The Club Where Everyone Knows What They Are Doing.

Preamble

For me, FM26 is currently simply unplayable: buggy, flawed, and it breaks exactly where I love to tinker the most. For example, you can't even add columns to the match schedule or export squad data to a file. Therefore - back to the proven FM24. I haven't really played in England for a very long time (since FM22, I think, except for network saves in the Premier League), so it’s time to dive back into the depths of English non-league football.

There will be a very few creative fiction inserts - mostly just regular reports.

I am taking a university team from D13 and will try to gradually drag them up the pyramid. I don't want to play without transfers - it's one of my favorite parts of the game: searching, comparing, tracking down strange but useful types. That's why I came up with a challenge for myself that doesn't kill transfers; instead, it makes them more meaningful, though also more difficult.

I'll call it the "IQ-Challenge."

In short, the average score of three "intellectual" stats for any new player must not drop below a certain threshold. After all, we are managing a university team: initially, students are hypothetically playing for us, and our goal is to gradually transform the club into a magnet for talented intellectuals.

The Rules 

1. Player's Intellectual Index

For each player, I calculate the Intelligence Score (IS):

IS = (Anticipation + Concentration + Decisions) / 3

2. Threshold by Division

I start in D12 and move up. The idea is this:

The minimum IS for any new player is 9.5 (hopefully not too high).

With each division promotion, I increase the threshold by 0.5.

It looks roughly like this on the way up:

D12 → IS ≥ 9.5

D11 → IS ≥ 10.0

D10 → IS ≥ 10.5

...and so on.

By the time I reach the Premier League, I should reach a threshold of IS ≥ 15.0 for all new players and first-team players.

3. Who Can I Sign

The rule is simple:

A player 20 years or older (transfer, free agent, loan) whom I bring to the club must have an IS no lower than the threshold for the current division.

If the IS is lower, I am not allowed to sign him, even if he is the fastest striker in the world.

The rules are slightly softer for youth players:

For players under 18, the IS can be up to 2 points below the established league threshold.

4. Current Squad at the Start of the Save

English non-league - there will be a ton of players who don't pass my filter. Perhaps no one will pass at all.

I have the right to keep everyone who is below the threshold temporarily, but:

I will not renew their contracts.

I will gradually clear out these players and replace them with "smart ones."

My personal goal is to maximise the squad's cleansing of those who don't meet the current threshold within the first 3–5 seasons.

5. Youth and Academy

Players under 20 may have an IS below the threshold - I consider them "raw material."

However, to give a young player a long-term contract and establish him as part of the first team, he must reach at least the current IS threshold for our division by the age of 20.

If reports indicate that the guy won't grow mentally to the required levels, I sell/release him.

6. Promotion and Relegation

Upon Promotion to a higher division: The new, higher threshold (another +0.5) takes effect from the new season; all future transfers will only consider the new threshold.

Upon Relegation: The threshold can be lowered according to the rules, but I am not obligated to sign "stupid, but fast" players immediately. I simply gain a little more freedom if things get really tight.

7. What I Consider a Violation

If I knowingly sign a player who does not pass the IS check, it is considered a violation of the challenge for me.

What happens if there is no player for a position who is above the threshold, neither in the first team nor the reserves? I field another player who is out of position, but passes the threshold only if there is no such player; otherwise, any other player (e.g., from the youth) or a grey player.

That's it. That's how I will play: a university club from the English swamps, a save in FM24, and a filter based on Anticipation-Concentration-Decisions.

Let's see if I can assemble and bring academic smart guys to the very top of the pyramid.

By the way, if you are interested in the challenge, feel free to join. I think you can find tons of university, college, and even scientific institute teams. I've marked a few university clubs in England that I looked at for myself at D10 and below with an asterisk in the spoiler.

