FM23 Money Mode

Another run of money mode, where I take whatever job gives me the most money, starting unemployed with no badges. I have to take every interview I'm given, and if a job offers me a pay rise, I take it.

I apply for every single job I can. Each one, and New Caledonia are the ones to appoint me. For... £7,000 a week??? Wow. Palestine, American Samoa, and Zimbabwe couldn't compete! They don't even have a fixture coming up, and the Oceanian qualifiers will take up hardly any time. In the spirit of the save, it's perfect: a sunday league footballer who doesn't speak the language getting paid 364k to manage about four games a year. No club side takes me, meaning this save will start in New Caledonia!

We don't have any games scheduled, but soon the Solomon Islands request a friendly. I accept. There are three competitions that matter:
- World Cup Qualifiers
- The Nations Cup (Oceanian version of the Euros, Copa América, etc)
- The Pacific Games (Like the Olympics for Pacific Island nations)

Preferably, I want to do well and move from New Caledonia to elsewhere, let's see how it goes! For the first game, I go with a 5-3-2 DM WB... Route One. That's why they're spending nearly 400 grand a year on an English manager, right?

The best players include midfielder Jakeb Jeno, who is a squad player for Ligue 2 side Grenbole, free agent left-back Noam Trabé who has never enjoyed regular football, and goalie Rocky Nyikeine, of New Caledonian giants Hienghène. Sadly, attempts to convince Real Oviedo player Koba Lein to switch from France do not work. In our first game then, we labour and in the first half we are being dominated, but the score is 0-0. I switch to cautious and we actually look a lot better but we end up conceding two late goals, a 2-0 loss. I've already earned nearly a hundred grand by now so couldn't care less.

We get another two proposals from Fiji and Kiribati, and those games will be in March. There will be a few more months of sitting on my backside doing nothing. But then Trabé, without a club since 2020 decides to retire, after I handed him his debut. He's 25, for goodness sake, just come back to New Caledonia and play here! Ah well. We lose 4-1 to Fiji, and I've now fleeced the FA out of about three hundred grand. Next we visit Kiribati on a pitch made out of sand, and they are not even members of FIFA or the OFC, and lost their last game 8-1 to Tahiti. To be honest, I don't even know why they're on the game with a pitch that is sandy and it's raining but we win 5-1 with Lues Waya scoring a hat-trick. So that's good.

The big deal in 2023 is the Pacific Games, with the draw taking place. We are in the six-team Group B, with American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the hosting Solomon Islands. The FA says it's "not important" how I do and I think i literally cannot get sacked. The group winner goes to the final with second going to the Third Place Playoff, this will be tough.
 

So, I was worried that this save might be quite boring as I just stay at New Caledonia, but then Northern Irish second-tier side Loughgall say they have been "impressed" with me and offer an interview.

For the Pacific Games, the big decision is to drop Jeno, who has not been playing at all, and is impossible to justify therefore. Anyway, the first friendly is away to rivals (apparently) Vanuatu, and it's a masterclass. We soak up the possession, dominate the xG and win 2-0, with the strike partnership of Germain Haewegené and Waya really showing potential. The board has changed its mind and said that the Pacific Games is now a minimum expectation of reaching the final, which means I have to win the group...

Loughgall call back and say that they chose Trevor Scanlon over me, who leaves Letterkenny in the Irish third tier (which you can't get promoted or relegated from) where he's been since 2012. Fair enough, but I'm happy that club sides are noticing me.

An unchanged team for the next (and final) friendly against Tahiti. These players do not play much as most are in the New Caledonian league which isn't on this save, so I need to build sharpness (that said, AS Magenta did get to the final of the Oceanian Champions League, where they lost 3-0 to Auckland City, just missing the Club World Cup). We win 3-1, and I'm starting to think I might be onto something here. We're behind in terms of shots 17-6, but it seems Waya is one of those strikers you get on FM who just knows how to score, and our defenders are putting in heroic shifts. The Pacific Games awaits.

Our first game is against the Cook Islands with a vile kit clash, and I do wonder if my defensive Farageball is the right tactic here, but I press on. In the first 30 minutes it's quite end to end and if anything they're better, but then I get the message that they are attacking more. We improve, but with it still goalless after 65 minutes I have to change to attacking. After 85 it's Very Attacking, and then a highlight lasts forever. Back and forth it goes, until I see. Penalty to the Cook Islands. Goal. 0-1. Great. My hype for this has already been shot.

Next up is Fiji, two days later, and I see little to be gained from changing the team. In the first half, they do look better, but it's goalless and it seems like it could go either way. But in the second they lead through Sairusi Nalaubu and as we look forward he scores a hat-trick in a 0-3 lead. That's the competition over, then.

The Solomon Islands come next and I don't care I'm getting paid. Two more days added and these players don't deserve to rest, but one is suspended. We lose 3-0. Whoops! I hope the FA is delighted with the 450k they've paid me so far. It's clear I'm nearing the sack now, with the FA giving me an F. You know it's not good when your players give interviews saying that they shouldn't be rash and sack me. A game against American Samoa should ease the pressure.

The press say that if I lose I'm out of a job, and 1-0 down at half-time I think they have a point. Waya, who has been gash all tournament gets injured and I replace him with Jérémy Jeno, who decides to score a hat-trick en route to a 3-1 win. The final game is against Papua New Guinea, and 90min.com of all people declare a bad result means it's curtains. We lose 4-0, and I'm surprised I'm not immediately sacked. I thought the notification might come after the tournament as a whole finished, but no, I survive, and the Nations Cup will be my next chance to build my reputation.

There is good news for my tenure at New Caledonia: the FA seemingly have forgotten all about the Pacific Games and my rating is back to a C and my security is Stable again. They don't like my tactics, but there is a blank rating for competitions and results.

Jekob Jeno returns for the friendly against Samoa, and we score in the first minute. As we dominate the game, I change to Attacking, but this lets them back in it and they equalise, so I revert and we score a late winner to take it 1-2. It's not great but a win is big for me.

Unbelievably, English sixth-tier side Billericay are "impressed" with me enough to make me a "top candidate" and offer me an interview. However, they tellingly go with Jon Beale, who is manager of Welsh second-tier side Swansea University, which proves that managing an international team isn't enough to win me any favours. Our next result is a 1-1 draw away to Tonga, which is disappointing considering we're on top.

While I wait for the next tournament (the Nations Cup) to start in several months time, English sixth-tier side Hereford offer me a job interview. And, hold on, what?

They've accepted me. I take the job, on £675 p/w. This may actually be interesting after all...

Hereford's goals for me are thus: I must work within the wage budget, and it is "preferred" that I grow the club's reputation. The five-year plan is that this season I must avoid relegation from the National League North and reach the FA Cup proper (i.e. the First Round), and it is "preferred" that I am "competitive" in the FA Trophy (whatever that means): my contract expires at the end of the season. For the seasons after, I only need to continue to avoid relegation from this division.

