By Tom Lee · FC Schalke 04

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗜 — 𝗔𝗠 𝗜 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗬 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗛 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝟭𝟬𝟬?

By Tom Lee | FC Schalke 04 | Top 100

𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄. 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀. 𝗙𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱.

When I took over Schalke, we were sitting 19th in Division 5, the very bottom division of one of Soccer Manager’s most prestigious and competitive game worlds.

Four consecutive relegations had taken this once-proud club from the top division to the brink of complete obscurity.

In my previous blog, The Fall of Schalke, I documented the club’s extraordinary decline, the challenge I’d inherited and my determination to stop the rot.

Nine games later, we’ve climbed from 19th to 13th, with one fixture remaining.

The immediate objective has been achieved. I will manage Schalke next season.

But rather than celebrate and prepare for a comfortable season of consolidation, I’ve decided to do something that could potentially undo all our hard work.

𝗜’𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗢 𝗥𝗘𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚

In the space of nine matches, Schalke have gone from a club staring another disastrous season in the face to one beginning to show signs of life.

Six wins, one draw and two defeats represent a return of 19 points from a possible 27. We’ve scored 15 goals, conceded just seven and climbed six places in the table.

For a manager who inherited a club sitting second bottom of the lowest division, I couldn’t have asked for much more.

But there’s a difference between keeping a club alive and actually rebuilding one.

And that’s where things get interesting.

I’ve spent the last few weeks looking at our squad, studying the other teams in Top 100 and trying to work out how on earth we’re supposed to climb back up the divisions.

One thing has become increasingly clear.

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴.

We don’t have the assets, the bargaining power or the squad depth that many of our rivals possess.

So I’ve decided to take Schalke in a completely different direction.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗘 𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗧

Next season, I’m planning to operate with just 15–18 senior first-team players.

That’s right. In a game world that allows squads of 50 players, I’m looking to dedicate the overwhelming majority of those places to youth.

It’s a decision that will probably raise a few eyebrows.

Established players are being moved on, the squad is being stripped back and almost every position is being reassessed.

Timo Werner, rated 87, has already departed. Ben Davies, also rated 87, has followed him out of the door.

And they won’t be the last.

Some people might question why I’d willingly weaken a squad that has just produced such an impressive run of results.

But my thinking is relatively simple.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿?

In Top 100, the transfer market is arguably just as important as what happens on the pitch.

A player might be rated 87 today, but if he’s approaching the latter stages of his career, how much is another manager really going to offer for him?

Compare that with a promising 19-year-old rated 82 who breaks into a top European side and suddenly finds himself attracting attention.

That youngster could become an 87, an 89 or potentially something even better.

And even if he doesn’t become a Schalke regular, he might eventually be the player who allows us to negotiate a deal for somebody who does.

𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗠𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗡

Of course, this new philosophy hasn’t come without mistakes.

One transfer in particular still plays on my mind.

𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗹ò 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶.

The young Club Brugge striker was one of the most exciting assets I inherited at Schalke.

At just 22, he’s already established himself as a serious goalscorer in Belgium and has the potential to become a very valuable asset in the years ahead.

I made the decision to move him on in a deal that brought Cardoso and Chemsdine Talbi to Schalke.

Now, I want to make something clear.

Cardoso has been excellent for us.

The Brazilian striker, currently playing his football at RB Leipzig in real life, has performed extremely well since arriving. I have absolutely no complaints about what he’s contributed.

Talbi was another exciting addition. A young Moroccan international playing Premier League football with Sunderland, with plenty of years ahead of him.

On paper, it was a deal that made sense.

But looking back, I can’t help feeling I rushed it.

Tresoldi was exactly the type of player I’m now trying to build this club around. Young, performing at a high level and possessing enormous potential as a future bargaining asset.

Did I get a bad deal? Not necessarily.

Could I have negotiated something better?

Possibly.

And that’s the frustrating part.

I’ve also got a slight regret about allowing 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝘂𝗺 to leave.

The young German full-back is another player whose career could develop considerably over the coming seasons.

These are the decisions you learn from.

When you’re relatively new to a game world like Top 100, it’s easy to get excited about an offer, see an opportunity to strengthen two positions and pull the trigger.

But I’m beginning to understand that sometimes the best transfer is the one you don’t make.

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗜 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗘

Perhaps the biggest indication of our new direction came with the decision to sell Chemsdine Talbi.

Having only recently acquired him, I made the difficult call to move him on in exchange for two players I believe could become valuable assets.

