FM Addict
Latest Posts
Wonderkid Factory | Part 3 | Takeover Precedes Gunma Playoff Push
Thespa Gunma’s young stars achieved a solid top-half finish in the longest football season known to man, as a 16-month J3 League campaign finally ended in May. That overperformance saw managed Robaato Rasamu field interview requests from multiple J2 sides.
Trailblazer | Part 12 | Freja Holm Moves To Italy
After three-and-a-half seasons in Sweden and four-and-a-half seasons in England, Freja Holm had done a great job rebuilding the fortunes of Alingsås IF and Everton Women. However, the dominance of Arsenal and Chelsea left the 42-year-old feelling a little jaded with life in England. So, when Italian side Fiorentina came calling, she jumped at the new opportunity.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 2 | Young Stars Shine Despite Long First Season in Japan
Robaato Rasamu found himself in the midst of a 16-month second season in Japan, relying on an extremely inexperienced squad. After enduring a painful J2/J3 Special Tournament, the rookie Japanese manager was slowly starting to get improved performances out of his young Thespa Gunma side.
Trailblazer | Part 11 | Everton’s Big Day At Wembley
Freja Holm led Everton Women to a strong 4th-place finish in the Women’s Super League in 2031, but her team was still well behind the invincible Arsenal and very strong Chelsea. And, realistically, Holm knew they had no chance of catching that pair. Everton’s hopes weren’t helped by losing star centre back Andisiwe Mbane, who […]
Wonderkid Factory | Part 1 | Wonderkid Factory Comes To J3 League
The more he watched football, the more Rasamu became obsessed with the idea of developing young players to maximise their talent – largely fuelled by the Class of 92 being at the heart of Manchester United conquering England and Europe under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Trailblazer | Part 10 | Arsenal Drop 4 Points in 2 Seasons!
Everton Women enjoyed a massive improvement in Swedish manager Freja Holm’s first full season at Goodison Park. But, despite having plenty of exciting young talent at her fingertips, not everything was quite so rosy at Everton.
Trailblazer | Part 9 | Arsenal and Chelsea Obliterate WSL
The fighting spirit of Swedish manager Freja Holm led Everton out of a dire start to the Barclays Women’s Super League and to comfortable survival in 2029. But the 39-year-old had ambitions well beyond simply surviving as she looked to freshen up the Everton squad.
Trailblazer | Part 8 | A Massive Opportunity in England
Leading a semi-professional club into European football’s biggest competition doesn’t go unnoticed, eventually. That was the case in November 2028 as, on the back of taking Alingsås IF into the Champions League, competing in the Swedish title race and earning her Continental A licence, it looked like Freja Holm may be departing her homeland. Four […]
Trailblazer | Part 7 | Semi-Pro to Champions League
Until as recently as a few months ago, nobody had heard of a little club in southwest Sweden called Alingsås IF. But that all changed as manager Freja Holm was quickly becoming the talk of Swedish football, having led the club to a 2nd-place finish on the final day of the 2027 season and won […]
Trailblazer | Part 6 | Goal Machine Carol Baiana Inspires Potential Swedish Fairytale
A flying start to the Damallsvenskan campaign, including beating the holders and winning 5-1 at last season’s 3rd-place finishers, saw Alingsås IF looking good to survive upon their return to the top tier.
Trailblazer | Part 5 | Alingsås Return To Damsallsvenskan
The reputation of fledgling manager Freja Holm was on the rise after she led Alingsås IF to an immediate promotion from Sweden’s second tier. She now faced a tough test to keep her team in the top tier.
Trailblazer | Part 4 | Chasing Elitettan Success At Alingsås IF
Dropping into Elitettan had reversed the fortunes of Freja Holm early in the rookie manager’s career. Having won one out of seven top-tier games, the 35-year-old Swede had led Alingsås IF to an unbeaten start 11 games into her first full season.
