We are building quite a squad here right? So far we have been mainly focused on midfield or attacking players in our Dubbed the Next project wherein we have selected some pretty decent footballing legends (check out Pirlo, Raul, Kaka and Keane if you haven’t already) and identified a number of candidates who look set to replicate their success and playing style in modern day football. Today we turn our attention to the more defensive side of the pitch and look at yet another iconic player from a new nation of choice whom we hope to emulate in Football Manager 2021 - a player who amassed one World Cup, one European Championship, two Premier Leagues, one Champions League and three French league titles all while having never scored or assisted a single goal in his 16 years as a professional footballer but was a vital cog in every side in which he featured. You already know his name…
The rules are simple - any modern day replica identified must be of the same nationality as the legend at hand, and must be aged 23 or under in order to qualify and earn the mantle as the next big thing. Who wouldn’t want to be dubbed the next Fabien Barthez?
by MaddFM
As footballing icons go, they don’t make batshit crazy players like they used to. Maradona, Jones, Gazza, Cantona - the closest we have had in recent times would probably be Zlatan, Mario Balotelli or Joey Barton however one could argue they live in the shadow of their earlier predecessors in terms of full on barmyness. Fabien Barthez most certainly fits in this category - from urinating on-pitch during a UEFA cup game, a 6 month ban for smoking cannabis, spitting at referees, smoking before games, dating supermodels and even trying his hand at a career in motorsport after retiring from football - it’s safe to say the Frenchman was up there among the maddest of footballing hatters however look past the madness and you will find one of the best and most influential goalkeepers of the past 30 years whom football commentators often argue was one of the pioneers of the Sweeper Keeper role due to how comfortable he was with the ball at his feet - so much so that he even tried his hand as a left winger in a pre-season friendly for Man Utd during a tour of Singapore, where he calmly proceeded to nutmeg his opponent with his first touch of the ball. We might be asking a lot to replicate a man of Fabien’s stature but as mad hatters go, we are all a bit mad around here..
Rewind ⏪
Back in CM9798 there was no Eccentricity for goalkeepers - the lad probably could have had an attribute of about 35 if there was. What we do observe when looking at a 26 year old Barthez is outstanding Aggression, Determination, Positioning, Shot Stopping, Rushing Out, Aerial Ability and interestingly, Passing - clearly reflecting his unique technical ability as a Sweeper Keeper in addition to his powerful goalkeeping attributes. Nowadays the Sweeper Keeper has evolved into a much more technical and influential component, almost becoming an extra defender at times with excellent feet, passing and distribution (think Ederson or Manuel Neuer). With this in mind, our search will focus on finding a Barthez-esque keeper with similar levels of Agression and Determination, competent in terms of Shot Stopping (Handling) and Command of Area as well as emulating that Passing/Technical ability as a Sweeper Keeper. As always we don’t ask for much right?
🔎 Aggression
🔎 Determination
🔎 Passing
🔎 Handling
🔎 Command of Area
🔎 First Touch
🔎 French
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If you follow the Premier League then you won’t be surprised to see Illan Meslier’s name pop in our results especially when looking for a quality French goalkeeper under the age of 23. Following Kiko Casilla’s suspension, Meslier became the youngest goalkeeper in the Premier League and the first millennium-born #1 in the division, and he has continued to keep Casilla out of the Leeds starting XI ever since. Operating as a Sweeper Keeper, he plays a vital role often acting as an extra defender rushing out to intercept or break-up play and initiating subsequent counter-attacks as part of Leeds’ high-energy high-tempo playing style under Marcelo Bielsa. Strong on his feet, quality distribution and of course solid when it comes to shot-stopping, aerial command and reflexes, Meslier looks set to challenge for and succeed in taking the honour of becoming Hugo Lloris’s replacement in the France set up and whether his long-term future lies at Leeds will be an interesting development as his performances continue to catch the eye of media and scouting teams alike. I was tempted to lean towards my own current FM21 goalkeeper at Angers in Paul Bernardoni (he is even bald enough) however he lacks that passing and touch/technique which made Barthez such an impactful keeper, while the likes of Gautier Larsonneur and Alban Lafont came close but lacked that Aggression and Determination which gave Barthez that extra edge/mad streak that made him the legend he is today. Meslier doesn’t look to be at that same madness level but as Sweeper Keepers go, he looks set to elevate to the top tier in the coming years and it surely won’t be long before France and some elite European clubs come calling. Might be time to shave the head Illan 😄.
