Author: Chris Fuller

FM Logic: Media & Press Interactions

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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 AI clubs for years before retiring unemployed. I also discussed a born-and-bred Swedish player being transferred to a club in Guinea just because he also happened to have Guinean nationality.

This second installment is all about one of the most criticised aspects of FM – the media. Whether it’s over-investigative reporters, unimportant questions, or social media posts that even Grimes’ ex-boyfriend would find too inflammatory, there is a lot of weird ‘FM Logic’ to be found here. Continue reading “FM Logic: Media & Press Interactions” →

Nacka’s Yard: Season 11, Part 2 (2034)

Published on by Chris Fuller

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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 – lifting the 2034 Svenska Cupen. That means we’re about to embark on another European campaign, and hopefully qualify for the Europa League. Continue reading “Nacka’s Yard: Season 11, Part 2 (2034)” →

Nacka’s Yard: Season 11, Part 1 (2034)

Published on by Chris Fuller

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 at Nacka, as we narrowly missed out on qualifying for the main stages of the Conference League… and I had yet another goalkeeping crisis. Seriously, are there ANY decent keepers on this bloody game?

I also received a tempting offer to leave Swedish football behind and return to an old stomping ground. Would I let my head overrule my heart? Continue reading “Nacka’s Yard: Season 11, Part 1 (2034)” →

Retro Review: Simsoc 6

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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 than by big studios. They might not have had as much substance or polish as those expensive major releases, but they could still be enjoyed by early online gamers for little or no cost.

Today, I’m looking at a freeware Windows game that I would describe as “an entry-level Championship Manager”. If you want a less intense experience than CM or Football Manager, with a healthy dose of nostalgia, this might be just what you’re after.

So, without further ado, let’s check out Simsoc 6. Continue reading “Retro Review: Simsoc 6” →

Nacka’s Yard: Season 10, Part 2 (2033)

Published on by Chris Fuller

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 to the League Phase – with all the money, prestige and Ally McCoist waxing lyrical about us on Thursday evenings that will bring?

This chapter will also see us conclude my 10th season at Nacka. Please stay tuned for a MAJOR announcement at the end. Continue reading “Nacka’s Yard: Season 10, Part 2 (2033)” →

Nacka’s Yard: Season 10, Part 1 (2033)

Published on by Chris Fuller

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 finish means that we can look forward to playing in the Conference League qualifiers in 2033!

But before that, it’s time to make plans for our second Allsvenskan season. Can we build on last year’s successes, or is reality about to bite us in the backsides? Continue reading “Nacka’s Yard: Season 10, Part 1 (2033)” →

Nacka’s Yard: Season 9, Part 2 (2032)

Published on by Chris Fuller

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 Superettan… or can we somehow keep climbing up the table, and maybe even make a push for the European places?

Now THAT would be insane… Continue reading “Nacka’s Yard: Season 9, Part 2 (2032)” →

Review: FIFA Manager 2025

Published on by Chris Fuller

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 Manager series was officially cancelled in 2013, the franchise has been kept alive by a devoted community of fans and creators who have been making their own updated databases for the past decade. So today, I will be checking out the 2024/2025 “season update” to see if it’s a worthy replacement for FM25.

This is my review of FIFA Manager 2025. Continue reading “Review: FIFA Manager 2025” →

Nacka’s Yard: Season 9, Part 1 (2032)

Published on by Chris Fuller

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Welcome back to what’s guaranteed to be another exciting* chapter of my Football Manager 2024 series. This is my ninth season at Nacka FC, and it’s by far our biggest to date!

In case you missed it, the 2031 season was an unforgettable one at the Fisksätra, as a talented crop of attackers fired Nacka into the Allsvenskan for the first time in their history. We still can’t defend properly, but who cares?

So now the hard work truly begins. Can I build a team that can hold its own in the Allsvenskan… or will we be heading straight back down to the Superettan?

* Excitement not guaranteed. Continue reading “Nacka’s Yard: Season 9, Part 1 (2032)” →

FM Logic: Transfers & Development

Published on by Chris Fuller

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 job centre for ages, or their clubs refusing to send them out on loan, you can find loads of weird cases of ‘FM Logic’ on your saves.

Here are just some of the examples I’ve found on my current save with Nacka FC. Continue reading “FM Logic: Transfers & Development” →