Prologue

I was summoned to Dean Lee Price’s office on Tuesday, immediately after lunch. The subject line of the email read: “Discussion of matters related to your research activities.” I frantically went over my possible misdeeds in my mind. Which of my reports could have been inaccurate or biased? I braced myself to apologise and justify.

In the office, besides the Dean himself, Professor Allan Crowley - the university football team’s manager - was sitting in the guest chair. He didn’t radiate his usual energy, the kind that could move a boulder. He looked like a tired man who had suddenly become cold in the middle of summer.

“Sit down,” Dean Price said, skipping the preamble. “You are not in trouble. Not yet. We are talking about something else.”

The “something else” was sitting to my right, pretending it wasn’t painful to breathe. The Professor sighed as if letting the spirit leave his body.

“My cardiologist, who, by a cruel twist of irony, is also my wife, has given her verdict. No emotional upheavals. No football. At all. Not watching, not reading, not even thinking about offsides. Complete quarantine. Otherwise, and I quote: ‘If I spend another match like that on the bench, I’ll be watching the next one from above. Meaning - way above.’”

“We sympathize deeply,” the Dean added without sympathy, “but this creates a practical problem. The season is about to start. The team is left without a captain on the bridge.”

I remained silent, still waiting to see where this conversation was going.

“Professor Crowley, however, insists,” the Dean stared at me over his spectacles, “that you are the only logical candidate to replace him.”

My brain, usually quick at building connections, paused for a second.

“I am an analyst. I work with data, not people. And I do it exclusively remotely.”

“But you see what others only feel,” Crowley interjected, his voice muffled. “All these months, you’ve been sending me your... notes. Unasked for. Voluntarily. Pass maps, pressure diagrams, heat maps. At first, I thought it was spam. But I skimmed through it a couple of times... there was even something sensible there.”

Dean Price snorted skeptically.

“That’s all very poetic, Allan. But a manager needs authority. Experience.” He turned to me. “I understand: you do all this... analytics for us. But coaching is different. You have to deal with people, with the changing room, with the university newspaper reporters... Are you...” He searched for the word, “...are you even a social person?”

The question was obviously rhetorical, and I had no intention of answering it.

“Hmm,” the Dean added a couple of seconds later. “Did you ever even play, or just watch?”

“I was a goalkeeper on our team.”

Professor Crowley’s face brightened. He perked up.

“There!” he said. “Goalkeepers make the best managers. They watch the game from the sidelines their whole lives.”

“Best managers?” the Dean turned to him. “Like who, for instance?”

“That...” Crowley snapped his fingers. “What’s his name... Zoff! And also...”

He pondered, turned his whole body towards me, and rotated his wrist in the air.

“Lopetegui,” I suggested.

“Lopetegui! The Spaniard,” the manager clicked his tongue. “He coached Real Madrid and Sevilla!”

“Real Madrid,” the Dean perked up. “Did he coach for long?”

“No,” I answered honestly. “Maybe half a year. They lost heavily to Barcelona in Madrid.”

Dean Price frowned again. And Crowley gave me a look of disapproval.

“But he won the Europa League with Sevilla,” I added, and the Professor nodded approvingly.

“That’s not the point!” Crowley brushed it aside, getting heated. “The point is the outside perspective! The cool-headedness! By the way, I don't recall you on my team—were you the main keeper?”

I felt like I was digging my own grave.

“Fourth-choice goalkeeper. After Thomasi, Edwards, and... Stevenson.”

“Stevenson was a center-back,” Crowley countered instantly.

“Yes. But you put him in goal more often than me in training. He was... more solid in the air.”

But the manager was unstoppable. He stared me down.

“Tell me,” he began. “Do you know why the university pays you such money in your position?”

His "such" sounded grandiose. The question caught me off guard. My salary was modest, to say the least.

“Why such?” I clarified, and my “such” deliberately reflected the insignificance of the amount deposited into my account monthly.

