Like Arsenal's bid to become Premier League champions and Jurgen Klopp's reign at perennial contenders Liverpool, all good things must come to an end and having seen Shane secure a Premier League trophy - his first league title since Galatasary (if you don't count South Africa) - and Ken being crowned Champions League winner for the first time since his season 4 victory with Real Madrid, we're saying goodbye to the Troy Parrotts, Harvey Barnes, Fabio Silvas and more of this world.

What started as a two-man journey through the world of Football Manager 2021, 2022, 2023 and now 2024 thanks to this iteration's ability to port a save and ultimately our universe, ends as a two-man journey that's come full circle in a way.

In this episode, we're sharing a few moments, a few highlights, and signing off in good spirits as we pave the way for more podcast fun in the future.

To all who've joined us on this adventure since January 2021, going from tens of downloads a week to hundreds and thousands, we hope you've enjoyed the craic, the games, the abuse, the insights, the mental torture, anguish and everything else that comes with this game we love. We're still playing, Shane's spending some time back in 2022, Ken's off to crack the MLS at long last and we'll cross paths again soon.

To every listener, regular and one-off, thanks a million for fuelling our love of the game and here's to whatever the future brings for Football Manager.

The blog will be getting an update shortly with more notes, standouts and musings, plus if you're new to the podcast, you've got THREE WHOLE YEARS of content to lend your ears to with different stories and adventures to take in, that collection's going nowhere.

You can still email us - podcast@fmfshow - or

• Follow Ken @tacticalmanager with some new posts waiting in the wings over at thetacticalmanager.com. You'll also hear Ken weekly on the Ken On Food podcast with a new full season of interviews on the way.
• Follow Shane @sirsok1, and hear him on The Wrestling Fan Wrestling Show
• Follow the podcast @fmfshow
• Check the website, fmfshow.com

Until we cross paths again...

X

While City (and Shane) can celebrate a league title, there's the small matter of a Champions League final for Liverpool (and Ken) with this week seeing the Reds in action against Bayern in Paris.

We'll get a feel for City's season, and sow the seeds for where we're off to next, but for one final time in Football Manager land, we're hanging with Liverpool in the hope that they can improve on their rollercoaster form of late and get something out of the last game in season 12. 

They think it's all over - it is now.

Contains strong language.

Follow

• @tacticalmanager on X (Ken)
• @sirsok1 on X (Shane)
• @fmfshow on X (the podcast)

or email podcast@fmfshow.com to say hi. 

Four months on since the release of Football Manager 2024, our Premier League adventures come to a close this week. 

The two-season arc is finished and the race for the title came all the way down to the final episode of the season. With a game in hand, can City make the extra points a possibility or will their poor run of form continue to haunt them with Liverpool - mathematically at least - still in the league?

It's City v Spurs, Man United and Southampton, while Ken's Liverpool travel to Goodison Park to meet Everton for the final Merseyside derby of the podcast series before hosting Bournemouth on the last day of the season.

Pride is at stake. The Premier League title is at stake. The plan for next season is at stake.

Having ported the universe from Football Manager 2023, is it time to press reset and soak up FM24 for all its worth, or do we head on over to Mexico for our long-planned visit and try cause some carnage that side of the world for a few weeks.

Whatever happens, it's been a long, winding, interesting season, but it all comes to a close this episode!

Contains strong language.

With a 5-1 aggregate lead from last week's Champions League semi-final, Ken reckons he has this one in the bag, until he realises that the Liverpool prodigy-in-the-making, Fred Kalenga, is going to have to make an appearance with Yunus Musah collecting a potential season-ending injury as soon as we click continue this week. He joins a list including Jude Bellingham, Luis Diaz and Curtis Jones with long-term injuries, while Barello and Roberton still have red cards to contend with. City are bruised but not beaten and they're going full Leeroy Jenkins to try claw a place in this year's Champions League final.

While it seems a long shot, odds are a lot shorter when City and Liverpool have to meet for the final time in the Premier League. When it comes, the gap is only six points. City have a game in hand, with three to play. With likely one episode left for our Premier League adventure, is this the week the title finally goes to the blue half of Manchester, or will there be another twist in the tale that's been our longest season ever.

It's all go, complete with added pressures, frustrations and everything else that Football Manager typically brings, so join us over a break where we get stuck into the run-in for our final stay in England.

Contains strong language.

On Twitter / X?

• Follow Ken @tacticalmanager
• Follow Shane @sirsok1
• Follow the podcast@fmfshow
• Or email us podcast@fmfshow.com

While the race for the Premier League title has Man City clear of Liverpool by 6 points, the sides have been paired once again in Europe and this week we’ve got the first of our Champions League semi-finals along with some league action.

Between this week and next, we’ll play each other on three occasions, twice in Europe and once in the league in a bid to settle our final English stint once and for all.

With Liverpool having already seen off City in the Community Shield and the League Cup final this season, is there another sting in the tail or can City exact revenge and progress to the UEFA Champions League final?

I guess we’re about to find out…

You see, there may have been a mishap after last week's episode in that, well, when it was supposed to save, it didn't save. Or maybe Ken didn't save the game. Or maybe the laptop died, or something happened, but the save wasn't there and the backup wasn't there, so where we took off and played our Champions League quarter-finals against Benfica and Real Madrid with Ken winning 2-0 against his old club (while playing with nine men) and Shane going town 2-0 at home against the new age Galacticos, we've got to go again. 

Similarly, we go again against Leeds and Newcastle to bring the timeline up to date before we jump into where we should be. 

Oh you can feel the tension. You can smell the tension. One person in particular is not all that happy. 

But that's what happens in Football Manager land now and again, isn't it?  

Contains strong language, obviously enough.

We're into single figures remaining in the Premier League, while the Champions League hits the quarter-final stages.

Can Ken's old boys Leicester cause an upset at Man City? Will Haaland have the edge over Real Madrid? Will Benfica come back to haunt Ken at Anfield and dent hopes of European success in our final season in England? So many questions, so many concerns!

Let's get into it and start the countdown to the end of our Premier League stay.

Contains strong language.

For the first time in 3 years, through a myriad of real-world events, it's taken us until late on release day to find 30 minutes together to unwind with some Football Manager.

The gas thing, Shane's still hurting after last week's League Cup Final collapse. But it doesn't matter too much as Ken's Liverpool are just hurting full stop as injuries mount with the calendar turning into April.

Games are shy, cup competition details are revealed and we're plotting a course for the penultimate month in our Premier League stay.

Follow Ken, Shane and the Podcast on X. Contains strong language, but we don't bite.

Get in touch - email podcast@fmfshow.com.

The current FA Cup holders versus the current Premier League holders.

Good versus evil?

For the first time ever in 161 episodes, we're going all-in on one game. Yes, this season has been a slog, but it's also been methodical to a point and as results mounted up, the path was paved to send Man City and Liverpool to this year's Carabao Cup final. Granted, it took a rub of the green for both along the way, but they made it and now, long acclaimed by Shane to be the only cup that matters, the Carabao Cup is up for grabs. Holders Leicester have been disposed of so whoever comes out on the right side of 90 minutes will make for a new home for the first chunk of domestic silverware on offer (Shane doesn't count Ken winning the Community Shield).

We're putting the shout-outs to one side this week and concentrating on game day, all in the space of an hour.

That means the meetings, the injuries, the pre-match press conference, the lineup, the tactical decisions in-game, the running commentary, the goal chances, near misses, exhilarating highs and chronic lows. Whether it comes in 90 minutes, extra time, or by way of a penalty shoot-out (mind your subs!), we're off to Wembley for what's likely to be the last time in podcast land, so we've got to make it count.

Contains strong language, as usual.

On X? 

• Follow Ken @tacticalmanager
• Follow Shane @sirsok1
• Follow the podcast @fmfshow

or just email us - podcast@fmfshow.com, with the archive available online at fmfshow.com 

For the first time in a while, we've managed to get some games under our respective belts this week before we actually press record. Remember when we used to do this before season 12? Recognising that last week segued into all manner of discussion, we're getting into the action early this week as we navigate the last sixteen of the UEFA Champions League before getting in some Premier League action.

We're wrapping up things up this week with two live games as Liverpool head to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest while Man City head to St. James' Park to meet fifth-placed Newcastle in a must-win clash if they're to preserve their 10-point lead at the top of the table.

It'll be squeaky-bum time soon enough though as we approach the point of the final ten games of the season, our last ten games in English football's top flight and likely our last ten games in England before moving on to pastures new after two rather long seasons.

Be warned though, next week we're going for a doozy of an episode, the first time we'll have done something like it. Get all the details this week.

Contains strong language.

Follow Ken, Shane or the podcast on X/Twitter. Get in touch by email, podcast@fmfshow.com or visit fmfshow.com for more. 

Before it gets patched (presuming it gets patched anyway), we put the latest 'no money down' transfer moves into play to see if you really can lure some of the biggest players in the game to greener shores for little to no cash. 

We've got two must-win games in the Premier League, Ken's off to the Amex to take on Brighton in the FA Cup and we're cracking into the last 16 of the Champions League with a super-tasty draw made off the back of the competition's new format.

And just how magical are Jack Grealish's calves? We'll find out in this week's episode of The Football Manager Football Show!

• Follow Ken on X
• Follow Shane on X
• Follow the podcast on X
• Or get in touch via email to podcast@fmfshow.com

Contains strong language.

With 13 games left in the league, every point counts and with our next league destination pretty much in the bag, it's time to throw caution to the wind at all costs meaning there's a bit of shuffling for our last Premier League transfer window.

But are we talking big money moves, or shrewd loans to seal the cracks?

Let's rock and roll for this week and start the countdown to the business end of the season.

Contains strong language.

Follow Ken @tacticalmanager

Follow Shane @sirsok1

Follow the podcast on X

Email us - podcast@fmfshow.com or check out the website at any stage for all back episodes and blog posts, fmfshow.com.

There's the small matter of needing to win in the last game in the Champions League new table stage to seal automatic progress to the knockouts. There's also the small matter of the January transfer window looming only, instead of it being in January, it's the second of February. Oh, and while Shane goes up against his old boys Wolves, Ken's off to London to take on Arsenal and they're intent on playing by their own rules.

If you listen just hard enough, you may hear the sound of Ken's heart breaking as the realisation drops that the 2025/26 Premier League title may be heading to Manchester after all...

Oh, and when you're done, there's also a new episode of the Wrestling Fan Wrestling Show streaming while Ken's got more from the Ken On Food podcast out every Sunday.

Contains strong language.

Ken's on X: @tacticalmanager / @kenmcguire

Shane's on X: @sirsok1

The Podcast's on X: @fmfshow

Or email us, podcast@fmfshow.com.

Three years on, working our way towards a million podcast streams, two Irish lads who love Football Manager are celebrating three years talking about just that... Football Manager.

Sure, Covid has been and gone, work life has stepped up, live comedy is on the rise, we've had the launch of The Wrestling Fan Wrestling Show and Ken On Food, but there's still important business to attend to as we get back in the Champions League swing of things this week while Shane's been busy in the transfer market.

The biggest takeaway this week, the one lesson that can be taken away from it all, is that mocking is catching. That, and once you think you have the game figured out, you're likely to get caught by surprise and done dirty. But that's life, and it's Football Manager.

So, whether you've been with us for three years, you join us week to week for a few laughs and a chat about the greatest of games, or you're dropping in now and again to see how we're doing, thanks for joining us, thanks for listening, and thanks for keeping us going.

Follow Ken on Twitter @tacticalmanager, Shane on Twitter @sirsok1 and the podcast at @fmfshow or, alternatively, email podcast@fmfshow.com

As a pre-cursor, there is added soccer, wrestling and food talk this week before we settle in for some Football Manager action with spin off productions The Wrestling Fan Wrestling Show and Ken On Food now streaming.

As we reach the middle of January, there's some Champions League business to plan for with the closing two games of the new group-stage format and January wouldn't be January without some incoming transfers. But when there's lots of money at play, why won't players just move?

Hear all about it when you press play.

Contains strong language.

Follow Ken on X @tacticalmanager, Shane @sirsok1 and the podcast @fmfshow. You can also hear Shane every Sunday on the Wrestling Fan Wrestling Show with Ken hear on Ken On Food.

Death.

Taxes.

And if you play FM, getting properly Football Managered. If you've experienced it, you'll know exactly what we mean. Last-minute highlights, out of nowhere, breaking your heart, no chance to bounce back. It's a win that turns to a draw. It's a draw that turns into a hopeless defeat. It's taken a while, but it finally happens.

This week on the podcast we've got two helpings of Premier League action plus the first round of our respective Carabao Cup semi-finals as the January transfer window opens for business with Saudi Arabia coming calling for everyone.

With 10 games in all for both Liverpool and Man City to get through in January there will be exits, rotations and plenty of contracts coming up for renewal. Do we smell a revolt in Manchester? Will Salah and VVD walk from Anfield?

Let's get stuck into this week's episode.

Contains strong language. Follow the podcast, Ken and Shane on Twitter/X, and get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening.

So say Abba, but there's no sense of laying down and dying this weather as we finally get to close out another calendar year of fixtures and brace ourselves for the ridiculous onslaught of January.

This week, with the last of the Christmas holiday days upon us, we're recording on release day with Ken at home, Shane in the office and Liverpool and Man City still jockeying it out for top dog spot in the Premier League.

To take us up to the end of the year, Shane's entertaining Forest, Newcastle and Wolves while Ken also gets a crack at Forest along with Fulham and Arsenal. Spolier alert from last week - the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Spurs did get played albeit only this morning.

Liverpool are being hit by injuries and contract demands, City are still being hit by positional demands and may need reinforcements in the January window with Shane already busy scouting away.

So for the first time this year, welcome to 2024, to another weekly helping of The Football Manager Football Show, and more madness from the world of Football Manager! Follow Ken, Shane and the podcast on X. Contains strong language. Email us at any stage too, it's podcast@fmfshowcom. 

Shane's on air, Ken's still remote and on holiday and plans for the post-Premier League era begin to take shape as we wonder if there's a potential Football Manager challenge to be had by following the career paths of Ian Holloway, Dennis Wise, Joe Kinnear and the mysterious one himself, Alan Curbishly. Also, why is Sam Allardyce not in our Football Manager universe? 

Can Liverpool redeem themselves after last week's loss to Man City? With automatic knockout places up for grabs in the Champions League, can City redeem themselves against Lazio or will Ken's first return to Frankfurt since his season 10 departure make for a happy new year or further dampen Liverpool's European spirits?

