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Greenways FC - 5th Season Vanarama National League South - 1st FA Trophy - 3rd Round FA Cup - 4th Round

4th season done and another promotion and league win. The success has clearly got to the board's heads as they are expecting a win in the Vanarama South next season. Hopefully our run continues.

Season three done with a league and cup double. Some great progress made thanks to a solid run in the FA Cup before we narrowly lost to Stevenage in the second round. Facilities started at 3, 2, 1, 1 (out of 20) Still waiting to find the site for our new stadium. It's a ridiculous size for this level - I'd be shocked of it'll actually be this big! We will likely need another decent run in the FA Cup to keep the money coming in.

Season ticked over before I could grab the competition screenshots - was busy bolstering the squad with Premier League and Championship youth rejects that are now at least entertaining the prospect of joining us.

Final league table at the end of our first season with Greenways. Dropped just seven points in the league and finished the season on a 20 match win streak - not surprising given 7 of the media dream 11 belong to us.

Great to be starting this challenge again. Kicking off things with AFC St Austell, a club with a long, dare I say, pointless history. The Lillywhites play at the 6,000 capacity Poltair Park, and have no plans to move for the foreseeable future. St Austell have no scouting network to speak of, and being based in the depths of Cornwall, there are very few neighbouring clubs of note to build relationships with. Self-imposed restrictions include: All staff through job adverts No use of player search - all players through scout reports, intermediary suggestions, inbox items, Director of Football suggestions One in one out on player signings - maintain a squad that has at most a first XI and backup XI. If a player comes in, the incumbent needs to go out before any other signings can be made

All Roads Lead to Radstock - Season #11 32/33 After their team's historic rise through the English football pyramid, Radstock's football-mad community was awash with excitement for the first season in the Premier League. Starting off with a respectable loss against Newcastle and draws against Leicester and Brentford, Radstock Town announced to the world that they had arrived and wouldn't be the pushovers predicted by the media. The jump in quality was noticeable, particularly in defence with goals much harder to come by as Radstock broke their own team record for games without a goal twice during poor runs in October and December. Those were the only periods during an otherwise impressive season, which saw them do the double over Man Utd, as well as a memorable 3-0 home win against Arsenal, and scoring 12 goals across 2 matches against Wolves. After a long barren period in the middle of the season, Owen Kane scored some key goals on his way to reaching double figures for the season in the league. Easy wins against League 1 and League 2 opponents kicked off Radstock's FA Cup run before a tough tie against Spurs at home. 4 goals in the first 13 minutes saw off the current holders, before the Miners disappointingly lost 3-0 to Brighton in the quarter final. The less said about the club's early exit from the Carabao Cup the better. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Vanarama National League South 1 46 Vanarama National League 1 72 League 2 0 85 League 1 1 107 Championship 1 132 Total 542

All Roads Lead to Radstock - Season #10 31/32 For most people, the pressure of managing a football team would be too much. But Mike Dando is not most people. Throughout his decade at the helm of Radstock Town, a side completely unknown outside of their district, he has shown the grit, passion and imagination necessary to prove all those who have underestimate him along the way. After each promotion, the armchair experts at home and in the media predicted that that plucky Radstock had finally reached their ceiling, and each time Dando proved them wrong. Now, in his tenth season, Mike Dando has taken Radstock to the zenith of English football, the Premier League - his final and hardest challenge in the domestic game. It wasn't just the league where Radstock shone. After failing to win a single EFL Cup match in any of their previous three seasons, Radstock Town enjoyed an astonishing run that saw them through to the Semi-Final, including a huge upset in the Quarter-Final against the eventual Premier League champions, Man City. After a thrilling 3-3 draw, where Radstock showed the determination and spirit to come from behind three times, Dando's men held their nerve to win on penalties. Radstock's board has supported Dando with continued investment that has given the club one of the best youth academies in the country. This year's class was especially impressive, boasting some players that have the potential to be superstars for the club for years to come. And to get the club ready for top flight football, a brand new stadium is finally being built as the club says goodbye to Yeovil Town's Huish Park, a ground that Radstock has called home since the National League South. While the Radstock Town Stadium is being built, the club will ground share at Bristol City's 27,000 all-seater stadium, Ashton Gate. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Vanarama National League South 1 46 Vanarama National League 1 72 League 2 0 85 League 1 1 107 Championship 1 132 Total 542

I thought so too when I first did this last year, but the challenge says you get the points regardless of whether you win the league or are promoted. You don't get to add to the trophy tally though, as you didn't win the title.