The supporters want me to be competitive against third-tier Cheltenham and fourth-tier Newport if we happen to play against them, and avoid relegation, as well as wanting me to "strive to make progress on and off the pitch". The problem is, we are 24th (bottom) of the league after fifteen games played, with just one win and three draws, and were knocked out of the FA Cup in the Third Qualifying Round by seventh-tier FC United. That said, I hope that the 5-3-2 DM WB Route One that has served me so well in New Caledonia (who I am still managing) works here. The way this league works is that the top team gets promoted, alongside the winner of the play-offs (which the next six enter), while four get relegated, my sole goal is to stay up.

I then get a message that says the board is "very disappointed" with the fact I didn't reach the FA Cup proper, as if it is my fault. The majority of players in our first team meating say that I'll have to "prove myself" to them, as if I haven't already with my brilliant international experience and revolutionary tactics.

The backroom team shouts at me to change to a 4-2-3-1 DM AM Wide and on second thoughts I accept this. We actually have a very decent team with a lot of good players and our first game is at home to 7th-placed Alfreton. We lose 2-1 but control a lot of the ball and lead in XG, and I don't really have much concern that this team is going down.

In midweek, we host mid-table Telford, and we lose 3-1. The performance isn't BAD but it's not great either. The players are tiring and the squad is quite small, and there is a big drop-off from the starting XI to the fringe players. That said, a lot of teams seem to be struggling and we still have chances. Next up, we visit play-off chasing Boston, and we lose 3-1 despite a lead. It seems like we're doing enough to get at least something, but I'm still not concerned as we're just eight points adrift. We need to change things soon though. Better still, we have a week until our next FA Trophy game at home to Rushall Olympic, but Ben Wells (one of our best players) picked up a late second yellow and will miss our next game.

The FA Trophy is like the FA Cup but for non-league teams, and we host fellow NLN relegation candidates Rushall. A few players have rejected me but we make our first signing that will fight for the first team in Fidel O'Rourke, a 21-year-old taken for free off the Liverpool scrapheap. He looks good and goes straight in the team, which I have to shuffle due to suspensions, and an early injury in the game. I get told that both the board and fans "expect" a draw. Cheers lads. We go 2-0 up and miss a penalty just before half-time, but the players flag and we have to hold on to force a replay at 2-2. Just what we need. Hoping for another full week off, the next game is the replay away to Rushall, the winner will host Chester. We're never really in the game and lose 2-0. Luckily getting to a replay means they're happy I was "competitive".

Next we host 15th-placed Gloucester, and both board and supporters expect a draw. I revert to my 5-3-2 DM WB due to bad results. A change to a 4-4-2 Diamond prompted by injury seems to help somewhat but we fall 4-2. It's getting worrying now. We make some more signings, including James Rowland from TNS for a record fee. We next visit fellow strugglers Banbury, and need a result (they are kept out of the relegation zone on goal difference). However, the pitch is waterlogged so the game is postponed.

Instead, we next host high-flying Boreham Wood, who are clearly in the wrong league in mid-week. Perhaps it is a chance to spring a surprise as we get the whole week off. To be fair, we don't play badly, but a 1-4 loss is the result. We have the weekend off but on Boxing Day we visit another struggling team in Guiseley. I have spent all my wage budget now, but tbh the team does look good, and a good result against Guiseley could be the propeller. Oh, never mind, that's been rearranged too as Guiseley need a replay in the FA Trophy. So we host rivals Kidderminster next weekend, who are second. It seems we're only playing good teams right now, leading to low morale and this bad spell. We fight but lose 2-0, with both goals from set pieces. We're now eleven points adrift and it does seem more and more worrying, but for some reason i'm still unperturbed. The board is starting to get annoyed now, and we next host King's Lynn, also in the play-offs, on New Year's Day two days later. It's one of our worst performances as we lose 3-1. I still have lost every league game with Hereford (and not won in all competitions). A visit to mid-table Chester is next, and despite being dominated, it looks like a brilliant goalkeeping performance will earn us a point, until an 88th-minute penalty costs us the game. Great.

Our midweek game is against Guiseley, and I am happy with a chance to play another struggling team, but it gets postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Instead, we host play-off chasers Chorley in the next game. We are very unlucky and a penalty is to blame again as we lose 2-1. Unfortunately star striker Fidel O'Rourke gets an injury that takes him out until at least the latter stages of the season. We next visit fellow strugglers Banbury, and despite an awful game we get a late winner and take it 1-0! We close the gap on the Puritans to fourteen points with a game in hand... ah. It's that bad? We may be in trouble. Our next game is against play-off chasing Leamington, and we are unlucky to lose 1-0. However, we next have the chance to visit Guiseley, finally, but an awful 3-1 loss (which flatters us) makes me pretty much convinced we're going down, and determined to just hold on to get as much money as possible.

The next focus will be on the Nations Cup, with three months until it starts. The draw is made, and we get a tough group, with New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, and hosts Tahiti. The top two teams go to the semi-finals, while the top three advance in World Cup qualifying. The FA assures me my performace is "not important" anyway. In the first game against the Solomon Islands, the first half is pretty even but they get the advantage in the second and we lose 1-0. Against Tahiti, I tweak things, and we dominate the first half of the game but go 1-0 down. However, in a dream five minutes we score straight from kick-off, score again, one of their players gets a second yellow and we score a third time from the free-kick. Tahiti actually look better with ten men and it finishes 3-2, but I'll take it.

There's a problem however. Tahiti beat the Solomon Islands, and we need a point against New Zealand in the final game to get in the top two, and indeed probably the top three. We can't put up with them and lose 4-1. This means we finish bottom and are out of both the Nations Cup and qualifying for the World Cup. It will be a long wait now, with no competitive internationals until the 2027 Pacific Games.

For some reason, the last message in my Hereford save didn't go through. It didn't end well, we got relegated bottom, and I was sacked. A brief rundown:

There was a general theme of playing well in games but just not getting the result. Scoring goals was a real problem with no O'Rourke. The next game was a 2-0 loss at home to mid-table Buxton, where we probably deserved the result. We then hosted mid-table Farsley and we were unlucky to lose 2-1, but a 0-0 draw at home to Scarborough was next. We followed that by narrow defeats to Curzon Ashton and Brackley, and a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Rushall didnt help us. We were in dire straits but had the chance to bounce back against Hitchin, but it came with our worst performance of the season. We went 3-0 down, they got a red card… and then we lost 6-0. Two more narrow defeats to Darlingtonand Nantwich came next, and despite a win against Southort, we lost our next game to Telford. I won the last game of my reign to Enfield, but a result elsewhere means I was sacked as we were officially relegated. 

Back to the New Caledonia focus then, and some good news before the next set of friendlies on the road to the 2030 World Cup cycle. Seventeen year-old French regen right-back Jean-Claude Douépéré has said he is interested in playing for us, and he has started playing in the French fourth-tier for Reims (who are in Ligue 1)'s reserve team. I ask him to play for us and - bang! He's a New Caledonian. Get in. Our first friendly is away to Tuvalu, who aren't even affiliated to FIFA, and we get a 2-1 win. Another story about Koba Lein tempts me into asking him again, but he stays at France for now, despite being a Frankfurt rotation player, 22 and not capped since U19 level. A 3-0 win away to Micronesia in the next fixture is a decent friendly win.

