represent great quality in the central midfield, but that position is perhaps the lowest priority in terms of current depth. Barring a few transfers, there are solid options in the midfield. With Ramsey coming in as well, it just might not be worth it to splash the cash on these players, despite their immense quality. Rabiot coming on a free should help his cause though, and may see Matuidi or Khedira (or both) moved as a result.
Let’s look at a few left-field options, in terms of both transfer potential and fit within the side.
Jorginho, 27, Chelsea
Jorginho was always going to be brought up as soon as the news hit that Sarri was off to Juventus. He knows the system better than anyone else, and represents exactly what Sarri wants in his holding midfielder. The problem comes with the fact that Chelsea are about to be put under transfer embargo, and their options in the defensive midfield are limited. If Frank Lampard is to make the switch to Chelsea, it may be hard to see the Italian’s limited but quality skill set being utilized. He would come at an enormous price, and I already believe Pjanic can fill the role just as well.
Gonzalo Higuaín, 31, Juventus (On Loan to Chelsea)
I’ve mentioned Gonzalo Higuaín already, and he is set to return from loan. Sarri has already stated that he will accept the Argentinian should he decide to stay, but he will not be impressed with the striker’s return in the last half-season. It’s clear he has regressed quite a bit, and would certainly play second fiddle to Ronaldo or Dybala, depending on who Sarri wants up top. Whether or not he is ok with that is up to Higuaín, but I cannot see him returning to his blistering Napoli form. I wouldn’t be surprised if he elects to move elsewhere.
Kalidou Koulibaly, 28, Napoli
Kalidou Koulibaly is most certainly not going to move to Juventus, despite him potentially being an incredible fit within this side. De Laurentiis has already given a hands-off price for Koulibaly, and it’s unlikely that Juventus will go for him, no matter
how quality he is.
Projected Lineup
Given everything we have so far, what could Juventus’s team sheet look like on the first game week? Let’s take a look at a couple lineups that could happen given different circumstances. First, I have some predicted transfers going in and out of the club.
Projected Transfers
Transfers In
Ramsey Trippier Rabiot De Ligt One more signing perhaps not mentioned yet (SMS still as a possibility)
Transfers Out
Cancelo Khedira Matuidi One of Manduzkic or Higuaín One of Cuadrado or Dybala
The Current Depth Chart
https://preview.redd.it/xq6jhir6m8631.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=6aaa0b62c0855fd57812d6440635f34fad5b0993
Currently, Juventus have some decent options. They could definitely fill out a title-winning side, but there are concerns about the midfield depth being able to adjust to Sarri’s tactics, and if Cancelo is actually going to be with the team this year. Center back depth is also a concern, especially with the aging starters. Again, potential concerns that need to be addressed in the transfer window.
The Left Wing Ronaldo Squad
https://preview.redd.it/r7c2302am8631.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=c34622e1304492ccfca3091701ee08ea84ca97b8
If Ronaldo does end up on the left side, which could end up being a good position for him, I imagine Dybala will shift into the striker role. This allows Bernardeschi to step into the right wing role.
The Transfer Team
https://preview.redd.it/t22ono5em8631.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=0ef033ab493d7f52fb0957ae457789776e5c279b
Rabiot becomes an instant starter within the side, filling in well on the right side. Bentacur will still see plenty of time from the bench, as I imagine he will be one of the first subs on. De Ligt also sees himself slot into the team in my opinion, as he represents great quality that doesn’t need much time to adjust to the Sarri system. Sarri may want to keep Bonucci and Chiellini together at the start as their experience together will be important at the start of the season. But I think De Ligt could force his way into the side immediately. Trippier would be in the team as well, although De Sciglio will still see time early as Sarri will look to see who settles better. If SMS or Pogba is to come, then Ramsey may be shifted out of the starting eleven.
The Inversion
https://preview.redd.it/ikdw243im8631.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=f0bb02543090b74c61bc61dfcdaf186c41a76659
On paper, this seems like almost the exact same squad with Rabiot and Ramsey switched. But Sarri has said he will assess the players and then work on the tactics, not the other way around. In my opinion, he doesn’t have to go all that far to change his system to get the best out of his players. If he focuses attacks on the right side and pushes up the right side further than the left, he solves a lot of the positional and left-footed issues. Dybala is allowed to play higher and work inside on his left foot. Douglas Costa operates as a traditional winger and can cross on his left foot. Trippier is allowed to play higher up the pitch, maximizing his offensive output. Ramsey and Rabiot each play on their strong foot. The only potential loser would be Alex Sandro, who may not be able to play as high up as he would like. If Sarri does want to bring his style of play and play to the squad’s individual strengths, this may be an idea worth investigating. But remember, I’m just some guy on the internet making tactical predictions.
