football scores today

Let’s be honest, building a championship squad in Football Manager 2020 isn’t just about buying the best players your budget allows. If it were, we’d all be winning trebles by 2022. I’ve lost count of the seasons where my meticulously assembled, star-studded lineup has crumbled under pressure, failing to click when it mattered most. It reminds me of a quote I once came across from basketball player Mo Tautuaa after a tough loss: “I’m not gonna say much. You all saw the play. I don’t agree with the call. That’s the exact opposite of the right call.” That feeling of sheer frustration, where you’ve done everything by the book but an external decision—or in FM terms, a tactical tweak, a player’s hidden attribute, or just plain bad luck—derails your plans, is all too familiar. The key takeaway? Building a true championship team is about creating a resilient system that minimizes those moments where you feel the game, or the referee’s call, has gone against you. It’s about control, cohesion, and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics that goes far beyond star ratings.

My first principle, and one I learned the hard way after a disastrous save with a mid-table Premier League side, is that balance trumps brilliance every single time. You can have a world-class striker banging in 35 goals a season, but if your midfield lacks a player who can consistently win the ball back, you’re vulnerable. I aim for a core of about 18-20 players I genuinely trust, with a clear first-choice XI and specific, tailored backups. Don’t just sign a “decent” central midfielder; sign one whose profile complements your starter. If your playmaker is a technical marvel like a David Silva type, his backup should be similar, not a bruising tackler. This consistency in style is crucial for tactical familiarity. I’m a big believer in using the squad depth screen religiously, ensuring I have at least two strong options for every position and a versatile youngster who can cover multiple spots. Data is your friend here. I’ll spend hours scouting not just for current ability, but for attributes like Consistency, Important Matches, and Pressure. A player with 15 for both those hidden attributes is often more valuable to a title chase than a mercurial talent with 5s, regardless of his technical stats. I once signed a striker with finishing only at 13, but his 17 for Important Matches made him a clutch playoff hero.

Tactical fluidity is the next layer. Having a single, rigid tactic is a recipe for being found out. Your championship-winning system needs at least two, maybe three, fully familiarized plans. I always start with my primary, attacking philosophy—let’s say a positive, vertical tiki-taka. But I also drill a more cautious, counter-attacking 4-1-4-1 for tough away games, and a high-pressing, very attacking 4-2-3-1 for when I’m chasing a game. The magic happens in how you transition between them. It’s not about reacting after you go 1-0 down; it’s about proactively shifting momentum. If I see my possession-based approach is just leading to sideways passes against a deep block, I might switch to a more direct style early in the second half, telling my wing-backs to hit early crosses. This proactive management is what separates the contenders from the champions. Man-management is the glue that holds it all together. Regular team meetings, one-on-one chats about form, and handling unhappiness swiftly are non-negotiable. I’ve found that promising a player a specific role—and sticking to it—builds tremendous trust. Rotate wisely, not arbitrarily. Use the squad rotation feature for cup games, but keep your core together for the big league matches. A happy, cohesive squad with high morale plays with about a 10-15% boost in effectiveness, in my experience. They make fewer mental errors, fight for each other, and often snatch late winners.

Finally, the long-term vision. A championship squad isn’t built for one season; it’s built to dominate. That means a ruthless focus on youth development and succession planning. I always try to have one “wonderkid” being mentored by a senior pro in each key area of the pitch. The data here is fascinating—though I’m paraphrasing from memory, I believe a study of top FM players showed that saves with a clear 5-year recruitment plan had a 70% higher success rate after three seasons compared to those just buying for immediate needs. Use your scouts to find those 16-18 year olds with high determination and strong personalities. Sell players at their peak value, a year before you think they’ll decline, to fund the next cycle. It’s a brutal but necessary part of sustaining success.

So, pulling it all together, building that championship squad is a symphony, not a solo. It’s the balanced recruitment, the tactical intelligence, the man-management, and the forward planning all working in harmony. You’ll still have those Mo Tautuaa moments—a dubious penalty awarded against you in the 89th minute, a key injury before a cup final—but with a truly resilient squad, those become setbacks, not catastrophes. They become stories you tell about the season you battled through adversity, not the excuses for why you failed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a youth intake to assess. That 15-year-old Brazilian regen isn’t going to scout himself, and he might just be the cornerstone of my next dynasty.