goonergez

Sporting Lísbon: 2039/40 Review I joined Lisbon on Christmas Day with the side sat in 3rd and very much in with a shout of winning the Portuguese league title. My arrival was exciting for all and I was especially keen to see if we could pick up any silverware and get my reign off to the perfect start. My arrival saw me gifted a £50,000,000 war chest for new arrivals and although initially I didn’t expect to use it, I did indeed end up spending a chunk of it. The biggest arrival was that of one of my former players. I went back to Palmeiras to bring in 20-year old left back Vanderson Costa Silva in a £16,000,000 deal. He’s a really exciting signing though and could go on to be one of the top players in European football over the next few years. The eagle eyed amongst you will see that we finished a fair bit further off the title than we were when I started here. That’s true but in honestly doesn’t tell half of the story. My arrival saw us strong together a superb winning streak that culminating us defeating FC Porto to temporarily climb top of the league. At that stage the wheels came off though. A run of straight defeats and a record of just one win in eight saw us slip way back and although we finished with four straight wins by then it was simply too late. I arrived with the club still in both cups, although that ended pretty quickly. First up we were eliminated disappointingly from the FA Cup before we bounced back to beat FC Porto on penalties just days later to book a League Cup final against Benfica. As you can see it didn’t go to plan, but we did at least show a competitive spirit that bodes well for next season. In the Europa League we made it through to the Quarter Finals before being eliminated by AS Roma. I didn’t care much for this competition anyways and actually used it as an opportunity for fringe players to get some game time. In the end we put together a pretty decent half of a season with me as manager. Granted we didn’t get over the line in any competition but we were at least competitive. We were bang in a title race for three quarters of the season and that was without me really managing to build my own squad. There are some really talented players in this squad and it’s full of youth too. I’m confident that with a strong summer transfer window we can definitely end the clubs trophy drought. A drought that goes back thirteen years at this point. I’m confident but it’s definitely going to be a case of rolling up my sleeves in order to do it. The most disappointing part is that the previous regime have already conducted some summer business and it’s cost a lot of money. Annoyingly it’s on players that I certainly don’t see having a future here with me at the helm. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners 2035 - 2036 Palmeiras 4th (hired in 7th) 2037 Palmeiras 4th Sao Paulo State winners 2038 Palmeiras 1st (C) First Division, Sao Paulo State & Copa Libertadores winners 2039 Palmeiras - South American Super Cup & Brazilian Super Cup winners 2039/40 Sporting Lisbon 3rd (hired in 3rd) 2040/41 Sporting Lisbon tbc Challenge Progress Club 3/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup, 2038 Brazilian First Division) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 4/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League, 2038 Copa Libertadores) 0/1 Club World Championship International 2/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup, 2036 Copa America) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 10/32

Career Update: 2039 After clinching both the Brazilian League title and the Copa Libertadores crowns last season I headed into a new campaign with the sole aim of gunning for the elusive domestic cup. I didn’t expect to be with the club for the entire season though as I looked to get out of Brazil and head to Europe. The season started well enough as we clinched more silverware. We beat Flamengo to lift the Brazilian Super Cup before then defeating Corinthians over two legs to lift the South American Super Cup as well. We failed to make it a hat trick though as we fell short in the São Paulo State Championship this time, losing to Santos on penalties in the semi finals. We began our First Division defence in fine form before I suffered a blow that drew me to leaving the club. We drew 1-1 at home with Flamengo in the Brazilian Cup before being blown away 0-3 in the second leg. As the only competition left for me to win here I felt it was the perfect time to walk away. I handed in my resignation in April and would remain unemployed until December waiting for a European club to come calling. It would take me a little over eight months before Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon would offer me the job to take charge. Sat 3rd in the league and just four points off of the leaders this was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. On top of that the club were still in both domestic cup competitions and the Europa League. I have been handed a £50,000,000 transfer budget too, and with the window about to open it gives me plenty of opportunity to improve the squad. It doesn’t appear anything drastic is needed but I won’t know until I’ve been in charge for a few games. It’s going to be a tough challenge to overthrow Benfica and FC Porto but I’m confident I can make my first adventure in Europe into a successful one. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners 2035 - 2036 Palmeiras 4th (hired in 7th) 2037 Palmeiras 4th Sao Paulo State winners 2038 Palmeiras 1st (C) First Division, Sao Paulo State & Copa Libertadores winners 2039 Palmeiras - South American Super Cup & Brazilian Super Cup winners 2039/40 Sporting Lisbon tbc (hired in 3rd) Challenge Progress Club 3/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup, 2038 Brazilian First Division) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 4/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League, 2038 Copa Libertadores) 0/1 Club World Championship International 2/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup, 2036 Copa America) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 10/32

