[FM16] Kafra FC - All Youth in England

[MichaelBrown]

For some reason the links don't work for me - is this the case for others?

[Cardiovascular]

Same for me, no links working nor images in that latest post. Outstanding work on promotion though!

[abulezz]

For some reason the links don't work for me - is this the case for others?

Same for me, no links working nor images in that latest post. Outstanding work on promotion though!

All the links are fine - but they are not working. I think it might be a problem with imageshack

[abulezz]

World Cup 2030 - Spain

[abulezz]

Not Going So Well

[kris0710]

Massive well done for the promotion - highly unexpected.

Good luck going forward.

[Maw74]

Well done on the promotion.

All the links are fine - but they are not working. I think it might be a problem with imageshack

Yeah I have been having the same problems with Imageshack.

[Dexter_Morgan]

I use https://imgur.com/ never had a problem with it going over, if nothing else a handy back up and very easy to use

[abulezz]

[BoxToBox]

Still tight across the bottom, you can do it!

[abulezz]

Still tight across the bottom, you can do it!

We are in 22nd, one point from safety, with 15 games to go.

[abulezz]

Links seem to be working again in my last season update.

[abulezz]

SEASON REVIEW 2030/31

Wow, that was a tough season. It started out rough, and we found ourselves at the bottom for about a month or so, and then we started climbing steadily up, finally ending the season safe for another go at the League 1 thanks to some good form at the end. Still, this was my toughest season yet – we had some serious injuries to deal with, and a core that is beginning to show signs of age. We ended up being the 15th best defensive team in the league – once again, our defense was our calling card, and the reason we stayed alive thanks to clean sheets and single goal games. Our offense came in 20th, but our reliance on Forde continues to be ridiculous – I fear for what is going to happen in the next couple of years if our Academy doesn’t deliver us an alternative. Defensively, as I said, we were decent, despite an injury to Stylianou that ruled him out for six months. The emergence of Herrera has really helped the back four, and Robson gave us his finest season yet, but we need more from our other players. Our midfield looks to be in healthy shape with the emergence of our new Player of the Year, Samuel Watkins, and our new Youth Intake. The winger position is also in good shape – for now. As soon as Brett Brown bolts next summer, we are going to be undertalented in that department. The same can be said for forward position – when Forde finally starts showing signs of slowing down, we are going to be very underwhelming upfront. Our cup runs were more of the same, although a 3rd Round matchup with Tottenham gave us our biggest match in all of my years coaching the team, and helped us a lot financially. Granted, we were completely destroyed, but the financial windfall was worth it.

Speaking of our finances, they continue to be in dire shape. We will receive money throughout the summer, probably close to a £1m, and our attendance grew to 3,288, eclipsing 3,000 for the first time, but during the season, we are bleeding heavily. It is not our wages, but we are too small of a club to have such good Youth Facilities, I think. It is a double edged sword.

GOALKEEPERS

Will Robson (2023): He definitely tried harder in our first year in the League 1 than he had before, as witnessed by his career-high 6.85 AR. He played in 44 Games, registering 1.43 Con/90 and 7 Clean Sheets, and he did a decent enough job between the posts that allowed the team fight relegation and stay up for a second go at the League 1. The 23 year old is never going to be mistaken for David De Gea, but he continues to serve the club well enough that finding a new GK is not the priority right now. My coaching staff have my other two young GKS ranked higher than him already, but he remains the only legitimate GK we have on the team capable of starting.

LEFT DEFENDERS

Allan Bullivant (2030): The 17 year old has been given 4/5 CA by my coaching staff, but he struggled in his rookie campaign for the club. He made his debut last season, and was given an automatic starting spot, and although his 5.02 TpG was a team-high and good enough for 10th in the league, he was too inconsistent throughout the season, as highlighted by his 6.51 AR. He did play in 43 Games, but he did not show the type of improvement that was noticeable – the opposite of Kemar Herrera last year. Still, I have high hopes for him, but I just hope he does not turn into another Panzavechia for us – high ratings but crap performances.

