Bored?

Me too. This is the reason why I decided to publish my journey with Dover Athletic.

This save is more difficult than the standard one. SirTavares created a pack to make things harder. I decided I will put it to final test. Already played with Sampdoria on Berserk v1.

💸 Berserk Mode – Survival Football

Berserk Mode takes everything from Hardcore Mode and pushes it further by attacking the financial foundations of football. Money is tight, budgets are reduced, and growth becomes painfully slow. Every contract matters. Every transfer is a risk. Financial mismanagement is no longer forgiven.

- Global financial nerf;
- Zero transfer and wage budgets;
- Removed sponsorship income;
- Slower club growth and harsher consequences.

This is survival football. Only well-run clubs endure.
Two paths. One goal. Survive football at its hardest.

This is my Journey with Dover Athletic until I either get sacked or achieve perfection (am I that good?)

Dover are predicted to finish 17th in the National League South.

I skipped media day. I’m not really a public guy.

My social media doesn’t exist. You won’t find my grumpy face anywhere. But who cares?

At my first meeting with the boss, he tells me we have to use a tactic created by one of the biggest FM influencers, Flashy Josh.
I won’t lie — I wasn’t annoyed… but I was getting there.

So I asked, why?

He said, “His tactics are always perfect. The best. Guaranteed success.”

I tried to stay calm, but this guy clearly visits FM Scout and Sortioutsi.net far too often.

“Listen, Jim,” I said. “I know I’m older and grumpier than him, but experience comes with age. I’ve got a tactic built specifically for your team.”

It’s a 4-2-3-1.
I’ve called it RAF 303 Squadron.

“What?” he asked.

Me: Out of respect for the Polish pilots who fought against the Nazis during World War II. They were just as mad as I am.

Then he said, “I think we’ve made a mistake.”

“Give me time until December,” I replied. “Let me use my tactics. If I can’t convince you by then, I’ll walk away — no compensation, no arguments.”

He leaned back.
“Hmmm… OK. I guess there’s a reason people call you Grumpy Dwarf.”

"I understand the grumpy part,” he said, “but why dwarf?”

“You look like a washed-up middleweight boxer with that broken nose.”

Anyone who knows me knows I enjoy sarcasm, and somehow the dwarf description fits perfectly.

I told you, boss, I’m not selling dreams. I work hard every day to keep my word.

We’re top of the table, and we’re getting promoted.

I know you want me to avoid relegation next season, but we need more cash. Most of our players’ contracts expire at the end of the season. I’ve offered them new deals, but they’re asking for three times what they currently earn. We simply don’t have that kind of money.

He said, “If they don’t reduce their expectations, they can walk.”

Hmm. Easier said than done. What happens if we have to let them all go?

Jim replied, “We have youth players, don’t we? They can play too.”

Boss, I know this Irish lad, Finn, is quite good—and I will use him, even though he’s only 16. We still need more players.

Jim said. "That concluded our meeting. You can ask as much as you want—but my answer is no."

Honestly, this promotion has gone to his head. He thinks we can win things with just any players.

I’ll have to wait and see. Maybe they’ll reduce their expectations once their contracts expire.
 

A couple days after the celebrations, it was time to get back to business.
 

Jim called me into his office the very next day.

Jim: “I know you want more money, but we’re struggling to generate consistent income. I’m afraid giving you more funds for transfers isn’t an option.”

I replied calmly,
“Okay, boss. I just wanted you to know that I’ll meet with the players again and ask them to reconsider their demands. If they don’t understand the situation, we’ll have to part ways.”

Later that day, I met with the players.

“I’ve had a meeting with the chairman,” I told them. 
“He made it very clear that there will be no increase in the wage budget. I could have been more polite with my words, but the message was clear.”

“I appreciate what you’ve done for the club last year, but we’re still a semi-professional club and we lack financial stability. Therefore, you have two choices: 

1. Reduce your demands and we can discuss new contracts, or 
2. You will be released.”

This is going to be a very difficult transfer window. If we want to be competitive next season, the squad needs improvement. Unfortunately, some of you will be released at the end of the season, as I don’t believe your performances have been good enough to justify staying at the club.

The meeting didn’t go according to plan. I don’t think they understand that we’re on a journey. If we want to reach the top, sacrifices have to be made. I made several players unhappy.

In the end, they didn’t lower their expectations, which meant I had to rebuild the entire team. So, I went hunting.

I always look for free agents, especially players released by bigger clubs. With the financial restrictions in this 
save being significantly tighter, I have focus on signing young players who can later be sold for profit.

Contract Tips
   • Avoid the “Match Highest Earner” clause at all costs.
   • Try to avoid yearly wage rises.
       ◦ If unavoidable, cap it at 5% - 15% and make it non-negotiable.
   • Limit wage increases after promotion.
       ◦ I use 15% maximum, or turn this clause off completely if possible for players which are not in demand (you can always improve the offer later on).

Finding Free Agents
   • Go to Globe icon → Continents → Transfers → All Transfers → Released Players.
   • Searching for players in this version is very annoying:
       ◦ Search filters keep changing.
       ◦ Creating custom views is more time consuming, etc.
   • Because of this, I’ve turned off player attribute masking.
       ◦ If you keep it on, use trials as much as possible.

Lower League Transfer Strategy 
   • In lower leagues, target free agents released around 30 June / 1 July.
       ◦ This is when clubs officially let players go.
   • Don’t spend all your budget at the start of the transfer window.
       ◦ Free agents often lower their wage demands the longer they remain unsigned.
   • In lower English leagues, you can sign players all year round.
   • Always watch out for work permit rules in England.

Top Division  Transfer Strategy
1. GS Scout – Contract Expiry Method
   • Use GS Scout to create a shortlist of players whose contracts expire within 1 year at the start of the season.
   • Throughout the season, simply monitor interest and approach players who are willing to negotiate – January next year.
2. Manual Shortlisting (Old FM vs FM26)
   • In older FM versions, it was possible to manually add all players from top teams to a shortlist using keyboard shortcuts and later filter free agents.
   • In FM26, this method is no longer practical or even possible, making manual shortlisting very time-consuming.
3. Loan Strategy When Lacking Funds
   • When you don’t have transfer budget:
       ◦ Loan players out with an optional (not mandatory) future fee.
       ◦ This keeps flexibility in case the player improves, declines, or no longer fits your plans.
4. Target Transfer-Listed Players
   • Always look for transfer-listed players.
   • These players usually:
       ◦ Accept lower wage demands
       ◦ Are easier to negotiate with
       ◦ Can often be signed below market value
5. Exploit Release Clauses
   • Go through teams manually and check for players with release clauses, especially:
       ◦ Relegation release clauses
       ◦ Clauses active when the club fails to qualify for continental competitions
       ◦ Clauses triggered by promotion/relegation status
   • These clauses often result in significantly reduced price tags, making them excellent value signings. You can use a view for that and just import it when looking at the team.

You can create the same view for you shortlist (add all known player to the list and filter them out).

My storyline on the other website is more advanced, so to catch up to the same point, 
I’ll be making a few posts per day. 
This isn’t my usual posting schedule, but it’s temporary.

Reporter: People say you’ve lost the dressing room. Is that true?
Me: People say a lot of things. Most of them are wrong.
I know I might not look like the typical manager, but the irony is that I’m well-educated and a man with manners. 
So let’s start properly—good morning, everyone.
I’ll take your questions now. 

Reporter 2: A month ago several players appeared unhappy. Managers who lose the dressing room usually don’t last long.

Me: That’s true—for managers without conviction.
I don’t manage emotions, I manage standards. If some players are uncomfortable, that usually means standards have finally arrived. 

Reporter: Some players have called your approach extreme. Madness, even.

Me: Madness? No. Clarity.
Football is full of excuses and comfort zones. I remove both. That scares people.