Palmeiras: 2038 Review My second full campaign in charge of Palmeiras would be much more successful as I looked to grab some trophies and depart Brazil. The long seasons here are a killer and I didn’t want to spend any longer than necessary to pick up the required silverware and then depart. The pre season was busy as we added some significant quality to our ranks. Last season we were too far off the pace for my liking and I tried to counter that by bringing in some more quality in depth. It certainly paid off. We began by winning the São Paulo State championship again before heading into our Brazilian league campaign. We would lift the title but it wouldn’t come without its fair share of drama. We were in a three way fight for the most part. Flamengo and Internacional our main rivals. We defeated Flamengo with four games remaining to eliminate them from the race before losing back to back games. We played our last league game in the penultimate week of the season and picked up a huge three points. That meant if Internacional won their last two they would pip us to the crown. They would win the first before drawing 4-4 on the final day to give us the crown. A remarkable end to the campaign. It would end up being a treble for us as we won the most important of the competitions we participated in. We breezed through the group before comfortable dispatching Libertad in the first knockout round. Next up we produced a sensational second leg to defeat River Plate 3-1 and overturn a 0-1 defeat in the first leg. Our nemesis Flamengo awaited in the semi finals and after a 1-1 draw away we produced probably the best performance of my reign. A comfortable 3-1 victory put us into the final. We controlled the final and thoroughly deserved the victory we got. With that we were South American champions. The only disappointment was our efforts in the Brazilian cup as we crashed out early on yet again. Gremio our conquerors this time around. What a fantastic season though. We managed to win that elusive league title whilst also picking up the continental crown. I couldn’t be happier and I’m delighted to add two more trophies to my tally. For now I will stick here for the new campaign although now is about time for me to head to Europe. I’m excited for this next leg of my journey and now it’s going to become a bit more serious. At international level I am still unemployed but still actively seeking a new role. I’m at the stage in my career where I can chase big clubs and nations and that is exactly what I am planning on doing. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners 2035 - 2036 Palmeiras 4th (hired in 7th) 2037 Palmeiras 4th Sao Paulo State winners 2038 Palmeiras 1st (C) First Division, Sao Paulo State & Copa Libertadores winners Challenge Progress Club 3/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup, 2038 Brazilian First Division) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 4/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League, 2038 Copa Libertadores) 0/1 Club World Championship International 2/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup, 2036 Copa America) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 10/32

USA: World Cup 2038 For all the successful tournaments I had enjoyed as manager of the USA, I should’ve guessed my reign would end in poor circumstances. We travelled to South Africa for the World Cup, full of hopes that we could potentially lift the trophy. We were ranked 2nd in the world and that gave us a real belief we could make some waves. I never truly considered us one of the favourites but I did think we had an opportunity to go deep in the tournament. Drawn in a group with Austria, Egypt and Qatar I had high hopes. We started off well enough, beaten Austria 1-0 and then thumping Qatar 6-1. Last up was Egypt and we were woeful. A 2-3 defeat was only my second as USA manager but was enough to have us finish in 2nd place in the group. That gave us a tricky looking second round tie against the hosts of the tournament. We were destroyed. A humiliating 1-6 defeat saw us crash out of the tournament and saw me hand in my resignation within minutes of the full time whistle. A disastrous end to a fantastic reign. After two nations league crowns, two Gold Cups and a Copa America I leave my role as USA manager amid a huge amount of disappointment. I hadn’t expected to win the World Cup but I certainly expected more than we produced. It’s a disappointing end for me but I planned to leave at the end of the tournament anyways, it just happened a few weeks earlier than I had hoped. For now I’ll wait and see what jobs come available at international level after the World Cup ends. I’m in no rush. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners 2035 - 2036 Palmeiras 4th (hired in 7th) 2037 Palmeiras 4th Sao Paulo State winners Challenge Progress Club 2/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 3/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 2/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup, 2036 Copa America) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 8/32

Palmeiras FC: 2037 Review Coming into my first full season as manager I had high hopes for plenty of successes. In truth I shouldn’t have. We added some quality to our squad in pre season as I looked to build a team capable of challenging for major honours. Central defender Joanderson was the pick of them and slotted seamlessly into our defensive line. We began the season well enough, breezing to the São Paulo state title to lift my first silverware as boss. We lost just one match during the league stage to Corinthians as we finished top of the pile. The defeat came in our final match after we’d already clinched the league. The knockouts proved no challenge and we breezed through to win the trophy. Outside of that things didn’t go quite so smoothly though. We crashed out of the Brazilian Cup at the first hurdle, losing out by a single goal over two legs against Flamengo. That was disappointing but understandable. What wasn’t was crashing out of the Copa Libertadores to Athletico Paranelse. We breezed through the group stage as group winners but then lost out at the Quarter Final stage. Yet again by a solitary goal. Our Brazilian league campaign also didn’t go to plan. For half a season we were sublime, but then we just drew too many matches during the run in that dropped us off the pace. In the end we slipped out of a title race and would end the season in 4th. A disappointing end to what looked for so long to be a promising season. This season definitely gets summed up as a frustrating one. I had high hopes we could pick up some trophies but in the end we got just the one, and the least important one at that. On the plus side we showed for the most part that we can be competitive with near enough anybody. Next season is all about silverware though and it’s pivotal we win some. The Copa Libertadores will be priority but I’ll be disappointed if we don’t pick up a league title or the domestic cup. Our squad is exceptional and we should be even better next time around with another transfer window to strengthen. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners 2035 - 2036 Palmeiras 4th (hired in 7th) 2037 Palmeiras 4th Sao Paulo State winners Challenge Progress Club 2/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 3/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 2/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup, 2036 Copa America) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 8/32