Find out in the latest of our live episodes, recorded on release day for Friday 29 December 2023.

To all who've joined us on this year's adventure and with Christmas behind us, we say "happy new year", here's to 2024 and all that it brings! Hopefully, you're finding some time for FM over the holidays and we'll talk again next Friday!

Recorded on release day (22 December), we're squeezing in an episode just in time for Christmas, that lovely time of year that we hope sees everyone get a proper rattle at FM24, or you get to drag your FM23 season kicking and screaming into the New Year.

We've still got another episode to go this year but this week we've the important bit of business in Liverpool's hosting of Man City for the first league meeting of Ken and Shane this term. Shane gets a warmup in against 16th-placed Leeds while Ken has to navigate a 2nd-placed Newcastle at St. James Park while Leicester and Southampton make up the remainder of this week's games.

Whether you've just joined us and this is your first episode, or you've hung in all year, or you've been with us since day one, we hope you've a great Christmas or holiday break and thanks for choosing to spend a bit of time with us this year. We hope you've enjoyed things as much as we have and the good news is that we've a long way to go yet!

It's time to get stuck into this week's episode of The Football Manager Football Show.

Contains strong language. Catch up on Twitter/X via @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager or @sirsok1. New episodes available every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening. 

On this week's helping of The Football Manager Football Show we're back for some lunchtime FM action, rolling tape as Liverpool and Man City jet off to Europe to take on the mighty giants that are Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Before that we've got some league action with Leicester, Bournemouth, Brentford and West Ham all rearing their heads, producing some mixed results and another mare in the goalkeeping department for the defending league champions.

Of course, it's all in preparation for next week where we get the first league taste of host v host. If you're paying attention this week you'll have heard that we're experimenting with some cameras for the podcast. They're not a permanent fixture yet but keep an eye out for some clips on the socials - we'll tell you where and when in good time.

If you've got an update to share at any stage or you'd like to get in touch, email podcast@fmfshow.com or follow us on Twitter/x here. Contains strong language. 

A few things are starting to happen. Haaland's misfiring. Liverpool may be hitting an injury crisis, not helped by the lack of suitable cover registered for Europe with a whole bunch of games still to play in the new format Champions League. Plus, after dropping €100m on him for Man City, is Yeremi Pino turning out to be a busted flush for the boys in blue? 

Leicester are beating Wolves, the digs are flying, there's no let up in the goals as we get November off to a winning start. Looking ahead to the fixtures though, the tougher battles are on the horizon with Madrid, Munich and more all waiting in the wings.

Have a listen to this week's episode and we'll see you on the other side.

Get in touch by emailing podcast@fmfshow.com. Contains strong language.

We're into the final month of the year and it's a fast-paced episode of The Football Manager Football Show this week as we continue to get to grips with Football Manager 2024. The upgrade is done, the next big update is out and between Man City and Liverpool, the battle for the top spot in the Premier League is well underway with Champions League football also on the cards this week.

Grumpy footballers are getting sold off, Ken's aggressive play is starting to leak goals, Haaland is under-performing and injuries over the international break look like they may play havoc with Liverpool in Europe.

Also this week we're taking a look at Spotify Wrapped for 2023 with regular listeners sending in some of their stats from this year. If you've got a screenshot to share, tag us on X/Twitter @fmfshow or email podcast@fmfshow.com so we can shower you in compliments and just say thanks!

As always, contains some saucy language. X.

While Ken's got a month of Football Manager 2024 under his belt, Shane's finally ponied up and bought his upgrade. Farewell Football Manager 2023, you were class, but we're all in on FM24.

Not only that, but thanks to one of the best features to hit Football Manager in its history, you can finally port games from the previous year's version into this version meaning our Football Manager 2023 universe is making the leap into 2024 and now we've to figure out what - if anything - has changed as we plug our FM23 straight into FM24.

We've got more Premier League action and the next round of Champions League football and all is not as rosy as it seems.

While our Champions League journey got underway last week, we've got some league and League Cup action this week. While Shane's Man City side get a plum draw against Walsall, Ken's bringing Liverpool to London to take on Chelsea in the third round.

It turns out Shane's also getting FM'd in real life and we get an update from listeners on how their early FM24 saves are progressing.

Spoiler alert: This is definitely, absolutely, positively (and has been rectified post-recording) the FINAL Football Manager 2023 podcast. From next week out, everyone's on the FM24 boat.

Much love x

In what's one of our most whirlwind episodes to date, we're back for our last game in Football Manager 2023 thanks to the official release of Football Manager 2024 this past Monday.

Yes, it's out now, if you haven't gotten a copy already, grab links from FootballManager.com.

So what does David Ginola's hair have to do with this week's episode? Quite a lot as it happens. If anything, it provides a brief respite from the chaos as we navigate transfer deadline day in the Premier League and get our respective Champions League campaigns underway.

This is also (likely) the last of our Football Manager 2023-flavoured podcasts, now that the full game is out we'll be porting this save into the FM24 universe in time for next week's recording. Listen on to find out how things are going.

If you want to get in touch, you'll find the podcast on Twitter / X as @fmfshow, Ken is @kenmcguire and Shane is @sirsok1. Contains strong language from the outset.

Ken's been getting to grips with Rochdale during #FM24EarlyAccess but in Football Manager 2023 land, the Premier League is underway as Liverpool and City take on West Ham, Chelsea, Chelsea and Sheffield United. As in, they get two games each and both end up playing Chelsea.

IRL, Castlewarren are winning matches, we get some more community thoughts on FM24 but we're finally, officially, underway in the Premier League once more.

If you've not gotten your hands on it yet, Football Manager 2024 drops officially on Monday 6 November at 4 pm in all good stores with the mobile version also wrapped up in Netflix for existing Netflix customers. Apple Arcade has been confirmed too and there are loads of Switch and console updates that have dropped in the past week which you'll find at footballmanager.com.

Tweet us with your thoughts at @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager or @sirsok1 and email us, any time, podcast@fmfshow.com. Get the archive online at fmfshow.com with new episodes streaming wherever you get your podcasts every Friday. 

Ken's on holiday for this one so while he's away we've managed to get a remote link to do the podcast this week and it all builds to just one match before we make the jump to Football Manager 2024.

It's the biggest game of the pre-season. All the preparation comes down to this - the FA Community Shield (nee the much-loved Charity Shield) as Liverpool and Man City lock horns for the first time this season. Liverpool have made two additional signings ahead of the game, City have Haaland pulling the strings up top and Wembley provides the backdrop with bragging rights on the line.

Shane's also sharing his predictions for the season (despite being tipped by the media to win all around him), how Castlewarren are getting on in their new former League of Ireland home and for some reason, Chasing Abbey's Oh My Johnny comes into play. Find the video link below.

We'll be back in the studio next week with normal service resumed so for now, soak in the charity shield and pick your side for the season ahead!

Watch: Chasing Abbey - Oh My Johnny (referenced)

Follow: @fmfshow on X, @tacticalmanager (Ken), @sirsok1 (Shane) or email podcast@fmfshow.com. 

More on FM24 in an official "yes, we've gotten to play it" capacity next week. For now, it's onward for FM23 and season 12 of The Football Manager Football Show: Liverpool v Man City.

You can follow Ken @tacticalmanager, Shane @sirsok1, the podcast @fmfshow and you can email us at any stage - podcast@fmfshow.com

Recorded over a lunchtime sandwich, you'll get a feel for how our live plays for Football Manager 2023 are getting somewhat frustrating, with a whole season yet to come and a Premier League campaign that we need to rip through once our transfer business is complete.

Let's get to some games - all very sweary - and get stuck into this week's FM23 action. 

What's managed to escape us in recent years because, well, we weren't winning Premier League titles or Champions League titles or FA Cups or anything like that, both Liverpool and Man City are in the FIFA Club World Cup. That means we've packed our bags to head to Japan for a few weeks in lieu of the regular pre-season to try get our hands on the first piece of silverware of the season.

Ok, technically, since it's now a summer competition and not a winter competition, it's a bit more last the last possible bit of silverware of the previous season but you see where we're going with this one.

As a result, this week we're navigating the Club World Cup while trying to crack the rest of our summer transfer business before the calendar swings into July. You might notice that we're also a month away from the official release of Football Manager 2024, meaning we're probably 2-3 weeks away from getting our hands on the beta version / early access, which also means thanks to the feature set for FM24, we might just have to carry on our FM23 journey and hope for the best - no pressure.

With both Liverpool and Man City among the favourites for the competition, let's see how things get underway over a rainy day lunchbreak in October...

For season 12, we're going to try and squeeze it all into the month of October, right up to the lead off of Football Manager 2024 which - if you've been living under a rock and not heard already - gets a release at 4pm on 6 November.

Picking up where we left of last week, Shane's landed himself at Man City for our FM23 swan song and with that comes a war chest of over €230m to spend as he sees fit. Can he rebuild City in his vision and go all the way to the Premier League title?

At Liverpool it looks like Ken is broke one minute, then flush the next as two signings sealed in the off-season arrive in time to get squad numbers and board the plane to the USA for some pre-season action.

Also this week we'll go through some of the recent developments for Football Manager 2024 but truth told, there's money to be spent and a season to be cracking on with so we'll get a full FM24 episode in the next week or two. 

You can follow the podcast on X @fmfshow, Ken is @tacticalmanager and Shane is @sirsok1. Get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening or stop by the website, it's fmfshow.com.
 

Liverpool have won the Premier League, Hoffenheim have finished outside of the European placings and a season that started united (no pun intended), ended divided which means it's time to settle on where we go for season 12.

With Football Manager 2024 virtually around the corner (it's out in under two months from now), we've got a look at some more of the details emerging on FM24 and with the new game set to drop at 4pm on Monday 6 November, we've got ourselves a hustle to try and pack in what we can for season 12.

With that in mind, we're turning the tide a little bit for one last roll of the FM23 dice and it starts this week.

Contains strong language. Follow Ken on X as @tacticalmanager, Shane as @sirsok1 and the podcast as @fmfshow. Get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening.

The game's 2024 edition just got a release date - 6 November - there are competitions for copies flying all over the place, save reveals are happening, Twitter (X) is tearing apart the launch trailer to look for any hidden details that might give something away and pre-orders are open via Steam with early access included for the beta release once more.

While all that's going on, we've got to wrap up season 11 of the podcast and close the door on what's become a split season between England and Germany - remember Shane getting booted from Old Trafford? 

So we're in the final days of life at Liverpool and Hoffenheim, one Premier League title wrapped up and Champions League football assured while a European dalliance for Hoffenheim isn't beyond a mathematical possibility.

It's a sweary one, it's the end of the road following a long slog of a season but it's another fresh episode of The Football Manager Football Show just for your ears. Say hello on X @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager or @sirsok1. Contains strong language.

For Liverpool, a draw is all that's needed to secure the first Premier League title for the podcast since we launched and there's every possibility it could happen at Anfield.

But then, the most curious thing of the entire season happens. Perhaps the entire three seasons to date for FM23. There's an implosion, while we're live. 

One minute the champagne is being prepared, the next you're staring into the abyss, and you've still got to get back to work for the afternoon shift.

Such is Football Manager life.

It's the penultimate episode of season 3, recorded live, and we're getting ready to say goodbye to the Premier League and Bundesliga. Won't you join us?

Catch up on Twitter/X @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager or @sirsok1 and get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening.

If you like what you hear, leave a five star review on your podcast app, every little helps.

March turns into April this week as we continue the live-plays in studio where fresh from their exit of both the Champions League and FA Cup at the hands of Arsenal and Man City respectively, Liverpool start the month with a tough home fixture against Chelsea before heading on to Leeds while Newcastle are waiting in the wings. If cup competitions aren't Ken's thing this season, is there enough left in the tank to see the league over the line? m 

For Shane - fresh from a trip to AEW All In - there's the small matter of some tactical adjustments where a low line of engagement and low block haven't been cutting the mustard at Hoffenheim. With a few tweaks, he may have actually found the key to unlocking Eddie Nketiah - something that has the potential to lift Hoffenheim towards European qualification

While the games tick down into single figures for the rest of the season, Ken's set a task to "save the save" while we get an update on what's happening with Benfica as the Portuguese spin-off heads for a fourth season.

On the domestic front, Shane's struggling to score goals but is doing a reasonable job of not conceding them at the same time. In Europe, however, Newcastle are on their way back with a 4-1 lead in town. Could he actually crack it and get Hoffenheim over the line at the expense of the magpies?

And as for Liverpool, well, they're a different kettle of fish altogether. Still putting teams under pressure in the league, the roles are reversed with the visit of Arsenal to Anfield in the last 16 of the Champions League while Ken gets to tackle title-rivals Man City, this time in the quarter-final stages of the FA Cup. Wedged in between are the visit of Brentford and a trip to St. Mary's to take on struggling Southampton. 

We've got some loose thoughts on FM24, community updates and more besides.

Plus, if you get this before 27 August, Shane's headng to AEW in Wembley. Find him, say hi.

Follow us on Twitter/X @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager or @sirsok1 or drop an email at any stage to podcast@fmfshow.com.

Much love, X. 

- Find out what Ken's been up to with Benfica
- Get the latest from Shane on his return to Preston and Man United
- Take in some Europa Conference League, FA Cup, Premier League, Bundesliga AND Champions League action
- Discuss player development while dissecting each others' work and more

It gets animated but we'll quickly discover that some old Football Manager habits die hard. Very hard.

Contains strong language. Get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening and check the website for more on FMFShow.com. You can also tweet @tacticalmanager, @sirsok1 or @fmfshow. 

And if you like what you hear, take a moment to tap that 5* review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere that will take a good word these days. 

X

Frankfurt make a fleeting return to the podcast too this week but between squad registration woes and big ticket injuries, there are causes for concern for both sides as we leave the transfer window behind us and move through February.

We've got three months left in the season to make something happen but while one manager looks like they've found the secret to their winning ways, the cracks may appear for another.

We'll also get an update on where Ken's at in season 3 of his journey with Benfica, there's a throwback to one of the greatest football grounds in the land and live commentary that you're guaranteed not to find the likes of anywhere else.

Get in touch by emailing podcast@fmfshow.com, Tweet/X @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager and @sirsok1. Contains strong language. Oh, and if you've got a second, leave a 5-star review on Spotify, Apple Podcast or wherever you can review the podcast!