The Old Ways
https://preview.redd.it/ozno7v0lm8631.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=85099f5cbc86bc41f4b47955256b659a29437740
Sarri hasn’t always played his 4-3-3. At Empoli, he would often play a 4-3-1-2, which would be in some players’ best interests. Ronaldo would work with a second striker like he’s done many times before, Dybala gets to play at the ten, and the midfield three remains mostly the same. This could be viable if Costa is transferred and both Higuaín and Manduzkic are kept. If Sarri wants to roll the dice, maybe he could employ this strategy. He’s not a man known for rotation or changing of style, but if he is willing to adapt, maybe he could go back to his roots.
Conclusion
Sarri will definitely have his hands full this summer in terms of decisions. He should be fine in terms of system, and should be thrilled at the quality and versatility of the players at his disposal. He will have to get to work on instilling a system into a team that was used to rotation and constant changes. He’ll also have to make sure he can get the team to press the way he wants. There are a lot of questions up front that Sarri has to get right immediately. His options in the midfield are impressive and he could even afford to sell off a few midfielders should Rabiot, SMS, or Pogba make their way to the Allianz. Pjanic will have to quickly understand his role, but Sarri should be excited about his potential to succeed Jorginho. The right back spot will need to be filled, and if the answer is Trippier, Sarri will need to help him rediscover his quality. The center back pairing of Chiellini and Bonucci should have no issue, and if De Ligt is on the way, perhaps he will be in line to replace one of them (Bonucci being the likelier candidate to be replaced).
There are a lot of question marks for Juventus, but the future looks promising. There’s one thing for certain, though: Sarri begins his reign at the Allianz, and it will be interesting to see how he may utilize his notorious system for Juventus.
If I missed anything or if you have better suggestions, let me know, as this is my first foray into a more tactical analysis.
submitted by The year is 2017. Top scientists have finally cracked the ability to stop ageing, and the world rejoices. The discovery prompts an immediate FIFA investigation into exactly what this means for world football from now on. How will the careers come and go when every team can just preserve their best stars? How will the next Messi break through? The Qatar FA suggest restricting it to only Qatari players, a motion that's only narrowly defeated. In unrelated news, a bunch of mysterious Qatari bank accounts are seized the day before the vote. Eventually, a compromise is decided upon between. Only those players who’ve proven themselves to be in it for the sport, and their team, can use it. The players who have stuck with their team through thick and thin, who’ve turned down bigger money offers to stay where they are. One-Club Men. However, should their loyalty ever waiver, and they choose to leave, those players will lose their right to an everlasting career, and have to face the advance years once again. Who will remain loyal the longest? Who will ride out the lowest of lows to stay at their lifelong club?
Unfortunately for those of you hoping I’ve found a secret miracle, that’s just the best nonsense I could come up with to frame this scenario. In less dramatic terms, using FM 2017, I'm going to select 50 one-club men from the top 5 leagues and de-age them to around 22. Every 5 years I'll de-age them down to 22 again, unless they abandon their loyalty. I'll also be adjusting everyone's contract to expire in 2020 to make it equal, and undoing international retirements where necessary. Nothing overly complicated, but I’m expecting this one to run a long long time if I’m going to have everyone leave, so I’m good with it not being too complicated.
Reddit side note! It's me again. Some may remember my experiments from ages ago. I'm back and writing again, but as you can probably tell, with a new name and website. If you want to see this post with much better formatting, all the images, and everyone's profile at the end, go here to read it in full: link You can stay here if you prefer though! So who actually qualifies for this? I've restricted it to players from the Top 5 leagues of England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France, and only included those that have been at their clubs the longest. As well as the genuine candidates like Messi and Totti, loaned out players like Lahm qualify, as do those like Iniesta who haven't left in FM 2017, and even those that have left in-game, but are known for their careers at one club. Buffon is a good example of the latter. I've included a link to an image with all 5 players here:
link With all this loyalty around, I wanted to mix it up a bit by adding in one final player. Someone completely opposite to everyone picked so far, the anti-one-club man, the journeyman of all journeymen. And after some research, I came up with the perfect candidate. Sebastián Abreu, a man who in his career has played at an impressive 29 different teams in 11 different countries, setting a Guinness world record along the way. Abreu will receive the same treatment as the loyal players, except it won’t stop when he moves team. I
want him to move around more, spread his wings, see how many teams he can collect over an illustrious career.
That’s enough explaining for now. Should be pretty clear what’s going on, just a bunch of footballers never getting old. Time to get things rolling and see who eliminates themselves. Who can stick it out the longest, who will become THE one-club man?
2016/17
With our younger one club men unleashed on the world, many of them attract instant attention from new clubs. For a while it stays quiet and looks like the first transfer window may pass without incident. Only a few loans crop up... until
Javi López because the first man to fall. With Espanyol not meeting his standards, he makes a £2.4M trip down the coast to join Valencia. He proves to be the only summer casualty by the time the window slams shut.
