Virtually no football – but who would be a manager anyway?
United job, staggeringly they wereinthebottomthreeofthe Premier League and had just lost five on the bounce.
I was offered a transfer budget in excess of £100millionandanobjectiveofqualifying for Europe...tempting, but as a proud local lad, I felt dutybound to remain on Wearside andtryandguideusbacktothe promised land of annual topflight relegation battles.
Just a few virtual weeks later and my job was described as ‘at risk’ after I had a solitary winoverMansfieldTowninthe CarabaoCuptoshowformyefforts over the next six games.
At least I am faring slightly better than one of my friends in our group chat, which has become something of a FootballManager-relatedideasand therapy group.
Thefriendinquestion,who will remain nameless, was dismissed as Sunderland manager in November of his first season before rocking up at Grimsby almost six months later. Unfortunately for him, the Lincolnshire-based outfit had to win every game in order to avoid relegation, he lost his opening match in charge and was sacked before he’d even experienced 24-hours in the Mariners dugout. Who would be a manager, eh?
If you thought this was enough virtual football for one night, you would be very much mistaken, as I watched a live stream of a complete stranger representing Sunderland AFC on FIFA in the Quaran-Team cup. A defeat and I would consider the competition a sad waste of time, but if we were to winthetournamentthenIpropose an open top bus parade alongRokerSeafront,oncethis virus all blows over.
The Quaran-Team dream was still alive after a Lynden Gooch double secured a 2-0 win over Birmingham City. It cametoanabruptend,however, Sunderland crashing out of thevirtualcompetitionthanks to a 10-0 thrashing by Dutch side Fortuna Sittard. Ah well, back to Football Manager and my promotion bid...