The Sir Alex Ferguson Challenge FM20

So as the name suggests, this will be a challenge that looks to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson's career at Man Utd.

This is a challenge that has been done through a few iterations of the Football Manager franchise.

Well I am going to start with an unemployed manager with International footballer (continental level) / Continental pro licence and take over whichever club is 2nd from bottom in the Premiership on November 6th, exactly where Man Utd were when Sir Alex came in. From there i need to try and at least match what Sir Alex did with Man Utd and there will be a few milestones:

• Win the FA Cup within 4 seasons Ferguson won his first cup, the FA Cup vs Crystal Palace in 89/90
• Win the Premier League within 7 seasons
• Ferguson won his first Premier League in 92/93
• Win a Premier League/FA Cup double within 8 seasons
• Ferguson won his first Double with United in 93-94
• Win Three Premier League/FA Cup Doubles within 13 seasons
• Ferguson's Treble Included His Third League/FA Cup Double
• Win the Premier League/FA Cup/Champions League Treble within 13 seasons
• Ferguson Won the Infamous Treble in 98/99

In total his achievements read as:

• Premier League (13)
• FA Cup (5)
• League Cup (4)
• Community Shield (10)
• UEFA Champions League (2)
• UEFA Europa League (1) (Replaces the Cup Winners Cup) **
• UEFA Super Cup (1)
• FIFA Club World Cup (2) (One Replaces Intercontinental Cup)

So there is quite a feat there and to help make it a bit more interesting I am going to attempt to stick to some rules that again mirror Sir Alex. These are

1. No more than 11 signings per season, of which only 8 can play in the first team that season
2. No buying/selling of players with your biggest rival
3. A player that came through the youth academy must be in every match squad

Newcastle have only won 2 games this season a 2-0 win vs Sheffield United & a 2-1 victory over Spurs. 3 draws against Crystal Palace, Watford & Southampton.A brighter note Newcastle are still in the Carabao Cup quarter finals against … Chelsea.



Only 3 games remaining this month are Norwich (A), Brighton (H) and Man City (A). That means we have 2 games to hopefully get out of trouble straight away. At least that's what I am hoping for.





So there we have it a 4 way tie at the bottom of the league only 2 points separate 13th from 20th.





I have moved some players around as the squad is quite large, DeAndre Yedlin, Javi Manquillo, Jack Colback, Henri Saivet were all unregistered for the current season so it would be wise to let them go. I am a little disappointed with Manquillo not being in the squad as this means I only have Krath as an out and out RB however I do have Valentino Lazaro as a backup if injury/suspension occurs.

I have also removed Rob Elliot, Ciaran Clark, Yoshinori Muto, Christian Atsu & Andy Carroll as they have no future at the club I am hoping with I can clear all of these player at least some of them to reduce the wage bill and bring in some much needed cash for the January transfer market.

I have also promoted Freddie Woodman (Currently on loan at Swansea), Victor Fernandez, Elias Sorensen & Yannick Toure. Hopefully these youth players can have somewhat of an impact in the near future.





Let's see if we can hit the ground running and win 2 of the next 3 games.

I will return in December..

So I made it but did I manage to hit my target of 6 points from 9. First of all I have managed to get rid of most of the players on the transfer market and have done quite well in getting some spendables and also reducing the wage bill for players that I no longer need.

Rob Elliott			Seattle				2.1M			21.5k
Andy Carroll			LOSC				5.5M 	(9.5M)	 	30.5k
Christian Atsu			Espanyol		        4.4M	(5.5M)		30.0k
Yoshinori Muto		        Espanyol			4.7M    (5.75M)		54.0k
Henri Saivet			Zenit				2.2M	(2.7M)		35.0k
DeAndre Yedlin		        Gremio			        5.5M	(6.25M)	        30.0k
Ciaran Clark			Jeonbuk			        6.25M	(8.5M)		35.0k

So 3 days into the job we travel to Carrow Road to take on Norwich who have had a very difficult last 3 games facing Everton, Man U & Arsenal conceding a total of 5 goals and scoring 2. ASM (Allan Saint-Maximin) will be out of the squad due to a twisted ankle, he won't realistically play until the Man City game.