CENTRAL DEFENDERS

Kemar Herrera (2029): The 18 year old Jamaican showed the type of improvement in his abilities that really took his game to the next level. In 45 Games, he registered 2 PoMs, 222 Key Headers (Best in League), 782 Interceptions (Best in League), and a 6.89 AR – the fact that he was the best in the league in some key defense statistics at such a young age really speaks to his potential. The problem is he is already refusing to sign a new contract, which is disappointing. We haven’t had this type of talent in the central defender position since Edwin Indeche, and Herrera has performed even better than the Kenyan.

Kyriakos Stylianou (2022): The 25 year old Cypriot’s season was cut short thanks to a broken leg that ruled him out of over half of the season, limiting him to only 21 Games. It was the biggest injury I have had to a player since the inception of the club sixteen years ago, and my hope is that it will not have any long term effect on him considering his has not even hit his peak years left. It obviously had an effect on his physical abilities, especially his speed, something that was not his strong suit in the first place. There is not much to say about his season, other than I hope he can bounce back to full form next season.

Neil Ward (2021) : the 26 year old became the defacto starter alongside Herrera after Stylianou went down with his injury, and he gave us a decent, if slightly mediocre, season. In 32 Games, he registered 3.24 TpG and a 6.76 AR – decent numbers, although not as good as his past two seasons in the League 2. Overall, he definitely isn’t the answer at CD for the club, especially if Herrera leaves in a couple of seasons, but right now, he is the best we have after Herrera and Stylianou.

RIGHT DEFENDERS

Chace Panzavechia (2023) : The 24 year old is probably the most underachieving player I ever had when comparing actual ability with form. This season was no different – in 33 Games, he registered 4.81 TpG, 6.55 AR, and a lot of defensive mistakes. Usually, my teenage defenders are the ones that rank high in mistakes, but Panzavechia is an exception to that trend. Yet somehow, my coaching staff feel he is amongst the best players at the club, and I keep on giving him second chances in hopes that he delivers a decent season. I am not sure what to do with him next season, however, as my patience has begun to wear thin.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

Samuel Watkins (2027): The first player in fourteen years (!) that was named Kafra Player of the Year other than Shane Forde, the 20 year old did an exceptional job of replacing Hadan Lavine. In 37 Games, he registered 3 Goals, 5 Assists, 3.21 TpG, 79% Pass Ratio, and a 7.13 AR – all career-highs, and the last one leading the team. Although his abilities suggest that he should be playing at the Vanarama National level, he was consistently one of the best players on the field in a very tough season for the club, and it is safe to say without him, our struggles would have been even deeper. Not only that, but he had an immediate connection with the fans, and has already become on their favorites. I tied him up to a contract that ends in 2034, and I hope he will be the type that sticks it out with us.

Zac Sweeney (2020) – Career: Now 27 years old, and the third longest serving member currently on the team after the departure of Paul Evans, he had to deal with three different injuries this year that ruled him out of more than two months of action, limiting him only to 29 Games. In those 29 Games, he delivered the usual stat line – 4.80 TpG, 81% Pass Ratio, 1.17 DpG, and a 6.90 AR. With the emergence of Watkins and a Youth Intake heavy on CM talent, it looks like Sweeney will again have to take a backseat in terms of the starting line up next season, something which he has had to do at more than one point in his career. Still, if that happens, he becomes the first name of the bench, as his consistency and reliability remains important virtues for the team to have.

David Plant (2027): Part of the same Youth Intake as Samuel Watkins, the 19 year old was actually a lot more highly touted coming out the Academy than his teammate. Sadly, he never developed the way predicted, although he did earn a spot in the rotation this year. In 25 Games, he registered 3 Assists, 3.48 TpG, 77% Pass Ratio, and a 6.82 AR, using his speed to his advantage and giving us solid play off the bench.

LEFT WINGERS

Damian Mitchell (2023): A couple of injuries and the emergence of Bird at the position limited Mitchell to only 32 Games this season, as he also showed a bit of a struggle adapting to the higher level of competition. He registered 2 Goals, 3 Assists, and a 6.74 AR – the latter being his lowest since 2025/26 season. He is still only 24 years old, so a bounce-back season is not out of the question, but he has drifted quite a bit from when he was one of the most important players at the club in the late 2020s.