Palmeiras FC: 2036 Review The aftermath of the Copa America gave me a period of reflection before I finally managed to grab a new position at club level. Towards the end of September I was finally offered a position of interest for me as I took charge of Palmeiras in Brazil. A quarter final defeat to São Paulo in the Copa Libertadores had proven the final straw for the previous regime and I came into the club with the task of securing qualification for that continental competition again. The club had also suffered a semi final defeat in the Brazilian Cup and so my focus would solely be on the league campaign. With 11 league matches remaining the club sat down in 7th place, one spot off of said Libertadores qualification spots. The league title was already well beyond reach but with a good end to the season we had the possibility of climbing significantly up the table. The top four spots would qualify for the Libertadores without the need of qualifying rounds and that was something I was keen to do. The squad I inherited looked slightly weak defensively but there was a plethora of attacking options and I was confident. I was also armed with a £50,000,000 transfer kitty, although wouldn’t aim to use any until the end of the current campaign. We would achieve the absolute most we could really, going on a great run until we lost the final league match of the season. By then the good form had seen us climb to 4th though, snatching the last automatic group stage spot for the Copa Libertadores. I couldn’t have achieved any more than that but that certainly capped off a fine spell so far. Next season is about silverware and that’s the only priority. I’d love to pick up another league title or a domestic cup but the priority will undoubtably be the Copa Libertadores. The season here in Brazil is extremely long and in truth I don’t particularly want to stay here long. It’s a challenge but with the funds I have and the players I’ve inherited the potential is definitely there to grab plenty of success. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners 2035 - 2036 Palmeiras 4th (hired in 7th) Challenge Progress Club 2/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 3/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 2/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup, 2036 Copa America) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 8/32

I’ll be honest @JamLUFC I love managing in the MLS. It’s extremely complicated but extremely rewarding. You don’t buy players per se. You have to trade. Getting allocation money is important as that’s what you use to bring in players from other MLS teams. I suggest for the first few months literally accepting any trade offers you get from other teams. Make the most of international spots as that’s where the bulk of your quality comes in. For that you do buy players as normal. I tend to focus on having 5-6 top quality foreign players and then add some decent USA players around that. Find a shortlist of who you want and offer money and draft picks to other MLS sides for the players you want. The drafts are on the whole pointless. The superdraft first round is pretty much the only round of any of the drafts worth doing. Trade away any second or third round picks you can for either money or in offers for other players. It normally takes me 12-24 months to build a squad I want and then you can pick success up fairly easy. With regards to contracts make the most of the fact you can use general allocation money to buy down the cost of players salaries against the salary cap. Can overspend quite comfortably as long as you buy down the cost of your big earners. In short general allocation money is hugely important and you use that for trading for MLS players and for buying down the cost of player contracts against the salary cap. The MLS season basically just qualifies you for the end of season play offs which you then have to go through the knockouts to win the league (the MLS cup). The US Cup is the domestic cup. You’ll be ok with LAFC but bear in mind you can’t qualify for the champions league through the MLS with a Canadian team. I fell foul of that last year with Toronto FC. Any other help I’d like to think I could be of service. I have kind of got my head around the MLS but it’s extremely complicated.

USA: Copa America 2036 My departure from New York still saw me unemployed at club level as we rattled through 2036 and to the Copa America hosted by Uruguay. As reigning champions my team would be well fancied, especially sitting 4th in the world rankings. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t honestly believe we would be able to go all the way and win it. But it made sense to stick around and try. A 2-0 win over Mexico had given us the North American Nations League title earlier in the year and we headed into the Copa America in fine form. Squad selection was relatively simple and we went into the tournament with a tough looking group. Drawn in a potentially tricky group we made light work of it on our way to the knockout stages. A narrow win over Venezuela was followed by a comfortable dispatching of Bolivia to set up a winner wins the group match with Brazil. We were fantastic and blew them away to finish as group winners en route to the quarter finals. The Brazil victory was my 20th as USA manager. Twenty wins from twenty matches as boss. After breezing our way through the group stage it should’ve come as no surprise that we’d scramble through our first knockout game. Despite dominating chile we conceded a late equaliser to force the game into penalties. Thankfully we held our nerve to progress before comfortably navigating our way through the hosts Uruguay to reach the final. Argentina awaited us in an exciting 3rd vs 4th in the world rankings matchup. Probably the most exciting and nerve racking game of my managerial career as we managed to just about lift the trophy. Sitting 0-2 behind I feared the worst after an awful start. Thankfully we pulled one back just before half time before we then produced a phenomenal second half to turn the tie around. We dug deep to cling on at the death and that was it. We were once again Copa America champions. An unexpected triumph but it’s fair to say my USA side is beginning to become an international powerhouse. We’ve won 20 of my 21 matches in charge, the draw with chile the only blemish. We’ve won 2 nations league titles as well as the gold cup and now the Copa America as well. I had planned to resign at the end of this tournament but now feel I may as well stay. We’re up to 2nd in the world rankings and the next World Cup is now just under two years away. I’m going to stay and see if I can lead us to world glory before departing. There is another edition of the gold cup to come before that though so we will have to do well in that before we can think of the World Cup. On the club side I am still unemployed and awaiting my next destination. I have an idea of where I want to go next but at the moment no opportunities have presented themselves to me. Thankfully my reputation and success elsewhere should be such that when one of said opportunities arises I can grab the position. I’m excited to get cracking but at the same time I’m ok with just trying to grab competitions on the international stage at the moment. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners Challenge Progress Club 2/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 3/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 2/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup, 2036 Copa America) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 8/32

@corinthiano you are spot on my friend. I am finally employed at club level and it is indeed in South America. Update to come of course 😁