On paper it was a really good result 3 points to the good however the match itself was really poor. For large parts of the match we were playing with 10 men behind the ball. I was glad that we managed to get to half time at 0 - 0 if we went down before the half there was no way we could have gotten a draw never mind the win. Totally against the run of play we managed to break on the counter Richie Down the left won a free kick in which he took and whipped it in into Alimiro who got under it and headed it into the near corner to make it 1 nil.
Almiron was later taken off as he was starting to struggle for fitness. Shelvey also came off as he was really struggling in the middle of the park however Sean Longstaff came on and made the difference needed in helping protect the lead. Danny Rose was also superb in protecting the lead by nullifying almost everything on the left side in the last 20 mins or so.








First game of my career at St. James’ Park I am really hopeful that we can improve here and get the result that we need. 3 points could mathematically shoot us up the table into 8th!. However this is far from wishful thinking considering our poor goal difference. More realistically we could move into 10th.

We do have some injury problems of note ASM is still out along with Miguel Almiron damaged heel however hopefully will be back for the City game. Finally Matty Longstaff is out with a pulled hamstring which is really disappointing as he was going to be in the first team replacing Shelvey.

The squad is really lacking depth in the midfield at the moment looks like Victor Fernandez is getting his first full debut.

The first half was a better performance to the Norwich game. We were breaking well on the counter and the goal looked certain until the last 15 minutes when Victor Fernandez was forced off. With no midfield presence on the bench I had to put my faith in youngster Yannick Toure Richie was switched to the left hand. Before being allowed to make the switch and while Victor was receiving treatment Brighton went 0 - 1 up from a Shane Duffy header not the start I had in mind for the first home game.

The second half was pretty uneventful with neither team really able to hold the ball until the 60 minute with a glancing ball from Danny Rose which Jolinton was able to stretch and make contact to tie the match 1 - 1.

With 10 minutes to go Lazaro was taken off as a precaution. The bad news was there was no that could play on the right side so a formation shuffle was needed. We ended up finishing the match using 5-1-2-2 with Richie playing in the RWB position. Toure playing up top with Joelinton.

The last 10 minutes really fizzled out and to be honest I was kinda worried that playing in an unknown formation and Richie out of position would be our downfall. All things considered I'm happy with the 1 - 1 draw.








Very curious about this potential takeover. The consortium seems to want to replace me as manager immediately. Hopefully it's similar to old takeover attempts at Newcastle and is nothing but a PR stunt.



Definitely the toughests game so far. The team is still clear of relegation however it's by 2 points now. However the gap to 8th is 2 points also. I'm really not optimistic with my chances here. Man City are currently unbeaten in the Premier League since September in a bizzare loss to Norwich.

On Top of that the injury list is piling up ASM is still not fit for the match and is only recommended for 45 minutes so he will be on the bench and will only be used if absolutely necessary. Miguel Alimiron is still injured as well but will be back in action against Bournemouth. Lazaro will also be out of action in this match as he is still nursing a bruised thigh but again will be back for the Bournemouth game. Matty Longstaff and Victor Fernandez are the only long term injuries currently. Longstaff is currently looking at a return for Leicester in 14 days time. Fernandez however is more realistically going to be back for the Chelsea game in the Carabao Cup Quarter Finals. On a brighter note Sean Longstaff is back in contention for a place in the team but will be on the bench for this one.


As expected we were under the cosh for most of the first half and within 15 minutes we were down 1 - 0 thanks to Aguero. However in their next attack we were able to break and caught them napping to equalise the game 1 - 1 (Jolinton). 30 minutes on the clock Aguero got his second of the game 2 - 1. The remainder of the game was a game of attack vs defence where our attacking midfielders of Richie and Toure were often winning possession back in our own box.

