FMFA Manager

We are a week away from the start of the season and most of the business is done so now is an opportunity for us to have a look through the division and see where we are compared to last year. As a reminder, this is what the league table looked like at the end of season 23@
It was Bournemouth who won an incredibly tight title race seeing off Aston Villa and Arsenal on the final day with Liverpool not far back in 4th and Everton completing the top five. These had quite a gap to Man city, Brighton and Brentford who were neither in danger of challenging at the top nor in the relegation battle. Derby County were the big survivors with a dramatic win at villa on the final day keeping them up with Chelsea, Man Utd and Leicester all making the drop. They are replaced for season 24 by West Ham, Wolves and Leeds

So, will it be a similar story or will surprises be sprung. We'll have a look at each squad, manager and how they stack up and try to predict where we think the honours and the relegation will be heading this season...

Arsenal

Last Season: 2nd
Key Signings: J_D_Dalmasso, M_Simakan, M_Cuisance, A_Gordon
Star Man: K_Mainoo

Comments:
A busy summer for Arsenal with lots of ins and outs but a lot of them being the same players going round and round. What they have done is added quality in every position with Argentinian Dalmasso being a big step up in the GK department and Simikan an extra 23r in defence. Cuisance adds a very special all round ability to that midfield and likewise Gordon has huge potential on all fronts in attack. The loss of auction signing Fernandez to Bournemouth as part of the Cuisance deal has only emphasised the importance placed on star man Kobee Mainoo in the centre of the park.

They missed out on the title simply on goal difference as they secured a dramatic final day win at Liverpool only for Bournemouth to do the same at Everton and pip the Gunners. With the extra quality added surely they are fit for another title challenge

In the dugout: Jamal Claxton
A very experienced manager who is only fairly recently returned to football after a long break. A very savvy dealer in the transfer market and a man who can get the best out of his players on matchdays as last season proved. He loves his triple rated midfielders and dual rated defence and attack and the squad is looking very much how he would want it now. He will be frustrated to have come so close last time around and will be very keen to go one better this season

Prediction: 4th

It seems harsh but we're predicting a very tight run race again this season and, whilst the Gunners have improved, so have Bournemouth, Villa and Liverpool and we just feel at this stage that those squads have more quality. Expect Arsenal to run it really close but there's potential the squad just won't be able to get over the line in the key games.

Aston Villa

Last Season: 3rd
Key Signings: Ruben_Dias, E_Fernandez, Gerson
Star Man: C_Leemans / M_Cunha

Comments:
As ever a load of ins and outs at Villa over an off season as they have tried to do what they can to improve the squad. And that is something that has been achieved through the arrival of Dias, Fernandez and Gerson. The midfield is definitely better placed than it was last time around to compete with the big boys. The concern will be that the improvements were needed in midfield but have also come in what was an already miserly defence with the attack - that was very low scoring last season - weakened if anything. Questions will remain to be asked if they can find the goals to see of Liverpool, Bournemouth and Arsenal.

They came third last season and should have won the league with it in their hands going into the final day. It's a tough league but they will be in the mix once again

In the dugout: Alex Nock
A long standing member of FMFA and a manager that has won trophies wherever he has gone in ESMS he will be very irritated to end last year with nothing. On his day capable of beating anyone but also prone to lapses of concentration and over confidence that sees his sides turned over more regularly than they should be. A very active member of the transfer market and another one to build a squad full of secondary stats you can always tell one of this manager's teams when you look at the squad and he's done a good job to get improvements in this year to keep up the challenge.

Prediction: 3rd

We're going for the same as last year. Expect the Villa to be in the mix again and to be pushing all the way but we also expect a tight contest and those slip ups that the team are prone to (like Derby at home) are just probably going to be enough, once again, for them to just fall short

Brighton and Hove Albion

Last Season: 7th
Key Signings: James Trafford, Daniel Munoz, Kaoru Mitoma
Star Men: Trafford, Munoz, Mitoma and Omar Marmoush

Comments:
A reasonably busy pre-season for Brighton under a caretaker manager and Will has continued to build nicely. They bagged Gabriel at auction and then used him to bag two key players in Munoz and Mitoma whilst, despite losing Colwill to Villa, the additions of Shaw and Bisseck bring more depth to that defence. In midfield da Silva is an intriguing prospect and possibly the most important part of the off season is holding on to key FW Mahmoush - although the backup FWs behind him could be the big area of weakness this season. The team finished 7th last season but closer to relegation than to 5th in terms of points but their additions over the off season should have them looking up rather than down

In the dugout: Will Schoolar (Caretaker)
With Will taking the full time role at his favoured Coventry City it does leave Brighton open to a potential new manager which could either aid or harm their chances for the season. As it is they have one of the ESMS GOATs at the helm and he will continue to show them his full commitment until such a stage as someone else comes in. Will is capable of challenging for honours with a worse roster than this so a full season of Schoolar could see the Seagulls as one of the surprise packages. But equally they could get a new manager who doesn't have a clue and misses some sheets so really hard to predict where they will finish in this one

