Mkbw50 - Comments

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

So, three games to decide if I have a chance at promotion. All I must do is get a top two finish in this group, which now that I say it out loud is actually not easy at all. The first game, away to Gresik United.

The worst possible start. 10th minute. 1-0 Gresik. Fuck. We're dominant though, we keep missing chances. Eventually we put a free-kick into the box and my centre-back is immediately tripped over... penalty! In off the post. 1-1. Back in it now let's get to half time.... they score from a corner. 2-1 down at the break. We're so so dominant. We miss chances, hit the post, they save them, miss more chances. Why are you shooting from there... YESSSSS my DM scores a screamer from 30 yards. We press for the winnter. It doesn't come. Full time: Gresik United 2-2 Dewa United. Not ideal. Not a disaster. But not ideal.

 

PSPS away next. We are dominated. I don't know why we are so bad. 2-0 down at half time. PSPS aren't even meant to be that good. I don't get it. 89th minute. Very Attacking. 3-0. Don't care. Season's over, and I do not understand how they shit the bed this hard. Three players are on less than 6.0, and there's no reason for it. We got six yellow cards. When we dominate a match we have to score a screamer to draw, but when they do it it's an easy 3-0 win. But I'm still getting paid, I suppose. Then the chairman forces me to sell one of my starting centre-backs. Cheers mate!

 

It is not impossible. It's just really really difficult. Persijap at home next and we need to wallop them. We will not wallop them. But what if we do? But we won't. But anyway, time for the game. Three of my best players are suspended after totting up too many yellow cards. Great. Very Attacking from minute 1 but there is nothing we can do against them as we are already 1-0 down when a player on a yellow decides to make a stupid tackle to get us sent off. The season has come full circle. All 3 subs made I have no choice but to play with no left-back. And stay on Very Attacking. Somehow we only lose 2-0 but it's the same story as last season which is just so so disappointing. The Board seem satisfied with how I've done though. And now as the season starts again in June (?) it's a whole lot of 'Continue's for me.

Next is an away game to Persekat which we win 3-1 without a fuss. I get another job interview, this time from Mitra Kukar, who are in Liga 2 but are on the other side (as there is a Group A and Group B in the First Phase). I accept, there is no reason not to, but again it is life at Dewa United that is my primary focus. Our next game is away to Tira - Persikabo in the cup, they are in the top tier and currently sit in 8th. On the advice of my assistant I decide to switch from a 4-2-3-1 Wide to a 4-2-3-1 DM AM Wide. We actually play quite well but succumb to a 4-2 defeat. Mitra Kukar have also rejected me, but with Dewa top of the league with just seven games to go I am alright with that. Our next game is at home to second place Muba Babel Utd. For this game the assistant suggests a 4-1-4-1 DM, which I accept. We are dreadful in the first half and go 1-0 down, and I am forced to change something anyway as our only right midfielder was only going to play 45 minutes. In the end I change to a 4-3-3 AM Wide but while we improve we lose 3-0, and while the scoreline is a bit harsh the result certainly isn't.

 

The next game is a friendly with Vanuatu away to American Samoa. On my current wage I've taken 30 grand off of Vanuatu's FA to do absolutely fuck all apart from stand there as this shite bunch of players makes no progress without regular football, completely in the spirit of this save. A 3-2 win masks our dominance, as we were all over them and their goals came from a penalty and a corner.

 

Back to Dewa Utd and our next game is away to Semen Padang. The game is non-descript and once again I need to change to a 4-3-3 due to a sub. We somehow score goals in the 87th, 91st and 92nd minute after no highlights apart from KO in the first half (on Extended) to win 0-3. We are in 2nd and with five games to go five points clear of PSKC in 5th. The next game is at home to PSGC who are bottom of the league and whose relegation we can confirm with a win. In the end we're not quite as dominant as I'd hoped but we still win 2-0 relatively comfortably. We go top and six points clear of Persita in 5th with four games to go. It seems like we're coasting to a place in the Second Phase, and all the Board expects is a place in the top half. A 3-0 win away to Persiraja is next, and it's just so easy for us. Three games to go and we're now seven points clear of PSMS in 5th. The next game is a 3-1 win at home to PSPS who are having a good season of their own (they just beat Borneo away in the cup, a team who are fighting for the Liga 1 title) which is hugely satisfying. We've qualified for the Second Phase! Up the Dewa. I have an A+ rating from the board, and they offer me a new contract of £1200 a week plus a 20% wage rise if we get promoted. On my current contract I have earned £60,257.14 from the club but tbh I have earned it and I also win Coach of the Month for September, as Dewa also get 2nd and 3rd in Player of the Month, 2nd in Young Player of the Month and 3rd in Goal of the Month. Two more games to go in the First Phase, and the next one is away to PSKC: it's a pretty poor 2-1 win where my right-back (who has been excellent all season bar a red card) scored both goals. What a signing he's turned out to be, an average of 7.33. In the final game we are away to already relegated Persik Kendal, we throw away a 2-0 lead at HT to draw 2-2, ending a five game winning run. But anyway, it is time for the Second Phase, and also the transfer window is now open. We are in agroup with Gresik United, PSPS, and Persijap, will play each team once and need to come in the top two for a chance at promotion. Up the Dewa.