All Roads Lead To Radstock - Season #9 30/31 Radstock's first season in the second tier of English football was both memorable and forgettable in equal measure. Despite proving the media's persistent predictions of failure wrong, Mike Dando's overachievers were again predicted for a rock bottom finish. The sound of a familiar tune played out again as Radstock Town defied expectations by sitting comfortably in the top half of the table throughout the season. At times, Radstock Town looked on course for a 9th successive promotion, but the jump in quality was too much for Dando's men to overcome as they dropped outside the Top 6 towards the business end of the season. A late charge gave a glimmer of hope, and on the final game of the season Radstock needed a win over Blackpool, while relying on Bristol City to do them a favour by beating Sunderland. Dando didn't hold back in his criticism of their local rival's poor season, and there were question marks around the Bristol City's decision to field an inexperienced team of youngsters and squad players. It turned out not to matter, as Radstock failed to break down Blackpool's defence and the match ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw. Despite the disappointing drop of form in the league, the Miners' reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time. Starting in the third round, Radstock scored a late equalizer to take Norwich City to a replay, which they convincingly won 4-0 at home. Next up were Premier League club, Burnley, where a hat trick from the eventual Championship Golden Boot winner, Rob Brain inspired Radstock to a 3-2 victory at Turf Moor in the fourth round. Radstock Town's run came to an end as they travelled to the impressive Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A 3-1 win flattered the visitors, and if it wasn't for a great performance between the sticks by Radstock's Evan Watts, it could have been much worse. A packed out crowd witnessed the game and the £1.2m share of the gate receipts helped to put the club in a comfortable financial position moving into the 31/32 season. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Vanarama National League South 1 46 Vanarama National League 1 72 League 2 0 85 League 1 1 107 Total 410

All Roads Lead To Radstock - Season #8 29/30 Despite wrongly predicting Radstock Town's success in all but a couple of seasons during their historic run up the English football ladder, the media were yet again convinced that the Miners would be relegated. Dando again proved that reputation and financial muscle are no match for guile and innovation as Radstock Town added the Sky Bet League 1 to their ever expanding trophy case. Despite having to wait until the last day to clinch the title, Radstock sat atop the league since November, and aside from a poor run of losses in February, looked comfortable throughout. The cups were a slight disappointment with narrow losses against tough teams in the early stages of all three cups at this level. Dando may need to reassess his rotation-heavy approach to the cups if getting to the latter stages becomes a bigger priority for the board as the club continues to grow. Youth intake was solid, if not remarkable this year. Hard-working striker Alimamy Kallon is the pick of the bunch, but his lack of ambition could stop him reaching his full potential. After a 2 year search, the club is still looking for a site for the new stadium. Hopefully the board can locate somewhere suitable before long as forcing fans to travel an hour from Radstock to Yeovil for home matches is impacting supporter growth. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Vanarama National League South 1 46 Vanarama National League 1 72 League 2 0 85 League 1 1 107 Total 410

All Roads Lead To Radstock - Season #7 28/29 Consolidation. A word often used by experienced managers who understand when their team doesn't have a hope in hell of success. A word, apparently, that Radstock Town gaffer, Mike Dando doesn't understand. With a media prediction of 24th, the newly-promoted and recently turned professional Radstock Town were spending less than half per week on wages than the next lowest club in League Two, and all signs were pointing to a very tough season. After kicking off the season with 3 losses from their first 4 matches, it looked as though the media were finally right about Radstock's prospects. Football though is a funny old game, and after a fruitful deadline day which saw no fewer than five season-long loanees enter the fold, Radstock's fortunes seemed to lift up. After winning 13 of the remaining 23 league games in 2028, Radstock found themselves in the hunt for promotion. With Port Vale sitting comfortably in the top spot, never dropping less than 10 points between them and second, Radstock joined 7 other well-establish Football League teams in the battle for the other two automatic promotion spots. Wins against promotion rivals Southend, as well as hard fought draws against Port Vale, Accrington Stanley and Cambridge helped Radstock to maintain its position in 3rd, and a late winner against Oldham clinched a historic promotion to League One. Loanee Rob Brain's 28 goals were vital, as were defensive performances from Bristol City's promising centre back Peter James and Nottingham Forest youth keeper Dessie Whelan, really demonstrating the value of loans at this level, as well as Dando's shrewd deadline day dealings with all three players' salaries still paid by their parent club. Radstock's debut performance in the EFL Cup will swiftly be forgotten after they were knocked out in the first round by League Two local rivals Bristol Rovers, who went down to 10 men in the first half. After going through top of the group stage in the EFL Trophy, Radstock came unstuck after going ahead against a strong Cheltenham Town team in the Second Round. The FA Cup proved yet again to be a profitable endeavour for Radstock. A comfortable 3-1 win against League Two Gillingham was followed by a nervy 4-3 victory against Cambridge United. Radstock's run in the Cup wouldn't go on for much longer, after being professionally put aside by Chelsea's B team, however, the away tie brought in £1m in gate receipt revenue, which paved the way for new training facilities and more investment in the club's youth setup. As of the end of the season, the club now boasts a youth academy to match some Premier League clubs - although the rest of the facilities still feel very non-League. The investment is really starting to pay off in a big way now, with the talent from this year's intake obvious for all to see. Full back Duncan Dawson is by far and away the most promising player to come through the club's youth system. With no real weaknesses, the club's coaching team expect him to make the jump to the first team within a couple of years and could play at a Championship level if his development continues in the right way. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Vanarama National League South 1 46 Vanarama National League 1 72 SkyBet League 2 0 85 Total 303