“Because in a crucial moment, each of us must stand up for our university!” Crowley grabbed the opportunity, and his former fire ignited in his voice. He slapped his chest with his palm. “Be ready to give, if not your life - then a couple of hours of personal time! For the sake of these young minds who look up to us!”

A slight pause hung in the air. A nearly messianic light was burning in his eyes. For a moment, I thought I heard a solemn rumble from outside the window - either the wind or a distant choir singing the university anthem. But it was just a crow cawing as it flew past.

“Two, maybe four hours a week with a team everyone loves,” the Professor added, having fully transformed back into a manager.

“It's not fatal,” he said, putting his hand to his chest again and feigning stoic suffering. It was vital for him to utter the word "not fatal." The old manipulator.

During this speech, the Dean moved his mug of cold coffee on the table, sometimes pulling it closer, sometimes pushing it away, as if searching for a position where everything would fall into place. He decided the pathos was peaked and brought the conversation back to a ground level.

“Listen,” he said, steepling his fingers. “Obviously, only Professor Crowley is confident in this endeavour. You didn’t ask for this role. I don’t see a manager in you. But the fact is: we have a hole that needs to be plugged. And the Professor seems to believe you can plug it with your... graphs.”

He paused.

“Therefore, I propose a purely practical solution. You agree to lead the team until the end of the season. Voluntarily, in addition to your main duties. No extra pay, just access to the coaches' room and this whistle,” he nodded towards the old, worn whistle in front of Crowley. “Although, for hygienic reasons, I would recommend buying a new one. This is a trial period. If everything falls apart in six months - at least we tried honestly. If not...” He spread his hands, “...then the Professor was right, and the team will get the necessary impetus.”

I looked at the old Professor. He nodded silently. His nod contained "I'm sorry," and "please," and "don't let me down."

“Fine,” I said. “Until the end of the season.”

Damn, I meant to say "Not a chance in hell."

Crowley exhaled in relief. The Dean nodded - the matter was concluded.

As I was leaving the office, the Professor slipped a set of keys with a football-shaped keychain into my hand.

“Changing room, coaches' room, equipment closet,” he mumbled. “Don’t lose them. And... thank you.”

I had no plan, no confidence, and not the slightest desire to take this on.

At the exit of the building, the same crow sat on the railing and cawed after me. I thought I heard outright mockery in its voice.

Like the creative challenge of this - do you find those Uni sides have more likelihood of players with the IS?

Well, generally speaking, a good graduate or student has a better IS than a pub-league player, but in the context of football, a high IS doesn't guarantee better abilities. This is the core of the comedy and drama in my setup. Also, how can I leverage this freakishly high aggregate IS to overcome my players' physical and technical limitations, assuming their current abilities are average for the league?

University of Surrey Football Club

The "University of Surrey" team is part of the sports community of one of the largest universities in South-East England, based in Guildford. Historically, the team has struggled in the lower amateur divisions, essentially serving as a place for students' sporting leisure and boasting no accolades to speak of. So far. After all, this is the "Club Where Everyone Knows What They're Doing," and that is the biggest lie in this narrative.

The game database states that our training facilities are rated as poor. The database, as is often the case, is wrong. The campus offers good facilities, including a gym and a swimming pool. And several natural grass fields are, frankly, a luxury for our humble level. The photos confirm this. However, we will work with what the FM database provides.

Over the last few days, I spent scanning the free-agent market. The criterion was single but strict: Intelligence Score (IS) >= 9.5. I needed not just footballers, but players capable of thinking at a level close to their presumed academic environment.

Tactics

The idea is simple: cement the defence and move the ball into attack as quickly as possible. We will not possess the ball just for the sake of possession. We will wait, intercept, and launch counter-attacks.

The key figures in this scheme, I see, are two mezzalas, drifting into the half-spaces, and a box-to-box midfielder. The task of the mezzalas is to create sharpness after interceptions, partially compensating for our weakness on the flanks. The box-to-box player must be the engine, the link between defence and attack, supporting both.