USA: Gold Cup 2035 After two straight MLS Cup winning campaigns my new season didn’t go at all to plan. We suffered early exits in both the Champions League and the US Cup that pushed me into handing in my resignation at New York City FC in search of a new challenge. The departure of centre back Dimitri Ferrari seemed the defining factor and saw us sitting disappointingly down in 7th place and a long way backwards from what I had grown used to. Thankfully we lifted the Champions League last season and so I departed having won the competition that mattered the most. Without a job at club level I took my USA team into the Gold Cup with high hopes. Two years ago I would lose the final with Mexico against the USA. This time I aimed to right that wrong on the opposite side. The US were hunting a fifth straight Gold Cup crown, whilst I looked to get my first major international tournament winners medal. For an extra element of pressure the tournament would be hosted in the USA, meaning I would lead my side in front of plenty of expectant fans. Having won the North American Nations League earlier in the year, we headed into this tournament full of hope and ready to challenge for the trophy. we navigated a potential banana skin of a group with ease, smashing the Dominican Republic 7-0 to open up before seeing off Bermuda 3-1 and then Costa Rica 4-0. I expected more of a challenge from the latter but we comfortably picked up the points to win the group with a 100% record. We absolutely destroyed our opponents in the quarter final and semi final to book yet another final. Firstly Guatemala were embarrassed 12-0 before we scored another 11 against Suriname. Unsurprisingly that booked us a final against Mexico in a repeat from two years previous. My third major tournament final would finally see me get my hands on a winners medal. The final itself was a thriller. We led twice in normal time before being pegged back, and then did well to cling on for extra time as we were bombarded late on. An extra time strike from substitute Jesus Mendoza proved enough and we won the tournament after a 3-2 victory. Vindication for me personally having lost in the previous final as Mexico against the USA. With that I pick up my first international honour and that is a bit of a relief. Having lost two major finals I had fears at 2-2 that this one would be more of the same and that I was destined for a career as the bridesmaid and never the bride. Thankfully I was wrong. I debated walking away from the USA having won this tournament, but we will enter next years Copa America as the holders and o think it’s a decent chance for me to try and pick up another major trophy. I’m not sure it’s possible but there aren’t any major tournaments around the globe before it so I may as well stick around. I’m also patiently waiting for a new club job. The next few months could be very intriguing for my managerial career. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners Challenge Progress Club 2/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 3/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 1/5 Continental Tournaments (2035 Gold Cup) 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 7/32

New York City FC: 2034 Review Having won the MLS Cup somewhat surprisingly last season, this campaign was all about trying to lift the North American Champions League. If we managed it then we’d clinch my third managerial continental crown at the first time of asking. A quite ridiculous record. We would waltz our way to a second straight league win, successfully defending our Supporters Shield crown in the process. To have the best league record two seasons in a row is a great achievement, and we did so whilst also resting players ahead of cup games and continental contests. In the post season we breezed our way through the play offs to meet Austin FC for a second straight MLS Cup crown. We produced a dominant display to win the tie and lift a consecutive MLS Cup. In truth this seasons was much more expected than last time around. We were fantastic all season and we were pretty much favourites from a very early stage of the season. To go and do it is another thing though and ended up doing it with relative ease. Outside of the league was a mixed bag. The US Cup was a disaster as we were beaten at the first time of asking by New England Revolution 0-2. I had rested players for the league game before it but despite being the fresher of the two sides things just didn’t work for us and we were comprehensively beaten. We did pick up more silverware though and it’s the one we wanted. We breezed through the Champions League knockouts with a calmness and confidence to make the final. In the final we produced yet another confident performance where a goal from outstanding striker Julio Cesar secured us a solitary goal victory and with it another trophy for the challenge. I hadn’t expected to win it with such ease, but I certainly wasn’t complaining about it. With that I achieve what I need in the USA and can look to move elsewhere as soon as possible. I’m not going to leave the club though as if I have to stay for another season waiting for a new role then we can have a go at trying to win the US Cup and grab everything available for the challenge from the USA. I will be actively seeking a route out though, just with patience to walk into the right job. Internationally I have signed on to work with the USA as well. Next year sees the next edition of the Gold Cup and with a tremendous squad I should have a genuine opportunity to clinch my first international trophy. That’s a way off yet though, so for now my focus is on finding a new role at club level and moving on for yet more trophies. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners 2034 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, MLS Eastern Conference and Champions League winners Challenge Progress Club 2/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 3/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League, 2034 NA Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 6/32

