Here is a brief FM20 team guide of the Man City squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM manager can use in Football Manager 2020
Here is a brief FM20 team guide of the Man City squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM manager can use.About the club
Manchester City are the strongest PL team in this decade with 4 league titles and 2 FA Cup wins. They’re also easily the most consistent PL side during this period. The club is owned by what you would call in FM terms a “Sugar Daddy” owner who will pour in money as long as you show the results.
The board's expectations
Man City are the current holders of the Premier League, in-fact they’re back to back champions. The board expectations should you take over will be;
- Win the Premier League
- A Final< finish at the UEFA Champions league
- A Final< finish in the FA cup
Obviously the expectations are high but this isn’t a surprise considering you’ll already be taking over a champion side and be replacing the manager who is regarded as the best in the world currently (No Pressure).
The board will require you to play attacking football, sign high profile players and develop players that emerge from the club’s youth system.
Man City probably have the best training and youth facilities in the league and have already produced world class youngsters that are taking world football by storm.
Should you want to delve into the transfer market, you will be provided with a substantial budget and high wages required for the high profile signings that the board demands.
Squad, Formation and Tactical Style
Man City have a plethora of stars in their squad with multiple options for each position. You can deploy multiple tactics and still find success, however let us see what works best for the personnel available.
Man City in real life play a very possession heavy style of football with them pressing high up the field and winning back the ball. You can do the same with a tiki taka/ vertical tiki taka style of football with high pressing instructions and a free role for the attacking wingers.
A 4-1-2-3 is the best suited formation for Man City where all the players can play to their strengths. This would also help in winning possession high up the pitch and play a fast tempo game.
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 4-1-2-3 formation is as follows;
- Ederson Moraes as a sweeper keeper
- Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy as wing backs.
- Aymeric Laporte & John Stones as Ball playing centre back with defend instructions.
- Fernandinho/Rodri to play as a defensive playmaker
- David Silva as a roaming playmaker from central midfield, Kevin De Bruyne as a Advanced Playmaker from central midfield
- Raheem Sterling as the left inside forward and Bernardo Silva on the right wing
- Sergio Aguero as an Advanced forward or a Pressing forward or best for tiki taka purposes as a deep lying forward.
Key Players
Man City have the most star studded squad of all teams in the Premier League. Some key players in their line-up are,
1. Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero has the best goal to game ratio among all players in the PL and is a goal machine. Keep him fit and he will be smashing in 20+ league goals every season.
2. Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is a master passer, his vision is second to none and will rake up those assists and constantly trouble the assist chart. He will also pop up with crucial goals.
3. Fernandinho
One of the very few defence minded players in the squad and his performances are key to City not conceding too many goals. He also initiates most attacks with quick transitions.
4. Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling had a magnificent tally of 25 goals last season for Man City and is a constant goal threat from the wings.
Weaknesses
With a squad full of superstars and a very high budget there are very few weaknesses with managing man city, however some problems you may encounter are;
- Man City are a very diminutive side and are not very physical. Against tall strong sides that rely on set plays you could end up conceding silly goals.
- Having a squad full of superstars could create a new problem on its own with players constantly getting unhappy over playing time. This also makes it very hard to give minutes to youngsters and you could end up losing some best talents.
- The board and fan expectations are pretty high and anything other than championships will be season as a failure.
Youngsters to keep an eye on
There are a lot of exciting young prospects in the ranks or on loan who have the potential to be some of the best players in the league. A few examples are;
- Phil Foden (CM)
- Claudio Gomes (CDM)
- Eric Garcia (CB)
- Nabil Touazi (ST)
FM20 Man City Team Guide - Summary
To summarise, with a star-studded squad and unlimited budgets, Man City could be the favourites for many managers. However, the expectations are as high as the quality of the squad. Could you one up Pep Guardiola and lead Man City to their elusive first UEFA Champions League win?!
