[FM11] Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen...

[Paolo Willenté]

A nice stint in Rome, your trophy cabinet is looking considerably fuller anyway.

Are you going to be applying for jobs, or waiting for one to come along and be offered to you?

[Raware]

Probably the right time to move on. You can't grumble at four straight Scudettos!

Also, nice to Forest back in the promotion race even if we did lose in the semi's (but we're used to that!)

[iacovone]

Just caught up on this entire page AK. Super progress at Lazio and you're looking like dark horses for the Euros with Belgium . Very intrigued to see where you move to in your club career. Pity you couldn't claim the Champions League trophy in your last year but that leaves you something to aim for in the long term!

[DodgeeD]

Great job at Lazio. Shame about the Champions League but best to move on for a new challenge. Intrigued to see where you end up next

[AK22]

A nice stint in Rome, your trophy cabinet is looking considerably fuller anyway.

Are you going to be applying for jobs, or waiting for one to come along and be offered to you?

If you include the mickey-mouse Supercoppa, it's ten trophies in four seasons, so I shouldn't really complain

I won't be applying for anything while the World Cup's going on, but I'm open to offers over this period. If nothing materialises, I'll start applying/declaring interest in positions at clubs that I like to look of.

Probably the right time to move on. You can't grumble at four straight Scudettos!

Also, nice to Forest back in the promotion race even if we did lose in the semi's (but we're used to that!)

I'm sure with Schhhteeeve at the reigns now you'll be back in the Premier League soon enough

Didn't think Davies did bad enough to deserve getting the sack though, a tad harsh IMO!

[AK22]

Just caught up on this entire page AK. Super progress at Lazio and you're looking like dark horses for the Euros with Belgium . Very intrigued to see where you move to in your club career. Pity you couldn't claim the Champions League trophy in your last year but that leaves you something to aim for in the long term!

Great job at Lazio. Shame about the Champions League but best to move on for a new challenge. Intrigued to see where you end up next

Cheers chaps

I'm a bit gutted that I couldn't win the Champions League with Lazio. I'm pretty certain we were only one quality player away from doing it, so it wouldn't surprise me if my successor gets all the glory with my team next season! However, it's good to still have the challenge there, when I return to Europe it will be very high on my list of priorities.

[Raware]

I'm sure with Schhhteeeve at the reigns now you'll be back in the Premier League soon enough

Didn't think Davies did bad enough to deserve getting the sack though, a tad harsh IMO!

I'm really disappointed to see Billy go as he took us a long way ina short time but when you're bad mouthing the chairman, publicly, as often as he was, then there's only so much a chairman can take. If he just shut up and stopped moaning then maybe it'd have been a different story.

I'm not sure about the wally with the brolly, Schhhteeeve Mclaren's appointement, I'll reserve judgement until he's had a decent shot at the job. I'd have preferred Martin O'Neill coming back home but I guess he wants a bigger job.

[AK22]

I'm really disappointed to see Billy go as he took us a long way ina short time but when you're bad mouthing the chairman, publicly, as often as he was, then there's only so much a chairman can take. If he just shut up and stopped moaning then maybe it'd have been a different story.

I'm not sure about the wally with the brolly, Schhhteeeve Mclaren's appointement, I'll reserve judgement until he's had a decent shot at the job. I'd have preferred Martin O'Neill coming back home but I guess he wants a bigger job.

You never know, McLaren might turn out to be a hit. His reputation in this country was severely damaged after his England tenure, which, lets face it, was pretty poor after a very soft appointment by the FA. It was obvious to everyone but them they he would fail, and I really couldn't stand how smug he used to come across in press-conferences. I suppose he made Ericsson look good though

But then again, he can't be that much of a mug if he managed to win the Dutch league with FC Twente, hardly one of the big sides. He also did well with Middlesbrough (with heavy investment), so it's possible he might do a good job. Or I might have just jinxed him and he'll be sacked by Christmas!

[AK22]

World Cup 2026 Update

Hosts: Mexico

Holders: France

Belgium

FA Expectation: 2nd Round

Title Odds : 12-1

I went in to the tournament feeling fairly confident that we could at least match the FA's expectations, and maybe even sneak a place in the quarter-finals. I knew I had a deadly strikeforce that on its day could be a right handful, so we were always going to have half a chance against anyone.

The group stage was a white-knuckle ride in itself. In the opening match against Honduras we went in at half time 1-0 down, and I had a horrible feeling that we were in for a disastrous campaign. We soon equalised after the break, scoring the winner in the second minute of injury time. Phew! Morocco surprisingly dominated a match I thought we would be favourites to win. After severely underestimating them, a point was more than we deserved and should have been a lot worse from our point of view. We were terrible again! The match against France was observed by a 105000 sell-out crowd at the Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, and what a match they witnessed! We opened the scoring in the opening minute, and continued to dominate the holders for the remaining of the first half. The French lost their rag in the second half and were reduced to ten men after 68 minutes. We then had carte-blanche to do as we wished, earning a convincing 4-0 win over our rivals. This put us through to the second round and sent the holders back home with their tail's between their legs.