I try to get Koba Lein to switch, but again he rejects me. Our U20s qualified to the World Cup because the U19s were runner-up in the OFC Championship. In the tournament in France (where it would never be in real life), our team loses 7-0 to Nigeria, 8-0 to Croatia and 3-1 to Saudi Arabia. I'm not manager of the U20s, but I thought it was somewhat interesting how a New Caledonian team would do when not against fellow Oceanians. In 2025, the seniors do not play a single game, meaning I get paid for doing absolutely nothing, which I think is perfectly in line with the spirit of the mode. Really, after the pretty poor Pacific Games and the rubbish Nations Cup I should have been sacked by now, but I'm not and I'm not complaining. Some bad news comes. Douépéré retracts his New Caledonia commitment, although he is still listed as New Caledonian right now. He is playing for Reims U19s now, rather than senior football with the second tier. He feels that there will be too much travelling involved.

Remarkably, despite messing up at Hereford, I get a job interview with Weymouth, in the English sixth tier. They are four points from safety with just three games to go, but I'll take whatever money I can get. However, they choose Dan Gosling, who currently plays for Watford in real life, and... he keeps them up with seven points from his last three games? Fair enough. Douépéré has now changed his mind, saying that he thinks he can be our star player (correctly). He's started to play regularly for the Reims second team, and is loan listed. We go through 2026 without playing a game, fully in the spirit of this save. In 2027 we will have the Pacific Games, the first match since the Micronesia friendly, the time between those two games will have earned me about a million pounds. Before then, we have a friendly away to the Cook Islands, and lose 1-0. Honestly it's concerning and a fair result, it was pretty even. The big story in terms of team selection is Douépéré's debut, and the fact Nyikeine was dropped. The 2027 Pacific Games are in Fiji, and we're drawn in Group A with the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu. Bring it on...

So the 2027 Pacific Games begins and the big story is that Douépéré doesn't make the squad. Probably a mistake but my Assistant made a suggestion and I couldn't be asked to change it, I'm still getting paid. Anyway, the group winner goes for gold and the runner-up goes for bronze. Our first game is against Vanuatu, and it seems pretty even, but they get the win as we miss chance after chance. Our next game is against the Cook Islands, and it's much better. It's even in the first thirty minutes, but then they score a free-kick. We score straight from kick-off though and then we score a free-kick of our own. However, just before half time they get a corner. We then score an amazing free-kick and miss lots of chances to kill it off, but finally get a penalty which we score. They then miss a late penalty and we win 4-2, with every goal coming from a set play (Free-kick, kick-off, free-kick, corner, free-kick, penalty), and my defensive midfielder scoring a hat-trick of direct set pieces. The next game is against the Solomon Islands, who have won all of their games: we need a win to keep the hunt for gold alive. And we get it, a scrappy 1-0 win: we "FM" them. So, we need to beat bottom team, and our biggest rival Tahiti in the final game by three goals to go for gold. We score early on and I think it might happen, but sloppy goalkeeping means they equalise after twelve minutes. For some reason I panic and throw on Very Attacking, and we end up losing 2-1. A chance to fight for bronze against the hosts Fiji piques my interest, and after an hour it's 1-1. They score a corner in the 84th minute, which is a really lame way to lose a Pacific Games medal, and then on Very Attacking I concede to lose 3-1. People are very happy that we overachieved with fourth, and my reputation has even gone up from 10% to 20%. I have now picked up fluent French and in my career have earned just under two million quid, without winning a single trophy. Next, we fight for the 2028 Nations Cup.

In the lead-up to the Nations Cup there are a few friendlies. First up, we visit Papua New Guinea and Douépéré is back in the squad. He is probably the star man, and now that Jekob Jeno has fallen off and is a free agent is the only player playing for anyone recognisable. In fact, the Reims coach is present at the game (the idea of a Ligue 1 coach going to Papua New Guinea to watch a B team player in real life is amusing). It's a good game where we edge the possession and we are the better team: we take it 3-2. Then, we travel to Tonga, and comfortably win 3-1. Again the Reims manager watches Douépéré, and to be fair he's enjoying the Pacific Island sun if anything. He's actually English and has the great name Will Still. It's a productive international break then, and just before the next friendly against American Samoa, fifth-tier strugglers Yeovil offer me a job interview. I actually have a bit of a connection with Yeovil: I have a distant cousin that played for the Glovers, and I once went to Huish Park to see them play when they were in the Championship, with two of my dad's friends supporting either club (the visitors were Sheffield Wednesday). Being rejected by sixth-tier Weymouth a year ago, it seems like I have been rewarded for the good performance in the 2027 Pacific Games. Relegation rivals Harrogate also offer me an interview, and I take both. Anyway, in American Samoa we are very comfortable and win 3-0. The team is playing well, we look well-drilled and the youth are coming together. Still watched the game again too. 

Breaking news! Harrogate make me an offer of £775pw, with a 15% promotion wage rise and a 35% relegation wage drop, on a two-year contract. I get it up to £850pw.

Harrogate were a much less enticing prospect than Yeovil, but they offered first so I took the job as per the rules of the save. In real life they're in the English fourth tier, the EFL League Two, and actually reached the promotion playoff final in the first season but lost to Barrow in extra time, but two years later they were relegated by a point. Reaching the playoffs in the first season back down, we've then slipped to midtable and this season find ourselves in the relegation zone.

The club's vision is that it is required to work within the wage budget, and "favoured" to grow the club's reputation, while a maximum one-year contract for players over 32 is "preferred". This season, it's required to finish in mid-table in the National League and be competitve in the FA Cup, while challenging to win (aka at least reaching the Final of) the FA Trophy is favoured. They want us to keep being a mid-table National League club in the long-term. Meanwhile, the supporters prefer attacking and entertaining football, and favour possession football, while it's required we finish mid-table and reach the playoffs (not happening), as well as preferred we finish above Halifax, who play in the league above us. Anyway, the club is in a state. £755,523 in debt, the transfer budget is negative £18,490 and we're also spending above the wage budget. Oh dear. We also seem to have no staff, and the two best players (from first look) want to leave, and a lot of the players don't seem to be a fan of me due to my lack of experience. The team is currently in 21st out of 24 in the league, with the bottom four getting relegated. There are two cup competitions, and we host Buxton from the league below in the Emirates FA Cup in our next game. Randomly, we have a Faroe Islands international player on our team. My first job is to get an Assistant Manager. After that, we set up with a classic 4-2-3-1 DM AM Wide Fluid Counter-Attack.

Well, it's the easiest game in my career, as they get a red card within five minutes and we comfortably win 2-0. Some interesting news that our best player, Northern Irish midfielder Ethan Galbraith wants to leave, and I'm happy to let him - it would actually give me a transfer budget, for one. Next week we visit mid-table Barnet, who are managed in-game by Sol Campbell, and we actually have the better chances in an encouraging 0-0 draw. In midweek is a key game at home to fellow strugglers Boston, and we completely dominate the game, but I'm worried as the score is only 1-0 and they're getting back into it and... yep of course. 1-1. But then the players show character get a late winner and in fact win it 3-1. In midweek we visit Torquay, who are midtable but a bit lower than Barnet. We are at 1-1 and probably the better team, and we score what seems a late winner. But we're instantly pegged back, and then THEY score a late winner to take it 3-2, with both goals being pretty calamitous defensively. I'm starting to worry about how often we flag late on: it seems we have a solid XI, but they tire quite easily and the backups aren't that good at all. In the next game we travel to Stevenage in the FA Cup First Round: they're in our league but in the play-offs, and we never really get into a game which we lose 2-0. Luckily getting into the competition proper means we've passed the board's requirement to be competitive.