Hairdryer treatment given it was onto the 2nd half. With the usual backs against the wall in the 2nd half I decided to take a risk and go back to the 5-1-2-2 formation we were forced to use against Brighton on 55 minutes. Sean Longstaff came on in the 65th minute as again Shelvey was poor again. Dwight Gale came on in the 75th minute in hopes of grabbing a late equaliser however I was never confident that was going to be the case. The formation change didn't really help us. In the end we really had a lack of width in the team however somehow we managed to win a penalty in the 89th minute when Bentaleb stepped up!! (No idea why) but no matter, he pulled us back into it 2 - 2!





So here we are December 1st and for the most part it has been somewhat of a success. Unbeaten in my first 3 games in charge admittedly only 1 win. But here is the table as of December 1st.



2 Points clear of the bottom I was hoping for a little more breathing space however the good news is there are only 2 points separating us 15th and 9th!






The usual packed December schedule so i will provide an update on December 16th the day before the Chelsea Cabaro Cup Quarter Finals.

Bournemouth are sitting in 19th currently their last win in the league came in September which was a 2 - 0 win against Burnley I have to expect 3 points here, However I am a little nervous as they have scored in 4 of their last 5 games.

Burnley have lost their last 2 games both 2 - 1 losses to Everton and Southampton. In Fact their last win of the season also came in September with a 2 - 1 victory over Crystal Palace. Although I would like to say a win here I am going to be a little cautious and say Draw.

Leicester is another difficult game for us; they have however lost their last 3 games against Man City, Liverpool and Brighton failing to score in all of those games. There are 2 games for them before we play them against Norwich & Tottenham so hopefully they will not regain any form before them. With their current form I would like to get a draw out of this one however its going to rely on them still being poor in the next 2 games . Draw

So the prediction for the next 3 games is 5 / 9 points.

I was hoping for a decent FA cup run but that's totally out of the window with an away draw to Tottenham. Scheduled for the 4th January



With West Ham having played their game in hand and winning against Arsenal this has moved Bournemouth to the bottom of the pile. This is turning into a must win game for both teams.

The injury list has improved a lot Miguel Almiron is available but unfit and will start from the bench. Lazaro is back and is much needed at the moment with the problems in RB. Matty Longstaff and Toure are on course for a return against Leicester. Fernandez is possibly going to be back for Leicester too but realistically for the Chelsea game. ASM is also available but unfit however I have no choice but to start him in this game as there are no other options I may have to bring him off at half time and replace with Almiron.

I am also dropping Shelvey from the lineup today and is going to be replaced with Sean Longstaff as he improved the team when coming on against Man City.

First Half - For the first 30 minutes the game was pretty even however Bournemouth seemed pretty dangerous on the counter and that was the case. Harry Wilson Broke and slotted the ball to Callum Wilson to put Bournemouth in the lead 0 - 1. 10 minutes later Newcastle seemed to enjoy a spell of possession in the opposition's half where the ball broke out wide to Rose who lofted the ball into the 6 yard box where Jolinton was able to make contact with the ball and direct it into the back of the net. 1 - 1.

Second Half - I knew that I had to bring ASM off before the 2nd half began so it was a straight switch for Almiron. Lazaro was also struggling for fitness however I decided to give him another 15 minutes as he was playing well. 60 minutes in and Bournemouth were awarded a penalty up stepped Harry Wilson to make it 1 - 2. After the resume of play I switched the players focus too very attacking in hopes of finding an equalizer and switched Lazaro for Richie. The rest of the game really fizzled out and neither team really created any more chances. We did have a number of shots but all were off target and never really challenged the keeper.

The game was a disaster from start to finish and making matters worse we have now dropped back into 19th. I think this is going to have a premature end to the Fergie Challenge.





I did predict a draw in this game however we must win we need to get back out of the bottom 3. A win against Burnley and they will be in trouble themselves. They are only 1 point away from the relegation places and in 14th. This is a very close bottom of the table. Still 3 points separate Wolves in 9th from Aston Villa in 20 (ignoring goal difference of 11).

