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FM Logic: Transfers & Development
Football Manager is the most realistic sports simulation video game out there. We all know that. But it’s not perfect. In recent versions of FM, and especially on Football Manager 2024, there have been some wonky game mechanics that often lead to unrealistic player development and transfers. Whether it’s talented players being stuck in the […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 8 (2031)
Welcome back to “Nacka’s Yard”, where it’s now Season 8 – The Ocho. Or perhaps we should say “Åttan”, seeing as we’re in Sweden. I’m afraid that Season 7 was not a lucky one for us. We forgot how to score, our goalkeeper forgot what his gloves were for, and we also said farewell to […]
Retro Review: Lords of Football
We might have to wait until next season for a new Football Manager, but that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of football games on the Steam storefront. A few weeks ago, I looked at a bare-bones Championship Manager clone that didn’t stray too far from the standard formula. The game I’ll be reviewing today is… […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 7 (2030)
FM25 might be cancelled, but my Football Manager 2024 save is still going strong. I’m just about to enter my 7th season at Nacka FC, making this the longest time I have spent with a single club in any of my Fuller FM blog careers. After an encouraging end to the 2029 season, hopes are […]
FM25: The Game That Never Was
2025… bloody hell. What a rough year this has been already, and we’re not even halfway through February yet! We’ve had devastating wildfires in California, unprecedented storms in the United Kingdom, ongoing war in Ukraine, Donald Trump starting his second reign of terror, and – worst of all – a young black man daring to […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 6 (2029)
The year is 2029. Nacka FC have just survived the first major crisis of the Fuller era. After hurtling down the Superettan table in 2028, I now have to rebuild my squad, and assemble a defence that can… you know… defend. Will it be third time lucky for Nacka in the Superettan? Will this be […]
Retro Review: Sven-Göran Eriksson’s World Manager
It’s time for another of my Fuller FM retro reviews… and today’s review is particularly poignant. Sven-Göran Eriksson passed away in August last year at the age of 76, after an illustrious managerial career with the likes of Benfica, Sampdoria, Lazio and (ahem) Leicester City. He was also the first – and, to date, best […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 5 (2028)
Welcome back to “Nacka’s Yard”, where my lower-league adventure in Sweden has so far been going very well… perhaps too well. If you missed our Superettan debut last season, Nacka FC didn’t just stay up – we came quite close to what would have been a third consecutive promotion! Nacka’s incredible rise on FM24 has […]
Review: Global Soccer 2018
2025 is now in full swing, and we potentially have TWO Football Manager games to look forward to this year! But while we are waiting for FM25, I’ve been looking at some other football management simulators from years gone by. In today’s review, I’ll be looking at an independently-made Championship Manager clone that was released […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 4 (2027)
It’s a new year… and another new league for Nacka FC. After 2025 brought a historic Division 2 title to the Fisksätra, Nacka’s extraordinary rise continued in 2026 as they finished 3rd in the Ettan Norra – and then won a dramatic promotion play-off against Öster! For the second season in a row, we were […]
Turning professional on Football Manager
Football Manager isn’t just about the elite teams. Many FMers like to take a part-time team in a lesser-known league and gradually build them up into a dominant force at domestic and continental level. A lot of us also like to take a provincial club from the lower leagues and take them up to the […]
Nacka’s Yard
“Nacka’s Yard” is my final Football Manager 2024 story, published exclusively on Fuller FM. After Football Manager 25 was delayed for several months, I decided to return to FM24 with a new save. I took… More
Nacka’s Yard: Season 3 (2026)
It’s time to pay another visit to Nacka’s Yard, as our rise up the Swedish footballing pyramid continues. We were crowned champions of Division 2 Södra Svealand last season, but now we face some much stiffer tests in the Ettan Norra. Surely we can’t get ourselves promoted again… right? This will be quite a long […]
FM24: The ‘Regen Bug’
Let’s talk about a potential newgen bug I’ve found on Football Manager 2024. In most cases, any players that FM generates – also known as ‘newgens’ – are entirely separate from and unrelated to any other player in the database. When Cristiano Ronaldo retires, he isn’t instantly replaced with another skilful Portuguese forward who has […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 2 (2025)
Welcome back to Fuller FM, and to my Football Manager 2024 series with Nacka FC in the Swedish fourth tier. In case you missed it, my first season was a success… well, kind of. We did win the trophy for the most Expected Goals and Expected Points in Division 2 Södra Svealand… but, er, we […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 1 (2024)
Great news! It’s Football Manager 25 release day!!! Wait… what? Seeing as we’re stuck with Football Manager 2024 until March, I’m going to fill the void with a new save. I have taken over Nacka FC, who play in the fourth tier of Swedish football after a rapid ascent through the leagues. I also hope […]
Football Manager 25: The Waiting Game
Real Madrid are the European champions, spurred on by an enigmatic English midfielder. Arsenal actually have a decent team as well. Kylie Minogue is one of the world’s biggest popstars. Labour are in Government, and the Tories are in chaos. People are very worried about war in the Middle East. And Sports Interactive have delayed […]