Eddie Bird (2028): Although the 18 year old broke into the rotation last year, it was this season that he truly solidified his position in the lineup. In 34 Games, he registered 9 Goals, 5 Assists, 1.89 TpG, 1.30 DpG, and a 6.85 AR – very solid numbers for his young age. The important thing now is to continue to improve on his abilities – he already possesses good pace, but he does need to improve his technical abilities and his mental abilities leave a lot to be desired, as witnessed by his constant whining. Still, he has potential to be an important member of the team going forward, and my coaching staff currently have him rated as 2.5/5 CA with a 5/5 PA.

RIGHT WINGERS

Brett Brown (2029): The 18 year old winger continues to do his job with minimal fuss – unlike my other talented players that came out of the Academy before him, he has not once told me about wanting to join a bigger club. Of course, he refuses to sign a new contract, and his current one is up in a year, so I am still stuck in the position of losing my best prospect. He had a fine season – in 38 Games, he registered 12 Goals, 7 Assists, 3 PoMs, 2.10 TpG, 2.87 DpG, and a 7.02 AR, becoming our second leading scorer and only real offensive threat outside of Forde (Bird did OK, too.) I will probably look to offer him for a couple of million during this summer in hopes that I can get a good offer for him – if not, I will have him play out his current contract and leave on free next season.

James Devonshire (2024): Gone are the days that the 23 year old was an important member of the team, as his role seems to dwindle each passing season. With the imminent, it seems, departure of Brett Brown, things could change however. The most frustrating thing about Devonshire is his complete inability to show any improvement in any of his key abilities, something which has directly affected his playing time as more talented players came out of the Academy.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

Graeme Jones (2016) – Career: His career has spanned four different leagues, and at each level, the club captain has proved more than capable of delivering a fine season. At 30 years old, his first season in the League 1 was no different – 44 Games, 3 Goals, 10 Assists, 78% Pass Ratio, and a 7.07 AR as he again was one of the club’s best players. Although replacing him looks to be an easier job than finding a replacement for Forde, what he brings to the club in terms of leadership and consistency might not be so easy to find. Still, he just turned 30, so any talk about replacing him is premature. He will be entering his 16th full season with the club next year, quite an incredible feat.

FORWARDS

Shane Forde (Original) – Career: After thirteen straight years of being named the club’s Player of the Year, Forde had to relinquish that title to Watkins this season, but it remains very clear who the club’s most important player remains. He is now 32 years old, having just completed his 16th season with the club, and I’m sure will be looking into retirement sooner rather than later, but he continues to be the focal point of our offense. He played in 42 Games, registering 17 Goals, 8 Assists, 4 PoMs, and a 6.96 AR, leading the team in goals. He is now only 3 league games away from 600 Games, and just 6 goals away from 300. What a remarkable career he has had, and hopefully there is a couple of good seasons left in him yet.

YOUTH INTAKE

Ernest Frimpong - Les Sealy

After getting our talent in the CM position sapped thanks to the departure of Mohammed and Lavine, the emergence of Frimpong is badly needed, so I am excited about that. I am disappointed, again, at the fact we have no striker prospects that look like they contribute, and outside of Frimpong, there needs to be a lot of work by the other prospects to earn a spot on the rotation, as well. Hopefully, Frimpong will be capable of delivering good form right off the bat.

2031/32 PRESEASON REPORT

Right now, this looks like it’s the last for a lot of my first team players – some of them it has been their choice, and some, mine. Players like Brown, Bullivant, and Herrera are choosing not to resign with me, but then we have Sweeney, Stylianou, and Ward – I am a bit confused as to what to do with them because they have begun earning very high wages but don’t look like the automatic first team choice that they were a few years ago. So we go into the season with a lot of questions marks – I guess how the season ends up going will be a deciding factor in a lot of players’ futures.

FORMER PLAYERS

Edwin Indeche – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2027 for £475k: Now 22 years old, he spent the season on loan in Turkey, with nothing much to write home about. Crystal Palace are still reluctant to give him much playing time.

Obed Mohammed – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2028 for £3.5m: Had a great season for Doncaster on loan – 41 Games, 3 Goals, 4 Assists, 6 PoMs, 3.30 TpG, 78% Pass Ratio, 1.30 DpG, and a 7.42 AR. Even played against us a couple of times. He is 20 years old now, so his debut for Premier League outfit Bournemouth should be coming soon as he has spent the last three seasons on loan.

Bruno Borges – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2029 for £1.7m: Spent another fruitless season on loan, this time in the Czech Republic, where he played sparingly. Has still yet to make his league debut for Norwich, who were relegated to the Championship.