January brings the winter window, and the Premier League clubs start to sniff around, ready to throw bags of cash at unsuspecting players. It doesn’t take long before the next two players are reeled in by money and lose their eternal youth. First
Marcel Schmelzer in a £20.5M move to Liverpool, followed by
Bruno joining moneybags Man City. By the end of the window,
Nacho also heads to the north of England, joining rivals Man United. I’m not sure if any of them have realised how damn cold it is up there. That window swiftly ends, settling the bottom 4 finishers in the competition.
Returning to the world of actual football results briefly, and there aren’t many shocks to be seen. Man City finish 6th, Everton get relegated and Borussia Mönchengladbach reach the Champions League Semi-Finals. A few players see their team relegated, as Werder Bremen, Caen and Freiburg go down, so there could be a few casualties once that disappointment has set in. But all in all, the footballing world has coped just fine.
Loyal Players Remaining: 46
Abreu Club Count: 23 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: None
2017/18
With everyone’s transfer budgets warmed up, it doesn’t take long for the action to get back underway. The previous season has barely finished before
Chris Solly trades in his morals for a Premier League move to Norwich.
Sergio Álvarez joins him in England, making the slightly odd move to Bournemouth before a big £52M move sees
Koke trade loyalty for a big move to Man City. That’s the most surprising move so far, as I expected many of the players at top clubs to stick around. The final two transfers of the window take us to sunny Spain, where both
Xabi Prieto and
Mario become massive glory hunters, trading in their life long clubs for Atletico Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Javi López, having left Espanyol to join Valencia last year, immediately realises his mistake and rejoins Espanyol. It’s too little too late though, his status as a one-club man is already ruined.
The winter window comes and goes without even a hint of action, so things may already be starting to quieten down. Over in Brazil, Sebastián Abreu has his contract with Bangu come to an end after a good season but fails to attract any new suitors before the European season ends.
Around the world, things keep ticking on relatively normally. Watford take a surprising FA Cup win despite finishing rock bottom of the league, meaning they’ll have European nights alongside their Championship campaign. The loyalty of Seube, Höfler and Bargfrede is rewarded, as Caen, Bremen and Freiburg are immediately promoted back to the top tier. Las Palmas head in the opposite direction, which causes David García to hand in an immediate transfer request. The Spaniard could very well be the next player to go.
Loyal Players Remaining: 41
Abreu Club Count: 23 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Watford (FA Cup)
2018/19
My suggestion that things may be quietening down is immediately disproved by the biggest move so far. Bayern Munich legend
Philipp Lahm makes a huge £82M transfer to Manchester City, throwing away all he’d built up at Bayern so far. But it doesn't end there, as 2 more huge transfers are finalised right after. First
Claudio Marchisio drops Juventus, clearly not happy with them losing the title to AC Milan, and moves to Real Madrid. Then
Daniele De Rossi trades in Roma for Barcelona. Whilst both have moved in real life, I didn’t expect either to fall so early in this, being icons at such huge clubs. A little later,
David García makes his predicted move away from relegated Las Palmas, opting to stay in Spain with Osasuna. And then on the final day of the window, one last move.
David Zurutuza decides the Premier League is more to his taste and joins Noble at West Ham. Javi López continues his tour of Spain, realising rejoining Espanyol doesn’t earn him back everlasting youth, and so heads to Sevilla instead. Currently, he’s moved around more than the specific journeyman player I chose to actually move around. Talking of, Abreu does find a new contract, heading back to Uruguay to join River Plate Montevideo.
The winter transfer window is again mostly quiet, with very little potential action. There are still some transfers though, as
Robin Knoche becomes the 15th person out, heading to Borussia Dortmund. Then a legend moves on, as
Iker Casillas decides that barely getting any game time behind Keylor Navas isn’t worth it, and so joins Monaco for a mere £11M. I guess you can't escape the real world after all.
The summer of 2018 means a World Cup, a tournament which regularly creates bizarre results in Football Manager. This year is no exception, as the likes of Italy, Belgium and Argentina fall in the group stages, before South Korea beat both Germany and France in the knockouts. The final between Brazil and Croatia proves 100% less heartbreaking than the real 2018 final for the Croatians, as they become champions of the world. In domestic football, Man United take all the English trophies on offer in a Quadruple, whilst Freiburg find themselves relegated yet again, as do Montpellier.
Loyal Players Remaining: 34
Abreu Club Count: 24 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Croatia (World Cup)
2019/20
Another season, another transfer window, another set of swirling rumours around our one-club men. Borussia Dortmund manage to steal away another of our competitors from a German rival, taking
Timo Horn early in the window. Having been relegated yet again last season,
Nicolas Höfler decides enough is enough and leaves Freiburg for Hertha Berlin. Over in Italy, and Chievo Legend
Sergio Pellissier finally caves, leaving his relegation-threatened lifelong team for European battlers Fiorentina. But that's all the entertainment I can offer, no big signings this time around I’m afraid. Let's go see what Javi López is up to instead. His merry-go-round of clubs continues yet again, moving over to Deportivo de La Coruña in the latest of his ever-decreasing value of transfers.