If we had won our group, we would have faced Germany in the next round, so I was happy to finish second and face Croatia in the last 16. The 4-1 result really flatters the Croats, as we were the better side by far, going 1-0 up in the first minute (again!), and fashioning shed-loads of chances. Unfortunately, my strikers didn't have their shooting boots on for the rest of game, and missed chance after chance. Croatia, playing an attacking 4-2-4 formation, seized their opportunities in the first half, going in 2-1 up at the break. They then clinically picked us off on the counter-attack in the second half as we chased the game. Disappointing to say the least!

The final was convincingly won by Brazil, their 3-1 win making them seven times World Cup winners. England never made it out of their group, finishing behind Russia and Algeria. Poor shows also from hosts Mexico (group stage), Germany (2nd Round), The Netherlands (2nd Round), Italy (2nd Round), Argentina (2nd Round) and the pre-mentioned French (group stage). All of which was enough to cost their relevant managers their jobs.

[Raware]

You never know, McLaren might turn out to be a hit. His reputation in this country was severely damaged after his England tenure, which, lets face it, was pretty poor after a very soft appointment by the FA. It was obvious to everyone but them they he would fail, and I really couldn't stand how smug he used to come across in press-conferences. I suppose he made Ericsson look good though

But then again, he can't be that much of a mug if he managed to win the Dutch league with FC Twente, hardly one of the big sides. He also did well with Middlesbrough (with heavy investment), so it's possible he might do a good job. Or I might have just jinxed him and he'll be sacked by Christmas!

I agree, his reputation was severly damaged after his England stint, made even worse by that Dutch interview. I think I can safely say that his club record is up there with some other managers (having a league cup win, a Dutch title and a European Cup final) but whether Forest is the right club for him, and vice versa, remains to be seen. The one thing that I'm hopful for is him bringing youth through to the first team. He did it at 'Boro and we've got a great academy (having worked there I know) so I'm hopeful for the future.

As for your save (sorry, I was going off topic ), tough luck in the World Cup considering your dominance in the game. Are you going to stay on with the Belgians?

[DodgeeD]

Unlucky against Croatia but at least you met expectations. Will you stay with Belgium or apply for one of the other national sides now available?

[AK22]

And after the World Cup, I jacked it...

I really enjoyed my time with Belgium, but I don't see any long term future with them. They may have two world-class strikers and a couple of good centre-backs, but their national pool is pretty small and there's worrying little strength in depth. Unless I got really lucky with the re/new-gens, it would be unlikely that I could build a squad that would challenge in the knockout stages of any competition. I pleased that I've taken them up to 7th in the World but that really is as far as they can go in my opinion.

[AK22]

I agree, his reputation was severly damaged after his England stint, made even worse by that Dutch interview. I think I can safely say that his club record is up there with some other managers (having a league cup win, a Dutch title and a European Cup final) but whether Forest is the right club for him, and vice versa, remains to be seen. The one thing that I'm hopful for is him bringing youth through to the first team. He did it at 'Boro and we've got a great academy (having worked there I know) so I'm hopeful for the future.

As for your save (sorry, I was going off topic ), tough luck in the World Cup considering your dominance in the game. Are you going to stay on with the Belgians?

No need to apologise, it's good to have an opinion!

Unlucky against Croatia but at least you met expectations. Will you stay with Belgium or apply for one of the other national sides now available?

Think I've just answered your question about Belgium

Needless to say, several teams came knocking on my door after the World Cup, both at club and international level. More details to follow...

[AK22]

For the first time in career, I found myself out of work after my World Cup campaign with Belgium.

Several 'big' nations sacked their coaches after poor showings in the competition. Three of which approached me to become their national team's new boss...

[AK22]

I also received a fair amount of job offers from South American club sides...

[AK22]

...and this one from a HUGE European club!

[Raware]

It's got to be England! ...and Barca.

[DodgeeD]

And Barcelona are 3million p/w under the wage budget - plenty of room for manouvre

[AK22]

It's got to be England! ...and Barca.

You're half right!

And Barcelona are 3million p/w under the wage budget - plenty of room for manouvre

It's definitely a super-sized budget, and a great opportunity to fulfil my ambition of winning the Champions League, however I feel the need to take a break from Europe. I'll be back at one stage though, as I want to win 'big ears' eventually

[AK22]

So, the next two chapters of my career will see me managing:

England

When England came calling, there was no way I could refuse the offer. The chance to manage my home nation at the home of football will be one of the highlights of my career, and as England will be hosting Euro 2028, I'll have plenty of time to get to know the players and experiment a fair bit to get the right formation.

...and Cruzeiro

A big Brazilian side with big expectations. I'm excited by the prospect of managing a South American team with a completely different football ideaology from what I've been used to in Europe, I'm sure it will be eye-opening! I will be also interested to see how well I can develop the youth players that come through the extensive youth recruitment scheme at the club, and if I can prevent them leaving for Europe.

