Football Manager 2020 - My Personal Regen One to Eleven

I’ve been spending a lot of my time playing Football Manager 2020 recently. After skipping out on the previous iteration this version has bought back my love for the game. I have been playing as Chelsea currently entering my seventh season and while I have all the big names I wanted throughout the years like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé as well as players who are currently at Chelsea being mainstays in my team like Mason Mount and Reece James (my captain and vice-captain respectively) the main reason I go back are for the host of regens in the game.

For those unaware regens are players the game itself will generate into the game on youth intake days. These players will have a chance to become first team players with the right training, coaching and game time. It was something that was one of the more important things I wanted in the Inazuma Eleven Football Manager game concept I did a while back (https://itsahopkinsblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-inazuma-eleven-football-manager.html?m=1).

I had been wondering for a while now why it was I cared more for my regens in my team. Sure, I like seeing Haaland do as well for Dortmund as he does for my Chelsea team but that doesn’t match the happiness seeing a player I have bought through the ranks of my team or from elsewhere that aren’t real. I feel it comes down to a personal taste for the game and the ability to fully track these guys that as a manager you have had a personal effect on. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to share the stories of some of my regens. While I lot have been sold on in the masses, I have had come though my youth academy while playing for roughly 6 seasons, but I have enough currently for a 1 to 11 each with a story of their own.

Goalkeeper: Wanderley Júnior

Starting off in goal is Wanderley Júnior. Signed for 110K from Corinthians he was initially a player I didn’t have the highest of hopes for. Signed as cheap backup with strong potential to Kepa Arrizabalaga and then Gialuigi Donnarumma the keeper proved valuable in his run outs in cup games and the occasional league game it was when he went on loan to Mallorca for the season he really shone. A team tipped for relegation ended up mid table no thanks to Wanderley keeping 12 clean sheets. This season has been a different story as Wanderley has pushed Donnarumma for the first-choice keeper spot with Wanderley keeping 15 clean sheets in a row in premier league matches he has become my number one. I’m looking to sell Donnarumma in the summer now and with my new number sorted I don’t need to spend big on a new keeper.

Left Back: Chris Jones 

Released by Arsenal and picked up by me the American left back so gone from strength to strength over his time at the club. With pace and power Chris had good attributes but a mountain to climb to become first choice left back over Ben Chilwell. Over the years and with focused training Chris Jones has improved his crossing and final ball delivery (including a phenomenal cross for Haaland in the league cup final of 2026) to become the first choice left back. Ben Chilwell will be sold in the summer and I can’t think of anyone better to take his number 3 shirt.

Centre Back: Josu Mena 

When gathering the information for this I was surprised to find out Josu came through my academy. Having spent time on loan at Athletic Bilbao, AJ Auxerre and Stoke it gave Josu game time and experience in a variety of leagues. Josu has come in well in the last few seasons and taken the opportunities when he is chosen including a spectacular volley to give us the lead over Fulham. With Christensen leaving in the summer Mena will slot right into the back four as easy as he has this season and will also take his number 6 shirt. If Josu continues how he has he will be someone I would consider as a future captain.

Centre Back: Joaquin Miño

Product of La Masia, Spanish centre back Joaquin Miño swapped the warm weather of Barcelona for the rain of London and hasn’t looked back. Following one successful loan spell at Huesca and the departure of Tomori it gave Miño a chance in the first team and he took it so well. Time and time again Miño has been my highest rated defender in games. Not one to pop up with goals Miño is the type of defender to win tackles in abundance. His presence cannot be understated with Huesca only winning one game and sitting bottom of La Liga with 7 points (and 27 games without a win at this point). Truly a valuable defender regardless of the size of the club.

Right Back: Shane Goodchild 

Originally from Fulham ironically named Goodchild he routinely rejected their contract offers before joining me for a minimal fee ahead of the likes of West Ham and Brentford. What followed was 3 loans spells going from league 2 up to championship over the next three seasons and Shane playing an instrumental role winning the title each year. Able to play all over the back four Shane filled in mainly at right back but could cover elsewhere making him a valuable asset to have at least on the bench. I had three right backs at the time with Reece James, Max Aarons and Shane having to sell one as it was an overabundance in that position. I went with Max in the end who went to Bayern Munich and Shane has excelled the season after with more game time. He also scored his first goal in the most recent season a 92nd minute winner against Athletic Bilbao in the champions league, vital to securing qualification to the knockout round and topping the group. 

Central Midfield: Paul Kaagman 

Currently out on loan at Bristol City the Dutch under 21 international is someone who will be used more in the first team next year. Paul is more of a defensive minded central midfielder but with a good passing range who needed more experience to be first team ready. Having kept a close eye on his progress this season I feel he is more than ready to make the step up to the first team as the match time he has had has boosted his ability up to a Premier League level talent and someone I look forward to using more next year. 

