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Fairer World Cup: THE FINAL
“Open wide for some soccer!“The Fairer World Cup Final is coming to Fuller FM! It’s all here – fast-kickin’, low-scorin’, and ties? You bet!“You’ll see all your favourite soccer stars – like Bellingham, Bellingham II, Sanabria, and Enciso – and they’ll all be signin’ autographs!“This match will determine once and for all which nation is […]
International Management: The Last Word on FM26
About six months have passed since I last touched Football Manager 26. When the first game of the new FM era launched, it was a bug-ridden disaster that looked like the debut project of a single coder in their bedroom, rather than the latest chapter of a Triple-A studio’s 34-year dynasty. Unsurprisingly, I’ve been focussing […]
Fairer World Cup: Quarter Finals & Semi Finals
We’re now at the business end of the Fairer World Cup, with just eight teams remaining in the hunt to lift the trophy in Atlanta on 19 July. Last time out, it was the Last 16. We said a fond farewell to plucky underdogs Thailand… and a rather less fonder farewell to England, who were […]
Fairer World Cup: Last 16
Things are now really beginning to heat up at the Fairer World Cup, where we are down to the Last 16. Last time out, Round 2 concluded with some thrilling comebacks, a couple of costly red cards, and the ominous resurgence of a certain Nordic robot. Oh yeah, and England did their usual England thing […]
Fairer World Cup: Round 2, Part 2
The knockout rounds of the Fairer World Cup have begun, and we’re getting closer to finding out who would be crowned world champions if more countries could select their best players. Round 2 kicked off in the previous chapter, with plenty of late drama and penalty shoot-outs galore. In completely unrelated news, American sports fans […]
Fairer World Cup: Round 2, Part 1
We have reached the knockout stages of the Fairer World Cup – the tournament where players represented the weakest national teams they are eligible for. Now that the Group Stage has concluded, several world-class superstars – like Paulo Dybala, N’Golo Kanté, Virgil van Dijk and Ben Brereton Díaz – have already left the tournament and […]
Fairer World Cup: Groups K & L
After what feels like forever, we have reached the end of the Fairer World Cup Group Stage! But just imagine – it’s going to be even longer in the real thing! Anyway, in the last chapter, England win Group I in typical England fashion, while Group J was a real rollercoaster ride – particularly for […]
Fairer World Cup: Groups I & J
Things are about to get a lot tighter and tenser as the Group Stage of the Fairer World Cup continues. The previous chapter saw Argentina overcome some early wobbles to (eventually) top Group G, while there was a thrilling climax to Group H. But now the focus shifts towards Groups I and J. The Republic […]
Fairer World Cup: Groups G & H
It’s time for another installment of the Fairer World Cup – the Robin Hood of international tournaments. We’ve taken several players from stronger national teams and given them to ‘weaker’ nations that they are also eligible to represent. For example, both Brazil and Croatia have lost several regular starters to lower-ranked nations, while Jamaica have […]
Fairer World Cup: Groups E & F
The Group Stage continues right here, right now, at the Fairer World Cup. It’s just like the real World Cup, but with slightly less corruption. Last time out, co-hosts Mexico battled through a tight Group C, while there was plenty of late drama in Group D. If you’re reading this from Poland, then… er… you […]
Fairer World Cup: Groups C & D
The Group Stage of the Fairer World Cup is now underway, and we have already had plenty of entertainment… well, maybe not if you’ve been watching Bosnia & Herzegovina versus Egypt. In the previous chapter, we opened up the tournament with Groups A and B, in which the United States and Canada faced some stiff […]
Fairer World Cup: Groups A & B
Welcome back to the Fairer World Cup, where I use Football Manager 2024 to find out what would happen if players represented the lowest-ranked nations available to them. 210 nations entered the tournament, but ‘only’ 48 have made it to North America for the main event itself. Several big European nations have missed out completely, […]
Fairer World Cup
“Fairer World Cup” is a Football Manager 2024 project published exclusively on Fuller FM in the lead-up to the 2026 men’s World Cup. In this project, players will only represent the lowest-ranked nations that they… More
Fairer World Cup: CONMEBOL Qualifying & Play-Offs
The Fairer World Cup qualifiers are almost over. Soon, we will know all 48 teams who will battle it out in North America for the battle to be crowned champions – in a world where players compete for the lowest-ranked national teams they are eligible for. So far, we have seen 37 teams from the […]
Fairer World Cup: CONCACAF Qualifying
Howdy, folks! It’s Fairer World Cup time again! We’ve already covered the qualifiers in four of the FIFA confederations – the OFC, AFC, CAF, and UEFA. If you haven’t read the last chapter yet, then please do, because you have missed a couple of HUGE shocks. Today, we are heading across the Atlantic for the […]
Fairer World Cup: UEFA Qualifying
The Fairer World Cup qualifiers have reached the halfway point, and the field at this summer’s finals is already taking shape. Last time out, several major players fell and some new superpowers emerged in the African qualifiers. You can also check out the Oceanic and Asian qualifiers in the links provided. 16 more World Cup […]
Fairer World Cup: CAF Qualifying
We’re back with the Fairer World Cup on Football Manager 2024, where we find out what would happen if players represented the weakest national teams available to them. So far, we have gone through the qualifiers in Oceania and in Asia. Feel free to catch up if you haven’t already. As far as this chapter […]
Fairer World Cup: AFC Qualifying