For Ken, there's about €20m to play with at Anfield though with the squad registration full, it's got to be one-in-one-out and the offers aren't exactly forthcoming. Shane has a shade over €60m to play with a new job as he takes over Hoffenheim. Can he rebuild the squad in his own vision, in one day, and get a win in his first game as manager which happens to be against his old club Augsburg?

Getting the sack from United means Shane also misses the trip to Anfield and a chance to avenge a 4-1 defeat at the start of the season as Ken gets to grips with Antonio Conte, freshly installed in the dugout of the Red Devils.

So we finally wave goodbye to January, get our first game in February under our belts and we've now both got some European football to look forward to this month.

Definitely contains strong language. Get in touch on X (RIP, Twitter) @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager and @sirsok1 and get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening.

It's another live episode as we work through job hunting for Shane while Ken's ticking towards the end of the Champions League group/league stage and signing off on January in the Premier League with the visit of Brighton.

We'll go through some more community shout outs and save updates this week but as always, if you'd like to get in touch, drop a Tweet or an X or whatever they're calling it these days to @fmfshow, or find @tacticalmanager and @sirsock1 in the same space. You can also email us at any stage - podcast@fmfshow.com.

Contains strong language.

That's what it feels a little like this week as we move into January. We arrived there in last week's episode, the new year bringing renewed hope and optimism. Shane's got himself a league cup semi-final against Leicester with the Foxes - Ken's former club - having dumped Liverpool out at the quarter-final stages. Man United are top of the Champions League table with six wins from six, Liverpool nipping at their heels. In the Premier League though, it's quite the reverse.

With time ticking on the United board's request to improve the club atmosphere, is there anything that can stop the rot? Can a win over former club Wolves save Shane's job at Old Trafford or is the writing on the wall? 

In the throws of an All-Ireland week, we're live in the studio for a 60-minute Football Manager session to figure out what's been going wrong and what's needed to turn around the Premier League save before it's dead in the water. Out of tactics, out of budget, out of time, but then again, this is Football Manager. Sure, you don't always get to win, but sometimes - just sometimes - dreams can come true...

Contains strong language. Get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening. 

Now, Shane's not been sacked - yet - though we're playing through some live elements this episode to see if it will happen or if he can actually pull off the greatest of escapes. Augsburg just needed to reach January before going on a five-month rip, can the same happen at Old Trafford this season?

PSG and Villarreal make appearances in the Champions League group stages as we move into matchday six while trips to Everton and Leicester are on the menu for the League Cup quarter-finals. The Premier League games aren't too easy either, there are some players getting itchy feet with the transfer window looming, the injuries are racking up again and it's really getting into squeaky-bum time at the lower end of the table.

Get in touch with the podcast on Twitter @fmfshow, Ken's @tacticalmanager and Shane's @sirsok1. You can also email podcast@fmfshow.com with new episodes coming your way every Friday. Contains strong language.

We floated the idea last week that with Shane's ongoing frustrations with Man United winning in Europe but performing miserably in the league, we would record 'as live' to share some of his sheer mental anguish with the game. The board are on his back, the fans are on his back, he's lost most of the dressing room, and what's worse, he's at United. It's his club, his team, and he's a far cry from his Football Manager 2022 save where he's got €700m in the bank and is cleaning up at home and abroad.

What unfolds this week is a trip or two in the Champions League, games against Chelsea, Leeds, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and more.

This episode may get a feel for how we do things when there's no transfer window involved but also shows there could be a serious task at hand at Old Trafford to get United back to winning ways. Think you know how to fix Shane's woes? Holler via email to podcast@fmfshow.com or tweet us @fmfshow.

You can also find Ken @tacticalmanager and Shane @sirsok1 on Twitter. Seemingly we do Instagram and Facebook now as we've no idea where Twitter is going this weather. Contains strong language. Let's get on with the show...

We'll get into it more down the line but it's safe to say that, on paper, it's a bold statement that sets out a clear path for the future of Football Manager and should go a long way towards easing some long-term fans concerns over the current iteration of the game.

As October turns into November, we've also got ourselves some Champions League action, the next round of the League Cup and two rounds of Premier League fixtures where injuries are starting to mount for Liverpool but wins are proving hard to come by for Man United.

Get new episodes of the podcast every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening and on our website, FMFShow.com. You can also follow Ken on Twitter @tacticalmanager, Shane @sirsok1 and the podcast @FMFShow. Want to drop us an email and start a separate conversation? Email us podcast@fmfshow.com.

Contains strong language.

Not only that but we've got the first taste of two cup competitions with Liverpool and Man United in Champions League action against some familiar opposition while the League Cup gets underway on home soil, one of our intrepid duo getting a more favourable draw.

To squad rotate or not, to play wingers or not, to give youth a chance or not - there's a lot to talk about. Plus we've a Merseyside derby, a Manchester derby and one club is getting rocked by some big injury news.

It's all go this week on The Football Manager Football Show. Get in touch by tweeting @fmfshow, email podcast@fmfshow.com or you can find Ken on Twitter @tacticalmanager with Shane @sirsok1. Get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening. Contains strong language.

With pre-season wrapped and a transfer deadline day looming, the Premier League season starts properly with Liverpool at home to Arsenal on the opening day of the season while Man United make the trip to West Ham.

We'll get through the month of August and through to mid-September including our first Premier League transfer deadline day since Season 3 (Leicester/Wolves), along with the draw for the new-look Champions League and the third round of the League Cup.

More importantly, though, it's Ken's Liverpool against Shane's Man United, at Old Trafford, in the first North West derby of the season. New signings are going on show, there's a pre-game tactical change that someone's not supposed to know about but may find a way, and there are serious bragging rights at stake with the league campaign barely even warming up.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @FMFshow, Ken at @tacticalmanager or Shane at @sirsok1 and get new episodes of the podcast every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening, including FMFshow.com.

Contains strong language.

While Liverpool seem to be able to raise transfer funds through departures like Henderson, Thiago, Keita and more, United can't seem to sell a sinner get a bloated squad trimmed before the league kicks off.

As pre-season goes, we've got Bayern, PSG, a trip to China, Liverpool in Spain and Scotland and we're packing in games, testing out squads and trying to cement our tactics for the season ahead of our second stint in the Premier League.

This one contains swearing, frustrations and more as we get set for two new-look sides to go head to head. Oh, and with a Community Shield to kick off the season, could Liverpool claim the first piece of silverware of the season against a now Thomas Tuchel-led Spurs?

Have at it!

Follow Ken @tacticalmanager, Shane @sirsok1, the podcast @FMFShow (all on Twitter) and grab new episodes weekly online at fmfshow.com or wherever you do your podcast listening.

Germany is in the rearview mirror and we're off to pastures new. We've had suggestions of Holland, ducking down to Serie C, going to the depths of the English football pyramid, heading to Australia or backpacking across Asia.

But at the end of the day, there's one footballing rivalry that we've been looking to sink our teeth into since we started the podcast and for some reason, we've danced around it but never faced up to it until now.

Despite recent honours, two aging squads need a rebuild. After all, that's what good teams do in terms of keeping it all fresh. We might also be embarking on a two-season project, but when you're playing at this level, if you're under-performing, you're out the door. We had a taste of it in the Bundesliga and almost got our marching orders.

Now, the stakes are higher. The European Championships are on through the pre-season, European club football is changing and while one club certainly had a better season than the other, all bets are off once the first ball of season 11 is kicked.

Old names are coming to join new teams, gaps need to be filled, money needs to be generated and ultimately the ribbing in the office is going to be fierce.

Let's crack on with season 11 of The Football Manager Football Show!

Get new episodes every Friday, wherever you do your podcast listening. You can also catch up on the backlog at FMFShow.com where we'll be adding some more show notes off the back of our German adventures this week. If you want to get in touch, tweet @FMFShow or email podcast@fmfshow.com. Contains strong language. 

We won't spoil it entirely, but there are a few positives to take away from the whole experience - though how does it all work out?

Just when it looks like Frankfurt were cruising, the wheels started to come off thanks to heavy defeats to Dortmund and Chelsea. But wouldn't you know it, if a few results elsewhere fell into place, there could still be the possibility of securing European football.

As for Augsburg, it looks like Shane's got a little something clicking as the goals start to come good, fixtures start to look more appealing and there's something of a fire under a side that was destined for the drop for at least half the domestic season.

To be fair, how we've actually gotten this far and have been able to make an episode about the FINAL month in the league is still hard to comprehend, but here we are.

Let's bid farewell to Germany, bye-bye Bundesliga, and try to send Frankfurt and Augsburg home in style.

Contains strong language. Follow Ken @tacticalmanager, Shane @sirsok1 and the podcast in general on Twitter @FMFshow. You can also email podcast@fmfshow.com with any queries and you'll get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening and on the official website here.

At least that's what the game would like you to think before it transpires that Shane's still under press while Ken's good run of form - up until the moment you hit save and close the game - looks like it's evaporated and the timing couldn't be worse with Chelsea on the horizon for the Europa League knockouts.

Leipzig and Dortmund also feature but if there's not much good news to be found in Germany, there's hope in the FM 22 universe as Shane finds himself in not one but two cup finals this week as his multiverse run continues.

We'll also get more updates from around the FM community and start looking ahead to what or where we might go for season 11. Thoughts on a postcard please to podcast@fmfshow.com.

Let's get on with the show.

PS: Contains strong language.

This week on the podcast we've got another month of games in the Bundesliga where it's become apparent that it's Bayern, Dortmund and everyone else. For Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen lie in wait with the firepower to derail a winter resurgence. For Augsburg, Ibra's loss looks like Diego Lopes' gain as the sinking Bavarian ship looks to be turning around and making a push for unity amid a tough run of games.

And following an exit from the Champions League group stages, Frankfurt (and Ken) get their first taste of the Europa League with the visit of FC Copenhagen to town and the prospect of some mouth-watering knock out fixtures if they can survive the opening playoff legs.

We'll also hear from more of the FM community, find out how Liverpool are doing in the 2030s, how Shane would change Everton this season, how the multiverse is going and get an insight into Shane's buy-low-sell-high philosophy.

Follow Ken on Twitter @tacticalmanager, Shane @sirsok1 and the podcast @fmfshow. You can also email podcast@fmfshow.com with your own save updates or queries, we love hearing from listeners about what the like (and don't) from the podcast. Contains strong language.

Last episode, we were each given five games to salvage our careers in Germany. Eight points were required from those games and Shane got off to a flyer with a 3-0 win over Stuttgart followed by a 1-1 draw with Mainz before our live play to close out episode 117 saw him hold on to beat Arminia Bielefeld 2-1. After coming off bruising defeats to PSG and Hertha, both at home, Ken's also had a positive start with a 1-0 win over Koln followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Schalke that included a first Bundesliga hat-trick for Dion Drena Beljo.

You would think that safety would be guaranteed. Shane needs just one point from two games, and get needs two from three games but the first of those is against Bayern, with Union Berlin and RB Leipzig waiting in the wings.

Shane's also got basement side Nurnberg and Hertha to deal with as well, but there's always a twist somewhere along your Football Manager journey and no matter how much you think you're doing right, there's always a club board somewhere that finds a way to get the digs in.

Robbie and Koln still exist in the world too and while results haven't been going well, he's yet to be sacked. Oh, and we've got a January transfer window with a little bit of activity for both clubs in a bid to try and salvage something out of the trainwreck that has been life in Germany. Is it over yet? Contains strong language.

Like what you hear? Leave a review on your favourite podcast platform or email podcast@fmfshow.com.

Yet again we're called in to explain ourselves but this time the threat is real and the pressure is on. For two teams leaking goals, one of which can't buy a win, we've been given five games and a points target each to hit or it's bye-bye Berlin (or Frankfurt and Augsburg, but you get the drift).

December turns to January, the transfer window is opening up and just when we thought we were out, we're back in business. So do we accept the challenge? Can we roll over for the board and find a way out while there's still time to go shopping with another club's budget? Hit play to find out!

Contains strong language and no Robbie. Again.

Follow the show on Twitter @FMFShow; Ken is @tacticalmanager and Shane is @sirsok1.

Get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening and online at fmfshow.com.

But it's not Denmark, we're in Germany, it's life in the Bundesliga but not as we know it with November upon us. An international break means we've got some Champions League action for Ken with two crunch games in the league for Shane's Augsburg and Frankfurt as well. Koln are still Robbie-less so to tie up this week's podcast we're bringing back the live game for the first time since season 8 as we get December underway.

Spoiler alert though - it's looking like players for both Augsburg and Frankfurt have realised that if you put the work in, put your head down and put your laces through the ball that it *might* just end up in the back of the net so there may be some goals this week.

As frustrations spill over at Frankfurt, some players are in danger of the chopping block while a team meeting is needed at Augsburg to settle the nerves a little.

Our rollercoaster of a ride in Germany continues with some strong language and apologies to any celebrities who may be dragged into our wonderful musings in the world of Football Manager.

Follow Ken @tacticalmanager, Shane @sirsok1, the show @FMFshow.com and get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening and online at fmfshow.com.

So, while the beer flows and the games come thick and fast in the Bundesliga, the goals have dried up with this week proving a tough one for both Frankfurt and Augsburg. And yes, Robbie's on "holiday" as Koln go on autopilot for a few days.

We've put October to the test though and while Ken's trying to find his way in the Champions League, Shane's trying to get any manner of a response out of his forward line. The common denominator this week though seems that injuries are mounting up faster than either of us would have anticipated with Frankfurt stacking up seven first-team injuries.

The wheels certainly haven't come off, but they're starting to squeak and it's looking like we'll need a minor miracle to survive the Bundesliga.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @fmfshow, Ken is @tacticalmanager and Shane is @sirsok1. Get fresh episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening and on the official website fmfshow.com.

While there's plenty of chocolate and Easter beers on the horizon, we're back in Germany with a bang as the Champions League campaign gets underway for Ken while we move through the month of September and knock a handful of league games out of it.

This week is throwing up injury concerns, springing tactical surprises, showing that tweaks in-game can sometimes have catastrophic consequences and starting to stir some unwanted emotions in supporters.

We'll also find out how Castlewarren's season is finishing IRL, get the latest from some regular listeners on their Football Manager saves and concerns and we've done a little bit of looking into our Bundesliga-shaped crystal ball to see if we can cause a rip in the space-time continuum and avoid some of the perils that lay in our way.