Reporter: You’ve signed twelve players aged 23 or younger. Critics say they’re too inexperienced to succeed.

Me: Critics always confuse age with weakness.
I signed hunger. I signed ambition. I signed players who still listen.
Experience is useless if it comes with complacency.

Reporter: People say you’re arrogant.

Me: Of course they do.

When you don’t ask for permission and you don’t apologize, people call it arrogance.
I call it knowing exactly who I am and what I want.
I’ve succeeded my whole life by trusting myself when others doubted me. This job is no different.
If the players want comfort, they should find another club.
If they want history, they stay with me.
 

That’s all. I have work to do. 
 

Transfers

In some cases, when other teams showed interest in the same player, 
I had to return to the negotiating table and improve my offer by increasing their wages.

TACTICS:
 

The 4-2-3-1 (Raf No. 303) was quite successful last season, so I won’t be making many changes. 
However, there are a couple of issues that need addressing.

The new signings are not natural inside forwards, so one of them will be used as a winger.

Ideally, I prefer a tall striker who can score headers, but unfortunately I don’t have someone like that available at the moment. 
As a temporary solution, instead of a Complete Forward (CFD), I will use a Channel Forward (CHF).

The transfer window is still open, and I am currently targeting a striker on loan. My wage budget is limited to €400k per week, so I will only be considering loan options with the lowest possible wage contribution.

I used also Grumpy Dwarf 343 downgraded slightly.

During the meeting with the players, I showed them a picture that hangs in my house. It represents the mentality and values I want them to embrace.

and told them that .. I don’t care about winning big right now.
I care about three points. It is all about progress.
When we go two goals up, we start enjoying possession.
Matches are won with effectiveness, with consistency, with decisions.
This is how you win titles.

 Pre Season and National League 

Pre Season

The season started with seven friendly matches. At that time, I was still in the process of rebuilding the team. In order to put together a squad at the beginning of pre-season, I promoted several youngsters to the first team. Some of them remained in the squad afterward.

National League

For a team that had been completely rebuilt and had just been promoted, we were unsure what kind of form to expect. However, we were pleasantly surprised when we collected 15 points from 7 matches.

In our opening match, we secured a 1–0 win against Woking. The game against Maidstone really showed the character of this squad. We were 2–0 down after just 27 minutes. Maidstone had only two shots on target, both resulting in goals — one of them from the penalty spot.

I was buzzing and shouted to the players to show character and play more attacking football. 
What happened next was incredible: we scored three goals and won the match.

Finn Mahner was the hero, scoring twice.

We then followed that up with a 1–0 home win against Southend, an impressive 6–2 away victory over Boreham Wood, and a 2–0 win against Solihull Moors.

Our unbeaten run ended with a 1–0 defeat to Rochdale, followed by a narrow 1–0 loss to Altrincham.

The Altrincham match was particularly frustrating. We had 27 shots, 13 on target, and an xG of 3.08, but it just wasn’t our day.

I couldn’t blame the players. After all, we were sitting second in the league, level on points with Oldham.

I use friendlies mainly to build match fitness and to help players become familiar with the tactics.
   • I don’t care about the final result. I usually schedule matches against teams of a similar level or slightly stronger. As I said, the score doesn’t matter.
   • In some cases, I use players in unfamiliar positions so they can learn those roles more quickly.
What I mean by that is, for example, when you have a centre-back (DC) who can also be used as a defensive midfielder (MC).

BONUS : Transfers Across the World on the Berserk Pack

It is almost impossible to sign players at the beginning of the season. Their demands are unrealistic, even for top teams.

National League.
 

Players were training well. After two defeats, some lads’ morale went down, but I told them we’re doing well and that we will bounce back.

I wasn’t wrong. We’ve won six games in a row now. We came from behind to beat Truro City 3–1 after conceding in the 7th minute,

then followed that up with wins against Yeovil Town (4–1),

Aldershot (4–2), Carlisle (3–2), Shrewsbury (2–0),

and Forest Green (1–0).

In the last match, the fans were buzzing and broke into a chant. It goes like this: 

„Tattoos on his neck and hand,
Looks like a criminal — but he ain’t one, man

Stands on the touchline, calm and proud,
Turns doubts into wins, shuts up the crowd

Not from a cell, not breaking the law,
Breaking the league — week after more

Call the police? Nah, don’t be rude,
He’s stealing three points — legal and smooth”

 

National League and FA CUP

The team atmosphere in the dressing room was very good. On top of that, I finally found the striker I was looking for. 
QPR agreed to send Cian Dillon on a one-year loan.

We extended our winning streak by another five matches.

We beat Dag & Red 1–0, Scarborough Athletic 4–1, Scunthorpe 3–2, and Hartlepool 1–0.

and our biggest rivals, Gillingham, 1–0 in the FA Cup.

Fixture:

The is more to say about this match but it going to be a new post.

FA CUP MATCH AGAINST GILLIGHAM

The fans prepared a tifo to remind us to fight until the end—and we delivered.

I might have gotten a bit carried away; it was my first derby.

Then the fans fallow.

Press Conference after the match.

Reporter: Good evening. Have you calmed down?

Me: I am calm. Very calm. But calm doesn’t mean blind. Their fans insulted us before the match, during the match, and after the match. Everyone heard it.

Reporter: The FA is looking closely at their chants, but your behavior will probably be punished as well.

Me: If they want to punish me, they will punish me. That’s normal. But I hope they also punish what started the situation. Otherwise, we are not talking about justice.

Reporter: Let’s move on. Your team is on a strong run. Is this a sign of a top-table finish?
Me: When results are good, people talk about the table. When results are bad, they talk about excuses. I prefer to talk in May, not in November.
 

Reporter: That young Finn is only 17 and already a first-team player. Isn’t he too young?

Me: Too young for what? To play football? If he was not good enough, he would not play. Age is for the passport, not for the pitch. 

Reporter: Many thought your young players’ inexperience would be a problem, but they’re performing very well.

Me: Experience comes from playing, not from sitting on the bench. They are the same age, they grow together, they suffer together, and that creates a team — not a collection of players.
 

Reporter: Final question. Have you spoken to the chairman about what happened?

Me: Yes, he called me and said we need to talk. He didn’t seem annoyed. He told me to meet him at Dover Pier after the press conference — so I’ll know very soon. 

That will be all, thank you.

 

Later that evening, I though the Chairman is going to by angry but he just wanted to show the appreciations for the recent results.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

After their win against Gillingham, team morale skyrocketed. They followed it up with a dominant 5–0 victory over Oldham Athletic. Charlie Hole scored his first goal for the senior team and, impressively, he is only 16 years old. Meanwhile, Dillon continued his outstanding form, scoring six goals in seven matches.

Then we have won 1-0 to Sutton United and unlucky draw with Morecambe 1-1.

I guess the players were a bit annoyed with themselves over how they played, because they went on to demolish Tamworth 3–0, Gateshead 2–0, and then secured another 2–0 win against Braintree. I have to say, we are very strong defensively.

We are top of the league.

DECEMBER

Our first match in December was in the next round of the FA Cup, and we were lucky to draw Chesterfield.

The fans were in great spirits and once again decided to prepare a tifo banner to support the team. 

Well, what more can I say? Just have a look at the result — we absolutely trashed them 5–0.  

Then we played FA Trophy against Merthyr and managed a narrow 1–0 win. Job done, no drama.

The next match was against South Shields, and this time we had to settle for a 2–2 draw. We didn’t play badly at all, just a bit unlucky, I guess. Dillon scored twice, but his late goal in the 89th minute snatched the draw.  

 Merry Christmas from Dover Athletic Football Club. 

