anagain

That form crumble was strange as anything. I felt like there was nothing I could do. I think it's the new AI changes to the managers. Opposition teams know how to beat the players so much better now. I both hated it, because I lost the title, and loved it because I don't always feel tested in FM. Thanks for reading.

Nice turn around to the season there, and some promise to come with your youth winning their league so comfortably. I liked the look of that left back from the intake. Nerves must have been going for a bit there, I know very well how this FM likes to test the mind. The AI has improved. Best of luck for next season. Nice to see Eastleigh winning the NL in your save. I didn't really look at it in my write up (not much interest from Budapest!) but they did go up in my save too. I have a fondness for the club after managing them one year.

Thanks, that clears up the youth links one for me. I shall have to make a suggestion that SI put this on the affiliate link screen. Just some smaller print underneat as I'm sure it's not just me that would like more clarification/info on these things. It's a little polish thing that would take little time but be so helpful to a lot of people. Be nice if it said that a player had trained at Liverpool too when he pops up on the newgens. I think that'd be fun. Thanks for the info though. Very helpful.

MTK Budapest FC - 2023/2024 - Pre Season, Part 3 Bad News, Everyone I mentioned a player I wanted to sign, well the bad news is he chose Slovan Liberec. I am rather disappointed. Four More Triallists I have decided to have a look at four more midfielders after the disappointment of Mioc. Sandor Szekelyhidi is a youngster released by Debrecen and Rodney Kongolo is a Congoan last at Consenza. We also have two Brazilians joining us or a month - I knew that would make you sit up. They are Fernando Medeiros and Bruno Ramires. As with our other triallists; more to come. Many of these foreign stars come as agent suggestions. I like to think that these are the sort of players MTK would find out about via their connections with the likes of Liverpool and Villa. Monthly Performance Review Anton appears to have become more loved, despite having done nothing since last month. They're Back We have a first team friendly against Nyiregyhaza and then we are off to our pre season training camp. Are we off some exotic, you ask? Sunny Croatia? Maybe even as far afield as Spain or Portugal? If we're stuck in Hungary maybe somewhere along the shores of Lake Balaton? We're stuck in Hungary. It's nowhere as exotic as Lake Balaton though. We are headed to Fót. Where is Fót, I hear you ask? The star marks our ground. Whilst at the camp we have fixtures at Kozarmisleny, Dunaujvaros and Diosgyor. We come back and play...wait for it...Liverpool. Our afiliate link has a perk. I don't even know where it could be. I would think FM has a database of places for a training camp but I have searched google and I can't find anything in Fót. I like to know where stadiums are in game as I have a long standing tradition of having the stadiums up on google maps. I'm just going to say we're training at a local club - some of the pitches on google maps look nice enough - and travelling from Budapest daily - it's less than 30 minutes. My FM-OCD likes some reality! We welcomed a third new signing too. Mario Zeke joined up with MTK. Do you recall Mario? He is someone I offered a contract to some time back. Well, he joins us from Kecskemeti today. Monday 3rd July 2023 The lads are back and they're all happy, even Szabolcs. I was pleased to see a number at peak fitness and we had a good first day's training. It was mostly fitness work, a bit of running but mainly easing the lads in and checking their condition. In the afternoon it was proper introductions for Mario Zeke, Gabor Szelai and Terence Miles. Our triallists joined in too. Bence Varga and Mark Kosznovszky spent last season out on loan so I took time to get to know these two lads as well. Bence is a keeper, who will battle with Bence Somodi for the number one shirt this season, and Mark is a central midfielder who had a good season in NBII with Kozarmisleny last season. I said all were happy and the shocking news is that wasn't entirely true. Patrik Poor asked to have a chat with me and said he felt the signing of Gabor Szalai would be direct competition for him and lead to a loss of play time. I said he had nothing to worry about and he look accepting. It's never easy to please everyone. Yet Another Triallist We have taken a 32 year old Italian inside forward on trial for the month. With Stieber looking a little leggier I have been looking for additions in his position. If I can find a quality striker I might shift Nemeth out there but I am looking at options. You know the score...more as it happens. Trouble With Szabolcs? Aside from the sisterly connection... We have received a bid from Szabolcs Mezei from Gornik Zabrze that only amounted to about £54k, possibly rising to £71k. Mezei is a good opion for us so I chose to offer him a new contract - he only has a year left. His agent has demanded that Mezei be a star player. He's not that. I couldn't accept above important player and the agent was having none of that. The talks fell apart. I have refused the bid from Gornik and will see what happens next. I want to keep Mezei here but I won't be held hostage by agents. A day later and it would seem Gornik's manager is keen to push things. ~~~ MTKII had a good start to preseason. There were great performances from triallists to make my life tough. But, so much for Sunday being a day of leisure. The Continuing Drama Of Szabolcs Mezei Szabolcs asked to speak to me today. He wishes to explore his options at the end of his contract. I saw no reason to not allow him to make his own decisions. If another bid comes in for Mezei I might accept. I want a replacement/improvement though. Friday 7th July 2023 What has my sister done to Szabolcs? Does he have delusions of grandeur? I ask that after his agent demanded Szabolcs be a star player for us. He is good but not that good. I see no other option but to phone my sister. Pandora said she is free to live her own life any way she wants. If it didn't work betwen her and Szabolcs then that is none of my business. "She's my sister," I told Pandora. "I care about her and want to be sure she's happy." Pandora replied with, "of course you do, Anton." There was some snideness to the way she said it. I just sent a text in the end. Everything okay, sis? Just because it is a text message doesn't mean one can't punctuate. Rosina phoned me about half an hour later and told me she had nothing to do with Szabolcs thinking his career needs to change.I assured her i wasn't interfering. Pandora tutted and Rosina told me I had better not. "It just won't work, brother." I think that is all I'll get. I phoned my mother and heard Rosina shout "I told you it just won't work". Ooops. Pandora couldn't help herself and said she told me to mind my own business. Family! I didn't plan this or try to make it happen. Promise. Love the stories this game makes...even if I helped it along. What were the chances I'd chose the player who got delusions of grandeur though? Bugger Off, Gornik! £30k! Don't want to annoy Mihaly though. I suggested a deal worth about £130k and Gornik came back with £37.5k. Speaking to my recruitment team makes me understand this is good in Hungary for a player of Mihaly's caliber. It seems Mihaly is insistent that he speak to Gornik so I managed to get a deal for a potential £71k. More searching for the right player needed... ~~~ We travelled to face Nyiregyhaza in our first friendly and came away with a 1-1 draw. We weren't great, in fact we looked very disjointed and gave the ball away a lot. I put it down to a very new team and lots of new partnerships to get used to. This certainly wouldn't be the team I go in to our first league match against Honved with. I was impressed with Leon Sipos. He looked hungry to score. Of the other triallists, Bruno Ramires did best. So, we're off to our training camp...half an hour away...