All Roads Lead To Radstock - Season #6 27/28 With Radstock Town's comfortable title-winning run in the Vanarama South still fresh in the memory, Mike Dando bolstered his side with the recently rejected talents from Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd's globally renowned youth academies. Feeling confident after a good pre-season and opening 5-1 win over established Vanarama National side, Barnet, Dando's unique brand of deep defenders, hard working midfielders and pacey strikers appeared to be the perfect ingredients to take the infamously tricky National League by storm. Unfortunately, what happened next was not part of the plan with Radstock losing three straight matches for the first time in Dando's tenure, whilst conceding 9 goals. The professional clubs in the National League were not about to roll over and let Radstock walk the league. A change of philosophy was needed, with Dando realising that his defenders were amongst the fastest in the league. Sticking with the old faithful 4-4-2, Dando pushed his defenders higher and, leveraging his team's unparalleled work rate, stamina and determination, instructed his team to harry and pressure from the front. What happened next was the turnaround to end all turnarounds, with Radstock winning their next 15 matches, smashing the record for straight wins in the league. With their rivals struggling for consistency, Radstock secured the league with 4 matches remaining on the way to breaking the record for most games won and most points in a single season. More excitement followed in the FA Cup, with the club reaching the 3rd Round for the first time in their history. A couple of easy ties in the 4th Qualifying Round and 1st Round proper were followed by a tough away match to Cheltenham Town. A fortunate late equalizer for Cheltenham took the match to a replay, where former Chelsea youth prospect George Haruna set up all three goals in a historic 3-2 victory, setting up a 3rd round tie away to Norwich City. Norwich, who despite spending their entire 27/28 season in the Premier League relegation zone, possessed too much quality for Radstock Town, with a 2-0 win that could have been much worse. However the proceeds from the gate receipts softened the blow for the semi-professional side, bringing in £300k. With the coffers looking healthy, Radstock's Chairman invested in the club, committing to new youth facilities, as well as improvements to the youth recruitment and junior coaching. The club will see the benefits of this investment in the years to come. With Radstock moving into the same division as its affiliate Bristol Rovers that relationship has been severed, as per the contract - however, the board has already started the hunt for both parent and feeder affiliates. It was unfortunately a quiet year on the youth intake front, with Radstock-born Tom Reilly the pick of the bunch. Sporting a strong set of eyebrows, Reilly is already talented enough to play in the Regional Premier Divisions, although the club's coaching team don't believe there's much more beyond that for him. At 6'6" he has the height to be a nuisance at any level, but sadly his terrible eyesight, extreme lack of intelligence and terrible haircut mean that the ball rarely goes where he wants off his head. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Vanarama National League South 1 46 Vanarama National League 1 72 Total 218

All Roads Lead To Radstock - Season #5 26/27 The media are finally starting to get it: Radstock Town under the stewardship of Mike Dando are not to be underestimated. Slated for a playoff finish, Radstock romped home to win the league by 8 points, scoring 111 goals, half a goal per game more than any other team. Strong runs in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy helped springboard the club's reputation, and a fortunate away tie to well-supported Ipswich Town in the FA Cup second round delivered a windfall for the club. The board immediately signed off on Dando's request for improvements to the training facilities, which will undoubtedly help the club attract and retain better players. The club's commitment to getting the most out of its junior talent is producing a steady stream of potential squad players for the future. The most promising of these is the club's titanic left back, Tyquan Cannonier, who is a freakishly big 6'4" at the age of 16. He has great technique for a big lad, possesses a decent footballing brain that belies his age, and isn't afraid to get stuck in. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Vanarama National League South 1 46 Total 146

