The Football Manager Football Show

After three years and 12 seasons, crossing from South America to England, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Scotland, France, South Africa, Portugal, Germany and back to England once again, it's time to bid farewell to The Football Manager Football Show.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 - orFollow 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 ShowFollow the podcast @fmfshowCheck the website, fmfshow.comUntil we cross paths again...X

Our English Premier League journey, for the second time, finished last week with Manchester City crowned league champions, denying Liverpool what would have been an incredible three-in-a-row following a close-fought season.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. 

It's finally over. 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.

For the second, third and final times in this Football Manager journey of ours, it's back to the Etihad we go this week as Ken's Liverpool make the trip to Shane's 'The Manchester' to settle the trilogy and close out the season.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 @tacticalmanagerFollow Shane @sirsok1Follow the podcast@fmfshowOr email us podcast@fmfshow.com

On paper, this might be the biggest clash of our Football Manager journey to date.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…

This week on The Football Manager Show, we're going back in time. 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.

It's finally April.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.

It's Friday. It's podcast day. We almost didn't make it, but we did. 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 Caribbean God versus the pretender to the throne.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 @tacticalmanagerFollow Shane @sirsok1Follow the podcast @fmfshowor just email us - podcast@fmfshow.com, with the archive available online at fmfshow.com 

We're mixing things up a little this week.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. 

It's been a busy week at FMFShow towers, and a crazy week in the world of Football Manager.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 XFollow Shane on XFollow the podcast on XOr get in touch via email to podcast@fmfshow.comContains strong language.

This week seeks the January transfer window slam shut, Liverpool continue their FA Cup journey and February's league games start with trips to Sheffield United and Chelsea.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 @tacticalmanagerFollow Shane @sirsok1Follow the podcast on XEmail us - podcast@fmfshow.com or check out the website at any stage for all back episodes and blog posts, fmfshow.com.

With three years of weekly Football Manager podcasts behind us, year four begins with Liverpool and Man City arriving at the end of January, a crunch time for any Premier League duo.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 / @kenmcguireShane's on X: @sirsok1The Podcast's on X: @fmfshowOr email us, podcast@fmfshow.com.

Happy birthday to us.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

It's episode 155 of The Football Manager Football Show and this week we've got a mix of FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League drama to unfold while the January transfer window is very much open for business in 2026. So much so, that some of the Saudi Arabian heavy hitters are coming in strong for key names for both City and Liverpool, causing ructions in one dressing room in particular as the cracks look like they're beginning to show - or are they?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.

There are three things certain in this life.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.

Happy New Year, Happy New Year, may we all have our hopes, our will to try, if we don't we might as well lay down and die. 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. 

On this week's podcast, we're winding out 2023 with a return to the Champions League, Premier League and the Carabao Cup as the January transfer window beckons.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! 

It's tiiiiiiiiime.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. 

One minute you're cruising, the next you're running into obstacles at the most inopportune time.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. 

Another week rolls around in our weird, wild and wonderful world of Football Manager 2024 and this week we're in Premier League, League Cup and Champions League action.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.

Hello December!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.

Finally.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.

Football Manager 2024 is in the wild, wonderkids are on the move and it turns out Shane's already got one or two on his bench.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

E145: Football Manager 2024 is out, David Ginola's hair, Ken's Liverpool meltdown and other FM stories [Live Episode]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.

With less cans of Monster and cups of tea than in previous weeks, we're finally back in the studio and find ourselves just days away from the official release of Football Manager 2024.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. 

The Football Manager 2024 beta - aka Early Access - is here.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. 

With the Club World Cup behind us (and another trophy in the bag for Liverpool), Shane's bound for Singapore where he's intent on making an example of the locals. The sprawling extent of Liverpool's finances are revealed as the lads effectively draw a line under their transfer activity well ahead of the closing of the window. And it's the last game in the save before the FM24 beta gets released - though if we're right, it will have been released on the day of recording, i.e. yesterday.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

This week on the podcast it's a fly-on-the-wall approach to our Club World Cup journey with Liverpool and Man City facing heavy opposition in the form of PSG and Bayern.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. 

As we begin our fourth and final season in the Football Manager 2023 universe we find ourselves in new territory - the FIFA Club World Cup.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...

It's time to start sending Football Manager 2023 home, and do it in style. 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. 

On this week's podcast we're finally drawing a line under season 11 of The Football Manager Football Show.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.

It's been a big week for Football Manager fans.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.

The wins are adding up for Hoffenheim and European qualification is within grasp.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.

It's just another day in paradise for The Football Manager Football Show.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 qualificationWhile 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.

We're back in the studio, recording some live play this week as we move through March in season 11 - now combining the Premier League and Bundesliga.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. 

We're back in the studio again this week for another live-play fix from the topsy-turvy world of our Football Manager multiverse. This week we'll- 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 moreIt 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

We're back in another "live" episode this week as we get to grips with the Europa Conference League for Shane's Hoffenheim while Ken's getting reacquainted with an old flame in the FA Cup.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!

Like two kids in a sweetshop, Ken and Shane have money to burn and it's transfer deadline day so we're going with one more live episode to get us across the line and into February.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.

Football Manager slows for no man, woman or child. As we tick towards the January transfer window, Shane's still jobless having suffered at the hands of the Man Utd board last time out with his unceremonious sacking. But with the clock ticking down to transfer deadline day, is there any hope of him securing a job, let alone one that might allow him to dip his toes into the transfer market? 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.

Unbeaten streaks are there to be broken. Small teams exist to cause you to let your guard down, trip you up. Sometimes the big names fall. Sometimes, you don't always get to win.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. 

It's episode 128 and in the studio this week we've been blitzing a whopping eight games in December between the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup with more mixed results this week. 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.

In a break from our usual approach to playing, we've decided to take the studio for a long lunch break and bounce out the month of November in our third season in Football Manager 2023.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...

On this week's helping of The Football Manager Football Show, we've got some immediate reaction to the announcement from the Sports Interactive announcement on changes coming down the track for FM24 and FM25.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.

In a week where Luke Shaw has been showing Shane that he's got Puskas credentials, we're getting through September and into October as our return to the Premier League continues.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.

The 2024/25 Premier League season is underway!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.

It's a very Premier League pre-season as we get through our entire calendar of pre-season games this week for Liverpool and Man United.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.

It's the season 11 premiere that we've been waiting for since, well, season 1.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. 

So it turns out that when we put our minds to it, we can actually blaze through a whole bunch of games in Football Manager when the pressure is on and things need to get turned around quickly - namely us closing out the final six weeks of our time in Germany and the Bundesliga.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.

The end is nigh in Germany as we get through the penultimate month of the Bundlesliga where, somewhat surprisingly, results of improved a bit for both Frankfurt and Augsburg.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.

February becomes March in the Bundesliga and for one half of our Football Manager duo, things are looking up and the threat of relegation almost seems like a distant memory. For the other half, the only way is up, but the board and players look like they're all coming into line and getting behind a strong finish to the season.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.