How do people recommend I get the best out of affiliate links? These are my affiliates. Bekescsaba and Szentlorinc are junior partners that I can send players to. I am fine on that. Nijmegen? Exactly what does that do for me? Is it like a non-aggression pact I would get in a 4X? Do they get first dibs on my players? Are they more likely to say yes to us loaning their young stars? Aston Villa? This is more straightforward. Liverpool? A mutually beneficial relationship with more text. The friendly has been arranged. I've seent hat many times. I have never seen an option to send an academy player to Liverpool. Is this players who are not yet in the game, eg I have sometimes had messages about a youth player being poached (not this save but past FMs)? How does sharing Liverpool's scouting knowledge work? Is this why I often see players from outside my scouting range? I actually have to ask my board if I can get a team report on Liverpool U21s. That doesn't really make sense if we have a scouting link. My scouting range is only Hungary, I can't even really scout Liverpool and Villa's players without it costing me a lot. I just think FM could really enhance these affiliates. How about buttons on the link information screen to look at academy players who might train at Liverpool or an option to explore players at Villa that might come to us on loan? SI could add so much more to this, but for now I'd really like to know if anyone can give me some useful information that I might not be seeing, or know where to look for. Many thanks, in advance.

I can well believe it. The buck stops with the manager.

MTK Budapest FC - 2023/2024 - Pre Season, Part 2 New Links I never asked for this...it just happened. I wonder if they'll send any youngsters. Thursday 29th June 2023 We are home. Holidays are nice but being in your own home is always welcome. We welcome back the lads in about a week and it's just a few days until all the end of contract situations sort themselves out. It is going to be a busy time. Rosina is back and she's in Szentgotthard. I asked if everything went okay in Greece and she sounded non-plussed but happy enough. God, I hope I don't meet a very miserable Szabolcs Mezei next week. My parents are going to Paris to, as my mother put it, "celebrate their love with passion". Pandora thinks it is lovely and wishes her own parents would take a leaf out my own's ways. As I may have mentioned before, her parents do holiday a lot. Her father has a nice job and her mother loves that he has a nice job. I am not sure how 'together' their holidays are. Pandora hates to hear it mentioned but he had a rather messy affair once. At least he only had one. I lost count many years ago of the number of times my parents 'messed around' with another. Paris can only mean one thing. La-la-lurve. I am so sorry I said that...my creative, intellectual mind sometimes just comes up with these things. Transfer News Youngster Bence Varga is headed out on loan for the season. The central defender will spend the season at Bicskei in the third tier. ~~~ Molnar is a young defender who was unlikely to make it, especially with some of the talent we have coming through the ranks in his position. ~~~ Asante Kwadwo never made a first team appearance in my time but it seems Diosgyor are keen on the young Ghanaian and he will join them on 1st July. ~~~ Incoming this time. Nigerian striker Sunday Adetunji has joined us on trial for a month. More details if he impresses. ~~~ It's goodbye, and thank you, to five players. ~~~ Clinton Osei, who spent last season on loan at Koszarmisleny, has joined Kecskemeti on a free. Krisztian Fekete has moved to Gyor, also on a free. ~~~ Two more triallists have joined the club. Albanian full back/central defender/defensive midfielder Marsel Ismajlgeci has joined for a month. Croatian striker Leon Šipoš also joins for a month. Good luck to both and I'll add more if they impress. ~~~ Peter Torocsik is off to Bekescsaba on loan for the season. I thought about keeping Peter at the club but he expressed an interest in a loan deal so hopefully a fulls eason as a regular can help Peter impress. And I'll stop it there for now... Don't want to run out of images again. Saturday 1st July 2023 I am shattered. It has been some few days for transfers. Comings and goings, more comings and goings, and all change at MTK. I have three triallists to meet Monday morning when the lads report for training. I am optimistic for all three, to be honest, although I am not sure if we'll sign two new strikers. That means someone will fall by the wayside. The Albanian lad is an enigma to me...or my coaching/scouting team. I've been told he plays almost everywhere on the park but is just too short. I am sure all will become clear there on Monday. I hope that I can announce a huge deal for this club in the next few days...if he chooses us.

