It is with regret that Sunderland A.F.C. announces the departure of manager Mauricio Pellegrino. Chairman Ellis Short feels this is a necessary if hard decision to take the club forward. Failing to live up to minimum board expectations in the league campaign and a low 15th finish are simply not good enough for the club's ambitions and a change is required to avoid stalling in the bottom half of the Premier League. Everyone at the club would like to extend their best feelings for Mauricio and wish him success in his future engagements. Ellis Short and the board are already working on a condensed list of possible replacements including Aykut Kocaman, Darren Ferguson, Gary Cahill and Ian Holloway. A decision will be made quickly and the club will release another statement in due time.
Blasphemy! A wee club in the north-east threaten sir Alex Ferguson's dominance!
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It is with regret that Sunderland A.F.C. announces the departure of manager Mauricio Pellegrino. Chairman Ellis Short feels this is a necessary if hard decision to take the club forward. Failing to live up to minimum board expectations in the league campaign and a low 15th finish are simply not good enough for the club's ambitions and a change is required to avoid stalling in the bottom half of the Premier League. Everyone at the club would like to extend their best feelings for Mauricio and wish him success in his future engagements. Ellis Short and the board are already working on a condensed list of possible replacements including Aykut Kocaman, Darren Ferguson, Gary Cahill and Ian Holloway. A decision will be made quickly and the club will release another statement in due time.
It is with regret that Birmingham City Football Club announces manager Darren Ferguson is relieved of his duties with immediate effect. While a difficult 2026/27 campaign was always expected the board feels relegation could and should have been avoided and a finish in the last position and well short of safety is way below the minimum our resources suggest. Chairman Tom Williams would like to thank Darren for his contribution during his two seasons with the club and wish him well for the future. The board will be examining candidates for the job in the next few days with names like Nigel Pearson, Darren Gibson, Nathaniel Clyne and Shaun Hutchinson on the list.
Derby County Football Club announces Aykut Kocaman has been sacked by Rams chairman Jason Turner. It is the second time Aykut sees Derby County relegated and despite the fact he once managed to lead the club back in the Premier League the board feels it is needed to look elsewhere to avoid the growing reputation of a yo-yo club. Possible replacements are being discussed this very minute with the shortlist including names like Darren Ferguson, Tony Mowbray, Lee Clark and Darren Gibson.
Everton Football Club would like to announce the departure of manager Michael Appleton from the position. Michael has spent two seasons with the club and chairman David Sheepshanks would like to extend his gratitude for the Capital One Cup Final and FA Cup Final in 2026. However the club has failed to build on this success in the current season and a finish in tenth position is below the minimum expectation of European qualification. To assure the club continues steady growing a managerial shortlist has been trashed including the names of David Moyes, Michael Laudrup, Hristo Stoichkov and Mark Hughes.
Premier League 2026/27 Awards
2026/27 English Footballer of the Year:
Luca Boccaccini (Blackburn)
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2026/27 English Players' Player of the Year:
Santiago Bernal (Newcastle)
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2026/27 English Players' Young Player of the Year:
Brett Palmer (Chelsea)
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2026/27 English Premier Division Top Goalscorer:
Luca Boccaccini (Blackburn)
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2026/27 English Premier Division Golden Glove:
Paulo Villalobos (Newcastle)
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2026/27 English Premier Division Manager of the Year:
1. Dimiter Hristov (Newcastle)
2. Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
3. Neil Lennon (Blackburn)
2026/27 English Players' Premier Division Team of the Year:
GK. Paulo Villalobos (Newcastle)
DR. Martyn Flint (Manchester United)
DL. Darren Donaldson (Newcastle)
DC. Phillip Foose (Leeds)
DC. Santiago Bernal (Newcastle)
MC. Elvis El Alagui (Manchester United)
MC. Roland Le Gac (Leeds)
MR. Mikko Pöyry (Leeds)
ML. Diego Escudero (Newcastle)
ST. Luca Boccaccini (Blackburn)
ST. Jim Priestley (Newcastle)
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English Title Contenders European Watch
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Final
Wednesday 19th May 2027
Manchester United - SLB 3-0
Traoré (5), López (28), van Dijk (90+2)
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Europa League 2026/27 - holders Manchester United!