 

So as I said our next game is at home to managerless PSKC and we are having the most chances and find ourselves 1-0 up, but not dominating the game like I hoped we would. And we concede a sloppy 85th minute goal. As minutes turn to seconds I start to think to myself that it's not a disaster, but ooh hold on there's a highlight... oh my god. In the 94th minute my left-back has just scored a howitzer to give us all three points and put us four points clear of PSKC who are now in 5th. The next game is at home to Persik Kendal and we make it a bit harder for ourselves than we needed it to be (with a disallowed goal and hitting the woodwork three times) but we win 2-1 to make it ten in a row without a loss. The next game is away to PSLS in the fourth tier in the cup's first round, the board doesn't really care but wants us to "be competitive", whatever that means. Another player has demanded more time in an interview, but oh well. I start him for this game, and to be honest I'm not happy. Not just with him but with anyone. We're probably second best when the player who has just asked for more time decides to get sent off. Great. I decided to change from Very Attacking just to Positive and it helps us a bit as we score... but it's disallowed. In the end it goes to extra time and then penalties, and while we win on penalties 120 minutes is not ideal with another game in three days.

 

The next game is at home to Badak Lampung and we completely dominate but waste chances and find ourselves 2-1 down. Going to Very Attacking leaves our tired players exposed and we lose 3-1, costing us our eleven-game unbeaten run and our ten-game unbeaten run in the league. But we are still in second and four points clear of PSKC in 5th. For July we win Player of the Month, Young Player of the Month, Goal of the Month, and for me, Manager of the Month. The Young Player of the Month and Goal of the Month goes to winger Faby Ekra Puta who has been brilliant for us since signing, and probably the best player in the league. Next is an away game to Persita that we somehow manage to lose 3-2... they move into 5th and are just two points behind us, we are now 3rd.

 

Another job interview comes my way and it's another top-tier team, as PSM who are in the relegation zone want my services. But life goes on at Dewa, and it's a game at home to PSMS next, which we win 2-1 despite a comical own goal. PSM did not accept me, but again I'm happy with where Dewa United are. In 2nd (three points clear of Badak Lampung in 5th) with eight games to go and still in the cup, it seems like we can have a positive end to the season.

Last season ended in November, and it's not until June that Indonesian football gets underway again. Skipping through to March (the next Vanuatu game), I seem to have bought an utter shitload of players as every week or so I think 'oh go on then' and buy some random midfielder on a free transfer for £500 p/w

In March, Vanuatu have a friendly away to Papua New Guinea and get tonked 3-0 and deserve it. The first pre-season game for Dewa United meanwhile is a 3-1 friendly win away to Persikad of the division below us, and then 4-0 away to Persitara who are also a tier under the mighty Dewa, and 5-1 win away to Persika Karawang who are also a level beneath us. Next is a 2-2 draw away to RANS Cilegon who played in our division last season and got relegated to Liga 3. Our final friendly is a 1-0 win away to Liga 3 Perserang. Not the best performances but I'm still confident of at least getting Top 4 on our side of the league, which is the requirement to have a shot at promotion.

 

Our first game is away to Badak Lampung and we lose 1-0, not an ideal start. It was the first competitive game for eight of our players who I signed in the spring. The fans are furious I haven't "deviated" from my formation enough in one game. They should know I don't get paid any more money if I change my formation. In the next game it doesn't get much better, a 0-0 draw at home to Persita. The next game is a 1-1 draw away to PSMS and it's the same story as we're miles ahead on xG, both goals are penalties. Our next game is at home to Persikat Tegel, and we are all over them: we were odds on favourites to win. It takes a penalty to put us in front though, and then disaster strikes. Our right back chops down their player who is through on goal, earning a red card, and they score from the free-kick to make it 1-1. We still dominate the game but give away a stupid penalty which they score to make it 2-1. But we get a point due to a comical own goal in the 95th minute. Another disappointing result and we are in the relegation zone early on. But we get our first win of the season away with a 4-2 triumph over Muba Babel United, and all four of our goals are from open play! Looking at the 'Club Vision' I also note that the board now only seem to require a top half finish of me in the league, so I only need to come 6th in this first phase rather than 4th. Right-o.