January retains its typical bleak and dull atmosphere, with no sign of action whatsoever until the final day of the window.
Hugo Mallo decides to try and add to his trophy cabinet and heads to Man United. Not the worst career move to throw away eternal life for considering their dominance right now. And with his departure, the total number of players that we've lost hits a nice round 20.
In the Premier League, Man United claim their 4th title in a row, exerting total dominance over everyone. But where one dominance rises, another falls, with Dortmund claiming the Bundesliga to knock Bayern off their perch. The shock of the season comes in the Coupe de France, where 3rd tier LB Châteauroux knock out Lyon, Auxerre and PSG before falling to Caen in the semi-finals. With Monaco having fallen to 4th tier SA Spinalien, Caen beat an easier opposition of RC Lens in the final, leading to Seube lifting the teams first-ever Coupe de France. Not bad for a player I expected to never lift a trophy. On a less joyous note, Höfler having left relegated Freiburg, sees his new team Hertha relegated immediately too. It seems there is no escaping the 2. Bundesliga!
On the record front, Gianluigi Buffon sets a huge benchmark, breaking the 200 cap mark for Italy. With no-one else close to him, he’ll stay the leader for a long time. Messi also breaks a boundary, climbing through 400 league goals during his career at Barcelona. Like Buffon, he’s way clear of any competitor, and unless a miracle happens that sees him abandon Barcelona, I can’t see anyone catching him soon.
Loyal Players Remaining: 30
Abreu Club Count: 24 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Caen (Coupe de France)
2020/21
2020 arrives, and with it, two important points arrive too. Firstly, everyone gets de-aged for the first time in this experiment. The 20 that have left get to watch from a distance thinking about what could have been. Second, the initial contracts are set to expire, so anyone that hasn’t re-signed will out the door. Which is exactly what happens to
Víctor Valdés. Having barely appeared for Barcelona since his return, he leaves the club on a free and heads to the southern French coast to join Marseille. A day later and someone else leaves France, as
Romain Danzé who decides one de-ageing is enough and moves to Schalke.
Tony Hibbert also struggled for games at Everton despite his new youthful look, and so he walks out the door. He opts for Aston Villa, who to my great surprise have sunk to a mid-table League 1 team. Feeling left out, Spain joins in, with
Oier Sanjurjo departing Osasuna and moving to Villarreal. The window is then capped by a bizarre final free transfer. Despite appearing regularly,
Xavi isn’t offered a new contract by Barcelona. Man City can’t quite believe their luck and snap up the Spanish wizard a few days before the window shuts.
Winter brings with it just one transfer in its usual action-heavy way.
Roberto Torres leaves Osasuna, making a £35.5M switch to Atletico. I’m not sure whether Atletico thought they were getting a different de-aged Torres because that can only be described as an overpayment. Either way, that means we've now lost over half the competitors.
Euro 2020 passes, and Croatia prove their World Cup victory was no fluke, becoming both champions of the World, and champions of Europe. On the Continental front, things have been fairly predictable so far, at least until this years Europa League. Hoffenheim escape a tough group and go all the way to win the entire thing. Not bad for a team that barely qualified in the first place. Oh, and Messi wins a little thing called the Ballon d’Or for the 10th time. I think he’s only just getting started.
Loyal Players Remaining: 24
Abreu Club Count: 24 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Hoffenheim (Europa League)
2021/22
The 21/22 season begins with two transfers on the first day.
Loïc Perrin makes his way to the Premier League to join Leicester. But that's a minor splash compared to the other move, as after 768 appearances and 302 goals,
Francesco Totti leaves Roma. It seems wrong to see it, but he’ll now be wearing a Man United kit. Dortmund continue their run of stealing loyalty, this time bringing
Tony Jantschke into the fold. Another contract is run to the end, forcing
Álex Bergantiños out of Deportivo without much choice, before being picked up by Cagliari.
Mikel González opts to end his time at Real Sociedad, joining Pellissier over at Fiorentina. And as August comes to a close, it looks like Totti may be the only big departure. That is until
Gianluigi Buffon decides to call time on his Juventus career. It’s an odd move, with the legend going sorta sideways from a regular starting Juventus spot to Bayern Munich. But there’s no going back now, as his 636 league appearance career with the Italians comes to a close. Two legends down in one window.
No season is complete without a single winter signing to warrant an entire separate paragraph, and this season is no different.
Sergi Roberto moves away from Barcelona, in a £24M move to French giants PSG. A good way to guarantee yourself plenty of titles I guess. Abreu also makes a winter move, adding Guarani in the Brasilian second tier to his collection.
Roberto’s decision proves to be a good one, as PSG go on to claim their 10th one in a row. Not many surprises elsewhere, although Real Oviedo get close to pulling off a shock in the Copa del Rey. The second tier team beat Osasuna, Barcelona and Sevilla on the way to the final, but ultimately Real Madrid prove a step too far. Elsewhere everything is won by a team you’d probably expect. Exciting stuff.