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Final
Wednesday 19th May 2027
Manchester United - SLB 3-0
Traoré (5), López (28), van Dijk (90+2)
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Europa League 2026/27 - holders Manchester United!
Yes! Up the toon! Unfortunately sunderland didn't get relegated
Nice story mate will we be viewing the 2027-28 Season as well?
I'd be willing to give it a crack but only if there is enough interest from the fm-base stands. There haven't been many responses lately and I worry the community isn't particularly interested in such a detailed way of storytelling. It's possible the tempo is too slow for most folks around
Sunderland A.F.C. are proud to announce Aykut Kocaman as the new manager. The board firmly believe Aykut is the right man to bring the club forward. Kocaman boasts wide array of Premier League experience after spells with Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Arsenal and Derby County. He has won 6 league titles and 7 cup trophies throughout his managerial career.
Everton Football Club are glad to announce the return of manager David Moyes to the managerial position at the club. Moyes comes from Arsenal after a two and a half year spell with the Gunners. It will be his third spell with Everton after he left in 2013 to spend two seasons with Tottenham before rejoining the Toffees to lead them between 2015 and 2022. After spells with Spartak Moscow, Valencia and Arsenal Moyes is again at the club of his heart. He has won four cup competitions and one league title, including Everton's most recent trophy - Europa League in 2021/22. Arsenal will be paid £1.8m in compensation, a package they will be using to secure a new manager. Possible candidates for the role are Michael Laudrup, Ricardo Moniz, Hristo Stoichkov and Gary Cahill.
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I'd be willing to give it a crack but only if there is enough interest from the fm-base stands. There haven't been many responses lately and I worry the community isn't particularly interested in such a detailed way of storytelling. It's possible the tempo is too slow for most folks around
I really enjoy this story, so keep it up mate
Mark Lawrenson Champions League Final preview
29 May 2027
Welcome to Wembley as we prepare for yet another mammoth clash between Blackburn and Newcastle - this time in the closing game of the season, the Champions League Final! These two simply cannot but meet on all high-profile occasions at offer. Blackburn will look to upset the party of the new old English Champions after going so close to the title only to miss out in the last rounds. They have vengeance in mind after losing to Newcastle in the Community Shield and European Super Cup finals and the Capital One Cup Quarter Final.
Team news:
Blackburn - Maldonado (international duty), Angelidis (ineligible), Ismail Hakan Tosun (pulled hamstring)
Newcastle - Bernal (international duty), Soriano (international duty)
Weather report:
Gusty, 11°C
We will be with you at Wembley after a quick commercial break!
Mark Lawrenson Champions League Final watch
29 May 2027
4' Goal!! 0-1 Radek Pilar
9' Yellow Card! Andreas Rush (Newcastle)
45+1' Half Time
49' Goal!! 0-2 Mickaël van der Vaart
57' Goal!! 0-3 Radek Pilar
64' Yellow Card! Patricio Espinoza (Blackburn)
90+1' Full Time
FINAL SCORE: Blackburn 0-3 Newcastle United
Rovers hopes of silverware were trashed for the fourth time this season, each and every single one at the hands of Newcastle! Radek Pilar stole the show tonight with magnificent brace and Blackburn will have to admit they were nowhere near testing their opposition. This win puts an end to a truly masterful season for the Magpies as they have won every single trophy on offer to complete a glorious septuple by adding the Champions League to the English Community Shield, the European Super Cup, the Club World Championship, the Capital One Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League title! Now let's take a look at match stats and individual performances:
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Champions League 2026/27 - holders Newcastle!
9' Yellow Card! Andreas Rush (Newcastle)
45+1' Half Time
49' Goal!! 0-2 Mickaël van der Vaart
57' Goal!! 0-3 Radek Pilar
64' Yellow Card! Patricio Espinoza (Blackburn)
90+1' Full Time
FINAL SCORE: Blackburn 0-3 Newcastle United
Rovers hopes of silverware were trashed for the fourth time this season, each and every single one at the hands of Newcastle! Radek Pilar stole the show tonight with magnificent brace and Blackburn will have to admit they were nowhere near testing their opposition. This win puts an end to a truly masterful season for the Magpies as they have won every single trophy on offer to complete a glorious septuple by adding the Champions League to the English Community Shield, the European Super Cup, the Club World Championship, the Capital One Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League title! Now let's take a look at match stats and individual performances:
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Champions League 2026/27 - holders Newcastle!
