My debut season is underway and already MFL feels all-consuming. Matches come thick and fast – one every day, sometimes two once the cup begins – and there is always another decision to make. around player rotation and tactics.

It has made these opening weeks far more intense than I expected, but also far more enjoyable.

At the same time, I have found myself caught between two options.

Having built a squad in the image of Madero Mayhem – tough, fearless and slightly chaotic – part of me wants to throw everything at this first season and chase automatic promotion. But another part knows this year was always meant to be about learning the game, understanding the match engine and helping this squad develop.

The challenge, therefore, has been finding the balance between those two approaches: rotating enough to keep players fresh without losing momentum, giving young players chances, and sticking to the long-term plan while still chasing results in the here and now.

So far, that balancing act has made for a fascinating first half of the season.

League Updates

Before we get into the season itself, there are two important developments in Flint 49.

1 – We have a new team. Finale Ligure FC joined during the late registration period, becoming the 12th and final side in the division.

2 – In less welcome news, Atlantis went on a Transfer Deadline Day spending spree, signing seven players rated between 68 and 72 OVR. Overnight, they leapfrogged both ourselves and Dutch Gooners to become the new title favourites.

The Season So Far

With a decent pre-season done and dusted, I went into the season with our 5-3-2 system looking ready for the fight ahead. But would it fare as well in competitive games?

As I decided to use the Cup competition more for developmental purposes, I’ll cover that separately to the league.

Matchday 1: MFC Adriverona (a)

Our first game was against MFC Adriverona. Based on the strength of their squad I’d chosen to rest 7 of my “starting 11”. 

The season began in perfect fashion. Madero Mayhem FC swept aside MFC Adriverona 6-0 in an opening-day statement, with striker Nestor Zamorano scoring twice and midfielder Gunnar Bork grabbing himself two goals and two assists. Despite seeing less of the ball, the Mayhem were ruthless, producing 3.34 xG to just 0.50 against and showing that the new-look 5-3-2 can be every bit as dangerous as hoped.

Full Time: W 6-0

Roster Moves

Just hours after the first game had finished, I was forced into some roster moves. As I’d completed another section of the tutorial, I was tempted with a reward pack. Two players for $14. As both the number of these packs, and the time of availability was limited I couldn’t help myself.

So, in came two new players.

The first was a 54 OVR goalkeeper, who’s gone straight to the Development Centre. The second was much more intriguing.

Romanian central midfielder, Stefan Alexe, is a 63 OVR, very well-rounded addition to the Mayhem who should add more poise and balance to the midfield trio.

Alexe’s addition to the squad meant that Walter Falcone became the odd-man out and he was sent on loan to another team in the Flint league.

Matchday 2: All Stars FC (a)

As All Stars FC had a “bye week” on Matchday 1, it was tough to plan for them. I assumed they’d use the same 4-3-3 as last season and luckily I was correct. With my squad being stronger (on paper at least!) I made 9 changes to the starting line-up but was left very frustrated.

If the opening day was exhilarating, Game 2 was a reminder of football’s cruelty. The Mayhem again controlled the match, out-creating All Stars FC and even seeing a first-half effort ruled out, before Nestor Zamorano finally broke the deadlock on 82 minutes. But with victory seconds away, a rare defensive mistake from Vollmer allowed All Stars to snatch an injury-time equaliser. The performance was good enough to win. The lesson, perhaps, was that this league will punish even the smallest lapse.

Full Time: D 1-1

Matchday 3: AS Evo Sale (h)

The first team to visit Estadio Ciudad Madero was AS Evo Sale, who’d won one and lost one in their first two games.

As they played a 4-3-3 I kept the same system as the previous game, hoping our domination would carry over and we wouldn’t concede to any defensive errors.

After the exhilaration of the opening day and the frustration of a late equaliser against All Stars, Matchday 3 brought a different kind of warning. Against a weaker AS Evo Salé side, the Mayhem were flat, passive and second-best. The 5-3-2 that had looked so devastating in Game 1 suddenly lacked spark, urgency and attacking thrust. A goalless draw may have preserved the unbeaten start, but it also underlined the need for tactical astuteness and assertiveness from the management.