New York City FC: 2034 Review My second full season in the big apple was an important one, as I looked to add silverware to my time at the helm. Last season we showed good progress but fell away at the end, this time around I wanted more. It was a tough pre season however, with both first choice central midfielders being nabbed by Saudi Arabian clubs. This left me with the difficult task of rebuilding the midfield line but I seemed to do it effectively. We would enjoy a fruitful campaign as some cracking football saw us go all the way to win the Supporters Shield (best record across entire MLS) and top the league portion of the Eastern Conference. I didn’t expect things to go as well as they did, but we were superb. Defensively we were tight, and in attack we scored plenty. We found form late on in the campaign and got lucky as Cincinnati suffered a dip in form to allow us to pip them to the post. The same happened with LA Galaxy in the other conference to allow us to lift the Supporters Shield. Despite lifting that trophy we would still face a test if we wanted to go on and lift the MLS Cup. We faced CF Montreal in the first play off round and destroyed them. A 3-1 away win was followed by a 6-2 home one to book a semi final spot with rivals New York Red Bulls. We produced a fantastic display to win 2-0. We would then win the MLS Eastern Conference with another 2-0 victory, this time over Cincinnati. That booked us an MLS Cup match against LA Galaxy. A fantastic game that saw us face every possible emotion. Despair when we fell behind, delight as we turned the tie around. More despair when we conceded an equaliser and utter elation when we took the lead in extra time. We clung on admirably and would lift the trophy. Capping off a phenomenal campaign for us. Outside the league it was a season of semi finals. First up we made the semi finals of the Leagues Cup before being eliminated. Then we faced the same fate in the US Cup. The latter much more disappointing as we threw away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 and exit on penalties. I’m delighted to have chalked another trophy off of list required, and it was an unexpected one at that. I believed we were stronger than previously but I certainly didn’t think we were capable of winning the MLS Cup. I thought that even after we had hung on to win the Supporters Shield. When we faced LA Galaxy for the trophy all my belief had gone as they had comfortably beaten us earlier in the campaign. Perhaps most excitingly we now get to enter the North American Champions League which gives me another opportunity at a continental competition. I’ve won the African and Asian ones at the first time of asking and will be hoping for more of the same this time around. I’ll be looking at how I can improve the squad to have a real crack at chalking it off. For now I have signed a new contract to stay with the club. How long for will depend on that continental trophy, but hopefully it’ll only be for the six months. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th 2033 New York City FC 1st (C) MLS Cup, Supporters Shield & MLS Eastern Conference winners Challenge Progress Club 2/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership, 2033 MLS Cup) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 2/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 5/32

Mexico: Gold Cup 2033 Review The midway point of the MLS season would see me lead my Mexico side into my second major tournament as an international manager, in the North American Gold Cup. Ironically the tournament was hosted in the USA making my job as a club manager during the tournament easier to undertake. My Mexico side entered the tournament off the back of two big qualifying wins for the World Cup and would enter as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. After my AFCON final heartbreak with the Ivory Coast I was determined to win this trophy and get my first international honour. We were drawn into a friendly group, facing off with Martinique, Suriname and the biggest threats in El Salvador. We opened up with a comfortable enough performance, beating Martinique 4-1 before smashing through Suriname 6-0. That set up a tie against El Salvador to win the group and we did it with ease. We won the group with three wins from three, a bucket load of goals scored and just the one conceded. It took us an age to make the breakthrough in the quarter final with Guatemala, but once we got the first the floodgates opened and we breezed into the final four. The semi final was kind of more of the same. We took an early lead and wouldn’t add a second until late in the second half after a red card was handed out to one of our opposition. We grabbed a late third to book a final against hosts the USA. My second international final and my second defeat. We were completely blown away and in truth the score line actually flattered us. Having got that far it was devastating to take a beating in the final but I guess it is what it is. With that I handed in my resignation with Mexico to await a new international challenge. For now I’m going to focus on my New York side but when a new exciting opportunity comes up I won’t hesitate to take it. I’m gutted to have lost in two international finals already and it doesn’t bode well for me on the international side of the challenge. Hopefully wherever I end up next will give me another opportunity to win an international trophy. For now I’ll stick to club level management. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 2/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 4/32

New York City FC: 2032 Review After a lacklustre end to last season I was determined that my first full season in the MLS would go much better. I spent the off season shaping the squad more to my liking and we managed to bring in a few really good players, sure to play a key role. I also managed to keep all the players I wanted to, ensuring we entered the season as one of the favourites to do well. In truth things didn’t go as well as I had hoped as a poor end to the season saw us slip from Eastern Conference contenders to mid table obscurity. We weren’t helped by injuries but in truth we spent the majority of the season far too wasteful in front of goal and eventually it caught up with us. Thankfully we did enough to make the end of season play offs though and entered as one of the outsiders to win the MLS Cup. We dominated our way through Toronto FC in a bit of a shock before also navigating through our semi final match relatively straightforwardly. That set us into the Eastern Conference final and unfortunately that would be it. We produced a fantastic performance but as with the majority of the season we were just too wasteful in front of goal. A 1-2 defeat to Montreal left us empty handed and one game short of the MLS Cup match. Outside of the league we did nothing of note as we crashed out of the US Open Cup at the quarter final stage and lost in the semi finals of the Leagues Cup. The former bothered me, the latter did not. It was a fairly decent season although in truth it should’ve been a lot better. For the first half of the season my new recruits made a huge difference and we were fighting it out at the top end of the table. The second half of the season was a disaster and although we found some form in the play offs we never deserved the opportunity to compete for the MLS Cup. I’ll be back next season though and I’m confident that with some shrewd business we can be more competitive next time around. In the wake of the Copa America I’ve also moved into my second international management position, with Mexico. The Gold Cup comes next year and I have confidence that I can compete for that tournament and pick up a first international honour. Mexico have a great depth of players too so I may stick around for the World Cup and the Copa America if I can keep hold of my position. My first matches are in the NA Nations League and to be fair I won’t be judged until that Gold Cup rolls around. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC 7th Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 2/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 4/32