January

The chairman visited us during the first training session of the new year and told us he had a surprise. He asked whether we remembered that he had previously mentioned his plan to build new office rooms for rent in order to generate additional income. Then he said he had changed his mind and that the team deserved credit for the work they had done. Instead of offices, he had built two new dressing rooms.

We were delighted. If you’re wondering why there’s a sign on the floor saying “This is not a circus,” it’s because Gillingham fans called us clowns the last time we played them. It seems the Chairman wanted this to be a great reminder of what we’ve achieved this year and last year.

First match of the new year was against Southed. This is second team in the league so we have settle for a scoreless draw.

The next match was against Norwich in FA CUP. Unfortunately we lost 2-0. I quess we are not at that level yet.

We got to the winning way against Alfreton Town in FA Thorpy and beat them 3-1, unlucky scoreless draw with Boreham Wood, and three win in a row against Solihull 1-0, Rochdale 4-1

and Morecombe 2-1 in FA Throphy.

It was a tough match. We scored first in the 46th minute. They equalized from the penalty spot. It looked like the game was heading for a draw, but we kept attacking and scored the winner in the 85th minute.

FIXTURE

I’m quite surprised that everything has been working well in recent months. I thought the financial difficulties would make our progress more difficult. For some reason, money isn’t everything, and with the good cohesion in the squad, we can do great things this season. 
 

February INFO 

I think this is a good time to talk about our progress off the field. The financial restrictions this season (save) require me to focus not only on winning matches, but also on controlling expenses.

FINANCE:
Every year, each team has to submit a financial report from the season, and we are no exception. The report indicates that our finances are currently in proper order.

As I mentioned previously, Jim has been in a good mood, so I decided to take advantage of that and ask whether we could turn professional.
Unfortunately, Jim said that we can’t make that switch yet. I assume it was a more polite version of “no,” which isn’t surprising given that he still behaves like a politician at times.  

SQUAD
We are also dealing with some fatigue issues across the team. Several players have played a high number of matches, and it has finally caught up with them. I instructed the staff to adjust their training by removing gym and pitch work, but it didn’t make much of a difference. I suspect that low stamina  levels, particularly among players at lower levels, may be a significant factor for the remainder of the season.

With this in mind, I went back to my office and, since we have some room in the wage budget, started looking for cheap reinforcements. I know the available funds don’t sound impressive at just €875 per week, but there are always unemployed players who might consider themselves lucky to play for my team.

I have also completed a couple of coaching courses, which at least shows some personal progress alongside the team’s development.

DYNAMICS:

Team cohesion was also high, which came as no surprise given that we have been performing well above expectations.

Bonus info:

Top transfers in January and February. 
It looks like teams are still struggling financially on this Pack and unable to make big signings.

FEBRUARY 

TRANSFERS:

Firstly we added Habeeb Ogunneye on loan from Portsmouth. 

Then, February 4th, we signed Matthew Craig on a non-contract basis. He appears to be a good player, but at the moment we cannot afford his wages so he only gets pay when he plays.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

In our first match, we drew 1–1 with Altrincham. We played well, registering 11 shots on goal compared to their 2, yet they scored in the 91st minute. I was not impressed with the result. I had to tell the players that we need to start killing games, as the season is far from over.

In their next match, we thrashed Truro City 5–1. 

We then drew 1–1 with Yeovil, won 1–0 against Shrewsbury, and finally secured a 3–1 victory over Aldershot.

We are creating chances. That is not the problem. The problem is finishing them. 
I decided it was time to look for a striker better than our backup, George Nikaj. 
He is a club legend, yes, and I respect that. But in football, sentiment does not win matches. 
Progress requires decisions, and sometimes sacrifices.

RESULTS:

TIPS:

Always try to improve your team during the winter break - loan players if their wages are low. It is unlikely they will be recalled, even if they are not playing. 

END OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH

On February 23rd, we played Carlisle and won 2–1. We had to come from behind after they scored first from a penalty in the first half, but we managed to score twice and win the match. As in most games, our xG was high, but finishing continues to be an issue.

The next match was against Leamington in the FA Trophy, which we won 1–0. 
 

Then came only our third loss of the season, a 2–1 defeat to Forest Green, 

followed by a 1–1 draw with Scarborough. Rak-Sakyi missed a penalty and Habeeb Ogunneye picked up a red card. 

I have to say, Habeeb annoyed me a bit. We hadn’t received a single card all season, and he comes in, plays a couple of matches, and manages to pick up two yellow cards and a red. He is lucky to be only on loan. 

On top o that George Nikaj suffered an injury and will be out for 5weeks–2 months. 

That made me even more motivated to bring in another striker, and we managed to sign Ronny Moncur from Spurs on loan.

Finally, we remembered how winning works, beating Scunthorpe 3–1 and Oldham 2–0. Calm was restored. For now.

RESULTS:

20 MARCH 2027

Our next match was against Hartlepool which we won 2-0. 

It was a great game for us, not only because we won, but because we became CHAMPIONS AGAIN.
YES — BACK-TO-BACK PROMOTION! 🏆🔥
 

I could not believe we gonna make the promotion looks so easy this year. 

It was a home match so the ceremony took place after that. 

LEAGUE TABLE 

It looks like the journey will continue. 

Following the match, I was invited to attend the press conference.

Reporter. Good afternoon. Congratulations, You must be extremely happy. 

Me. Happy and surprise I didn’t even realize we can gain promotion so early. 

Reporter. Everyone is talking about your management skills and praising you for your financial management as well. How have you managed to be good at both?

Me. I have always been very good in those things. I was born with that. 

Reporter Your arrogance is back. 

Me No. It is called confidence. 

Reporter: The board must be delighted with another promotion. Do you expect the chairman to finally invest more?

Me. Yes, but I haven’t had the chance to speak to Jim about it yet.

Reporter. “I know you’ll be keen to return to your players and continue the celebrations. Let me congratulate you once again, as back-to-back promotions are a rare achievement in football.” 

Me. Thank you very much, and I’ll see you next time. 

 

“Our latest promotion has gained national attention across leading sports news outlets.” 

END OF MARCH

After winning promotion, things started changing very quickly.

Jim was the first to make a move, offering me a new contract. I tried to push for more than €900 a week, but he made it clear that this was the limit. I guess I’ll have to keep my side hustle going a little longer.

Soon after, the new transfer and wage budgets were set, which gave me a clear idea of how much I could spend on improvements. Those improvements would be needed, especially with several players returning to their parent clubs after loan spells, and others — like George Nikaj — being released.

Jimmy finally decided that this is the right time to turn the club professional. I’d been waiting for this moment, knowing it would help attract better players. Financially, we’re doing okay, although I’d still like to see more sponsorship income — unfortunately, someone has made that harder for us.

The transformation into a professional club was completed over the next few days.

After all the off-field drama, we were finally back where we belong — on the football pitch.
 

The fans decided it was time to show their appreciation for my work. They unveiled another tifo banner… but that wasn’t all. 

Soon after, a brand-new chant started echoing around the stadium. It goes like this:

WHO’S GOING UP?
DOVER!
WHY WE GOING UP?
COACH A MAGICIAN — GAME OVER!
First time League Two, yeah we made that move,
Not finished yet, nah, we coming for more!
Hands in the air, let the whole place roar:
DO-VER! DO-VER!
WE! WANT! MORE!

The match was just a formality. We won 3–0 against Carlisle in a dominant performance from the players.

In the final match of March, we faced Sutton United. They’re a mid-table side, but they defended deep all match and we struggled to convert our chances. Fortunately, I made a tactical tweak late on, and it paid off. In the 91st minute, we finally found the winner. Dillon scored the goal, with our super-talented youngster Finn providing the assist. If he stays with us, he’ll become a club legend. He’s still only 17 years old.

APRIL 

Ever since we got promoted and my grumpy face ended up on the news, random people have started talking to me. It’s strange, because before that my tattoos made people think I was someone to be afraid of. It will take some time to get used to this new attention.
Our first match in April was away against Morecambe, and we won 2–0. 