Full Time: D 0-0

A Plan B (Or is it a new Plan B?)

Life comes at you fast in MFL.

Therefore, you don’t get much time to dwell when things aren’t quite going your way.

Concerned that the 5-3-2 wasn’t putting us on the front foot enough, I started thinking of systems which had been successful without using classic wide men (as I don’t have any!).

My mind instantly went to a coach and system I’d spent quite a bit of time studying a few years ago: Marcello Gallardo’s 4-1-3-2 at River Plate. 

Excitedly heading into MFL’s tactics screen, I pulled up the 4-1-3-2 and was delighted to see it fits us perfectly and should not only maintain our solid structure, but also stick to the strengths of the assembled squad. In fact, it potentially suits us better than the 5-3-2. 

Obviously, due to the MFL tactical system being quite basic still, I couldn’t get into the detail as much as I had in FM21 – when I implemented it at AC Milan, winning the Scudetto – but after some tinkering and a few friendlies the signs were promising. 

Could it work in the league?

Matchday 4: Finale Ligure FC (a)

As Finale Ligure FC use a 4-4-2, with two holding midfielders, I knew this was a perfect opportunity to try out the 4-1-3-2. The extra man in midfield should help us dominate the middle of the park and as we hadn’t won the possession battle in any of our games so far, this would be welcomed with open arms.

Despite going down 0-1 early on, we kicked into life and a goal from Escobar, followed by two from midfielder Espindola gave us a good victory.

Full Time: W 3-1

Matchday 5: MW Make MFC (h)

MW Maklo MFC would be the first team we’d played against using 3 centre-backs system. Even though they were languishing near the bottom of the table, I abandoned rotation and sent out a side built to impose itself, ensuring the winning run kept going.

Full Time: W 5-1

After 5 games, we find ourselves in 4th position. Lower than I’d like at this early stage – let down by the two draws – but I’ve been able to rotate the squad a lot, which leaves us fresh going into a game with 2nd placed Dutch Gooners.

Matchday 6: Dutch Gooners (h)

This was the game I’d had my eye on throughout the early stages of the season. Dutch Gooners were the league favourites until Atlantis’s spending spree, but under the lights at Estadio Ciudad Madero there was only one mood: make the stadium a fortress and send them home beaten.

They play a narrow 4-2-2-2, and I’d sent out my Gallardo inspired 4-1-3-2 formation to neutralise their central threat, as well as take advantage of their lack of width.

We dominated from start to finish, eventually taking the lead on 35 minutes through Bork. Then just before halftime we scored 3 goals in 4 minutes, with Escobar scoring two and Zamoramo grabbing the 4th.

A real statement victory, which puts us up into 2nd place, and proof that a little tactical flexibility can get great results.

There are victories, and then there are statements. Dutch Gooners arrived unbeaten and feared. They left having failed to register a single shot on target. The Mayhem’s 4-1-3-2 tore through the narrow 4-2-2-2. Cambier rampaged down the left, Alexe and Espindola controlled midfield, and Madero Mayhem swept to a stunning 4-0 victory. The Mayhem had not just matched Dutch Gooners. They had dismantled them.

Full Time: W 4-0

Alfonso Escobar, two goals in a crunch game

Matchday 7: Guayaquil Goats (a)

Lining up against 8th placed Guayaquil Goats, I was eager to keep the momentum going so put out a slightly stronger team than I’d initially planned. Lining up in our Gallardo 4-1-3-2 again, we had a nervy first half, going in 0-0, but kicked on in the second with two developmental squad players (Simuenovic & Haga) getting on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win, along with a brace from Escobar.

Full Time: W 4-1

Matchday 8: Nordhavn Drakkar FK (a)

Sticking with the 4-1-3-2 we came up against a very resilient Nordhavn Drakkar FK. Their narrow 4-2-2-2 proved very difficult to break through. However, they couldn’t keep us at bay for long and we eventually went on to win 4-0. Escobar added his 8th goal in 4 games with a hattrick.