I'll do a full write-up tomorrow regarding what's what with each team, how they've been doing and what I expect to achieve with each team etc.

[iacovone]

Fair play knocking Barca - I'd have done the same! Wish you good luck in Brazil (and of course England )

[Nobby_McDonald]

Surprised you turned down Barcelona.

[AK22]

Fair play knocking Barca - I'd have done the same! Wish you good luck in Brazil (and of course England )

Thanks

Looking forward to Brazil, hopefully it doesn't go t*ts up!

Surprised you turned down Barcelona.

Didn't really fancy it yet as it would be quite a similar job to what I had with Lazio. I'd like to go there eventually, but I'm inclined towards a challenge in a league I'm less familiar with for now.

[AK22]

Chapter 7 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Belo Horizonte

Cruzeiro Esporte Club - An Introduction

Another great club with loads of history, let me introduce to Cruzeiro or A Raposa (The Fox) as they are commonly known.

Founded back in 2nd January 1921, Cruzeiro are only one of three clubs to appear in every season of Brasileirao Serie A since its conception. Their history can be traced back to the Italian community that chose to reside in the city of Belo Horizonte, where the Italian immigrants wanted to create a football club to rival the one set up in Sao Paulo (Palmeiras). The current local club Yale, went through a financial crisis allowing many Italian players to leave. These players went on to form the all-Italian Sociedade Esportiva Palestra Italia of Belo Horizonte, the club which would eventually evolve into Cruzeiro. Until 1925, the club would only allow Italian men to participate.

During World War II, a decree was passed to ban any reference to enemy nations in the names/titles of establishments. The club was then renamed Sociedade Esportiva Palestra Mineiro, to remove any Italian reference. However, this name did not last long before the club renamed again by the club's president, this time to Ypiranga. The club lost it's opening game with it's new name, and so was it changed once again, to the name it still has today, Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. Cruzeiro is the name of a star constellation only seen from the Southern Hemisphere, thus finalising any links the club once had with Italy.

The 1960's and 1970's could be argued as the most successful period of the club's history, winning the Campeonato Mineiro State Championship five times in a row and their first Copa Libertadores title. The club went into decline in the 1980's, winning only two State Championships and very little else. This was the only decade in their history that they did not compete in the Copa Libertadores. A revival was overseen in the 1990's where the club would go on a run of 15 years in which they would win at least one competition every season.

One of the 13 members of Clube dos 13, a group of leading Brazilian clubs, they are also among FIFA's list of Classic Clubs. Home games are played at the newly-renovated Mineirao Stadium (capacity 69950), where there is also a focus on long-distance running and a men's volleyball department.

The club's main derby matches are against Atletico Mineiro (Super-Classico derby) and America MG (Coelho versus Raposa derby).

One last 'interesting' fact. In 2008, a law was sanctioned that every January 2nd would be celebrated in Belo Horizonte as 'Cruzeiro and Cruzeirense Day'.

[rancer890]

I'm shocked you turned down Barca. But have fun at Cruzeiro.

[AK22]

Chapter 7 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Belo Horizonte

8th August 2026

So I decided to take the job with Cruzeiro, a club with an interesting history and a club that is capable of winning trophies. Hopefully this is another club I can grow to love. Unfortunately, it seems to chairman is trigger-happy to say the least. I will be their 13th manager in 16 seasons, infact, he has sacked a manager every year for the last seven! The expectations are high, I've got to get to the Copa Sudamericana final this season (!), so it's important I hit the ground running.

Here's what the league table looks like, the first game is in one day's time, at home to Gremio Prudente.

Contract: 3 years @ £14000 p/w

Transfer Budget: £6.66m

Wage Budget: £693k p/w (£628k currently)

The squad I have inherited looks pretty decent, well that's what my Ass Man thinks anyway. It's going to take me a good couple of weeks to get my head around the team and identify the strengths and weaknesses, and work out the best formation for us. My predecessor used a 4-2-2-2, so this will be a starting block but I will look to be slightly more attacking. The team has always done well in the Brasileirao, so I will be looking to build on this and challenge for honours sooner rather than later. It is only three years since their last league success, so I would imagine we still have some of the winners here.

Football in Brazil looks fairly competitive, with four different winners of the league in as many seasons. Palmeiras also look a strong side, so it's difficult to pinpoint who will be our long-term rivals. Only Sao Paulo are richer than we are, so we should get the funding to invest if needed, although I'm concerned with the

£56m loan that's currently outstanding!

Here's a selection of the best players according to the Ass Man:

Jose - Looks like he can pick a pass or two. Has the potential to be my playmaker.

Paulinho - Another decent looking central midfielder. The club spent £10m bringing him to the club, overvalued in my opinion.

Ramon Mendez - Currently the club captain and our leading striker. If I can keep him scoring, we should do well.