All Roads Lead To Radstock - Season #4 25/26 Another season, another overachievement. Tipped to be fighting for relegation (again), Dando's newly promoted Radstock Town swept aside a host of former Vanarama National South clubs on their way to a historic championship win in the Southern League Premier South. Radstock led the division for most of the season, spearheaded by their impressive front-line that helped score a club-record 110 league goals. With their rising status in the English game and increased investment from the board following a successful FA Cup run, Radstock has built a decent-sized squad of players from across the South of England. The strength in depth now available to Mike Dando helped keep poor results at bay when key players were injured or tired, as well as providing admirable performances in the FA Trophy and Southern League Cup. With the club balance looking healthy, the Radstock Town board have acquiesced to Dando's request to invest in the club's youth setup, namely recruitment and junior coaching. This year's youth intake is already showing signs of real promise with a handful of talents that look to be capable of breaking into the first team within a few seasons. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Southern League Premier South 1 35 Total 100

All Roads Lead To Radstock - Season #3 24/25 After limping over the line in the 23/24 season, consolidation was the objective for Radstock Town's first ever season in the 8th Tier. With the board's savvy financial approach and insistence that the club only hires when necessary , gaffer Mike Dando prioritised defensive stability with his limited transfer activity by bolstering the backline with a new left back, centre back and keeper. After a rocky start and subsequent tactical tweak, the miners lost just one game from October onwards, and went on a club record breaking 11-game winning streak to lift the Southern League Division 1 South. With 10 wins by just a single goal, as well as conceding the fewest number of goals in the league, the defensive additions played a vital part in the club's third successive promotion and league win. With a small first team squad, Radstock's youth talents were again given the chance in the league cups and off the bench. Unsurprisingly, they failed to perform in the cups, with Radstock getting knocked out in the first opportunity in both the FA Trophy and Southern League Cup. However, with a 3rd place finish in the National U18 South West League, competing against current and former Vanarama National League clubs, as well as an uncharacteristic commitment by the board to increase spending for the clubs junior coaching, the future is looking bright. Among the most promising players from Radstock's academy (Ladstock?) is Irish-born Defensive Midfielder James Doyle, who has already seen game time for the first team. With James' ability to spot a pass and his undeniable technique, Radstock are now able to actually play out from the back, relying less on long balls that simply won't work against the teams in the Southern League Premier. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Southern League Division 1 South 1 30 Total 65

All Roads Lead to Radstock (again) - Season #2 23/24 To suggest that Radstock Town's 23/24 season was a failure would be hyperbole. After all, the Miners secured a second consecutive league title and promotion, as well as the club's highest ever finish. However, after last season's comfortable run in the Western League Division 1, the increase in quality at this level was clear. With his commitment to prioritise local talent, Mike Dando's goal to rise through the league system swiftly and comfortably is starting to seem overly ambitious and unrealistic. Without the resources and national scope of competitors, Dando will be relying increasingly on his intuition, getting the most out of his players and a good dollop of luck to ensure success in this forgotten corner of the South West. However, it is not all doom and gloom. With a media prediction of 17th and odds of 50/1 for the league title, Radstock performed well above expectations. The club's focus on local talent has seen it bring in some very promising young players that are being given the chance to flourish and grow. One of these players, Ade Gribble has some impressive talent and potential for this level, and there is genuine excitement around the club for Dando's Babes. Getting these future superstars signed onto part time contracts will be a priority when Radstock Town are an official Tier 8 club. As the club moves through the pyramid, their ability to look further afield for players naturally grows, as does its desirability for players to relocate. Radstock's first player outside of Somerset and the surrounding counties is promising striker Wes Bloomfield, who boasts some impressive physical and technical ability. Wes was on trial at a Wiltshire-based club, which brought him onto Radstock's radar. While the club is far from being able to send its volunteer scouts across the country to find hidden talent, the club is starting to build its reputation as a testing ground for young players who have not been given the chance to show the world what they've got. Wes perfectly demonstrates the opportunity that Radstock offers with an impressive return of vital goals on the way to the club's title-winning season. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Western League Premier Division 1 20 Total 35