Full Time: W 4-0

Matchday 9: Scratchin Lovers

I had Scratchin Lovers pinned as a potential banana skin for some time. They were picking up some good results and had scored the 3rd most goals in the division, helping them to an over-achieving 4th place. Despite being wary of their aggressive 4-2-4, I lined up in our 4-1-3-2, knowing I could dominate the middle.

Scratchin Lovers walked into a tactical trap. Their aggressive 4-2-4 left them hopelessly outnumbered in midfield and the Mayhem’s 4-1-3-2 ripped through them with astonishing ease. By half-time the game was over. By full-time, it had become absurd. Zamorano scored five, Bork and Espindola supplied six assists between them, and Madero Mayhem recorded a scarcely believable 10-0 victory.

Full Time: W 10-0

Matchday 10: Evo FC

This game was a simple one. The opponents didn’t put out a valid team, and so they forfeited the game I we picked up a default 3-0 win

Full Time: W 3-0

Matchday 11: Atlantis

Atlantis may have had the stars and the spending power, but they were coming into our house. The black-and-red smoke, the noise and the sense that everyone in Ciudad Madero believed an upset was possible made it feel like more than just another game.

They are the giants of this division. As such, they’ve destroyed all in their path. Scoring 52 and conceding only 2.

Yet, if I wanted a chance to win the division, we’d have to beat them.

Twice.

To counter their aggressive 3-5-2, with dangerous wingers who top the scoring charts, I deployed the 4-1-3-2. This should add an extra man into the middle of the park, hoping I could win the battle there, allowing my wide midfielders and fullbacks to attack them down the flanks.

But, a tactical plan can only do so much… when push comes to shove, it’s down to the players.

We started brightly and had the better chances in the first half, with Left Midfielder Gunnar Bork, scoring his 10th of the season to give us a well deserved 1-0 lead after 36 minutes.

Moment later, striker Alfonso Escobar glanced a header fractions wide of the post.

Atlantis came back into the game in the early stages of the second half, testing Vasquez in goal a few times before they made their pressure pay with an equaliser after 66 minutes.

We then wrestled the game back in our favour.

In the 80th minute came the golden chance we’d been seeking. Zamorano was put through 1v1.

He slid the ball past the helpless ‘keeper, but the shot hit the post and rebounded out across the face of goal…

To the waiting feet of Alfonso Escobar… who released a shot which went wide of the post.

And with that we lost our chance to win the game.

And with it, he dream of hunting Atlantis down.

Atlantis are way superior to everyone else, I find it impossible to believe they’ll drop anymore points (until they meet us again!)

Full Time: 1-1

Mid-Season Round Up

I’ll say it again – I’ve never had so much fun or engagement in a Football Management game.

I’ve loved every minute so far.

Obviously, the Atlantis result changes things slightly. I can’t see them dropping any points so it looks like the playoffs are my only hope for promotion.

Surprisingly, Dutch Gooners have dropped down to 6th at the mid-way point, with Finale Ligure leading the pack behind Atlantis and ourselves.

In the cup, I decided – rightly or wrongly – to use it purely for developmental purposes. As such, we set up in a defensive, 5-2-3, and whilst it didn’t bring any wins, it did pick up a few draws and a narrow loss when vastly outmatched.

In the final match, as we have a few days break from games, I put out a stronger, but still rotated, lineup and we sailed to a 5-1 victory.

Recruitment Strategy

Had we beaten Atlantis, I would’ve gone all out to win the division and signed players accordingly.

However, I now have another balancing act to manage.

1. I have the opportunity to take my foot off the gas a little and continue giving some younger players the game time them need to develop.
2. When the playoffs arrive – if I’m still in the playoff places – I want a stronger team to give me the best chance possible.

The plan remains the same: build Mayhem organically. Recruit young, hungry players with the physicality, aggression and mentality to fit the club, then develop them into something bigger.

Up Next

WIth the transfer window opening tomorrow, the next update will cover my ins and outs, as well as looking at the squad and how they’re performing.

Whatever happens this season, one thing already feels certain: Madero Mayhem FC is becoming exactly the kind of club I hoped it would be.

Thanks for reading.

Release the Mayhem!