𝗩í𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲ñ𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵.

Valdepeñas is a particularly interesting prospect.

The young Spanish defender came through Real Madrid’s academy before making the move to Fiorentina, where he’s now looking to establish himself in Serie A.

He’s exactly the type of player I’m hoping will benefit from regular senior football and eventually receive significant Soccer Wiki rating increases.

Joseph represents a different kind of gamble.

The young Brighton striker has already demonstrated his goalscoring ability at youth level and is another player whose career I’ll be following closely.

Neither player is guaranteed to become a star.

But that’s the nature of this rebuild.

Talbi could easily go on to become a fantastic player himself.

And if he does, perhaps I’ll regret that decision too.

However, I believe Valdepeñas and Joseph offer us two opportunities to develop valuable assets rather than relying on one.

𝗜’𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗠𝗘

So what will this new-look Schalke actually look like?

Well, this is where things get slightly concerning!

Despite our impressive run of results, I’m preparing to enter next season with a team that, on paper, will almost certainly be weaker than the one that rescued us from relegation.

And that’s entirely intentional.

Up front, 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗼 (𝟴𝟴) will lead the line. He’s been excellent since arriving and is one of the few positions where I’m completely satisfied with what we’ve got.

On the right, 𝗟𝘂𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 (𝟴𝟵) remains our highest-rated attacking player. I’m more than happy to keep him, but if an opportunity arises to bring in a younger player I genuinely believe in, I’d be prepared to accept a rating drop.

However, I won’t be selling him simply for the sake of making the squad younger. The replacement has to be somebody I’m convinced has a serious future.

𝗪𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆 (𝟴𝟳) will operate from the left, giving us a relatively established front three.

But behind them, things start getting interesting.

One player I’m particularly excited about is 𝗡𝗼é 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗻 (𝟴𝟮).

He’s developing nicely at NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and I genuinely believe he’s approaching a significant Soccer Wiki rating increase.

But here’s the problem.

He’s currently rated just 82.

Am I really prepared to trust a player rated 82 in one of the most competitive game worlds around?

Apparently so.

In midfield, 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗲ñá (𝟴𝟳) will provide some much-needed experience, while 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗼 (𝟴𝟰) and 𝗞𝘃𝗶𝗮-𝗘𝗴𝗲𝘀𝗸𝗼𝗴 (𝟴𝟯) will alternate alongside him.

Again, these aren’t necessarily the ratings you’d associate with a team hoping to climb the Top 100 ladder.

Defensively, we’ve made what I believe is a very sensible acquisition in 𝗝𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗼 (𝟴𝟳).

At 25, the Spanish centre-back offers us a considerably younger alternative to the ageing defenders we’ve been relying on.

He walks straight into our starting XI.

But his partners next season?

𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘀 (𝟴𝟯) and 𝗩í𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲ñ𝗮𝘀, both players who represent a drop in rating from the established defenders they’re replacing.

Bruns has already gained valuable senior experience in the Netherlands, while Valdepeñas is beginning a new chapter in Italy with Fiorentina.

Both are players I’ve identified as having room to develop.

At left-back, 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗴𝗿ä𝗳𝗲 (𝟴𝟯) will also be promoted into the senior side.

The young German has already experienced Bundesliga football and is another player whose future I’m prepared to gamble on.

And that’s essentially the story of our summer.

We’re replacing established 87-rated players with youngsters rated 82 and 83.

We’re deliberately sacrificing immediate quality in the hope that real-world development eventually rewards our decisions.

Some of these players might receive substantial increases over the coming months.

Others might not.

And that’s what makes this so frightening.

Because if Lebreton remains an 82, Bruns stays an 83 and Finkgräfe doesn’t progress, we’re potentially heading into next season with a significantly weaker team than the one that finished this campaign.

But what if they do rise?

What if Lebreton becomes an 86 or 87? What if Valdepeñas establishes himself in Serie A? What if one or two of our lesser-known youngsters suddenly become highly sought-after assets?

We could find ourselves sitting on a squad worth considerably more than the one we inherited.

And crucially, we’d have players other managers actually want.

𝗜’𝗺 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗸𝗶 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁.

The established players might give us a better chance of finishing 12th next season.

But will they get us out of Division 5?

I’m not convinced.

The youngsters might leave us fighting for survival again.

But if enough of them develop, they could eventually provide the foundations for something much bigger.

There’s no guarantee this works.

In fact, there’s a very real possibility I’ll look back on this decision and wonder what on earth I was thinking.