After that, we played Gateshead at home and won comfortably, 3–0. Dillon and Maher are developing a very good partnership; both of them scored and assisted in that match.

The next game was also at home, against Braintree. They were in the relegation zone, so they played very defensively, just as we expected. Once again, my players forgot about defending for a moment — Braintree only had three shots on goal, but still managed to score in the 53rd minute. It was up to me to help the team find their way back into the game. I switched to an attacking 4-2-4, and we scored in the 62nd and 82nd minute. The win was ours. Not pretty, but sometimes that’s enough.

Then we added two more wins: a 2–0 victory against Tamworth and a 1–0 win against South Shields.

That was our last match in the league.
 

RESULTS

The next post will be about the season recap and preparation for the next one.

BONUS: GAME STATUS WINDOW 

I know I promised a season recap, but before we can reach that conclusion, there’s one more trip we have to make.

No, we’re not going on holiday. We’re going to Wembley to face Torquay United in the FA Trophy final.

The stats showed that we were in control but couldn’t find the goal. Like I always say, tactics are only a starting point for the match—it’s up to you to make adjustments based on the stats. I switched from a Positive to an Attacking mentality, and that ginger guy Dillon scored in the 70th minute, his first goal. 

Then in the 92nd minute, he grabbed his second. The victory was ours. 

Just look at the joy from my players. We are making history. 

The players celebrated on the journey back to our beloved Dover. When we arrived, the fans were already there, celebrating. They’ve never been happier in recent years. 

It was the first FA Trophy win in our history. In the process, we broke the consecutive wins record. 
Bailey Wade summed it up perfectly when he posted: “It really doesn’t get much better than this.”
#DoverFC #FAT

We also earned almost £70k for winning it, which made it a huge success from a financial point of view as well.

SEASON RECAP

Personally, I’m still surprised by how we managed to get promoted. I like to think I’m a magician, but the size of the points gap caught even me off guard. 

We collected 115 points and lost just three matches over the entire league season. Southend, who finished second, managed only 85 points. We were the league’s top scorers with 96 goals (Carlisle had 82) and also the best defensively, conceding just 29 goals compared to Southend’s 44. By every measure, we completely dominated the league. 

The only statistic in which we did not outperform the rest of the league was possession. However, this reflects the style of play I employ with the players currently at my disposal. Perhaps in the future, when I am able to recruit more creative players, we will look to keep the ball more often .

Finn Maher has been a driving force behind our success, finishing the season with the highest number of key passes in the entire league. His development has been remarkable, and I will go into more detail on his progress later.

Osman Kamara scored 12 goals and provided 21 assists. 

Toyo Singer, who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, scored 21 goals and added 9 assists. 

Finn himself contributed 13 goals and 16 assists. 

Cian Dillon, who was outstanding in several matches. He scored 21 goals and added 4 assists.

I can’t overlook the defenders, who played an equally important role in achieving these results. 

As you can see, some of the players have been monitored by other clubs, and I anticipate some difficulty in keeping them around for next season. 

FULL RESULTS 

BOARD 

There were also changes around the club. One of the most important was that Jim agreed with me that our facilities need improvement. There were also adjustments to the stadium capacity in order to comply with the new League Two regulations. 

However, the most important change concerned ticket prices. Ticket prices were reduced by 22%. I’m not enjoying the financial hardship, but this is the Berserk way. 

FINANCE 

YOUTH

Unfortunately for us, this year’s youth intake was not very strong. We didn’t attract any high-quality players like we did last year. 

I would therefore focus my attention on the ones from last season. As I’ve said before, Finn is developing very well, which is why I monitored his contract situation very carefully. He has now finally decided to sign a new contract until 2030. 

Gary: Thank you for accepting our invitation. I know you must be busy these days. You have achieved great things with Dover over the last two seasons.
Me: Thank you. It was a project I found very interesting, so signing for the job felt right. When I took over, I didn’t know it would take only two years for us to make such progress.
 

Roy: Congratulations on your recent achievement—winning the double with Dover. I didn’t see it coming. I suppose people have stopped calling you the grumpy dwarf now?
Me: It seems people these days prefer to call me the Magician, but I can’t really do magic tricks. It’s just pure knowledge, determination, and leadership.
Roy: I love that answer. You sound like me back in the day.
Everyone laughs.
 

Ian: Let’s talk about some statistics. Your team scored the highest number of goals—96—and conceded only 29, the lowest in the league. How were you able to find that balance?
Me: I’m aware that most of my players are quite young, so they don’t always listen when I tell them things. But I speak to them very often and try to teach them that you win football matches not only by scoring goals, but also through solid defensive work. It seems they understood that in most matches.
 

Ian: The stats also indicate that there were a couple of matches where you conceded first and still managed to claim victory.
Me: Yes, like I mentioned before, sometimes the players enjoy going forward so much that they forget to keep the balance. In modern football, with many teams playing more directly, one long ball can easily lead to a goal. I try to avoid that by keeping the defensive line a bit deeper, but we also have to remember that we’re talking about players under 23. They haven’t yet had the chance to fully develop their mental strength and decision-making.
 

Jamie: Are you not afraid that overachieving could backfire in the long term, as expectations might grow and it could eventually lead to your departure?
Me: I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it sometimes. We do have some financial difficulties, so if there were any good offers for my players, I believe Jim would consider them carefully. That could make my job more difficult, as losing key players or first-team regulars can disrupt the team’s cohesion.
It only takes a couple of bad results for people to start talking. I just hope the boys will keep fighting until the end to keep me here as long as possible.

Jill: The fact that your squad is young and some players could improve significantly — could that make it harder to keep them?
Me: Yes, I’m aware of that. They’ll need to decide what matters most to them. Staying in Dover means they will get playing time, but if they leave, they might end up on the reserve team, which could slow their development. 
I always remind them that football is a team game — teams win matches, not individuals. The reason we are where we are today is because we are a collective.

Gary: What are your plans now?
Me: First of all, I need to start looking at reinforcements. Some of the players in the squad are only here on loan and will be returning to their parent clubs. I need to see who might be interested in joining us and whether we can meet their demands.

Gary: Have you sent scouts out?
Me: Scouts? We don’t really have the money for that. Instead, I use data websites to analyze player performances and then contact agents directly to see if their players would be interested in joining us.
So far, we haven’t been able to secure specific transfer targets, but every year there are plenty of young players released by big clubs — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, and others — so we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on those opportunities.

Jamie: You did the same thing last season and it seemed to work well. 
Are you planning any holidays?
Me: Yes. The fans have been great, but lately there’s been a lot of intrusion into my privacy. Someone even published my home address online, and people have been shouting outside the apartment complex. It’s starting to cause problems for my neighbors, so it’s something I’ll need to address sooner rather than later.
Once things settle down, I’m planning to go back to Vegas to visit some friends.

Gary: Thank you for your visit. I hope you’ll be in the same mood next year. Congratulations, and all the best on your journey. Salford is waiting for you. 😉
Me: Thanks! So I take it that your team is not planning to get promoted next year? 
Everyone laughs.

Before the players went on holiday, there was a celebration organized for them on Jim’s boat. We had reasonable fun, as it was a non-alcoholic party 🙂 

The season ended with the National League awards, and it came as no surprise that I was named Manager of the Year. 

I mentioned in my interview on The Overlap show that I’ve been dealing with ongoing complaints from my neighbors about noise pollution. Unfortunately, I have no control over other people’s behavior, so I’ve decided that it’s time to change my address. To avoid similar problems in the future, I’ve decided that buying a boat will be the best option. 

Once I’d taken care of all of that, I was finally able to go on holiday. Vegas, boys. 

