Diary of a Football Manager – Episode 3: Leaving the Black Leopards

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As the second season kicks off, I have to be honest—my heart isn’t really with the Black Leopards anymore. To succeed in the Pentagon Challenge, you’ve got to be ruthless, always looking for the next step up the footballing ladder. So, while my head’s still at the Black Leopards, my eyes have been constantly scanning the job market for something better. So far, no luck.

The squad situation doesn’t help. We’re predicted to finish near the bottom of the league, our wage bill is the lowest in the division, and we’ve got no money to sign new players. It’s not looking good.

IMAGE: Captured by videogamer.com
IMAGE: Captured by videogamer.com

The first few matches confirmed my worst fears. In our opening game, we missed a penalty and lost comfortably despite boasting a better xG. After three games, we were sitting on zero wins, zero draws, and three losses. The underlying numbers painted an even bleaker picture. Worrying doesn’t even begin to describe it. It took us six matches just to scrape our first win. I don’t think I’ve experienced a harder start to a season in Football Manager.

IMAGE: Captured by videogamer.com
IMAGE: Captured by videogamer.com

But here’s the thing—I love it. As frustrating as it was, the grind made every point feel earned. There’s something oddly satisfying about battling through challenges. You can’t appreciate the highs without suffering through some lows. Always winning and being at the top isn’t as fun as it sounds. 

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Nevertheless, as the season progressed, we started to improve. We weren’t setting the world alight, but we managed to grind out some results. Slowly, we climbed out of the relegation zone and gave ourselves a bit of breathing room. We weren’t playing brilliant football, but we were surviving.

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Then, out of nowhere, a job offer came in. Richard’s Bay wanted me to take over. They were outside of the relegation zone, but just barely, having only won one game all season. They were a slight step up from the Leopards, but not enough for me. If I’m going to move, it’s going to be to one of the top five clubs in the league. So, I turned them down. There will be no settling in this save, thank you very much. 

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IMAGE: Captured by videogamer.com

Then, it happened. The job I had been waiting for finally opened up. The manager had been listed as “Insecure” for a while, but after a couple of heavy defeats, he was shown the door. I applied immediately, and then it was just a waiting game.

If you’ve ever played Football Manager, you know that the job application process is agonisingly slow. Weeks passed, and my patience wore thin. But then, FINALLY, I got an interview. I absolutely smashed it (I have no idea how you do well or badly in a job interview, I just wing it) and sure enough, a week later, the offer came in.

It’s official—the Kaizer Chiefs era begins now!

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About the Author

William Reid

Will is the admin of Out of Context Football Manager, an X account that focuses on FM news. He's worked for LADbible Group and is VG's resident FM expert.