Blog Update #8
Another season at Fuller FM is coming to an end and… well, it’s been a weird one, hasn’t it? In my annual blog update, I will deliver my final thoughts on Football Manager 2024. I’ll also look back on everything I’ve posted here in the past year – including a frustrating career at Millwall and […]
Football Manager 25: International Blues
Let’s talk about Football Manager 25. Again. Last week, Sports Interactive’s studio director Miles Jacobson released another Development Update for the next Football Manager game. He also patted everyone on the back after the recent FM World Cup in Liverpool, but who honestly cares about that now? Anyway, this update is a big one, and […]
Fuller FM Cup 2024: Part 3
This is it – the final chapter of the 2024 Fuller FM Cup, where my finest Football Manager teams have been battling it out for supremacy. Last time out, we played through the Group Stage – reducing our original line-up of eight teams to just four. The remaining quartet will now contest the Semi Finals, […]
Fuller FM Cup 2024: Part 2
Welcome to the second part of the 2024 Fuller FM Cup, in which I pit together the best teams from all Fuller FM Cup 2024: Part 1my previous Football Manager saves. Last time out, we met the eight teams who will contest the Group Stage. By the end of today’s chapter, we will be left […]
Fuller FM Cup 2024: Part 1
An exciting new era at Fuller FM will begin soon… but first, it’s time to bring this one to a close. I’ve decided to boot up Football Manager 2024 one last time for a special mini-tournament. I’ve selected the eight best teams I’ve coached on Football Manager since I launched Fuller FM back in 2018, […]
Football Manager 25: What We Know So Far
Hello again. I’m glad you’ve come. You’ve obviously heard there’s a new Football Manager game on the way. As a new club football season draws closer, the excitement about the next installment of FM is ramping up. Last week, Sports Interactive’s studio director Miles Jacobson wrote a lengthy Development Update in which he gave us […]
CM3 Revisited: The Euro 2024 Coaches
As the 2024 men’s European Championship gets ready for kick-off, the final whistle is about to blow on my CM3 Revisited mini-series. Over the last few months, I have been looking back at Championship Manager 3, which marked the start of a real golden era for the series. I’ve just finished an epic five-season series […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 15
It’s funny how these things pan out, isn’t it? My first Fuller FM blog story ended with Napoli and Fiorentina battling it out for the Serie A scudetto – and now history is repeating itself. Only this time, I’m managing the Partenopei, rather than the Viola. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the FINAL chapter […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 14
This is the penultimate chapter of my Championship Manager 3 series with Napoli. I hope you have enjoyed the ride so far, because I sure have! Last time out, we kicked off the 2002/2003 season – and our defence of the Serie A scudetto. Things are going fine so far, but how long will our […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 13
After four seasons in Naples, I am about to begin the final lap of my Championship Manager 3 adventure. The 2001/2002 season saw Napoli mount a serious title challenge, as they attempted to win their first scudetto since 1990. I won’t spoil the ending here – but if you haven’t read Part 12 yet, then […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 12
My fourth season with Napoli on Championship Manager 3 is reaching a climax… and it’s sure to be a thrilling conclusion. It’s March 2002, and the Partenopei are on the verge of history. Just 12 matches stand between them and an unbeaten Serie A season – and though they have missed on one cup competition, […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 11
Things are heating up in my Championship Manager 3 challenge with Napoli, where I have been attempting to transform the Partenopei from Serie B chumps to Serie A champs. In the last chapter, Napoli enjoyed a strong start to the 2001/2002 season. That was thanks in no small part to Filippo Inzaghi, who has been […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 10
Welcome back to Naples – and to the fourth season of my Championship Manager 3 series! Despite a shaky end to the 2000/2001 season, Napoli secured a top-six finish, which means we have some European football to look forward to this time around! Can we now emulate the 1989 team of Maradona, Careca and Ferrara […]
Retro Review: FIFA Manager 13
I’m reviewing another retro football management game today on Fuller FM… and it’s time to wrap up a ‘mini-series’ that has been three years in the making! Back in May 2021, I reviewed a bunch of games in the FIFA Manager series that was published and developed by Electronic Arts. I continued the retrospective with […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 9
This is Season 3, Part 3 of “Canzone Napoletana” – and it’s perhaps the biggest chapter of this Championship Manager 3 series so far. Midway through the 2000/2001 season, it looked like Napoli were on track for an impressive Serie A and Coppa Italia double. But just two miserable months later, and the Partenopei are […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 8
Here we go again. Time for the latest installment of my Championship Manager 3 nostalgia trip! Last time out, we kicked off the 2000/2001 Serie A season at Napoli. Much has been expected of our new signings after a busy summer in the transfer window, but some of them haven’t quite delivered the goods yet. […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 7