Welcome to Part 2 of the Fairer World Cup – my new international project on Football Manager 2024. In case you don’t know what this is about, I’m playing through a World Cup where players can only play for the weakest national teams they are eligible for. Instead of the top nations having first dibs […]
Fairer World Cup: Introduction & OFC Qualifying
The 2026 World Cup is on the horizon. That means five weeks of non-stop football in the scorching North American heat, where ICE will be disappearing any spectators who look or sound foreign, while everyone else endures the ramblings of an egocentric fascist dictator… or those of his friend Donald. I’m sure you’re excited too. […]
Review: Bang Average Football
Here’s another non-Football Manager football manager game review… because apparently that’s all I write about on here anymore! Ah, but I’ve been wanting to check this title out for a while now. If you’re fed up of ultra-realistic simulations with less soul than a Reform UK party conference, or AAA games that turn your kids […]
Review: SEGA Football Club Champions
Sayyy-gahhh! Last month, SEGA officially released their newest multi-platform football management game. Sadly, it’s not a rebuilt, reskinned Football Manager 26 that anyone born before the year 2000 might actually enjoy. Though this new game is officially “powered by Football Manager”, it isn’t even close to the FM experience. Having tried the new game out […]
Retro Review: Championship Manager 2008
Is this thing still on? Hey, folks. It’s been a while. Anyway, here’s another Fuller FM ‘Retro Review’ – and this one is kind of a special request. Today, we shall be going back to the innocent heady days of 2007, when a war-mongering Republican was in the White House, a team from the Midlands […]
Retro Review: SoccerCards
Here we go again with another Retro Review on Fuller FM – and it’s time for something a bit different. In the past, I’ve tended to focus strictly on football management games. Nowadays, however, I’m much happier to broaden my horizons and cover any football-related PC game that catches my eye. (This does not include […]
The State of Football Manager 26
It’s time to discuss the state of Football Manager 26 – and the series as a whole. After a launch period that was nothing short of a PR disaster, and a full release that alienated much of its core audience, Sports Interactive’s long-running franchise is at its lowest ebb for over 20 years. The community […]
Alternatives to Football Manager 26
Football Manager 26 has been out for a few weeks, and… mmm, yeah. It’s still a mess, isn’t it? While many FMers are still wrestling with the new interface or complaining that their favourite franchise has been turned into a mobile game, some will be looking for something else to play. But I know what […]
My thoughts on Football Manager 26
After the longest wait, Football Manager 26 is finally here… but is it any good? That’s a question many people have already answered with an emphatic “no”. FM26 came out on 4 November to unprecedentedly negative reviews on Steam, with a 27% approval rating as I write this. Even the professional gaming critics who consistently […]
Review: Soccer Manager 2026
It’s the game everyone has been talking about in recent weeks… and, oh boy, hasn’t it been divisive? An experienced team of British developers have been working on their latest football management simulation for years – and the reception has been quite mixed. Some people think the new graphics engine is a huge step forward. […]
Women’s football – What to expect on FM26
In 2021, Sports Interactive announced that they were planning to incorporate women’s football into the Football Manager series. After four years of extensive research and development, those plans will finally become reality on Football Manager 26. Last week saw SI reveal the first major details of what we can expect from women’s football on FM26, […]
Blog Update #9
Hey-ho, folks. It’s time for my annual Fuller FM blog update – my ‘state of the union’ address, if you will. Another year of FMing has been and gone, and it’s been the weirdest one yet. With Football Manager 25 turning out to be just a few dodgy Photoshop mockups, we’ve had to carry on […]
Retro Review: Premier Manager Ninety Nine
I moved into my new home one year ago today… and what better way to celebrate my first anniversary at New Fuller FM HQ, than with another of my Retro Reviews? As a computer nerd with a particular fondness for the 90s, I enjoy revisiting old football management games and seeing if they can still […]
My FM Content Creator Pet Peeves
While we have been waiting for the next Football Manager to be announced (any time now, Sports Interactive…), I’ve been trying to think of some fresh new ideas for FM content. So… why don’t we have a little discussion about FM content? Alongside writing my own Football Manager stories, I’ve watched hundreds of YouTube videos […]
FM Logic: Managerial Movements
Football Manager is the most realistic sports simulation video game out there. We all know that. But it’s not perfect. Welcome back to another edition of this Fuller FM series… wait, can I call this a series? It’s is the third part now… so yeah. I think I can call it a series. Anyway, it’s […]
Nacka’s Yard: The Final Whistle
So here we are… it’s the FINAL chapter of “Nacka’s Yard”. For the past eight months or so, I have been managing Nacka FC – a young but ambitious part-time team from the suburbs of Stockholm – on Football Manager 2024. Starting from the 4th tier of Swedish football, I led them all the way […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 15, Part 2 (2038)
After 15 seasons of toil, tears, sweat, and ranting about goalkeepers, my Football Manager 2024 adventure in Sweden is building up to a great crescendo. Reinvigorated by some fresh blood in defence and midfield, Nacka FC are contending for the Allsvenskan title once again. Some encouraging results have left them in 3rd place as they […]
The Instant Result Button: Click Here To Win?