 

The next game is at home to the amusingly-named Semen Padang. 1-0 up through a penalty (of course), we go down to ten men as a player gets injured and with it being a midweek match and our players tiring earlier, I have already used all three subs. I change to Very Defensive and... immediately score. I love scoring on Very Defensive as it feels like you are beating the system, seeing as the game literally says Very Defensive means your players "try not to score, just defend". Afterwards we do just that for a very satisfying 2-0 victory that puts us into the top half but the loss of our left-winger for six weeks is not ideal. The next game though is away to promoted PSGC who are bottom with 0 points and we add to the misery with a 4-1 win, although we should have had more with missed chances and two goals ruled out, and we're into the top four. In the next game we get a 1-0 win over Persirjara at home which isn't the best result but it puts as top as our game is on the Tuesday and everyone else's is on the Wednesday...

 

But before the day of our next match, I get an interesting notification. Barito Putera, bottom of the top tier have offered me a job interview, saying they are "very impressed" with my performance. Sniffing more money, I attend the interview. But for now, life goes on at Dewa United. Our next game is away to PSPS and we get a 1-1 draw which is a fair reflection of the game even if we do have more chances.

An amusing part of this save has been the dealings with the vice-captain. He is a 3.5-star goalkeeper, but I have a better one (4-star). He has constantly demanded to play and I have ignored him, and how he has had an interview in the press having a go at me, under the false impression that I care. News that I do care about comes next though, and it's not good news. Barito Putera have not signed me, instead signing the manager of PSKC, who funny enough we're just about to play. But that means that for now I'll be at Dewa Utd, who are in a good place, 2nd in the table with 9 of the season's 22 games played. 

So, the first game, at home to Kalteng Putra, is considered a good chance to win, but it's not helped when after just 250 seconds my new right back gets sent off on his debut. Great. But exactly 180 seconds later we go 1-0 up, putting a prospect of a nervy game in front of me as I switch to Very Defensive... but seconds before half-time my AM (L) gets a second yellow putting me on 9 men, a situation I cannot remember being in before on FM, especially before half time. And in injury time, they make it 1-1 before the break. And in the 73rd minute, a long range goal puts them ahead. We lose 2-1, and the actions of those 2 players may have ruined my entire season as promotion now seems very difficult.

 

Next we are away to Persis Solo in a game we are a clear second favourite for, third if you count a draw. And in the 15th minute they go 1-0 up from a corner. A great strike just before half time makes it two and any chances of promotion seem gone. But a glimmer of hope appears in injury time when we make it 2-1 at the break from a corner. In the second half we press and press but can't break the door down, but get given a lifeline in the 82nd minute when they get a red card. But our wastefulness in front of goal costs us as we fall 2-1, a result that makes it official: we cannot get promoted this season. In the last game against Persiba, we lose 1-0, harshly compared to xG and we definitely deserved points from that group. That ends our 2021 season and we beat the targets we were set but it was disappointing as promotion was not to be. We still have two more games in the year, as Vanuatu manager: away friendlies to Tahiti and New Caledonia. A 0-0 draw in the first game even with a man advantage is sub-optimal, but a 1-0 win against New Caledonia after going a man down is a good result.

 

Next season, the Dewa board want us to advance from the Second Phase. It will take a lot of work, but bring it on...

So the first game for me in charge of Vanuatu is a huge FIFA World Cup qualifier semifinal against New Zealand, over two legs. Losing the away leg 3-0 is not ideal, but is, to be honest, expected. Before I have the second leg I once again have no right or left midfielder for Dewa United as we travel to Persis Solo, and lose 3-1. So, to the second leg, and obviously, we have no chance. We lose 4-1 and go out of the FIFA World Cup, but the FA do not judge me.

 

So, back to Dewa United, and a huge game comes up against Muba Babel United who are a place below us in the table, and we get a massive 1-0 win. This puts us 3 points ahead of them with 4 games to go as we look for a top 4 spot. Sriwijaya FC are next, and we get a 1-1 draw away. Fortunately, Muba Babel also draw, so with 3 games left we have a 3 point cushion still. A 2-1 win at home to already relegated Tiga Naga is far from ideal - it involves a red card and a penalty stop - but it gets the job done. The red card is once again, for our only right midfielder (the fourth suspension he's earned this season), and it puts me five points clear with two games to go as Muba Babel draw. And after a 1-0 win away to Perserang, which relegates them, we are confirmed to be heading to the Second Phase! It's then the October international break, we have a friendly away to Kiribati which we win 2-0 on a pitch which is made out of sand, this is followed by a 3-0 win away to Tuvalu, also in a friendly.