As always, you can contact the podcast on Twitter @FMFshow, find Ken @tacticalmanager or here and Shane floating around as @sirsok1. Robbie still isn't on Twitter. We don't think he'll ever be on Twitter.

Between the three of us, we've got six games to get through in a short episode as we try to get a handle on the league with August serving up the tough fixtures. 

Is it impossible to score goals in Germany? Are Bayern, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Leipzig really that good or has someone lost their mojo? Was it a mistake to go to Germany without a plan for the long term? And can we really blame Shane for it all?

See how we get on...

Contains strong language (as usual). Find the podcast on Twitter and come say hi @fmfshow or seek out Ken (@tacticalmanager) or Shane (@sirsok1). We may need a parody account for Robbie, but then again, there are Irish laws against that kind of thing. 

x

That said, due to an ongoing war (of the theatrical variety), we've not seen any action in Germany this week though Shane and Ken have been busy with Man United, Kilkenny and a second roll of the dice with Benfica.

We're kicking back a little this week to reflect and a couple of things popping up in solo saves, get some more listener updates and questions for our ongoing saves and it's the "gruesome twosome" back in studio with Robbie back in the studio next week.

Graphics never mattered, but transfers do, so what are we looking for out of the next version of FM24? How do you go about a multiverse setup and address the different managers you create? How did we end up in Germany again? And just how many superstars does Shane need to feel better about himself?

As always, you can contact us via email to podcast@fmfshow.com, find us on Twitter @fmfshow or visit the website, FMFShow.com. You can also find Ken on Twitter at @tacticalmanager and Shane @sirsok1.

Contains strong language.

This week sees us talk out the last of our pre-season games, check off our first competitive fixtures with the opening round of the DFB-Pokal and we're officially kicking off life in the Bundesliga with a rude awakening from the defending champions, Bayern Munich.

We've got the last of our transfer business before the transfer window actually shuts, we've got some more gripes about the current Man United squad under Erik ten Hag and we might even have ourselves a casualty.

Red cards and spurned opportunities are talking points this week but as that glorious single released by D:Ream in 1994 went, things can only get better. Right?

Follow the podcast on Twitter, we're @fmfshow. You can email us, podcast@fmfshow.com and you can also find Ken as @tacticalmanager and Shane as @sirsok1.

Contains strong language.

As Robbie brought Porto to a second-place finish in Portugal last season, Shane is considering adopting his philosophy - one formation, one tactic, one lineup, one mission for the season.

This week on the podcast we're wrapping up pre-season in Germany ahead of the opening of the DFB-Pokal and the first round of league action. Man United and Chelsea are coming to town to help Augsburg and Frankfurt wrap up August while Robbie's hoping to attract some Scottish Premier League talent over to Koln for the season.

Pre-season routines are questioned, transfer business gets wrapped up early and wouldn't you know it, the subject of Liverpool's 7-0 win over Man United raises its heads with some actual football talk for the first time in quite some time.

Contains strong language.

It's a new season, new beginnings and a new outlook on life as we have to grapple with players we don't know, in a league none of us have ever managed in, with a competition structure we're vaguely familiar with.

We're leaving the Algarve behind us and all the lovely trappings that come with life in Liga Bwin and we're moving further into mainland Europe to start season 10.

Just when he thinks he's out, Shane is the one in charge of drawing the teams for season 10 and unlike last season where we picked the top three teams and drew lots in the office, this time out he's gone all in - all 18 teams in this league straight into the finest cardboard box we could find in the recycling bin, all mixed up for the big draw with Ken drawing first, Robbie next and Shane third, based on our final league positions in Portugal.

There are accusations over transfers and scouting, someone's in the money, and someone's already applying for new jobs, but that's par for the course around these parts.

Let's get into season 10 of The Football Manager Football Show - follow the show on Twitter @fmfshow, keep an eye on our website for updates at FMFShow.com or find Ken @tacticalmanager and Shane @sirsok1. A full season on and Robbie still isn't sharing his thoughts online.

Contains strong language. 

Benfica need just one point from a possible 12 available - can they build on their late run of form or will they hit a speed bump with Sporting and Porto nipping at their heels? And when it comes to second and third, with only a point separating Shane and Robbie, will there be any late drama in the league, especially when they meet on the final day of the season to potentially decide the last automatic Champions League place.

We've also taken on board everyone's suggestions about where we're going to next, so we'll run through the majority of them as we figure out where we head for season 10. If you're reading these notes and manage to get to us within three or four days of the podcast episode dropping, you might well still be able to influence our decision.

Say hello on Twitter, we're @fmfshow or email podcast@fmfshow.com. You can also follow Ken as @tacticalmanager and Shane as @sirsok1. As for Robbie, a whole season in Portugal later, he's still not on Twitter.

Or is he...

Contains strong language.

This week we're into our second-last month of Pastel de Natas and all those other nice things the Portuguese culture has to offer, but more importantly, we're seven league games away from the end of the club season. For Robbie, there's also the possibility of a place in this year's Taça de Portugal should he pass the semi-final test.

Despite the run-ins determined last week, it's looking like Benfica, Porto and Sporting are all experiencing a little end-of-season rot setting in as goals dry up, opposition sides start to get the upper hand and frustrations start to set in. With six points separating first and second and Porto nipping at third,  by the start of this week's gaming it looks like the league is there for the taking by anyone. When it comes down to the finish though is it all done and dusted?

And can anyone identify what's after happening with Beljo and Sporting? We're also looking for your suggestions as to where we go for next season once Portugal is in the bag. Should the European adventure continue? Do we head back to England with Robbie along for the ride? Do we finally get to break America? Email podcast@fmfshow.com or tweet @fmfshow to make your suggestions.

Contains strong language.

You can also follow Ken at @tacticalmanager and Shane at @sirsok1 on the Twitter machine.

This week, Benfica (Ken), Porto (Robbie) and Sporting (Shane) are in league and cup action as we close the door on February, get March out of the way and move into February - you can thank the international break for that one.

However, one decent run of form looks like it might be in trouble, one poor run of form looks like there's a bit of an upswing and one middling run of form gets another spin on the rollercoaster that is Liga bwin.

Contracts are on the table, tactics are being thrown out the window, the press thinks there's a relegation battle going on at the top of the table, and star signings are fading away while others are relishing their time in a new role.

More importantly though, with the gaps fairly narrow at the top of the table, it's time for each side to make this month's run of games count, maximise the points and stake a real claim for the title. Can it be done? You'll find out over the course of 80-odd minutes, maybe 60 if you discount Robbie's take on modern life about 20 minutes into Benfica's last game of the week.

As always, our thanks for your listenership to the podcast. We love the emails, tweets, encouragement and disappointments so if you've got anything you would like to share or get off your chest, you can email us directly to podcast@fmfshow.com, or find us on Twitter as @fmfshow, @tacticalmanager (Ken) or @sirsok1 (Shane). 

There's Champions League action for Ken as Liverpool make their way to Benfica's back yard, Robbie and Ken are going head-to-head and it's beginning to look like everyone has injury concerns.

The head-to-head this week turns out to be one of the best we've had in an age but with all three of us getting league games on the same days this season, the pressure is on to keep the gaps in the table tight, the goals in the back of the net and the points on the board.

As we move into year 3 of the podcast we're celebrating January 2023 as our best ever month for downloads and that's all down to you for listening. A huge thanks from us for the continued support, we hope you're enjoying our Football Manager adventures and if you want to get in touch about your own save and developments you'll find Ken on Twitter as @tacticalmanager, Shane as @sirsok1 and Robbie hides out under @scorelinesport every now and again.

More importantly, though, you'll find the podcast itself on Twitter as @FMFShow or check FMFShow.com for archives, screenshots and extra blog posts.

Shane's got the second shot at a trophy this season with the surprise addition of an Allianz Cup final with Ken and Robbie both knocked out in the semi-finals last week.

But this week we're left wondering if there is a hangover from the World Cup in Qatar or is there something rotten in the state of Portugal as points drop, chances are missed and the goals look like they're starting to dry up for one of us. Will we even have a title race this season? Will the January transfer signings reinforce league and cup ambitions or will they cause more problems?

And after their scoreless draw last time out, how will it go this week when Shane and Robbie lock horns for the second time this season?

It's all on the latest edition of the Football Manager Football Show, episode 104. Grab new episodes every Friday wherever you get your podcasts and if you're up for progress midweek, join the conversation on Twitter @FMFshow.

You can also follow Ken @tacticalmanager and Shane @sirsok1. 

It's been a busy enough week at Scoreline HQ as we get caught up with the realities of the real-life sporting season but in FM land, it's back to the grind this week as we pass the midway point of the season and run through January with three games in the league before reaching the Allianz Cup semi-finals as Porto host Braga and Benfica take on Sporting in our second host-v-host game of the week.

There may be some strong language this week but it's all in good jest.

As we approach the two-year mark of weekly Football Manager podcasts, a sincere thanks from us to you for lending your ears to the show.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @FMFShow or trawl the archives at fmfshow.com. You can also follow Ken @tacticalmanager and Shane @sirsok1. One of these days, Robbie promises he'll have a Twitter account. We don't buy it for a minute.

We'll find out how the World Cup actually went (with some surprise results) and get into our Allianz Cup quarter-final games with a potential host-v-host clash if everyone comes through unscathed.

There are points to be won in the league after a lengthy winter break but as it comes time to start doing deals in the transfer market, some familiar issues crop up again, especially when it comes to the offloading of players.

Robbie's hit a good run of form and he'll share his thoughts on how he feels things are developing now that we're at the midway point of the season - be sure to stick around right to the very end for the juicy bits.

There's some strong language, some rants, some walkouts, but it's al in good fun as season 9 pushes into the new year.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @FMFShow and get new episodes every Friday wherever you do your podcast listening.

Christmas has come and gone, and it's a case of 'new year, new drive' as wins become a must with some domestic cup action while the World Cup takes place in Qatar.

Shane's looking for some money-spinning friendlies to rake in the dough and are Benfica looking at a possible cup upset despite carry in the favourites tag? We've got UEFA Champions League news and a countdown to the Christmas transfer market with a marquee signing expected at Sporting to boost morale and drag the league favourites past the top of the table at Christmas.

Contains strong language.

Catch the archive at fmfshow.com or wherever you do your podcast listening or join the conversation on Twitter, we're @FMFShow.

Contains strong language.

Wherever you are in the world this week, have a safe and peaceful Christmas - try get in some quality game time and keep fighting the good Football Manager fight!

This week we've got Robbie quarantined in a room somewhere beyond the realms of the studio as we navigate November's league games before the Allianz Cup and the World Cup in Qatar kick in. We've got our final two Champions League games to play as well - can Porto and Sporting defy the odds and come up with the goods? Can anyone stop the Benfica train from rolling on? Will Beljo have another standout week?

Contains strong language.

Follow the podcast on Twitter, @FMFshow, and happy Christmas to you and yours! 

With our host-v-host games out of the way last week, it's on to another two rounds of the league, two more rounds of the Champions League where results are a must to ensure progress, survival, or avoid elimination altogether, and we begin the Taca de Portugal as we draw a line under the majority of October.

Can league form translate into European success or has it all gone Pete Tong already?

Join the conversation on Twitter @FMFShow and get new episodes wherever you do your podcast listening every Friday.

With pre-season behind us, it's time to start our league run properly and we do just that by clearing out all the league fixtures in August and get a feel for what way the opposition is setting up in Liga Bwin.

Robbie's struggling with suspensions, Shane's new signing is leading the goalscoring charts and Ken's got more Champions League qualifying games to get through if he's to join the lads in the group stages.

We'll go through the eventual Champions League draw, take a look at what's been happening this past week for some of the Football Manager community and ahead of introducing you to some bonus content, we somehow wind up reminiscing about the glory days in Brazil off the back of the recent documentary on Ronaldo.

There is some strong language in there, check the website for screenshots and more updates and as always, thanks so much for your ears. Committing to a podcast is a big ask of your time and time and again you continue to hit play, so thanks for keeping us company this year.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @fmfshow while Ken's under @tacticalmanager and Shane's at @sirsok1. As for Robbie, he tells us he's working on it!

After a decent pre-season run for our three Portuguese amigos, we're getting set to kick off Liga Bwin proper, which means there are a few decisions to be made - what gaps need to be filled, who can we sell to raise a few quid, and how do you get your defenders to push up or spread balls out to the wings?

There's a steep learning curve in Football Manager but when you're flung in at the deep end you'll find out it's sink-or-swim very early on. Ken's got some Champions League football to look forward to as Monaco provides the first of two obstacles to group-stage qualification and for some reason, there's a bizarre number of pre-season injuries stacking up.

Oh, and as for gripes about goals, this is the whopper conceded by Shane this week.

It's slow-moving with three of us navigating pre-season but as the league starts, we're all on the same match-day buzz for the next few weeks. With some strong language peppered throughout, it's on to this week's edition of The Football Manager Football Show.

Grab fresh episodes every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or here on FMFShow.com and if you can spare the time, consider throwing a 5* review our way on your favourite podcast platform as we build out our Football Manager 2023 coverage.

Contains strong language.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @FMFShow, follow Ken @tacticalmanager or Shane @sirsok1.

Contains strong language.
Follow the podcast @FMFShow
Follow Ken @tacticalmanager
Follow Shane @sirsok1

With Shane's riches in South Africa secured safe and sound and Toulouse now a top-half team in Ligue 1, it's time to get the ball rolling on Football Manager 2023 as we get a three-way dance going for the first season of Sports Interactive's latest edition of our favourite football management simulation.

Experienced players will have a very set way of beginning in Football Manager with some of us having developed routines going all the way back to the early Championship Manager days. So how, in 2023, does it work for someone coming to the world of FM for the very first time, in what should be a competitive league, with European cup competitions and big board and supporter demands?

With little in terms of a transfer budget, gaps in squads and the potential for some great rival games, it's time to kick off Season 9!

And with eight seasons in the bag between Ken and Shane, we're introducing another member of the Scoreline team, Castlewarren's star striker (who doubles as a decent centre-half), Robbie Dowling. Be sure to say hello on Twitter @FMFShow.

If you're just joining us for the first time, thanks so much for the loan of your ears. Continue the journey afresh as we navigate season 9 or go all the way back to season 1 and catch up on our journey that started in South America, hitting England, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Scotland, France and South Africa along the way.

Contains strong language.  