The two strikers up front are our main pressure tool. Their job is to create problems for the opponent's defence constantly. At this level, where defensive lines under pressure are prone to crude mistakes, such a direct approach should bring dividends. At least, that's the theory. Practice, as always, will make its own adjustments.

In friendly matches, the team performed... tolerably. We conceded goals regularly—that's a fact. But the last three preseason games ended in confident victories. This provides some grounds for looking to the future with cautious, very cautious optimism.

Round 1. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

We played our first official match of the season adhering to the chosen philosophy. We played defensively, on counter-attacks. We generally dominated, although we created problems for ourselves in the first half. First, SC Mads Rasmussen failed to score a penalty, and soon after that, we conceded. The second half was better: we could and should have scored more. Nevertheless, a debut official victory is on our record. I am satisfied. That is the fitting word.

Squad (at the moment)

An important observation: not a single player listed initially in the team squad meets the IS threshold of 9.5. Not even close.

All those who pass this filter are new signings, free agents whom we managed to find and persuade. The work is far from finished; there is potential to strengthen the squad, and the search for candidates continues.

However, I must state: finding, let alone signing, players with IS > 9.5 turned out to be an order of magnitude more difficult than I had assumed. This is not disappointment. Instead, it's an interesting challenge. There aren't so few such players at our level; it's just that they are not interested in playing for us.

See you soon.

Round 2. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

The first home game. In front of fifty spectators, one of whom is a season ticket holder.

The first half was dull, but late pressure from our forwards paid off. The opponents' defenders were passing amongst themselves, but when Dylan Glass pressed a player on the flank, he made an inaccurate pass into the centre. Miguel Balinha finished the one-on-one chance with a single touch.

On the 62nd minute, our classic counter-attack worked. Danny Coogan won a challenge in the holding zone and passed to the half-space for Elliott Williams. He quickly switched play to the center for Richie Douglas, and the Irishman, in two touches, sliced a through ball into the path of Dylan Glass. He didn't fail, sending the ball off the post and into the net.

Almost immediately, in the 68th minute, capitalising on a cross from the flank by 41-year-old David Collis, Dylan Glass scored a double, firing powerfully into the near corner.

In the 74th minute, David Collis delivered a poor corner, but the ball came back to him. His second delivery was met with a header by Tyler Delday, setting the final score at 4:0.

Note: I have saved the player attributes. This file will be needed for a future project, but you can already view both individual attributes and the calculated IS here.
I will take at least two data snapshots each year, at the start and end of the season, to track player attribute progression using external data. This also opens up some additional analytical possibilities.

Round 3. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

Partnering with Dylan Glass in the attack today was Mads Rasmussen, returning to the lineup, as Miguel Balinha hadn't fully recovered.

In the very first attack, Richie Douglas received the ball in the penalty area from Tyler Delday and, left one-on-one, coolly finished past the goalkeeper.

In the 35th minute, Richie Douglas himself played a pass into the box for Dylan Glass, who sent the ball into the top corner from seven yards out.

There were several more good chances until the end of the match, but the score remained unchanged.

Round 4. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

Plenty of chances in the first half, but the ball wouldn't go in. Only in the 45th minute did David Collis (he walked, not ran) arrive at the opponent's penalty area, receive a convenient lateral pass from Danny Coogan, and thread the ball past the keeper with one touch.

In the second half, the visitors grew bolder, and goalkeeper Dan Regan bailed us out several times.

In the 84th minute, Anthony Smith struck a free-kick from 24 yards, placing the ball precisely into the top corner.

In the 88th minute, Richie Douglas practically sealed the match, shooting from distance at a moment when defenders failed to close him down.

And in the 94th, he put the final point on it, scoring with a low, turned shot from inside the box.

A good result, although it was nervy at 1:0. A big win in a clutch game.