 

The final game in the First Phase, at home to Cilegon FC is next, and it is a dead rubber so I try a new 4-2-3-1 formation. We win 2-0, which ends up relegating them as the team in 10th win and leapfrog them on head-to-head. In August, I brought in some players as the transfer window opened, but couldn't register them, and forgot about them. While it means I have coverage at all positions now, they are mostly a disappointing bunch. I can now register them for the Second Phase though, and look to bring in new players. We are drawn with Kalteng Putra, Persis Solo and Persiba in Group A of the Second Phase: to have a chance of going up, we need to come in the top two of the group, where we play eah team once. It will be difficult, but I'm looking forward to it.

Money Mode: With no badges, licenses, or reputation (or knowledge of or skill at FM21) try to sponge as much money as possible.

 

TL;DR Skip this section if you don't want spoilers!

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Management positions
Dewa United FC 9 July 2021 -
Vanuatu 11 July 2021 -

Milestones:


Complete competition record:
2021 Liga 2: 4th in First Phase, 4th in Second Phase (Joined mid-season)

2021 Piala Indonesia: Second Round

2019/21 OFC Nations Cup (World Cup Qualifiers): Semi Final (Joined mid-season)

2022: Liga 2: 2nd in First Phase, 4th in Second Phase

2022 Piala Indonesia: Second Round
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Can finish skipping

 

The first thing I do is apply to every vacant job. After many interviews the job I get paid the most at is Dewa Utd (£950pw). They're top of the Indonesian second tier (the Liga 2), and am only asked for a top-half finish. Come in the top four, and I go to the Second Phase and get a shot at victory. Oh, and to get more money I also get the Vanuatu job (£575).

The club doesn't have any staff apart from the Chairman and myself, and our only right midfielder is suspended. Unsurprisingly, we lose our first game 2-0 at home to Swirijaya FC, but stay top of the league. I also have to personally take charge of youth team games. My first port of call is to hire an assistant manager, easier said than done with no filters but eventually I find a way. For our next match, our only player at left mid who is a grey, disappears and my main striker is suspended but at least I have stars so I can more or less see how good the players are. I don't get my left midfielder back. By the way, I'm using a 4-4-2 with Direct Counter-Attack.

In the next game we win 2-1 away to bottom of the league Tiga Naga. My players are absolutely shattered by the end. My next decision is to hire a manager for the youth teams as well as a Chief Scout. In our next game it's another huge 2-1 win at home to Perserang Serang, and after three games in six days my players are finished, and deserve the upcoming week-long break, but they come back with a 1-0 loss away to Cilegon after a red card. Our next game is in the First Round of the cup, the Piala Indonesia, where it takes us extra time to beat non-league Persika. 1-0 up for the whole second half, we conceded in the 86th and 91st minute before scoring in the 94th to force it to extra time. But at least we got through. For the next game, our only right mid is suspended and remember we still haven't had a left mid this whole time. A 3-1 lost to Persekat Tegel, who hop out of the relegation zone as a result, means my lead at the table is just one point ahead of three teams with 10 games to go. And in the next match, we have an in my view undeserved 2-1 loss at home to PSMS as we drop to 3rd. Even worse, our two best CMs have picked up injuries. Another red card is another loss in the next game, 2-0 against Semen Padang away and we've now got work to do to reach the second phase: it's our third consecutive loss, and our fourth in a row in the league. But a 2-0 win away to Badak Lanpung in the next game means we stay in the top 4 with now just seven games left.

A 1-0 loss away to PSPS in the cup knocks us out, but the board don't mind, as they only targeted being "competitive", but a 2-0 loss at home to them in the league straight after puts even more pressure on. I'm still in the top 4 with six games to go, ahead of Muba Babel Utd on head-to-head. But the biggest and most important game of my career so far is about to come, with my first game in international management...

 

 

After some time away from this save I return to this save: before I left I played a friendly (a 1-0 loss to Vanuatu, apparently), and the Nations Cup was drawn: New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu join us in Group B. A 1-0 loss to the Solomon Islands in the first game doesn't bode well, and it's all on the game against Vanuatu to keep the World Cup dream alive, especially after we lose 4-0 to New Zealand. We need a win to have a chance of a) reaching the semi-final and b) staying in the World Cup, and in the former case by at least three goals. A 3-1 loss ends a dreadful tournament. Inexplicably, I'm still not sacked.