But I’d rather attempt to build something capable of climbing the divisions than spend season after season protecting a mid-table position with players who are gradually losing their value.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

And next season, that’s exactly what I intend to do.

𝗔𝗠 𝗜 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗬 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗛?

There’s something I haven’t really discussed much.

I’m still very new to Top 100.

Some of the managers in this world have been playing at this level for years. They’ve built incredible squads, understand the transfer market inside out and have experience that I simply don’t possess.

I’ve already had a few conversations with other managers who’ve assumed I’m an experienced player.

And I have to admit, I find that quite flattering.

Because the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’m still learning.

I’ve had transfer offers laughed off. I’ve made deals I’ve subsequently questioned. I’ve spent ridiculous amounts of time studying players and trying to work out whether I’m making the right decisions.

Sometimes I look at the squads around me and wonder how I’m ever going to compete with them.

But I suppose that’s part of the attraction.

The fact that a few established managers have mistaken me for somebody who’s been around for years gives me a little confidence that perhaps I’m doing something right.

Or perhaps I’ve just become very good at pretending I know what I’m doing!

Either way, I’m enjoying the challenge.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘

And if you want an example of just how much I’m still learning, look no further than my early experiences in Top 100’s sister game world, Top 100 Regen.

I’d barely got through the door at Borussia Mönchengladbach before a certain manager appeared in my WhatsApp messages, seemingly delighted to discover some fresh meat in the transfer market! 😂

Before I’d even had time to familiarise myself with the squad, the offers were flying in. Looking back, I’m fairly certain he could smell inexperience through the phone.

And to be fair, he wasn’t wrong!

I was getting excited about signing youngsters rated 83, all aged 21 or under, genuinely believing I’d discovered the bargains of the century.

That was until I decided to do some actual research into their real-world careers.

One was serving a six-month football ban, while another had torn his ACL! 😂

Not quite the scouting masterclass I’d initially imagined.

There I was, thinking I’d outsmarted an experienced manager, when in reality I’d probably just made his Christmas card list.

It’s all part of the learning curve, though. I’ve quickly discovered that there’s a lot more to identifying young talent than looking at their age and Soccer Wiki rating.

These days, I’m researching players properly, looking at their performances, playing time, injuries and long-term prospects before making decisions.

I’m still going to make mistakes, but hopefully they’ll become fewer and further between.

And to that certain manager who welcomed me so enthusiastically to Top 100 Regen…

Don’t worry, mate. I’ve finally discovered Google. 😂

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘

Then there’s the football itself.

If there’s one thing I’ve discovered about managing in Top 100, it’s how easy it is to overthink absolutely everything.

I’ve spent far too much time staring at tactical instructions, wondering whether a slight change in mentality, tempo or formation could be the difference between winning and losing.

Should I attack?

Should I be more cautious?

Is my formation actually working, or have I just been fortunate?

Am I changing something that doesn’t need changing?

Sometimes I find myself questioning tactics that have just delivered three points!

It’s ridiculous when you think about it.

We’ve won six of our opening nine matches, yet I still find myself looking for problems.

Perhaps that’s simply the reality of managing in a world where every point feels important.

But it’s something I need to improve.

I need to learn when to trust my players, trust my system and stop searching for answers to problems that might not even exist.

Because next season, with a significantly smaller senior squad, those decisions could become even more important.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡: 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜

So where do we go from here?

The answer is scouting.

Lots and lots of scouting.

I want our scouts travelling across Europe, South America and wherever else we might discover the next emerging talent.

I’m not necessarily looking for the obvious wonderkids that every manager in Top 100 already knows about.

I’m looking for the players who are just beginning to establish themselves.

The teenager making his first few appearances in Germany.

The young defender quietly becoming a regular in Italy.

The striker tearing up youth football who might be six months away from a senior breakthrough.

The youngster currently rated 78 who could suddenly find himself rated 85 or higher if his real-world career takes off.

I want to find those players before everybody else does.

And when we do find them, I want to have the patience to hold on to them.

That’s where I believe Schalke’s future lies.

Our reduced first-team squad will hopefully provide enough quality to remain competitive, while the rest of our 50-player allocation becomes an investment in the future.

Some players will develop into first-team regulars.

Others will become valuable bargaining chips.

And some, inevitably, will turn out to be complete failures.

But the objective is to gradually build a squad whose value, potential and overall quality increase season after season.