MTK Budapest FC - 2023/2024 - Pre Season, Part 1 Saturday 17th June 2023 Hello dear diary, from sunny Koper. The transfer window opened two days ago and I think Pandora is already sick of it. She does understand though. The first two signings to take us in to the top flight have been finalised. They won't arrive at the club until July 1st so there was no reason for me to interrupt my holiday too much. My back room team have done most of it, to be honest. Having a senior affiilate named Liverpool is a benefit not just for loans...possibly, we haven't had any...but we can see the players that might not be considered great enough for the Premier League champions. They're certainly good enough for us. I won't go in to the details here...because who is reading this but me...but I'll leave it to the media. I have also managed to rob one of the teams relegated from the OTP Bank Liga and I think we have a very good centre back incoming. Koper is beautiful, and feels like home for my love, but that weekend has turned in to five nights. We travel down to Rimini on Monday and will stay for ten days. I feel quite relaxed. The First Two New Arrivals... We have incoming. I have been prowling the youth ranks of our senior affiliate to see if they are letting any talent go. Liverpool is a great club to have as a parent club. On 1st July we welcome Terence Miles to MTK Budapest. Terence is a young centre back with oodles of potential. Terence could fill in at right back but he's sadly not the paciest. Terence has been signed as a bnreakthrough prospect but there is nothing to say that he can not force his way in to first team action this season. I have been informed that Terence needs to get in the weights room and build up some bulk. He is only 18, so let's give him some time to develop fully. He's still Liverpool because he doesn't arrive for a couple of weeks... A day later and we have our second central defender to sign for the club. He's still on his holidays at the moment so I'll have to wait to meet him face to face but let's welcome Gábor Szalai to MTK. Gabor is a central defender who has been at Kecskemeti his entire career. With their relegation back to the Merkantil Bank Liga I decided to get in early and snap up a young centre back who is well rated. Gabor is a left footed centre back that is well rounded but whom I have been informed is a confident player with great physical attributes. "Gabor will run all day" is what my scouts tell me. Gabor will battle largely with Zsombor Nagy for a starting berth, but he may just free up Zsombor to play a left sided role. 2022/2023 Merkantil Bank Liga Review (from goal.com/hu) Well, I assume it's from that website. When I saw that the review was from goal.com I had to ask if goal.com did much on Hungary. It seems they do have a Hungarian football portal. We seem to have been a little overlooked. That's what happens when you can't hold your form and miss out on top spot. New season is close... Fixtures Day A day all football fans love...the day the fixtures for the new season are announced. We start at home against Honved - who finished 5th, just outside the European places, in 2022/23 - and finish at Anton's Hungarian club, ZTE, on 19th May. We first play Ferencvaros on 28th October and then again on 27th January, the first game after the winter break. New Contracts Penned That is Mate Krisztian Kovacs with two years and Matyas Kovacs with 4 years. I am especially happy to get Matyas and Artur Horvath on 4 year deals. Paulovicz, because no one will recall him, is our player/goalkeeping coach and will likely just be back up for MTK II this season. Juhasz is a young winger. Matyas Kovacs requested a release clause should a foreign club come in for him - or his agent did. Should a big club offer half a million then it'll be up to Matyas if he wants to leave. I had to accept to keep the promising youngster. Matyas' progress has stagnated a little, but I am sure the chance to play both in European competition and in the top Hungarian league will help the youngster. I hope the torn groin muscle, that kept Matyas out for over a month, hasn't hampered him hugely. Development progress of Matyas Kovacs Promotion will costs us some money...with most players getting improved contracts (I was going to post the list, but it's huge). We now have about £20k left to spend on wages. And we have three new pros. Congratulations, lads. I have asked for an increase in the number of coaches to give my young squad more chance of improving. The board have accepted. UEFA Europa Conference League Draw The draw has taken place for the Europa Conference League. I think we got fortunate, even if I know nothing about the teams we could face. Or The Maltese leg will take place 13th July and the tie moves to Tetovo for the second leg on 20th July. We will face the winner at home on 27th July and away on 3rd August. I am tentative in hoping that either tie will be winnable. We'll have two more rounds to face should we progress. The money in this competition is not huge unless we get to the group stage. Wednesday 21st June 2023 Malta or Macedonia then. I think I'd prefer Malta and Pandora said she'd come along for that one. I watched the draw on UEFA.com. There was no real need to travel. It's not easy being on holiday late June. Next year we will have to relax earlier. Pandora is not happy with me either being on my phone, taking a zoom call or just answering emails. She hasn't said anything but I know my love too well. Pandora has a way of storming about when she is keeping her thoughts internal. I have had to be extra nice to make up for my football managering when I am not 'on the job'. The food is great but it's far too easy to pig out in Italy. My bike will get much use when we return and I'll be joining the players in the gym. We have booked ourselves on to a most serene tour of San Marino and I want to visit Italy in Miniature - for the culture. I don't think Pandora is too keen, but we're on holiday. I hope Rosina is looking after my midfielder. I haven't heard from her. Are they still in Greece? I'm being called...Pandora wants to be up early. To sightsee. How do football managers have holidays? I know this is only FM, but it seems to me that there's work to be done year round. The players can just bugger off for a month - as long as they keep fit - but the manager has stuff to do. I suppose that's why clubs have so many extra staff these days, to do everything from sign players to handle the media.

Wednesday 24th May 2023 With our season done and dusted it is holiday time. At least, it is for the squad. They are off to spend time in warmer climes, most likely, and they'll be back 3rd July. We'll be starting earlier, seeing as we're playing in Europe. On the family front the big news is that my sister is off on holiday. She has been invited by Szabolcs Mezei to join him, and some of the other lads, on a trip to Greece for sun, sea and sand. Does this mean things are serious, I asked Rosina? She was circumspect in her response when she told me it was a chance to go on holiday. Szabolcs is, apparently, generous with his money. Rosina has given me more information on when she is moving to Budapest. Yes, it is still on. She is starting a course after the summer and wants to move in to the spare room. "But, I assumed you'd be looking to move in with Szabolcs," I asked. "You seem keen on the lad." She said she was but moving in to a footballer's house was not something she wanted to do. I know my sister and if she's not careful I'll have an unhappy midfielder on my hands. Not that it's anything to do with me. I was told that when I cautiously approached the subject. Father phoned later to reiterate his request that I look after his daughter. Let her move in, he urged me. "You still got that job," I asked him? He was quite rude and suggested I stop condescending him. Mother told me to stop upsetting my father. There love is still strong. For now... There will be rules but I will let my sister live here. May Monthly Performance Review My position with MTK has definitely taken a hit with the poor form that we suffered towards the end of the season. I won them the cup, whilst in the second tier. I thought they might like me a bit more. The fans love the football we are playing Thursday 1st June 2023 It has been meetings galore for the past week. Whilst the lads are off playing I get to stay here and look to our recruitment. I am looking in to a number of options to gather together a squad that will see us compete in the top division. Pandora wants a holiday though. She insists, actually. I told her I will be rather busy in July. It is the life of a football manager, I told her. She stated - yes, stated - that we are then travelling to Italy in June. "We'll take a trip down to Koper for a relaxing weekend," my love informed me, "and then take a trip down to Rimini for a couple of relaxing weeks drinking cocktails and eating nice food." Who am I to refuse? No, really. I can't. I have been told football business is allowed, but that I have to enjoy myself. I have two weeks to be as prepared as possible, transfer-wise, before we depart. The Season In Europe Hungary OTP Bank Liga Ferencvaros are champions of Hungary and enter the Champions League for 2023/2024. Kisvarda and Puskas Akademia finished 2nd and 3rd and will enter the Europe League. Paks and Kecskemeti were relegated on the final day of the season. Slovenia In the country of birth of my beloved Pandora the Prva Liga champions were Radomlje after a dramatic improval in their fortunes after the 24th round of matches. It was a tight competition, with the top seven teams seperated by just seven points. There was joy for Pandora's hometown club of Koper. They finished third in the Prva Liga, to make the Europa League, and won the Slovenian cup on penalties over Maribor. Germany Bayern Munich are the unsurprising champions of Germany but also reaching the Champions League are Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg. Relegated from the Bundesliga are Bochum, Koln and Augsburg. Augsburg ended a twelve year stay in the top flight when they lost a two-legged play off to 2. Bundesliga third placed side Karlsruhe. Also promoted to the 2023/2024 Bundesliga, along with Karlsruhe, are 2. Bundesliga champions Hamburg and Hannover 96. Bayern did the double in Germany, beating Dortmund 3-2 in the DFB-Pokal. Italy Napoli are the Serie A champions, just beating Juventus. Joining the two in the Champions League are Inter and Atalanta. Relegated from Serie A are Verona, Lecce and Monza. Replacing them from Serie B are Genoa, Brescia and Parma. Juventus captured the Coppa Italia with a 2-0 win over Milan. Spain Real Madrid are the champions of Spain, with a 14 point gap over Atletico. Joining the Madrid teams in the Champions League are Barcelon and Betis. Cadiz, Rayo Vallecano and Girona are relegated from LaLiga and are replaced next season by Granada, Eibar and Levante. Real Madrid grabbed the double in lifting the Copa Del Rey, beating Valencia 2-0 in the final. France There were no shocks in France with Ligue 1 being won by Paris St Germain. Joining PSG in the Champions League are Nice and Rennes. Dropping down to Ligue 2 are Lorient, Brest, Clermont and Stade Reims. Replacing them, in a reduction in the number of teams in Ligue 1, are Metz and Bordeaux. The Coupe de France was won by Marseille, with a 1-0 victory over Lorient. England The champions of England are Liverpool. Joining the Reds in the Champions League are Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United. Brighton, Crystal Palace and Leeds are relegated back to the Championship and will be replaced by Watford, Middlesbrough and Shefield United. Manchester City won the FA Cup, beating Liverpool 3-0. A quick summary of some other champions is as follows; Portugal - FC Porto, Scotland - Celtic, Netherlands - Ajax, Austria - RB Salzburg, Switzerland - Young Boys, Belgium - Club Brugge. Champions League Real Madrid added to the Spanish double by beating FC Bayern in extra time to life the Champions League. Europa League Arsenal failed to finish in the top four in England but they did win the Europa League, beating Inter 1-0. Europa Conference League West Ham made up for a poor mid-table finish in the Premier League by capturing the Europa Conference League title. The final against Koln finished 4-3 to the Hammers. Monday 12th June 2023 I got a postcard today from Rosina. It said "having fun, drinking, dancing and sitting on beaches. Szabs is a party animal. Love ya Bro, Rosina". That really was it. Szabolcs best not be unfit when he gets back. The window opens in three days. Pandora and I travel to Koper Wednesday. I have left many instructions with my back room teams, most of whom have had time off, or are getting theirs later. We all work for the good of MTK. I have some genuine targets and about £30k to spend in wages. I am sure I mentioned the transfer kitty. £1,470,100. A veritable fortune. Actually looking forward to a break.