After a 2034 without any matches, we play a friendly against American Samoa to prepare for the 2035 Pacific Games. We win 2-0 and save a penalty, in a performance that doesn’t really breed confidence. Key players (Thanaena, Waziarima, and Drawilo) have retired and I was hoping I’d get more ridiculous regens like Dokunengo, in the end there are some with good potential but not there yet. Both players who scored were (not particularly impressive) regens on their debut. We draw Fiji, New Zealand Under 23s, Samoa and Tonga in Group A. We don’t play ideally and concede early on, but equalise nearly immediately. Two goals get disallowed but then a very late brace from Joël Clement means we win 3-1. Two days later we play Tonga and again concede early, but two goals from Pierre Denis give us the win, a flattering scoreline for Tonga. As we’re in the group with 5 teams we have a five-day break before the next game against Fiji. We draw 1-1, a result I’ll certainly take given how we played despite a questionable offside goal. What this means is that a draw in our final game against New Zealand U23s will put me to the final, as will a win, but a loss will make us go out completely. Unfortunately we lose 2-0 knocking us out but I think we played well and gave a good account of ourselves. I'm hoping some good regens are made before the 2036 Nations Cup...

We win 2-0 in a friendly against Kiribati which is obviously not ideal, and a 2-2 draw against Tuvalu is even worse. With only the top team going to the final from this group, I really can’t afford to be dropping points at all in these 4 games against weaker teams. We’ve already beaten Fiji once in 2032, let’s go. We play utterly appallingly and lose 3-0. I don’t know what has caused this downturn in form and what we can do to change it. I also get news that Kutran is retiring. After we concede early in the Samoa game I fear the worse but we turn it around to win 2-1. How we only won by one goal is beyond me. If we can beat Fiji in the next game we’re right back in it, but Djamali and Roger conspire to get themselves suspended. A 1-1 draw means that we could still potentially do it, but we need to rely on Samoa to get a result against Fiji again. They don’t, so the last game against Samoa is a dead rubber. A 2-0 win means we end the group well, but I’m gutted cause this is our best chance to get the World Cup play-off final. We then beat Micronesia 3-1 in a friendly. Yay.

For a friendly against Tonga, our foreign-based players are back, and so seven changes are made, we win 4-1. Our final match in preparation for the Nations Cup in Fiji is against Vanuatu, a much stronger team than Tonga, and we deservedly lose 1-0 in a dull game. We draw Papua New Guinea, Tahiti and Samoa in the Nations Cup, which is quite favourable. Immediately before it starts, Lues Waya gets an injury for 7 weeks. Exactly the same as the 2028 one. FML. The FA expects me to get into at least the semi final (top two in the group stage). Here’s hoping. Bringing in Brice Giraud for Waya is the only change from the Vanuatu match. We are 4-0 up at HT and win 4-1. No changes are made for our next game three days later, the hardest game of the group against Papua New Guinea. We are dominated in possession but win 3-0, with great transition play. Giraud and Joël Clement are like Son and Kane, always assisting one another. Three more days separate us from a game against Tahiti which is a bit of a dead rubber as we’re already through to the semi-finals (for the first time at the third attempt of my career) but we still need to avoid a heavy defeat to make sure we play the Solomon Islands in the semi-finals instead of New Zealand. I still make no changes as I want to keep the players’ match fitness up, especially the Europe-based ones who are finding playing time hard to come by. We win 1-0 from a penalty in a shit game, Johnny Rodriguez my goalie is man of the match. We will play the Solomon Islands in the semi-final, meanwhile we draw Fiji and Samoa in the World Cup qualifiers group, a good draw in my view. A problem is that Dokunengo, Roger, and Nicolas Andre have all been suspended for yellow card accumulation. Marwane Da Costa, Grégory Dubois, and Arnaud Berthelot come in in what is a large downgrade. I was dreading this match a bit cause of what happened in the Pacific Games final, and it was largely the same as we lost 2-0. New Zealand beat them in the final 3-0.