Hadan Lavine – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2030 for Free: Only played 6 games for Yeovil, who play in the same league as us – and who got relegated! So now, Mr. I want a team to match my ambitions is playing for a lower league team, and he’s not even starting! Frustrating to say the least. On the bright side, he has now earned 21 caps and 4 goals for Barbados, and he is still is the only international to come out of the Kafra Youth Academy.

[abulezz]

So one of GKs, George, Kelledy, has shown great improvement over the past year, and now he has a higher CA ability than my current starter, Will Robson. My coaching staff thinks he should be the starter, but Robson - although not great - has not been a letdown. Don't know if I should give him a go or stick with Robson:

[abulezz]

This is an unexpected start to the season:

[dllu]

Well, since you've spent five seasons in each of the lower divisions, I guess you can start saving up for another promotion party in 2035...

[Torminator]

Nice start in League 1 Keep up the good work!

[abulezz]

We are past the halfway point and the squad is still going strong:

[MichaelBrown]

Very informative update as usual and I really like reading through these. KUTGW, I'm glad you've decided to update your story on the forums.

[abulezz]

Well, since you've spent five seasons in each of the lower divisions, I guess you can start saving up for another promotion party in 2035...

If this keeps up, we might be challenging for a place in the Championship this season. Fantastic year.

Nice start in League 1 Keep up the good work!

Very informative update as usual and I really like reading through these. KUTGW, I'm glad you've decided to update your story on the forums.

Thank you both for your compliments!

[abulezz]

Aberdeen just swooped in and signed Herrera and Brown - my two most important prospects - for Free, staring July 2032.

Sad, sad day.

[abulezz]

This guy is easily the best prospect to come out of the Kafra Youth Academy in its 17 years:

[glennuk]

This guy is easily the best prospect to come out of the Kafra Youth Academy in its 17 years:

Oh WOW - Sign him up to a long term contract. Try and give him the longest contract you can, up the wages slightly and put in a trigger extension clause as well so you can sign him again even if he is unhappy.

[BoxToBox]

Oh yeah, that guy has to get the max available, plus a 3 year extension option, if possible.

[abulezz]

Oh WOW - Sign him up to a long term contract. Try and give him the longest contract you can, up the wages slightly and put in a trigger extension clause as well so you can sign him again even if he is unhappy.

Oh yeah, that guy has to get the max available, plus a 3 year extension option, if possible.

I did not know about the extension option in the Clauses - that could've saved me a lot of trouble with my other players!

We got 3 games to go, against Colchester (A), MK Dons (H), and Tranmere (A) - this is the current situation:

[abulezz]

[Cardiovascular]

Incredible stuff!

[poobington]

Un-be-lievable !!!

[BoxToBox]

Incredible work!

[Pompeyboyz]

OMFG!!!!

[MichaelBrown]

Great work!

[abulezz]

Incredible stuff!

Un-be-lievable !!!

Incredible work!

OMFG!!!!

Great work!

Thank you all, season update coming by end of day.

[abulezz]

SEASON REVIEW 2031/32

Incredible season! These are the type of seasons that make you motivated to play FM all the freakin’ time. It was completely out of the blue considering our struggles last year, and the fact that we earned a promotion without even having to fight for it in the Play-Offs was even more special. The team did fantastic – I don’t know how much of it is credited to the changes I did with my defensive lineup (replaced the starting GK and a starting CD), but the response was phenomenal as we ended up being the 3rd Best defensive team in the league. Our offense showed a potency I have not seen since our Vanarama days, thanks to our RM Brett Brown, who actually led the team in scoring. Everything worked out so well from the beginning to the end – I kept waiting for the team to hit a brick will, but save for some rough games towards the end of the season, they held up and kept their composure. Seventeen years into the save, we are now one step away from the Premier League. Of course, the other side of it is that the Championship is the toughest league, and the talent jump is going to be big. Still, going back to this season, I have to say it was one of my most enjoyable ever – it was one of those years that everything seemed to work out the way you wanted it to work. Even our FA Cup run was good – we advanced to the 5th Round before getting knocked out by Norwich City. Our other cup participation was the usual first round knockouts – I don’t really put too much focus on the other cups.