I’m now into season 3 of my Championship Manager 3 series with Napoli. Where does the time fly? After storming through Serie B in my first season, the Partenopei didn’t take long to establish themselves back in Serie A. Sadly, a woeful run-in meant that we missed out on Europe and could only finish in […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 6
I’m coming to the end of the second season of my Championship Manager 3 series. It hasn’t been the most thrilling campaign, but thanks to the second-greatest Argentine striker ever to play for Napoli, the Partenopei are all but certain to survive their first season back in Serie A. Can it get even better, though? […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 5
Welcome back to my Championship Manager 3 story, where I will be aiming to take Napoli back to the top of Italian football. After securing promotion in 1998/1999, the previous chapter saw us kick off the 1999/2000 season in Serie A. Results haven’t been too bad, but our supporters are perhaps getting frustrated with our […]
Review: We Are Football 2024
Some people in the Football Manager community like to lament that FM “has no competition”. But while it has indeed been a long time since Sports Interactive have had a serious rival to their crown, perhaps that might be about to change? Having recently become disillusioned with FM, I’m now hoping that this title from […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 4
My Championship Manager 3 series with Napoli is now in full swing, as I’m about to kick off my second season at the San Paolo! In the previous chapter, the Partenopei secured promotion from Serie B as champions. We will now kick off the 1999/2000 season back in Serie A, where this once-great club belongs. […]
Championship Manager 3 Revisited
Championship Manager 3 was released on 26 March 1999. Developed by Sports Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive, it was the first version in the series to run natively on Windows (previous iterations had used… More
FM Mythbusting: More Common Misconceptions
Three years ago, I wrote an article that explained nine common misconceptions with Football Manager. For example, I stated the ‘wonderkid’ tag has much more to do with a youngster’s current ability than their potential, and that having a higher xG than the opposition doesn’t mean your team played better. Of course, there are still […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 3
I’m glad that you’ve joined me for the latest installment of my new Championship Manager 3 series. I’m now well into my first season at Napoli, who are flying high in Serie B after averaging nearly two goals per game! It is now March 1999. CM3 is about to hit store shelves, and the Partenopei […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 2
This is the second chapter of my new Championship Manager 3 series. The year is 1998 – and while Cher is asking us if we believe in life after love, I’m making Napoli fans believe in life after relegation. In last week’s opener, I took over a Partenopei side who had just slid down into […]
Retro Review: Ally McCoist’s Director of Football
I’ve been feeling in a nostalgic mood lately… so I reckon it’s time for another Retro Review of a football management game from years gone by. Today, I’m taking you to the 2001/2002 season – a time when Liverpool were challenging Arsenal for the title, and an English midfielder was firing Real Madrid towards continental […]
CM3 Revisited: Canzone Napoletana – Part 1
Welcome to a brand new story on Fuller FM! This week marked the 25th anniversary of the release of Championship Manager 3, and I’ve been thinking for some time about how best to mark the occasion. My first thought was to recreate my first ever CM save – with Shrewsbury Town, down in Division 3. […]
CM3 Revisited: Cult Icons
Championship Manager 3 celebrates its 25th birthday later this month. In lieu of baking a cake, I thought I’d take the opportunity to celebrate some cult players who would often develop into world-beaters. I’ve come up with a list of 15 players in the CM3 database – young and, er, not-so-young – and have looked […]
Football Manager (And Content Creation) Burnout
Hello, guys. Christopher here. This is not a post I wanted to write, but in light of recent events, there are some things I have to get off my chest. I want to talk about feeling burnt out – both with playing Football Manager, and with creating content about Football Manager. But first, it’s time […]
The Cracovian Chronicles: Chapter 2
“Witamy spowrotem” to my new Football Manager 2024 series in Poland. Kamila Deyna is about to take charge of her first league matches as manager of Wieczysta Kraków. You can read more about the club in the prologue, and you can meet the squad in Chapter 1. Today’s chapter will take us through the first […]
The Cracovian Chronicles: Chapter 1
After months of planning, at long last, it is time to kick off my new Football Manager 2024 story on Fuller FM! It’s been a while since I went off the beaten track and managed an obscure lower-league club on FM. For this challenge, I will start off all the way down in Poland’s fourth […]
The Cracovian Chronicles: Prologue
“Dzień dobry”, and “witam” to the start of a new Football Manager 2024 series here on Fuller FM! After a lengthy break, I am refreshed and raring to go for a new challenge that will hopefully last me for the rest of FM24’s life cycle. This challenge has taken me to Poland – the home […]
CM3 Revisited: Like Father, Like Son
Championship Manager 3 was released in March 1999 – almost 25 years ago – and marked the start of a new generation for the CM series. CM3 was also the first football management game I ever played, when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Over the coming months, I will revisit this game […]