Next up is Port Vale, who are in that lower mid-table bit near Torquay, and we are the dominant side at home but only get a 0-0 draw. We visit Gillingham who are chasing the play-offs in midweek and are desperately unlucky to come away with a 1-1 draw after being completely dominant: this isn't FM whining either, and I notice a theme emerging: not converting dominance to results.

I'm happy to get a full week off for our next game at home to Altrincham, who are bottom. They get a red card and we win easily, 2-0, which takes us out of the drop zone by a point, and puts our GD into the positive. We have a whole week again before we visit play-off chasing Bath, and execute the gameplan to perfection: less possession, more xG, but our bottling gene strikes again and from 3-1 up we draw 3-3. It's another week break until we visit mid-table Newport, but we don't turn up at all and a 3-0 loss puts us back in the drop zone. Next week we host play-off chasing Chester, and it's a pretty even game, although we probably edge it, a 0-0 draw is a fair result. In midweek we travel to fellow strugglers Scunthorpe, and it's an even game. We probably have the better chances just about, but they get a late winner. The players are quite tired with that and we're now four points adrift, exactly halfway through the league season. Some good news (perhaps) is that we're rumoured to have a takeover bid, if Sporting Life is to be believed. On the weekend, we're supposed to play in the FA Trophy, but the match is postponed to midweek due to a waterlogged pitch. The FA Trophy is for teams in the English non-league (defined as the fifth tier and below), and we visit Barrow, who are mid-table in our own league. It's a game of two halves in a way: we're lucky to be level at half-time, but unlucky not to win after that, and so 1-1 is a fair result, even though I could do without a replay. The Birmingham manager is there to watch Galbraith, interestingly enough, although Birmingham are in League Two now. To be honest, I'd be happy for him to take him off my hands. The replay means that the next game is postponed, we have the weekend off, and in midweek we have the replay at home to Barrow. thenonleaguefootballpaper.com claim that the takeover rumours are bollocks. Anyway, we host Barrow in the replay, and it's a poor game, but bucking a trend we pick it up near the end and run out 2-0 winners!

At the weekend, we visit mid-table Southend, and it's a 0-0 draw: we're probably the happier team although the result is fair. In midweek we host high-flying Leyton Orient, and we get very unlucky, first to find ourselves 1-0 down, and then when we get a chance through a red card, we have a player go off injured to make it 10v10 and it's a disappointing loss. The fans are sick of my tactics too. At the weekend we host Yeovil, who have gotten themselves out of danger of late. It's a game where we're vaguely unlucky but lose 1-0, and we need to start getting results. Worse still, we have a tough midweek encounter away to high-flying AFC Fylde. We're never in the game and lose 3-0. The next game, at the weekend, is the Buildbase FA Trophy Fourth Round tie at Altrincham, who are bottom of our league. Football Radar suggest that a "bad result" could actually "seal my fate", headlines I remember well from my time at Hereford. In the end, it's a tough game and we're perhaps lucky to be 1-1, but then one of their players on a yellow deliberately handballs it and gets a second yellow, and we easily win 5-2. We get a full week before we visit mid-table Barrow, and again the fate line comes out from Sporting Life. I'm at an E with the Board and an F with the fans. As it is, we lose 4-0, and while the score flatters them a bit, it's another awful performance. At least we get a whole week before our next game, at home to mid-table Oldham. I feel like we're unlucky as we get a 0-0 draw. We haven't scored a goal in nine consecutive league games now. I get a meeting where the board say I need ten points from my next five games.

At midweek we host well-performing Cheltenham, whose manager says I should be sacked. He isn't wrong. But we frustrate their title bid with a 1-1 draw, in a game that could have gone either way. But then undo that by visiting Maidstone, one place above us, and lsoing 3-1. That means I have to win the next three games in a row. I'm not sure if this counts to the target but we get the whole week off as we visit Maidenhead, who are leading the league below us, in the Fifth Round of the Buildbase FA Trophy. We win 5-1, with the same striker that's been cat all season scoring four in the first half. It doesn't count for the target, and next we visit high-flying Stevenage. 11% of fans want me to stay. We come away with a creditable 0-0 draw, but I know that's not enough and I'm sacked.

Darlington was an odd project, because I had literally no money, no players to sell, and couldn't buy anyone. The team was actually alright, but we couldn't score goals and got unlucky in some key moments. My reputation has gone down to 15%, which I deserve, but now we go on to the 2028 Nations Cup with New Caledonia.

The road to the 2028 Nations Cup in New Zealand begins with a friendly away to Kiribati on the sandy pitch. We win 3-0 despite a late red card for us. The new Reims boss Thierry Laurey is there to watch Douépéré. The draw for the Nations Cup is made, and the good news is no New Zealand: we're with Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Samoa. I'd really like us to do well, even if the FA view it as unimportant, and stay on. Remember, the top two make the semifinals, while the top three go to the World Cup qualifiers. Stars Lues Waya and Douépéré aren't happy not to make the cut, but we have a good squad. Douépéré is later recalled after an injury to another player: initially left out as his game time has dried up, he remains a key player. We start with a game against Samoa, and while not at our very best, win 2-0. Three days later we have a much tougher challenge against Vanuatu. In a wild game, we draw 3-3, a result I'm satisifed with: Willy Read, who came in for Waya has scored all five of our goals. We face Papua New Guinea in the driving seat: a draw will get us top, while if we lose by one goal we still go through in second. In the end, we're the stronger team, especially near the end as an injury forces them to ten men, and while we draw 0-0 that's enough for top. We set up a semi-final with Fiji, who cost be a Pacific Games medal. Apparently "massive excitement is gripping the whole New Caledonian nation" (as far as it is a 'nation'), in the quest to set up a final with the hosts... and within six minutes one of my star players gets sent off. Bloody wonderful. You wait for four years and that happens. The Route One style is actually good and we have a couple of chances, but we lose 2-0.

The good news is that we march on to the World Cup qualifiers. With a group of three, and matches hosted in Fiji, with two games each, we are in a group with Fiji and Papua New Guinea, which take place in November and March. I'm glad to avoid NZ at least. To advance further we need to win our group, and doing so will guarantee a place in the World Cup play-offs at least. We start with a friendly away to Micronesia, in which we win 3-0 but I'm not thrilled with the performance. The new Reims boss is Christophe Galtier of all people, and yes, he goes to Yap Sports Complex, which is a hilarious thought. Douépéré is 21 now but has fallen out of favour even from the Reims second squad. Some bad news: my goalkeeper, Thomas Schmidt (Rocky Nyikeine had already retired and been replaced) said he is going to retire at the end of the season, just after my backup announces the same. Great. This guy's actually good too. And he's doing so "to play semi-professionaly", even though his current club is semi-professional? Right. I drop Douépéré as he is not playing regularly.