Financially, we are surviving, but barely. I hope the jump up to the Championship will help us in that department, because we desperately need the money. We had a huge jump in our attendance figures as it rose from 3,288 to 4,455 – the biggest single season jump in attendance we have ever had. I can’t complain about our facilities – our Youth Academy keeps churning out great prospects every year, and we had possibly our best one in seventeen years this time around. The Youth Class of 2030 seems to be doing great – we had 3 starters in the team from that class this year.

GOALKEEPERS

George Kelledy (2030): The 17 year old showed so much improvement since coming up from the Youth Academy that I decided to name him our starter to start the season and see how he does. Needless to say, he was definitely a step above Robson all season long, and ended up giving us quite a good debut year. I definitely cannot complain because his first year as a starter was also the year we got promoted, coincidentally or not. He played in 43 Games, registering 1.00 Con/90 (3rd Best in League), 14 Clean Sheets (3rd in League), and a 6.84 AR, manning the posts for the 3rd best defensive team in the league. Not only that, but he also led the league with 112 Saves Held and 74 Saves Parried. He is the fourth starting GK I have had since the beginning of this save, and all of them have this trend of stagnating in terms of improvement in ability in their late teens, early twenties – I really hope this is not the case here. You can see the comparison between Kelledy and Robson here.

LEFT DEFENDERS

Allan Bullivant (2030): The big news is that Bullivant became our first highly prospect in years to resign with the club, although the argument here is that he really is not all that impressive to begin with. Two injuries ruled him out for nearly two months, limiting him to only 33 Games, and there was stagnant growth when it came to his abilities – in other words, he has barely improved from when he first came out of the Youth Academy two years ago. He registered 4.78 TpG to go along with a mediocre 6.64 AR, so although he was good taking the ball away from his opponents, his form was not consistent. The expectation from the 18 year old – our first real, talented LB prospect to come out of the Youth Academy – is high, and hopefully he will go some ways to living up to them next season in the Championship.

CENTRAL DEFENDERS

Kemar Herrera (2029): Our most talented defender ever, he committed to Aberdeen in January, so this was his last season with the club. The 19 year old Jamaican has been revelation for us since coming out of the Youth Academy, and this year was no exception – in 40 Games, he registered 2.88 TpG, 204 Key Headers (2nd in League), 728 Interceptions (2nd in League), and a career-high 7.03 AR. This was the 3rd full season he had spent with the club, and the growth in his abilities has been fantastic. He will be missed, as we don’t have anyone of his talent to replace him next season.

Terry Davis (2030): I decided to the give the 18 year old the starting job at the beginning of the season despite his lack of experience, and I was glad I did. I predicted rightly that he would give us consistent, solid form as well as show good improvements in his abilities, and he justified my faith in him all season long as a preferred him to other senior teammates – namely Stylianou and Ward. In 42 Games, he registered 3.25 TpG, 143 Key Headers (5th in League), 593 Interceptions (12th in League), and a 6.95 AR, fantastic numbers for such a young player who had no expectations of being in the squad rotation just a year ago. He is by no means as talented as Herrera, nor will he be able to replace him, but if he continues improving the way he did this season, he will at least soften the blow of losing him and give us a reliable presence in the center of the defense.

Kyriakos Stylianou (2022): He has not been the same player after his injury – as I had feared – and given that he has become the highest paid player on the squad with his £2.2k salary, I chose not to renew his contract, making this his last season with the club. He played in 27 Games, registering 2.50 TpG and 6.74 AR, which are not terrible numbers, but his physical abilities and his speed are going to make him a complete non-factor in the Championship. He has been one of our most important players through the 2020s, but his lack of strength and speed, coupled with his regression from his long injury, has made a difficult decision sentimentally an easy one logically.