Ivory Coast: 2031 African Cup of Nations The first major tournament for me as an international manager would come at the right time as I aimed to take Ivory Coast to glory in the African Cup of Nations 2031, hosted by Cameroon. The tournament would arrive just after the end of the MLS season meaning I could put all my focus into trying to grab some more silverware. Unsurprisingly we entered the tournament as one of the bookmakers favourites, not a surprise with our world ranking of 14th. In fact only the 7th ranked Morocco would enter ahead of us. I named an unsurprising squad that would be led by striker Karim Konate of Barcelona and winger Amad Diallo of Manchester United. We opened our account with a 7-1 demolition of Zambia before being found out by Ghana. A 1-3 defeat meant we had to get a result against Benin to qualify, and we did in a comfortable 4-1 victory. The only disappointment of that performance being that we conceded with our oppositions only attempt on goal. The first knockout round saw us play Angola, and a 4-1 win saw us comfortably progress to the quarter final stage. At this stage I dared to believe, more so after we saw off Senegal 2-0 and hot favourites Morocco were eliminated. A tense 1-0 victory over Mali saw us into the final where we would play hosts Cameroon for the opportunity to lift the trophy. We controlled the game but we were beaten. We fell behind against the run of play and when we equalised I fully expected us to go on and win the game. We conceded a sucker punch goal to fall behind again and this time we just didn’t have enough to grab a second leveller. A disappointing end to such an impressive performance. With that my first international tournament was over and so was my reign. I decided to hand in my resignation with the hopes of perhaps returning again at some point to grab this trophy. I’m hoping that by resigning rather than being sacked that will potentially be an option. For now I’m just going to stick with New York City and wait for another international opportunity. I’m not planning on grabbing another role until one pops up with a side capable of winning one of the major tournaments needed. For now my focus shifts back to the MLS and working towards building on the start we made under my management. We’ve finalised some transfer business already, and the draft is only just around the corner. Hopefully when I next update it’ll be with good news from my time across the pond. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC tbc Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 2/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 4/32

New York City FC: 2031 Review After picking up continental crowns in both Africa and Asia, I found myself at the helm of New York City FC in the MLS. This was a really exciting opportunity for me as I got to lead a top side with genuine opportunities to pick up some more silverware. I signed a two year deal midway through the 2031 season with the club languishing near the foot of the Eastern Conference. My reign didn’t really take off as I had hoped although we did pick up consistently on what I had inherited. In the end we would finish in 10th spot, just a point away from making the end of season play offs. I wasn’t too disheartened as despite a couple of new arrivals I hadn’t really had the opportunity to put my stamp on the team. I decided to wait for the end of the campaign before trying to turn the squad into my own and pushing on for my first full season at the helm. My first role in international football had started as expected really as I comfortably navigated us into the African Cup of Nations with an unbeaten qualification campaign. The world cup qualifiers have also been drawn and so far we are unbeaten with four wins from four. The close of the MLS season has brought with it my first major tournament in international football though with the upcoming African Cup of Nations. We’re ranked 16th in the world and will enter that tournament as one of the favourites to go all the way and win it. Regardless of what happens I’ll be handing in my resignation and leaving when said tournament is over. Hopefully with the first international honour of my career secured. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC 10th 2032 New York City FC tbc Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 2/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 4/32

Job Update: Autumn 2031 I would wait until may before picking up a new club job, but it’s one I really wanted, having been overlooked for a number of sides in America I started to panic as the MLS is where I wanted to head next. In the end I need not have worried as I was offered the role at one of the biggest clubs in the nation. As we’re all aware, the MLS is a tricky place to manage but I’m keen to get stuck in. The squad I inherited is small, but there is some quality within it. I’m not planning on making major changes until the end of the season but may have to pick up one or two new faces to fill some holes within the squad. The club are already out of the US Open Cup and are not in the North American Champions League meaning I can focus all of my efforts on the league. We are sat way down in 12th of the eastern conference though, so it’s my job to try and get us climbing up the table. Should be achievable but certainly won’t be an easy task. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners 2031 New York City FC tbc Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 2/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 4/32

I am about a season ahead of my updates so I am already nice and cosy in my next managerial chair. Update in due course, but yes I did definitely have an idea where I wanted to go. I won’t spoil but my plan is to head to Europe at the end of my challenge so there’s a tiny little clue.

Ulsan Hyundai: 2030 Review I said I wanted my time in South Korea to be short, and it certainly ended up going that way. My reign started fantastically, as we won fifteen of our opening sixteen league matches whilst also making the final of the Asian Champions League. We wouldn’t suffer a defeat until our eighteenth league match, but that would spark a frenzy of negativity. We would throw away our lead at the top in a horrific second half to the season as we dropped points regularly. What had looked like a promising campaign fell apart and I handed in my resignation with three league matches remaining and us sat in 3rd spot, ten points off of the leaders. We’d also failed in the Korean Cup, losing in our first match to FC Seoul. Thankfully I did pick up some silverware with the club as we breezed through to win the Asian Champions League. The final was as tense as it comes but we followed a 1-1 away draw with a goalless home tie to win the trophy on away goals. Winning the continental competition of Asia means I can leave having achieved what was needed. In truth we should have added more trophies to the tally but our form just fell off a cliff in the second half of the season. In truth I’m glad to be gone. In other news I have now picked up my first international role. The African Cup of Nations is at the back end of next year and so it’s a good opportunity to try and get off the mark on the international side of things. We’re ranked 14th in the world, with only Morocco from Africa ahead of us. If we qualify we will enter that tournament as one of the favourites to win it. I’m excited to get stuck in. In the mean time I’ll await an exciting new challenge at club level as well. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai 3rd Asian Champions League winners Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 2/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League, 2031 Asian Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 4/32

That’s a great title win there @CertFM. I’ve come close on both this years and last seasons editions to managing Maritzburg but never quite taken the plunge. They seem to become fairly steady stalwarts of the top flight top half under the AI though. Maybe next year I’d bite the bullet and have a go with them.