Trailblazer | Part 3 | Rebuilding After Relegation
Rookie manager Freja Holm was handed the unenviable task of managing Swedish side Alingsås IF, who hadn’t won in 19 league matches, in her first role as a Football Manager. Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t able to pull off a miraculous survival, but did manage to pick up her first win in the final game of the […]
Tardini Tales | Part 10 | Mateo Pellegrino, Parma’s All-Time Record League Goalscorer
Parma just missed out on defending their maiden Serie A title to a relentless Inter Milan in 2029, but manager Alessio Rinaldi remained delighted with the progress of his young side.
Tardini Tales | Part 9 | Alajbegovic Breaks Serie A Assists Record
n exciting young Parma Calcio side topped Serie A at the halfway mark of their maiden title defence and was looking good to reach the Champions League knockout rounds.
Trailblazer | Part 2 | Straight Into An Impossible Relegation Battle
Freja Holm walked into the world of football management as an inexperienced coach with minimal badges and a football career cut short by injury. As such, the 35-year-old Swede was expecting a long wait before finding her first club in women’s football.
Trailblazer | Part 1 | Introducing the Trailblazer Journeywoman Challenge
For as long as she could remember, football had been the heartbeat of Freja Holm’s life. Growing up in Umeå, the largest city in northern Sweden, in the late 1990s, Freja spent every waking second of every weekend playing football with her brothers and their friends.
Tardini Tales | Part 8 | Parma’s First Title Defence
An unbelievable season saw Parma Calcio claim their maiden Serie A title in dramatic fashion, finishing level with Inter Milan on points then beating them at their own ground 3-2 in a title playoff.
Tardini Tales | Part 7 | Could One Penalty Decide A Title Race?
Parma Calcio came into 2028 looking well in the hunt for European qualification for the third season in a row and having guaranteed knockout football in the Europa League.
Tardini Tales | Part 6 | Wonderkid Signings Bolster Parma Attack
Two seasons under the tutelage of boyhood Parma Calcio supporter Alessio Rinaldi had seen the Emilia-Romagna club enjoy back-to-back top six finishes. The challenge now was for the young manager to refresh a squad that he felt was in danger of becoming stale.
Tardini Tales | Part 5 | Overperforming Parma Shock FC Bayern
Parma Calcio endured a tricky start to Alessio Rinaldi’s second season in football management. But, despite giving up countless shots per match, they’d just about snuck a few results and went on a solid run before Christmas.
Tardini Tales | Part 4 | Our Trusty Suzuki
Boyhood Parma Calcio supporter Alessio Rinaldi led his hometown club to the second-best finish in its history, as I Crociati finished in an incredible 3rd place in Serie A in 2026. That meant Rinaldi now faced a massive challenge to bolster a threadbare squad for an unexpected step up to the Champions League.
Tardini Tales | Part 3 | Parma Battle Italy’s Big Boys
Parma had made a surprisingly good start in Serie A under the tutelage of new man and boyhood supporter Alessio Rinaldi. I Crociati sat in an impressive 4th place after 12 games, a mighty 15 points clear of the relegation zone, despite having a threadbare squad and no transfers.
Tardini Tales | Part 2 | A Surprisingly Strong Start
Boyhood Parma Calcio supporter Alessio Rinaldi walked through the staff entrance at Stadio Ennio Tardini feeling on top of the world, fresh from being appointed the Emilia-Romagna club’s new manager. However, he was quickly brought back down to earth with a bump.
Tardini Tales | Part 1 | Mission: Make People Fall in Love With Parma Again
27 years on from joining the club’s academy, 41-year-old Alessio Rinaldi put pen to paper to become the 96th permanent manager of Parma Calcio.
Football Manager 26: My Save Plans
It feels like a long old time since I wrote one of these articles but, now that we know that Football Manager 26 is very much a thing and will be with us in less than a month, it’s time to start thinking about save plans for the next 12 months.