Merkantil Bank Liga 2022/2023 - Player Awards & Stats Success for two of our own players in the Young Player awards. MTK Stats Doesn't include; Martin Palincsar Yurii Matviiv MTK Team of the Season MTK Player Awards Anton Nagain - Timeline 2023/2024 Season Expectations I'll probably look to do a round up of what's happened elsewhere in Europe - when everything is finished. Player search time...

Matchday 38 Preview And so we finally come to the last game of the season; a free game with nothing at stake. We face Gyirmot, who could finish as high as 8th or as low as 15th. We're still likely to face a deep formation but with this game meaning nothing will my players show the freedom they showed when we were so many games unbeaten? Last time out against Gyirmot we drew 1-1. Matchday 38 - Gyirmot Football Club Gyor vs MTK Budapest FC MTK are unchanged for the trip to Gyirmot. Nagain told us he'd like to go out with a bang. "We've had a run of poor results that I think have been a result of nerves. With nothing at stake today we can go ou and show how good we really are." HT: Gyirmot 0-0 MTK 62 mins: ❕ PENALTY! Stieber races on to a long ball in to the box but is brought down by the defender. The ref gives a spot kick. 62 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Gyirmot 0-1 MTK Krisztian Nemeth Nemeth makes no mistake from the spot to give MTK the lead. FT: Gyirmot 0-1 MTK Not an inspired performance, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was pleasing to finally get back to winning ways at the end of the season. It's a shame it took a penalty to get the result as we had enough chances to get it other ways. Again we were a little flat in attack. MTK Player of the Match: So, who wins our last player of the match award for the 2022/23 season? No one stood out particularly, in a match dominated by defences, but Sinan Medgyes had perhaps the best performance and created more chances than my attackers. There was a huge result just up the road from where were just about beating Gyirmot. Had we been a little more consistent at the end of our campaign we could have snatched the title because Gyor shocked Haladas 8-1 in the final game. It meant nothing for either team. For Gyor, a draw last week meant they couldn't pass us and Haladas had the title thanks to us losing last week. It does go to show how open this league is. Plans For 2023/24 We need to strengthen, not only for the OTP Bank Liga campaaign but for the fact we will be playing in Europe too. So, what do I want/need? The primary need is to strenthen defensively. I want a couple more centre backs and more numbers at full back. In midfield we are perhaps at our best, but a better back up to Mihaly Kata would be nice. Someone to challenge Krisztian Nemeth is a chief goal. Zoltan Vasvari showed he is capable for a short while but was not able to sustain his performances. Benedek Barkoczi has scored 13 in 15 appearances for Veszprem and I have no doubt he can step and be a back up for the first team but I'd like to not rely on a 17 year old. Istvan Bognar is 32 and he had a mixed season playing behind Nemeth. Peter Torocsik pushed Istvan a fair bit but I am not sure he is good enough for a regular place in the top league. In goal we have offered a new contract to Bence Somodi but I would like to acquire wither a better back up or someone to really challenge for the number one jersey. There is one startling lacking in Hungarian players, and that is stamina. Whenever I think a player could fit in here I seem to get reports he lacks physicality. It is something I have noticed with Janos Szepe and Artur Horvath. It is the one part of Artur's game that makes me doubt him. Reserve Teams MTK II Our second team ended the season as champions of Nemzeti Baknoskag - Kozep-csoport. I would grab full stats for the campain in the third tier but getting FM to display just appearances for MTKII is seemingly impossible. If a player has made a first team appearance then I will see their stats for the first team on the MTKII squad page. It is something I have reported. MTK U19s Our U19s still have two fixtures to fullfill but are currently in second in Group A of the Second Phase of the National U19s leagues. Those matches are against Haladas and Ferencvaros. I'll do a season summary in another post.

I just don't get it. It is so disheartening to have been in such a strong position and to have thrown it all away like that. It ended up fine in the end, but that left a very sour taste in my mouth. Thanks though. I'm very glad to have won the cup and will be glad to be up, when I get past the disappointment of not holding on.