Richie Douglas is proving to be a useful player, but his IS is only 4.0. The guy will most likely be expelled from the university for academic failure at the end of the season. For now, he's carrying the midfield alongside Danny Coogan.

Round 5. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

We opened the scoring from a David Collis corner. At the near post, Josh Perry, urgently called up from the reserves, redirected the ball into the net. At the end of the first half, we broke on a counter-attack 4 on 2, but Danny Coogan, left almost in front of an open goal, hit the crossbar.

61st minute. David Collis, our top assist provider, spotted Danny Coogan's run into the box and delivered a perfect pass. Coogan shot unimpeded from about twelve yards out—no chance for the keeper.

64th minute. Josh Perry receives a second yellow card, handling the ball in his own half with almost no pressure from an opponent. Just a high ball—and he handles it. Nonsense.

And immediately we concede from the hosts' free-kick routine. 1:2.

In the remaining time, we conceded twice more, but both goals were ruled out for offside.

We are in negotiations with five players who meet our IS requirements. At left-back, there's no one to play besides Tyler Delday. In central defense, behind the starters, it's also empty. Given the saturation in central midfield, that zone is a priority for reinforcement. We also need at least one more prolific forward. When Dylan Glass doesn't score, we have problems.

Round 6. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

A thriller of a match.

2nd minute: Our center-back Luke Ashton receives a red card. He struck an opponent during a corner kick, and the referee spotted it. Striker Miguel Balinha, just back in the squad, goes to play center-back.

4th minute: A furious Dylan Glass rifles the ball past the keeper from seven yards. He didn't even move.
6th minute: A high ball, and David Collis loses an aerial duel in our penalty area. 1:1.
15th minute: Dylan Glass pressed a defender, won the ball, and passed for the shot to Richie Douglas, who found the far corner with a powerful strike. We take the lead.
17th minute: Anthony Smith played a long pass, and Dylan Glass, breaking away from his marker, beautifully controlled the ball with his knee and shot from the edge of the box into the far corner. The keeper couldn't reach it. 3:1.
32nd minute: The visitors broke on a counter 2 on 2 and converted the chance. 3:2.

From the 60th minute, the guests took complete control of the game, and we switched to time-wasting: slowing play down, making long clearances.

81st minute: Dylan Glass received a pass on the opponent's half from Danny Coogan, dealt with three defenders by himself, and upon entering the box, struck into the near corner. This is worth a replay:

84th minute: We concede again. The finale was nervy, but the score didn't change further - 4:3.

Dylan Glass was credited with a hat-trick and an assist.

Transfer News:
Left-back Nat Blanks (IS 9.67) and central midfielder Tom Wood (IS 10.33), who can also play in defence, have joined the team. Tom previously played for Cambridge City.
The club has lost striker Mads Rasmussen (IS 7.33), who decided to continue his career at Meon Milton.

Round 7. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

In the starting eleven, Nat Blanks immediately debuted at left-back, and Tom Wood started in central defence.

15th minute: Dylan Glass crossed for Miguel Balinha, who sent the ball past the keeper unimpeded.
20th minute: We conceded from a corner kick.
37th minute: The hosts are reduced to ten men. We needed to use this chance and finish the game.
60th minute: Elliott Williams shot from outside the box. Not powerfully, but a deflection helped, and the keeper couldn't react in time. We take the lead.
73rd minute: We concede. David Collis lost his man, a cross came in, and the striker outplayed our two centre-backs. 2:2.

The remaining time passed without notable chances. We missed the win and ended our winning streak.

Post-Match: Dylan Glass is out with a knee injury for three weeks. It's going to be tough.

Round 8. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

Before the match, we secured central midfielder Danny Prince-Jones (IS 10.0) on a free loan from Eastbourne Town. I tried to sign him in the pre-season, but he chose Eastbourne back then. Now he's with us anyway - until the end of the season.