Jim says if we’re this lucky this season, maybe we can win something at the casino.

No we didn’t.

After that, we parted ways and I went to see my friends. I don’t like Las Vegas very much, as the city is too noisy, too crowded, and there’s the smell of urine everywhere. I’ve been to Vegas before, so it’s not a big deal for me. I actually prefer a place called Goodsprings, which is on the way to Los Angeles. 
 

I love the local pub there, the Pioneer Saloon, which was established in 1913 and is the oldest continuously operating bar in the Las Vegas area. It’s not too crowded in the morning, so it’s the perfect place for a coffee. 

One of my friends lives there as well, so we went buggy racing around the Nevada desert.

| S3e01Pre Season, Transfers

Holiday is over. It is time for business. 

JULY:

On the first day back at the club, I met with Jim and the board. We spoke about expectations for next season, and I was a little surprised when they said they wanted a top-half finish. But this is probably my own fault — I shouldn’t have got promoted so quickly. 
 

The expectations are high, yes. But at least they made one thing very clear: they will not interfere with my transfers. And for a manager, that is very important.

I asked the board if they consider a senior affiliate club that could provide us with some cash and possibly send a few good players on loan. This request was granted, and three clubs showed interest: Doncaster (League One), Sheffield United, and Leicester City (both Championship).

I browsed through their U21 squads and decided that Leicester City would be the best choice. After the deal was concluded, I made four loan approaches, all of which were accepted. I thought it would be a formality to bring those players in, but later it turned out they chose other clubs, as they wanted to play at a higher level. It wasn’t very professional, but we had to move on. 

I have added them to my blacklist — a list of players I will never sign for Dover, because they showed disrespect to me and the club. 

Then I got the news from the groundman that the work on the stadium capacity had been completed.

On top of that, we received £351k from the EFL League Two TV rights. Finances were looking strong, and everything was starting to fall into place. 

TRANSFERS

I needed to sell before we could buy. 

At the beginning of the month, when the transfer window opened in England, I received offers for Harrison Murray-Campbell — the initial bid was £775k. Since four clubs were interested and his value was around £850k, I increased the offer to £1.1 million, and both Hull and Sunderland agreed. On top of that, they wanted to loan him back to Dover for the rest of the season — very good news.

Just when I thought Hull would get him, Leeds came forward with a £1.2 million offer. I didn’t hesitate and had it accepted. The deal was finalized on 16 July, and Harrison was also sent back to Dover for the rest of the season.

On 21 July, we received an offer for Mofe Jemide from Bolton. He is a good defender at that level, but my coaches told me he has problems with consistency. I had someone else in mind to replace him, so it wasn’t a big deal. I accepted the £400k offer, and he was also sent back to us on a season-long loan.

It was time to bring in new players, so I started convincing targets to join the team on trial. I set my sights on Alex Campos, Pedro Rodriguez, Oscar Gistau (ex-Barcelona), and Landon Emenalo (ex-Chelsea). I made offers and waited to see what would happen.

I was temporarily blocked from making more offers because I needed to finalize Harrison’s deal first, to adjust the transfer and wage budget. I was also working on bringing in Filippo Distefano (ex-Fiorentina), but he had issues with WP.

Tip: English players always sell for more.

Alex Campos and Landon Emenalo accepted my offers, but I had to delay signing due to cash flow issues. They are very good signings, but there is a small problem with their contracts: both have release clauses of £300k+ from clubs in higher divisions. Unfortunately, these clauses were non-negotiable.

I will try to sign new deals with them if they perform well and remove those clauses.

Eventually, after selling Harrison, we finalized the deals. I’m happy to announce our first signing for this season.

On 16 July, we signed Filippo Distefano, an attacking midfielder and striker. He didn’t qualify for WP, so he was allocated one of our ESC spots. He was previously a Fiorentina player but spent most of his time out on loan at other Italian clubs, with his last loan at Carrarese.

On the same day, Alex Campos joined us — a center-back who is comfortable on the ball and a genuine La Masia prodigy. He’s exactly the kind of player we need. 

Pedro Rodriguez and Oscar Gistau chose to join other clubs. 

On 18 July, we re-signed Ginger Cian Dillon on a free transfer after he was released by his parent club. I will need a better striker for this league, but he will serve as backup. He signed a one-year deal, with an option for the club to extend.

On 20 July, we confirmed two more signings. The first was Italian Thomas Lissi, who was released by Inter Reserves. He will be our first-choice right full-back. He is quite fast, but his Off the Ball rating is low, so we need to consider his tactical position carefully.

Finally, we confirmed the signing of Landon Emenalo. He is a defensive midfielder and very good at this league level. I expect him to be a star, even though he is only 19. He was released by Chelsea.

A day later, we signed another right-back from Inter Reserves, Mike Aidoo. At this rate, it looks like the Italians are taking over Dover.

On 24 July, we strengthened the squad by signing James Scanlon from Manchester United and Cole Brannigan from Aston Villa, both available after being released by their clubs.

The squad was looking stronger, but I still needed a few players — especially a goalkeeper. I made a loan offer for Kornel Miściur from Liverpool, and they agreed to send him on loan. I temporarily delayed confirming the deal because I preferred to sign someone on a free transfer.

Remember the players I had on trial? Many chose to go elsewhere. It’s disappointing, as I wanted them to help take the club forward, but I suppose our reputation wasn’t enough to attract everyone. 

There were some friendlies played, but I asked one of the coaches to handle them while I focused on improving the squad. 

I didn’t just focus on signing players — I also strengthened the coaching staff. I successfully signed contracts with Jake Buxton, Paul Wotton, Andy Parslow, and Sime Vrsaljko, who all join us as coaches. 

Eden Allison has joined us as our new Goalkeeping Coach. 

Finally, we completed the staff rebuild by signing Ben Harrington as Physio and David Momoh as Sports Scientist. The team is now ready for action.

| S3 e02 Transfers part 2, League Two

As mentioned in the previous meeting, I am still looking to reinforce the squad, particularly in the goalkeeper position.

Liverpool requested confirmation of the loan for Kornel Mościur on 2 August. As I have not been able to find a suitable first-choice goalkeeper at this time, I have decided to confirm the signing. While he is not the ideal option, he was the only goalkeeper willing to join the team. Due to his below-average positioning, he will be used strictly as a backup goalkeeper.

On the same day, we finalized the deal for 26-year-old Spanish midfielder Ramón Enríquez.
He spent most of his career at Málaga and was released by them last season due to recurring injury issues. 
On paper, he looks like a solid option, and if we can keep him healthy, he can serve as a reliable backup.
He has signed a one-year contract, making this a low-risk transaction.

Finally, on 10 August, I received confirmation from Gabriel Breeze’s agent that he agreed to sign for Dover.
He is a 23-year-old English goalkeeper who spent his entire professional career at Carlisle. He joined us as a free agent and will become our first-choice goalkeeper.

On 12 August, we received an offer for our defender Elias Benkara.
I initially rejected the offer, but the player became unhappy and asked his agent to reopen discussions. Portsmouth returned with an improved bid of £450k, and at that point we had no real choice but to accept.
Interestingly, they also decided to send the player back to us on loan. This solution works well for the club, as we retain the player’s availability without carrying his wage cost.

On 26 August, we received an unexpected offer from Monza for Krys Foleu Tene.
They offered £145k. I am not sure why, but this was one of those deals you accept immediately. He was not going to be a regular player for us this season, so the decision was simple.
The player was sold quickly and without hesitation.

On the final day of the transfer window, we added Owen Dodgson to the squad. He has experience across several English lower-league clubs.

We needed better quality at left wing-back, and he fits the profile perfectly.

On the same day, I decided to loan out Federico Colombo to Dog & Red.
He has not developed enough to be a regular right full-back at this level. The loan is an opportunity for him to make progress; if that does not happen, we will look to release or sell him.
He was a regular last season, so I am quite surprised that he has not shown the expected improvement.

