Chris Fuller

My thoughts on Football Manager 26

Published on 14 November 20257 July 2026 by Chris FullerLeave a comment

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 heap praise on FM have been much more divided this time around.

So it was with some trepidation – and a little excitement – that I installed the FM26 demo to try out the new game for the first time. I’ve spent half a season managing Walsall in EFL League Two, while also dabbling around with Arsenal in the Women’s Super League.

Is FM26 a massive step forward that will bring the game to a wider audience? Is it a raging dumpster fire that risks the entire future of the Football Manager franchise? Or is the answer somewhere in between? Here are my thoughts…

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Review: Soccer Manager 2026

Published on 5 November 20257 July 2026 by Chris FullerLeave a comment

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. Others think the devs have completely sold out to the mobile market, and that they only want to grab your money instead of giving you the full managerial experience.

Well, folks. I’m sure you’ve been waiting to read my opinions on this… so here they are.

This is my review for Soccer Manager 2026.

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Women’s football – What to expect on FM26

Published on 24 September 202514 July 2026 by Chris Fuller

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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, including which leagues will be playable.

Having first discussed this topic after SI’s original announcement, I think it’s time for me to jump back in and discuss what we know so far. I will also try to answer any other questions the FM community might have – some of which are sincere, some of which are… less so.

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Blog Update #9

Published on 5 September 20254 July 2026 by Chris Fuller

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 with Football Manager 2024 for another season.

I will now look back on everything I wrote on Fuller FM this year, including my 15-season career at Nacka FC. I will also discuss my content creation plans for Football Manager 26, which is absolutely definitely probably maybe being released in the next few months.

But first, I need to draw myself away from Civilization VI for long enough so I can actually write this damn blog update. Just one more turn, and then I’m done…

I’m sure negotiations are fairer than this on FM…

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Retro Review: Premier Manager Ninety Nine

Published on 20 August 20257 July 2026 by Chris Fuller3 Comments

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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 hold up today. The game I’ll be looking at today has been on my shortlist of a very long time, so I’m excited to finally tick it off.

I’ll tell you, honestly, I will LOVE IT if we play Premier Manager: Ninety Nine… LOVE IT.

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My FM Content Creator Pet Peeves

Published on 14 August 20255 July 2026 by Chris Fuller

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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 and streams, and read goodness knows how many blogs from other FM aficionados. While I appreciate that nobody is perfect (though MaddFM comes pretty damn close), I have developed some pet peeves that have been bugging me for a while.

And that’s what this is all about – discussing some of those little annoyances I have when it comes to FM content.

To be clear, this article isn’t supposed to be entirely serious. Think of this as some constructive but light-hearted advice from a long-time FM blogger whose website gets literally TENS of page views every day. I also won’t be critiquing how other FMers play the game – just how they present or write about it.

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FM Logic: Managerial Movements

Published on 4 August 20255 July 2026 by Chris Fuller

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 time to take a look at some more weird ‘FM Logic’. We’ve previously discussed bizarre media interactions and press interviews that make a White House news conference look like a place of sanity… and we’ve also touched on the game’s issues with transfers and player development.

Now it’s time to focus on managers – specifically, the logic that the game uses when moving AI managers between jobs. Whether they’re swapping jobs with another coach, taking over a hated rival, or being parachuted into a Championship club without any previous coaching experience, football managers in Football Manager are definitely known to make some peculiar moves.

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Nacka’s Yard: The Final Whistle

Published on 28 July 202515 July 2026 by Chris Fuller

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 to the top (and into Europe) over the course of 15 in-game seasons.

I will now recap my time at Nacka, before taking one final look at the squad who brought us so much success in the 2038 season. If you want to relive the full experience, you can find links to every chapter of this story right here.

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Nacka’s Yard: Season 15, Part 2 (2038)

Published on 21 July 202515 July 2026 by Chris Fuller3 Comments

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 head into the second half of the 2038 season – and after winning their third Svenska Cupen, they have secured European football once again.

These next six months will decide our destiny. Can we become Swedish league champions and get our hands on the Lennart Johanssons Pokal for the first time? Or will there be one more cruel twist in this tale?

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The Instant Result Button: Click Here To Win?

Published on 18 July 202514 July 2026 by Chris Fuller

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 if you’re managing in Brazil, or in the English lower leagues.

Did you know there’s a hidden feature in FM that can speed up your save? It’s called the ‘Instant Result’ button, and it does what it says on the tin – just pick your team and your tactics, and the game will generate a result instantly.

But can it also make your team play better?

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