ASM is still not fully fit, Victor Fernandez & Matty Longstaff are both in light training and will be available for selection for the Leicester game.

Almiron & ASM will both start the game alongside Shelvey. I am allowing the team to take more risks and positive mentality for this game, we need a result.

A really boring game with 10 men behind the ball, I did try and let the players play with a more positive mentality in this one however after 15 minutes it was clear that we just cannot play that way. Dubravka was the saving grace of the game saving 10 shots on target. Result 0 - 0. Despite the draw we are now out of the bottom 3 and into 16th.







So no injury problems Matty Longstaff & Victor Fernandez are back available for selection however they are only recommended to have 45 minutes of play, they however will be no be back into the match day squad.

Despite the poor form I have consistently played the same team mostly down to a lack of depth in the squad.

First Half - we managed to break most of their attacking chances down in the first half and looked dangerous on the counter however that all changed in the 40th minute when a powerful header from James Vardy put Leciester up 0 - 1. The first half quickly came to an end after this without any other chances for either team

Second Half - In the 50th minute ASM equalised however this was quickly erased with the decision to rule the goal offside. 55 minutes on the clock and Jolinton was brought off for gale as we seem to be breaking well and the wingers have been cutting inside well also. The 85th minute brough the game to 0 - 2 with a shot from outside the area by Ben Chilwell.

The 0 - 2 defeat puts us back into the bottom 3. There is still hope considering that 3 points could still get us as high as 12th (Goal difference of 4).





Having only got 1 point from a possible 9 and predicted to get 4 this challenge is not going to last long unless we start getting results on the pitch. The next half of the month is going to be crucial.





Still very tight at the bottom of the table West Ham now occupy bottom but are only 6 points away from 9th. I have a feeling that goal difference is going to be very important this season.





The Chelsea game is a real chance for me to experiment with the squad as putting 10 men behind the ball and hoping for a goal on the break is clearly not working.

The Wolves & Southampton games are more important when looking at the league table as if they beat means it not only puts me into deep trouble but also gives them some daylight between the teams lower down the table. I need to be optimistic with my next set of predictions.

Chelsea - Going to be a loss however this will give me some time to experiment with the tactics before and during the game.

Wolves - This is a must win not only for points on the board but to bring wolves back into the relegation scrap. Wolves have drawn 3 / 4 of their December fixtures losing the other one. Prediction 3 points

Everton - This is going to be a similar game to Leicester, but hopefully we can get some positive tactics going before then. Predicted 1 point.

Southampton - They have been able to find some form winning 2 / 3 of there games in December hopefully the games they have before we play them will unsettle that. But this is another must win game against relegation rivals.

Predicted 7 / 9 points this is extremely optimistic but if i am to survive this season and also keep my job this is the very least we need to achieve these goals.

I will return on January 1st Before the game Against Tottenham in the League.

Freddy Woodman 			        13k				2022
Victor Fernandez			 2.5k				2021

Unchanged squad from Leicester game, a few tactical tweaks made, more positive focus, shorter passing focus, slow distribution from GK and preference to roll it out. Hopefully by bringing the ball down onto the floor this will encourage more players to play the ball on the ground and stop the long balls into the flanks where we are either cutting inside and losing the ball or crossing to an empty box.

Danny Rose conceded a penalty on the 12 minute so we went down 0 - 1 to a willian penalty, Tabby Abrams soon later made it 0 - 2 with header from a freekick.

ASM overhit a cross into the area which was gathered by Almiron who slotted it to Jolinton to bring it back to 1 - 2.

After 25 minutes I made some more tweaks to the team instead of looking for wide play I switched the approach to more central with underlappings on both flanks. I am hoping this will allow ASM & Almiron more opportunities to cut inside.

Willan got onto the end of a cross from out wide to put Chelsea up 1 - 3 on 35 minutes. The first half came to an end with a few opportunities for us. Both wingers cutting inside quite well it just seems to always come down to not being clinical enough in front of goal.