All Roads Lead to Radstock (again) - Season #1 22/23 Radstock, the home of shattered dreams and lost hope; a place so stuck in time that it would take the heroics of its football club to claw this town back from the depths of obscurity. That football club is the never-famous Radstock Town Football Club. A club so devoid of success, that they have not won a trophy since the 1985, when the Miners finally got their hands on the highly coveted but sadly now defunct Somerset Senior Cup. Now loitering in the doldrums of the tenth tier of the English football pyramid, Radstock Town has lost its winning mentality. Bringing with him a thirst for success and the imagination needed to make those dreams a reality, not to mention a dashing tache, Radstock's Gaffer Mike Dando hit the ground running in the 2022/23 season. Working within his limited means, Mike was only able to bring in fresh talent when his players left for pastures new, and was restricted to local has-beens that reached the cusp of the football league - albeit more than 15 years ago in some cases - or youth prospects from other teams in the Western League Division 1. Despite these limitations, Dando had a dandy debut season at the helm, taking Radstock Town to the 9th tier of English football for the first time in their history, and did that as Champions. Dando didn't do this alone and credit is owed primarily to striker, Cameron Allen. Allen, who spent his youth career at nearby Bristol City, was passed around on loan to various clubs in Somerset and Wiltshire but sadly never really got the chance to shine with a prolonged place in a first team squad. This all changed when he joined Radstock Town as the club's record earner, bringing home £20 per game + £4 for every goal he scored - and boy did he take advantage of that bonus. In all competitions, Allen scored a breath-taking 58 goals in 45 matches, playing in all but 1 competitive match for Radstock. He comfortably won a clean sweep at the Western League Division 1 awards ceremony, where a generous buffet and drinks tokens were available, taking home the Golden Boot and Player of the Season, as well as the division's Team of the Year. Radstock hasn't ever seen a player of his calibre and talent, so Allen's inclusion as the club's first Icon is not surprising. Competition Number of Times Won Points Western League Division 1 1 15 Total 15

As mentioned on the Discord, I'm starting again with the updated database to make it a bit more challenging. Also enforcing a few additional rules for realism/immersion, namely: Until we have an actual scout network (3 scouts + head scout with at least 8/8 for judging potential and current ability), we can only sign players that meet the following criteria: Based in Somerset. This includes players born in Somerset, or their last club was a Somerset based club e.g. Bath City, Yeovil Town etc. Playing for a club in the same or surrounding divisions. Surrounding divisions limited to the division below and above, not others at the same tier. Until we become a professional club. We can only proactively upgrade 3 players per season. However, we can replace players who leave on their own accord, either by poaching or leaving at the end of their contracts. We should try to prioritise players from our youth academy where possible. No hard rule, but I'm aiming for a minimum of 5 club homegrown players in the match squad for each game, injuries permitting. This philosophy also extends to recruitment, where local lads will only be replaced for significant upgrades. I will also look to select my captains from our group of homegrown players.

All Roads Lead to Radstock: Season 2 Summary After the record-breaking heroics of last season, the question on the lips of every Miners fan was obvious: could they do it again? With the weight of expectation looming heavy over the club, not to mention having to compete in the coveted FA Cup, as well as playing against tougher sides week in week out, all the signs were pointing to a long, hard campaign. That was until former-Tottenham striker, Jaden Williams responded to Radstock's plea to lead the line at the newly refurbished, 450 seater Southfields Recreation Ground. Williams got off to a flyer, almost reaching an average of two goals a game across all competitions, as he helped spearhead the Miners to the first round proper of the FA Cap. Sadly, all fairy tales must come to an end, and after being knocked out by League One MK Dons, Williams suffered a nasty broken ankle that cut his season short. Taking over from the injured Williams was local hero and Radstock Town's first bona fide club legend, Jaylan Wildbore, who after getting himself in a bit of a state about the club's refusal to invest in training facilities, calmed down and started doing what he does best, scoring goals by the bucket load. Linking up well with target forward, Rob Street, Wildbore not only managed to secure the Western Premier League's golden boot from under Williams' nose, he also managed to do it with a big chunk of his games coming off the bench. The quality of Radstock's strikers cannot be overstated, with all three managing more than a goal per game. A special shout out is owed to Isaac Vassell, who was originally brought in from Championship side Cardiff as a target forward. Vassell played the entire season on the wing and managed to smash the most assists record at both club and division level. Powered by an abundance of attacking quality and a highly aggressive 424 formation, Radstock recorded their highest ever finish in the English football pyramid, as they won a second consecutive treble. But it's not all plain sailing from this point. Following Radstock's promotion, player and staff wages are growing exponentially and Jaden Williams, along with several other key players have already moved onto National League teams. To keep the books balanced and the good times rolling into this long forgotten corner of the world, an FA Cup run next season will be vital.