A friendly against Tuvalu reveals 4-star free agent Louis Waima into the squad, slotting in at CB and he is also our second best RB after Djamali. The announcement that first-choice goalkeeper Raymond Saihuliwa will retire in December means this might be his last game, meanwhile the return of Trabé and Waya is very nice. A 4-0 win including Waima scoring is very nice. As the press told me I might lose my job with a loss, another four years of unearned wages is surely on the cards now. Luckily I find out Saihuliwa has retired from professional football only and can still play for us. However, I drop him for Wilfried Caironé for a friendly against Micronesia, and I also drop Trabé. He would play normally but he’s without a club so it will hopefully send him a message of sorts. We win 2-1 and play awfully, losing the possession battle. It’s clear I need Trabé in the set up. Also, all of our goals seem to be coming from Djamali on the right, he’s an extremely important player for us, despite the fact he only has 7 Crossing. Also, it seems Trabé has retired which is a bit of a problem. There’s a lot of time between now and the 2031 Pacific Games though. Trabé’s retirement gives me two options. Either make a like-for-like switch and just play the worse (2-star) William Rokaud, or move Kutran to LB and play a 2-star player at DM. Seeing as the 2-star player, Michel Roger would have to move out of CM and be replaced, it seems that for the time being Rokaud is the more sensible option. However, for a friendly against Papua New Guinea I play Kutran there and put Marvyn Hernandez at DM, he’s a 19 year old regen. We outclass PNG and two late goals give us a 4-2 win, the fourth goal being an assist from goalie Johnny Rodriguez on his debut.
In 2030 nothing happens but we do host the OFC U19 Championship, and the U19s beat New Zealand 4-1 in our first game, but then lose 6-4 to Vanuatu AET in the semi-final. Wtf happened there? Another interesting saga happens with goalie Steeve Guibe. One of the few players to play outside New Caledonia, playing for Finnish top-tier taeam KPV, he never got a game and thus I dropped him from the squad in 2023. It’s now 2030 but I still get emails about him “being unlikely to get a call-up” cause of his lack of game time every so often. He wanted to leave and has now gone AWOL from training for two weeks in a row. 2030 has been a bad year for Kutran who spent 6 months out with injury and has now picked up another 4 month injury at the start of 2031.
We beat Fiji 2-0 despite having less possession in a friendly which sets us up nicely for the 2031 Pacific Games in Samoa. We draw American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand U23s, and Tahiti. No Dokunengo, Djamali, or centre-back Louis Wamia though as they are not based here. The FA want us to reach the semi-final, which doesn’t exist of course, but basically I need a top 2 finish in the group.
Our first game sees us beat Tahiti 5-2, we go 3-0 up early on and though they pull it back to 3-2, a brilliant long-range effort from Cyril Drawilo coupled with a hilarious own goal settle the nerves. Two days later, we play the Cook Islands, and I change nothing: it’s a wise decision as we win 4-0. Two more days separate us from American Samoa, my 50th game in charge: not bad for the 2 million quid the FCF have given me. I make no changes: why would I the way we’re playing? A 2-0 win puts us in great position and we have three days’ rest before the game against New Zealand Under 23s. The suspended Marvyn Hernandez is replaced by Arnaud Pages at DM, to keep things fresh Arnaud Berthelot is replaced by Grégory Dubois at CM. Cyril Drawilo gets sent off early and we fall 2-0, putting the group wide open. We pick up quite a few yellows too, and I’m not sure where this bad discipline has come from. Drawilo and Nicholas Andre are suspended for the match against Fiji, with NZ playing later only a win can guarantee progression to the gold medal match. Hernandez does return though as does Berthelot. We go 1-0 down early but equalise, but then Hernandez gets a straight red. However straight after half-time we score through Lues Waya and I go Very Defensive for the rest of the match. We hold out with ten men and are in the final. We will play the Solomon Islands in a repeat of the 2011 final. They have been in imperious form beating every team they play by 3 or 4 goals in the group. As well as Hernandez, key midfielder Michel Roger is suspended for totting up yellow cards. Andre and Drawilo return though. Unfortunately it’s a bridge too far and we lose 3-1, but a very gallant effort.

For a friendly against Tonga, I am allowed to play my foreigners, including a 5-star current ability 21 year old regen called Yohann Dokunengo who plays for French top-tier side Lens (he has 2 first team appearances). We don’t play particularly well but we win 2-1 thanks to two headers from Waziarima.

Next is a friendly in Kiribati which we win 9-1, with each goal being scored in the first half. I then draw New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu in the draw for the 2028 OFC Nations Cup Second round in Tahiti. Lues Waya, who scored five goals in Kiribati gets injured before the competition. The same rules apply with the top two going to the semi final and the top three going to the World Cup qualifiers. The FA want us to get a minimum of second. Then, Noam Trabé gets injured as well, but he still gets included in the squad. The loss of Waya, who has 27 international goals in 26 games will be big.