In the first game, we play Fiji, who I am getting more and more sick of, and though we fight we lose 3-2. Anyway, the FA think this is "not important". The good news is that my reputation is back up to 20%. Perhaps it's because of this that Hampton & Richmond, struggling somewhat in the English sixth tier, offer me a job. However, insad they give George Williams (a Cambridge player in real life) his first job. Anyway, in the next international break (March 2029), we have a crucial, crucial game against Papua New Guinea. We should win, but somehow we conspire to lose 3-0... they only just had more xG than us, and only then because of a cheap penalty. Bah. We're officially out of the World Cup after a 1-0 loss to Fiji, where we're somewhat unlucky. The final game is a 1-1 draw to Papua New Guinea, where we're lucky to get our only point of the group, and that is followed by a friendly away to Tuvalu, which we draw 2-2.

We seem a very, very ordinary team ahead of the 2031 Pacific Games cycle.
 

In the road to the 2031 Pacific Games cycle, both Scunthorpe and Stevenage, two teams who have just been relegated from the fifth tier, offer me a job interview. Both teams offer me a job, and I choose Stevenage, who give me £775pw. Stevenage are a team that the aforementioned cousin played for, and I'm interested to see what I can do.

In real life, Stevenage are a team in EFL League Two (the English fourth division), but in-game they got relegated in the first season (2022/23). In the 2027/28 season, (the one in which I managed Harrogate) they made the play-off final, but lost to Leyton Orient on penalties. Then, in 2029/30 they found themselves relegated and turned to me. Nearly a million pounds in debt, it is required that I work within the wage budget and grow the club's reputation, and maximum one-year contracts for players over 32 are favoured. Next season they prefer me to grow the club's reputation and it is required that I reach the play-offs. The season after they want me to repair the club's financial damage, and in the long-term to continue to challenge for the play-offs. Of course, this being the end of the season we will still have a wage budget as a lot of contracts are expiring, and the board helps us out with a £400,000 cash extension. Curioursly, we are placed in the National League North next season, there are in fairness a lot of southern clubs at this level now. The board's expectations are set out: as well as growing the club's reputation being preferred and reaching the play-offs being required, reaching the FA Cup proper is also required and being "competitive" in the FA Trophy is preferred.

While our budget is obviously very small, this is the first time I've had a proper pre-season, as well as a transfer window. We are left with only eighteen players, but a relatively healthy wage budget, although no transfer budget. I have always thought that the transfer market is probably the most important thing of FM, and I think I did a bad job at Hereford, had little opportunity at Harrogate, and now have the best chance yet at Stevenage. I think we can build a side that certainly challenges in this division, although we have some weak spots that need to be plugged. A lot of A+-rated players are available on frees, although they sometimes want high wages. I go with a 4-3-3 DM Wide Fluid counter-attacking system for our first friendly away to Dorking (in the Vanarama South), and we win 3-2. Next we visit our affiliate club, Bishop's Stortford, from the league below us, and lose 4-0. We also visit Port Vale, in the league above, and rotate heavily, but win 2-1. In the final game we host Hartlepool, also in the league above, and lose 2-0. I think we're in a good place going into the season, but the real test is ahead of us.

While our budget is obviously very small, this is the first time I've had a proper pre-season, as well as a transfer window. We are left with only eighteen players, but a relatively healthy wage budget, although no transfer budget. I have always thought that the transfer market is probably the most important thing of FM, and I think I did a bad job at Hereford, had little opportunity at Harrogate, and now have the best chance yet at Stevenage. I think we can build a side that certainly challenges in this division, although we have some weak spots that need to be plugged. A lot of A+-rated players are available on frees, although they sometimes want high wages. I go with a 4-3-3 DM Wide Fluid counter-attacking system for our first friendly away to Dorking (in the Vanarama South), and we win 3-2. Next we visit our affiliate club, Bishop's Stortford, from the league below us, and lose 4-0. We also visit Port Vale, in the league above, and rotate heavily, but win 2-1. In the final game we host Hartlepool, also in the league above, and lose 2-0. I think we're in a good place going into the season, but the real test is ahead of us.

First, it would be good to explain how this division works: the top team gets promoted, the top six go into promotion play-offs, and the bottom four get relegated. Our first game is at home to newly-promoted Atherton Collieries, and we are totally dominant, although I'm a little disappointed to only win 1-0. In midweek we visit Stafford Rangers, who were mid-table last season, and we win 4-2, our job made easier by a late red card: it was really an easy win but conceding two was disappointing. Our next game is at the weekend at home to South Shields, who narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season and won the FA Trophy (beating Harrogate in the final). We draw 2-2, with a last-minute winner ruled out for offside (correctly): the result is fair enough although we are somewhat unlucky. We get a full week off before visiting Gloucester, who last season were dumped out of the play-offs on penalties in the semifinals. The board put another £160k in, and we're now just £400k in the red. In the Gloucester game we're completely dominant and we win 2-0, although I am getting a little concerned about our finishing. In midweek we host Gainsborough Trinity, who struggled somewhat last season. We make it harder for ourselves than necessary, but come away with a 3-2 win. One of our players has been called up to the Antigua and Barbuda squad and will miss a couple games. Not the next one though, which is at the weekend away to Spennymoor, who like us were relegated last season, and we grind out a 1-0 win. It's a really good result and they have a late equaliser disallowed (rightly). That said, we play on a Saturday, and our next game is on Monday at home to struggling Darlington. I'm runner-up for the Manager of the Month award. I decide against heavy rotation for the match, and it may have been a mistake. We're 1-0 down early on and though they get a red card, we dominate the rest of the match but do everything but score and it's our first loss of the season. We have the rest of the week before we visit Scarborough in lower mid-table, who we comfortably dispatch 2-0.

I have pretty much settled on my starting XI: in goal is American Noah Ambrams, who was here when I got there. At right-back is Ben Byrne, who was taken from the Brentford scrapheap, while Jack Minall is the same from Sheffield Wednesday. Pairing Minall at the back is Mackye Townsend-West, who is vice-captain and plays for Stevenage in real life. Finally, Ryan Green is taken from Aberdeen's rejects pile. In midfield Jack Perry has been at Stevenage for a while, as has Scottish regen Ewan Aiton. Neil Kennedy is a West Brom reject, while my predecessor signed winger Rio Patterson-Powell, while Joe Price is a regen that was always at Stevenage. Up front is Casper Rouse who is an Everton reject. All these players have between 2.5-3.5 stars, most are young, and have good potentials, with good options on the bench. This is the first team I feel a decent connection with, and am looking forward to the future with them.