Not through throwing enormous amounts of money at established stars, but through identifying talent before it becomes obvious.

𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗱𝗼.

𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗬𝗘𝗧

And this brings me to the part that genuinely worries me.

In Top 100, finishing 18th or below means losing your job.

There’s no room for sentiment.

It doesn’t matter how many promising youngsters you’ve signed or how impressive your long-term plans might look.

Finish in the bottom three, and you’re gone.

That’s the reality.

And here I am, having just rescued Schalke from 19th place, preparing to dramatically reduce the size of my first-team squad.

Am I mad?

Possibly.

A few injuries, suspensions or poor results could leave us desperately short of options.

Our youngsters might not develop quickly enough.

The established players we sell might turn out to be exactly the ones we needed.

And if things go wrong, this entire project could come crashing down before it ever really gets started.

I think about that more than I’d like to admit.

Because I’ve genuinely become invested in this club.

I didn’t take over Schalke simply to survive ten matches and disappear.

I took over because I saw a challenge that interested me.

A club that had fallen from Division 1 to Division 5.

A club that had become accustomed to losing.

A club that desperately needed somebody to come in with a different approach.

And now that we’ve stopped the decline, I want to see how far we can take it.

But there’s a question I keep coming back to.

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟱?

For me, the answer is becoming increasingly obvious.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

When I wrote The Fall of Schalke, I genuinely didn’t know whether I’d still be managing this club ten games later.

We were 19th, facing the possibility of another disastrous finish, and I was stepping into a game world where I had very little experience.

Nine matches later, we’re 13th.

We’ve won six games, scored 15 goals and given ourselves something that Schalke haven’t had for several seasons.

Hope.

But I don’t want this to become another story about a manager who briefly stopped the decline before settling for mediocrity.

I want to build something.

Something that might take several seasons to come together.

Something that will probably involve more mistakes, more questionable transfers and plenty of sleepless nights wondering whether I’ve got my tactics right.

I know there are better managers than me in Top 100.

I know there are stronger squads.

And I know there’s every possibility that this gamble could end with me getting the sack.

But I’m beginning to realise that if I want to achieve something extraordinary with Schalke, I might have to be prepared to take an extraordinary risk.

The first chapter was about stopping the fall.

The second is about laying the foundations.

Whether those foundations are strong enough to support a return up the divisions remains to be seen.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟱.

The scouts are heading out.

The clearout has begun.

And next season, we’re putting our future in the hands of a new generation.

𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵?

There’s only one way to find out.

𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗲𝗲 — 𝗙𝗖 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲 𝟬𝟰

What a season it’s been in the Swiss town of Basel, as a whole my first season in Top 100 as manager of the mighty “RotBlau” has been a season of progression and unexpected success. We split our end of year review into two sections, Squad Progression and Performance, we start by looking back at where we were when we took over in August…

Squad Progression

As my previous article stated, it was no secret that FC Basel were a team in freefall, they had an ageing squad, no youth at all, mostly trash players and not a lot of assets to work with (36 man squad), the immediate areas of concern were:

• Six players rated 88 and above.
• Eight players under 23 (five aged 21 and under). All trash though.
• Lack of long-term quality: Three of the six high-rated players were over 30.
• Squad of 36 players.

Priority was improving the first team followed by building the u25 aspect of the 2^nd team (with longer term talent between 21 and 25) and then lastly adding to the youth setup. Over the course of the last 5 months Basel have seen a total of 96 players join! There has been a constant flow of players in and out depending on their performances for their clubs and the chance to improve the starting 11.

The framework I wanted to build the squad around was having a 33 man core squad, 3 players for every position with at least one player fitting the following criteria:

Criteria A) 88+ rated aged 30 or under, happy to bring in a slightly older age profile as we rebuild the team slowly so long as they are either playing regularly or cheap to bring in.

Criteria B) 83-87 rated squad player aged under 25, there are many of these players around but it was important to buy players who have potential even if their ratings are lower (E. G. Circati) these players need to be playing regularly for their real life teams also.

Criteria C) Under 21 players with high potential, at least 1 of every position.

That gave me 17 extra spaces to fill, as everyone in Top 100 knows youth is king so the best use of this space would be under 21 talent, but some spaces would be used for 86+ rated squad players that will allow Basel to play higher ratings until our youths/u25s wait to rise, for every older rotation option we buy there will be an under 23 player who should take their spot eventually.