Welcome back to Fuller FM, where I will today be discussing something a little bit different. While we all enjoy playing Football Manager (at least those of us who aren’t on Reddit), it can be a huge time sink. You might have to play through A LOT of matches in a single season – especially […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 15, Part 1 (2038)
‘Tis the fifteenth season of my Football Manager 2024 series. It might also be the last. I was feeling pretty low at the end of the 2037 season, as Nacka FC’s title hopes fell apart and I was left wondering why such a talented team was underachieving. Was it my tactics? Had I broken Ahmed […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 14, Part 2 (2037)
Welcome back to “Nacka’s Yard”, where Nacka FC will today tick off another milestone in their rise to the top. The 2037 Allsvenskan campaign hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far, with our forwards seemingly forgetting how to score goals. Is it already too late to save our fading hopes of winning the title? We […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 14, Part 1 (2037)
My Football Manager 2024 series continues… but after 13 seasons, Nacka FC’s ascent to the top of Swedish football is almost complete. Nacka came painfully close to winning their first Allsvenskan title in the 2036 season, only missing out by a single point. But after finishing the campaign on a lengthy unbeaten run, hopes are […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 13, Part 2 (2036)
I’m glad you could join me for the latest chapter of my Football Manager 2024 adventure. After building up Nacka FC for the past 12 years, the Allsvenskan title is now firmly in our sights. We’ve enjoyed a good start to the 2036 season, setting us up nicely for a championship challenge, as well as […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 13, Part 1 (2036)
A new dawn is upon us at Nacka FC, as we head into a potentially save-defining 13th season in the Swedish leagues. The 2035 season ended with Nacka finishing 3rd in the Allsvenskan – thus securing a return to European football after a season away. Now our players (and their manager) have their sights set […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 12, Part 2 (2035)
We’re now well into the 12th season of my Football Manager 2024 adventure with Nacka FC in Sweden. Last time out, our incredible run in the Conference League finally came to an end. (Bloody Craiova.) We have soared up the UEFA coefficients to become the most-improved team in Europe… but if we want to get […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 12, Part 1 (2035)
I’ve been blogging about Football Manager for seven years now, and I’ve never gone this far into a save, but here goes… [deep breath] …welcome to Season 12 of “Nacka’s Yard”! Yes, I’ve been at Nacka FC for over a decade ago, but I’m still going strong… only with a few more grey hairs. Although […]
FM Logic: Media & Press Interactions
Football Manager is the most realistic sports simulation video game out there. We all know that. But it’s not perfect. A couple of months ago, I discussed some of the flawed logic that FM uses when it comes to transferring and developing players. For example, I talked about proven lower-league goal machines being ignored by […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 11, Part 2 (2034)
Welcome back to “Nacka’s Yard” – the Football Manager 2024 blog series that refuses to die. If you’re one of the five people who’s still reading after all this time, thank you very much for sticking around. In case you haven’t read the last chapter yet, Nacka FC have just celebrated their first major trophy […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 11, Part 1 (2034)
This save was only supposed to last for 10 years at most. I really thought by now that I would be getting stuck into Football Manager 25, and leading Arsenal to back-to-back Women’s Champions Leagues. But here we are… still on FM24, and still at Nacka FC. The 2033 season was not a happy one […]
Retro Review: Simsoc 6
It’s time for another retro review of a football management game from years gone by. This one’s a bit obscure… but if you know it, you KNOW it. The late 1990s was a golden age for independent shareware or freeware games – titles often made by nerdy (and usually amateur) programmers in their homes rather […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 10, Part 2 (2033)
We’re back once again at Nacka FC on Football Manager 2024… and if you’ve been following since the beginning, this is a particularly exciting chapter. After an inconsistent start to the 2033 Allsvenskan season, Nacka are now preparing for their first ever matches in the Conference League. Can we survive the qualifiers and get through […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 10, Part 1 (2033)
About this time last year, I would have been quite happy if I had never played Football Manager 2024 again. Six months later, and whoops… I’m about to celebrate a decade at Nacka FC! In case you missed it, Nacka enjoyed a fantastic climax to their first ever season in Sweden’s top division. A top-four […]
Nacka’s Yard: Season 9, Part 2 (2032)
Welcome back to “Nacka’s Yard”, where Nacka FC are getting stuck into their first season as an Allsvenskan club… and it’s been going surprisingly well. We left things off with Nacka sitting fairly comfortably in mid-table, but how long will it last? Will reality bite us hard and send us crashing back down into the […]
Review: FIFA Manager 2025
It’s March 2025, and after months of eager anticipation, FM25 has finally been released to the public! Well… kind of. Of course, Football Manager 25 is dead and buried, leaving a huge gap in the market for this season. Could that gap be filled by one of Sports Interactive’s old rivals? Although EA Sports’ FIFA […]