For the first game against New Zealand, the tactic is the same usual 4-1-2-1-2. We lose 2-0 including a needless penalty but we give a good account of ourselves, and despite being completely dominated Lionel Thanaena misses three golden chances I just feel Waya would have tucked away. I also get Trabé some minutes off the bench but Djemali picks up a knock. Trabé’s full return for the Solomon Islands 3 days later means I can move Hnasselen Kutran into DM and Michel Roger up to CM, improving the squad not just in his own position. I lose 2-1, completely outplayed and Yohan Boa missed a golden late chance. Cyril Drawilo’s early injury didn’t help and the goal that won it for them was a lucky own goal off Kutran. Out of the Nations Cup, we need to beat Vanuatu and hope New Zealand beat the Solomon Islands with a GD swing of 3 to keep our World Cup dream alive. Trabé’s injury will take him out of the squad. New Zealand win their game 2-1, meaning we will have to win by 2 goals or more, but not 2-0. With Trabé out we revert to the team that played New Zealand. We draw 0-0 in a dire game in which Vanuatu were better. Remarkably, and somewhat inexplicably, I’m not sacked.

After a 1-0 friendly loss to minnows Samoa (with 18 months of getting paid for nothing), eventually, we draw American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Tahiti. The same format as in 2023, but this time the FA wants me to reach the “Semi-final” which doesn’t exist. Djamali, Kutran, and Trabé are left out due to the no foreign-based players rule. We play really well and beat Tahiti 2-0 in our first game, it should have been more. A two-day break separates us from the Solomon Islands who are hosting. There are no changes though as I look to keep this momentum. We score early on, then we try a shithouse but fall to a corner goal. Still, a 1-1 is very good at this stage with Samoa, American Samoa and the Cook Islands to come. 2 days before the game against Samoa, and Tue Waziarima, who scored all our goals so far and picked up a knock during the game has now got a full-on injury. That’s my only change as we play Samoa. We score a great counter-attack, immediately concede and are bad again as we draw 1-1. A three-day break separates us from American Samoa, who, surprising everyone, are top of the group with 7 points in 3 games. I pick the same team. We go 5-0 up at half-time, with Waya scoring 4 goals. They change something and we only win 5-2. The group then has the Solomon Islands on 10 points, us on 8, and American Samoa on 7, with the hosts playing the Boys From The Territory in the last game, and us playing the Cook Islands. To play in the final we need to win and hope the Solomon Islands don’t (if they draw it goes to GD/GS). If we draw then we need to hope American Samoa don’t win to play in the bronze match, if we lose we need to hope American Samoa do too. We don’t play well but win 1-0 so we need a favour from the team we ripped a new arsehole. They lose 4-0 unfortunately so we will be playing in the third-place play-off again, this time against Fiji. We lose 1-0 after playing badly but having more xG. New Zealand Under-23s (NZ always only enter their U23s to this competition) beat the Solomon Islands in the final.

However I lose 1-0 to Papua New Guinea in the first World Cup group game, already ending any hopes, and we play dreadfully. But the FA only wants us to “Be competitive” so are actually happy. Whether they will be after March is another question, but I get 4 more months pay in the meantime.
March finally comes around and we will play New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. A dreadful first half-performance sees us 4-0 down at the break and we lose 4-1. The FA still don’t seem to mind as they think we are “competitive”. The yellow-card suspension of Trabé and Kirvin Kirtawa make the potentially job-deciding game against Papua New Guinea harder. 1-0 down, the injury of Kutran (my only RB with Trabé suspended) makes me go fuck it. I change formation to 3-3-2-2 as the game doesn’t matter anyway and it’s worth a go. We play better but are vulnerable at the back: at 3-0 I change to Very Attacking but we lose 5-2. However, 2 goals from Yohan Boa give me a positive. A dreadful result but still, the FA give me a “C” in the qualifiers, added with the Nations Cup “D” gives me a “C-” in competition performance and therefore my job is “Stable”. There are 2.5 months worth of pay anyway before the last game against New Zealand. I make 6 changes from the PNG game and we play well and lose 1-0 with Waya spurning a couple of good chances (although the All Whites also had plenty other opportunities to score).

I’m still nowhere near getting sacked and, with nothing to show for it this must be the best scam in history. The fact I was drawn with New Zealand means the FA had no expectations and with the whole thing probably going to get wiped I’ll survive until at least the 2028 Nations Cup and 2030 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, my reputation is up to 1.5 stars, and if I keep slowly building it up who knows where I’ll end up. Also, with no competitive fixtures until the 2027 Pacific Games, I’ve got lots more money to earn for doing nothing.

I actually don’t know if it’s possible for me to get sacked, because before the Nations Cup even starts it resets my “Competition Performance”, gets rid of the Pacific Games and my job is back at stable, which is what happened after I failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup as well. I also note my reputation has increased from 0.5 to 1 star.

