Losing is a good thing. Trust me!

So it's the 2023/24 season, I'm managing Darlington and at this stage in the game I've won every tourney for the last few years. The only thing that's keeping me going at this point is the new stadium being built in a couple of years and to be honest I'm not enjoying all this winning malarky.

Things are going according to plan until the first knockout round of the Champs League against Fiorentina. I win the first leg comfortably 1-0 away from home. Time to put them to bed at the Darlington Arena, right? Instead we go 1-0 down, then equalise to make to 2-1 on aggregate. Fiorentina score again to put them up on away goals. We score in the 88th minute - cue scenes of jubilation! Then in the 94th, the Viola pump it up the field to their lone striker and he nets it - cue scenes of shock and horror...

You think I'd be dissapointed but I'm chuffed to bits! Now I have something to fight for again and am playing more than ever! Has anyone else had such a kick up the arse or do you think you need one?

Like I said, losing is a good thing...

I quite like just missing out on something, makes winning it feel a lot better.

In both of my first two seasons at my second stint at Pompey I threw away the league title in the last few games and lost in the CL semis, it made winning them the following year brilliant.

Usually in the long term when I'm used to winning every game and I lose I actually react furiously because it's so unexpected and I only know winning in those saves, I basically just tear them apart in the team talk and press conference.

i have had a couple of 100+ unbeaten game runs in the past and won everything i have been in. on one hand its great as i have built the whole squad up myself but it does make me get complacent at times. even against big clubs i expect to win.

Mentioning the 100 game unbeaten run, I had a massive situation of bottling it when I reached the squeaky bum heights of unbeaten game 98 and yes, we lost 1-0 to Bolton. At home.

when i get into an unbeaten rut i usually sell my world class players and build again.

agreed i like the repeated rebuilding of squads, and just missing out on winning something or achieving something feels brilliant when you do win it,

I quite like just missing out on something, makes winning it feel a lot better,

In both of my first two seasons at my second stint at Pompey I threw away the league title in the last few games and lost in the CL semis, it made winning them the following year brilliant.

Completely agree with this, I had an epic 4 year battle with Napoli in the CL with 3 finals and 1 semi-finals between us. I won that battle 3-1, but because I lost the second round, it made those last 2 wins much sweeter than the first.

Im the furthest into my game that i've ever been, because i've been less succesful. I started from lower leagues but took the aston villa job just before the start of the 2016/17 season, and now im at 20/21, the finances havnt been great before this season ive had about 20m to spend each season, had a bit more this season due to winning the champions league. But I havnt won the premier league yet, usually it takes one season with alot of money and 2 seasons with so much, but I can't beat man city and their unstoppable combination of babacar and khalil upfront. And this season im still 6 points behind them just 8 games in, but it just means ive got so much motivation to keep going every season which ive never had this far in before.

I lost the JPT and got promoted, it is still a trophy I haven't won in all my playing days. Then again I've only won the league cup!

i would hardly say a 1-0 win was "comfortable"

i would hardly say a 1-0 win was "comfortable"

The manner of the win was comfortable, it could have been 3 or 4.

I agree with the OP. Its not much fun winning all the time. It gets boring, not that I get to that stage often. I usually place restrictions on myself these days like not usinf the player search function. I find things like that keep things challenging!