It's only taken until the week before the full release of Football Manager 2023, but our Football Manager 2022 journey has come to an end.

Some people would call that impeccable timing. Others might call it tantamount to torture as the French and South African seasons come to a close.

For Ken, it's been a tough season at Toulouse. What started with bright promise in August and September spiralled into the winter before a mixed bag of results sent some hope through the squad for a revival of fortunes. With seven games left to play, the threat of relegation still needs to be nullified. Can he turn it around in the closing weeks of the season?

And for Shane, despite all the wins in the league, he's been pushed all the way by rivals Kaizer Chiefs, to the point of having six points separate the sides. He's also got the Nedbank Cup and African Champions League to still contend with in a season that extends into June. Can he turn it into a clean sweep and leave the continent and FM 22 with some added silverware?

Plus, when we get through ALL of the games, highs and lows in this week's bumper episode, we'll take a look back at our FM22 journey in total and compare notes as to how we got on.

Shane's got his biggest league test to date in a top-of-the-table clash with Kaizer Chiefs while it's looking like Ken can't buy a win again this week in France as late lapses in judgement cost Toulouse dearly in the league.

On the topic of Football Manager discussion, Shane's got a few things to get off his chest as the graphics, gameplay and dodgy transfers come into question with it still apparent that AI teams are hoarding big-name players and letting them chill on the bench. Will this be remedied for FM23? And as the debate around graphics in the FM world continues, does it *really* matter how good, bad or indifferent the match-day experience looks?

Get new episodes every Friday on FMFShow.com and wherever you do your podcast listening.

Games are back in South Africa as the AFCON goes by way of Nigeria but Orlando Pirates are playing catchup with a ton of games to get through. In France, Ken finds Toulouse struggling to hit the back of the net but a new recruit from PSG may just be the answer to push on for European places.

With only six points between the 5th and 14th, results will prove vital in our closing weeks of the FM22 cycle. 

There are some South American prospects on their way to South Africa, reinforcements arriving at Toulouse to try and shore up a mid-table position but as the Coupe de France moves into round ten with Marseille, league leaders PSG and Lille around the corner, the winter break looks like it might not have too much of an impact on the team.

So, with games on the quiet in South Africa this month, Shane's been filling his time with WrestleMania VII and a longing for living in 90s California.

Plus, we wind up in a discussion about some FM22 bug-bears we're hoping to resolved and fixed with the release of Football Manager 2023 on 8 November. 

Contains strong language.

It's another week in the world of Football Manager and we're back on top of our network save world as we hurtle towards the end of the Football Manager 2022 cycle (for us at least).

We're back in South Africa and France this week as we wrap up the calendar year heading into the winter break. There's plenty of league and cup action as we plan for the January transfer window and we get ourselves ready to introduce player three to the game.

Sure there's some strong language here and there but there's a very special musical interlude courtesy of young (now adult) Mr. O'Keeffe.

Tweet us during the week @FMFShow, if you like what you hear, tap that 5* review rating in your podcast app or catch up online at FMFShow.com.

The headline features have been revealed for Football Manager 2023 so what are they and how will they impact your career choices in Football Manager 2023?

And with the beta release of the game just a few weeks away, I've got some tried-and-tested Football Manager 2023 save ideas for you to dig into when the new game drops.

If you've got your own to share, Tweet the podcast @FMFshow and we'll be back next week with some league action for Toulouse and Orlando Pirates.

The game's next edition, Football Manager 2023, is set for release on 8 November which means out intrepid managers are under pressure to finish out their FM22 adventures in South Africa and France.

Having opted to divide and conquer, splitting continents as well, it turns out that there's quite a lot of football to be played in South Africa, especially when you've got a team like Orlando Pirates who are involved in every cup competition known to man.

This week sees Shane's Pirates in two cup outings and a few league fixtures with a certain Mr. Ndolvu getting himself some new intro music.

In France, Ken can't buy a win, is suffering from low squad morale and trying to address playing issues all while out-performing the team's expected early season relegation scrap.

The bad news there is that there's nobody stopping PSG who are dominating proceedings.

We've been keeping our solo saves updated as well with Ken's fortunes at Hibernian turning around slightly while Shane's got the Premier League all wrapped up.

We'll look at all of these, plus get updates from community members on their saves and early plans for Football Manager 2023.

Have you noticed as we edge towards the release of Football Manager 2023 that your time invested in Football Manager 2022 has gone up and not down?

That's what it's been like this week as Shane continues his Multiverse of Madness with jobs at Man United and Preston in the same side while Ken's experienced his worst run of results in Football Manager in this version, maybe even in years as he can't buy a win on his solo adventures in Scotland.

For the podcast save, Shane's inundated with cup competitions in South Africa, beer tokens or not, while Ken does well to squeeze in three games in France with mixed results, but will they be enough to keep the board and fans interest or is the gloss already starting to come off?

We also touch on tactic development when it comes to player selection - do you pick a player for the role, or build a role around the player?

Contains strong language.

Contains strong language.

We've closed the transfer windows so look at changes and upgrades to Orlando Pirates and Toulouse, there's even more cup competition action in South Africa while in Ligue 1 it's about getting points on the board while dealing with early season injury problems.

As we're both running solo saves as well with Shane's multiverse of Man Utd and Preston, Ken's gone back to hibs for a second crack at the Scottish cherry.

Sure what could go wrong?

On this week's podcast we're finishing out a lengthy pre-season for Orlando Pirates, Shane's new employer in South Africa, while Ken has missed pre-season with Toulouse by all bar one game so has to crack on and worry about Nantes, Marseille and PSG all in the space of a week or so.

We're discussing staffing woes and trying to get the right personnel from performance analysts to coaches and assistants when nobody really wants to make a move.

As we move through the South African season, one thing becomes very apparent - it's going to be *really* tricky to get some viable staff in and making any player adjustments. On the plus side, Shane is in yet another competition before the season properly kicks off.

And if you missed it last week, we wrote an actual blog post about what actually happened in Scotland. Give it a read.

Contains strong language.

Ken has left Hibs, officially.

Shane has left Hearts, officially.

Season seven ended with Hearts finishing second, Hibs in third and Ken named the Scottish Football Writers' Manager of the Year. That's as good as it got with Rangers double a league and cup double.

We've rolled the dice and we're breaking up the band.

It's been some craic...

Contains strong language, as usual.

This week we manage to get through the final two games pre-break and the full championship stage run, so it's the last seven games of the league in all. Plus, Shane's still in Cup action as Hearts get the unenviable task of facing Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish cup.

There's added tactical talk this week as Hearts and Hibs square off against each other twice and someone's been paying attention to how player conversations are going.

We'll get through the final league standings, finances, end of season awards and more as we stick a pin in Scotland and figure out where to go next!

As Castlewarren return to play in real life, Hearts are making a push for the Scottish Cup, Hibs are hoping for a miracle in Croatia and Rangers are left looking for a new manager.

Funnily enough, one of our intrepid managers may also be looking for a new club...

This could be our penultimate Scottish episode so strap in!

Having recovered from his hospital adventures last week, Shane is gone into full-on Gegenpress mode and looks to be paying off. 

Player unhappiness is rife at Hibs after a scrappy run of results but can Ken turn it around this week?

And who knew you could lose a player for two months only to get him back on the pitch wearing protective equipment a week later!

It's all go this week and we're back in the studio too!

Contains strong language.

January is done and dusted and thanks to a little bit of live play, we manage to make it up to mid-February this month. But January in itself took a toll with some heavy results and dropped points for both sides (sure, you can't win them all) but some tactical switches and familiar reinforcements mean the boys can get back to winning ways.

We're wondering can you - or should you - die in Football Manager as Shane winds up in hospital meaning game night becomes game day and studio recording becomes a couch recording.

We've got four or five games each to get through along with a live-play to round out this week's episodes, with league fixtures and our opening Scottish Cup fixtures in the mix.

Find new episodes online every Friday at FMFShow.com, scoreline.ie/fm or wherever you do your podcast listening. Keep up to date on Twitter by following @FMFShow, @KENMC056 or @SIRSOK1.

Contains strong language.

Life as we know it, for one of us anyway, has taken a turn. A defeat in December runs the risk of taking the wheels off a certain green and white train as the winter break doesn't do too much for Hibs. As for Hearts? Well that's a different story.

We've got a few games to run through and live play to get us through a month where you realise it doesn't matter what your wage budget is, how much of a transfer budget you've got, it's tricky trying to go shopping in Edinburgh in the new year!

On those cold, wet, wintery Saturdays and Sundays, Hibs and Hearts are still very much slogging it out when it comes to the Football Manager Football Show Podcast.

This week, Shane needs to get a run of results together, but he's got Aberdeen, Celtic and Hibs on the way. For Ken, it's one more game in Europe to finish off the Europa Conference League - qualification already secured last week so this week it's about the vital first spot in the group table.

On the home front, those league games turn into crunch fixtures but we manage to save the best until last - who will win this season's regional title - The Duke of Edinburgh?

Ken's on holiday (in the home studio) while Shane's at the station studio but on the technical front, it's all good!

Definitely contains strong language.

As happens in FM, you get on a run, save things off, come back a few days later and everything's gone to pot. Players are unhappy, the board are unhappy, fans are unhappy, results aren't going your way and the top five is changing every single week. Except for Celtic and Rangers. 

Can we break the stranglehold? We've got time on our side... for now.

Hibs are in European action as well with two more games this week as they look to progress out of the Europa Conference League group stages but with a jam-packed fixtures list is the dream over?

And yet again, one-on-ones and Josh Maja's ability to live offside are melting our minds.

Oh - the new website is up too and getting more content, swing by fmfshow.com for a look or tweet us @FMFshow.

Contains strong language.

It's a big month too as Ken gets put to the test in the Europa Conference League group stages and gets a visit to defending champions Rangers in the league. Shane's got a tricky run with Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers all on the horizon in this week's episode before it's our first Edinburgh derby of this season with Hearts and Hibs set to collide.

In between, we're looking at our different tactical setups for this campaign and how we're tackling, or rather juggling, a growing injury and fitness crisis in both clubs.

As always, a heartfelt thanks to all who continue to stream, listen to or download the podcast, and if you've just discovered The Football Manager Football Show, you've got six other seasons to sink your teeth into as we try to get the better of a game that's ruined our lives for years, and each other.

Contains strong language.

Follow the podcast on Twitter, we're @FMFShow or check out the new website, it's FMFShow.com.

With the transfer window behind us, we're getting the entire month of September out of the way as we rack up league and cup games across the month. Shane's football may not be pretty, but it's starting to get results. Ken's got Troy Parrott firing on all cylinders but when the supply starts to drop thanks to injury, who else can bang in the goals?

Plus, as Hibs learn their European fate, how will the club handle the pressures of continental football every week for the autumn months when squad resources are already low enough.

There's a lucrative jersey deal in store for Hearts and a bumper pay-day for Hibs and more in store this week as we go all-in on life in the Scottish Premier League.

Like what you hear (or not), join the conversation and have your say on Twitter @FMFShow.

Contains strong language.

Oh, and because someone's been as sick as a big, we're out of the office and camped out in Shane's sitting room to recap a tough week on the Football Manager front. 

The times they are a changing.

Contains strong language.

This week, we're getting ready to start the regular season in Scotland meaning we've got the last of our pre-season friendlies, more transfers and injuries to deal with, our first dalliance with European football this season, and the opening fixture for the Scottish premiership.

It's a quick episode this week but we're off to a flyer. Or at least one of us is anyway...

Contains strong language.

It certainly has that feel about dealing with contracts, loans, transfer budgets and more as we work our way through pre-season in Scotland.

We've got far-flung friendlies against Lens, Morecambe, Albion Rovers, Colchester and more to look forward to this week along with the arrival of more triallists (who doesn't love a good trial when you can't scout or struggle to sign players pre-season), and some more Irish players to bolster the Hibs ranks. 

Frustrations are there already with a number of big injuries in pre-season already forcing a change of tactic and approach for the year ahead but it's all part of the fun of the fair.

If you want to get involved or share updates on your own FM journey, find us on Twitter @FMFShow.

Contains strong language. 

With Shane already shacked up at Hearts having suffered at the hands of the AC Milan Board with a few months left in our Italian season, Ken's finished up his time at Inter having lost the league on the last day of the season, handing it to Juventus by a single point.

Rather than jump ship from Hearts and gloss over a Scottish adventure, Ken's gunning for a club rival and all of a sudden we're bracing ourselves for Trainspotting references, bad Scottish accents and the potential of a battered Mars bar.

Grab new episodes every Friday wherever you get your podcasts and thanks once more for joining us on our Football Manager journey!

Contains strong language.

Much like the world of hurling and football, we've ended up with a split season this year. Shane's unceremonious sacking at Milan meant he had to pack his bags mid-season, taking two months to find a job at the heart of Scottish football.

While he's been getting to grips with a team who have little to no coaching staff and players he'll never remember, Ken's trying to hold on to the ones he does know though a bulky medical staff can do nothing to prevent injury to a half dozen regular starters for Inter.

We're closing out season six and saying 'arrivederci' to Italy with the possibility of a domestic double on the cards while there's a slim chance of European qualification for Hearts in their final five games of the Championship grouping in the SPL.

How will it all work out and where are we off to for season seven? You'll have to listen to find out.

Note: This episode contains strong language.

Shane's got his new job and as per league rules, he can't manage again in Serie A in the same season so he's bound for Scotland! 

With the potential of silverware on the table before the season is out, he's got his work cut out for him. So too does Ken as Inter hit their run-in with eight games left to play and the possibility of a league and cup double very much on.

We're also back in the studio this week with the conversation flying on everything from job changes to tactics, team-talks to injuries, where we might go next season and how we're expecting to wrap up Serie A.

All going to plan, season six draws to a close next episode (67) but we've got a lot to get through before then, least of all figuring out a new team, new setup and new league structure with barely six weeks left in the season.

This episode contains strong language. Find new episodes every Friday for your weekly dose of Football Manager content, online at scoreline.ie/fm or wherever you do your podcast listening.

While we work our way through March and on to April, we've finally got movement on the jobs front for one Shane O'Keeffe as the interviews finally mount up, two months after getting the sack from Milan, while Ken's got some Coppa Italia action and league games to play through with Sassuolo and Juventus nipping at his heels.