At midweek we host mid-table Brackley, and easily overcome them 3-0. At the weekend we visit mid-table Nuneaton. A 5.9 rating for Rouse explains a disappointing 1-1 draw. We have a full week off for our next game, which is an Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round at home to Bamber Bridge, in the league below. Of course, this is a must-win, and to keep players sharp I don't rotate. We win 3-0, and two goals are penalties: both taken by the goalie (I blame a glitch). Anyway, it's a dominant performance and we're through to the Third Qualifying Round. Next we host Scunthorpe in the league, and they are struggling in what is my 100th game in management, and we get a nice 3-0 win, their goalie plays horribly. We're really looking good in the league, but there's another must-win in the Emirates FA Cup Third Qualifying Round as we host Morepth in the league below. Remember, the board "requires" we get to the First Round. It's a very simple 4-2 win, however. Next we visit mid-table Boston, and they dominate completely, but we win 1-0! The last action of the game is a late red card: I've seen goals in the final highlight before, but never a red. That puts us top and my job status with both fans and the board is "untouchable": A+. That said, we are one point ahead of fourth. We next host Bradford (Park Avenue) in the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup: win this and we've passed a board objective. Bradford (PA) are struggling in our league. We are far from our best but get the job done, 1-0. Getting into the first round clears a board objective and while the cup is great, we can now focus more on the league. Dean Smith (who has fallen on hard times of late in-game) draws us at home to League One leaders Blackpool, the hardest team we can face. Bring it on...
 

The cup game means that our match at the weekend is rescheduled to midweek, we host Kidderminster, who are doing well. We are nowhere near our best and while we miss a few chances, it's hard to complain about a 2-0 defeat. At the weekend it's a trip to Buxton, who are also doing quite well in the league, and while the performance isn't as bad, the result certainly is: a 3-0 loss. In the Kidderminster game, Minall was suspended, so in came Damon Park, a signing I made off Woking (for free). I still reckon he's a good player, but he's been awful in these two games. It's another tough game as we host Southport, who are doing well next, and Kennedy is suspended: in comes Asa Miller, a late free signing from the Hull scrapheap. It's a brilliant performance, Park scores, and Patterson-Powell gets a hat-trick in a 7-1 victory. A lot of our goals have been assisted with Abrams, and this is a real plus, Route One is working. At midweek, we visit leaders Curzon Ashton, Kennedy comes back in for Miller, and it's a barnstorming 4-0 win. Rouse scores a hat-trick and we're just playing balls over the top to him: it's non-league and it works. The Curzon Ashton manager whines about referees for some reason: the only mistake I see is that they didn't give me a penalty (giving it as freekick outside the box). Next up we host Blackpool in the Emirates FA Cup First Round, the Seasiders lead the division three above ours... and it's brilliant. A SUPERB performance as we win 3-2, and we deserve it too, absolutely perfect. Our press conferences normally have two or three people, this time it has fourteen, and we get £36,000 too, an article about how great I am shows up from twenty3. we also claim £140,000 from gate receipts, and this result has cleared a huge amount of debt. Next up we host Bradford (PA), who are struggling at midweek. I shuffle the pack by moving Townsend-West to right back and Minall comes in for Byrne. It's not a great performance but we win 2-0. With Price suspended for our next game at the weekend at bottom-placed Macclesfield, Rouse moves back, Patterson-Powell moves up front, Kenndy fills the gap and Miller moves into midfield. It seems to unsettle the players as they play poorly and we're lucky to win 2-1. Next we visit struggling Hednesford, and Kennedy returns, I reshuffle, it's Rouse that drops to the bench, and Byrne is also back in for Park. It's a very simple 3-1 win. In midweek, we host Guiseley, a game rearranged due to the FA Cup. They're in the play-off places, but we still smash them 3-0.

The next game is in the FA Trophy, and we visit Whitby, from the league below. I'm looking to do well in this competition, I shuffle the pack a little and Rouse returns up front, Miller drops to the bench, and we easily win 5-2. We have the full week before the FA Cup Second Round, and we visit Accrington, who are three divisions above us... and we do it again! A smash-and-grab 2-1 win, where Accrington have 70% possession but tbh don't deserve to win. The adventure continues... we will host Championship Luton in the Third Round after the draw that is conducted by Frank Lampard, who has been sacked after getting Everton relegated. Luton are listed as rivals, the journey carries on!
 

Our next game is at midweek away to mid-table Alfreton, and it's a confident 3-0 win helped by a late red card. The boss of Aldershot, from the league above, is there to watch Price. Soon they bid a ridiculously low offer, and when I reject it, he looks to leave. We get the weekend off but at midweek we host Altrincham, who are chasing a play-off place... and six minutes in Price puts in a two-footed lunge and gets sent off straight away, as if trying to prove something, but we win 3-1 anyway with a stunning Rouse hat-trick... I'm starting to think we're too good for this division, although we have been very lucky with no major injuries. At the weekend, we visit South Shields in the FA Trophy, who are third in our division and also the holders of the competition. With Price suspended, Miller comes in and Kennedy moves up, Patterson-Powell goes up front as Rouse drops to the wing. In the end it's a great comeback from 3-1 and it finishes 3-3, with no goals in extra time, so it goes to a replay as Patterson-Powell bags a hat-trick. Our next game is the replay at home to South Shields, who are now fourth but still the holders, it comes on midweek (on Boxing Day). Price returns, but Kennedy is suspended, Perry drops back, Rouse goes up front while Patterson-Powell drops to the wing, and this time we can't get through, being knocked out 2-1. With Boxing Day on Thursday, we play again on the Saturday away to lower mid-table Atherton Collieries. Townsend-West is suspended and replaced by Park, while Kennedy returns and replaces Price, whose ban has been extended two games: Rouse goes out wide and Patterson-Powell is down the middle. With our players absolutely shot, it's far from a vintage performance, but we get the job done, 3-2. I win Manager of the Month again for December. At midweek we host struggling Stafford, and while it's hardly an amazing performance, we get the job done 2-0. Meanwhile, a takeover is in progress, from a supporters' association, with this being rumoured in articles and confirmed in Club Vision. At the weekend, we visit South Shields, who have been impressing and who I am quite sick of. Twenty3 say the takeover rumours are not to be believed, but that isn't so according to Club Vision. Anyway, Price returns for Perry, and it's a very even game, but we get the win, 1-0! Anyway, I lied to Kennedy and Byrne and said I'd play them in their "favoured position" if they signed, I didn't, and now they want to leave. At midweek, we visit relegation zone Redditch, in a game that was rearranged due to the FA Trophy Replay, and finally we run out of steam, drawing 0-0 despite a late red card for them. We sell Price to Birmingham, getting the wage budget back in the black, Perry replaces him for the trip to Luton, who are four leagues above us. In the end, we start really well but fall 3-1. So we are out of both cups in January, and must now focus entirely on the league. We are five points clear of Kidderminster with twenty games to go, bring it on!
 

