Football Manager 2016: 10 Things It Needs To Get Right With Newcastle

What needs to happen to make your virtual life on Tyneside as accurate as possible?

Since Mike Ashley bought Sir John Hall's 41.6% stake in Newcastle United back in 2007, the club has become a grim prospect for any Football Manager enthusiast to start their virtual life at. We all enjoy an FM challenge but every year Newcastle have a squad full of bang average players, no money and unrealistic expectations, making the gaming experience at St James' Park extremely unpleasant. This year's game has the potential to be different. There is a renewed philosophy on Tyneside and no longer will you be set the awkward task of taking on a sombre Alan Pardew side or a perplexed John Carver outfit. Trying to restore and motivate Newcastle United over the past four year's (and probably a lot longer) has been like asking a London Marathon finisher if he fancies going for a jog eight minutes after finishing the 26.2 miles. Since Steve McClaren's arrival the side has appeared more hydrated and the club's intake of £50 million pounds worth of energy gel has produced a much-needed glycogen burst around the Magpies' squad. Now it's time for you to get the best out of your perfectly adequate virtual squad and make that coveted push for European qualification and silverware. If you're going to be able to make the Geordies great again then FM16 needs to make a few changes in order to give you a realistic chance...
Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-accredited football writer with an MA in Sports Journalism. What Culture football editor. Write for the official Newcastle United programme. Former video reporter at North News. Featured and published in the Sunderland Echo, Shields Gazette, Mail Online, The Mirror, The Sun and others.