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January 2036 - Odds & Ends. The transfer window opens, seeing 3 players join immediately (Mvondo, Cosic and Manga), a 4th joining in February (Brkic) and a 5th in March (Noah). Cosic will step directly into the 1st XI, replacing Malania who had agreed a $6M deal (plus 50% of next sale) to join Marcelo Gallardo's Bournemouth. Mvondo will continue to play for the 2nd XI, as Cosic's understudy. Manga, Brkic and Noah will each play from the bench for the 2nd XI -- providing us with depth, while also seeing minutes with the reserves. Meanwhile, TV revenue continues to tick up ever so slightly -- rising to $446k and $216k per team in the Erovnuli Liga and Erovnuli Liga 2, respectively.

The club to avoid? Stephane Dumont's Marseille, who sit 2nd in Ligue 1. Fortunately, we swerve them and will face BATE.

Uhh...perhaps someone should have told Rezo we're moving into a new stadium, named after him. Maybe they told Mat, who simply forgot to pass along the news. I don't know. It's a mystery.

Woe To Him Who Believes In Nothing Awoa Watch, 2035 The 3 of you following along will recall that a goal I set for myself upon taking the Cameroon job was to accomplish something I've never purposefully done (or tracked) in all my years playing CM/FM -- to have a player claim 1,000 appearances and goals, under my management, the latter of which has been known as the Danny Roberts Challenge (2016 Thread). Achille Awoa was the player who sparked this desire in me -- a desire which has survived several insanely busy months away from FM, and which is not at all diminished by my intention to deploy young Achille as a libero. As one does. Though we are still 12 in-game months away from Achille's arrival in Sagarejo, he continues to make waves in his native Cameroon. (Of course, appearances and goals for Canon Yaounde will not count towards the final totals.) All that being said, this is Achille as of December 2035. Saucy.

If You Ask Questions, You Cannot Avoid Answers December 2035 - Season Review Mat arrives for our traditional end of campaign khinkali and wine dinner still hungover from the night before. It is an auspicious start to what proves to be a candid discussion of the problems at the heart of our worst European campaign in recent years. A step backwards from the progress we had been making. Or so it seemed. We resist the temptation to blame ze Germans. The truth may hurt. But we must face it. The blame lies squarely on our shoulders. Like a Georgian parody of post-Ferguson Manchester United (albeit with better hair and more aerodynamic undergarments), we have spent the last few years in a perpetual state of rebuilding. Refocusing. Only, instead of paying over the odds for an assortment of players no other club wants, we've been locked in perpetual transition. An up-and-coming Georgian club, we allowed strong players to leave to make way for Georgian youth upon taking over the Crusaders. Then, promptly we let strong players leave to make way for Cameroonian youth. While the future is bright, the squad is a muddle with only three players over the age of 21, one of whom (Bebiashvili) is our 5th choice centerback, the others in our 2nd XI. Little wonder that we've struggled in big moments. There is talent in abundance -- arguably, this squad has more potential than any other we've assembled over the last 11 years. Like a fine wine, they simply need more time to develop. To settle. To meet their potential. When Mat interjects to point out that we have 5 players already lined up to join the club in the forthcoming transfer window, there is only one thing to be done...drink more wine. Goals for 2036: Win the lot, domestically. Make a run in the 2034/35 Europa Conference League knockout rounds. Qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds in 2036/37.

December 2035. Against Villa, we avoid falling prey to another Hiller masterclass. But in our effort to stop the ridiculously-named Englishman, his equally-ridiculously-named teammate runs rampant. 5-1. And not the good kind of 5-1. Especially not when we were as far off the pace as the scoreline might (and does) suggest. We already knew we were off to the Conference League. But this? This is just humiliating.

The Davit Kipiani Cup campaign concludes as one might expect, when facing a club in a fight to avoid relegation to the 3rd tier -- a 6-nil romp, with numerous players claiming various Cup accolades, including yet another Jughashvili Medal for our stylish youngsters.

The ignominy of the Conference League? We'll take it. After a horrid European campaign we confirm our qualification (fall?) for the Europa Conference League knockout rounds with a come-from-behind 2-1 win away to Zorya. Pretty? Not in the slightest. But pretty costs extra, as Mat always says.