Loyal Players Remaining: 17
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: None
2022/23
With the pool of players rapidly decreasing, very few of the crew are even wanted by other clubs anymore. Perhaps deterred by their steadfast loyalty? A few moves do still happen though, so we’re not dead yet. Firstly
Anthony Lopes gets fed up of PSG dominating his league and moves to AC Milan for a better shot at a trophy. It’s not long before that story is forgotten, as the biggest transfer fee in the competition so far is dropped.
Andrés Iniesta is stolen away from Barcelona, in a huge £86M move to Man United. The midfield maestro fell 2 appearances short of 600 league games for Barcelona, but with his new £300K per-week contract it’s not hard to guess why. That proves to be all the action for the summer window, with no-one willing to top that huge move.
After half a season of hearing their noisy neighbours gloating about their star signing, Man City snap. And if there’s one thing City are good at, it’s splashing the cash. In probably the easiest negotiation over fee Barcelona has ever had,
Sergio Busquets makes a £95M move to the sky blues. Yeh, that’ll show United. Once again no-one wants to get in the middle of the awkward Manchester squabble, and the winter transfer closes with a whimper.
The second World Cup of this experiment comes and goes. This time all the giants make it safely through the Group Stages, but it’s Africa that really excels. Morocco make the knockouts, Egypt battle through to the Quarter Finals, but Nigeria come out best. They beat South Korea and Argentina before falling valiantly to France in the Semi-Finals. A 1-0 victory of Italy does see them finish in an impressive 3rd place, becoming the first African team to finish in the top 3 of the World Cup. France win the title on penalties after a deceivingly action-filled 0-0 draw with Spain. The domestic scene follows that with a similar lack of real shocks. In the Carabao Cup, Bournemouth beat Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United on the way to lifting the trophy. But it’s the lesser Cup, so outside of Bournemouth no-one really cares. PSG finally have their grip on the Ligue 1 broken, as Casillas leads Monaco to a fantastic title. Otherwise, all the league titles and cups fall to teams you’d expect them too. Another thrilling year.
Loyal Players Remaining: 14
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Bournemouth (Carabao Cup)
2023/24
Literally nothing happens.
Thomas Kessler decides that no team can ignore his existence for 20 seasons in a row and get away with it, leaving Köln to join Trabzonspor. So as I said, literally nothing happens. Even Javi López moving to yet another club would be more interesting than that.
The same applies to the footballing season. Asides from Casillas captaining Monaco to a Champions League title, or Atletico winning the title again, exactly 10 years after their last win, everything is frustratingly normal. And even those two events are hardly shocks.
Before I start to lose hope, there are a few interesting moves over the last few years from the losing group that are worth highlighting. First season mover Bruno didn’t make the impact he hoped and found himself moving to the lovely Stoke. Robin Knoche barely received any playtime at Dortmund and found himself cast out to Dinamo Zagreb. Even in League 1, Tony Hibbert could barely get any game time at Villa and so moved on the Scunthorpe in League 2. But the winner of the oddest move has to be Zurutuza, who somehow manage to pull off a move to Liverpool after West Ham found themselves relegated, only make a few disappointing performances, before being released on a free to join Al-Arabi in Qatar. Not quite the career he was anticipating when joining the Premier League I bet.
Loyal Players Remaining: 13
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: None
2024/25
The summer transfer window arrives for another season, and with it finally comes a huge deal! Javi López has found yet another club! Hooray! As for actual competitors, absolutely no movement whatsoever. Even from Abreu, who’s been at Guarani for 2.5 years now. Manceau, Lewington and Seube complain to their managers about playing time or relegation, but none of them actually make a move anywhere. So our final 13 will add another 5 years onto their career length.
There are some fun statistics from our 51 worth mentioning at this point. Buffon leads the way with both total league appearances (935) and international caps (259). His caps are at a point where they’re too high for the game to display, as the value is stored as an unsigned 8-bit integer, and so has rolled over to just show 3. Most appearances for a single club goes to Dean Lewington however, who thanks to being a regular sits at 857 league appearances for the MK Dons (or 889 if you include Wimbledon). In the goals department, the winner is obvious. With almost 500 league goals, 100 international goals and 14 Ballon d’Or awards, Messi sits on top of everyone. On the international scene, he’s run close by Müller and the fast-approaching Kane, but for league goals, it’s not even close.
2024 brings with it a Euro tournament, which doesn’t provide much in the way of surprises, but brings with it some exciting high scoring matches. All ending in a 4-3 victory for a Thomas Müller led Germany over neighbours Netherlands. Which I’m sure went down very well. The domestic scene decides to spring a few shocks though. In Serie A, Roma claim an impressive title thanks to main striker Iheanacho, their first since 2001. The German and French cups provide surprise winners, in the form of Hertha Berlin and Dijon. Both cap an impressive run by beating their respective league winners, Bayern and Monaco. Even the continental tournaments turn up too. First Monaco cement their place as a top power in football by winning their second Champions League in a row. That coming a week after the best win there could possibly be. Tottenham win the Europa League! Screw the other stuff, that last part is all I need!
