Hello and welcome to the second installment of the Aberdeen adventure. Yesterday’s post saw me discuss the ideology I will be enforcing at Aberdeen, and today I will be looking at my squad and how the players fit into that vision.

Be warned- this could be a long one

The first page to look at is one I am guilty of ignoring- The squad comparison screen. This screen gives us an idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the team as well as how we stack up against our opponents

The team comparison backs-up my feeling that we are one of the better teams in this league. We boast the highest average leadership, as well as impressive teamwork, passing, and decisions, all very important for how we are going to play. First touch is disappointingly mediocre, and we are very low on aggression, but this is not crucial to how we want to play

The defender comparison screen is very pleasing. We boast the best positioning (most important defensive attribute IMO) as well as strong marking and tackling. Pace and acceleration are let down by a couple of aging defenders who should see their playing time reduced. What is concerning is low heading and jumping, especially for such a physical league.

Music. Bloody music to my…err… eyes. The best vision and technique in the league as well as superb passing, teamwork and decisions. Low tackling may present an issue but Shinnie can do enough tackling for both the midfielders.

Bang average. Decent anticipation and off the ball but low pace and jumping suggests there is no trend with our strikers, showing if nothing else we have several different options.

Consistently strong across the board with good fitness and stamina to help a pressing style

The screen really shows our superiority over much of the league. Consistent excellence with low aggression the only minor blemish.

A mixed bag, generally doing well with the useful attributes. High crossing points towards playstyle in real life.

So collectively we’re very strong.

I’m also delighted to announce that we squad fits in well with the 6 attributes that compose ‘AberDNA’. Scott McKenna’s the only player really struggling but he’s young and has lots of room to grow

What does concern me is the plague of balanced personalities. In fact, in the first team squad, we only have four players that I would consider to have ‘positive’ personalities.

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Now let’s start looking at the individuals in this squad.

Goalkeepers:

Joe Lewis

A fantastic shot-stopper who is in complete control of his box with good communication, more than suitable as a sweeper keeper.

Danny Rogers

A solid if unremarkable backup

Defenders

Shay Logan

Fantastic right back. Excellent physicals, a threat going forward but also more than capable defensively. Strong mentals where needed. PPM’s ideal for a fullback in the system.

Mark Reynolds

Often maligned for defensive frailties in real life, but gets a pretty good write up in football manager. Excellent ball-playing abilities. However poor in the air and ‘avoids using weaker foot’ PPM means he will likely sit behind McKenna in the pecking order.

Scott McKenna

One year ago Scott McKenna couldn’t get a game for an Ayr side relegated from the championship. One week ago Scott McKenna led his national team out at the Azteca. Certainly still raw, but with strong physicals, McKenna is a prospect I will afford a lot of game time.

Kari Arnason

A fantastic cultured defender who would be central to my plans if 10 years younger. Superb on the ball but lacks pace and at 34 his one year deal will not be renewed. Possesses long flat throw is PPM obscured.

Anthony O’Connor

Another fantastic centre-back, imperious in the air, mentally superb and a natural ball player. Concerns about his pace though. Interested to see how a ‘dictates tempo’ PPM works on a centre back.

Dominic Ball

A solid backup centre back with good physicals, not much else to say.

Andrew Considine

Surprisingly good stats, especially physically. A make shift left back, Andrew’s performances really declined this last season IRL. Physically and mentally strong but technically limited. Doesn’t have a future at left back. 10 decisions yet agreed to this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWFGL4kbgVc)

Daniel Harvie

A tremendous prospect at left back who has sadly been released in real life. Certainly needs development and will be given plenty of game time with Considine in decline.

Midfielders

Graeme Shinnie

A superb ball winning midfielder who could also deputise at left back. Gets forward whenever possible concerns me but fantastic acceleration, stamina, positioning, team work, and work rate should ensure we are not left exposed. Technical attributes mean he is far more than a mere brute. PPM obscured are dives into tackles and hugs line. I could easily see Shinnie move to left back if we can find another midfielder that offers his workrate and overall influence.

Greg Tansey

Not sure what to make of Greg Tansey. Undoubtedly a great deep-lying playmaker, but too static for my liking and a first touch of 9 is very poor. More annoying still is that 3 of his PPM’s, Comes deep to get ball, dictates tempo and tries long range passes are exactly what I want. However, shoots from distance will be counter-productive in a system focused on patient build-up play. Mentals are very strong but he lacks the pace to be a great all-round midfielder. Offers fantastic ability from set pieces.

Craig Storie

Unlikely to fulfill the potential that led to Sir Alex Ferguson to try to sign him for Manchester United. Still looks a solid rotational option and has some room to develop.

Kenny McLean

One of the players I’m really excited about using in the system. Intelligent and dynamic playmaker who will provide the link between defence and midfield. May try as a regista until I can train the ‘comes deep to get ball’ PPM.

Frank Ross

Young attacking midfielder who broke onto the scene this season with a fantastic free kick against Rangers. Well rounded but lacking in a few key areas (Decisions, first touch). Likely to be sent out on loan for a season.

Ryan Christie

Attacking talent who should hopefully be the star player in the system. Pacey with dribbling and flair to make him very dangerous if afforded space by the opposition. Composure, passing and vision will allow him to pull the strings from the number 10 role. His three PPMs are absolutely ideal for the role I want him to play. Unfortunately, there is no option to buy in his loan contract.

Attackers

Gary-Mackay Stevens

Alongside Christie provides the pace and flair (20!) that will allow us to be both excitable and unpredictable. Offers pace and trickery on the left flank as well as a goal-scoring threat. Mentals point to an exciting but inconsistent winger.

Greg Stewart

While he’s hardly delivered in real life Greg Stewart has the potential to be a fantastic inside forward, offering a goal threat cutting in from the right-hand side. Mentally he is absolutely unparalleled when compared with our other attacking options. This combined with well-rounded technicals allows him to play almost any role on the wing. My main concerns are that he is one-paced and predictable, with opponents often nullifying his threat in real life this season.

Scott Wright

A frustrating young talent in real life, always looks promising but lacks end product and has seen his development stall as a result. This is well represented in-game, with high pace and flair but well rounded yet mediocre technicals. High determination gives me hope.

Adam Rooney

A fantastic striker but doesn’t really fit into what we want to do here. Very much a pure goal scorer, Rooney lacks pace and will be ineffective at linking up play. Could work well alongside another striker who does the dirty work.

Stevie May

Frustrating…… A defensive forward by default, Stevie May should at least be an effective part of the press. Lacks anticipation and composure to be an effective goal scorer but is also not well equipped to link up play, although he does have some advantageous PPMs.

Nicky Maynard

I don’t want to sound rude on the lad but after watching him not score a goal or register an assist this season I’m not really sure what he’s meant to be good at. Dislike both PPMs and many of his attributes. Meh.

So in summary:

Joe Lewis is a more than competent sweeper keeper

Shay Logan fits my blueprint for a right-back perfectly, but a left back is certainly needed.

We are well staffed in regards to defensively competent centre-backs who are comfortable on the ball.

Excellent selection of technically and mentally proficient midfielders.

Flair and class in attacking positions, if lacking depth.

Lacking a striker who fits what I want.

Recruitment targets:

2-3 senior players who provide depth but more importantly can be used as tutors

A back-up right back to Shay Logan

An improvement to Andrew Considine at left back, preferably a long-term solution

Another attacking midfield option to boost numbers, preferably on loan

With an aging squad, 1-2 young Scottish prospects wouldn’t go amiss

Thanks for reading 🙂 I’ll try and get a second blog post up tonight regarding my strata method which I use to analyse my squad when I’m new to a club.