FM24 - Santa's Worldwide Adventure

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New game, old career, new club.

I could have stayed in Ghana and tried to achieve a perfect season, but where’s the sport in that? After winning the Champions League with my Porcupine Warriors, I did think that I might be a manager in high demand. The hottest ticket on the block. That however proved not to be the case.

A mix of very few appealing jobs becoming available and those few suitable for my next step not quite liking the cut of my jib lead to a summer where it seemed far more likely me staying in Khumasi than going.

The one side I was approached by though was Kaizer Chiefs. They must have liked what they saw when I tore them to shreds last season. Having taken the interview as a courtesy, the folks from there are now offering me the job in Soccer City.

Whilst it might look like a little bit of a sideways move, it’s a massive job in a much bigger league. With an enormous, gorgeous stadium, much better training and youth facilities, one of the most recognizable names and badges in African football and a history of lovely kits, it’s too tempting an offer. It would also be a chance to bring this team back to glory, as they’ve not won anything since 2014.

Time to change that record.

 

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Settling down in my new digs in Joburg, I’m surprised that more of my backroom staff didn’t want to make the journey with me. I’d made a great team of coaches, physios and scouts in Ghana, shame more of them didn’t want to come to Jo-Burg. Doesn’t matter though as the one who truly matters, John Obi Mikel, has stayed loyal. Lovely lad.

Also, whilst I might not be getting paid what I’m really worth (FM always low-balls your wages in comparison to the AI), the properties here are much nice than in Kumasi. Nothing against Ghana, but here I’ve got a lovely house with a pool, within half an hour of the magnificent FNB stadium and within spitting distance of a nature reserve! This gig is very, very lovely. Yes, I’m going full Lollujo, leave me alone!

After looking over the squad properly, this is starting to feel more like a sideways move than before. But what they maybe don’t have in current ability (I can tell how this team was well beaten by my Assante Kotoko powerhouse) it makes up for in potential.

Kaizer Chiefs have a great production line of talent and with most of the squad under 21, it bodes very well for the long term future of the club. With a few boosts in quality, this could be a real force. With most of the experience in the side on the last year of their contracts, I could soon be the only one here who remembers the World Cup final this stadium played host to. That makes me feel very, very old.

It’s not just my staff I was hoping to bring with me, but also the prodigal son of Kotoko, John Mensah. He’s far too good for both that and this team, but hopefully being one of his favourite people helps sway the deal.

Nope, not at all. He ended up going to Salernitana in Italy, which honestly, totally get. Happily though, there was still more than enough budget to bring in some fun players.

South Africa is one of those few nations though that features two words that will give a cold shiver down the spine of any FM player. Work Permits. They’re evil things. The stuff that keeps you up at night. Whilst the South African FA take far more kindly to appeals than the English one, the big trouble they present is that they massively delay any foreign transfers.

We’re currently fourth favourites for the league, let’s see if I can use this budget to push us up the rankings a smidge.

 

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I don’t know if it’s just me, but I take real delight in finding a great player in a completely unlikely location. When you get bigger, it tends to be the Eastern bloc, but this season, it came from a little further afield.

Thailand? Really? All of Africa and you’re looting the favourite destination for 18-year-old backpackers? I wouldn’t have thought it either, and yet here we are with two lovely new Thai lads knocking around the place.

As a Brit, sometimes names from other cultures are a little difficult to pronounce. It’s ignorant, I know, but we’re bad at it. That I’ve added a pair of Thai names to my already challenging South African squad once more shows I’m a *********. I’m also paying way too much in wages to them, but I couldn’t resist their charms. Also I was hoping to get into the agent’s good books to let me have a crack at Suphanat Muenta, but no, he’s off to Norway. The git. Nearly got a Uzbek too, but Sundowns beat me to him.

Off the back of those rejections, I start to flex the club’s financial muscles. I made a promise to the squad that I would be prioritizing youth, but I didn’t say which young players I was referring to.

With that in mind a quintet of young players come in to complete the squad. The very highly rated Philander and Das Neves come in for fairly hefty fees from league rivals, but have so much potential. Nyambe brings a huge amount of potential for the low low price of free, as does really exciting Ivorian youngster Britto. I stupidly said I’d sign someone to help him settle, so I bring in Koffi from my old stamping ground.

I also want get a new number one between the sticks. Goss has been here for a little while now but just doesn't fill me with confidence. With a quick check of the media dream eleven, the very affordable Lincoln Vyver joins the party. He'll be a much welcome guest. Basically an upgrade in all departments with an extra six years to play with.

We round off our squad perfectly by bringing in Daniels on loan for the year on deadline day. We do have a future fee agreed, but it’s far too rich for my liking. But hey, who knows what budgets I might get next year and if he's as good as I think he'll be, it'll be worth it.

That we’re somehow still able to make a profit during this window is downright shocking, and I’m happy to have made some profit off of players leaving on frees I had no desire to keep. We get great deals for Mdaka and Du Preez, considering they weren't going to be starters and also manage to offload Goss and Ngcobo and McCarthy's wages from the bill.

The only one I’m gutted to lose is club vice-captain and stand out defender Ditlhokwe. But getting nearly half a million for him was the best I could do following his decision to not sign a new deal. Best to rip the plaster off now.

All this wheeling and dealing definitely has the bookies convinced. Our gains and our opponents’ losses have now made us favourites for the title.

Let’s go make it happen.