Before the second half I reduced the attacking width to fairly narrow in hopes of increasing the bodies in the middle of the park. The changes made in the 2nd half seemed to cancel out Chelsea's attack as they never really have and clear cut chances in this half. We did have at least 3 chances falling to ASM, Almiron and Jolinton all inside the area which were either blocked or saved. Despite the result 1 - 3 I am feeling more confident with the tactical changes here and am looking forward to taking on Wolves.





Only 1 change to the squad which is Sean Longstaff replaces Issac Hayden in the DM role. There is no real reason for this as Hayden has played consistently enough.

The game started as a really drab affair the first half was coming to a close with only 1 half chance for each team, no one was really hitting the target, until the 46th minute the worst happened. A brilliant team effort from Wolves which started with the GK and ended up in the back of the net by Matt Docherty. 1 - 0

The second half began as the first started, no real clear cut chances until the 78th minute when Shelvey had acres of space in the center of the pitch passed a long ball at Richie who lofted it into the back post for ASM to get onto the end of it to make it 1 - 1.

The game really took a turn for the worse where tackling was really stopping the game from getting going again, in total Wolves conceded 13 found while Newcastle conceded 4. The game never looked like another goal was coming until the 94th minute when ASM was brought down inside the box, VAR clarified that it was indeed a penalty. Up stepped Matt Richie to bring the game 1 - 2. Very Defensive Focus was then issued to the team to try and keep hold of the lead moments later the full time whistle brought an end to the occasion. I think that is the first time I have praised the players since joining.

The win lifted us into 13th place 2 points free from the bottom 3. This is the highest we have been since the 1st game of the season.





Unchanged squad from the win at Wolves just a change in mentality to cautious , Karl Darlow has picked up a pulled muscle however he will remain on the bench. This is going to be a nervy affair looking at other results as this could keep us 14th or drop us at the bottom of the league.

ASM had 2 really good chances in the first 10 minutes of play but just snatching at his chances. He also gave Jolinton a 1 vs 1 vs the GK however it was not converted. I have a feeling we are going to rue those missed chances. 13th minute Jolinton caught Mina napping and managed to take the ball and struck it low into the corner to make the game 0 - 1.

Everton responded well from going down and were causing us a lot of problems at the back as a result on the 25th minute i changed the emphasis to very defensive to try and protect the lead into the 2nd half.

Despite the changes in the 33rd minute Moise Keane was able to level the game 1 - 1. For the remainder of the half we reverted back to our cautious approach. The first half soon ended 1 -1.

The second half passed by quickly with neither team able to get the game going Bernard had beat his man on several occasions only to be let down by his finishing. On the 76th minute Almiron went down injured and had to be replaced with Richie. Newcastle had a handful of chances thanks to substitute Jetro Willamas and Isaac Hayden they really brought some much needed energy into the side but Jolinton was not able to capitalise of the 2 changes that was given to him instead the shots were blocked. Full time whistle 1 - 1.

Almiron has been confirmed injured and will be out for 5 - 6 weeks. Not good for the relegation showdown.

Newcastle currently hold onto 14th spot with only 1 point separating 13th Watford and 18th West Ham.





A straight swap with Richie and Almiron due to injuries. Victor Fernandez moves into the match squad on the bench. Another big game here, another must win. Southampton have been unable to extend their points tally much in December with a loss to Watford and a draw with Norwich.

The first half was really impressive from both sides, almost like we were both playing for the draw, both had 2 shots each, none of which were on target. When Newcastle had possession they moved the ball around well and moved up the pitch well until we were in the final 3rd there really seemed to be a lack of movement then and no one really tried to have a go at goal, so before the 2nd half the instructions were given to take more shots. They are difficult to break down so hopefully we may get a lucky opportunity from outside of the area and nick the game 1 - 0.

The second half was no improvement even though we managed to have 9 shots on target none of them really threatened the Southampton goal. Southampton had the only clear chance of the game despite it being their only shot on target, which was parried away by Dubravka showing his aerial ability. Despite the draw we stay in 14th place with 2 points above the drop zone. 3 points away from 10th place (3 goal difference).