Ferrugem - A pacey striker who I think will play well as a poacher.

Paulo - A young striker with a promising future who's touted as the next Serginho Chulapa.

Fernando - Looks like the best youngster at the club. He's only 15, but I think he's got the potential to be the new Roberto Carlos.

My objectives for the rest of the season:

- Top five finish in the league. We're only eight points behind leaders Palmeiras, with a game in hand. I honestly don't know yet if this team is good enough to challenge for the title, but I reckon top five (and Copa Libertadores qualification) is a realistic aim for the remaining of the season.

- Get to the final of the Copa Sudamericana. This is the chairman's only expectation for the rest of the season, and with his reputation, I better deliver!

- Identify some potential future first team players. The youth recruitment at the club is rated as 'extensive', so I'm excited by the prospect of more talented youngsters to appear in the future. I reckon they'll be opportunities to steal a few more off some of the other South American clubs too.

- Get my head around the Brazilian structure and league rules. I'm a bit out of touch with the rules and regulations of managing in Brazil, so it will take me a season or two to work it all out. I do know already that I can't have any more than three foreigners in my match day squad.

[AK22]

I'm shocked you turned down Barca. But have fun at Cruzeiro.

Thanks rancer

I reckon Barcelona would have been too easy, I'll save them for my swansong at a later stage in my career. (If they'll have me then! )

[AK22]

Chapter 8 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go to Wembley

England National Football Team

Wembley Stadium (Capacity 90000)

Now, I'm not going to patronise you by giving you a detailed biography about the English national football team. What I will tell you though, it is agonising to be an England fan. I have followed them through countless major tournaments, all of which ended in utter disappointment and despair, Italia '90 (penalty-shootout defeat to West Germany), Euro '96 (another penalty-shootout defeat to Germany), France '98 (the Beckham red-card against Argentina and penalties), Japan/S Korea '02 (that Ronaldinho goal), Euro '04 (more penalties, Portugal this time), Germany '06 (that wink, even more penalties, Portugal again) and South Africa 2010 (don't even get me started!). Every major tournament I get my hopes up thinking this is the year that England won't let me down, we've got the best players, we're going to win it! Like a fool, I lose all sense of reality and get totally lost in the emotion and anticipation of the event, and end up thoroughly depressed when we get knocked out in the quarter-finals and/or on penalties. Total torture.

Unlike real life, England always seem to do fairly well on FM, and as a proud Englishman I will always take the managers job if it's offered to me. I don't apply for it often, but if they come calling in their time of need, I will come running with my arms outstretched, grabbing the job with both hands.

World Rankings after 2026 World Cup:

Currently 6th in the world, England had a very poor World Cup, failing to make it out of their group. They've had reasonable recent success winning the European Championship in 2012 and finishing runners-up to Germany in 2020, and have qualified for all major competitions since the 'wally with the brolley' debacle. England have actually been chosen to host Euro 2028 (again unlikely in real life!), so there will be no qualifying campaign for me to worry about, and we will get a free pass into the finals. Hopefully, I can restore some pride in the nation with some decent friendly results, followed by a successful home-event in two years time. Here's the qualification groups for those interested.

Surprisingly, there are not as many great players as I would have expected but Darren Harrison, Stefanos Dimitrakopoulos and Ashley Ross are the ones that stand out so far.

Logistically, it would be a nightmare managing a Brazilian club while flying back to Europe for national team duties, and I'm sure no-one in their right mind would do it, but it's England, and I'm a sucker for them...unfortunately!

[Lenzar]

Was that Stefanos fellow created with English nationality or did he acquire it?

[AK22]

Was that Stefanos fellow created with English nationality or did he acquire it?

He was born in Redhill! Unsurprisingly, with a name like that, he has Greek second nationality though. His stats are amazing, and he plays well for his club, but has been proper tripe for England so far for me.

[DodgeeD]

Good luck with Cruzerio. Brazil is great fun to manage in and plenty of great youngsters come through the youth systems.

And best of luck with England too!

[AK22]

Good luck with Cruzerio. Brazil is great fun to manage in and plenty of great youngsters come through the youth systems.

And best of luck with England too!

Cheers DodgeeD

I'm certainly enjoying seeing the youngsters come through the ranks so far, but I'm struggling with the length of the seasons. TOO MANY GAMES!! It takes ages to complete a season when you're playing 60-odd matches. Got two seasons to update on, which I should get done at the weekend.

[AK22]

Chapter 7 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Belo Horizonte

Season 2026 Review

Brasileirao Serie A - 1st

League Table Position Graph Season Summary

Copa Nissan Sudamericana - Winners

Campeonato Mineiro - Semi-Final (Knocked out before my arrival)

Copa do Brasil - Winners (Won before my arrival)

Finances - A decent cash reserve, but as we've got a huge loan to pay off, it's unlikely to improve drastically without selling off our best players.