To find 33 players that fit these criteria was, and still is, extremely difficult and laborious, we had some mid-season business which saw 6 key players join the club and some important end of season business as we look towards Division 3 which has seen us bring in an additional 9 players, including 4 for the first team.

Mid-Season Business

We brought in Julian Brandt as a natural CAM to help push for the Division 4 title, Chilwell and Loftus-Cheek came in to give quality in some weak areas of the pitch, Gudmundsson was brought in to offer quality and versatility in the attacking areas and fit's our age profile and lastly Gueye and Gregoritsch were brought in for cash only deals to boost the 2nd teams ratings.

End of Season Business so far...

Brandt sadly had to leave Basel for Cruzeiro but in return we got Yuri ALBERTO (88/24) and Lovro MAJER (89/28). Majer was a direct replacement and slightly younger so fits the age profile and Yuri will replace the ageing Giroud. With the arrival of an under 25 striker we could afford to use Felipe PABLO in another swap...

Iñaki WILLIAMS (90/31) arrived to finally give us a natural AM(R) and boost the quality, Division 3 will be tough so it was worth sending Felipe PABLO and KONE to Internacional to get the deal done.

Wonderkid Kauã PRATES (75/17) arrived with 4 heading to Twente (Loftus-Cheek, Riedel, Vega and Barria), a heavy price to pay indeed but LB is a hard position to find talent and as previously stated, the club was in a position we could just about afford to offload these players.

Emirhan ILKHAN (78/21) also joined from external now he is starting for Torino, a solid pickup.

During the writing of this article we also managed to bring in Geoffrey KONDOGBIA (89/32), we sent a couple of youth players to Tottenham in return but he will enable us to keep the same quality we had last season (replacing Thiago Silva but 9 years younger) whilst waiting for Affengruber or Circati to rise.

The squad that Basel have now is by no means complete or at a place where I am content, but it is on its way to being set up for longer term success and the players we currently have that fit these A, B and C criteria options are:

Criteria A

GK

A) MUSSO – 88/31 – A solid 88 rated keeper who has put in fantastic performances for Atletico when called upon. Solid for now as we wait for rises. Happy to disregard the age requirements for GKs.

RB

A) COUFAL – 87/33 – Not the rating or age profile I would like but one of the best RBs in the Bundesliga, he is a safe 87 with a slight chance of 88 if Hoffenheim continue to overachieve. An area for improvement.

CB

A) KONDOGBIA– 89/32 – Recently swapped a couple of youth players for him, not a long term option at all but gives us a rating boost whilst we wait for others to rise. Will drop to 88 in next review but this is still a solid rating for our project for now.

A) NIAKHATE – 88/29 – One of the best performing CBs in Ligue 1 and Senegal’s key defender on their route to an AFCON win, will surely get a +1 in the next review, can also cover LB.

LB

A) CHILWELL – 88/29 – Has seen redemption at Strasbourg and plays nearly every week, has hit a bit of form over the past 2 months (as of writing this in Jan 2026), a solid LB as this was a weak area for the team. With Vinicius Lira and Kauã Prates, the Left Back position looks set for the foreseeable future.

CM

A) KOKCU– 89/25 – The engine of the team, he is undoubtedly one of the better players in the Turkish league, he will likely not rise unless Besiktas start overperforming however he will at least keep his rating for some time which is fine for us, too good for Turkey so I see him heading back to a top 5 league in the future.

A) SOLER - 88/29 - Came into the team in a swap deal for Thiago Silva, he is playing regularly for Sociedad and can play multiple positions and only just turned 29 so he fits the age/rating profile. Should be replaced by Tanaka or Marlon in due course.

RAM

A) WILLIAMS - 90/31 - Joined the club at the end of the season, Inaki will bring some much needed quality to the first team, another that might drop in the next review but even then its still above our average, a key signing and another one that we hope will help us over the next couple of seasons.

CAM

A) MAJER - 89/28 - Replaces Brandt in the CAM role, Majer will be a key component in a new look front four alongside the other new signings of Inaki, Gudmundsson and Yuri Alberto.

LAM

A) GUDMUNDSSON – 88/28 – Bought in towards the end of the season, he has also hit some form over the past few games as an under performing Fiorentina have changed him to LW leading to 4 G/A in seven, linked with Juventus and Roma, perfect signing for the Basel project.

ST

A) YURI ALBERTO - 88/24 - An exciting young striker who has been heavily linked with a number of top European clubs (Lazio, Roma, Everton to name a few). His arrival allowed us to finally move the 39 year old Giroud onto pastures new.