Matchday 37 Preview Another must win game against a team struggling in the Merkantil Bank Liga this season. Szeged were one of the favourites at the start of the season but have had a year to forget. We have to break down what will no doubt be a resolute defence. We have to win this. Last time out against Szeged we won 2-1. MTK II A draw with Balassagyarmat was enough to allow MTK II to list the Nemzeti Baknoksag - Kozep-Csoport title. Could this be a confidence booster for our first team? Matchday 37 - MTK Budapest FC vs Szeged-Csanad Grosics Akademia Nagain has decided to go with an unchanged lineup for this crucial tie with Szeged. Nagain told us, "I know these players have enough about them to win this game. I believe in them and we will see MTK promoted." 14 mins: ⚽ GOAL! MTK 0-1 Szeged Bence Daru It has been all MTK but it's Szeged who take the lead with a header at the far post from Daru. 44 mins: ⚽ GOAL! MTK 1-1 Szeged Krisztian Nemeth A goal of the highest order right at the end of the first half. Horvath finds Nemeth who turns and fires home from 30 yards. It has been all MTK and they finally have something to show for it. HT: MTK 1-1 Szeged 61 mins: ⚽ GOAL! MTK 1-2 Szeged Bence Daru MTK are not alert from a corner and Daru rises to head home a simple goal. FT: MTK 1-2 Szeged Not the result we wanted but Gyor drew and we're up. We couldn't hit a barn door today. 32 shots! Five on target. At the other end we conceded two sloppy goals. Nothing I changed worked. I encouraged the lads throughout but sometimes when things are against you then it just doesn't happen. I am just very glad this nightmare is over and we are promoted. MTK Player of the Match: I can only give this to Krisztian Nemeth today. Krisztian did what so many others failed to do and scored a goal. So, Haladas are champions. They could only draw with Ajka on the day but our inability to score goals handed them the title. Gyor's 0-0 draw with Budafok was enough to see us up. At the bottom, Csakvar are relegated after a 1-1 draw with Pecs. Our final game is against Gyirmot. With nothing left to play for no doubt we'll now remember how to score. Next Season... Sunday 14th May 2023 We shared a little celebration upon having achieved our main goal for the season. The air was tense though. The lads knew I was not happy with our end of season form. We had the chance of a double and they blew it because they let nerves get the better of them and they forgot to play the football that got us in a position where we could win the division. We're up though and that leaves a little warm glow in a football manager. In my firsts eason as a football manager I have secured promotion and won a cup. I shouldn't grumble at that...should I?

Matchday 36 Preview Siofok are in fifth currently and are having a good season after having been predicted to finish firmly mid table. Siofok are another team on a poor run though, having drawn four of the past five matches, and losing the other one. They month before they had won four in a row. Peter Horvath is the danger man, with 27 goals in 33 starts this season. Siofok's attacks originate predominantly from Zoltan Varjas and he is someone we will have to keep occupied on Sunday. When we last met Siofok, in November, we triumphed 2-0. MTK II The MTK second team have secured at least a play off place in Nemzeti Bajnoksag - Kozep-Csoport after beating Cegled 4-0. A win over Balassagyarmat next week would secure the title for MTK II. I assume MTK II can be promoted if we are promoted. Matchday 36 - BFC Siofok vs MTK Budapest FC There are no MTK changes from the team that beat Mezokovesd in the Kupa final. There are four players missing suspended from the bench though. Benedek Varju, Adam Vidnyanszky, Szabolcs Mezei and Mate Kovacs. When Nagain spoke to us he seemed positive. "Hopefully the final win gives us confidence to make promotion a reality today. The lads are confident and there is a buzz around the club. Of course, winning trophies can do that to a group of players." 23 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Siofok 0-1 MTK Krisztian Nemeth A lofted ball from Zsombor Nagy and finds Matyas Kovacs who simply passes across to Nemeth for an easy finish. 39 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Siofok 1-1 MTK Peter Horvath Quite the solo goal from Horvath. The striker picks up the ball wide left and manages to run in and shoot on goal unstopped. HT: Siofok 1-1 MTK 79 mins: ❕ PENALTY! The ref awards a penalty to Siofok for what looked a harmless collision. 79 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Siofok 2-1 MTK Peter Horvath Horvath slots home the penalty and MTK are behind. The title is slipping here. FT: Siofok 2-1 MTK Do the players care about the league? We didn't even seal promotion with that loss. We went from being in a winning position, and everything looking rosy, to suddenly being second best everywhere on the park. The first goal we conceded was a shambles and we never should have allowed Horvath to march in on goal like that. I'm just embarassed. If we lose another game we could even see promotion pass us by. That would mean my job. There is no reason we should be losing these games. We have been the better team in each game but we don't take our chances and we ship stupid goals. And this is off the back of thrashing Mezokozesd 4-0 in the cup. MTK Player of the Match: I can only give the award to Matyas Kovacs. I don't want to give it to anyone. Yes, Haladas won, and now we're in second. Gyor can still catch us. Sunday 7th May 2023 I won't lie. I am very, very concerned. We have forgotten how to win league games.