This should also be the final 'live play' episode for a while as holidays, filming schedules and everything else come to a close, landing us back in studio next week as we move one episodes closer to the Serie A finale. Well, with one of us in Serie A anyway. As for where Shane ends up, it's anyone's guess. Scotland, Portugal, Germany, England and even a return trip to Turkey having guided Galatasaray to the league title last season are all possible. Can he get a job over the line in time for next week?

Taking time out from descriptions, we'd like to say thanks to all who've continued to support and download the podcast in recent weeks. We've heard from people who've been jumping in for the start of the FM22 cycle to those who've gone right back to the start and consumed every episode to date - wherever you've joined us along our journey, thanks for the company and we hope you're enjoying our playthrough of all things Football Manager. April 2022 has been the biggest and best month for downloads since the very beginning and we're loving the interaction generated week in, week out.

Even if you've only barely loaned us your ears, thanks for being part of The Football Manager Football Show.

This episode contains strong language. 

You can get new episodes of the podcast every Friday from wherever you do your podcast listening.

Brighton, Southampton, Boavista, Hoffenheim, Bochum, Troyes, Bournemouth, Aberdeen and more all look like they've got availability, but will 'The Don' finally get that phone call he's been waiting for?

And having fallen foul of Lazio last week, Ken's got a 1-0 lead to protect against Bayern Munich in the last sixteen of the Champions League - can the Germans make home advantage count or can Inter spoil the Bundesliga leaders party?

Join us as we play through - live - another night of Football Manager 2022.

And yes, strong language makes an appearance.

Covid has struck, after dodging the thing for the bones of two years, leaving Ken at home and the studio off-limits while Shane's in the middle of making his next movie.

Oh, and he got fired last week as the AC Milan board finally gave up on his false promises and penchant for wonderkids and flamboyant spending in a league where results matter most.

So, we're taking things a little different for episode 63 - the real episode 63 - as we walk through the games Ken's playing and the jobs Shane is hunting, live. 

You may have heard us to live matches across the season, but what happens when we actually sit down to start playing FM together on our usual week nights? There's a lot more digs thrown, that's for sure.

We're back to more normality next week (and the warmth of a Covid-free studio).

Peace x

From Argentina to England, Spain to Turkey and now Italy, it's taken us 62 episodes to get to this point with some insane ups and downs along the way.

But the news we got 15 minutes before walking into the studio to record this weekend's episode marks a Football Manager first.

Before we get to that, we've got some juicy league games to get through, the closing stages of the January transfer window with a few sneaky deals lined up. The quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia are also looming with Juventus and Lazio on the horizon but on the league front it's close at the top with just 2 points separating 6 sides.

Get involved with the conversation on Twitter, we hang out at @FMFshow and one of these days we'll be opening the doors on FMFShow.com.

You'll find new episodes (containing strong language) every Friday on your favourite podcast platform or check the archive on scoreline.ie/fm.

With the transfer window officially opening, the reinforcements are arriving in Milan including two of our FM21 standouts, Yusuf Demir and Karim Adeyemi.

But while the new recruits make themselves at home in Milan, someone's getting hauled over the coals Football Manager style and threatened with their job over a loose comment in a press conference. As it happens, that's kind of a thing in FM. Who knew?

There's one or two heavy-hitting games as well with a cup hammering handed out while the San Siro gets ready to host the first Milan derby of the season, but who comes out on top?

Oh, and it's a sweary start to make up for last week.

Like what you hear? Follow us on Twitter @FMFshow or as soon as we get the finger out, you'll find our new website at FMFShow.com.

x

We begin by wrapping up October with the last of our league and Champions League fixtures before the winter break kicks in.

When it does, one of us is getting bigger wages, the other is getting a very tidy transfer budget that means only one thing - the arrival of two or three wonderkds in time for the opening of the January transfer window. A

But is it too little too late? Is one club board in particular going to be so ruthless that they would sever ties before you've really gotten warmed up?  And why in the name of God can certain players, of late, not hit the broad end of a barn when they're clear through on goal? And is Shane really going to make it to the end of the podcast without swearing this week? It's very possible.

Also, on Friday this week we'll open the doors on fmfshow.com as a new location for our episodes, some new blogs, streams and more as we double-down on the podcast and Football Manager 2022.

If you enjoy the journey and you like what you hear, we'd love if you could tap those five-star reviews on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, if only so we can show that it's ok to be doing this kind of thing during office hours!

Yes, with St. Patrick's Day on Thursday, the government have only gone and given us a Covid bank holiday on Friday meaning we've recorded a day early this week.

It doesn't change the dynamic mind, as we get through another two or three league games with our second round of group games in the Champions League to follow.

There's a thriller at Anfield, thrashings at Bologna, hassle from Haaland and the bitter taste of defeat is in the air for both Milan and Inter this week #spoileralert

We've also got one host who's determined to break the record for swearing in the podcast so you may need to rinse out your ears after this week's episode.

As always, you can follow us on Twitter @FMFShow and come say hi there. We've got a treat lined up in time for episode 60 and we've got to thank FM Elder for the mugs this week too - a great addition to the office and recording time!

But we make it count, to be fair. Real Madrid are coming to town, Liverpool are coming to town as we reach the midpoint of our Champions League group stages. 

It's time to start dropping players for substandard performances, but at what stage do you draw the line? Under a seven and you're gone? What if it was all under eights? If encourage is the new Demi Moore, is it time for Milan to start reviewing tactics? And who in the world told Liverpool it was ok to sign Robert Lewandowski having already stolen Vlahovic from under the nose of Inter?

We've got eight solid game and a possible trip to the hospital to factor in for one manager but we get this one over the line.

Strap yourselves in, put 50p in the swear jar and away we go.

As always, thanks to everyone - but especially you - for the loan of your ears and support for the podcast. We've got some good news coming in time for episode 60 too!

Join the conversation on Twitter, it's @FMFShow with game nights for season six taking place on Wednesdays.

So many questions, so little time this week as one of us genuinely needs a trip to the doctor but we're closing off the summer transfer window in Italy, wrapping up August and cruising through September, including our first taste of Champions League football since season four.

Is there anything Lorenzo Lucca can't do at this stage of the season? Is there any way Inter can bring down their inhibiting wage budget excess? And who's the old geezer spotted around the San Siro wearing black and red on deadline day?

Find out on this week's episode of The Football Manager Football Show which, contains strong language, though not as much as previous episodes.  
  

The first month of games is in the bag and the league is starting to move. Parma, Roma, Napoli, Torino and more are providing the opposition and some stern tests as assistant managers are ignored, VAR is wrecking heads and there's an exodus of young prospects from both Inter and AC.

Wedged in the middle, there's a Super Cup showdown between Inter and Man City while the transfer window ticks towards a close and budgets are getting tight.

Lorenzo Lucca is proving to be a goalscoring and match ratings machine at Milan and even at this early stage of the season, is there any stopping him?

We'll run through our August games this episode and as usual, you'll find some strong language throughout - though maybe a little less this week as we record in new surrounds.

Catch new episodes every Friday in your favourite podcast app or find the archive online at Scoreline.ie. You can also find us on Twitter @FMFShow.

This week on The Football Manager Football Show we've got

• save updates and shouts for some of the FM community
• a lot of transfer business and money woes
• squad number selection and the weight it carries
• our final three pre-season fixtures
• and the opening day of Serie A TIM proper as Inter face Fiorentina while Udinese take on Milan at the San Siro

Whiskey plays a part this week but at least the swearing is toned down somewhat from episode 54, right, Shane?

As always, this episode contains strong language and you can find the full archive online at Scoreline.ie. Follow us on Twitter to join the conversation, we're @FMFShow, with game nights on Wednesday and new podcasts every Friday.

Is that enough of a hint to let you know where we're off to? It's a football story as old as the hills and when it came to picking our destination for season six, it was only fair to let Shane decide where we're off to and who gets who.

The finish in this league, while we were in Turkey, was super close, but neither side finished as domestic champions. European football is guaranteed, there's about €35m roughly of a transfer budget for both sides along with some sticky non-EU playing rules. Needless to say, there won't be a giant influx of Premier League or South American stars this season.

For the first time, we're taking on two clubs who almost got things over the line, looking to build up strong domestic support and structures and have at it in one of our all-time favourite leagues.

This week we've got plenty of transfer and tactical talk before wrapping up with a quick live game to tee us up for pre-season proper next week. 

Game nights this season are Wednesday nights with a fresh podcast for your ears on Friday mornings. This episode, along with the previous 53, contains strong language.

Lend us your ears and help us kick off a brand new season.  

On this week's Football Manager Football Show we're wrapping up our time in Turkey with the final four league games of the campaign including a Galatasaray v Fenerbahce finish to the season. Has anything improved from our last goalless encounter? Is there one final twist in the tale?

There is the small matter of a Turkish Cup as Fenerbahce have a chance to bring home the only other available domestic silverware and cement a place in at least the Europa League.

Beyond Galatasaray there's also three sides looking for that final Champions League spot. Knowing our time is done, can we leave the clubs in a better shape than they were taken over? Will new faces make an appearance? And where the hell do we go after Turkey?

Check out scoreline.ie from Friday evening for stats, screengrabs and more as we finally remember to summarise a season and results.

Once again, thanks for your ears. Join the conversation at any time on Twitter via @FMFShow.

This podcast contains strong language.

Gripes about mis-firing strikers, blown chances, open goals, restarting plays and refereeing decisions aside, we're heading into what should be our penultimate week in Turkey.

This week, there's Europa Conference League action for Fenerbahce along with a Turkish Cup semi-final second leg (after about 50 days of waiting) and there's goals galore for both sides.

Injuries have taken their toll, suspensions have taken their toll and with Champions League and Europa League places at stake, there's plenty to play for.

This episode also marks the first anniversary of The Football Manager Football Show. 52 weeks on, we're still here, still gaming, still playing through our seasons and letting a game that has taken over huge chunks of our lives continue to get under our skin. But it's great craic all the same.

To all those who've been part of the journey over the past year, ducked in and out, or even taken a minute out of the 6000-odd that are available to stream, thanks a million. We hope you're enjoying it as much as we are.

This episode contains strong language throughout.

As Galatsaray continue to pull away in the league, the focus for Fenerbahce could be shifting to cup competitions in search of some silverware. But is all rosy on the European front? And who the hell puts nearly two months between two legs of a cup competition?

Injuries are scarce but so too are goals and as snow impacts play in Russia, the cheeky Czechs come to town to with the hope of breaking Turkish hearts.

We finish out this week with a live game where you're likely to hear some choice words about one of our intrepid gamers' finishing.

And no, ask all you like, but the Australian story is staying down under. For now at least.

Thanks to everyone again who continues to follow our journey, gets in touch and joins the conversation across the week or on recording day. If you've got an update in your current FM save that you'd like to let us know about so we can tell everyone else, ping us on Twitter at @FMFShow.

This podcast contains strong language throughout.  

We're hitting the end of January and cruising into mid-February in this week's show. There's the frustrating impact of the African Cup of Nations, there are unhappy campers being registered and deregistered for the second half of the league season and the next round of European cup competitions and then there's the looming transfer deadline day.

Someone's picking up a season-ending and possibly career-altering injury. Someone's getting knocked out of the cup. Someone's saving penalties to beat the band. And for some reason, Kevin Phillips becomes part of the conversation when the gin and whiskey run into the very wee hours of Thursday morning this week.

As always, there's strong language throughout the podcast, but please don't let that put you off as we mark reaching 50 episodes of your favourite (or maybe second-favourite) Football Manager podcast.

Follow along on Twitter or drop a tweet to @FMFShow to say hello.

Just when you thought a winter break would serve your players well, it turns out that injuries, the African Cup of Nations, suspensions and a slip in league form are starting to take their tolls.

One of our managers has been informed that his recent run of results could result in a club exit while the other is drafting in reinforcements.

There are goals galore in the sixth round of the Turkish Cup as forgotten players get their chances, discover form and reap the benefits. Wonderkids finally get a break before their tags wear off and one club player's just gone and scooped himself a major award.

We're also (thankfully) able to register an extra player or two for the latter part of the season and we break down the change in league rules for Turkish football heading into the 2022/23 season. Will we be around to see it through is another thing.

And if we thought January was going to be tough, February looks like it's throwing up four cup games and four league games in quick succession so squad depth is going to become a real factor.

As always, you can join the conversation or come say hi on Twitter, we're @FMFShow.  

Note that this episode contains strong language from the start.

From our houses to yours, happy Christmas and all the very best for 2022!

You're one up, two up, you look like you're cruising. They pull one back, but you're grand, there's only five minutes left, they'll never pull things level. Until they do.

It's been the story of the week for one of our intrepid managers as our Turkish adventure heads into the winter months.

With tactical switches, questionable results, silly injuries and other issues raising their heads, we've got our November round of fixtures to get through including another handful of European games.

Will there be changes on the way in December? Can the good times keep on rolling? I suppose we'll find out!

This episode contains strong language.

Firstly, substitutions require a whole other level of planning for Turkish league games when injuries mount up and you have to keep an eye on your foreign and domestic player counts before running the risk of dipping into your under 19s pool.

Secondly, Shane has no love at all for Gwyneth Paltrow, unless of course there's a Hollywood job offer on the table.

This week we're cruising through the month of October with five games down for decision, including two in European competition.

The concerns over early season player fitness are once again making an appearance, just like most seasons in FM21. Are we being too harsh and expecting too much? Or should your starting eleven be happily able to go six or seven games without needing a rest day or rest week.

There are frustrating draws, points dropped, scalps claimed, screamers scored and more as our Turkish adventure gathers steam.

It's Turkey-time, baby.,   

This week, despite seeing a twelve-day international break, we've got a lot going on.

• It's our first FM22 transfer deadline day, which in Turkey happens to be 8 September and also the last day for squad registration before early January
• Shane's bound for Cyprus as the Europa Conference League group stages get underway
• Ken's heading back to the King Power stadium as he takes on Leicester having overseen the Foxes for two seasons in FM21

There's plenty of talk of VAR, tactical tweaks, corner routines and more.

Squad registration rules have taken their toll, shifted dynamics in the dressing room and despite the fact they're written in black and white, it turns out to be easy to make a costly mistake. 

We'll cruise towards the end of September as the early tone for the season is set. Who comes out on top this month? You'll have to wait and see...

Separately, as we move into December, a massive thank you to everyone who helped make November 2021 our busiest month for listens and download since we've started on this Football Manager journey.

Much love. 

Episode contains strong language throughout.

With pre-season in Turkey wrapping up, it turns out we've got a couple of very important play-off fixtures to get through if we're to achieve some part of our boards' targets for 2021/22.