FM Guide: 26 Teams To Manage On Football Manager 26
It’s been a long time coming, but Football Manager 26 will finally be available from 4 November. So now’s the time to put our thinking caps on to consider who we want to manage in our first FM26 saves and interesting challenges for the remainder of the game cycle.
A Guide To Women’s Football In Football Manager 26
I’m no expert on women’s football but, with it being introduced to Football Manager for the first time in the upcoming Football Manager 26, I wanted to get myself up to pace. And, having done so, the women’s game offers interesting new managerial experiences, a different way of playing the game, and opportunities to develop exciting stories in FM26.
Cornish Crusade | Part 23 | Trevelyan’s Truro Journey: Semi-Pro To World Champions
Semi-professional Truro City sat in the Vanarama South, having never previously played at a higher standard of football in June 2023. But the arrival of hometown hero Perran Trevelyan marked a significant shift in fortunes as they blazed their way through the English football system to become the greatest club in the world over the […]
Alphabet Challenge | Part 60 | Super Nova to Global Superstar: Reviewing Trebor Mahtal’s Illustrious Career
Fifty-seven years ago, on his 39th birthday, Trebor Mahtal left the streets of Mazabuka, in southern Zambia, for the first time to board a flight to Germany. After studying a few languages, watching as much football as possible and earning his National C licence, he went in search of his big break in football management.
Cornish Crusade | Part 22 | Club World Cup And One Last Hurrah At Truro City
Truro City became the 10th most successful club in English history as they tied Sheffield Wednesday on four league titles in 2045. However, Perran Trevelyan’s side suffered the heartbreak of back-to-back Champions League Final defeats.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 59, Club 28 | Xamax Chase Swiss Double
Trebor Mahtal’s Project X, his bid to tick off the final letter of his Alphabet Challenge, began pretty well as he led Neuchâtel Xamax to a 2nd-place finish in Raiffeisen Super League and caused a few upsets in the Europa League.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 58, Club 28 | Project X: Unearthing A Surprise Star Striker
Cup success in Japan with Kawasaki Frontale saw Trebor Mahtal win a major trophy with clubs beginning with 25 different letters. That left just the troublesome X – which is actually impossible as there is no playable club beginning with the letter X – remaining to complete the Alphabet Challenge, which Mahtal had no dubbed as Project X.
Cornish Crusade | Part 21 | Building A Truro City Dynasty
Fans of Truro City had become accustomed to trophy celebrations, but nobody in Cornwall could surely have expected to see their heroes parading the famous European Cup around the country. Yet that was the case in the summer of 2043 as captain Alejandro Silva and manager Perran Trevelyan led yet another opentop bus tour and the mother of all parties.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 57, Club 27 | A Successful Return To Japan
Two tense cup finals went all the way to extra time in 2076, and late goals saw 92-year-old Trebor Mahtal Dynamo Dresden to their maiden major trophy in DFB-Pokal. The Zambian stood down a couple of days later, allowing him to go in search of clubs beginning with K and X to try and complete his Alphabet Challenge.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 56, Club 26 | Two Cup Finals Go All The Way To Extra Time
Dynamo Dresden defied all expectations to finish 6th in Bundesliga and qualify for European football in 2074/75. Manager Trebor Mahtal now had to strengthen key areas of the squad to compete on all fronts, try and close the gap to Germany’s big boys and, ideally, give them a more offensive threat.
Cornish Crusade | Part 20 | Nervy Title Race and Two Cup Finals
The streets of Cornwall hosted the biggest party the county had ever seen as Truro City legend Perran Trevelyan and his team paraded the Premier League trophy around its towns and villages. The Truro board celebrated the success by launching brand new home and away kits with gold trim and local sponsors. Homegrown heroes like […]
Alphabet Challenge | Part 55, Club 26 | Dynamo Dresden Back In Bundesliga
Dynamo Dresden lifted the 2. Bundesliga title for the second time in five years after Trebor Mahtal built a trademark exciting young squad in his second season in East Germany. The 90-year-old manager now had to strengthen key areas of the squad to try and battle Germany’s best.
