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I might actually be a creep, but for some reason I have always thought of this song as "Special", (both in name and nature). In any case, I would like to dedicate my Beta save to someone who, at this very early stage, is at least hinting, that he just possibly, might be...... a little bit special. I've never managed in Austria, and if my FM19 soujourn in France, Brazil and most Nordic Nations tells me anything, it suggest that trying new things can be fun. This bloke has really caught my eye this season in real life and I thought that watching him fill his boots, (he will even be taking free-kicks and pens away from GK's), could be fun while I see what's what in the Beta. The updates are going to be player-based rather than team-based, but to be honest I am making this up as I go so who knows what's going to happen. The only thing I know for absolute certainty, is that his Dad hates Roy Keane and the feeling is mutual.

I Know you don't ever test the game since 2017 on ubuntu. But I continue to play FM on it, and i'ts OK with FM 18 and 19. And for the first time, the game doesn't work. I've seen this screen attached, or just a black screen. Could you help me? Thanks!

Dear all, does someone know if the BETA Version provides Online or Network Managing (Playing together with frinds by net)? Thank you. Best regards WK

309. I had been to the 40 000 all-seater Campéon del Siglo before. At the time I was hopeful of managing the then 40-year old legend who scored the first goal at this new stadium in 2016: Diego Forlan. He’d returned from a stint in India to play for Fénix, a struggling side that had just been promoted against all odds. After finishing his career there, in hindsight he should have retired after he came back over to Montevideo for the first time. Returning to his boyhood club after a four-year post-Europe tour in Brazil and Japan, he scored the goals to sign them off in their old stadium and get them going in their new one. It was a fairy tale 12 months, winning the Campeonato Uruguayo halfway through the new transition back to the calendar year league format. If I could find out where he was, maybe he could be tempted to work as an assistant at the third most successful finalists in Copa Libertadores history: Club Atlético Peñarol. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics’ South American Club of the Century had won more than 50 domestic titles and kept pace with Argentinean monsters River Plate and Boca Juniors in continental competition, although Independiente were a modern-day colossus with three Copa Libertadores wins in a row. Their rivalry with Nacional was immense; if one didn’t win the title the other would. This was a huge job. Ecuadorean side Liga de Quito are in town, the only side to have dropped points against Peñarol, and were going home with nothing more than participation money. Since that opening fixture Manyas had lost every game in the competition, and back to back defeats against River hardly helped their heavyweight claims. Paraguayan side Libertad currently topped the group by two points and only needed to avoid a loss in Argentina – this was not a campaign that should have been thrown away. The Uruguayan side had only scored two goals and remarkably both came in the first minute in Ecuador and Paraguay before throwing the game away. A cool shower descended over the city. At least 35 000 people had turned up to see this game and if anyone was stupid enough to not take their seats before kick-off they would be rushing in after that roar from the crowd. From the off the ball was worked wide left of the 4-2-3-1 DM Wide formation and Saracchi beat his man on the wing and whipped in a deep cross which was headed up in the air by the Liga de Quito defence. Right winger Sirino didn’t let two thoughts enter his head and hit the sweetest volley into the near post to make it 1-0 inside 15 seconds! Lightning had struck a third time in the first minute for Peñarol. The defensive box employed by the Ecuadoreans had a long night on. The visitors did well to control the ball thereafter but an incisive move in and around the box got the hosts 2-0 to the good, Sirino again providing the finish. Number ten Elizari had played a lovely square ball with his back to goal to assist the strike. After quarter of an hour the game is surely settled now. A knee injury to Saracchi saw play subdued and he didn’t reappear for the second half. Sirino took a knock soon after and the visitors made two quick changes to try and get back in the game. The home side’s defence had little to do and it looked like complacency was setting in. Liga de Quito were very frustrated but the manager showed no tactical guile is trying to alter the game, just throwing on his third substitute to freshen up the central column once more. Peñarol were quick to win the ball with possession lost and that tenacity saw left wing substitute Rodríguez drive at the opposition and cross into the middle. Again the ‘keeper punched clear but not far enough. Sirino… hat-trick! A crashing hit across the goalkeeper for a marvellous trio of goals, Elizari again the master of the one-touch assist. He was taken off for a well-deserved ovation soon after. Rodríguez still wanted his name in lights, if only as a subheading, and came inside to strike low and hard into the bottom corner with a quarter of an hour left. It had been a terrific performance from the attacking midfielders but caretaker Jorge Gonçalves, a Peñarol veteran of 20 years as player and staff, had recognised the lack of mobility with the striker and replaced him five minutes previous. The game petered out. The defensive players had been so tough all night long and rightly celebrated together while the attackers congratulated each other. The tactic created these divisions but it was fantastic to see these men turn a corner as one. The Valencia Football Review called to clarify a few things about my departure, completely unaware of where I was, and it felt good to talk away from home. I wouldn’t have to look anyone in the eye in response to what they read in the newspapers. Peñarol would keep me waiting until the Intermedio was a fortnight away before offering an interview. It had been an expensive five days at short notice in the hotel. New president Carlos Ádrian Noble had formally invited me by letter but on the day the director Ricardo Peluffo was the only one at the interview. There was a managing director who could not make it as well as another, less senior director who was now away on holiday. It seemed like this was at least plausible, despite the yarns I have been spun by suits in the past. He wasn’t a man to get on the wrong side of; immediately he spoke of his ‘considerable reservations’ about the time I spent at my previous clubs. I rode the storm and stuck my neck out, asking about the data analysis facilities and if the training ground was at the level required to dominate Uruguayan football. I had to impress this guy after all. He eventually let the business mask slip and looked to be warming to me, or maybe he had just forgotten that conversations with the manager didn’t have to be a terse post-defeat war. I begged him to take a chance on me. I explained how my ground-breaking approach last season had led to a win ratio of 67% and it would never be bettered at Mestalla. I cheekily told him I’d also won every cup I’ve ever entered, and we shared a laugh. Have I convinced him?