Average Attendance - 55058 (up 2988)

Transfer Summary - The window shut almost immediately so no new players were brought in. The squad was pretty decent to start with, so I wasn't overly concerned.

Key Players

Ramon Mendez - 32 goals over the season. A top quality striker who I'll do well to keep.

Marco Calle - This Peruvian international is a great left sided player.

Jorginho Paulista - Had a great season as our attacking right back.

William - I've got two right sided midfielders both called William, it's a bit confusing! He was the best of them, I think!

Team of the Year - Not the formation I used, I favoured 4-2-3-1. However, the personnel are near enough the same.

Overall Best XI - Here you can see how prolific Mendez has been for the club. A goal at least every other game is a great return.

Fans Player of the Year - Ramon Mendez.

Review of Season Objectives

- Top five finish in the league. We're only eight points behind leaders Palmeiras, with a game in hand. I honestly don't know yet if this team is good enough to challenge for the title, but I reckon top five (and Copa Libertadores qualification) is a realistic aim for the remaining of the season.

Achieved. It quickly appeared that our squad was more than good enough to be competing for the league title. We had a tremendous run of form that saw us quickly close down the gap at the top, following which, we opened up a lead over contenders Atletico Mineiro and Santos, and won the league by nine points.

- Get to the final of the Copa Sudamericana. This is the chairman's only expectation for the rest of the season, and with his reputation, I better deliver!

Achieved. After a couple of minor scares, we made the final quite comfortably, which set up a tie against Argentine club Rosario Central. A credible draw in Argentina, meant we only needed a small victory back in Brazil to win the tie. The second leg 1-0 win was more than enough to take the trophy.

- Identify some potential future first team players. The youth recruitment at the club is rated as 'extensive', so I'm excited by the prospect of more talented youngsters to appear in the future. I reckon they'll be opportunities to steal a few more off some of the other South American clubs too.

Achieved. Got a couple of exciting fullbacks coming through the ranks, who should get some first team appearances in a couple of seasons time.

- Get my head around the Brazilian structure and league rules. I'm a bit out of touch with the rules and regulations of managing in Brazil, so it will take me a season or two to work it all out. I do know already that I can't have any more than three foreigners in my match day squad.

Not achieved. Totally confused myself! I thought that the Copa Sudamericana and the Copa Libertadores were the same competition! Will try harder next season!

Previous club watch:

Thurrock - Sat at the top of League 1 at Christmas but will do well to stay there.

Nottm Forest - Mid-table in League 1. Unlikely to get promoted, but shouldn't be anywhere near the relegation zone.

Southampton - Near the top of the Championship, so definitely got a good chance of promotion this season.

Lazio - The new boss has started decently and they're in contention for another Serie A title. Only finished 2nd in their Champions League group so will face a tricky tie against Real Madrid in the knockout rounds.

Season    Team            League      Finish  Cups            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010/11   Thurrock F.C.   BSS         15th    N/A             
2011/12   Thurrock F.C.   BSS         2nd     FA Cup 2nd Rd, FA Trophy 1st Rd
2012/13   Thurrock F.C.   BSP         1st     FA Cup 1st Rd, FA Trophy 3rd Rd
2013/14   Thurrock F.C.   League 2    5th     FA Cup 1st Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2014/15   Thurrock F.C    League 2    6th     FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2015/16   Thurrock F.C    League 2    6th     FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd, JPT 1st Rd
2016/17   Nottm Forest    League 1    3rd     FA Cup 3rd Rd
2017/18   Nottm Forest    League 1    1st     FA Cup 2nd Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2018/19   Southampton     Ch'ship     5th     FA Cup 3rd Rd
2019/20   Southampton     Ch'ship     4th     FA Cup 5th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21   Southampton     Prem Lg     7th     FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd
2021/22   Southampton     Prem Lg     8th     FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup 3rd
2022/23   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Europa League RU, Coppa Italia TIM SF
2023/24   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Chmps League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM RU
2024/25   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Chmps League QF, Coppa Italia TIM Winner
2025/26   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Chmps League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM Winner
2026      Cruzeiro EC     Brasileirao 1st     Copa Sudamericana Winner

[AK22]

Chapter 7 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Belo Horizonte

Season 2027 Review

Brasileirao Serie A - 1st

League Table Position Graph Season Summary

Copa Libertadores - Quarter-Final

Copa Nissan Sudamericana - Semi-Final

Campeonato Mineiro - Winners

Recopa - Winners

Copa do Brasil - Not played this season.

Finances - A small loss this season, but still £6m in the bank.

Average Attendance - 57421 (up 2363)

Transfer Summary - A fair bit of transfer activity this season. A lot of the over-rated, overpaid 'big names' were shipped out on loan, hopefully never to return. Made a profit of £5m on transfers over the season.

Key Players

Ramon Mendez - Another top season for our main striker. 37 goals was a great return but has a dirty side and gets suspended far too often. Winner of Artilhero do Brasil, Rei do Gol, Melhor Atacante and Craque do Galera

Duda - My left winger chipped in with 16 goals and 14 assists. Getting on a bit now at 31, so probably only has one more season at the top of his game.