Cape Town City FC: October 2028 Update I went into the new season knowing that it would at best be my last with the club. In the end it wouldn’t even be my last half a season in South Africa. We had a really poor start to the campaign and I handed in my resignation at the end of October with the club sat way down in 13th spot in the league table. We had been completely unable to string together any form and pick up consistent results. I was surprised as we had a really strong summer in the transfer market and I truly felt we would be competing near the top end of the table. My misery was added to by early eliminations in both the Super-8 Cup and the Knockout Cup. With nothing keeping me at the club long term I decided to hand in my resignation and walk away. I had a target of where I wanted to go next, now it was just a case of waiting for the right opportunity to present itself to me. Ulsan Hyundai FC: January 2030 Update Having departed Cape Town City I had two targets in mind for my next managerial destination. In total I would wait a little over fifteen months from my exit to land a new position as my patience most definitely paid off. I made the very bold move to reject an offer from Seattle Sounders of the MLS in the hope of being offered the job with Ulsan. Waiting two weeks after that before being offered an interview. Thankfully my gamble paid off and a week later I was unveiled to the press as the new manager of last seasons K-League runners up. In truth this was an absolutely obvious decision to make. Ulsan missed out on the title by just a solitary point, and the squad I inherit is more than capable of winning honours quickly. My first matches at the helm would be the two legs of an Asian Champions League second round tie and were expected to do very well both domestically and Continentally. In fact the bookmakers have named us as their favourites to lift the league title this time around. My aim is to win as much silverware as possible in as short of a time as I can. Ideally we can go far in the Champions League and try to nab the league title as well. If we could complete a treble then I would be absolutely overjoyed. The Champions League campaign here runs from mid season to mid season though, so if we don’t go all the way this time around then it’ll be at least an eighteen month process for me here in South Korea. I’m confident though, and with £18,000,000 to spend as well I have a great opportunity to put together a squad capable of immediate successes. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners 2028/29 Cape Town City 12th (resigned in october) 2030 Ulsan Hyundai tbc Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 1/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 3/32

Cape Town City FC: 2027/28 Review After clinching a shock league title last time around this season gave us a crack at the African Champions League as well as a host of domestic competitions. My task was to try and win both the continental crown and one of the domestic cups. If I could do that then I could move on having achieved all I could within Africa. The summer proved difficult as a host of players had their heads turned by bigger clubs. We were pushed into selling two of last seasons top performers, the biggest loss being in Iqraam Rayners who left for Saudi Arabia. I didn’t want to sell either of those players but risked severely upsetting the squad if I didn’t allow them to depart. With limited funds we struggled to bring in anything real quality but did find a few new faces to add some depth to our squad. Striker Ryan Moon proved a great signing in filling the void left by the sale of Rayners. We put together a decent season although in truth were never really in with a shout of winning the league. A good end to the season saw us climb significantly though and to finish in 3rd was a pretty good showing in the end. It was disappointing to put in such a mediocre title defence but at one stage it looked like it could’ve been a whole lot worse so I was left relatively pleased. With three domestic cup competitions to compete in I was confident we could grab one and complete that leg of this challenge. We ended up doing it by winning an absolute thriller in the Knockout Cup. That left the Champions Leahue and again I was quietly confident. We breezed through our group as winners, even defeating record 12 time winners Al-Ahly at home. We drew Benda Insurande in the quarter finals and scraped our way through by the odd goal over two legs. The semi final was even more tense. We drew Orlando Pirares and defeated them 1-0 away from home to seize the initiative. The second leg was tough but we managed to hold on to a 1-2 defeat for over an hour to scramble through to the final on away goals. In the final we would meet Al-Ahly again in what would be yet another tense affair. We did it but by god was it uncomfortable. We were brilliant at home and should’ve won much more comfortably than the 2-1 we got. We missed a host of chances before conceding a late goal to make the second leg much tighter. We weren’t great but thankfully managed what was required and that was that. African continental competition completed at the first time of asking. With that I complete everything needed here in South Africa. For now I’m going to stay here but have got the itch to move on. When the right opportunity pops up I’ll be off and onto pastures new. I’m delighted with what I’ve achieved here and now it feels like time to go and attempt a new challenge elsewhere. I managed to win the required competitions here much quicker than I anticipated though and that gives me high hopes for my managerial future. For now I’ll be patient though and wait for an exciting new opportunity to pop up somewhere else. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners 2027/28 Cape Town City 3rd SA Knockout Cup & African Champions League winners Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 1/10 Domestic Cups (27/28 SA Knockout Cup) 1/5 Continental Championships (27/28 African Champions League) 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 3/32