Criteria B

GK

B) BRAZAO – 84/25 – Even though Santos had a terrible season, he has still been putting in strong performances and is heavily linked with Flamengo and Bayern, he has seen his value on transfermarkt nearly double since I bought him.

RB

B) DONOVAN – 77/19 – Celtics young and upcoming RB, he has already put in a few good performances, plays regularly and has already had a +12. Due to his slightly lower than required rating for the B category, Basel look to Paolo Henrique (86/29) for cover, Vascos best player and himself could get a +1 in the next iteration of reviews.

CB

B) AFFENGRUBER – 86/24 – Affengruber has already been linked to a top team (Man Utd) and seems to be a staple in Elches defence, should hopefully grab 87 in next review and a potential move in the summer so happy to hold as we also have Circati.

B) CIRCATI – 83/22 – Circati has come back from injury and been a force in Parma’s back line, I have had multiple PMs about him since the article about him by Jacek the football talent scout but he will stay as I see him as a long term starting CB alongside Affengruber. Would take a very good offer for us to sell this gem.

LB

B) VALERA – 85/23 – A make shift LB but a top player, is playing regularly for an Elche side having a solid season, got a +2 recently and if he continues to start he could be due a couple more rises over the next two reviews, he will plays LB until Lira or Prates rise then he will be moved to an AM position.

CM

B) MARLON GOMES – 85/22 – After only recently turning 22, Marlon has been ever present for Shakhtar, he's had a dip in form recently but he's young enough to figure it out and be a top player, im sure he will be linked with other teams in the future but for now we are happy to see him play.

B) ROMAN – 80/23 – Celta’s new midfield maestro, he is a regular starter for them and looks to be putting in solid performances as Celta push for a top 6 finish, a starter for any team in La Liga is decent enough for Basels B team, let alone a team pushing for top 6.

RAM

B) ANDRE LUIZ – 82/23 – A big rise is coming as he lights up Portugal, heavily linked with Benfica, he has 7 goals and 6 assist in 18 games in the Liga Portugal, at only 23 he fits what we want long term, a switch to Benfica and some regular game time over the next couple of seasons could see him hit a few decent rises.

CAM

B) TANAKA – 86/27 – Although not under 25, we can make an exception for Tanaka, he has had some blinding games for Leeds, scoring against Liverpool and Chelsea, he has already had a +1 and with some more gametime could easily get 87 if Leeds stay up, a solid pick up for just over £2 million.

LAM

B) YEREMAY HERNANDEZ – 85/23 – The diamond of this squad and the player I think has the biggest upside, he has been Deportivo’s best player and in my opinion, will likely get snapped up by a big team in the summer. Basel have an abundance of talent in these AM(RL) positions so we are quite happy with what we have.

ST

B) AREZO- 83/23 - A former wonderkid who hasn't quite lived up to the reputation, last year he finished the year strong for Penarol and scored a bunch of goals in the second half of the season, has gone back on loan to Penarol until the end of 2026 as their first choice striker and should go back to Gremio as their first choice striker. A solid rotation option to partner an already Young and talented Yuri. Until he rises we use GREGORITSCH (88/31) as backup.

Criteria C

GK

C) FAUSKANGER – 70/17 – A starter for Haugesund and the Norway u20 first choice GK, he put in some good performances towards the back end of 2025 so will monitor his progress.

RB

C) MIKIC – 73/18 – Dinamo’s best young RB has finally started to get regular game time in the first team, he started 3 games in December before getting an injury just before the winter break, Dinamo continue their push for the title on the 25^th of Jan so we hope to see him play many more games before the season is out. Got a +8 today.

CB

C) HUGHES – 82/22 – By far Hull’s most consistent player as they push for promotion to the Prem and at 22 years old he surely has a solid career ahead. Recently inked to Crystal Palace to replace Man City bound Guehi, if he works on his composure a little he could establish himself as a Premier League regular. Slightly older than the u21 we wanted but not a problem.

C) MBOKAZI – 77/20 – Originally scouted back in September, I sold him to then rebuy him three months later for £30m, a costly mistake that I have to take on the chin, a starter for South Africa, got his move to Chicago Fire, one to watch for sure.

LB

C) PRATES -75/17 - Cruzeiros talented new Left Back has almost sealed his switch to Dortmund. A lot of hype around him so we will see how he develops. Could be a generational Left Back and a future cult hero at the club if he develops in line with his hype. Will hope for the best for this kid, have Santos's first team LB Vincius Lira (73/18) as a backup.