Wellington Paulista - Crucial to our successful campaign, he really pulled the strings in midfield. 43 assists is the most I've ever seen in one season by one player. As our main penalty taker, 14 goals were more than helpful too! Winner of Bola de Ouro and Rei da Bola.

Marco Calle - More of the same from this consistent performer. 11 assists this year. Winner of Melhor Lateral Esquerdo.

William - Had a great season with 19 goals and 10 assists. Off to Schalke in January as I didn't want to renew his contract. He's 32, so there's no long term future for him at Cruzeiro. Winner of Melhor Meia.

Team of the Year - Solid performances across the board, Cuca's inclusion in defence is a bit weird. He was really only a bit-part player.

Overall Best XI - No change from last year, but three players have made the bench.

Fans Player of the Year - Cuquinha.

Review of Season

I'm disappointed not too have done better in the Copa Libertadores. The quarter-finals was not a bad achievement, but the board expected us to reach the final. We were knocked out by Mexican side, Atlas, who thrased us 4-0 at their place and won the tie 4-1 on aggregrate. They ended up winning the competition, which is a small consolation I suppose, however, we must do better next season. After this, I was surprised to enter the Copa Sudamericana, so we competed in both South America's continental competitions. Once again, we were knocked out by a side we should have beaten. Sport Recife were the side this time around, who beat us on away goals in the semi-final, so we unsuccessfully defended our trophy. Once again, the board were miffed!

Domestically, I can't complain really. We comfortably won our state competition, the Campeonato Mineiro, beating major local rivals Atletico Mineiro in the final. We won all but one of our 15 games throughout this competition, highlighting our dominance. In the Brasileirao it was a similar story, dominating the competition from start to finish. We won with a comfortable 14 point cushion, sealing the trophy with four games to go. We also scored 102 goals in the process, conceding only 21, leaving us with a spectacular goal difference of +81! It did turn out to be a very easy season in the league, which I think is the reason we didn't do so well in the continental competitions. The players started to get a tad complacent at times, and it was difficult to motivate them for the big knockout games. Hopefully, next season the Brasileirao will be more competitive, which will keep the players on their toes a bit more and maintain their focus.

Previous club watch:

Thurrock - The wheels fell off their promotion push last season and they missed out in the playoffs again. Currently mid-table in League 1.

Nottm Forest - Mid-table last season, currently only five points above the relegation zone in League 1.

Southampton - Missed out in the playoffs again. Currently sat 6th in the Championship at Christmas.

Lazio - Won last season's Serie A, so that's five in a row. Also got to the final of the Champions League, losing to Man Utd. Looking good for another Scudetto this season too, currently five points clear.

Season    Team            League      Finish  Cups            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010/11   Thurrock F.C.   BSS         15th    N/A             
2011/12   Thurrock F.C.   BSS         2nd     FA Cup 2nd Rd, FA Trophy 1st Rd
2012/13   Thurrock F.C.   BSP         1st     FA Cup 1st Rd, FA Trophy 3rd Rd
2013/14   Thurrock F.C.   League 2    5th     FA Cup 1st Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2014/15   Thurrock F.C    League 2    6th     FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2015/16   Thurrock F.C    League 2    6th     FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd, JPT 1st Rd
2016/17   Nottm Forest    League 1    3rd     FA Cup 3rd Rd
2017/18   Nottm Forest    League 1    1st     FA Cup 2nd Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2018/19   Southampton     Ch'ship     5th     FA Cup 3rd Rd
2019/20   Southampton     Ch'ship     4th     FA Cup 5th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21   Southampton     Prem Lg     7th     FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd
2021/22   Southampton     Prem Lg     8th     FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup 3rd
2022/23   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Europa League RU, Coppa Italia TIM SF
2023/24   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Chmps League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM RU
2024/25   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Chmps League QF, Coppa Italia TIM Winner
2025/26   Lazio           Serie A     1st     Chmps League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM Winner
2026      Cruzeiro EC     Brasileirao 1st     Copa Sudamericana Winner
2027      Cruzeiro EC     Brasileirao 1st     Campeonato Mineiro Winner, Copa Libertadores QF, Copa Sudamericana SF

[AK22]

Chapter 8 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go to Wembley

England - 2027

As we're the hosts of Euro 2028, I have yet to play a competitive game as England manager. That being said, I have sat through several friendlies, some of which have not been the stroll in the park I expected.