Prediction: 6th

I can see them going one better than last year and if Will was still the full time manager who knows. But that top five is very tough to break into and they were a long way off last year plus Will's 100% focus may not be with them. This prediction is based on having Will for the full season but the side are good enough anyway to be the next ones to be breaking into the top five. There is just too much uncertainty around their managerial setup to be any bolder than 6th - which would still be a creditable finish for them

Bournemouth

Last Season: 1st
Key Signings: Gabriel, Martin Zubamendi, Curtis Jones, Viktor Gyokeres
Star Men: The entire starting XI

Comments:
Bournemouth won the title last season and have built up one of the best starting teams in FMFA - probably second only to Liverpool. They have strengthened in all outfield areas with their summer signings and this is for a team that won the league last season. They have been ruthless in the transfer market this time around - biding their time and then jumping on the right players when they have come up - not being afraid to pay what is required to secure their targets - even if a bit steep at times. They even have quality backups in most areas although the 5th defender isn't as strong as some. Basically, the reigning champions and they are going to be very difficult to stop from a repeat!

In the dugout: Matt Collison
I have regularly spoken of my respect for Matt and his teams and view him as one of the best managers in the game. He goes about his business quietly, never shouting about his team and rarely listing players himself but, when he wants to add someone he gets the job done. It is rare to see a Matt team not challenging for honours on ESMS and you have to feel, with him at the helm, they will be right up there once again.

Prediction: 1st

It won't be a cake walk and several other teams will be trying to stop them but I can see Bournemouth going back to back. They are probably the most consistent in the division and, over a 22 game season that is what really counts. Always tough to beat and their roster is better than last year so the challenge is even greater now for their rivals!

Brentford

Last Season: 8th
Key Signings: Abdukodir Khusanov
Star Men: Abdukodir Khusanov, Milos Kerkez, Jona Starek

Comments:
One of the the three teams that finished in that "no mans land" in the middle of the table last year but they were the lowest placed of that three. Kushanoz is a good addition to the back line but, in a side struggling for depth, there doesn't seem to be a lot there and hasn't been a lot of other movement. This means the defence will be heavily reliant on the two already mentioned with Kulusevski and Starek needing to do a lot in the middle of the park. Up front Brennan Johnson will need to score a lot of goals but there are concerns that after him there isn't enough firepower to keep them competitive. Weekly depth will be an issue anyway but a couple of injuries to key men could be absolutely catastrophic

In the dugout: Neil Stockley
A veteran of the game and a manager who on his day is capable of mixing it with the best in the league. Neil has remained determined this season to put his faith in his top players and they are absolute superstars but will they be enough to keep his side in the league? Neil is prone to inconsistency and to losing confidence quickly when things don't go his way and will have to try and avoid both of those in what will be a really competitive division this season

Prediction: 11th

Sadly if I am doing a full league prediction, I have to predict some teams to go down and this is one of them. I can see the star men winning games but I don't see them being able to do enough over a 22 game season to keep this side up against some of the quality they will face. For all the managers I predict for the drop I hope they prove me wrong (although that just means others will go down) but I think Brentford have been down there before and I can see this as another season of struggle for the Bees.

Derby County

Last Season: 9th
Key Signings: Rayan Ait-Nouri
Star Men: Ait-Nouri, Bruno Fernandes

Comments:
The Rams flirted with relegation and were probably a bit too close for comfort last season - only confirming their top flight status with victory on the final day. But that was a huge win at title contenders Aston Villa and will have left fans celebrating but also scratching their heads as to how a team capable of such a performance are down the table in the first place. They have a larger squad than most and rotate it well but maybe this means the players aren't as on form or the manager doesn't necessarily know his best lineup and formation. Pure speculation but there must be something that has driven them to under achieve.

Not the busiest of windows for the club but Ait Nouri was a great auction signing and they have added mains to the midfield with O'Nein and Neill coming in from Derby. Schade will lead the line once again. Overall it seems a squad with plenty of backup but no absolute superstars and, with one of the lowest goals for totals last season, you do wonder if Isidor (also in from Sunderland) will be enough to score enough goals to keep them in the league. They also had the leakiest defence last season and will be hoping Ait Nouri can help prevent a repeat of that

In the dugout: Darren Lear
Another vastly experienced manager and one who gets along with his business quietly. As mentioned before capable of results against anyone on his day and one who doesn't get flustered by things not going his way. Quiet in the transfer market but with a good eye for a deal when one is put to him and is more than capable of pushing this team above their expected finishing position this season

Prediction: 8th

And I actually expect him to do just that and that we will see Derby finish one place higher than last time. I think the auction signing will really help the defence and they have enough quality in there to get past the teams around them which will ultimately see them clear of the bottom three once again. I'm not expecting them to finish any higher than that but they should avoid relegation before the final day this time

Everton

Last Season: 5th
Key Signings: Florian Wirtz, Kiernan Dewsbury Hall
Star Men: Florian Wirtz, Gabriel Martinelli