Wednesday 26th April 2023 They could start a butterfly farm in my stomach. The end of that last match has done more to me than I thought as the week progresses. I now look upon a game against a relegation threatened team as if it were a Champions League final against Real Madrid. I need to sort myself out. We're easily good enough to win. Believing is the goal. Complacency is the hole we can not fall in. I sound like one of the authors of the books I've been reading now. As it also turns out my scouting team seems to have gone missing this week. I'm waiting for their reports on the Soroksar tie and they're late. This is all I need. Matchday 35 Preview For some reason the scout report hasn't turned up so my analytics team have done the job, whilst I pursue the scouts for their inadequacies. An hour later my inbox miraculously has the following. I find it hard to believe Soroksar will look to control possession against us. We can expect a strong and physical battle against a team desperate to battle hard against the drop. Soroksar have lost the last seven games and have not won since 8th February. They don't score too many goals either. As is so often the case we need to be creative and take our chances when they come. I need to make changes for this match and hopefully a fresh approach can seal us the points. Defensively we must be better. Last time out against Soroksar it took two Zoltan Stieber goals to rescue us a point. The Promotion Race Friday morning, on the eve of my biggest week as boss of MTK, the national newspaper Nepszabadsag have run a look at the promotion race for the Merkantil Bank Liga. Their key match is the one which sees Haladas travel to Gyor on the last day. Haladas do look to have a tougher run in to us, but the Szombathely team are on a long run of great form. This is going to the wire, though fingers crossed someone can stop them. Incidentally, the newspaper Nepszabadsag seems to have shut down in 2016. At least, that is what I am finding on Google. It seems in this FM world it popped back up. It started as the chief publication for Socialist Workers, by the way. Matchday 35 - MTK Budapest FC vs Soroksar SC There are a number of changes for MTK, with Nagain seemingly having one eye on the cup final midweek. Vasvari replaces the rested Nemeth. Zuigeber replaces the rested Bognar. Kovacsreti replaces the suspended Stieber. Mezei is preferred to Horvath in midfield. Varju returns from injury to replace the rested Szepe. Miknyoczki is chosen over Poor at right back. We asked Nagain if his eye was on the cup final. "I'd be lieing if I said no. These players are perfectly capable of securing us a win today." 4 mins: 🟥 RED CARD! Mate Kovacs receives his marching orders for a tough tackle. That won't help MTK. HT: MTK 0-0 Soroksar 65 mins:🟥 RED CARD! MTK are down to nine men. Varju gets his marching orders for a second yellow. It never rains but it pours. 83 mins: ⚽ GOAL! MTK 0-1 Soroksar Martin Hudak A ball over the top, the MTK defence fail to react and Soroksar take adavantge of the nine men. 90 mins: ❕ PENALTY! Varkonyi brings down HUdak and Soroksar have a penalty to seal things. 91 mins: ⚽ GOAL! MTK 0-2 Soroksar Attila Lorinczy Lorinczy slots home the penalty and Nagain sits, despondent, on the bench. His team have let him down through ill discipline. FT: MTK 0-2 Soroksar Ill discipline really cost us there. It doesn't matter who you're playing when you get a man sent off after five minutes. When Varju got his marching orders in the second half I just knew we were done for. Having just nine men completely destroyed any cohesion we had. MTK Player of the Match: In yet another match I have to ask if there is a player of the match. It's tough because we were so disjointed, but if anyone looked like they might get us a point it was Mark Kovacsreti. We're not the only ones that are being shocked in games we ought to win, it seems. Haladas lost to already relegated Szentlorinc and Gyor lost to Bekescsaba. It means we're still top. Tiszakecske are down. A 0-1 defeat to Mosonmagyarovar has sealed their fate. Sunday 30th April 2023 I could cry. Today was a real shot in the foot. I am angry at my own side, especially Mate and Benedek. I'm very much questioning myself too. Should I have said 'to hell' with the cup final and gone out to win that game with my best side? It's not like they're all performing, so maybe I don't have a best side at the moment. It won't be just me sitting down and contemplating hard tonight. Haladas' Geza Meszoly and Gyor's Krisztian Timor will be wondering what happened today. At least Soroksar had a fight on their hands to beat the drop. Szentlorinc were already down. We have a break from this league now and a cup final at the Puskas Arena. This will be a proud moment and hopefully my boys can go out and get the trophy. Monthly Performance Review MOL Magyar Kupa Cup Final Preview We can expect a tough game here against a team that will undoubtedly go for the win. They'll have seen our recent form and think we are beatable. But, Mezokovesd's form has not been wonderful either. The team from northern Hungary were outsiders for the drop at the season's start and recent form has been enough that, with four games remaining, Mezokovesd are not safe. They have won just twice since they reached the upcoming final. The Puskas Arena The Puskas Arena is Hungary's recently built 67, 215 capacity stadium that stands in the spot of the Ferenc Puskas Stadium. You can see our own home in the map below, just south east of the national stadium. This final is almost a home game for us. MOL Magyar Kupa Cup Final - Mezokovesd FC vs MTK Budapest FC A number of changes from the game with Soroksar for MTK. In come Nemeth, Stieber, Bognar, Matyas Kovacs, Horvath, Poor and Szepe. Nagain had a simple message. "May the best team win...as long as it's us." 22 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mezokovesd 0-1 MTK Matyas Kovacs A gorgeous sweeping counter from MTK and Stieber finds Kovacs with a wonderful ball across the box. The wide man steadies himself and finishes beautifully. HT: Mezokovesd 0-1 MTK 50 mins: ❕ PENALTY! Matyas Kovacs marches in to the box and is just about to cross when Lukic brings him down. Ferenc Karako has no hesitation in pointing to the spot. MTK have a chance to make it two. 50 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mezokovesd 0-2 MTK Krisztian Nemeth Up steps Krisztian Nemeth...and he scores. 66 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mezokovesd 0-3 MTK Krisztian Nemeth A superb defence splitting ball from Istvan Bognar finds Nemeth with just the keeper to beat. He does so to put MTK three up. 80 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mezokovesd 0-4 MTK Krisztian Nemeth It's four! Mezokovesd dwell on the ball and Lehoczky wins it back. MTK press forward and some lovely interchange between Matyas Kovacs and Nemeth sends the striker clear on goal. No mistake from Nemeth. FT: Mezokovesd 0-4 MTK WE DID IT! We are the cup winners for 2022/23. We did it in style too. That second half display from us was absolutely wonderful. We were first to eery ball and we showed a belief that we haven't had in the league in recent weeks. The first half was a cagey affair and we looked a little second best. I pushed the lads to show more belief in the second half and wanted a bit more from my defence. The really delivered. I am chuffed. MTK Player of the Match: I have to give a special shout out to Zsombor Nagy before I come on to the winner of this award for the final. Zsombor won everything at the back today and there is only one reason he doesn't get this award. But, a man who scores a hattrick in a final is hard to deny. Krisztian Nemeth is my player of the match today. Europe Beckons MOL Magyar Kupa Review Thursday 3rd May 2023 It is 3am and I must confess to being a little tippsy. I don't think I can speel either. We won! I am pobbisly the happiest man in Budapest. I think I shall go and wake Pandora. She had a potilical meeting tonight so she'll want to know. ----------------- 10pm We trained today, although it was the afternoon only. I certainly needed the morning off. The chairman congratulated us - again - on our win and we had more champagne. I think he must have forgotten he did this last night. He was more drunk than most. I think he'd started during the match, in his excecutive seat. Pandora didn't like being woken. She was happy we won but said she must get some sleep because she had a busy day on the morrow. It's fine that my love doesn't really like the beautiful game. I know she was happy for me but I can't deny her her career. I slept in the spare room and just as well I did as my phone buzzed loudly shortly after. Szab is drunk bruv & buzzin, more n eva, so glad u gav him mins in final, so glad 2 win Did that girl ever do punctuation? I hate to think what the books of tomorrow will be like. I reread my entry from last night. I can't talk. I didn't know you could write drunk. I shall leave it for posterity. One day when I am rich, famous and writing my autobiography, memories like that will make for an interestingly intellectual monologue. My appallingly badly written drunken self-celebrations of the early morning, or something. Need to bring everyone down for a match against Siofok now. I actually hit an image limit for this post. I hope it reads okay because I removed some. I really am dead chuffed. FM is strange in how you can dominate the team a league above but be so soundly beaten by a team on the verge of relegation in your own league.