Loyal Players Remaining: 13
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Dijon (Coupe de France), Hertha Berlin (DFB Pokal)
At this point though it’s fair to say that the competition results are more interesting than the movements of the players. Which is the perfect signal that things need to speed up a little bit. So from now on, updates will be every 5 years, which lines up perfectly with player age resets, letting us see who has made it to the next checkpoint.
2025-2030
Another round of de-ageing hits, and you’d think that would incite some interest in our final 13. Instead, it’s a ghost town. We do have an immediate dropout though, as
Nicolas Seube finally gets fed up with his lack of playtime at Caen and heads for Panionios in Greece. A year later the situation is repeated. I’m not entirely sure what his unhappiness was about, but
Iker Muniain decides he’s had enough of Athletic Club and moves to Hamburger SV. At least he left on exactly 100 goals for Athletic though, a nice round number. With 11 left, a standoff to reach the top 10 ensues. For 3 years no-one budges in their show of loyalty, until in 2029…
Dean Lewington leaves for Derby County on a free. It’s a huge move, with Lewington becoming the first man to break through 1000 league appearances for a single club before leaving. But he’s moved on now, and it won’t be long before that record is broken. That move means we’re left with our final 10 contestants. Terry, Iraola, Messi, Susaeta, Noble, Jourdren, Müller, Kane, Manceau and Bargfrede have secured a top 10 spot, and now all that’s left to do is fight it out for number 1.
Over in Brazil, our anti-one-club man continues his journey, although it remains in Brazil for the moment. Only 2 clubs are added to his count, with a long stay at Atletico Goianiense followed by a £2M move to top tier Coritiba. I’m kind of hoping he starts to make enough waves in the Brazilian league to move to Europe and add some new countries to his history.
Those that fell before the first de-ageing are retiring, finishing off their magnificent, or in some cases very un-magnificent, careers (as losers). Javi López finishes his fine anti-loyalty tour around Spain with 7 transfers to his name. Schmelzer, Nacho, Solly, Álvarez, Koke, Mario, Prieto, Marchisio, De Rossi, David García, Zurutuza, Knoche, Höfler, Pellissier, Mallo, Horn and Hibbert end their careers. Many, such as Nacho, Horn and De Rossi stay just as committed to their new clubs as they did their old, finishing out their careers after just a single transfer. Of the pensioners, Sergio Pellissier manages to rack up the most career league appearances and goals, at 894 and 246, although that’s largely thanks to a huge head start. De Rossi dominates on the international scene, earning a whopping 197 caps over his 30-year career. Naturally, all those records will be blown out the water once the next group start retiring, but it’s nice to have some benchmarks.
Around the world, plenty has gone on worth hearing about. The Netherlands claim their first-ever World Cup win, beating Brazil in the final, whilst in the Euro’s Germany win their second tournament in a row. The Gold Cup throws up a few interesting results too, as first, the Mexico B team win it, with their A team tied up in the Confederations Cup. Then 4 years later Canada take the title, only the second time in their history. Over in Italy, Lazio find themselves relegated as the league starts to shake itself up a bit. But other than that, domestic football remains relatively unspectacular. Oh except… TOTTENHAM WINNING THE LEAGUE. Didn’t even have to reset it and we won it before Arsenal did. North London is very much Lilywhite now, suck it Gooners!
Loyal Players Remaining: 10
Abreu Club Count: 27 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Tottenham (Premier League)
2030-2035
Another 5 years pass and to start with it looks like the top 10 are going to hold firm. Eventually though, the temptation of money proves too much for one man. That man is
Geoffrey Jourdren who trades in his starting slot at Montpellier for a cosy backup contract at PSG. Then comes… dead silence. Not even a rumour, or an unhappy player. No-one even hints at leaving for the next 4 years, which means we end the period with nine players on the books. The real waiting game has begun. Even our journeyman Abreu is moving in a very slow way, as a five year Coritiba stint finishes with a free transfer to Red Bull Brasil. I think my hopes for a European move have died.
At least there are a lot of retirements to run through. Bruno, Lahm, Casillas, Valdés, Danzé, Oier, Xavi, Torres, Perrin, Jantschke, Bergantiños, González, Roberto, Iniesta and Busquets hang up their playing boots. That does leave us without some noted legends, with Lahm, Casillas, Iniesta and Busquets reaching 200 caps for their country. You’d think Spain would have won more with that golden generation. Casillas and Xavi also both hit 1000 league appearances thanks to a strong head start before the experiment. But it’s Andrés Iniesta who is the most loyal of the bunch, racking up nearly 600 appearances for his original club before departing.