RIGHT DEFENDERS

Chace Panzavechia (2023) : The good news is that this is probably the 25 year old’s last season as a starter, with the emergence of Marvin John from the Youth Academy. After seven years of underachievement as a starter, we finally look like we have a right back that will be able to contribute consistently to our defense. In 43 Games, he registered 4.49 TpG and a 6.54 AR, which is right around his career average. Even my coaching staff, who at one point were telling me he had 4/5 CA, have downgraded him to 2.5/5 CA – from potential to be a key player to just a useful player. He might have some talent, but he simply has not lived up to it.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

Samuel Watkins (2027): For the second year a row, he was named Kafra’s Player of the Year, taking his play to new heights as a 21 year old. He became the first CM to ever score over 10 goals in a season for us – in 43 Games, he registered 11 Goals, 6 Assists, 4 PoMs, 3.20 TpG, 77% Pass Ratio, 1.19 DpG, and a 7.15 AR. No one could have predicted how good Watkins would become a couple of years ago, but he has beaten all the odds to become our most valuable player. He has been a starter for the past three years now, and I doubt he is going to show much more improvement in his abilities, but we are definitely going to need him next season. His ability to score goals and his consistency has become an invaluable part of the team.

Ernest Frimpong (2031): The debut season from the rookie went well – he played in 35 Games, registering 4 Goals, 4 Assists, 3 PoMs, 5.65 TpG (3rd in League), 79% Pass Ratio, 1.27 DpG, and a 7.06 AR. Those are very solid numbers for a 17 year old, and he teamed up great with Watkins. Hopefully our move up to the Championship will convince him to stay with the club long term, because right now he is playing hard ball in terms of signing a new contract. Right now, he is more defensive minded than offensive, but I can see him developing across the board and becoming a threat at both ends of the field.

LEFT WINGERS

Damian Mitchell (2023): Splitting time with Bird at the position this season, Mitchell was by far the more impressive performer, hopefully proving that last season was an exception. In 30 Games (he dealt with a couple of injuries that had him ruled out for 7 weeks), he registered 9 Assists, 2 PoMs, 1.70 TpG, 79% Pass Ratio, 1.50 DpG, and a 7.03 AR – had he played in a few more games, he would have surely registered double digit assist numbers. He remains my favorite as a starter, especially considering the season Bird had, and the 25 year old has always proven himself reliable despite small batches of inconsistent form every now and again.

Eddie Bird (2028): Not quite the season we were expecting from the 19 year old, as he seemingly took a step back after an encouraging 30/31 season. In 32 Games, he registered 6 Assists, 2.25 TpG, 1.36 DpG, and a 6.60 AR – the last number being low and disappointing, and reflective of his year. He has had quite a few opportunities to really make the left wing position his own, but has fallen short every time. This was his third year of being the rotation, and as of yet, he has not done enough to prove he is capable of being part of it in the long term.

RIGHT WINGERS

Brett Brown (2029): I can’t really argue with Watkins being named our Player of the Year, but if I had a choice, it would be the 19 year old right winger, hands down. He gave us the greatest season any player has given us outside of Shane Forde – in 39 Games, he registered a team-high 19 Goals, 6 Assists, 5 PoMs, 2.26 TpG, 4.00 DpG (8th in League), and a team-high 7.23 AR. Over the course of his Kafra career (3 full seasons), he averaged 12.7 GpS, 7.3 ApS, and a 7.04 AR – all before turning 20. Sadly, he also signed with Aberdeen along with his teammate Herrera – Aberdeen has robbed us of our biggest defensive and offensive talents, and this was Brown’s last season with the club. He will be missed.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

Graeme Jones (2016) – Career: He started out a starter in the Vanarama South, and now he will be starting for a Championship team. The club captain and legend, he never lets us down, and this season was no exception – the 31 year old played in 44 Games, registering 4 Goals, 10 Assists, 2 PoMs, and a 6.98 AR, typical numbers he has given us throughout his career. He has not shown any signs of slowing down yet, and hopefully he will be able to give us a couple more seasons at this level. I have a great affinity for Forde, but I must say, through these first 20 years, Jones has been my favorite player because of his undying loyalty to the club. What a career.

FORWARDS

Shane Forde (Original) – Career: The longest serving member of the club, he is now 33 years old. After 636 League Appearances for Kafra, he finally showed permanent signs of slowing down this season, although he still gave us a good one. In 39 Games, he registered 12 Goals, 6 Assists, and a 6.88 AR – his goal tally and AR were his lowest since the 20/21 season, and probably a sign of things to come. I don’t have a better alternative for the legend, so he will be our aging starter next year – hopefully, he has one more good season left in him, although honestly, anything above 10 goals and a 6.80 AR will be considered a success. I am dreading the day that I will have to live without Forde and Jones leading my front line, but that day is getting closer.