Last week we found Shane knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers so we're both into the final Europa League playoffs with St. Johnstone and Royal Antwerp on the horizon.

We knock out our last pre-season friendlies and cruise into the league proper as life in Turkey officially begins with the first two games of the season.

We've held our final European game for a live (well, recorded live anyway) play-along for the second leg European fixtures. 

Across seasons 1 to 4 we managed a live game or two at the beginning and end of each season and this seems like a good place to start. Stick with it!

Again this week, there's no love for Turkish squad rules, transfers, transfer budgets, player trials and the rest. 

Let the games begin.

Like what you hear? We'd love our thoughts - tweet us @FMFShow or leave a review wherever you do your podcast listening. And if you've got your own #FM22 journey to share, let us know and we'll give it a shout!

Contains strong language throughout.   

This week on the podcast we're wrapping up pre-season - just about anyway - but we're taking a bit of time to analyse our squad and options before kicking off the league proper next week.

From tactical decisions at Galatasary to figuring out the myth that is Mesut Ozil at Fenerbahce to lop-sided friendlies, lack of squad depth in certain roles and the murky mire that is the summer transfer window (and why nobody wants to leave our clubs and yet nobody wants to buy anyone from our clubs), there's plenty to mull over this week.

To all who took the time out to join us last week - maybe even as your first time listening to the podcast - thanks a million for making it our MOST listened-to episode since we've started the podcast.

Grab a fresh helping of the podcast every Friday via Scoreline.ie or wherever you do your podcast listening. 

This episode contains strong language throughout.

Football Manager 2022 is upon us and our timing couldn't have been better. With the new game dropping a little earlier than expected, it turns out we finished up life in La Liga at exactly the right time.

We took to Twitter for your suggestions (and gave away a copy of FM22 in the process) on where we should start the new season and new game. Believe us, there were so many good options.

But when we chopped everything up and threw them in a big bowl (that looks an awful lot like a replica Sam Maguire), the draw told us we would be heading to Turkey.

So as we get warmed up, this week we're looking at assessing our squads, getting to grips with pronunciations, Financial Fair Play, transfer prospects, tactical prospects and more before we get tucked into the preseason.

The fun starts now, the big games start next week, and we've got a whole year to go.

 Follow us on Twitter to join the conversation @FMFShow.  

There are just four games left in the league.

Can Real finish on top?

How vital will Atletico v Barcelona prove?

Has a certain superstar kicked his last ball?

Will the pressures of the Champions League prove too much?

So many questions!

Let's go finish our FM21 journey!

With two months left to play in La Liga, we're back to normal programming this week with Shane returning to the helm of Atlético and Ken gearing up to take Real into a Champions League quarter-final.

With rumours circulating of an Atléti takeover, is this the episode that finally sees Mr. O'Keeffe get the boot, or will his Wolves arrivals dig deep and get him out of a hole?

Can Ken continue his run at the top of the table or are the wheels starting to come off against the smaller teams - and why?

We'll get through four more games in La Liga, two Champions League fixtures, this year's Copa del Rey final and more over the course of an hour as the clock begins to tick on our time with FM21.

It's been a hell of a ride, and we're almost at the finish line.

Like what you hear? Join the conversation on Twitter @FMFShow.   

Funnily enough, Shane's in Spain - whether he's genuinely in talks with Atlético or brushing up on his Spanish - but manages to send a postcard to Cork to tee up this week's episode.

If you're a regular listener to the podcast you'll be familiar with online interactions with Vinnie (Kahuna Gaming) who answered the call for a blood substitute for this week, so we'll talk about

• Spending more time in the editor in Football Manager than playing the actual game itself
• His Wrexham journey given the new Hollywood levels of investment
• Plans for FM22 including some lower-tier Scottish football action and a 10-level Irish database going everywhere from the heights of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division to the depths of the Kerry league
• and more besides

As a backdrop to this, we'll get into the first-ever live FMFShow draft, where it's very clear that Ken hasn't a clue what's going on but we're our draft is based solely on players who've made an appearance across the podcast since starting in Argentina, then crossing to the Championship, the Premier League and now in La Liga for season four.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday night, thus avoiding the drop of the FM22 Beta landing on Thursday, so we'll tuck into that next week.

 There is some strong language in this episode but certainly not as much as previous episodes. We wonder why.

If you like what you hear, follow the podcast for free on your favourite podcast platform and on Scoreline.ie.

We've got Copa Del Rey action, more Champions League action against Rangers and Manchester City and a string of lofty and frustrating league fixtures to chomp our way through.

There's some very late transfer business pushed over the line in case we manage to squeeze in a fifth term before the FM22 beta drops, but even if we don't, it's a nice move all the same - but who's going where?

In the league it's looking like one half of Madrid is hitting form at just the right time, but what's the payoff and what does it mean for the top six in La Liga? Was the ultimatum issued by the board last week the straw that would finally break the camel's back?   

Like what you hear? Let us know and let's chat on Twitter @FMFShow. 

How do you approach it? Beg for forgiveness? Plead your case? Tell the board that they're the ones who need to get in line? Well, for one of our intrepid managers this week, the board comes calling. Days are numbered, players are frustrated, but when you look at the money laid down in January's transfer window, is a turnabout on the horizon?

There's action for both Real Madrid and Atlético in the Copa Del Rey fourth round and fifth round while Manchester City and Rangers provide the Champions League opposition.

A tactical shift yields more goals, more yellow cards and Ken's pondering what it takes to beat the minnow teams when you're able to scalp big names along the way. Except for Barcelona, they're just a law unto themselves.

With just over three months left in Spain, we're chalking them off podcast-by-podcast.

Here's February in La Liga for your ears.    

Like what you hear? Join the conversation at @FMFShow on Twitter.

We're into our final season of FM21 action and it's been a long road so the countdown to FM22 starts now. Between here and then we've got a lot of things to wrap up when it comes to life in La Liga.

So this month (January) we've got 

• Our first taste of the Copa del Rey
• A trip to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Supercopa that throws Valencia, Atlético, Barcelona and Real Madrid all into the mix
• More dropped points, dodgy offsides and glitched defenders
• Threats of being sacked
• The second (and possible final) host v host clash as Real welcome Atléti towards the end of the month
• Oh, and there's a whole transfer window happening so we're going to play out transfer deadline day - live during the recording - to give you an insight into how manic our transfer shopping can get. 

Even the press are starting to ask Shane if he's missing Wolves and does he check the results. They can smell the blood in the water, but just how far away are the sharks from circling?

Soak up all of our January activity in the latest drop of The Football Manager Football Show and if you like what you hear (or don't, that's cool too), come say hi via Twitter to @FMFShow.

Contains strong language throughout.

This week we kick off with a look at some of the early Football Manager 2022 features before working through the thick of our December in La Liga. Can the working man's club turn a corner? Will Haaland "real-ly" start to improve?

With Barcelona setting the pace in the league, there's a lot of ground to make up. Financial Fair Play leads to extra money in the transfer budget and with results starting to go in the right direction, it's time to start scouting for January.

We've got our final Champions League group game plus details of what comes next, and five league fixtures to review as the wingers take break, the goalscorers start scoring, the corners start working wonders and the wonderkids, well, they can stay were they are.

All things considered, we should wrap up in Spain very nicely before landing into FM22 this November!

Strong language peppers this podcast.  

The fixtures list is a mess, the injuries have mounted up, star players need resting, team meetings are dividing dressing rooms and we're both still dropping points to teams at the foot of the division.

At Atletico, a former star looks like he's making a return as the board have a change of heart over transfer restrictions.

At Real, a new star looks like he's turning a corner and it might just be at exactly the right time too.

While we navigate October and November's games, we'll also squeeze in a live Champions League outing to finish the month - do stick around for that one as we wind up with an absolute goal-fest out of nowhere with Mainz and Leverkusen coming to town with the intention of scuppering Champions League knockout qualification.

And how's the sack race going? You'll have to ask the king of eggs himself...

Contains strong language. 

It's been an interesting week in Spain, and by week we mean month as we get through October's helping of league and Champions League games for episode 33 of The Football Manager Football Show.

In Champions League action this week we're coming up against Liverpool, Anderlecht, Porto and Chelsea while trying to gain ground in the league and establish some sense of form.

For Real, things seem to be clicking, lines are forming, fans are happy with the football but the board aren't happy with results. We all know, it's a results game.

If that stands true, is it only a matter of time before someone swings the axe across town at Atlético? Or is there good news on the horizon when it comes to matters financial? What about the rats leaving the sinking ship, or is there just one in particular who's getting the boot?

Then again, just when you think you have it cracked, you get stuffed.

As always, this episode contains coarse language, frustrated gamers, and only one microphone was harmed in its production. Follow along or come say hello on Twitter @FMFShow. 

Now six games into life in La Liga, with our Champions League accounts open for the first time, frustrations are creeping in.

Team meetings have to be held. Defenders are leaking goals. Instructions are being ignored. Maybe there really is a language barrier.

How can you go out and trash someone 7-0 midweek then struggle to a draw four days later? How can you have a team stacked with world-beating talent but still watch your midfield get carved apart like a hot knife through butter?

In another week of life in Spain, Shane is on the hunt for a first competitive win in all competitions while Ken is wondering has the league been lost already and it's only the first month of the season.

It all unfolds over the course of an hour in the latest instalment of The Football Manager Football Show.

Like what you hear? Come say hi on Twitter @FMFShow or if you really like it, nip over to Apple Podcasts and leave a wee 5* review.

This episode contains strong language. 

• walk through the first few games of the season while admiring the fact that Barcelona already look unstoppable
•  hit transfer deadline day, go panic shopping and see what situation the finances are in for both clubs
•  play our first Madrid derby - proper - and it's only the second game of the league season
• do some looking back at Wolves and Leicester and how they've moved on 
• make our season-long predictions
• get our very first Champions League draw (with the first games on the next podcast)
• and plenty more

We'll go through some shoutouts and get ourselves a winner for the most-coveted FM prize going, a sealed and signed copy of Football Manager 2017 where you have a chance to stop Manchester City hitting that hundred point mark for real.

If you like what you hear we'd love to hear from you - find us on Twitter @FMFShow and come say hi!

For more, check out scoreline.ie/fm

Yes, hilarity may ensue, but we've got an exclusive, still-sealed-in-the-plastic-wrapper copy of the one and only Football Manager 2017 to give away! No Steam codes here, straight up hard copy!

How do you get your hands on this most epic of prizes? You'll find out in the opening few minutes of this week's podcast!

Also this week we're figuring out where we are in pre-season, settling in to tactics, bemoaning the opportunities not being afforded, cleaning house and trimming the fat off the squad, slashing wage budgets, discovering potential Spanish wonderkids, hitting China, the US, Germany and more all to warm up for our first (and possibly only) season in La Liga.

As nearly-always, you'll find some strong language throughout as the clock ticks down on the transfer window.

If you like what you hear or fancy becoming part of the conversation, tweet us at any time - @FMFShow. 

Between the jigs and the reels of the working world, we've managed to start Season 4 of The Football Manager Football Show this week and we've got a feeling it's going to be all about heroes and villains this time out.

Our Premier League journey has come to an end and it's time to move on to pastures new so we're off to the continent, while we had our entire season planned out for stint in Italy, it turns out we got on the wrong plane and ended up in a different league altogether.

Instantly, it's a tale of the upper class and the working class, there's big money transfers, some fantasy dealings (know that FM22 will be along in a matter of months) and we're both taking on two clubs in question for the very first time.

When it comes to Football Manager, does money really matter? Will the "working class" rise up and topple the giants of European football, or is it all a soft sell to create a false sense of security?

We'll recap what went wrong at Wolves and Leicester, explain how we ended up not moving to Italy and walk through the first six weeks of the transfer window as we attempt to put our mark on La Liga. At least one of us has prior experience there.

If you like what you hear (or don't), let us know by joining the conversation on Twitter @FMFShow.

Onward!   

Warning: This episode contains strong language, as per usual.

As far as opponents go, we've found ourselves in a situation where our mutual run-ins include the likes of Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Leeds, West Ham, Norwich and Arsenal.

Strikers are underperforming, VAR is getting ugly, tempers are flaring and with the highest honour in English football on the line, there's so much at stake.

We've got more injuries and red cards than we can shake a stick at, but more importantly, we've got Leicester and Wolves in a top of the table clash that could decide the outcome of the league title, who gets European football or not, and ultimately shape the next season of the podcast.

Somewhere in the mix there's a goal of the year contender and we're going right down to the wire.

Join us as we close out our third season of The Football Manager Football Show!

Please note this episode contains strong language from the start.

Between Ken forgetting he's still manager of Germany, to both Wolves and Leicester dropping points in key fixtures, players who can't find the net at club level smashing them in during the international break to FA cup upsets and more, there's plenty to be happy and furious about in equal measures this week.

Make it to the end and you'll hear how our run-in is looking as we might well yet hit the end of the season in next week's episode!

If ever there was a squeaky-bum time, it's right now.

Want to chat about anything on the podcast or just say hi? Tweet us any time @FMFShow or visit scoreline.ie/fm/ for the full archive.   

It's also been a busy week in Football Manager land with the news that women's football is set for representation within the FM world, a move that can only do wonders for the sport. PES too is changing as Konami kill off the legendary brand in favour of eFootball.

In our world, we're moving through February and March with a League Cup final, the FA Cup fifth round and big games featuring Chelsea, Everton, Tottenham and Man Utd.

Thomas Tuchel also makes his first appearance in the Premier League and our arch-nemesis is making headlines.

It's the Football Manager Football Show and, as a word of warning, this show starts with a bang. By that we mean it gets very sweary very early.

Tweet the show @fmfshow if you've been listening along and say hi!

We'll start with a look at Castlewarren Celtic's cup adventure in the real world before breaking into a run of four games in February. 

Just when he thought he had things sewn up early in the season, are Leicester closing the gap on Wolves? It's already looking like Adeyemi could finish top scorer in the league based on his current rate of return but can Iheanacho spring to life and reclaim his pre-World Cup form?

With a couple of high-profile games around the top-end of the table, there's still everything to play for.

If you like what you hear, leave a little review of the podcast wherever you do your listening, or better still, drop us a line on Twitter @fmfshow and say hello! This episode contains strong language.

There's a whole rake of things happening this week as injuries are piling up for Leicester, there are big games against Man City and Liverpool along with cup days with both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup to put up with.