Poor Blackburn. 104 points and stil didn't win the league. Not to mention gettitng kicked out from every competition by Newcastle.
What is the situation in other countries? Are there any new faces and fallen giants? And in England, which teams did climb the most(we know Oxford did, but what about other teams) and who fall the most?
And again great story, keep it up, I enjoy it very much.
What is the situation in other countries? Are there any new faces and fallen giants? And in England, which teams did climb the most(we know Oxford did, but what about other teams) and who fall the most?
And again great story, keep it up, I enjoy it very much.
End of Season Watch
May Player of the Month:
Igor Gajic (Liverpool)
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May Young Player of the Month:
Dylan Connery (Manchester United)
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May Manager of the Month:
Míchel (Liverpool)
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Media expectations and final standings:
2. Blackburn (media prediction: 3rd) - performed slightly above expectations and gave the Magpies a real fight before settling for silver medals in the end.
3. Manchester United (media prediction: 6th) - nobody fancied the Devils to finish in the top four but they did so in style and deservedly await the Champions League Group Stage draw in the autumn.
4. Leeds (media prediction: 2nd) - disappointing end of the season saw Leeds fall behind after being so close to joining the title race. A dip in morale proved costly and they will be happy for keeping their position in the top four in the end.
5. Chelsea (media prediction: 4th) - poor campaign by Roman Abramovich's standards as the Blues miss out on Champions League next season. They will need to improve in the summer.
6. Liverpool (media prediction: 5th) - despite finishing one position lower than anticipated, Liverpool undoubtedly enjoyed a successful campaign with return to European football after carrying massive numbers of injuries nearly all the time.
7. Arsenal (media prediction: 9th) - decent final season for Moyes at the helm of the Gunners before leaving to join Everton for the third time. Arsenal occupy the final Europa League qualification position and this is a great achievement in such a competitive league.
8. Manchester City (media prediction: 8th) - despite finishing where they were expected to, the Citizens will look back with grief after being in the frame even for the top four in the spring. Poor late form cost them dearly though.
9. Queens Park Rangers (media prediction: 10th) - good season for Rangers as they manage a respectable top half finish.
10. Everton (media prediction: 7th) - the Toffees ended the season with a managerial sack and it comes as a logical conclusion to a campaign they targeted European qualification but only managed to finish tenth.
11. Tottenham (media prediction: 13th) - good season for Spurs as they performed better than anticipated and came close to breaking in the top half of the table.
12. Middlesbrough (media prediction: 16th) - excellent season for Boro. Widely tipped for relegation struggle in August, they were never really threatened and managed a very respectable final position for a club of their stature.
13. Oxford (media prediction: 12th) - mission accomplished for Oxford as they achieved exactly what they wanted - another solid season in the Premier League.
14. West Ham (media prediction: 14th) - another spot on prediction by the pundits. The Hammers didn't surprise but didn't disappoint either, staying clear of trouble during the entire season.
15. Sunderland (media prediction: 15th) - the Black Cats were unhappy with this position and replaced the manager but it is exactly where their resources suggested they could finish. They should appreciate the comfort of safety.
16. Sheffield Wednesday (media prediction: 17th) - the Owls were tipped to struggle with relegation fight and barely avoid it but despite their lowly position they were safe early enough and can be happy with the accomplished stability.
17. Crystal Palace (media prediction: 18th) - Palace came close but survived against the odds. They will need to fix it in the summer though as truth is they were very poor and another season like this is unlikely to produce a lucky escape.
18. Derby County (media prediction: 19th) - Derby weren't far from safety but ultimately failed to deny media expectations and will play in the Championship next season.
19. Stoke City (media prediction: 11th) - the major surprise of the season. Massive management mistakes including a low-profile appointment cost the Potters dearly as they suffer complete disaster and drop down.
20. Birmingham (media prediction: 20th) - City did little to prove doubters wrong and finished exactly where they were expected to - rock bottom of the league.
Newcastle individual review:
Goalkeepers:
Goalkeepers:
Jáider Vallejo - 37 (8) appearances, 4 goals, 3 assists, 33 clean sheets, 7.13 average rating - excellent form for the number one Newcastle keeper and major contribution for the glorious campaign.