YOUTH INTAKE

Marvin John - Steven Hamill

So Marvin John is the greatest prospect the Kafra Youth Academy has delivered in its 17 years of existence, and what a player he looks to be. He can play both DR and CD, and both are positions I currently need talent in with the departure of Herrera and the eternal underperformance of Panzavevhia – it’s a shame he can’t play both positions at once! Hamill is the best of the rest of the crop, which looks pretty ordinary.

2032/33 PRESEASON REPORT

Herrera and Brown have left on Free Transfer to Aberdeen, and I did not renew the contracts of Stylianou, Ward, and Sweeney. Those are 5 first team players that will not be featuring this coming season for the squad, so there is definitely going to be a different feeling to it. The first two are going to be real difficult to replace, although I am excited to see what Marvin John is going to do for us over a full season. I applied to increase my Youth Level (it is now Category Three), so we will see if that passes or gets canceled as usual. The Championship is going to be a real tough challenge, and given that we lost our best defensive player and probably our best player overall in the summer, it just makes things even tougher.

FORMER PLAYERS

Edwin Indeche – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2027 for £475k: The 22 year old’s first full season with the team that bought him was less than impressive – 34 Games, 6.41 AR. Not only that, but Crystal Palace was relegated from the Championship. He made his debut for Kenya, and has now earned 7 caps for his nation.

Obed Mohammed – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2028 for £3.5m: Another season on loan – this time, it was actually two teams (Huddersfield and Preston, both in the Championship.) Was used sparingly in both cases.

Bruno Borges – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2029 for £1.7m: Well, at least he played for the team that bought him this season! Now 20 years old, the Portuguese participated in 6 Games, registering a 6.80 AR.

Hadan Lavine – Attributes Upon Leaving – Left in 2030 for Free: His second season with Yeovil, and they were nearly relegated from the Skybet League 2. I can’t imagine he is too happy with his situation, considering he left us for a higher level of football. He personally did not have a great season, playing in 24 Games and registering 6 Assists and a 6.60 AR. He remains a primary player for Barbados, however, having now earned 31 Caps and scored 9 Goals – he is listed as their second most important player.

[Torminator]

in one word: Amazing!

Hell of a job! How are sponsor deals, facilities and stadium coming along?

[MADA]

would you consider buying back the players that left you? i think that should be okay?

[abulezz]

in one word: Amazing!

Hell of a job! How are sponsor deals, facilities and stadium coming along?

Thanks! I have a picture of the Facilities below.

would you consider buying back the players that left you? i think that should be okay?

You know, Ive thought about whether that would be OK or not - not buying them back, but if they were available on Free Transfer. So far, I have voted against it, but what do you think?

[Pompeyboyz]

You know, Ive thought about whether that would be OK or not - not buying them back, but if they were available on Free Transfer. So far, I have voted against it, but what do you think?

That's a tough call as they are from your youth academy but you have not done the full development of the player

[MADA]

i'd buy them back myself

[MichaelBrown]

Personally I'd say no. No transfers at all as that's one of the rules of the youth challenge and it makes it more difficult.

[abulezz]

That's a tough call as they are from your youth academy but you have not done the full development of the player

i'd buy them back myself

Personally I'd say no. No transfers at all as that's one of the rules of the youth challenge and it makes it more difficult.

Well, as of right now, I am against taking any player that leaves the club back, and I have not done so or attempted to do so. That being said, a player that came up through the Kafra Youth Academy that spent his formative years at the club before leaving, and then becoming available on Free Transfer somewhere down the line - I'm not sure what to think about that.

[Bitner]

I think it's right to sign on a free any player who came through the ranks, but no transfer fees though.

Cheers,

Bitner

[BoxToBox]

I'd be against bringing them back, not for any moral reasons as much as out of spite for them leaving when they were needed.

[MichaelBrown]

Well, as of right now, I am against taking any player that leaves the club back, and I have not done so or attempted to do so. That being said, a player that came up through the Kafra Youth Academy that spent his formative years at the club before leaving, and then becoming available on Free Transfer somewhere down the line - I'm not sure what to think about that.

To me it's a transfer regardless of fee and it would make the game easier.

I hope you don't do it.

[glennuk]

I'd be against bringing them back, not for any moral reasons as much as out of spite for them leaving when they were needed.