Central Midfield: Grant Green 

The first of two players here who have won the world under 21 player of the year. Grant Green made an immediate impact, joining Charlton on loan once he graduated from my academy and going on to win the championships young player of the year that season. A central midfielder with a lot of passing range once Grant got into my first team it was hard to drop him. The partnership of him and Mason Mount in midfield has proved a creative masterclass with their combined range of passing and vision tearing up even the strongest of teams. If I had to nominate a captain for this team it would be Grant Green who is the best product of the youth candidates who have come through Chelsea during my time there.

Left Attacking Midfield: Christian Daval 

The other and most recent under 21 player of the year Christian Daval comes from France. Holding the record, the most expensive Regen I have ever bought at £88 million from Monaco and has been a great signing. While wingers I have good depth Daval has stood out as the second best behind Mbappé this season with great finishing and a strong ability to run at and past defenders it has been money well spent. While others have contributed more to the cause this year Daval has had stand out performances and will become only more crucial as time goes on.

Central Attacking Midfield: Tarô Togawa 

A hit and hope looking through Japan’s under 23 team led me to Togawa. Playing in Japan meant I could sign him up on the cheap and it was to my benefit. I didn’t expect much from Togawa to begin with and he was mainly to be back up for Faustino Anjorin as my other regen at number 10 Daniel Reeves was not making the grade (and likely to be moved on in the summer). Well 3 games and 3 assists from the inexperienced player made him the ideal signing. Togawa has continued to be a mainstay in the squad popping up with several goals and assists including one at the Juventus Stadium in the champions league group stages. Togawa will remain proof to me I should spend time scouting all different countries if I really want to find the best young players as you never know where they’ll appear.

Right Attacking Midfield: Barry Johnstone 

The original product of the youth intake of my time in charge of Chelsea. Barry is the longest serving regen. So good was his initial ability his first loan move was to West Brom who had just got promoted to the premier league. A league one winning spell with Hull followed where he won their player of the year. Barry has slowly but surely been getting more game time including an incredible hat trick at Celtic Park announcing himself to the Chelsea fans. Now a mainstay of the England national side after so long going without a cap when he deserves one Barry makes the 18-player match day squad most times. A player that I can see his role getting bigger and bigger as time goes on.

Striker: Bernard Agnoly 

Another product of Monaco signed up to my Chelsea squad. Signed mainly as I needed another quality forward as with my insistence on playing Mbappé on the wing and my other regen forward Craig Torres not being as good as Haaland it was Angoly who’s stats stood out to me. I loaned him out to Fulham who were in the premier league and his performance blew me away. 24 goals in 32 games showed me he was clearly what I was looking for and a true world class talent in the making. Standing at 12 league goals in roughly 28 games a lot of his playing time has come off the bench but his quality shows. When the day comes, and I begrudgingly have to say goodbye to Haaland I know my forward line is in good hands.

That wraps up my starting eleven of regens. This doesn’t even cover other players like goalkeeper Graeme Hamilton at Millwall, American Craig Torres, Tebby Lalb on the win and defender Hadi Tabatabaei who is on loan at Leicester just to name a few of the countless other regens in and around my team. Each regen has a unique story to them and that’s what makes them all so cool to use and see turn into world class player. Even while writing this Wanderley and Kaagman both got their first caps for their respective national teams of Brazil and Holland (much to my surprise for Kaagman who’s been playing championship football all year). With the World Cup coming around I await it to see how all my guys do. Not only that but my latest youth intake provided two players who could be useful in the future. Romanian central midfielder Dănuţ Ion and Scottish winger Barry Meakin.

Such is the fast-paced nature of my game time at the moment so much has happened since I was wrapping this up. The World Cup happened (France beat England in the final) with Barry Johnstone winning the best player award for the whole tournament. Being used as a central attacking midfielder for most of it this has given me a few questions on my team and the deletion going forward.

My squad is a lot more regen dominated now. Paul Kaagman won the championship with Bristol City in the end and when looking at their squad they had a Greek left winger called Alekos Orfanos who was far too good for the championship and a must buy according the scouting report, it helped he finished as top goal scorer by a far distance and won player of the year and young player of the year in the championship which really reinforced he was too good for the championship. So, I did for £40 million. My new number seven who lists Kaagman as a friend in his information which should help settle him in quick. I also signed a defensive midfielder from relegated Fulham called Betão and a striker from Lazio called Salvatore Polesello. I hope both of these guys will help provide competition for places. 

We did actually see some first team regen outgoings. Teddy Lalb decided to depart for Rangers who are riding a financial wave following a takeover also signing Daniel Reeves from me as well, they are gathering a lot of my regens there it’s almost like a second team. Craig Torres has also left for French league champions Monaco; I was happy to get this deal done as it allowed me to sign (Lazio forward) and keep the squad balanced. While Torres started off strong, he was never consistent and failed to take his chance and was a key reason why Agnoly was played a lot more then him in the end. Regardless all provided key contributions at points in time and I will keep an eye on them. 

Regardless, I can’t wait to see how these new signings and youth academy graduates will look like playing for the team and what stories their careers will have but I guess that is all still to play out. I imagine if I end up doing several more seasons, I will eventually end up with a full regen squad which would provide a host of unique stories on each character leading them to this team.