The transfer window is now closed, so we are limited to making only one additional deal.

I will update you once there is progress with the player I am interested in. At the moment, his expectations are above our financial capacity. However, with fewer clubs now able to sign him, it is likely that those expectations will reduce.

All I will say for now is that the player is Italian Forward. Italy has been my preferred market for recruitment this season, and for good reason.

On 31 July, we played our first match at League Two level against Barrow.

At this stage, it is still difficult to fully explain my tactical approach, as the team is undergoing an overhaul and is continuing to build cohesion. I will provide a more detailed explanation at the next meeting. 
For now, the key point is that we are still using the RAF 303 formation, although I have adjusted a few positions to better suit the current players. For example, the AML is used as a Winger rather than an Inside Forward. When Kamara plays on the left side, this distinction is less important, as he has the “Cuts Inside From Both Wings” trait.

One of the two central midfielders will always play as a Defensive Midfielder, while the right-sided role will alternate between a Box-to-Box Midfielder and a Ball-Playing Playmaker, depending on the situation. This will make more sense once I explain my overall tactical approach, as I am trying to use a formation with relatively low individual player instructions, allowing me to influence the playing style mainly through the main Team Instructions Panel.

I am also using a Deep-Lying Forward instead of a Complete Forward, as Filippo Di Stefano has poor jumping reach and heading ability, so I want him to drop deeper rather than compete aerially. I currently don’t have better option for that position.

When it comes to the match itself, we won our first League Two game 3–0.

goal highlights https://youtu.be/ecEmsH7QTR4 

After the match, I was invited to a press conference.

Reporter: Good afternoon.
Me: Good afternoon.

Reporter: Congratulations. You won your first match at this level. It seems your tactics are still working well, and teams don’t yet know how to play against you.
Me: Thank you. Yes, we are still using a similar system. We added new players to the squad, so we will need to give them time to settle and become familiar with the system.

Reporter: You have overhauled the squad again, and that usually doesn’t make much sense.
Me: Firstly, it wasn’t really up to me. Last season we had a good number of loan players who returned to their clubs, and we couldn’t afford to make permanent signings due to financial difficulties. Some of the players I signed last season performed so well that they earned transfers to bigger teams. Selling Harrison opened a lot of doors for us.

Reporter: Yes, he was a very good deal for you. You bought young players again, and it seems you managed to make it work last season. We are quite surprised that you convinced Alex Campos and London Emenalo to join your team.
Me: Yes, me too. Alex was at Barcelona and London at Chelsea, but they never really got a chance there. I assume my reputation for not being afraid to use young players could be one of the reasons.

Reporter: Your squad is complete now that the transfer window is closed.
Me: No, I can still make one signing, and I’m exploring that option. We need a taller striker who can compete with the tall defenders in this league.

Reporter: What is going to happen with Filippo Di Stefano? He scored against Barrow and won’t be happy to hear this.
Me: This is not a problem. He is aware that he will only play there occasionally. His main position will be as an inside forward on the left wing. It’s just a tactical switch I was forced to make due to the lack of a true number nine.

Reporter: Your team won 3–0, but it’s too early to draw conclusions. We’ve heard the board expects a top-half finish this season. Can you deliver again?
Me: We’ve never played at this level before. There are many good teams with quality players. As a manager, you don’t have many choices—if there are expectations to meet, you either meet them or you have to say goodbye. I will work as hard as possible to meet them, as I’m very happy here in Dover. The fans are incredible, and I have a good relationship with the board.

Reporter: We hope you reach that level. You are a bit of fresh air in the lower leagues. Congratulations on your first win, and we’ll be watching your team closely this season as you’re making a lot of “noise.”
Me: Thanks. Have a good day to you all.

S3 e03 Richard Dunne

Our first match in August was a home game against York City. We scored two early goals, which set the tone for the rest of the match. When we have a two-goal lead, I usually shift to a more possession-based approach rather than continuing to attack aggressively. The match ended 2–0 and I was happy with that.

The next match was in the Carabao Cup. Winning the competition was not one of our objectives, but we had something to prove after comments made by Richard Dunne. Dunne, the manager of Portsmouth—our opponents in the cup, who compete in the Championship—suggested that we would be easy opposition because we are two leagues below them.

I spoke to my players and told them that we needed to do everything to prove him wrong. I can be a bit arrogant at times myself, but I would never disrespect an opponent like that—well, unless it’s Gillingham or Arsenal.

Gillingham because they’re our rivals. Arsenal? As a Spursy fan, that “love” for them is in our blood. Hopefully, one day we’ll be able to beat them, but we’re still a long way from that.

Back to the match itself: we didn’t play badly. In fact, I’d say we were the better team, with an xG of 1.36 compared to their 0.35. Unfortunately, we didn’t convert the clear-cut chances we created, and the game went to penalties.

I don’t like penalties—they’re too unpredictable—but we came out on top, winning 5–4.

I was waiting for Richard to shake my hand afterward, but he didn’t show up. I really enjoy people who talk a lot beforehand, then disappear when it’s time to make a statement and head straight to the dressing room.

Instead, I went to celebrate with the fans.

In the next match, we travelled to Barnet and drew 1–1. I’d say we lost two points, especially when you look at the statistics—we dominated the game. It was our first draw, and probably not the last one.

Finn Maher is developing very well. He’s like a son to me, and I hope he stays with us for as long as possible. The problem is Sunderland, who keep making offers for him—this is probably the fifth bid they’ve submitted—but I have no intention of selling him.

I spoke with Finn and explained that he wouldn’t play as much there as he does here at Dover. He agreed, and we resolved the situation for now, although I believe this won’t be the last conversation about his future.

After all this drama, we played at home against Blackpool. They’re the team tipped to win the league, having just been relegated from League One.

We started the game well, scoring in the first minute, but then we conceded two goals. Oh boy, I was close to losing my patience with the players. I made a couple of tactical tweaks, and somehow we scored four goals after that.

We ended up winning the match 5–2. It looks like Di Stefano really enjoys that DLF role.

highlights can be seen here. https://youtu.be/W6M2CbtFXdQ

[Some time in near future there will be a tactical analyst episodes in which I will explain the magic factor in my game style]

We were in a good mood after the win, but James Scanlon picked up an injury in that match and will be out for 3–5 weeks. 

In the next round of the Carabao Cup, we were drawn against Ipswich. They’re a Premier League side with Gabriel Jesus in their squad. He played in the match and scored one of their goals.
 

We lost 3–1. Ipswich received a red card in the 51st minute, so we pushed forward aggressively to try to close the two-goal gap, but we couldn’t find the target. The match ended 3-1 and we were out of the competition.

 s3e04 Five-0 

It was time to start winning matches again — and the team delivered.

On 28 August, we played Notts County at home and won 3–1.

Finn was Man of the Match with two assists. He’s been playing extremely well so far, and I’ve decided he’ll be our first-choice option on the right wing.

On 31 August, we travelled to Cambridge for the Vertu Trophy. It was a tough match, but we came away with a 2–1 win. Cambridge scored first, so we had to come from behind. Looking at the stats, we fully deserved the victory.

At the end of the month, Finn won the Young Player of the Month award, and I was named Manager of the Month. 

At this rate, I’ll soon need to rent some storage — my boat won’t have enough room for all the trophies and awards.
 

Next, we faced Cambridge again at home, and this time it was much more comfortable: a 3–0 win. The third goal is a good example of how I want us to play: fast tempo, but patient. 

goal highlights [youtube=3SKwMrFWRsg]

We then played Crawley Town away. We struggled a bit in the first half, but after switching to a 3-3-4 formation, we completely changed the game and scored three goals. I’m trying a different setup up front for the Grumpy Dwarf tactics —will see how it goes after a couple of matches. 
 