CM

C) ILKHAN– 78/21 – Ilkhan has started Torino’s last seven games in all comps and looks to be an up and coming CM in Serie A, he looks to be a real steal purchasing from external and could quickly move into category B if he keeps playing.

C) DZODIC – 73/20 - A calming presence in the middle of Almerias midfield, a regular and consistant performer as they push for promotion into La Liga, he looks to be a shrewd pickup and if Almeria end up getting promoted, he could be in line for a decent rise.

RAM

C) GOZO – 78/18 – He has been a starter for Salt Lake and put in some fantastic performances towards the end of the year, (including 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games for the USA u20 team back in October). Now linked with Aston Villa, another promising prospect.

CAM

C) TIAN NAI KOREN – 65/16 – I believe this kid could go right to the top, he made his debut for the first team in a friendly game on the 8^th of Jan and has made the bench in Brugge's last two games, won’t be long before this guy is known everywhere.

LAM

C) THORVALDSEN – 78/19 – Playing regularly for Valerenga on the Left Wing, he looks very skilful and has bags of pace, another season at Valerenga could set him up for a move away if he keeps up his momentum.

ST

C) ESPI – 80/20 – Hard to pick between him and Mirisola however I think Espi just nudges Mirisola to the best u21 striker at the club as of Jan 2026. He scored his first goal in La Liga recently and is getting regular minutes. Not generational but could develop well and we have enough youths in this position to look promosing.

Overall there has been huge progress over the past season, which to be fair was not hard considering how much of a mess Basel were 5 months ago, we have plenty of talent with potential and only 6 players (5 outfield) above 30 (Kondogbia, Gueye, Gregoritsch, Inaki, Musso and Coufal) and only 1 player in the first team below 88, which is the RB and our main focus for recruitment at the minute, but more importantly some key squad stats over the past 5 months:

Key Season Stats

71% of the squad is aged 25 and under (compared to 31% when I took over)

Average age of first team squad dropped from 29 to 27

Total squad value increase of 10.6% in 5 months

Value of U21 team increased by 362%

Average rating of the starting 11 has increased by 0.1 to 88.4 but the average age has dropped by 1.3 from 30.3 to 29.0

Number of 87 and under players in the first team dropped from 4 to 1.

Next, it's time to analyse the team performance...

Performance

Our sole objective this season to finish in the top 6 and push for promotion, this season there was no expectation in the Cup, Shield, Youth Cup or the World Club Cup as this was the first season for Basel under new management and there were players flying out the door so no consistancy to start with, nevertheless there were some exceptional showings in certain competitions which far exceeded what I wanted from this squad…

Division 4 - Winners!

Truley a momentus achievement considering what shape Basel were in last season. The first third of the season saw Basel put themseves around the top 3, winning a fair few games but getting used to the team and the best use of tactics, unfortunately a lack of quality led to a terrible mid season slump, and what a slump it was. There was a three week period at the end of November where we won only 1 out of 10 games, a complete tactical revamp took place which lead to 11 wins in 13 games including a vital 2-1 win against former league leaders Lille. This late run partnered with Lilles drop off lead to a Division 4 title, winning on the last day by 2 points.

Top 100 Cup – 1^st Round Knockout

Knocked out in the first round by Chris’s strong CSKA side, the team was still in the rebuild stage which is evidenced by 10 of the starting 11 no longer playing for the club.

Top 100 Shield – Semi Finals

A real charge into the latter stages of this competition gave us an actual chance of silverware, coming up against a strong Malaga side in the semi’s was always going to be an uphill fight and a 2-1 loss saw us go home with our heads held high, Málaga then went on to win the competition (congrats Dave) so it was probably the right result.

Notable Wins:

- Quarter final - Leverkusen (4-2)

- Round 3 - Barcelona (2-1)

- Round 2 - Arsenal (2-0)

World Club Cup (WCC) – Round of 16

There was no expectation here, participation was going to be more of an experience to learn the format, however Basel really pushed their performances to the limit, FC Basel finished 1st in Group A, going undefeated in a group that had Sporting and Sao Paolo. We then beat Division 3 Sampdoria in the Round of 32 only to lose to Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.

Notable Wins:

- Group Stage – Sao Paolo (A) 2-1

- Group Stage – Sporting (H) 2-1

Closing Thoughts and Future Plans

Overall, it’s been a successful first season in Top 100, winning Basel's 2^nd ever trophy (not counting play offs) was incredible and no matter what happens now, Basel and I will share that first season success.

