On Football Manager 16 my blogging about the game was limited to my Ajax save where I was trying to achieve something similar to what I’m trying here with Porto.
One of the more popular parts of the blog series was my regular prospect reports where I would highlight some of the most promising young players in our various squads and discuss which areas I felt they could improve in.
The prospects series therefore is making a return with Porto in FM17. I’ve listed a total of 10 in the initial list but entry is very much fluid depending on what I see as I am playing the game.
There is also no hierarchy to the list so please do not read in to the order of the players in any way.
Fernando Fonseca
Currently 20 years old the young right back was already part of the first team squad last season where he played an impressive 23 games for the club.
In my system the fullbacks provide a high level of attacking support and as such his current player trait of ‘gets forward whenever possible’ is extremely helpful. Coupled with stamina, agility, off the ball and technique Fonseca has carved himself out a role in the first team already.
That said I am still looking for significant improvements from Fonseca this season to show that he is worth a place in the first team squad going forward. I need to see passing and dribbling improve and we will be looking at these attributes with individual training packages.
We have another young fullback in the B team who may already be better than Fonseca as you will see shortly so he needs to improve, quickly.
Diogo Dalot
At 18 Dalot is two years younger than Fonseca but as you can see he is a fantastic prospect. He started the save with the U-19 side but as Fonseca was promoted from the B to the first team to add depth then Dalot found himself in the B team where he excelled last season.
Dalot already has the player traits ’gets forward whenever possible’ and ‘runs with ball down the right’ although I am considering having him learn to play on the left as well.
At just 18 he is already vice captain of the B team and I predict an extremely bright future at the club.
Indeed it is fair to say that for an 18 year old he has no glaring weaknesses that need to be addressed. If one of the three fullbacks in the first team squad is injured for a relatively long period then expect to see Dalot making the step up.
If he does go up though then he may never go back.
Diogo Verdasca
Verdasca is a 20 year old central defender who spent all of last season bar a few games here and there with the B team. Indeed he was my captain in the B team and one of the outstanding players as we won the title. As such I felt comfortable enough to sell off some established first team players and move Verdasca up.
Physically he is already ideally suited to play the position in my system and at just 20 I expect to see significant improvements over his technical and mental profiles as he gets first team experience. He is already my first choice along with Malang Sarr in an extremely young central defensive partnership.
Moreto Cassama
Cassama is not actually a Porto product per say having initially been part of the hugely successful Sporting CP system. That said he was already at the club when I joined and that is good enough with me.
As with Verdasca above Cassama was one of the standout players for the B team over my first season at the club. His creativity and eye for goal either from the central midfield or attacking midfield strata were often the difference in games last season.
He has therefore been promoted to the first team where he will play mainly as an attacking midfielder within the side.
Again he already has player traits that I like for his position with ‘tries killer balls often’ and ‘plays one-two’s’ although I will be looking to add ‘dictates tempo’ shortly.
He already has the base attributes needed to succeed in his system and I an hoping that by the mid point we are seeing a significant improvement across the board.
Rui Pedro
Rui Pedro is the reason that Andre Silva will be getting more of a rest this season. As with Verdasca and Cassama before him the young Portuguese striker was outstanding for the B team last season as he ended up with 30 goals in 38 games.
I am a big believer that players develop in a better fashion if they are playing at a level that challenges them. As such Rui Pedro has been moved up to be the backup striker for the first team, he has also already received his first call up to the senior national team.
I need to add the ‘places shots’ player trait as I try to with all young strikers but he appears to already be an instinctive finisher.
I would like to see his mental attributes increase across the board but this is something that should come from first team football.
Diogo Leite
Leite actually spent last season with the U-19 squad and was impressive enough in the times that I watched him.
Upon promoting Verdasca to the senior squad though I was checking the U-19 for the player to move up to B team football and in all honesty I had underestimated his profile. That made it an easy decision to move Leite up.
At 18 he is two years younger than Verdasca and he has the attribute base to be even better. Already well rounded as a defensive prospect I think that he can develop in to a national team defender.
I will closely monitor his progress this season but in all honesty he might already be too good for the B team.
Diogo Queiros
Please see above….
Almost an identical story to Leite. Queiros has also been promoted to the B team where he will partner Leite all season as he did last year in the U-19 side.
His pace is the only key attribute that concerns me as he is two points slower than Leite and I am a sucker for quick central players. He is also slightly worse on the ball.
If I had to put money on one of the two getting an early first team call up then it would be Leite but that said I would not be at all surprised if they both ended up as first team players for the club.
Afonso Sousa
Just 17 and about to spend his first season with the B team. Sousa is one of the brightest midfield talents at the club.
He has the potential to make it as a regular for both club and country and at the moment I am using him as a deep lying playmaker as part of a midfield two where his current player trait ‘dictates tempo’ can be at its most effective.
He has a resolute personality which should see him develop nicely without tutoring and I would be expecting to see his technical abilities rise as the season goes on.
I am considering giving him exposure to first team football periodically as the situation allows.
Rui Pires
Not to be mistaken as I so often do with Rui Pedro. Rui Pires is a midfielder who at 19 years of age is one of the best in the B team.
He will partner Afonso Sousa for the season and should Hector Herrera be sold at any point he will be the next in line to move up to the first team level.
It remains to be seen just how well Rui Pires will develop but my coaches are adamant that he has significant potential.
Jorge Rodrigues
Rodrigues is the best of the first intake of youth players in to the club and according to the coaches he has significant potential.
He has already been moved to the B team to replace Rui Pedro as the main striker in the squad. His professional personality should aid his development and I’m expecting to see big things as the season goes on.
That’s the end of the first prospect report for Porto. Let me know if there are any details or aspects of these posts that you would like me to add in as I go.
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