Comments:
The Toffees stayed in the title race right until the penultimate week of the season last time around but had to settle for 5th place overall. Their response was to go out and spend big on the midfield in the transfer market - splashing nearly £340m on Wirts and Dewsbury Hall. Running one of the biggest squads in the league they all get game time and, like Derby, maybe that sometimes dilutes some of the performances over time but with the additions they have made it'd be a brave person that bet against them being right up there once again. The concern would probably be around the defence. Kobel in goal is likely to rate up very early season but they will be one of the few top flight clubs playing a 21r at the back - unless of course they make Matheson captain - but, even then, the backline maybe doesn't measure up to other teams. Still, they are with a squad that is only improved from last season and they did pretty well then so i'm sure they'll be right in the mix again

In the dugout: David Gooch
The gaffer of FMFA and a man who regularly works with squads not rated as high as others but always gets the best out of them. Obviously he knows the game inside out and it is incredibly difficult to pickup wins against his teams. This Everton squad has finished higher than others would have got it over the past few seasons and there is no suggestion that Davis won't be able to work his magic once again. He just gets on with his business quietly and picks up results and no manager will look forward to facing a side managed by David with the likes of Wirtz in midfield

Prediction: 5th

This was a really hard prediction to make and I could have put Everton anywhere in the top seven. As it is i've been somewhat boring and am putting them down for a repeat of last season. Underestimating David is a dangerous game and he will spring some great results - even calling them "upsets" seems wrong - but I just do not think the squad quality is there to break last season's top four. In what will likely be a tight league again I can see a similar pattern to last season where they miss out late on after a couple of tight results

Leeds United

Last Season: 3rd (Division 2 - promoted via playoffs)
Key Signings: Jamie Gittens
Star Men: Jamie Gittens, Manuel Ugarte

Comments:
Coming up into a new division is always a challenge and doing so via the playoffs even more so. Leeds missed out on automatic promotion by just one point last season but managed to pull themselves together to turn it around for playoff time. The worry for me with this side is the attack - they will be starting with just a 22 rater and a 21 rater up front. This is the forward line that were the lowest scorers outside the bottom three in the Championship last season and it isn't much improved. They have brought in Jamie Gittens from the auction to try and add some goals from midfield and they will have to be hoping he has an outstanding season. On the plus side they built their promotion on defence with just 10 goals conceded throughout the Championship season so maybe they will have enough there to nick a few goals and get some 1-0 wins. It's not going to be pretty but if they can do that, they have a chance

In the dugout: Mark Baldwin
Fairly new to FMFA and being an unknown quantity in the dugout may help Leeds to spring a few surprises on their higher ranked opponents. Clearly with something about him he got the Yorkshire side promoted very quickly and maybe a few teams will take him lightly at their peril. Not a manager who goes looking for deals in the market but happy to discuss proposals for transfers this approach tends to mean he gets what he wants and he's gone about his off season quietly but, the few players he has added, have improved the side.

Prediction: 14th

Again, never nice to predict a team for relegation but that strike force will be the weakest in the league and, although it worked in the Championship, I can't see them scoring many goals. They may be able to pick up points with some 0-0 draws but that won't be enough to keep them in the division and my feeling is just that not improving the attack over this window is going to be very costly for them

Liverpool

Last Season: 4th
Key Signings: Jerome Frimpong, Marc Guehi, Hugo Ekitike
Star Men: Pretty much all of them

Comments:
There is not a lot that can be said about this Liverpool side that hasn't already been said. The squad is by far the best on FMFA and just has class everywhere. From the GK who is about to rate up, through the defence where they have great starters and backup to the midfield where they have two of the very best on the game, this Liverpool side will be better in all areas than other sides they face. Last year the one potential weakness was the backup FW but Ekitike has now come in to lead the line alongside Garnacho with Joao Pedro now the very capable reserve. They have depth to cope with injury and suspension and it is very hard to see where they will fail to win this season. In fact, as with any season, this Liverpool side should be looking at the title and not winning it could be seen as a miss. Certainly they will want to be improving on last season's 4th placed finish and it is almost certain they will be in the mix until the final week. They could have been top two last year had they won their last game and it'll be those slip ups that they are trying to cut out to reclaim their title. It's been two seasons without a win now - they hav never gone three without since they first won it in season six!

In the dugout: Thomas Edvardsen
One of the most experienced and decorated managers in ESMS, Ed has been there, done it and won the trophy. He has been at Liverpool forever and built a formidable squad that is head and shoulders above all others in the game. He is normally able to get the best out of them as well and no manager in any game relishes facing an Eduardo team. The challenge is that other managers recognise this and sometimes perhaps go more defensive against him than others as they're more happy for a point. Working out ways of overcoming that could be the key to exert even greater dominance over the game

Prediction: 2nd

After all I have just said, it is surprising maybe that I am not going for them as league winners but the chasing pack is potentially now closer than it has ever been and there are some formidable managers on Ed's tail. As I have said, I am backing Matt to go back to back and am predicting ed to have to settle for second once again. I think it will go all the way but my prediction is they will just miss out - probably on the last day