Five years leaves plenty of time for interesting results once again. England take a World Cup win, which is always a sign of the apocalypse, only made more bizarre by Scotland making the semi-finals in the same competition. Portugal take the other title in that period, whilst the Euros also see a surprise winner in Switzerland. France provides the biggest shock at club level, as Lille come from nowhere to win Ligue 1, and then immediately revert back to mid-table once again. Otherwise, the time belongs to Manchester City. The oil bar… sky blues take 4 out of 5 titles in both the Premier League and Champions League, with all that cash flinging finally paying off.
Loyal Players Remaining: 9
Abreu Club Count: 28 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: England (World Cup), Lille (Ligue 1)
2035-40
With just nine players left, once again we get a transfer fairly early on in the period. Early as in the first transfer window, which makes me wonder why they waited so long. Anyway,
Mark Noble has had his patience tested by West Ham’s yoyoing between the Premier League and Championship a bit too much and finally caves. He makes a £20M move to Burnley, who… are doing the exact same thing. Not sure that was the brightest idea. Like the previous 5 years though, one transfer is all we get. None of the others move, despite some pretty heavy unhappiness from Bargfrede and Manceau. Abreu keeps up his trail, running out his contract with Red Bull Brasil and opting for Chapecoense to reach 29 clubs in his career.
With very few moving recently, that also means less and less are retiring, as just 7 ex-competitors leave the game. Totti, Buffon, Lopes, Kessler, Seube, Muniain and Lewington call time on their football life. The fact they all stuck with it for so long means there’s so impressive stats between them. Totti racked up 1154 league appearances, with 768 at Roma. Dean Lewington, after leaving MK Dons with 1003 appearances finished with a total of 1287. Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon finished with a whopping 1307 league appearances, but perhaps more impressively, 334 international caps. But the single most surprising statistic goes to Thomas Kessler. Despite barely playing in Germany he manages to notch a grand total of 7 goals after his move to Turkey. Maybe if he’d been a striker he’d have actually played at Koln. Oh and Seube ends his career Greek. Because why not.
As per every time, a quick look around the world’s results is needed. Spain win back the World Cup titles, whilst Italy take a Euro win. Argentina, Mexico and Australia claim all their continents international trophies in the window, so no massive surprises there. The domestic world isn’t exactly littered with shocks either. Brescia win a Coppa Italia, and Nîmes Olympique grab 4 top 5 finishes in a row in France, but there’s not really much to shout about. I think it’s best to just get on with the next de-ageing.
Loyal Players Remaining: 8
Abreu Club Count: 29 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Brescia (Coppa Italia)
2040-45
Down to 8 now, so it’s getting tougher. And a lot slower, so slow in fact that not a single transfer in our group happens in five years. For a moment I was excited to see Manceau at Recreativo de Huelva, but that was just a loan. So I was back to being crushed. On the plus side, Abreu makes some huge steps. He adds not just 1, but 2 new countries to his history! The first is Portugal, in a huge step up to join Braga. As usual, it’s just until his contract ends, before he moves on to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. He’s hardly setting Europe alight but I don’t care, he’s actually moving!
There’s only one retiree to talk about too, as pretty much everyone has already gone. Geoffrey Jourdren finishes up with 925 total league appearances. It probably could have been a bit more, if he’d not spent 10 years of his career being a backup at PSG and Bayern. On a far more interesting note, Terry breaks through 1500 career league appearances. Kane also hits 256 international goals, which results in the number resetting to 0 just like caps. So the game has him on 96 caps with 11 goals, when the actual numbers are a stunning 352 caps with 267 goals.
Having seen my disappointment last time around, the world decides to liven things up. Denmark become both Champions of the World and Champions of Europe in 2042 and 2040, although they lose the European title to Germany 4 years later. At the continental level, the Champions League stays on track, but the Europa League brings some bizarre winners into the mix. Nîmes Olympique, Real Sociedad, Leicester and Bristol City all win a trophy. It seems Mark Noble finally made a right move transferring to Bristol City, as the club is now a strong top 6 Premier League side. Manceau wins a Coupe de France at Angers, but it’s still Nîmes making waves, forming a big three with PSG and Monaco. It may not be long before either Nîmes or Bristol City win their league, which is not something I expected to be saying.
Loyal Players Remaining: 8
Abreu Club Count: 31 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Nîmes Olympique/Bristol City (Europa League), Angers (Coupe de France)
2045-50
2045 kicks off and once again Manceau deceives me. This time it’s a loan spell in Denmark with Brøndby that had me thinking he was gone. Well you know what they say, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice… I’m probably gonna fall for it. It looks like there’s going to be no moves whatsoever once again, until June 2047 arrives and I notice a contract is set to expire. Imagine my shock when
Lionel Messi is not offered a contract by Barcelona and is let go. It’s made doubly worse by the fact that of all teams to pick him up, it's Atletico Madrid. Apparently, 37 Ballon d’Or awards aren’t good enough for Barcelona anymore. I don’t even care that nothing else happens. That’s enough to stun me.