I'm not overly encouraged by our performances so far, and I'm concerned that Euro 2028 could be a bit of a disappointment for the nation. The defeat at home to Senegal and the unconvincing victories over Ecuador and Northern Ireland have only heightened my worries. We seem to lack the killer instinct needed to finish off these 'lower' nations and, unfortunately, quite a lot of my players seem to think they're gods gift to football. What also isn't helping is the fact that a handful of my players are being withdrawn by their club's manager as soon as I announce my squad. It seems that the managers at Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal really dislike me, and more often than not, will withdraw all their players! Due to this, it's difficult to establish who my best eleven players are, as so far, every starting eleven has been different from the previous one. Due to our dodgy performances, we've slipped to 19th in the World Rankings. Surprisingly, Ivory Coast are currently the 2nd best team in the world, only behind Brazil!

Team of the Year - This is a total mess due to everyone being withdrawn randomly from the squads. I'd say only Hill, Harrison, Harrison and Davies are likely to be first choice come Euro 2028.

Best Overall XI - Jack Wilshere's 122 caps took me by surprise. He still gets into my squad now, even at the age of 36 he's still got a touch of class.

Here's the draw for Euro 2028:

As you can see, we've been drawn with my former national team Belgium. They should be our biggest threat in the group, as they're currently ranked 10th in the world. However, we've just beaten them 3-1 in a friendly, so I'm quietly confident we should do well. Greece are ranked 24th and Bulgaria 38th, so hopefully, they won't pose us too many problems. I'm just pleased we're not in Group E!

[Luton Town]

Good luck for the euro's I've got my England euro's coming up at the end of the season.

[Raware]

Walked the league . Unlucky on the continental front though Not a bad return from Mendez either.

As for England; you should be qualifying from that group . And Wilshere on 122 caps, only 3 off Shilts record .

[AK22]

Good luck for the euro's I've got my England euro's coming up at the end of the season.

Cheers I'm going to need it too. The FA expects us to reach the final! I think that's being slightly over-ambitious!

[AK22]

Walked the league . Unlucky on the continental front though Not a bad return from Mendez either.

As for England; you should be qualifying from that group . And Wilshere on 122 caps, only 3 off Shilts record .

Going to give the Copa Libertadores another go. If I don't do it this season, I might jack the Cruzeiro job. I'm really struggling with the long Brazilian seasons, we played 71 games last season. Far too many for my liking, they have it easy in Europe!

Rooney's the record holder now, 155 caps and 84 goals. Can't see Wilshere getting anywhere near that.

[AK22]

Chapter 7 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Belo Horizonte

Pre Season 2028

Board Expectations

Campeonato Petrobras Brasileiro da Serie A - Win Media Prediction - 1st Title Odds - 6-4 favourites

Copa Santander Libertadores - Reach the Final

Campeonato Mineiro - Win Title Odds 1-3 favourites

Transfer Budget: £8.25m Wage Budget: £550k p/w (currently £533909 p/w)

Facilities - Same as last year, all pretty good. Season Ticket Sales - None

Youth Intake - A handful of promising prospects. The best being this 14 year old centre back, Kuriri.

Transfer Summary - I'm still in the process of clearing out the deadwood. Only four new players join us, two of which are youngsters.

Notable Transfers

Sultan Kiemba - A young goalkeeper from Tanzania, who will be our reserve for a couple of seasons. Hopefully, he will mature into a top 'keeper in this time.

Raul Henriquez - I was in the need for another right winger, and this Chilean international fitted the bill.

Marcelo - Spent a fair chunk of my transfer budget on this chap from Vasco. He will play in the hole being Mendez, and should offer some competition for places in the midfield.

Juba - Only 16 and one for the future. Don't expect him to play straight away, but should turn out to be a decent fullback in a few seasons.

My objectives for the season:

- Win the Copa Libertadores. This is my main priority for this season, and I definitely want to improve on our quarter-final performance from last year. We've got the team to be competitive, but we'll do well to avoid River Plate and Atlas, who I anticipate will be our biggest threats. Here's the draw for the group stage, we should get through this group without too much problem.

- Attempt to have an unbeaten league campaign. As I've said before, it is a long old season in Brazil, so to go unbeaten would be a major achievement. We only lost twice in the league last season, so it's quite possible we could achieve this.

[DodgeeD]

Yes, it is a long season in Brazil, isn't it? The main benefit is that some of the State Championship games will be such walkovers that you can give first team experience to your youngsters like Kiemba on a regular basis (I tended to play the better prospects in Rio State from Jan-April and then loan them to a Division 2 feeder club for the rest of the season ).

But after 5 seasons of it at Flamengo, I'm quite looking forward to my 30 game league campaign with Spartak!

[Raware]

Going to give the Copa Libertadores another go. If I don't do it this season, I might jack the Cruzeiro job. I'm really struggling with the long Brazilian seasons, we played 71 games last season. Far too many for my liking, they have it easy in Europe!

Rooney's the record holder now, 155 caps and 84 goals. Can't see Wilshere getting anywhere near that.

I think that's what puts me off playing in Brazil, the seasons are just far too long for me! Plus, I have no idea how the league system works!

[AK22]

Yes, it is a long season in Brazil, isn't it? The main benefit is that some of the State Championship games will be such walkovers that you can give first team experience to your youngsters like Kiemba on a regular basis (I tended to play the better prospects in Rio State from Jan-April and then loan them to a Division 2 feeder club for the rest of the season ).