Our game at home to struggling Gloucester was postponed due to the Luton match to midweek, and Minall is the latest player to have a strop over a broken promise. Anyway, we batter Gloucester 4-0. Green is out with a cold, and backup Sebastian Chan, who we got from Dartford, starts for the first time as we visit mid-table Gainsborough... it's far from a great performance but we get the job done, 2-1. I'm happy to get the full week off before we host mid-table Spennymoor, but we are suffering from success somewhat as we sell Townsend-West to Burton. The good news is that we don't NEED him, Minall slots right in, and we can sign another player with the freed funds; we brush aside Spennymoor 5-2. The player we go for is Konner Tymon, a West Brom reject who can play as both a left winger or a centre midfielder. The Stevenage chairperson formally confirms that the takeover will not take place. We're supposed to visit struggling Darlington next, but a waterlogged pitch prevents that. That means we have a two week gap between the Gloucester game and the match away to Scarborough, who are SERIOUSLY struggling, and Tymon comes straight in for Miller: we easily beat them 3-1. Our visit to struggling Brackley is brought forward to midweek due to their participation in the FA Trophy. Kennedy is injured and Peter Pleming, a Welsh common impact sub who has been here since I joined starts. Both teams get a red card but I don't mind: it's a 5-2 win! As the Brackley game was brough forward, we have the weekend off, but the Darlington match is re-arranged for midweek: until it's postponed again due to a waterlogged pitch. This is good as Abrams is injured and set to miss the game, and I really don't want my backup goalie playing. At the weekend, we host play-off chasing Nuneaton. Minall has picked up an injury, so in comes new signing Liam Bedford, who I got for ridiculously cheap wages from the Blackburn scrapheap, Chan comes in for the suspended Green. Kennedy returns for Pleming. It's not a great performance at all, but an injury time equaliser earns us a 1-1 draw. As Byrne picked up an injury in the last game, backup (and high potential) Aron McAuley, who has been picked up from Spurs starts the midweek game away to play-off chasing Scunthorpe, Green also returns for Chan, but this is a step too far, and we lose 2-1. At the weekend, we host Boston in a huge top-of-the-table clash, and while we're not at our best, Patterson-Powell steps up in a big way with a 3-1 win. The re-arranged game at mid-table Darlington finally takes place in midweek, and it's a gutting 3-1 loss: the injuries at the back are starting to bite. The league is starting to get a bit competitive again, and at the weekend we visit Kidderminster, who are now just six points behind. Minall returns for McAuley, but it's not enough, and we lose 2-0. I'm starting to get worried, but all we can do is carry on: we have ten games to go and a three-point lead.

At midweek we host mid-table Buxton, and I'm desperate for victory. Minall isn't ready for this one so in comes Chan. But we lose again, 2-1. My players seem FINISHED, and the sale of Townsend-West seems to have been a real thorn. But again, all we can do is continue. At the weekend it's mid-table Southport, and mercifully, both Byrne and Minall are fit. We're pretty bad in this game, but 1-0 up at half-time. About fifteen minutes later, I switch to a 4-2-3-1, mostly due to necessity, and we look a lot better... but concede an 87th-minute equaliser... and then score an 89th-minute winner from a free-kick! I'm very glad to have a full week off before we host high-flying Curzon Ashton... and our newly fresh players get a 3-1 win! That confirms a play-off spot, which was never really in doubt. The lads get a full week off again, but I do have a game in between... in my capacity as New Caledonia manager. With the preparation for the upcoming Pacific Games in full swing, we visit Tonga in a friendly, and it's a really confident 2-0 win. Some players that weren't available a year ago have come in to their own from the youth squad, and I'm confident we have a good shot at a medal.

That's it for distractions though: we have seven more games in the league, and we're three points clear of Kidderminster, who have a game in hand... bring it on!

So seven games to go, and we just need to keep winning. First off, we visit relegation-threatened Bradford (PA), and it's an untimely 0-0 draw. The good news is that Kidderminster concede a late equaliser, so we're still three points clear, with the Harriers still to play their game in hand, which they win, so with six games to go, we're ahead on goal difference. At the week it's bottom-placed Macclesfield at home, and they score an early long shot... and get a red card. It's de ja vu from the Darlington game, we dominate but can't score and lose 1-0: Kidderminster win, we're three points behind. There's nothing we can do though but to keep pressing on, and at the weekend we'll host relegation strugglers Hednesford, Aiton replaces the injured Miller. We somehow conspire to lose 4-1, and Patterson-Powell has forgotten how  to play football. Kidderminster win again and we're six off with four games to play. This is the first of two games in a Friday-Monday set, and we next travel to mid-table Guiseley. Miller returns for Aiton, but we can only manage a 1-1 draw. It's falling apart now and I have to ready myself for the play-offs. Anyway, three games to go and at the week we host mid-table Alfreton, and a 2-1 defeat confirms that Kidderminster are champions. Still, good results in our final two matches will give us the best play-off run possible. We have a week until we visit mid-table Atrincham. In our last five games, we've scored one goal out of 42 from inside the penalty area (the goals against Hednesford and Guisely were from outside the box), I'm hopefully that Patterson-Powell's goal will mean he's on song in the play-offs. Against Altrincham, we grind out a 2-1 win, our first in a while, with a week to go before we host Redditch (who need a win to stay up) in our final game. And it's very reassuring: we win 4-1 and Patterson-Powell scores a hat-trick.

In this division, the teams ranked 4-7 play in the play-off first round, and the winners join the teams ranked second and third (we finished third). Our semifinal is a week after the Redditch game, and we will host Nuneaton. We lose 2-0, both goals are goalkeeping mistakes and Patterson-Powell misses four clear-cut chances, finishing on a rating of 5.9. I throw a water bottle at them, I'm furious. Not even with the loss, but the fact we bottled automatic promotion in the first place. I have to these bottlejobs behind me though, as New Caledonia have a Pacific Games medal to chase.

The FA says "be competitive" at the Pacific Games in Samoa, which I will try to do. There is a rule that says no players based overseas, which means no Douépéré. Our group contains the Cook Islands, New Zealand Under-23s (yes, they enter their U23s, who have won the last three gold medals (one in real life and two in game)), the Solomon Islands, and Tahiti. The group winner goes to the gold medal match, the runner-up will play for bronze. The first match is against Tahiti. Before that though, Stevenage offer yours truly a new contract, with the current one expiring on June 30. My wage is also upped to £800 a week, very nice. So, the game against Tahiti is pretty fifty-fifty, but we do edge it, and that's reflected in a 1-0 win. Just two days later, we face the NZ U23s, and it's a SUPERB performance. We have 31% of the ball but dominate shots 20-7 and win 1-0, or 2.20-0.18 in xG. With this being a five-team competition, we have the next set of fixtures off and a five-day round until the game against the Solomon Islands. Goalscorer Willy Read becomes New Caledonia's record scorer with... seventeen. We have been totting up the yellows though so a few players are suspended. Just as I think I've done something impressive, the Solomon Islanders beat New Zealand U23s 6-0 with 34% possession. That said, their draw with Tahiti means a draw might be enough, while a win certainly will. A loss will end all hope though. Interestingly, the club captain at Stevenage, Luther James-Wildin, who almost never plays for us has been called up to the Antigua and Barbuda squad for the Gold Cup. In the game, they're certainly the better team, but we limit them to just one good chance and we get the 0-0 draw we wanted. That means we have to win against the Cook Islands in three days' time to go for gold, but we will fight for a medal anyway. Before we play, we sell Park to Crewe. Anyway, I'm confident going into this one, and we beat the ten-man islanders 2-0. I'm disappointed with the scoreline and our strikers don't play well but we're through to the final, and who is it against... but Fiji? In the end, it's a tight game that could have gone both ways, but a 2-1 loss is a fair result as they edged it.

To be honest, a Pacific Games silver medal would be really cool in real life, and this performance has removed a fair bit of my pessimism regarding New Caledonia. But it's time to prepare for another season with Stevenage.