Paulo Villalobos - 31 (27) appearances, 3 goals, 5 assists, 39 clean sheets, 7.09 average rating - the England international has put serious competition for Vallejo for the number one jersey and is by no means a reserve player, contributing big for Newcastle's wide success this season.
Central Defenders:
Santiago Bernal - 37 (3) appearances, 16 goals, 5 assists, 8.18 average rating - more than capable replacement to fill the void Newcastle legend Kompany left when retiring a few seasons ago. Solid defending and plenty of goals from set pieces - can a manager dream for more from a central defender?
Mark Erwin - 36 (3) appearances, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7.72 average rating - while not shining as his partners in the heart of defence, Erwin managed to contribute when going forward and enjoyed a successful season.
Silvio Ibáñez - 35 (3) appearances, 5 goals, 7.84 average rating - solid campaign from Silvio, spiced up with a few decent goals.
Pape Diédhiou - 28 (1) appearances, 9 goals, 8.26 average rating - a real beast at the back, lethal going forward - undoubtedly the star in central defense. Could have beaten Bernal's record if he was allowed the same number of games.
Wing Backs:
Darren Donaldson - 35 (9) appearances, 4 goals, 28 assists, 7.75 average rating - excellent return considering Darren was asked to play on his less natural left flank in most games. His eye for the pass is second only to winger Escudero and Donaldson will go as one of the unsung heroes of the season.
Gerardo Soriano - 35 (4) appearances, 2 goals, 11 assists, 7.73 average rating - more than decent contribution from the utility man considering he was once primarily a central defender.
Sam Thomas - 34 (5) appearances, 3 goals, 9 assists, 7.55 average rating - big things ahead for Sam after a very successful first season in the first team.
Andeas Rush - 32 (5) appearances, 3 goals, 8 assists, 7.51 average rating - while he didn't disappoint, Andreas was given the comfort of playing in his preferred position at the right flank and perhaps could have contributed a little better.
Central Midfielders:
Michael Toase - 35 (9) appearances, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7.85 average rating - excellent season by the tireless vice-captain considering he was asked to play as a deep lying playmaker.
Antonio Undiana - 33 (4) appearances, 1 goal, 3 assists, 7.52 average rating - while Antonio didn't shine he was rotating with Toase in the least prolific position in Hristov's formation and threw a lot of effort to do the dirty work for his team mates.
Scotty Walden - 32 (7) appearances, 3 goals, 14 assists, 7.71 average rating - a little goal shy given his advanced position in the midfield duo, but the captain contributed with plenty of assists and can be proud with his overall performance this season.
Aubrey Mashishi - 36 (3) appearances, 8 goals, 10 assists, 7.54 average rating - excellent season for Aubrey - goals, assists, he has it all in his arsenal. The truly balancing factor in the squad.
Inside Forwards:
Paolo Bonato - 38 (10) appearances, 7 goals, 20 assists, 7.36 average rating - while he is a little short of goals given his position, Paolo made up with creating plenty chances for his team mates. He knows he could have done better this campaign though and more will be asked of him next season.
Diego Escudero - 37 (16) appearances, 10 goals, 34 assists, 7.59 average rating - the real mastermind of unlocking any defence, Diego enjoyed a vastly successful first season in the first team. If he can repeat this form on a regular basis he will be reaping major awards very, very soon.
Mickaël van der Vaart - 31 (8) appearances, 13 goals, 12 assists, 7.48 average rating - balanced return from the Dutch given his primary position is striker. He is held in high regard by Hristov for sacrificing his ego for the team and deserves credit for a good even if not great season.
Leomar - 21 (4) appearances, 11 goals, 8 assists, 7.62 average rating - the most lethal winger in the team. He doesn't create as many opportunities for his team mates as his colleagues on the wing but has a great shot in him and takes advantage of it often enough.
Strikers:
Jim Priestley - 40 (13) appearances, 36 goals, 16 assists, 7.69 average rating - had a slow second half of the season but still scored more than enough crucial goals. Key figure up front for yet another season.
Mikael Lampi - 40 (12) appearances, 40 goals, 18 assists, 7.69 average rating - Newcastle's leading scorer this season. Need more be said?