November 2035 - World Cup Qualifying, Second Round. We enter qualifying in the Second Round -- a two-legged playoff against Chad for the right to reach the Group Stage. On paper, there isn't any question as to who the better squad is. The first leg in N'Djamena starts out utterly one-sided...until Chad claim a weak goal against the run of play in the 12th minute. When Agoume misses a penalty in the 19th minute, an ominous chill washes over me. Matt disappears down the tunnel, aghast...until Azong finally breaks our duck in the 29th and Abega gives us the lead in the 28th...opening the floodgates as we run out to a 9-1 win, a statement result given how poorly we started. Back in Douala, we can rotate the squad. We are guaranteed passage to the Group Stage, after all. Kameni starts us off on the front foot with a goal in the 2nd minute, and we are once again off to the races -- 8-nil, with 5 from Kameni. Suck it, Chad. We will face Togo, Guinea and Zimbabwe in the Group Stage.

****.

October 2035 (continued). 2 wins from 6 matches? Not good enough lads, even if we are on the verge of wrapping up the Erovnuli Liga title. If we can sneak a win over over Amiens, then perhaps we can start turning the corner...

Sometimes I worry that I'm not the hero everyone thinks I am. Mat assures me that this is the time, that the signs have been met. But I still wonder if he has the wrong man. So many people depend on me. They say I will hold the future of Georgian football on my arms. What would they think if they knew that their champion - their hero, their savior - doubted himself? Perhaps they wouldn't be shocked at all. In a way, this is what worries me most. Maybe, in their hearts, they wonder - just as I do. When they see me, do they see a liar?

October 2035. Frustration is the word of the day against Algeria, as the lads never get out of 1st gear. Against Zimbabwe, however, a relatively young XI comes out flying, led by Awoa -- who smashes a free kick off the bar in the 3rd minute and claims our 2nd with a penalty en route to a PotM performance. It isn't the rout we wanted but it is enough as we put the last friendly of the year to bed, with qualifiers ahead in November.

Maybe I shouldn't have trusted Mat with the negotiations...

It's all gas, no brakes in Birmingham on Matchday 2, featuring a 22-minute hat trick from the French Poodle and 7 first-half goals. The funny thing? Statistically, we could have won the match. If we hadn't conceded 7, of course. But we did. So we didn't. Another fun night for the "neutrals" -- 2 matches into the Group Stage, and we've scored 7 while conceding 10.

**** my life.

I think Hillier heard Mat making fun of his name during the pre-match warmups. Took it all personally, like.

Matt was incredulous. "How good can that Hillier guy be? An English bloke with a Frenchified name like that?" Oh. ****.

September 2035. Another "vintage" night in Europe, to kick off the Europa League -- conceding 2 goals on 2 shots to the Ukrainians before romping to a 2-goal lead...only to concede a 3rd and endure 5 nervous minutes before the final whistle in a 4-3 win over Zorya. "Vintage" being a euphemism for "crap." Although I am certain the proverbial "neutrals" "enjoyed it," the ****s that they are. The reserves claim their 5th straight Erovnuli Liga 2 title -- a testament to our continued strength in depth (for the like of Georgia) even if we have been unable to mount a serious European campaign.

September 2035 - Youth Intake Review. The indefatigable, ever-optimistic promise of youth. The ephemeral "what if" that accompanies each graduating class. This year, our hopes are not necessarily met, but not dashed. A slew of "good" talent in the mix -- another Macharadze in goal, Koberidze looking solid in the back line, Givi "the Greek" Abzhandadze looking like a monster in the attack, and even the token Norwegian (which any self-respecting club must have in this day and age). Is it the class we dreamed of? Is there anyone in here ready to push for time with the senior squad? No. And, no. But we'll take it.

September 2035 - International Break. Typically, the international break feels like it is wedged into the calendar. Stuck where it doesn't belong. (In that regard, it brings back uncomfortable memories of middle school.) But I digress. This time around? We needed the break. A chance to cleanse the palate, so to speak. Friendlies against the Gambia and Uganda in Yaounde are just the ticket. (After all, why would we travel for a friendly?!) We aren't brilliant. But we're good enough. And it was an excuse to play some Mario Kart with Awoa, to build rapport ahead of his transfer. Time well spent.

[Profanities redacted.]

August 2035 - Europa League Draw. Surprisingly, our European record means we enter the draw as a 1st Seed. A ray of sunshine. Momentarily, at least. We draw Vladimir Ilic's Aston Villa, Zorya and Sebastian Dailly's Amiens -- teams from 2 of the "big" 5, far from the straightforward draw we were hoping for.