Takeover has problems.



To add to the list of outgoings for January 1st Owen Bailey will be leaving to join Burton Albion For 14.5k





As you can see the bottom half of the table could still be pulled into the relegation battle with only 1 bad result.If Wolves win their game in hand they would move up to 13th, the same goes for Burnley.





t's going to be a real tough month for us here; the only game I can see us getting a result is against Aston Villa. I need to grab another point from Everton to make this a successful month. I have already written off the 2 games against Tottenham and Man Utd. So I am predicting 4 points for the whole of January which is abysmal. It may be enough to see us through with our heads above water.


Next Update 1st February 2020

Realistically a budget of 22 Million is not going to stretch for what I need which is:

First Team RB
First Team Forward
First Team Central Midfielder

I will see if I can wheel and deal at least 2 of the above over the line.



Found a suitable Forward target that would be a considerable improvement of Jolinton for only 12.5M and what do you know. (Michy Batshuayi FYI)



Crystal Palace & Man Utd are after him also so I guess my number 1 target is gone already.



Danny Rose is ineligible for selection for this game meaning that Jetro Williams will start with Paul Dummet on the bench. Isaac Hayden also starts instead of Bentaleb.

As expected Tottenham started the game really well putting us under considerable pressure and in the 20th minute they turned the domination into a 0 - 1 lead thanks to Son. The pressure was soaked up until the half time break.

Newcastle started the second half better but were vulnerable to the break and thanks to 2 brilliant saves from Dubravka kept us in the game for the time being at least as you could tell the goal was coming. 60 minutes in and the fatigue was setting in with the number of games we have played without any rotation. I had to make 3 changes in which Paul Dummet had to come on out of position playing in RB. Richie came off for youngster Yannick Toure and Jolinton was replaced with Dwight Gale. The substitutions really turned the tide of the game for us, we were passing well and breaking on the counter well.

Shelvey hit a long ball across to Toure he managed to cut inside with a little bit of luck and struck it high into the top right hand corner 1 - 1 after being on the pitch for less than 2 minutes. The game from this moment was end to end, Newcastle never really looked that threatening after the equaliser.

We are still in 14th place in the League with a 2 point gap to the bottom of the league. 3 points against Aston Villa could put it as high as 11th. 10th would require a 3 goal swing against Sheffield United.






Danny Rose is still ineligible for selection so Jetro Willams keeps his place in LB, Larao is in need of a rest so Javi Manquillo can start in RB as the squad registration has allowed me to include him in the team again. Sean Longstaff will replace Shelvey in the middle of the park

The first half was very similar to the last game. We were under the cosh for large parts of it but did not show any of the same intent when breaking as with the last game. Lo Celso put Tottenham into the lead in the 23rd minute 1 - 0.

53 minutes in Dele Alli put Tottenham 2 - 0 up. Change was needed so i decided to try and replicate the same changes from the last game. Bentelab, Jolinton & ASM came off for Shelvey, Gayle and Toure. Hopefully another super sub moment on the cards but it's very unlikely. Toure had a header saved in the 75th minute. Tottenham seemed to hold back more and more during the 2nd half as such I really thought we might have snatched a late goal but wasn't to be. The game ended 2 - 0.







This really needs to get resolved one way or the other I am going to miss out on a very important transfer market for the club if not.





So the takeover is complete and I am worried about my job currently they will want to bring in their own manager surly. I will be informed of their decision shortly.



Still cannot place offers for players.



ASM pulled his abdominal muscle as such will be out for the next 2 weeks, this will allow the chance in the first team. I want to take a chance on the youngster as he has performed well coming off the bench in the last 2 games. Almiron is still out with a sprained knee ligament and is looking at another 2 weeks until he is back in light training. Danny Rose returns to the first team after being ineligible for the last 2 games.

I have a feeling that if I fail to win this game I will be out of a job so for the 4th time this season this is a must win game made even more important.