Injuries and suspensions forced significant rotation. Up front, Diyar Çolakoğlu partnered with Miguel Balinha.
Midfield: Richie Douglas, Elliott Williams, and Danny Prince-Jones. The holding role went to Anthony Smith.
Defence: Nat Blanks on the left, Tom Wood and James Wright in the centre. Our veteran, David Collis, on the right, was replaced by Danny Coogan. In goal - Dan Regan.

In the 16th minute, an opponent earned a second yellow. We were a man up again. The only time we haven't won this season was when we had a numerical advantage. The statistic was beginning to take on a sinister hue.

33rd minute. Diyar Çolakoğlu met a low cross from the right flank by Danny Coogan. Clean finish, no frills.
73rd minute. Diyar Çolakoğlu scored a similar goal - this time assisted by Miguel Balinha.
74th minute. Richie Douglas struck from outside the box, placing the ball perfectly into the top corner - an assist from debutant Danny Prince-Jones.

A confident victory. Our striker of Turkish origin unexpectedly shone brightly - apparently, he just needed someone to deliver the ball into the box, not philosophise about it.

Round 9. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

37th minute. Again, Miguel Balinha assisted Diyar Çolakoğlu. The Turk seemed to have become our secret weapon.
53rd minute. Danny Coogan delivered yet another cross from the right flank, and in the ensuing scramble, Richie Douglas nodded home at the far post, doubling the lead.
58th minute. A quick vertical attack: Miguel Balinha played a through ball to release Çolakoğlu, who calmly slotted the third.

In the dying minutes, the hosts tried to fight back but failed to hit the target even from good positions.

Round 10. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

40th minute. We conceded after a series of wasted chances. A pattern: if you don't take your opportunities, sooner or later someone else will.
55th minute. In a goalmouth scramble following a corner, Danny Prince-Jones poked the ball in from half a yard - levelling the score.
But not for long. In the 61st minute, we conceded again. Had to bring on the nearly recovered Dylan Glass - like calling the fire brigade when the house is already well ablaze.
70th minute. A quick attack, and Richie Douglas finished on the rebound from inside the box - 2:2.
82nd minute. Richie Douglas received a red card. C'mon!
88th minute. We were punished for his recklessness - conceded from a positional attack.

The first defeat of the season. Unpleasant, but inevitable.

After the match, experienced attacking player Luke Woodward (IS 9.67) joined us.

Round 11. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

18th minute. Dylan Glass opened the scoring from a Danny Prince-Jones pass. His return from injury was starting to look promising.
28th minute. David Collis played a ball down the flank, and Dylan Glass, driving into the box, made it 2:0.
33rd minute - a hat-trick from Glass. Again assisted by Prince-Jones.
58th minute. Dylan Glass scored his fourth. Marking his full return to action in style.

Our third-choice goalkeeper, Bradley Smith (IS 4.67), started demanding a starting spot and, as they say, poisoning the atmosphere. Had to release him.

Next up - potentially a key match against the second-placed team in the table, trailing us by just 4 points.

Round 12. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

23rd minute. Dylan Glass provided the pass, and Luke Woodward scored his debut goal - the first of the match.
48th minute. Luke Ashton doubled the lead from the penalty spot.

A confident victory over our closest pursuers. David Collis somehow earned a red card in the 96th minute - apparently decided to add some drama. In this situation, it didn't upset me too much.

Now there's a 7-point gap between our nearest challenger and us. We can feel a little more at ease.

Round 13. Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division

29th minute. Luke Woodward scored directly from a free-kick over the wall - a precise, technical strike.
62nd minute. Dylan Glass converted a one-on-one. Tom Wood played a long vertical pass, Glass lobbed the keeper, hit the crossbar, but was first to the rebound, tapping into an empty net.

Half of the season's matches have been played. We sit atop the table, with a 7-point lead over our closest challenger and an incredible goal difference of +26. The numbers speak for themselves, but in football, as we know, you can never relax.