Our final match of August was against a strong Huddersfield side. It turned into a real drama, but once again tactical changes made the difference and we secured a 3–2 win. That result marked our fifth consecutive victory.

goal highlights [youtube=W7oR9yDTUIE]
 

Several of our players were called up to U21 squads, and we were asked to postpone matches.

I decided to arrange two friendlies to keep the rest of the squad match-fit.

• We beat Celtic B 3–1
• Then followed it up with a 2–0 win against Colchester
   

Finally, I strengthened the coaching staff by bringing in Karl Robinson, Shaun Derry, and Matthew King.

s3e5 Trust the Process

The beginning of the month brought good news about our financial situation — we are fairly secure at the moment. 

Filippo Di Stefano won the EFL League Two Player of the Month award, averaging a 8.47 rating across three matches. He scored five goals and provided one assist, and so far he looks like a very good signing.

I also picked up another Manager of the Month award. 

We are playing well and currently sitting top of the table, although we still haven’t quite found our final rhythm. I’m continuing to explore an alternative tactical formation that can be used occasionally when RAF isn’t delivering the desired results.
 

August started with a home match against Northampton. They used one of the strangest tactics I’ve seen so far — three defenders, two defensive midfielders, and the rest split between attacking midfielders and forwards. Leaving the flanks completely open didn’t work out for them, as we scored four goals. They did manage to score once, but it came from an own goal by Aidoo.

On the 5th, we played another match in the Vertu Trophy, this time against Wycombe. They’re a strong side and currently sit in the top half of League One. They started brightly and took the lead in the 9th minute, but we responded well and equalized in the 18th minute thanks to Kamara. After that, the rest is history — we went on to win convincingly, 4–1.

Unfortunately, one of our young players, Charlie Hole, whom I used quite a bit last season, picked up another injury. This time he’s expected to be out for 3–9 weeks. I’m a bit worried this could slow his development too much and prevent him from becoming the player he’s supposed to be.

Our next match was against Walsall, and we came away with a 2–0 win, although it was far from easy. They defended deep for most of the match, forcing us to switch to our more attacking formation. We finally broke through in the 55th minute and added a second in the 68th, which proved to be enough.

That result marked our seventh win in a row. On top of that, our training facilities were finally upgraded. This has been one of my main focuses — whenever we achieve financial stability, I plan to ask Jim to improve them again.

After 10 matches, we’ve collected 28 points, which is an excellent return for a side that was only just promoted.
 

On the 12th, we travelled to Southend and picked up another three points with a 4–1 victory. Our third goal was tiki taka style — an absolute beauty.

Tranmere was our next stop, and we came away with a comfortable 3–0 victory. It marked our tenth win in a row and capped off a very promising start to the season — one that I hope can provide a platform for a push toward the play-offs.

Brannigan’s third goal was a wonder strike.
 

Highlights from (Wycombe, Southend and Tranmere) matches here. https://youtu.be/FGUtqdFhvwQ
 

The team will be without London Emenalo and James Scanlon for some matches, as both players are away on international duty—Emenalo with the USA and Scanlon with Gibraltar.

s3e6 Gary's Podcast

Me: Good evening.

Gary: Good evening. Do you mind if we keep it a little less formal? We’ve become something like friends since The Overlap.

Me: Of course.

Gary: It must be a great feeling again — you’re working magic once more. How are you getting your teams playing so well?

Me: I always say I trust the process — and in my case, that process is progress.

I spend hours identifying players who have something to prove, mostly young players who’ve been released by their clubs. I try to turn their frustration into hunger, reminding them that their careers aren’t over — they can still get back on the right track. That belief often convinces them to join us.

Tactical stability is also crucial. I don’t really follow trends like a lot of managers do these days. Everyone wants to overwhelm opponents with high-intensity gegenpressing, but I don’t have players who can sustain that level of physical and mental demand — and even if I did, I’d still rather create my own style than copy someone else’s.

My approach is a mix of three styles — tiki-taka, gegenpressing principles, and controlled possession — but without players dwelling on the ball. I don’t want constant pressing either. Quick passing pulls opponents out of position, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

Gary: We’ve definitely seen that in recent matches — quick, short passing. Are you planning to move toward a strikerless system?

Me: That’s another trend that’s become popular. If you don’t have a good, dominant striker, then it’s something you can explore. But forcing it doesn’t make sense to me. We’re not a top club, so building a system that doesn’t suit the players we have would be madness.

I like a proper striker — someone strong in the air — and I’m always on the lookout for one. There are two Italian strikers currently without a club that we’re monitoring closely, but at the moment their wage demands are too high.

Gary: Can’t you ask Jim to invest a bit more?

Me: It’s not his fault. We have league regulations to comply with. If we paid those players what they’re asking for, we’d be over the Financial Fair Play limit.

Gary: You’ve clearly reignited the Dover fans. Are you aiming for more than just a top-half finish?

Me: At some point, we need to re-evaluate and find stability. Getting promoted every season is great, but we also need to improve the squad, the stadium, and the training facilities. All of that takes money — and right now, we simply don’t have it.

Our sponsorship deals are low-budget, ticket prices are low, and that limits our income. The gap between the Conference South and League Two isn’t huge, but League One is on a completely different level. If we reached League One, we’d be competing against teams with far stronger squads.

Look at Southampton — they were relegated to League One last season and they’re miles ahead of us. If we want to compete with clubs like that, we need time.

You know this yourself — you’ve been pushing for promotion with Salford for years. You brought in Darren Ferguson because expectations weren’t being met. League One is extremely competitive.

That said, if we keep playing the way we are now and the players fully absorb the style, we can push for the playoffs. If we get there, we’ll see what happens.

I can adapt — so if we go up, I’ll be ready. The real question is whether the players will be. Tactics define your style, but if the players can’t execute against stronger teams, we’ll be in trouble. The match against Ipswich showed that we’re not ready yet.

Gary: It is tougher, but hopefully there’s progress to be made this season.

The fans also want to know why you’re not on social media — they want to follow you.

Me: It’s not for me. My life is public enough — I prefer to keep things private. Living on the boat helps too. It seems English people don’t know how to swim, because nobody’s knocking on my door anymore. Haha.

I don’t follow trends — I set them.

Gary: That really made me laugh. Thanks for that — it was a fascinating conversation.

Me: The pleasure was mine.

s3e7 Here we GO!
 

On the 19th of October we travelled to Rotherham for a league match. I decided to rest some of my key players, and it turned out to be a mistake. We didn’t play well so draw is good result.

On the same day, we finally completed the signing of the striker I had wanted for so long. There were two main candidates for the role: Antonio Raimondo and Luca Moro.

In the end, I decided to sign Antonio Raimondo. The two are very similar players, but Antonio is three years younger, which gives him greater room for development. Standing at 185 cm, with a Jumping Reach of 14 and Heading of 12, he is a perfect fit for my system.

Even though the League Two registration window was closed, there is a rule that allows you to register one additional player, and that’s exactly what I took advantage of.
 

Next, we played Swindon at home. I didn’t have to wait long to see Raimondo score — just 15 minutes for his first goal. He also scored the last one. 
The final score was an unbelievable 7–0.
Sixteen shots on target, 3.64 xG — a match to remember. This result brought nationwide media attention our way.

Once the excitement died down, I received a report from my coaching staff warning that several players needed rest. My tactic is based on frequent pressing and a high tempo. While the tempo can change depending on match statistics, I always keep the pressing intensity the same. It is set to more often. 

To help with recovery, I sent some players for three days of no pitch work and gym sessions only.

Then came the match against Bristol. We won 3–1 — a solid performance, three points, and that’s what matters most.