In a very drab affair Aston Villa were the only team that looked like scoring,


We remain in 14th still with 2 points above the relegation places. Still 3 points off 10th place. We just need to find a win from somewhere.





Somehow I have managed to keep hold of my job.



I have placed an offer for:

Michy Batshuayi - 13.25M Accepted



Lejeune starts in place of Lascelles in the only change to the draw against Aston Villa.

We really had our backs to wall in this one, 13 shots (3 on target). I'm really surprised we managed to bring it to half time 0 - 0. We barely hung on in the second half 30 shots in total against us (10) on target. Dubravka the only reason that we managed to hold onto a draw with 10 shots saved 8 of which were held onto.

We have now slipped down into 15th position but still have a 2 point safety net. The Gap to 10th is still only 3 points.





I decided to make a tactical change for this one considering that both ASM and Almiron are both out injured and I don't want to rely on Toure out wide. 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 (4-3-3) . I ended up with Matty & Jolinton taking the AM positions just behind the striker Gayle. Krath went into RB and Lazaro in RM.

A real scrappy affair in the first half which only saw 3 shots on target for both sides. The deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute with a close range effort from Fabian Delph.

The second half picked up a little with end to end action with very little in the way of a final product. On the 78th minute Gayle was taken down which resulted in a penalty which Richie took and converted the chance into a goal. 1 - 1. Djibril Sidide was given his second yellow card of the game in the 85th minute and was sent off. Even with the extra man advantage we really struggled to capitalise on this even when given the orders to go very attacking.

Newcastle have moved down to 15th place but still have a 2 point gap to 19th. 10th place is now 3 points
away. We also have a better goal difference than 10th place also by 2 goals.





Michy Batshuayi signs on a 4 year deal I am hoping that he will improve the team with the lack of cutting edge in the final 3rd of the pitch. I cannot really find anyone else that would go straight into the first team with the loan signings of Danny Rose, Valentino Lazaro & Nabil Bentaleb and it’s very unlikely that we have the funds to purchase any of these as there is only 8M left in the budget.

Max Kilman signs on a 3 year deal from Wolves. He is a CB that can fill into the LB slot if needed. I paid 1.2 million for the player and for an English player is extremely cheap and can be used as a suitable backup option with the view to improving the 22 year old.

Kiril Despodov signes on a 4 year deal from Cagliari. He is an attacking Midfielder that can play either wing and will be a good backup option for either Almiron or ASM. I paid 4.8M for him at the age of 23. He is currently on loan at the moment and will not sign until the end of the season.





Still very tight at the bottom of the table. West Ham are still bottom but are only 3 points away from us in 15th. The gap is closing towards the top with 3 points taking us up to 12 instead of 10th. We do however have a game in hand over some teams but that is against Chelsea so it’s not like it really going to make a difference.

We did manage to get to the target of 4 points from 12. Although we failed to win a game at all, in fact we have not won a game since 21th December against Wolves. Strangely enough I have not won a home game all season even before I started with the team in November.





4 games in February Chelsea is going to be tough to even get a draw out of it. Crystal Palace are currently 9th but have won 3 and lost 3 in the last 6 so their form is up and down. Wolves game has got to be the game where we record our first win at home, they have lost the last 4 games. Leicester is going to be another difficult game to get anything from. Prediction 4 points from 12. I think the game at Wolves is winnable and we may be able to snatch a win at Crystal Palace but more likely a draw.

I will see you next in the 1st March

You've put this in the wrong place really. Would be good in the story section

Yes your probably right, I don't think there is anyway of me moving it now tho

Hi there, started this challenge, got Norwich, finished 9th and got to semis of FA cup in 1st Season, now in search for a quality striker

2nd season finished 6th and semis of FA cup again

3rd season finished 8th no good in fa cup but 4th season finished 5th & won FA cup against the arse 4-2 in extra time so on track.....

Hello

Just a quick one, what logo pack are you using and where could I download this from?