Tester Team ME Win % PPG AGF AGA GD PL W D L
Total 58% 1.91 2.29 1.33 0.95 203 118 34 51
elmilanista84 Fenerbahçe 24.3 79% 2.53 3.0 0.7 2.26 38 30 6 2
TN967 Briton Ferry 24.2.0.0 53% 1.77 2.1 1.5 0.65 165 88 28 49

ISMAIL KARTAL'S FENERBAHÇE 2023-24 TACTIC EMULATION IN FOOTBALL MANAGER

Last season marked a resurgence for Fenerbahçe, the historic Istanbul club that battled until the end with city rivals Galatasaray for the title. Unfortunately, the championship slipped away by just three points as Galatasaray had an incredible campaign, surpassing 100 points with 102, while Fenerbahçe stopped at 99. The revival of Fenerbahçe was thanks to coach İsmail Kartal, who implemented an aggressive, high-pressing style aimed at immediate ball recovery and swift transitions from defense to attack.

Fenerbahçe scored 99 goals in the Turkish Süper Lig, making them the league's top scorers (followed by Galatasaray with 92). Despite their offensive approach, they boasted the second-best defense in the league, conceding 31 goals (the best being Galatasaray with 26). However, despite these excellent results, the club's management replaced Kartal with José Mourinho over the summer. At the time of writing, Mourinho's Fenerbahçe is second in the league after 11 matches, trailing Galatasaray, and was eliminated from the Champions League qualifiers by Lille, dropping into the Europa League.

Emulating Kartal's Tactics in Football Manager 2024

Kartal’s system revolves around a flexible 4-2-3-1, leveraging the left flank's synergy between Dusan Tadić and Ferdi Kadıoğlu (replaced this year by Brazilian Lincoln) to create numerous chances. On the right, Nigerian full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel causes havoc with his overlapping runs, delivering precise crosses and passes to the forwards. However, the offensive nature of the full-backs leaves space for counterattacks.

Formation

  • 4-2-3-1 (with two central midfielders or two defensive midfielders)
  • Mentality: Positive

In Possession

  • Width: Wide
  • Pass into spaces Find pockets of space between the opposition’s lines
  • Play out of defense
  • Focus play down the flanks: Full-backs provide width
  • Overlap left and right
  • Passing directness: Shorter
  • Tempo: Higher
  • Crosses: Low
  • Work the ball into the box
  • Be more expressive

In Transition

  • Counter-press
  • Counter
  • Goalkeeper distribution to center-backs and take short kicks

Out of Possession

  • Line of engagement: High
  • Defensive line: higher
  • Trigger press: much more often
  • Prevent short goalkeeper distribution
  • Get stuck in
  • Step up more: Apply an offside trap
  • Trap outside: Force opposition wide

Player Roles and Instructions

  • Dominik Livaković: Sweeper Keeper (Support) – No  instructions.
  • Bright Osayi-Samuel: Complete Wing-Back (Attack) – No instructions. A dynamic player whose constant overlapping runs and pace make him an additional forward. Alternatively, set him as an attacking wing-back with "Stay wider" to emphasize width.
  • Lincoln:  Wing-Back (Support) – Stay wider. Less aggressive than Osayi-Samuel, Lincoln combines with Tadić on the left and overlaps when Tadić cuts inside.
  • Rodrigo Becão: Central Defender (Defend) – Mark Tighter, tackle harder, take fewer risks.
  • Çağlar Söyüncü: Central Defender (Defend) – Same as Becão.
  • Fred: Deep-Lying Playmaker (Support) – No instructions.
  • Sofyan Amrabat: Box-to-Box Midfielder (Support) –  Mark Tighter,  move into channels, get further forward.
    • In a defensive setup, Amrabat plays as a Ball-Winning Midfielder (Defend) with mark tighter.
  • Cengiz Ünder:  Inside forward (Attack) – Shoot more often, roam from position, mark tighter, tackle harder , sit narrower.
  • Sebastian Szymański: Attacking Midfielder (Support) – Dribble more, get further forward, roam from position, move into channels, tackle harder , tighter marking. Szymański often drops back in defense to form a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1, enhancing defensive solidity. In attack, he interchanges positions with forwards, exploiting spaces created by Edin Džeko's movements.
  • Dusan Tadić: Inverted Winger (Attack) – Roam from position, mark tighter marking, tackle harder, sit  narrower. Tadić thrives as an inverted winger, cutting inside and creating chances. He could also play as a Wide Playmaker (Attack) but suits Kartal's preference for quick transitions the inverted winger role is better. 
  • Edin Džeko: Deep-Lying Forward (Attack) – Shoot less often, roam from position, tackle harder, mark tighter . Džeko drops deep to link play and create space for teammates, excelling in hold-up play and finishing.

Results

  • Turkish Süper Lig: Champions (96 points, 30W, 6D, 2L, 113 goals scored, 27 conceded) – Džeko scored 35 goals.
  • Turkish Cup: Winners.
  • Champions League: Eliminated in playoffs by Benfica.


Test Results


Fenerbahçe

elmilanista84
2 months ago
18 minutes ago
20
ME Win % PPG AGF AGA GD PL W D L
24.3 79% 2.53 3.0 0.7 2.26 38 30 6 2

Briton Ferry

TN967
3 weeks ago
2 days ago
0
ME Win % PPG AGF AGA GD PL W D L
24.2.0.0 53% 1.77 2.1 1.5 0.65 165 88 28 49


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