In the final match of October, we travelled away to face Woking in the FA Cup First Round. We won 3–1, a good result that sends us through to the second round. 

The month ended on a high note with the Manager of the Month award. 

You probably won’t be surprised, but yes—I won it again. That makes it a hat-trick. We are flying high at the moment, and I can only hope it continues as long as possible. 

[Question, request and feedback _ https://www.fmscout.com/q-34388-Question-in-relation-to-Dover-storytelling.html]

3e08 Reading

Our first match in November was away at Newport. They are the second team in the league, so we expected a tough match. We won 4–1, but they had some chances too. We were just more clinical.

We then travelled to Doncaster. They are bottom of the league table, so I rested some players. We scored four goals, but we made 17 shots on goal. We were the much better team. I’m not sure if you check the stats, but we have improved our crossing percentage a lot lately. It is due to a tweak in tactics I made recently, where I asked the wingers and IFs to cross from the byline.

Our form this season is… I almost called it perfect, but nothing is perfect. I told you once and I’ll say it again: it is all about effectiveness, not perfection.

On the 9th of October we met West Ham U21 in the Vertu Trophy. We quickly scored two goals and then a third, so it was enough.

Then, out of the blue, I received a call from the Reading chairman asking if I wanted to attend a job interview. It would be a progression for me, as they have a bigger stadium and better facilities, but I’m loyal. Dover gave me an opportunity when everyone else didn’t. I will stay until they have enough of me.

Since Jim was very happy with this outcome, I used that opportunity to ask him for a U21 team. But he didn’t fall for it.

I made the decision to address fatigue issues and decided to hire a head physio. As a person who believes in equality, I decided to give Kate Evans a chance.

Then it was time to travel to Chesterfield. We scored first in the 16th minute, but they levelled a minute later. What’s more, they scored again in the 25th minute and they were the better team. I had to make some adjustments to our style, and then we scored two and won 3–2.

On the 23rd we played at home against Boston United, and we didn’t perform well. In the end, the draw was a good result for us. I wanted to go for the win, so we set up in a more attacking formation, but we couldn’t break them down. 

Goal highlights 

[Question, requests and feedback _ https://www.fmscout.com/q-34388-Question-in-relation-to-Dover-storytelling.html]

The next episode will focus on tactics and my overall approach to gameplay. I’ll use the Chesterfield match as an example to show how I surprised the match engine without relying on overpowered meta tactics. This episode will be published sometime on Saturday, as I still have a few slides to finish.

s3e09 Tactical Mindset

Hello,

Before I became a Dover manager, I used to play a game called Championship Manager, which is known today as Football Manager. I started a long time ago, back in the ancient days when YouTube didn’t exist.
 

I also played game called Ultimate Soccer Manager (1998). These were the places where I trained my tactical ability and skillset.

However, I didn’t learn my real “magic” there. That came from another series: Heroes of Might and Magic 1, 2, and finally my favorite — Heroes of Might and Magic 3.

All the knowledge gathered over the years, I now introduce into my tactical approach while playing the new Football Manager 2026. This is how I see and approach the game.

Disclaimer

What follows reflects my personal point of view. Others may disagree, and that’s completely fine.

My main goal is to enjoy the game and keep the experience as realistic as possible. I don’t analyze the match engine behavior in depth, because I don’t believe it’s possible to draw truly evidence-based conclusions from it.

In my view, the match engine includes a significant random factor to keep the game playable. If a single tactic could be used across multiple seasons to win everything every time, the game would quickly become pointless.

By “evidence-based conclusions,” I mean conclusions drawn from repetitive testing that produces the same results in the same environment. I say this as someone who has previously used the editor to freeze as many variables as possible, and even modified players’ hidden attributes, in an attempt to get closer to that kind of controlled setup.

This is simply how I see things.

 
[hidden]   https://fmshots.com/image/w6yEFH  
 

Tactical Styles Overview 

This is a basic explanation of the differences between four default tactical styles in Football Manager + so called meta instruction and my instruction (3 actually used tactics).

As you can see, Gegenpress uses almost the maximum intensity settings available in the game: much higher tempo, much more frequent pressing, a high defensive line, and the instruction to step up more.
 

Most of the tactics I’ve created recently are based on More Often pressing intensity combined with a lower defensive line.

When it comes to passing, I usually use Shorter or Standard passing, while still allowing players to Play Into Space. The default tempo is set to Higher, but I adjust it depending on match events — usually lowering it rather than increasing it. 
 

For mentality, I mainly stick to Balanced and Positive. When facing strictly defensive sides, I switch to an Attacking mentality to help break down the defense. This is more about common sense than trying to abuse the match engine.
 

As mentioned previously, my main tactic is a slightly modified RAF 303 than previous season.

I decide to stick with DLF as it is working well for now.

The other two tactics are still being polished but I think I would stick to this ones:

It’s important to stress again that my goal is to enjoy the game, not to deliberately abuse issues within the match engine. For me, taking full advantage of known ME flaws feels like cheating.
 

Pre-Match Routine

Before every match, I start by checking the next opponent report — the most important information for me is their tactical style and mentality.

After that, I look at the league table. This gives me an indication of how well their tactics are actually working and whether I need to be concerned.

I’m starting league matches with RAF tactics, Cups – depending on the opposition.
 

In-Match Adjustments Philosophy

I usually allow around 25 minutes of gameplay before making my first adjustments.

The selections marked in the red squares are mostly my core for adjustment.

Match Example: Chesterfield
 

I’ll use my recent match against Chesterfield as an example.

According to the next opponent report, they played the same formation as me with an Adventurous mentality. Since they were playing at home, I believed they had a slight advantage.

After almost 15 minutes, the match stats showed we were playing badly. They weren’t creating many chances either, but they had control of the ball.

We then registered our first shot on goal — and scored. Sounds good, but in reality it was a lucky goal. 
 

Chesterfield responded immediately, scoring a minute later, and then again around the 25th minute. We were behind and clearly not playing well.

Based on the stats, It was obvious that our tactics is not working. So I decided to switch to a 4-2-4, while keeping a Positive mentality. I have also introduce a sub Kamara come on for Brannigan.

Around the 34th minute, we scored.

The stats showed the change was working, so I stayed with it. We scored again in the 66th minute and we were winning 3–2.

Than I switched off counter attacking.

Always watch the stats. When they starting getting more shots it probably means they are attacking more.

I eventually lower the tempo and turn on time wasting to standard.

For those who seen the hidden post this is example of changing static 1 to variable.


 

Match Stats Comparison

After 25 minutes:

Chesterfield: 2 shots, 2 on target, 2 goals

Dover: 3 shots, 1 on target, 1 goal

After 93 minutes:

Chesterfield: 7 shots, 3 on target 2 goals

Dover: 19 shots, 9 on target, 3 goals
 

There are also other ways to change the static 1 to variable and I sometimes use this:

• Right DM is usually a BBM or BBP, depending on what I need
• AMC is usually an AM or Shadow Striker
• FC DLF or CHF
• players individual role Branningam (AML W, AMC AP, AMR PW)

Game Management When Winning

When I’m winning and playing well, I also adjust in-possession instructions:

Lower the tempo

Set attacking transition to Standard

later stage use time wasting

I generally don’t change out-of-possession instructions.
If something isn’t working defensively, I prefer to change the tactic, not just tweak OP instructions.
 

Conclusion

Every change I make during a match turns a static situation into a variable one, making it harder for the match engine to behave predictably.

This is the closest approach to realism I can achieve — and it’s also the most enjoyable way for me to play.

ONE MORE THING, SOMETIMES YOU WILL LOOSE NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO.

So far I have played 141 matches and save the game 29 time (29 – 1 (first) – 1 (last) – this is 3 season so -2 (I allow myself 1 save in pre season) = 29-4= 25 
141 matches / 25 = 5,64 matches per save