We're talking player relationships, trimming the fat off our squads, burning through Chinese money and handling red cards on and off the pitch. 

As for  Danny "F%$king" Welbeck, oh he's a different story altogether now, isn't he! 

Note, this episode contains strong language from the beginning.

This week we're arranging some pre-Christmas friendlies to warm up the legs by destroying local opposition while getting ready for a little bit of window shopping in January.

The Chinese, PSG and more are all sniffing around Wolves and Leicester but will anyone be shown the door?

Are player relationships and certain player traits the keys to unlocking others, particularly when it comes to a certain striker?

When you're riding high and the board prompt you to change your end-of-season expectations, how should you react?

And when it comes to the first Premier League round of the King Of The Snow Forest, somebody's getting smoked and getting a wake-up call.

We've got some high scoring games, a bucket full of injuries but it's good to be back on the sidelines for some Premier League football all over again. 

Follow the podcast on Twitter, it's @FMFshow.

Yes, the boys are off to Qatar having recently taken over as the managers of Germany and France respectively.

Ken (Germany) draws Denmark, Mexico and Egypt in his group while Shane (France) pulls South Korea, DR Congo and Italy.

Minnows will rise. Big names will fall. Ultimately, we'll have two nights of craic at the World Cup as the winter break lands for the Premier League. As Wolves and Leicester take a back seat for a week, things are about to get heated for two players who haven't managed at international level in over 15 years.

As we were working out the episode structure for the next few weeks and what we could cram in across Wednesday and Thursday night, we came to the realisation that episode 22 would land in 2022 in time for the World Cup in Qatar.

How apt.

But this is episode 21, which means we're all about warming up for the World Cup and getting to grips with international management.

Last week, we revealed we'd be taking the winter gap in the Premier League and turning our attention to life on the international stage. Plus, the Euros are on and it's hard to get away from international football in real life for the next few weeks.

As such, I'm (Ken) taking over from Jogi Loew at Germany, beaten quarter-finalists at the European Championships, while Shane takes over the talent-rich defending World Cup champions, France.

That means this week we've got our first international break, including the final two group games from the Nations League (those glorified friendlies) along with our final four Premier League games ahead of the winter break.

There's dropped points, ridiculous goals from the half-way line, mounting injuries, potential murder charges, and that's just league.

When it comes to the international stage, we've got to pick squads for the World Cup, head to games to scout players and check on progress, and make enemies with some of the biggest names in world football.

If you like what you hear and you want more, follow @FMFshow on Twitter to keep an eye on what's happening when we're playing live.

Ken's got himself a new away tactic and Shane's also making changes as we adapt to the demands of Premier League life, the fans and the board. A winger-less tactic in a team built on wingers? Sure why not!

The goals too are coming thick and fast but as our ever-present hosts find out, it's not always going to work in your favour as the realities of life in England's top division come home to roost.

But it's not all bad, we're making progress, we're breaking some records, winning some awards and with a sizeable gap of games coming up next month, we're planning for the winter break.

On this week's podcast we're taking a look at the first round of games for this season, including our starts in the League Cup.

With the Qatar World Cup booked for November, everything is starting early so we're straight into the action while still going through the transfer market.

There's more big-money signings, new contracts, debuts and departures, red cards, shock results and seemingly Shane's punched Jiminez so hard he may have cracked his jaw. 

We're looking at takeovers, tactical adjustments and swapping between key and comprehensive highlights to get the better of games.

If you like what you hear, leave a review where you can or tweet either of us directly. Find Ken tweeting his FM adventures as @kenmc056 while Shane tweets as @sirsok1 and you'll find all our episodes via @scorelinesport and Scoreline.ie.

Onward ho!  

We get to do this because the season is starting early - the end of July in fact - because we'll be off to the World Cup in November to see what's happening in Qatar.

With loads of football to play between now and then we're tackling a few things this week

• Balancing the books by cutting transfer budgets in half
• Low ball transfer offers
• Summer signings
• Clearing out the dead weight and bloated summer squads
• Wolves pre-season tour of Portugal
• Leicester's pre-season tour of France and trying to sign a goalkeeper
• Kasper Schmeichel's testimonial as some familiar faces return to play Leeds
• The look of the first month of Premier League football
• and more besides

Oh, and of course we'll start with a very quick throwback to Shane's midweek heart-break as Manchester United fluffed their lines in the Europa League Final.

We're into season three of #FMFShow. Like what you hear? Leave a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or drop us a line - tweet us any time @scorelinesport, @kenmc056 or @sirsok1 - and let us know what you're enjoying.

Roll on kick off...

Last time out, we finished the final day of the season with an epic, end-to-end, highlight-ridden live play of Wolves v Leicester at the Molineux. While the title was already heading to Wolves, the 2-2 draw that played out cemented what was a pretty solid season in the Championship.

So this week, with no games left to play, we're keeping an eye on the playoffs and who will be joining us in England's top tier for season 3.

With the transfer market set to open and pre-season training on the way, the vultures are circling. Some of Europe's big names are clearing house and Wolves and Leicester both find their own big names in big demand.

The summer signings are coming thick and fast though as pre-season promises must be made, budgets and tactics have to be decided and the fixtures list comes out.

Oh, and with the World Cup heading to Qatar in November, is there a possibility we'll see the toes being dipped into international management or is it all a bridge too far?

The fixtures list have thrown Wolves and Leicester together. Ahead of this game, we've got April to get through with just 13 points separating first and second. 

The gap is closing. The goals are mounting up. Promotion is at stake. The Championship crown is at stake.

More importantly, someone, maybe, will be named King of the Snow Forest (though do we really remember the terms and conditions attached?)

Leicester are picking up pace in the FA Cup but how will they handle the extra games? Who wants out, who's sticking around and who gets bragging rights in the office?

With another live game during our latest recording session, our hosts experience one of the craziest games of the hundred or more already played.

This is football. This is The Football Manager Football Show.

Warning: There may be strong language. By that, there's definitely strong language. Also, the final 20 minutes are carnage. Furniture may have been stood on but no recording studios were harmed in the process.

Talk of promotion is rife this week's Football Manager podcast as we make our way through February and into March for The Football Manager Football Show season two.

Injuries are starting to mount, players are needing a rest, the African Cup Of Nations has dragged on but we're hitting the business end of the Championship is Wolves and Leicester battle it out at the top of the table, doing everything they can to avoid the playoffs and cement automatic qualification.

Wolves have been blazing a trail but as we found out last week, they're no longer invincible as Preston ruined what would have been a perfect January. Leicester were looking to close that gap to the top as well only for QPR to spoil the party last time out.

So this week, we'll see how Ken and Shane are getting on in February and March with the added pressure of the FA Cup for the Foxes.

There's talk of conspiracies, snitches, moles, players constantly in need of a rest, water bottles getting kicked, managers giving out over loan arrangements and rebels backing down in their demands solely due to possible promotion.

It's a lot to take in but it's a solid listen this week.

Note, this episode contains strong language.

- The January transfer window is open but the romantic notion of swanning around Italian markets
- We find out what a Norwegian defensive fish is
- Leicester are involved in their second nine-goal thriller of the season
- The board are stepping in for transfers
- The Foxes are turning Japanese
- Wolves head to City in the FA Cup

and more besides.

Note that this episode contains strong language.

Love what you hear? Let us know by tweeting @scorelinesport if you've had a listen. If it's your first time to listen, head on back to Episode 1 and join us from the start of our Argentinian Adventure before we upped sticks to the Championship.

Follow The Football Manager Football Show on all good platforms and online at Scoreline.ie.   

• We're working our way through December in the Championship with an eye on what should be a busy transfer window
• The pressure is building towards the first meeting this season of Ken and Shane as Leicester welcome Wolves to the King Power Stadium
• There's talk of tactics, playing for possession, home and away performances
• And we're wrapping up with another live game as we get our first ever FA Cup campaigns kicked off featuring visits from Norwich and Doncaster Rovers

Who draws first blood in the Battle for the King of the Snow Forest? 

All will be revealed...

• Playing through October and November
• Bemoaning the thick-and-fast nature of the Championship when you add in cup games (come back Argentina, all is forgiven)
• Tinkering with tactics
• Dealing with takeovers
• Trying to juggle early-season injury headaches
• Analysing penalty shoot-outs
• and more

Some of us may even be tasting defeat for the first time, but since Ken's already lost a handful of games, who could it be?

If you like what you hear, we'd love you to join us on our Football Manager journey with new podcast episodes released late every Friday night. Subscribe today on your favourite podcast app for more.

Note, there's some football-related swearing in this episode but no footballers were harmed during the recording.

• Shane's still winning matches
• We get a nine-goal thriller at the King Power Stadium
• We hit the third round of the Carabou Cup
• It's Transfer Deadline Day and there's more comings and goings 
• Maddisson is mad, son
• and we decide to play some FM while recording, with incredible scenes

Thanks to all listening to The Football Manager Football Show!

If you like what you hear, let us know by dropping a five-star review on your favourite platform and if you'd like to get involved, tweet @scorelinesport, @kenmc056 or @sirsok1 to say hello! 

For 50% of the podcast's hosts, it's going swimmingly.

The other 50%? Well, let's just say it's a race to the transfer window.

Wolves and Leicester are on a quest to return to the Premier League, having both been relegated in spectacular fashion on the last day of our first season.

At that stage, we were in control of River Plate and Boca Juniors, living the high life in Buenos Aires. This week, the heat is on.

We going through the first month of fixtures for the Championship, now seven games into our season. Plus, the Carabao Cup gets going with Leicester in action in the first round.

How does it all pan out? Who's in and who's out with the transfer window shutting in just two days time? Listen on!

While we may return to right some wrongs, we're heading for pastures new for our second season in-game and as Leicester and Wolves were both relegated from the Premier League to a once-familiar life in the Championship, we're bound for England to rescue some Foxes and, well, Wolves.

Premier League wages in a Championship world will not suffice, there's a fire-sale at Leicester, some dodgy transfer dealings in pre-season, a scramble for friendlies, trial players, slim transfer budgets, record signings and missed opportunities.

We pick things up in June and July of 2021 as we cover our pre-season journey from the minute we sign on the dotted line to the eve of our first game in the Championship.

The real question is, who will come out on top in the newly-minted Forest Cup and can we get a league 1-2 that was missed out on in Argentina?

For this episode of The Football Manager Football Show we're recapping the last of the season's actions before we get stuck into season 2.

It's squeaky bum time in both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Superliga Argentina, the crazy amount of games over the season is taking its toll on both River Plate and Boca, the Garbage Man looks like he's making a return from the rubbish heap and we've got another Superclásico in store.

From finishing up at 1.30 am to a next-morning recording, there's a lot to get through as we see how the end of the first leg of our Football Manager journey pans out.

Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform today to get tucked into previous and upcoming episodes.

There's a crazy amount of games to get through for March and April as the Copa Superliga and Copa Libertadores takes off, injuries are mounting up as contract demands creep back in to play, Boca's form is falling off, River are leaking goals and on top of it all, we get a lovely history lesson in the build-up to the real-life Superclásico for 2021 which all began with an Irishman in the middle.

We've got new international call-ups, a bit of pre-season transfer business and a new-found love of Avocados to take care of. 

It's The Football Manager Football Show, tackling life in the world of Football Manager one country at a time.

While league honours are at stake, the biggest concern of this year's gaming has been who would come out on top in our Super Classico, the Supercopa Argentina, pitting River and Boca against each other for the second time this season.

Last time out, Ken came out on top with River finding form early in the season. Off the back of a 12-game unbeaten run, can Boca draw blood and spoil River's run-in to their first title-ish since 2014? We say ish because Argentina's just been a minefield of crazy football structures for some time now.

We dive into the dressing room atmospheres, some tactical nuances, have a look at what's happening in the Copa Libertadores as we go post-league and discover we've actually got a lot more football to play than we initially thought.

This episode contains mild swearing.

Times are tight in Argentina this week as we burn through a string of issues

• Boca's run of form is gathering steam
• The winter break is long and sucks
• Money is running out, players are walking out and someone is losing the room
• The Copa Libertadores groups stages are drawn - will the season ever end?
• How do you deal with 34 days without games in the middle of your season?
• Are mid-season friendlies worth it?

When we finish, the gauntlet is thrown down for what could be the biggest game of the season could have a huge impact on how things finish.

It's The Football Manager Football Show, it's episode 5 and you can subscribe on your favourite platforms or Scoreline.ie to get fresh updates every week.

Note, this episode contains coarse language and some terrible gangster impressions.

On this week's podcast

• Are Boca bouncing back and finding form at the right time?
• There's silverware on the way to one of the clubs, with more on the horizon
• Players demanding what the board can't provide
• Man marking making the difference
• Fredy Guarin still knocking them in 16 years later
• To delegate or plot your own training path
• And more besides

It's a little ranty, it's a little sweary, but that's the life of Football Manager.

If you like what you hear, spread the word, subscribe over on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts (or wherever you do your listening) and catch up on all previous episodes through scoreline.ie.

The Football Manager Football Show is presented by Ken McGuire (currently River Plate) and Shane O'Keeffe (currently Boca Juniors) as they tackle the world of Football Manager 2021 one nation at a time.

There's late goals, VAR moans, dodgy penalties, tactical disasters, losing and winning runs and that's only in two months.

With August and September now in the bag, here's how we're getting on.

Like what you hear? Subscribe today in your favourite podcast app for more or visit scoreline.ie.

Episode contains strong language at times.

Our well-planned out European adventure took a detour in episode one and we've ended up in Argentina. While Ken is installed at River, Shane missed the flight but eventually landed at Boca to get our South American journey started.

In this week's episode, we're looking at the financial ins and outs of life in Argentina, squad assembly, ageing players, foreign rules, the cautious approach to play, cup knockouts, board pressure and more.

We've got a full month's worth of games under our belts so there's plenty to digest over the course of an hour.

Subscribe for fresh episodes weekly on all good platforms and see Scoreline.ie for the breakdown.

Now, they're about to embark on an epic journey that will take them across footballing continents, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, from front-page transfers to back-alley dealings, five-star hotels to couch-surfing in the great beyond, all for the love of the greatest football game known to mankind - Football Manager.

In this first episode, the boys discuss their common love for a football management simulator that stretches back to the 90s and they explain why they're bringing the game to radio, to the podcast and continuing to chase FM glory.

The competition is heating up, and it's not even started yet.