Glad you have all just assumed it is reputation that won Real Madrid a game. It's nothing at all to do with tactics and/or the right or wrong players. There is another thread on the front page today that talks about end of season loss of form that makes a team crumble. People assume that because a formation works early season it must work throughout. Changes need to be made more in FM23. I am sure there is a whole lot more than reputation playing the part here. I'd suggest the op visit the tactics forum for advice. Most of us can improve at FM. I know I can. I'm having a meltdown in my current season where a seemingly strong position has turned to nerves. I know the answer is there and it's up to me to find it. I have found it a whole lot harder to win reliably in FM23. The AI does seem better at beating the user. Surely it's also better to be challenged, too? If teams like Real Madrid or PSG were juste asily turned over then I'm sure there'd be a grumble about that instead.

Keep trying. The game doesn't show bias. It doesn't decide that Real Madrid should be better than you, regardless of what you have spent, so therefore you must lose. It just doesn't do that. It can't. Therefore it must be tactical. Something you are failing to do with your improved players. Maybe you're saying the wrong things in press conferences or in team talks. Maybe the players you improved to just don't like the really big games. It's easier to just blame the game though.

If we're talking on a computer then it'd be CM99/00. I didn't own it but a mate did. But the very first football management game that I played was something that ran in a magazine in the 80s. I honestly forget the magazine. Shoot or Match, most likely. It was, I believe, a series of questions about what you would do in a match. Something like the ball comes to Brown in MF, do you pass wide or shoot. I might be very wrong. But I do recall that I picked a side and I am sure there was a league table. It must have been a mail thing. I have racked my old brain for years trying to remember more of that game. I used to look forward to that game every issue to see the answers and see what score I'd gotten in my match. I don't know if I am allowed to include Jimmy Hill's Match Of The Day board game.That must have been mid 80s.

Matchday 34 Preview A must win game against mid table Mosonmagyarovar is up next. We also have to hope that almost relegated Tiszakecske can hold up Haladas. We will face more of the same defensive football but if we can remember how to finish then we can get a win. Last time out against Mosonmagyarovar was a 0-0 bore draw in November. I just need to get through this season now and might just speed on through a bit more. I will be sure to spend some time on the cup final though. To be quite honest this dismal form makes it hard to try to be funny. Matchday 34 - Mosonmagyarovari TE 1904 vs MTK Budapest FC Some might have expected more but there are just two changes for MTK today. It's Mate Kovacs given the nod wide left today and Miknyoczki replaces Poor at right back. These thoughts from Nagain. "I thought long and hard about mass changes today but I came to the conclusion that that may not be the way to do this. The players know that the performance against Haladas was unacceptable and that will drive a better performance today. Last chance saloon though." 4 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mosonmagyarovar 0-1 MTK Artur Horvath A speculative drive from Horvath from the edge of the box that the keeper can't help but palm in to the goal. An early lead for MTK. 8 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mosonmagyarovar 0-2 MTK Krisztian Nemeth I am sure Nagain is wondering where this team was a week ago. Stieber feeds Nemeth with a lovely ball and the striker finishes with aplomb. 24 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mosonmagyarovar 0-3 MTK Artur Horvath Great strength by Mate Kovacs and his great through ball finds Horvath free to run in on goal. The midfielder slots past the keeper to put MTK three up. HT: Mosonmagyarovar 0-3 MTK 53 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mosonmagyarovar 1-3 MTK Gabor Boros MTK fail to deal with Moson balls in to the box and Boros pounces to pull a goal back. MTK need to focus. 77 mins: ⚽ GOAL! Mosonmagyarovar 2-3 MTK Valentin Szabo More failure for MTK to clear the box and Szabo volleys home. FT: Mosonmagyarovar 2-3 MTK We were so good at the start of that game that to see us scrape through was very disheartening. It's like a switch is flipped where we suddenly turn in to a side devoid of any interest in the game and willing to throw goals away. Stieber's sending off for a poor fould didn't help us. I'm just glad we held on though. MTK Player of the Match: Artur Horvath got two goals and was instrumental in putting us three up. Still tied at the top but I thought we'd lose top spot for a while there. Four games left. Up next are Soroksar, a team fighting the drop. There is, of course, the small matter of a cup final a few days after we face Soroksar. Do I rest players or go all out against Soroksar? Monday 24th April 2023 Those books I mentioned seem to have made me worse. I don't know why this group of players lose concentration so drastically. We were flying after 25 minutes yesterday but somehow we leaked two goals to cling on. And now we head in to a week that is huge for this club. Two league games we have to win and a cup final we want to win. Is that the game that's on the player's minds? When this final is out of the way will we suddenly have our mojo back? I am not really sure what else I can say to make this better. We must perservere. I honestly have never encountered such nerves like this in FM before. Season ends are often not easy and players can struggle, but this complacency at MTK is something else. I really don't know how to fix it. I don't think that changing a formation that got us three quick goals and made us look devastating is an answer. I did switch things about against Moson though. Bognar had been struggling and I'd bought another central midfielder on. Stieber's red didn't help. At the end there we gave the ball away more than AFC Bournemouth have been giving the ball away of late. Hint...that's a lot. Four bloody goals given away because of giving the ball away cheaply against Burnley in the FA Cup today!!

You can post numerous times to grumble about the game but never thought to ask how you save a match and upload the pkm? Sorry, but if you are tech savvy enough to use a forum or install FM then you're tech savvy enough to read the help guides/ask and upload a save or a pkm. "For example when I last played the game I lost a game due to having a legit goal ruled out by VAR which was in no way offside and in the same game conceded a penalty afterwards which my player fairly won the ball which cost me the match" That does happen in football.

You're very vocal on this forum. Whenever there is grumbling and dissent, criticism and boosting of critcism I have seen your name. Yet one post in any bug report, from what I can see in 5 pages of posts under your name, and not your bug report. Just a post about how unacceptable a bug is in someone else's bug report. Not one save or pkm seems to have been posted by you despite all your many grumbles about the state of FM. Yet you feel qualified to enter a thread about communication with SI and demand better. If someone has grumbles about the game then that's fine. There's nothing wrong about that. As has been said numerous times, including by SI, providing examples as to why things are broken is how SI fix things. They can't fix grumbles. If you really believe FM is in such a horrendous state then help them improve it by doing what these YouTubers, that have been regularly mentioned in this thread, have done. Be constructive. Post examples to help SI fix things you think are broken. To be honest, I think you're just rude. Sorry to be blunt. Hard to really support you when SI have asked numerous times that examples are what they need and you just moan.