Radstock is not a significant town in the grand scheme of things. But if Radstock Town's first season under the stewardship of local lad, Tom Johnson is anything to go by, it could be the home of something special in the years to come. Leveraging the power, affordability and, frankly, unfathomable desirability of amateur contracts, The Miners managed to attract some of the finest players ever to grace the tenth tier of English football. With this elite squad of Premier and Football League youth team cast offs, they set about destroying records one by one. Spearheaded by frontman Jaylan Wildbore, who scored enough goals to make Haaland blush, Radstock Town became treble winners, bringing some of the country's most coveted silverware to the Mendip Hills. It's now June and several of Radstock's heroes have already moved onto bigger and better things, but this season will doubtless live long in the memory for the dozens that witnessed it in person.

Posting here for the leaderboard but will do a full season summary a bit later. Long story short, the amateur contracts enabled me to build the best squad I am likely to have until we get to the Vanarama South. Next season will be interesting now I have to pay players and staff!

Here we go again. Changing it up a bit this year and going with a team that is local to where I grew up. Here's my manager profile. I prioritized determination as that is the defining attribute for getting your way with the board, apparently. I was turned down often for requests for affiliates and upgrading facilities last time round, so hopefully this will address that.

Back to back quintuples and the Club World Cup to boot. It feels like a ludicrous amount of success over the past three seasons, and I'm curious to understand why. I've been playing FM since CM2 Italia and I've never had such a dominant team, outside of using the pre-game editor to add a bunch of 200 CA school mates when I was a teenager. I've narrowed it down to four potential reasons. 1) I'm a tactical savant (I'm not) 2) I've accidentally stumbled on an OP tactic 3) The game has reached a point where the young, speedy regens have a lower CA than aging real-life stars so the AI is picking players past their physical best that struggle to deal with my high press 4) FM22 is easier I was considering my next move as it's important this stays as a journeyman save, although I'm quite interested to see how long this dominance can last. I don't think I will be able to keep this up for another season! Oh, I won the Euros and Nations League with Italy as well this season, so I'm leaning towards 2) and 4)

What a season! Led by 50-goal Spanish striker, Guille Terma, we managed to complete a clean sweep, remaining unbeaten in all competitions. Following our UEFA Super Cup victory against Dortmund, we beat Inter comfortably to take home the Italian Supercup. None of the big teams in Serie A posed much of a threat as we dropped just 12 points all season. Our attacking players won most of the plaudits in the media, with Modena legend Paulo Fernandes taking the Golden Shoe; however, Austria's number one keeper, Lukas Jungwirth was impenetrable in goal, achieving a record-matching 23 clean sheets. I don't have the Italian Cup news screenshot, but here are the fireworks. We had a very straightforward cup campaign for us this season, culminating in a comfortable victory against a Lazio team that were hamstrung by an early red card. And finally, the big one. After sailing through the Champions League group stages, we were rewarded by drawing PSG in the first knockout round, a repeat of last season's final. Last year we were the worst side and were honestly quite lucky to win. This season was different. The first match was a tight affair in Paris, where we held them to a 1-1 draw. Back in Modena, however, the home advantage showed through with a 6-0 thrashing, including a hat trick for Terma. Next we took on Sevilla, who were no match for us either. We easily pushed them aside, winning more comfortably than the 3-1 aggregate score suggests. Real Madrid were up next in the Semi Final, and again we put 6 past one of the best teams in the world, with Killian Mbappe managing to score a late consolation goal for them. Back in Madrid, we held onto an early 2 goal lead to win 8-1 on aggregate. The final wasn't as much of a goal-fest, with our defence, led by Croatian wonderkid Tin Stanic, holding Liverpool's expensive and talented front four to just 6 shots. Paulo Fernandes' goal midway through the first half was the only thing separating the teams at the final whistle, although we did hit the woodwork on 3 occasions. Still, after such a crazy and successful season, I definitely welcomed a slightly calmer final game. Our success on the pitch has taken us to number 5 in the global reputation ranking. Which after just 5 years, starting in Serie B, is something I'm pretty pleased with. Our stadium will be finished at the end of next season, so I feel like we need to have at least a couple more years here before we move on. Now I'm looking forward to the Euros in my role as Italy manager, hoping to take our success at Modena onto the international stage.