Radek Pilar - 40 (12) appearances, 36 goals, 11 assists, 7.74 average rating - lethal poacher even if not as cooperative as his colleagues up front.
Dong Dexin - 25 (8) appearances, 20 goals, 5 assists, 7.63 average rating - missed a large chunk of the season to international duty and injuries but delivered enough when called to do a job.
Only have English Premier League loaded (very old laptop here) so unfortunately can't offer much insight on other countries or lower divisions. Aston Villa, Fulham, West Bromwich the most sizable clubs to fall out of the Premier League and never return. All the others you can pretty much see in the league table
As for new faces - plenty! Check out page 5 of the thread for full squads of the title contenders, including their transfers.
Important Message
I am looking for some feedback about the story to make it more reader-friendly and engaging for next season. Any observations and suggestions would be very welcome!
Let me know what you think on any of the following but not only:
- Does watching six teams deprive the story of enough focus?
- Are the media articles too many or too scattered?
- Is there anything else you would like to see that would add to the experience?
- What changes would you suggest to make the story more eye-friendly? Perhaps there is too much information with all the screenshots? Or there are additional things I am missing to include?
Arsenal Football Club are glad to announce the appointment of Michael Laudrup as the new manager. Laudrup joins the Gunners from Dutch side Feyenoord, who will be paid £475k in compensation. He has a wide experience in management having lead Leeds, England, Derby County and Manchester City prior to Feyenoord. His most recent trophy is the Europa League - which he won with Manchester City during the 2019/20 campaign.
Newcastle spend big on trio of youngsters
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Rob Lee
Published at 2:31PM, June 9 2027
Newcastle have moved quickly with the opening of the transfer window and sealed a trio of highly promising signings. Left sided midfielder Gentian Sallauka (18) joins from FC Bayern in a £12m deal. Gentian already managed to make his competitive debut for Bayern after coming from the bench to celebrate a dream debut with a goal.
Versatile full back Ufuk Topal (16) comes to Newcastle from Olympique de Marseille in a £7.5m deal. Ufuk is an enthusiastic right full back equally adept at playing in central defense. He is yet to play a competitive game in his career.
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Ufuk Topal
Ufuk Topal
Central midfielder Kamel Boukhari (17) joins from RC Lens in a £7m switch. The promising midfielder is similar type of player to Antonio Undiana and will probably become the Spaniard's long term replacement.
Manager Hristov has already placed all three on the loan list and will be looking to secure them first team football. Dimiter also hinted the Magpies are not done with transfers yet and another young player might join the ranks in the next few days.
First summer transfer for Manchester United - outgoing again!
Gary Neville
Published at 3:13PM, June 9 2027
The transfer market opened and the sharks are already circling around our best players. Sir Alex Ferguson will be busy knowing he must strengthen and not weaken the team with Champions League football back to Old Trafford this season.
Nevertheless we already lost one player. Santos have signed our thirty year old Hungarian central defender Béla Pusztai for £4.7m. Perhaps it was as good a time as any to cash in but I feel Pusztai had a couple more seasons in his legs and his experience will be missed.
Pusztai only made 23 appearances for Man Utd since joining for £10M, costing the club a princely £230K per match. A Man Utd supporter spokesperson revealed that the fans are disappointed with Pusztai's departure, claiming that he should have commanded a bigger transfer fee after some impressive recent performances. I hope the board have drawn the right conclusions from the untimely sale of Joel Ashby last time around and move swiftly to sign a replacement.
Gary Neville
Published at 3:13PM, June 9 2027
The transfer market opened and the sharks are already circling around our best players. Sir Alex Ferguson will be busy knowing he must strengthen and not weaken the team with Champions League football back to Old Trafford this season.
Nevertheless we already lost one player. Santos have signed our thirty year old Hungarian central defender Béla Pusztai for £4.7m. Perhaps it was as good a time as any to cash in but I feel Pusztai had a couple more seasons in his legs and his experience will be missed.
Pusztai only made 23 appearances for Man Utd since joining for £10M, costing the club a princely £230K per match. A Man Utd supporter spokesperson revealed that the fans are disappointed with Pusztai's departure, claiming that he should have commanded a bigger transfer fee after some impressive recent performances. I hope the board have drawn the right conclusions from the untimely sale of Joel Ashby last time around and move swiftly to sign a replacement.