We kick off the podcast by announcing the news that we have moved to a shorter weekly format with a longer third segment available to patrons only. Then we’re straight to the familiar backdrop of San Marino and lowest ranked national football team in the world’s loss of two goalkeepers in two days. We then analyse San Marino’s chances of breaking their 20-year winless run in 2024 – as they have a double-header against St. Kitts and Nevis and Nations League clashes with Liechtenstein and Gibraltar on the horizon – before turning our attentions to the new FIFA Series tournaments that will pit teams from different confederations against each other in March, throwing up some unusual and mouth-watering clashes.

In Part Two we hear about a Football Manager addict who has been put in charge of fourth-tier Icelandic club, KV. This leads onto a debate about whether a video game simulation can ever translate into a successful real-life coaching career, a chat about our own areas of expertise and a look at managers who didn’t have a playing background. We then examine another club in free-fall, Omija Ardija in Japan, and their potential solution to their situation: becoming part of the Red Bull stable. We finish offwith a chat about the pros and cons of multi-club ownership and give the listeners a chance to win some excellent football books and magazines.

RUNNING ORDER

Part 1: Podcast format change, San Marino’s goalie crisis, the 2024/25 Nations League draw & the brand-new FIFA series (00:52)

Part 2: The Football Manager nerd-turned-coach in Iceland, the 10,000-hour rule & Red Bull’s interest in Omija Ardija in Japan (16:34)

‘Wings of Change’ by Karan Tejwani: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Karan-Tejwani/dp/1785317296

‘Copa Club’ by Nathan Joyes: https://www.thecopaclub.co.uk/

‘Up Pohnpei’ by Paul Watson: https://www.amazon.com/Up-Pohnpei-Captain-Paul-Watson/dp/1846685028

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