I've been playing footy management games since Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager on the ZX Spectrum in 1989/90, me and my friend used to manage Stockport County as we were season ticket holders, such an ace game… https://youtu.be/-FnTHnLodwY
The next game I that I really got into was LMA Manager 2003 on the PS2... https://youtu.be/Y5H7jj0lD3E
But nothing compares to Football Manager, and this latest version FM18 is amazing!
So here goes, after an obsession with Italian tactics/formations, the Catenaccio, the libero, the great 60's teams of Inter and AC, I thought I'd go back to my roots, Everton and my favourite team ever from 1984/85 (tied with England’s Italia 90 side) and this tactic produces great football too watch
I’m recreating the tactics of Everton’s most successful team from the 1984/84 season. We could of done the treble, we won the title by a record margin of points, only recently beaten by Fergies United, we won the European Cup Winners Cup beating Bayern Munich in the semi’s but unfortunately we lost the FA Cup Final to Ron Atkinson’s Man United, a big upset at the time (I went - great day out, but was crying all the way home!)
Manager and Everton icon Howard Kendall became an Everton legend playing in Harry Caterick’s title and FA Cup winning teams of the 1960’s and he was part of ‘The Holy Trinity’ midfield trio with Alan Ball and Colin Harvey. As a manager he’s Everton’s most successful.
Kendall was assisted by Colin Harvey, the man who took team training. He had a big influence on the way the team played and after a manager’s get-together and a conversation with Arsenal's manager Don Howe, he changed Everton into a high pressing team who hunted the ball down in packs when out of possession.
Tactically they played a 4-4-2, as I remember the defence stood high up near the half way line. Kevin Ratcliffe dropped deeper of the 2 centre backs as he was as quick as any player in the league and swept up players who ran behind (sometimes they got through.. Ian Rush!). The other centreback Doug Mountfield pushed forwards and closed down attackers. The team pressed when out of possession. The full backs, on the left Pat Van Den Hauwe and on the right Gary Stevens were both strong and athletic, hard tacklers, and rarely strayed over the half way line, either crossing from deep (both of them were good crossers of the ball) or passing forwards to the winger ahead or into the midfield.
Even if the opposition got through the strong well disciplined defence there was, as the press named him, the teams only truly world class player, Neville Southall to beat. Big New won the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1985 and finished with Everton career stats of 269 clean sheets in 747 games.
Midfield had two hard working and technically gifted players with excellent football intelligence and vision in Peter Reid (won the players player of the year) and Paul Bracewell, both became respected coaches and managers after hanging up their boots. Reidy sat a little deeper and brought the ball forwards and tended to pass it out wide for the wingers or if they spotted and opportunity launch it to the ’big man’ Graeme Sharp or over the defence for Andy Gary (or in 86 Gary Lineker) to run on too.
Thats all pretty solid stuff, so onto the flair, and that was on the wings, on the left, Irish legend and the sweetest left foot of the eighties Kevin Sheedy. Sheeds bagged 66 goals in 274 appearances for Everton, not bad for a winger! And most of them absolute gems! On the right wing was Trevor Stevens, he floated in pinpoint crosses to Sharpey, and scored a fair few himself, 48 in 213 appearances.
Upfront was all-time record goalscorer and target man Graeme Sharp with Andy Gary a skilful and charismatic player who scored great volleys and headers. Andy Gary had swagger and when Kendall bought him to Goodison he brought a winning mentality that would spread to his teammates.
The Team:
GK: SK-DEF; (Neville Southall). He always seemed to be stood on the edge of the area, would launch balls to the wings or roll it out to Ratcliffe.
Added PPM’S; Distribute to right sided ball playing defender (cover), Distribute quickly, roll it out.
LB: FB-DEF; (Pat Van Den Hauwe) and RB: FB-DEF; (Gary Stevens). Both very athletic, they didn’t seem to overlap, they occasionally crossed from deep but mainly passed up down the wing or into midfield.
Added PPM’S; Mark tighter, Close down more.
LCB: BPD-STP; (Derek Mountfield) and RCB: BPD-COV; (Kevin Ratcliffe).
LCM: DLP-SUP; (Paul Bracewell)
Added PPM’S; Ease off tackles.
RCM: SV-ATK; (Peter Reid) Yes this is actually a DM position but I thought this is the best Peter Reid type position, taking the ball from deep and driving forwards and aggressive in the tackle. Will train the player to switch ball to opposite flank as well as get forwards and dribble through centre.
Added PPM’S; Dribble more, tackle harder.
LW: IWG-ATK; (Kevin Sheedy) and RW: WG-ATK; (Trevor Steven)
Added PPM’S; Shoot more often.
LCF: F9; (Andy Gray) Clever player, good skills, scorer of great goals!
Added PPM’S; Shoot more often.
RCF: CF-ATK; (Graeme Sharp) Good with his head and feet, a target man and set up a lot of good chance for his striking partner.