Cornish Crusade | Part 19 | Celebrating Cornwall’s Champions of England
Eighteen years ago, little semi-professional club Truro City sat in the Vanarama South having never played at a higher standard of football. But the arrival of hometown hero Perran Trevelyan marked a significant shift in fortunes as they blazed their way through the English football system and, in their fourth season in the Premier League, became Champions of England in May 2042.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 54, Club 26 | East German Challenge In 2. Bundesliga
Unexpected cup success at Hannover 96 saw Trebor Mahtal tick off leg number 23 of 26 on his Alphabet Challenge. That left the veteran 89-year-old manager with just three letters remaining: D, K and X.
Cornish Crusade | Part 18 | Truro City In The Champions League
Little Truro City came so close to pulling off the greatest fairytale story in English football as they came 2nd to Newcastle United in the Premier League in 2041. That meant they secured not only the club’s first taste of European football in its third season in the top tier, but went straight into the Champions League.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 53, Club 25 | An Unlikely Hero of Hannover
87-year-old Trebor Mahtal showed no signs of slowing up as he led Hannover 96 to their fifth 2. Bundesliga title and back into Germany’s top tier. He was keen to build on a solid defence while adding a bit more of an attacking threat for the step up.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 52, Club 25 | Solid Defence Delivers Success
Trebor Mahtal led Hannover 96 clear of any relegation concerns as he returned to Germany for the first time in 24 years. But, going into the summer of 2070, the experienced Zambian manager knew he was under pressure to propel Hannover to the upper reaches of 2. Bundesliga. Indeed, he’d already signed several players who […]
Cornish Crusade | Part 17 | Brazil Internationals Deliver Massive Improvement
Truro City established themselves in the top flight, securing yet another club-record high finish of 8th in the Premier League in 2040. The club was also preparing to move back into the newly expanded Truro City Stadium ahead of season three in the top tier.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 51, Club 25 | Stabilising A Sinking Ship
An exciting Independiente side strolled to a Liga Profesional success in 2069, which saw Trebor Mahtal tick off 22 out of the 26 letters he needed to complete his Alphabet Challenge. He now only needed to win trophies with clubs beginning with D, H K and the particularly troublesome X.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 50, Club 24 | Iardino Gets Independiente Firing
Independiente finished second in both of Argentina’s league competitions in 2068, in a season that was very much a case of “so close, yet so far.” But manager Trebor Mahtal, now 84, chose to remain positive, especially given the high amount of potential at the club.
Cornish Crusade | Part 16 | Establishing Truro In The Premier League
Truro City’s exciting youngsters took the Premier League by storm in 2038/39, starting the season brilliantly before fading a little to finish in an impressive 9th place. And manager Perran Trevelyan was hoping for further improvement, given he had nine wonderkids at his disposal at the end of the campaign.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 49, Club 24 | Joining An Argentinian Giant
After 18 months in Chile, Trebor Mahtal led Colo Colo to a dominant title success in 2067, which left him with 5 more letters to tick off his Alphabet Challenge: D, H, I, K and X. The biggest headaches were K and X, albeit the unlocking of Japan opened up more options for K.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 48, Club 23 | An Uncharacteristic Reliance On Older Players
Three years in Japan ended on a high as Trebor Mahtal led Gamba Osaka to a maiden Asian Champions League Final success. That left the 82-year-old needing to tick off six more letters in his bid to complete his Alphabet Challenge: C, D, H, I, K and X.
Cornish Crusade | Part 15 | Truro City In The Premier League
After 15 years in charge of Truro City, Perran Trevelyan had successfully led his hometown club all the way from the Vanarama South into the Premier League. The city of Truro enjoyed one of the wildest parties Cornwall had ever seen as cider, traditional ales and gin flowed freely among the fans and their footballing heroes.