Over in the retirement home, Mark Noble moves into a room. After an up and down career, the Englishman did manage some silverware with Bristol City and ended his career with 1317 league appearances. He even earned not just 1, but 90 England caps across his 44-year career.
Around the world, interesting results are still cropping up. England grab their third World Cup win beating Colombia, whilst Honduras win their first-ever Gold Cup. Much to my bitter disappointment, Arsenal win 4 of the 5 Champions Leagues on offer, as well as 3 Premier League titles. Chelsea have a period of bottom 10 finishes which deeply upsets Terry, whilst over in France, Chamois Niortais begin to try and join the top 3. Don’t worry I’ve never heard of them either.
Loyal Players Remaining: 7
Abreu Club Count: 32 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Honduras (Gold Cup)
2050-55
With the world still reeling at the fact the Messi has moved from Barcelona, everyone kinda forgets to make any moves. In fact, Messi is the first person to move yet again, leaving Atletico in a very cheap 34.5M move to Man City. Which is more in line with where I originally expected him to go. Abreu finishes one contract, at Hapoel Be’er Sheva, and moves onto the next, but it’s with Monterrey so doesn’t count. Sebastian, it has to be new clubs. John Terry is starting to get frustrated with a Chelsea team that has really fallen from grace. The Londoners barely survive relegation in 2052/53, so Terry may be the next to go. Or maybe I know nothing and it’s completely random.
No-one retires this year, so let’s take a brief look at some statistics of our remaining 7 + Messi. All our players have now reached 1000 appearances, with Bargfrede in last at 1173. Messi has crossed 1000 league goals, now a full 300 clear of the chasing pack of Abreu and Kane. On the international level, Thomas Müller becomes the first player to need a rollover of caps twice, moving on to a massive 524 international caps. But it’s Kane who still leads the international goal stat, nearly breaking 350, a full 50 ahead of the German.
Müller does, however, grab a World Cup win for Germany so I’m sure he won’t be too upset. At least until they’re deposed by Holland 4 years later. On the continental level, Bristol City win another Europa League title beating previous champions Espanyol. Middlesbrough also nearly earn a trophy, having joined Bristol as a top 6 team. But the winner of the biggest shock, although I did say this might happen, goes to Chamois Niortais, who topple the dominance of PSG and Monaco to capture a miraculous Ligue 1 title in the last season of the period.
Loyal Players Remaining: 7
Abreu Club Count: 32 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Chamois Niortais (Ligue 1), Bristol City/Espanyol (Europa League)
2055-60
The summer window of 2055 opens and as I warned may happen, there’s an almost immediate transfer. Fed up with Chelsea’s mediocre finishes,
John Terry decides to move on. Unfortunately for Chelsea fans, Arsenal is his next club, which I’m sure will cause a few shudders. A year later and another move comes around, once again due to unhappiness over the club’s performance. Surprisingly it's
Thomas Müller,who's annoyed by the fact that Bayern haven’t won a Bundesliga title since 2048, and so runs down his contract. Leverkusen almost earn his signature, but eventually its the glory of PSG that proves too much to resist. But we’re not done there! Another player runs down their contract, opting to move to Vitoria de Setubal in Portugal.
Vincent Manceau finally makes a real move rather than constantly faking me out. So with another 3 players down, we’re left with our final 4. The race for the top 3 is hotting up now!
We do have a retirement this time thanks to the transfer window livening up. The world's best-ever player, Lionel Messi, retires from football. He ends up on a total of 1858 league appearances, scoring a massive 1068 goals in this time. 1430 appearances and 895 goals of those belonging to his 45-year career at Barcelona. On the international scene, he earned an impressive 505 caps and 276 goals. But it’s the awards where he shines. 279 individual awards, 82 team titles, 22 league titles, 6 Champions League titles, 45 Ballon d’Or awards. What makes it even crazier is 41 of those Ballon d’Or awards were in a row, as he earned every single one from 2015 to 2056. I don’t think I’ll see another player like that crop up in any save, truly the world’s best player.
Looking out on the world, I can say that it’s a Chamois Niortais player that breaks Messi’s streak, as the French team claim another two Ligue 1 titles. It’s hard to say they’re a “surprise winner” at this point. Bristol City finally make the full step up to join the big guns, winning 3 Carabao Cups, 1 FA Cup, 2 Premier League titles and even a Champions League trophy. If any Bristol City fans want this save to give themselves hope over the future, I can send it over. Internationally it's the era of Portugal, as they claim both the Euro and World Cup trophies.
Loyal Players Remaining: 4
Abreu Club Count: 32 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Bristol City (Premier League/Champions League), Lyon (Relegation)
With so few players left, now is probably a good time to speed it up once again. The final four will be tough to budge, so how about we move to 10-year intervals to try and cut down on dead years. And I'll be moving to the comments, because I've hit reddits character limit.
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