Everyone always think's their team is the one thats going to break the mold, so im not getting carried away at all, Division 3 will be tough but at the very least the free falling mess that used to be Basel is stable, avoiding relegation is the only focus for next year, we would love another cup run like the Shield but it's best to base expectations in reality.

Thank you to all those that have taken the time to organise everything, Hopefully this blog and many others like it will show how much some of us love the grind of GWs like Top 100.

The Football Manager (FM)

the Renaissance, of the blue eagle

After 2 and a half years, away from the Top 100, Internacional being the last club trained, the return was at the helm of Lazio in Rome.

We received a squad that was somewhat aged, or with little future, with names like Lloris, Torreira, Bailly, Gosens, Jesus Navas, Gigot, Aouar, Jovic (this was a bad transfer approach), and Antony (who seemed to be in decline, but now seems to be on the best path), becoming 2 deals, that left the fans of the Roman club with doubts regarding the new coach.

Assuming that these first seasons would be about restructuring, the acquisition of young players, or players with a future prospect, on the market, has been the main objective, up until today.
As the club is looking at next season, as a season in which it may have more ambition, and in terms of results, to have a season with a view to qualifying for the playoffs, some experienced players were signed, such as Morata and Djmsiti, who could become club legends, and for those same playoffs are reached, some adjustments were necessary, such as Dimitrievski, Tiago Silva, Krunic, El Kaabi, Barboza, Junior Santos, Machida and Downes, giving depth to a squad that is still lacking in high-level rates.

But the future work was being done, with Arthur Chaves (starter in the Bundesliga), Lelo (future left-back for Braga), Koopmeiners (starter at Az, and with prospects of leaving in one of the next markets), Aaaronson (who seems to have found himself at Leeds, and who next season, in Premier League, will return to the Premier), Arokodare (the giant, goalscorer in Belgium), Leysen (starter in the Belgian championship, and already talked about as a possible transfer to Inter), Valentini (in his debut year in Italy), Kevin Carlos (top scorer in Switzerland, and one of the surprises of the championship), Ljubicic (who arrived in the Bundesliga in January), Balogh (starter at Parma, and called up for the Hungarian national team), Gigovic (starter in the Bundesliga), Denisov (owner of the right wing at Spartak, and fighting for the title in Russia), Wolfe (starter at AZ), Alvyn Sanches (promising Swiss, with a call-up to the national team), Sontje Hansen (finally playing consecutive minutes in her career, and still in time to confirm everything that was expected in the Ajax academy), and Kvistgaarden (with a high-level season at Brondby), are the players, between 22 and 24 years old, in the squad.

In the age group, 21 years and under, Castrop (with a move next summer to Monchengladbach), Mateo Joseph (with many games at Leeds, and call-ups to the Spanish under-21s), Bazdar (one of Bosnia's great hopes), Chris Brady (a starter in the MLS, since a very young age, and a possible future starter for the USA, or Scotland), Karim Sow (a starter in the Swiss league), Karlsson (a starter at Hammarby), Mundle (with a brilliant start to the season at Sunderland, and now back from injury), João Vasconcelos (considered one of the best possible players, trained by the Braga academy), Gustavo Varela (a name highly regarded in the Benfica academy), Hojlund (a promising Danish player, but somewhat lost at Schalke), Banel (trained at Ajax academy, who in January, moved to Burnley), Kochen (promising to become a top GK), Taibo (one of the great  hopes of the Sporting academy), Ugwu (promising prospect of the Ajax youth academy), Youssef Enriquez (Real Madrid acdemy who chose to represent Morocco), José Silva (considered one of the possible pearls of the Sporting academy), Verhounig (Salzburg academy, and with an excellent Youth Cup achievement), Yannick Eduardo (Leipzig academy, playing in the Dutch championship), Denilson Santos (another possible pearl of the Sporting academy), Tiago Poller (great hope of the Hoffenheim academy), Robinio Vaz (great hope of the Marseille academy), Jesse Bisiwu (Brugge academy), and Berchimas (considered a possible pearl of the USA).

These are the young players that Lazio's project is betting on, always with the aim of strengthening the team and always looking for interesting deals.

It's a pleasure to be back in the Top100, and I will try to achieve such an interesting project as the one I developed at Internacional, with the promise of not opening a new school for goalkeepers :)