The next game I that I really got into was LMA Manager 2003 on the PS2... https://youtu.be/Y5H7jj0lD3E
But nothing compares to Football Manager, and this latest version FM18 is amazing!
So here goes, after an obsession with Italian tactics/formations, the Catenaccio, the libero, the great 60's teams of Inter and AC, I thought I'd go back to my roots, Everton and my favourite team ever from 1984/85 (tied with England’s Italia 90 side) and this tactic produces great football too watch
I’m recreating the tactics of Everton’s most successful team from the 1984/84 season. We could of done the treble, we won the title by a record margin of points, only recently beaten by Fergies United, we won the European Cup Winners Cup beating Bayern Munich in the semi’s but unfortunately we lost the FA Cup Final to Ron Atkinson’s Man United, a big upset at the time (I went - great day out, but was crying all the way home!)
Manager and Everton icon Howard Kendall became an Everton legend playing in Harry Caterick’s title and FA Cup winning teams of the 1960’s and he was part of ‘The Holy Trinity’ midfield trio with Alan Ball and Colin Harvey. As a manager he’s Everton’s most successful.
Kendall was assisted by Colin Harvey, the man who took team training. He had a big influence on the way the team played and after a manager’s get-together and a conversation with Arsenal's manager Don Howe, he changed Everton into a high pressing team who hunted the ball down in packs when out of possession.
Tactically they played a 4-4-2, as I remember the defence stood high up near the half way line. Kevin Ratcliffe dropped deeper of the 2 centre backs as he was as quick as any player in the league and swept up players who ran behind (sometimes they got through.. Ian Rush!). The other centreback Doug Mountfield pushed forwards and closed down attackers. The team pressed when out of possession. The full backs, on the left Pat Van Den Hauwe and on the right Gary Stevens were both strong and athletic, hard tacklers, and rarely strayed over the half way line, either crossing from deep (both of them were good crossers of the ball) or passing forwards to the winger ahead or into the midfield.
Even if the opposition got through the strong well disciplined defence there was, as the press named him, the teams only truly world class player, Neville Southall to beat. Big New won the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1985 and finished with Everton career stats of 269 clean sheets in 747 games.
Midfield had two hard working and technically gifted players with excellent football intelligence and vision in Peter Reid (won the players player of the year) and Paul Bracewell, both became respected coaches and managers after hanging up their boots. Reidy sat a little deeper and brought the ball forwards and tended to pass it out wide for the wingers or if they spotted and opportunity launch it to the ’big man’ Graeme Sharp or over the defence for Andy Gary (or in 86 Gary Lineker) to run on too.
Thats all pretty solid stuff, so onto the flair, and that was on the wings, on the left, Irish legend and the sweetest left foot of the eighties Kevin Sheedy. Sheeds bagged 66 goals in 274 appearances for Everton, not bad for a winger! And most of them absolute gems! On the right wing was Trevor Stevens, he floated in pinpoint crosses to Sharpey, and scored a fair few himself, 48 in 213 appearances.
Upfront was all-time record goalscorer and target man Graeme Sharp with Andy Gary a skilful and charismatic player who scored great volleys and headers. Andy Gary had swagger and when Kendall bought him to Goodison he brought a winning mentality that would spread to his teammates.
The Team:
GK: SK-DEF; (Neville Southall). He always seemed to be stood on the edge of the area, would launch balls to the wings or roll it out to Ratcliffe.
Added PPM’S; Distribute to right sided ball playing defender (cover), Distribute quickly, roll it out.
LB: FB-DEF; (Pat Van Den Hauwe) and RB: FB-DEF; (Gary Stevens). Both very athletic, they didn’t seem to overlap, they occasionally crossed from deep but mainly passed up down the wing or into midfield.
Added PPM’S; Mark tighter, Close down more.
LCB: BPD-STP; (Derek Mountfield) and RCB: BPD-COV; (Kevin Ratcliffe).
LCM: DLP-SUP; (Paul Bracewell)
Added PPM’S; Ease off tackles.
RCM: SV-ATK; (Peter Reid) Yes this is actually a DM position but I thought this is the best Peter Reid type position, taking the ball from deep and driving forwards and aggressive in the tackle. Will train the player to switch ball to opposite flank as well as get forwards and dribble through centre.
Added PPM’S; Dribble more, tackle harder.
LW: IWG-ATK; (Kevin Sheedy) and RW: WG-ATK; (Trevor Steven)
Added PPM’S; Shoot more often.
LCF: F9; (Andy Gray) Clever player, good skills, scorer of great goals!
Added PPM’S; Shoot more often.
RCF: CF-ATK; (Graeme Sharp) Good with his head and feet, a target man and set up a lot of good chance for his striking partner.
pipped me to third and I finished fourth, champions league qualification! (will not bring out a DVD like we did in 2005!! - and failed to get through the qualification round!)