252. The next morning, we were back at Cuidad Deportiva de Paterna. Ortiz is now a trusted assistant and his playing experience would be a massive asset to these starlets. He knew what it meant to be some young kid trying to find his way at a big club’s B team, having come through the ranks at Atlético. He broke through into the first team La Liga squad but soon left on a two-year loan to Osasuna to add to his game time. When that diminished, he dropped down to the Segunda Division for a year before an eventful four years at Almeria. Upon relegation he was sold to Scottish titans Rangers for € 1M. That didn’t work out and this was where his hindsight could help our players. He was loaned back for that second half of the season before being brought back to La Liga. After battling relegation at Granada, he saw out his final year on loan in the Valencian community at Hércules in the Segunda Division, yet he was to suffer another relegation. The bravery to go abroad again at 32 was commendable, and he was rewarded with a three year stay at AEK Larnakas in Cyprus, finishing league runners up behind a five-time league winning giant in APOEL. He had been all around Spain and across the water twice. It was certainly something for these players to learn from every day in training. He would earn respect. Director General Mateu Alemany met us at the door, introduced himself and fellow director Juanma Lora, and beckoned to follow him into the meeting room. Owner Peter Lim wasn’t there, and neither was club president Anil Murthy. Were they coming later? No, came the curt reply. They will contact you when they see fit – they have a La Liga club to run. Alemany ran operations and was our boss. If we couldn’t get hold of him then speak to Lora. The size of this club! They needed departments just to delineate the workload. It was mesmerising. Under-19s Manager Miguel Grau was already in the room, as was ex-Barcelona stalwart José Ramón Alexanko who was the Basque Director of Football. Gentlemen, you must decide your responsibilities between yourselves. The Director General was in no mood for pleasantries. We are here to mediate but ultimately you all share the remit to develop players for the first team. The minimum expectation is that Mestalla avoid relegation from Segunda División. We have been waiting for nearly 50 years to get the team to this level and we are not going to let any of you derail that. Someone will carry the can if we fail. Vílchez and Camacho did not want that level of heat so they are gone. Imposta, Ortiz… you two are last in the door and will be first out. With that, Alemany and Lora were gone. Grau, a friendly face in all of this, broke the silence and said we just need to sort out which players are playing for which team. We can work on it later in the day but right now I think you new boys need to speak to this man, pointing to Alexanko. The Under-19s Manager took his bosses’ idea and got up to leave. I shared a look with Ortiz. It seemed as if it was a case of every man for himself! Alexanko opened up. I’m in charge of continuity here. Staff contracts, player contracts – everyone has to impress me to stay. Everything else is up to you. If you want I can bring bodies in or get rid of people but I’ll level with you: I don’t have time for that. I can talk to the media and maybe even manage your pre-season games while you get your feet under the table but believe me when I say that my job is the senior team, not all the teams. If you were wondering if you can meet with the manager Vitor Pereira or the assistant Luís Miguel then the answer is no. You just work Mestalla.