But after 5 seasons of it at Flamengo, I'm quite looking forward to my 30 game league campaign with Spartak!

I think that's what puts me off playing in Brazil, the seasons are just far too long for me! Plus, I have no idea how the league system works!

Now I've completed a whole season, I'm much more aware of how the structure works, and how much a walk in the park the State Championships are for the big clubs. This season I've promoted six players from the under-20s to the first team squad, who will get quite a few starts in the Campeonato Mineiro which should aid their development. I'll still be playing a handful of first team regulars, just to make sure we get the job done, but I'm hoping this will keep the majority of the squad fresh for our Copa Libertadores campaign.

Just to make it clear how intense the fixture schedule is, I've been in charge of Cruzeiro for 576 days and I've played 117 games in this period. That's near enough a game every five days (there's a seven week end of season break too), so I'm looking forward to returning to some normality in a season or two.

[DodgeeD]

It could be worse - back on FM09, I managed a team in Mexico. The league opening and closing stages, play-offs, Copa Libertadores qualifying tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, SuperLiga, Copa Lİbertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa and Club World Championship could all (in theory at least) be on the fixture schedule for one season. Once my team was established as a top side competing on most/all fronts, I was getting through anywhere between 80-96 games a season!

I think Mexican sides no longer enter the Copa Sudamericana but still, they have a potentially longer season than the Brazilians even!

[rancer890]

I think that's what puts me off playing in Brazil, the seasons are just far too long for me! Plus, I have no idea how the league system works!

It's harder than MLS...

The league systems aren't too hard to grasp. At the end of the day, you're still out there trying to win games and eventually win trophies .

[deltablue]

Wow, quite a rise, recently started doing something similar (low rep, BSS/N) and hope to get a similar rise soon. Fun isn't it? especially in the early stages with your starter club.

[AK22]

It could be worse - back on FM09, I managed a team in Mexico. The league opening and closing stages, play-offs, Copa Libertadores qualifying tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, SuperLiga, Copa Lİbertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa and Club World Championship could all (in theory at least) be on the fixture schedule for one season. Once my team was established as a top side competing on most/all fronts, I was getting through anywhere between 80-96 games a season!

I think Mexican sides no longer enter the Copa Sudamericana but still, they have a potentially longer season than the Brazilians even!

It's harder than MLS...

The league systems aren't too hard to grasp. At the end of the day, you're still out there trying to win games and eventually win trophies .

I'd totally forgotten that Mexico play in both the North America and South America continental competitions! I've got the Mexican Primera Division loaded on this save, but I'm no rush to go there at the moment. I feel I need to replenish my stamina with a shorter season or two in Europe first!

I just try to win every game at the moment anyway, which seems to smartest way with these 'mad' league structures! I think I've just about grasped how Brazil works, so can be a bit more tactical when it comes to team selection and rotation.

[AK22]

Wow, quite a rise, recently started doing something similar (low rep, BSS/N) and hope to get a similar rise soon. Fun isn't it? especially in the early stages with your starter club.

Thanks I really enjoy the lower leagues, especially when there's no/little pressure on you to succeed. Normally, if you can survive the first season, you can go on to build a really competitive team, making do with free transfers and loans, and get a promotion or two.

I might go back to a lower league club eventually on this save, not to say it's easier with a bigger club, it's just a difference kind of challenge. Expectations are higher, and you have to have more of a strategy when it comes to dealings in the transfer market. The board aren't that impressed when you blow £5/6m on some Carlos Kickaball that no-one's heard of, no matter how much potential you think they have!

[noikeee]

I've got no idea why I haven't come across this thread earlier. Very nice career you're building here, although it's totally baffling how come you dominate everything domestically but never reproduce that level of performance in the continental competitions. :confused: Must be frustrating.

I love brazilian football but would never be able to manage there, the number of matches drives me nuts.

[AK22]

I've got no idea why I haven't come across this thread earlier. Very nice career you're building here, although it's totally baffling how come you dominate everything domestically but never reproduce that level of performance in the continental competitions. :confused: Must be frustrating.

I love brazilian football but would never be able to manage there, the number of matches drives me nuts.

Tell me about it! I think I've got the knack of building teams to win leagues, but it all seems to go horribly wrong in the knockout rounds of the major continental competitions. Over the course of the season, the best team/squad tends to prevail in the league, as long as they're well motivated, you manage expectations in the press conferences, and you vary your teamtalks.

Unfortunately, you also need a bit of luck in the continental competitions too, something of which seems to evaporate as soon as we step foot on the pitch! It might also be a case that I don't have enough players who relish the big matches or have a low rating for this in their hidden stats. I don't, or ever will, use add-ons to reveal these hidden stats, so I'll have to keep banging on the door until I crash through it, no matter how long it takes, although it is getting more than frustrating at the moment!