We don’t play until 2024 where I beat Kiribati 5-0 on the sandy pitch. Meanwhile, we draw New Zealand, Tahiti, and Vanuatu in the OFC Nations Cup, their version of the Euros/Africa Cup of Nations (etc), which doubles up as World Cup qualifiers. The top two go to the semi final and top 3 go to the World Cup qualifiers next round, with just one game against each team. The FA want me to reach the final. We play awfully, lose 1-0 against Vanuatu in the 88th minute and I throw my first bottle. The injury of star striker Lues Waya before the tournament cost me. We now need a really good result against hosts and kings of the OFC region New Zealand. Obviously I want to play conservatively and frustrate them, but they score in the first minute from a free-kick. We fight hard but lose 2-1. A draw or win against Tahiti should at least keep our World Cup campaign alive, but we won’t get out of the Nations Cup group stage. I keep the same tactics as they dug in vs New Zealand but suspensions and an injury means I need to fiddle round with the players a bit. We win 2-0 which probably saves my job.

We draw New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in the World Cup qualifying group: each team plays each other twice and the winner advances. My job is “Very Insecure” right now as well. The FA doesn’t seem to have any expectations for the qualifying group as we have New Zealand in it. A 1-4 friendly win in The Cook Islands is nice especially with Waya getting a perfect hat-trick in the first 18 minutes and an assist, although their goal was embarrassing

In May, the draw for the Pacific Games occurs, and we’re in a group with American Samoa, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Tonga. The FA want me to reach the final: only the group toppers do that, and second plays in the third-placed play-off. The long-term injury of star player Joris Kenon has made my task considerably harder though. Turns out he wouldn’t be available anyway as he plays abroad, and the same goes for Noam Trabé, Hnasselen Kutran, and César Zeoula, literally three of my best players. If France even counts as “abroad”. To replace Trabé at left-back, I recall Jean-Brice Wadriako, who I had left out because he wasn’t as good as Trabé or indeed Kutran there, which 90min.com call “one of the most humiliating climb downs of recent times in international football”. Meanwhile, Chennai City have gotten promoted and won the “Federation Cup” in their next season, which makes me jealous and I will cry about it into the big pile of money I stole from them.

There is a gruelling schedule with a game every two days. Our first is against American Samoa, a game we have to win. We do, with Lues Waya scoring a first-half hat-trick and a penalty save making it 3-0 at the break, although American Samoa came back and we had to grind out a 3-2 win. I tweak the formation to a narrow 4-4-2 diamond as we don’t have good RAMs. My other striker had an assist, 4 key passes and a match rating of 7.5, so I’m asked to explain his “bad day” in front of goal in a press conference. Two days later we’ll play leaders and hosts the Solomon Islands. Unbelievably, the team grind out a 2-1 win despite being extremely tired, and they’ll have to play again two days later against Tonga. Again, I pick the same team as this group has very little for error, despite the risks. The team play dreadfully and we lose 1-0, despite some nice football near the end when we’re desperate. We get a three-day break before our next against Samoa, the group is now wide open. We join the Solomon Islands and Tonga on 6 points, Samoa and Tahiti are on 4, and American Samoa are on 0 after each team has played 3 games. I only make an enforced change due to a suspension for the Samoa game, a like for like swap at left-back. We play badly again, but we are still the better team and we grind out a 1-0 win. Three days separate us from our last group game against Tahiti. The Solomon Islands and Tonga both draw, which means a win against what are technically our compatriots would guarantee a win. Meanwhile, Vanuatu win Group A and Papua New Guinea come second. We play the last game, and basically, if we win we come 1st, if not we come 2nd. I revert back to the team who played against American Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Tonga. I should stress no player has above a 3-star rating.

We score in the 2nd minute. We then concede in the 2nd minute. We go 2-1 down before half-time, and then 3-1 as I’m forced to go Very Attacking. I try to bring the DM up to play up top in a 4-3-3, and despite a corner goal, we lose 3-2 and will be playing Papua New Guinea for bronze. This means my job is now a bit insecure. Apart from an enforced change, I stick with the tried and tested as if this was the real Pacific Games, getting a bronze medal would still be kind of cool, as it’s like the Olympics (but shit). We are the better team (both are shit) but don’t score until the 80th minute. However we concede in stoppage time from a corner. In extra time they are better but we get a goal (and have two disallowed) from a brilliant assist from the LB I brought in cause of the suspension. 2-1 and a bronze medal, my job is saved. I believe I can do nothing for another year or so until the Nations Cup starts. If you’re wondering, the Solomon Islands won the final on home soil, beating Vanuatu 5-4 after extra time (it was 2-2 after 90 minutes).