Cape Town City FC: 2026/27 Review The early days of my reign in the South African capital didn’t go particularly well as I oversaw us dropping a place to cap off a disappointing season with a 12th placed finish. I had high hopes for my first full campaign in charge though and was confident that with some clever signings we could enjoy a much better season. I wasn’t handed much money to spend as the financial situation at the club wasn’t great, but we did manage to bring in some decent players. After grabbing a few squad players we parted with a club record £200,000 to Stellenbosch to sign striker Iqraam Rayners. The signing would pay off as he bagged an impressive 17 league goals across his 30 appearances. The £20,000 arrival of goalkeeper Lincoln Vyver from rivals Cape Town Spurs was our most important arrival though. He kept 8 clean sheets in 23 matches as we shored up our defence to enjoy a successful campaign. I was as surprised as anyone as we shocked South Africa to deny Sundowns a tenth straight title and pip Orlando Pirstes to the crown with a game to spare. In truth we were fantastic and it was a deserved title win to get my first trophy towards the challenge. We were creatively brilliant and tight defensively as we lost just 4 matches all season. At 20-1 with the bookmakers at the start of the season we surprised everyone and I’m delighted with that. Outside of the league we weren’t as impressive though. We made the semi finals of the Knockout Cup before a shock loss to Swallows but the SA Cup saw us crash out early to second tier opposition. I’m still somewhat shocked that we managed to lift the league title but I am certainly not complaining. I expected improvements from last season but I didn’t expect us to have enough to win that league title. We performed brilliantly though and it was definitely a fair league win and not a steal. I’m delighted because we will now get the opportunity to compete in the Champions League as well. Next year will be about trying to add a domestic cup to our cabinet as well as competing successfully across the Champions League. I’ve not got much money to spend though so we will have to be shrewd in the transfer window. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) 2026/27 Cape Town City 1st (C) SA Premiership winners Challenge Progress Club 1/10 Domestic Leagues (26/27 SA Premiership) 0/10 Domestic Cups 0/5 Continental Championships 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament TOTAL: 1/32

Cape Town City FC: 2025/26 Takeover After around four months of unemployment I was handed a new opportunity and it’s a good one for my career. I knew I had standing in South Africa despite of the fact I left the Callies sat rock bottom of the league and with just one victory in the first eleven league matches. Thankfully I managed to pick up a role with one of the biggest sides in the country after Cape Town City parted ways with their manager. Sat 11th in the league it wasn’t a surprise when the job became available and it also wasn’t a surprise when they handed me an interview and then the role. I have some work to do although I’m under minimal pressure for the rest of this campaign. I’ll be aiming to move us up the league table although I certainly am not expecting any miracles. I’ve been handed a transfer budget of just over £150,000 and will be looking into how I can strengthen our squad for a better campaign next time around. Hopefully this will be the role in which I can pick up some trophies although I am not expecting that to be instant. There are some good players within the squad though so I’ll be using the rest of this campaign in order to start building a system around them and working out where the holes are within the squad. I’m keen to get stuck in though and we’ve actually got quite a nice run of fixtures for me to sink my teeth into. Cape Town City FC: 2025/26 Review I’ll keep this short and sweet but it’s fair to say that the beginning of my time with Cape Town City has been a struggle. I inherited a team at in 11th and despite a few promising results we ended up finishing the campaign one place worse off in 12th. I’m not too unhappy as I joined after the transfer window had shut and so couldn’t add any new faces. We played some encouraging stuff despite results not being great and that sets us up well. I’m hoping to add some quality through the summer and look to push the side upwards next season. I’m only being given £200,000 to spend on new faces though and so that will definitely make it a busy and long summer as I hunt out some bargains. In good news it was nice to see my former side the Pretoria Callies go on and clinch survival in the league too. I’m looking forward to returning there next season with my new club. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) 2025/26 Cape Town City 12th (hired in 11th place) Challenge Progress Club 0/10 Domestic Leagues 0/10 Domestic Cups 0/5 Continental Championships 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament

Pretoria Callies: 2025/26 Review After a highly impressive season and a half in charge I took the opportunity to manage in the top flight after our league winning campaign last time around. I had hoped a top job with one of the big sides would become available during the off season, but it didn’t and so I signed a new deal to stay with the Callies for a maiden campaign in the Premier Division. We entered pre season with minimal space on our wage budget although we did manage to keep the majority of our players. In fact everybody I wanted to keep did indeed sign on to stay with the club. We entered the season with a tiny squad though and far less quality than the rest of the teams in the league. It’s fair to say things didn’t go to plan for us. I wasn’t surprised to be dismissed although I have to say I felt it was a bit of a premature decision. We had managed just a win and a draw across 11 matches but we’d actually played some pretty good football. We struggled to score goals though and that meant we suffered a lot of defeats. We were rock bottom but I felt with time we stood a slim chance of at least being competitive. A bump in the road but in truth not a costly one. This season was all about waiting for a bigger job and I knew when we were promoted we would be up against it. I would’ve hopefully left for a bigger club at the end of the campaign anyways so in truth it just pushed the process a little quicker. Saying that getting sacked is not a pleasing feeling and it’s only numbed by the pride I feel for the time I had with the club and the success we managed to achieve. Season Team Position Notes & Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2023/24 Pretoria Callies 5th (hired in 10th place) 2024/25 Pretoria Callies 1st(C) Challenge Progress Club 0/10 Domestic Leagues 0/10 Domestic Cups 0/5 Continental Championships 0/1 Club World Championship International 0/5 Continental Tournaments 0/1 World Tournament