RSL in the WSL Part 16
Goalkeepers
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RSL in the WSL Part 16
I think we’ve finally come to an appropriate time to introduce the squad.
My plan is to go over our entire first team squad position by position. I waited until now to make sure that my explanations would not be interrupted or made obsolete by transfers. Playing through a few games has also given me a feeling for most of our players, which makes this process a lot easier.
Most people who play Football Manager wind up zooming through weeks and even months of the season, usually in an attempt to get their young players to grow as quickly as possible. The problem with this approach is that you never really have enough time to get to know your players and to create a deep connection with your project. We’re doing the opposite here – we’re taking it nice and slow, and will focus on establishing lasting connections.
Goalkeeper
Our focus today is on our goalkeepers. Our tactic calls for a Sweeper Keeper playing with a Defend “duty:”
As I said before, I’m not an expert on the ins and outs of any Football Manager tactics, let alone this overpowered downloaded tactic. Based on my experience, however, I believe that this sweeper keeper role is intended to create counter attacking opportunities, when possible, without playing overly aggressively.
I should also note that we only have three defensively minded positions in the entire tactic. You can probably guess why we’ve had so many problems with giving up scoring chances so far.
Let’s meet our first-team goalkeepers!
Kilian Schubert
Schubert is obviously our first-choice goalkeeper. He has better raw ability than any of our other goalkeepers. He doesn’t have a ton of experience, and has given up more than his share of goals in a few games this season. However, I really like what I see here, and absolutely believe that he will be a star player for us for years to come.
The upward facing arrows you’re seeing in his attributes are an indication of just how well the Evidence Based Football Manager training system works. Players don’t become world-class overnight; however, at this rate, I would not be surprised to see Schubert ranking as one of the better goalkeepers of the league by the end of the season.
We bought Schubert from Hertha BSC for £475,000 during the preseason, as part of my plan to buy any affordable young player with a positive personality and high potential. He hasn’t been perfect so far, as you can see; however, his attitude is positive, and he seems to be making good progress.
Again, these aren’t exactly super goalkeeper statistics, but they are good enough for me at the moment. Many of the goals he’s allowed have been due to defensive inadequacy rather than this own fault. This will improve over time.
This is a pretty low contract with a few clauses that aren’t exactly the end of the world. I always hate seeing the unused substitute fee for a goaltender, but I think we can deal with it in this case.
His coach report is also generally positive. There are a few things we can do in his training to help him improve. Most of the few cons will improve themself, such as the dressing room element and his current ability.
Oleg Golubka
You’ll remember that I was very excited about Golubka a few posts ago. He’s still on the first team, though we need some time for him to develop.
Golubka’s progress isn’t quite as fast as Schubert, and his current ability isn’t quite at the same level. However, I love that professional personality and reserved media handling style. If all goes well, and if he really does have the potential ability that the game is showing me, I think he may wind up overtaking Schubert in a few years.
We wound up buying Golubka for £25,000 from Karpaty during the preseason. It cost almost nothing to get him, and he’s played quite well for us in his two starts so far. He’s absolutely one to keep an eye on, and I may give him more starts here and there as the season progresses.
This looks better than Shubert, as you can clearly see. I’m seeing a lot of potential here.
Best of all, we’re paying practically nothing for Golubka. That’s one of the biggest advantages of going with a youthful squad – you get a lot of good play for very little cash.
There is an argument to be made here that Golubka really should be starting. I’m going to keep an eye on him as we move forward. There really aren’t a lot of negatives here, and I think he has the potential to be a squad leader before long.
Comparison
Though it seems obvious here that Schubert is the better player, his advantage isn’t as large as you might think. Golubka dos have a bit of height advantage, and is already much better in the air. As I said, it will be important to watch Golubka as we move forward.
Reserves and Youth
We don’t really have much of a “youth setup” here, since all of our players are under 20. Here are the ones who aren’t currently in the first team:
MacMath would normally be the obvious first-team choice – if this were a “normal” save, that is. I don’t like his personality and am wary of his age. He’s out on loan at the moment only because I couldn’t convince a team to buy him.
Jeff Dewsnup is a real-life player, not a newgen. I’m extremely concerned about his lack of determination and about that balanced personality, which is usually a sign of low professionalism. I’m also trying to move him on, and have yet to find a buyer. He is improving at a quick pace, though, which at least should mean that we’ll find a buyer.
You’ve already met Nicky Stott, who is now on our reserves. He and the other three are mostly options for the future. Chances are that they’ll wind up on loan for a few years once they turn 17 or 18, after which they’ll either move up or will move on. I’m not seeing the professionalism that we’re really looking for with any of them, which means that they are expendable in the end.