Matchday 33 Preview And so we come to what is arguably the biggest league game of the season, for us anyway. We face a home tie with a Haladas side that are just three points shy of us, who, like us, have conceded just 25 goals all season and who haven't lost in ten games. I think we can expect Haladas to come at us. The westerners don't score heavily but if they want to surpass us and claimn the title then they'll need to win this. Last we played Haladas we actually won 4-0, with a Nemeth hattrick. Can that inspire us? One big thing to make a difference on Sunday? Yes, Vasas poached Haladas' manager. Could upset the applecart. Wednesday 12th April 2023 Imre Dreissiger, our club doctor, has told me that I should never underestimate yoga. He has put me in touch with a local group and myself and Pandora headed along there tonight. Pandora is doing this to both keep fit and to support me in my efforts to reduce the stress of being a football manager. It turns out two of her political friends do yoga and believe it helps them immensely as age takes ahold of their lives. She is only 36! I won't try to recollect the names of any positions I was put in tonight but I feel like I've been threaded through the eye of a needle. If anything has taken my mind off the football it's the feeling of being stretched. The woman leading the class said these were beginner moves! I think I find the tea I am drinking now - a rather nice herbal blend - as relaxing as being tied in knots. Pandora loved it. She says it's the perfect activity for people like us."Bohemians have always loved yoga, my love," she told me, before she headed for an early night. I am 37 in three days. A day later we face Haladas. Right now I feel more like 57. I can't tell if it's the yoga or the prospect of Sunday's game. Horvath Pledges His Future To MTK I am pleased to announce that Artur Horvath, our very promising young midfielder, has pledged his future to our club with a four year deal. Saturday 15th April 2023 Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me! I won't go in to detail on my gifts but it was the usual birthday for a man in his thirties. To be honest, I spent most of the day in training with the lads. We finished with a little team building meeting in which we universally agreed we can do our chances of lifting this title all good by winning tomorrow. This evening Pandora treated me to a meal at a local restaurant that was really rather nice. I am sitting having my late cuppa and I feel actually quite relaxed. The lads looked up for tomorrow and that helped. My phone just went off. Szabs wants 2 play 2moz. Do it bro. I replied with a message to say I know best but I'm glad she's obviously very happy with my player. I told her to keep his feet on the ground. For his own sake. When Rosina moves to Budapest are things going to get even worse for me? Rosina's relationships never last... Matchday 33 - MTK Budapest FC vs Szombathelyi Haladas Here we go... Welcome to Hidegkuti Nandor Stadion for a huge match. Just two changes for MTK. Matyas Kovacs is preferred on the left wing and Mihaly Kata returns after suspension. How does Nagain feel? "Surprisingly calm in actuality. We had a good day of training yesterday and the team is united in believing we can win this game." 12 mins: ⚽ GOAL! MTK 0-1 Haladas Gergo Bolla Bolla rises highest to meet a corner and Haladas have an early lead despite MTK starting stronger. 88 mins: ⚽ GOAL! MTK 0-2 Haladas Kornel Csernik Poor, poor, poor defednign again from MTK as Csernik marches through to seal the points. FT: MTK 0-2 Haladas Well, it happened. That was woeful beyond belief. Just pathetic. We started quite strong but wouldn't have scored today if the match had lasted 9 hours. I laid in to the players something viscious after that. Nemeth, Matyas Kovacs and Stieber didn't look anywhere near their best and I had ditched Nemeth and Stieber by the 52nd minute. MTK Player of the Match: I am not sure there is a player on the team that really deserves this award today. Not in the starting lineup anyway. Szabolcs Mezei came on in the second half and looked brighter, so he gets the nod. And there goes our lead. That match was just a freakshow. I don't understand why we're unable to play football of late. We have to sort this out soon. The one positive? Gyor lost and I suspect they are far enough behind that second is a given. I don't want to finish second. Sunday 16th April 2023 I am so embarassed. I feel let down too. There was a buzz about the club yesterday. How do I fix this? I really don't get it. Nemeth has been absolutely woeful the past few games. Stieber the same. Matyas Kovacs has caught whatever disease has set in at our club. Omnishambles is a new word on me.

Thanks for posting that. I heard about this survey in a YT video this morning. I meant to check it out and would have forgotten without this nice reminder.

I agree there could be discussion on where to take FM, and a survey (the Dr Benjiy) one is a harmless way to see where we're at. As for judging the state of FM from these forums, well that's a pointless task. This forum is insanely negative and equally unconstructive. As has been pointed out, the reviews of FM, for example at Steam, are very favourable. These forums are just a very small part of the FM community. I enjoy the game. Immensely. But there is a fair bit of FM that frustrates me, and mostly with the UI. I think the features that were introduced this year were not good enough and that SI could take a year of just polishing and buffing the game up to a high level and it would have been the same as what they added for FM23. The ME is another matter. I love the work that has been done on the ME over the past few years and I think this is where SI are excelling. In contrast, I don't think that the majority of people on this forum understand how the ME is to work on, and nor do they listen when the likes of Neil Brock explain how things are when they update the game. I am a glass half full person, but I don't think that is why I love FM23 so much. I just love FM. I love the underlying game for all its drama and its ability to tell a story. If some things were fixed or improved upon then it would make FM a better game, but in no way is this game as bad as some people on these forums make out. It seems to be a thing this year to heavily criticise FM. In the past couple of days I have seen Rashidi make an interesting video entitled "Issues SI Need To Address" - that I thought was well done and had many points I agreed with. I have also seen Zealand make one of his controversial videos, this time entitled "Has Football Manager Changed in 5 Years?". The answer to Zealand's video was a bit of both. There are things that are very similar but there are things that have changed enormously. To me, that is because FM is FM. It doesn't need to change drastically to be the wonderfully addictive game it is. I saw interesting things in both videos. Rashidi's video was constructive and dived deep in to why some things need to be changed. Very much the polar opposite to the feedback thread. Zealand's video received a comment that suggested FM23 was like a game from 1998. When I dared to argue with the commenter that if he compared screenshots of FM23 and CM98/99 then it'd be proven that he was talking absolute rubbish he backed down and said he didn't really mean 1998. That is 90% of general discussion commenters in a nutshell. To be honest, I can see benefits in SI working with You Tubers to get a bigger picture. Things is, I believe they already do. I hope they pay attention to the likes of Rashidi and Dr Benjiy because those people will see a benefit to being informative, honest and constructive if they want to succeed. Forum goers are not bound by that. Zealand is a bit of a misnomer. I personally find him entertaining but he does post the sensational that is designed to get a reaction. I would like to see a renewed effort from SI with regards to the features of the game. If they could put the effort in to that that they seem to have put in to the ME then there's a truly fantastic FM waiting for us in the next few years. I have said it many times. Take a year just fixing what is broken, or that doesn't work properly. If they can release a version with FM23's underwhelming features then they can release a version that is just polish of what is existing. For me, fixing much would be better than adding new features that add more small buggy(ish) features. Conversation should, and I am sure is, always ongoing anyway. SI could be a lot more communicative but I do believe they care. It's been a tough few years for a lot of people.