But then my save corrupts and I get another go at the final, which I'm not that happy with but I won't say no. In this case, we are the ones who edge the game and should win, but it finishes 1-1 and we lose on penalties. Fair enough, now it's time to actually focus on Stevenage.
 

Going into the new season, the vision is the same as last years: reach the play-offs and the FA Cup First Round, and preferably, be competitive in the FA Trophy. We release a few players, including Chan, and sell Minall to Carlisle. Kennedy no longer wants to leave. Our first friendly is at home to Queens Park Rangers, who have just been relegated from the second tier and so are now three tiers above us, and it's a decent match as we lose 2-1. At midweek we host Crewe, who just avoided relegation from the league QPR are now in, and we again play quite well in a 1-0 loss. We next visit our affiliate, Bishop's Stortford, from the league below at the weekend, and it's a confident 5-2 win. New striker Saul Woolfe, who is introduced off the bench scores a hat-trick, he's expected to be Patterson-Powell's deputy but the chance of him improving fast and overtaking last season's golden boot winner is also possible. In big news, we sell Byrne for upwards of £100k, although (and I didn't even notice this when negotiating), we get some guy back in return called Scott Harding, who is more than an adequate replacement. We have two weeks before our next friendly, away to Dover, in the league parallel to ours, and a 3-1 win is very encouraging.

The new season starts a week later, and we have a tough match at home to Scunthorpe to start, just like us they lost in the play-offs. Compared to last season, the team has similarities, although Bedford is now a right-back, with Harding partnering new signing Robbie Flanagan as the centre-back pairing. In a fantastic game, we win 4-3. Unfortunately, Rouse picks up a long-term injury. In mid-week, we visit Boston, who also lost in the play-offs last term, and I reluctantly play a youngster, Derry John Rostron on the wing for Rouse. I needn't worry though as it's a really confident 2-0 win. Darlington were mid-table last term, and we host them in the week. We dominate the game but Patterson-Powell misses a billion chances, including a penalty, and we only get a 1-1 draw. Tymon picks up a late injury so we have to finish the game with ten men, which doesn't help. Luckily it's not that serious. We have a week until we visit Spennymoor, who just missed the play-offs last time. New signing and Norwich reject Layne Annis comes in for Rostron: he's pretty good now, will be very good soon, and we did spend the whole rest of the wage budget on him. We get a 3-1 win which I'm very happy with, although we did edge them over the ninety minutes. At midweek we host Scarborough, who just dodged relegation last season but have started well. We struggle to get a hold of the game until they get a red card, but then can only manage a 1-1 draw. I always seem to be unable to see off games with a man advantage. At the weekend, it's a visit to promoted Whitby, and a confident 2-0 win. For some reason we play on Saturday and Monday, and we host Guiseley, who were mid-table last term but have started well. I claim Manager of the Month for August. We're 3-0 up at half time and so I can rest players, they dominate the second half but fail to score even after Miller comes off injured and we play twenty minutes with ten men.

It's an international break, meaning we visit American Samoa in preparation for the 2032 Nations Cup. It's hardly an inspiring performance but we do win 3-1. Back to Stevenage and at the weekend we visit Bradford (PA), who have started the season decently; Aiton replaces Miller, but it's a disappointing 3-1 loss. A week later, we host Atherton Collieries, who have started the season well, Rouse can start in place of Annis, but it's a pretty dull game and it ends 1-1, disappointingly but fairly. It's a big game up next for me to please the board, as we host Ilkeston (from the league below) in the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round next week, and we do please them with a simple 4-2 win. Next week, we visit bottom-placed Leamington in the league. Annis replaces the injured Tymon in midfield. It's a very simple, confident, 2-0 win. We get a week off, but travel back there as we play the bottom team in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round next. Abrams is injured so we replace him with Tom Macauley, who I got just in case and is more or less just slightly worse, and Tymon returns for Annis, and we confidently dispatch them again, 3-1, with Patterson-Powell nabbing a hat-trick. We get another week before we host mid-table Altrincham, and Abrams replaces Macauley in goal. The performance isn't great, but it's the 2-1 win that matters. Also, the manager of some Irish team, Treaty, is here to watch Noah Abrams. We get another week before we host Spennymoor, who are chasing a play-off place in our league, in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round. This will go a long way to keeping the board happy. Annis replaces the injured Aiton, and we are the better team and good money for our 2-1 win. We will host League Two Exeter... bring it on!
 

In the next game, which due to the FA Cup has been moved to midweek, we visit mid-table Buxton. I shuffle the team but with the same eleven players, moving Flanagan to defensive midfield and Perry to full-back. We're the better team but can't find a goal in a 0-0 draw, the Treaty manager is there again. Aiton replaces Annis, and it's a very simple 3-1 win, and the Treaty bloke is still there. We get a full week before we visit mid-table Boreham Wood. McAuley replaces the suspended Bedford, but it's a confident, simple 3-1 win. The Treaty manager visits again, and I wonder why he keeps coming to our games without ever making any other formal overture. In midweek, we visit mid-table Blyth, in a match that is brought forward to midweek due to the FA Cup. Bedford returns for McAuley, and it's a comfortable 3-0 win. The Treaty manager's presence is getting a bit weird now. At the weekend, and in the FA Cup, we host Exeter, who are struggling in the league two above ours, and managed by former England player Danny Drinkwater. It's a close game, in which both sides have chances and we probably edge it, but it finishes 0-0, prompting a replay. The Treaty manager is still there. Anyway, in midweek we host struggling Gainsborough, and it's a simple 3-1 win. The Treaty bloke is there again. At the weekend, we visit mid-table Nuneaton, but it's a disappointing 3-1 defeat, not helped by a late injury to Kennedy which means we finish the game with ten men. Abrams played badly so maybe Treaty will stop pestering us. At midweek, it's Exeter away in the cup replay, who are still struggling in League Two. We're not really in the game until they get a red card, but we get a 1-1 draw and keep it in extra time to take it to penalties, which we lose. At the weekend, we host mid-table Alfreton, and we don't play badly, in fact we dominate the game, but ARE poor in key moments and lose 3-1, including missing a penalty. When your keeper gets a 5.8 you know it's not your day. The Treaty manager is there, hopefully he's put off by that performance. Anyway, in midweek it's in-form South Shields away, in a match that's been put forward as our hosts are in the FA Cup. It's looking like a very long day until they get a red card and we win 3-2 in a remarkable comeback: Tymon gets all three assists. The Treaty manager is there, and yes, I will mention it every time.

At the weekend we host Heybridge, from two divisions below us, in the FA Trophy Second Round, and it's a confident 4-1 win. The Treaty manager is still there, but hasn't made any offers or overtures. With the South Shields game brought forward, we have a week and a half until our next game at home to in-form Southport, but it's a dour performance and we lose 2-0. The Treaty manager is still there. For some reason there's no matches at the next weekend, but we do play away to mid-table Hednesford in a match pushed forward due to the FA Trophy. I move Bedford to left-back, swapping him with Green. It's another shower from us though, and we lose 2-0 again. The Treaty manager has watched another of our games. At the weekend, we host Mansfield in the third round of the FA Trophy, they are doing well in the league above us, and they get a routine 3-0 win in the presence of Treaty. So we're out of both cups, but still in a play-off battle with twenty-five games to go... bring it on!