I second this. They left, you don't need them.

[abulezz]

I think it's right to sign on a free any player who came through the ranks, but no transfer fees though.

Cheers,

Bitner

I'd be against bringing them back, not for any moral reasons as much as out of spite for them leaving when they were needed.

To me it's a transfer regardless of fee and it would make the game easier.

I hope you don't do it.

I second this. They left, you don't need them.

I haven't yet, and I probably won't sign back any old players. I had a couple of opportunities earlier in the save to bring back Darren Williams as he was available on Free Transfer, but did not do it. I don't think I will - I like the challenge presented with trying to keep the players, as well.

[abulezz]

I wanted to highlight the best player in my save in the 2020s - the successor to Messi and Ronaldo. So without further ado:

BERNARDO SILVA

After Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the first twenty years of football, the decade definitely belonged Ronaldo’s fellow Portuguese compatriot Bernardo Silva. He captured the World Golden Ball 5 times, including a four year stretch from 2024 to 2027, and also won the World Footballer of the Year award four times – in both awards, he is only second to Lionel Messi when it comes to the number of times he has won the awards. He was an integral part of each Portuguese team that got to the World Cup Finals three consecutive times in a row (2018, 2022, 2026), unfortunately losing each time. He spent most of his career with Monaco, winning the Ligue 1 5 times in the 2020s, while being crowned the league’s Player of the Year a record 11 times. He finally won the elusive Champions League trophy in 2029 as his career entered its twilight phase – two years before that, he reached the peak of his career, registering an insane 8.41 AR that has become a new Ligue 1 record.

[abulezz]

Four games to go - its looking dangerous for us...I really don't want to go back and fight for a promotion in the Skybet League 1 again!

[MichaelBrown]

Good luck!

[abulezz]

In continuing with my review of some of the best players in the 2020s in my save:

JULIAN RIVAS

The Spanish AM is what can be considered a late bloomer, but there was a stretch during the late 2020s where one could argue he was the best player on the planet. Having come up through the Leganes Youth Academy, he made his debut for the club during the 2015/16 season, and then subsequently spent the next couple of years on loan before being bought by Manchester City for £3.5m in 2017. Man City had just appointed a new manager (Josep Guardiola), and Rivas, at the age of 18, was one of the signings in a historic summer that saw Man City spent £150m bringing in the likes of Koke and Alessandro Florenzi. Between the 2017/18 and 2020/21 season, Rivas would go on loan to no less than four teams, including Celtic (where he exceled) and BMG, playing some high level football. After a great season for BMG in the Bundesliga in which he was named the team’s Player of the Year and in the Bundesliga Team of the Year as well as being named the Bundesliga Player’s Player of the Year, then new Man City manager Massimiliano Allegri decided to give Rivas a chance.

It took half a season of good performances in Premier League before Liverpool came knocking with a £29m offer for the Spaniard, and it was duly accepted. In the next 3 and ½ years, Rivas would make his ascension from potential star to world class player, winning the Premier League Top Goalscorer award with 28 goals in 2022/23 as well as being named to his first Premier League Select. He would accomplish the latter again during the 2024/25 season, winning the league’s Players’ Player of the Year award, as well. During the summer of 2025, Real Madrid made an offer that totaled £34.5m for him, and Liverpool accepted, even though the consensus was that the player was worth upward of £50m. His first season with Real Madrid, the 2025/26 season, was sensational, as he became the focal point of the team’s offense and registered 28 Goals with an 8.20 AR. He would go on to win 6 La Liga titles in a row between 2026 and 2031, the European Championship with Spain in 2028, and the World Cup in 2030, where he would be named part of the Team of the Tournament after registering a 7.98 AR. In 2029, he would be named the World’s Footballer of the Year and Golden Ball winner, and was named in the World Team of the Year 5 times (2025, ’26, ’28, ’29, ’30).

Hi career has now started to wind down, but during the mid to late 2020s, he was the cornerstone of a dominant Real Madrid team that sadly only made the Champions League Finals once, losing in a huge upset to German team Gelsenkirchen at their home ground in Madrid in 2031. When you spoke about the best players in the world during that time period, Rivas was always near the top of the list – he will go down in both Real Madrid and Spanish folklore as one of the best to grace either shirt.

The first picture is Rivas at his peak:

[abulezz]