Death, taxes and the struggle of choosing your first save when a new version of Football Manager is released. Three certainties in life and this time of year brings about the annual mental dilemma where us FM enthusiasts ponder the all important decision of which team to manage upon the full release of the latest installment from Sports Interactive.
But fear not - all it takes is a little inspiration and we’ve got you covered here at 5 Star Potential; here are 6 teams that we are excited to manage during the Football Manager 2023 Beta.
Ajax
It’s arguably been one of the busiest transfer windows of all time for Ajax and with six of their starting eleven from last year leaving the club there is no time like the present to integrate the new recruits into your squad. Stars like Jurien Timber, Dusan Tadic & Steven Berghuis have been joined by some exciting new signings such as Steven Bergwijn, Owen Wijndal, Francisco Conceicao and FM22 favourite Lorenzo Lucca on loan from Pisa, giving this squad some real fire power as you look to secure the Eredivise title and try to go one step further by winning them their first Champions League trophy since 1995 when an 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert bagged an 85th minute winner against AC Milan. .
Los Angeles FC
Gareth Bale, Giorgio Chiellini and a Football Manager Wonderkid by the name of Carlos Vela should be enough to whet your appetite to take the hot seat at Los Angeles FC. If you have never managed in the MLS now is a great time to start - the league is split into two conferences, Eastern & Western, with the highest points total from either league awarded the Supporters’ Shield. Fourteen teams then compete in the MLS Cup Playoffs in a knockout format to determine the MLS Cup Champions. What’s not to love?!
In the 2021 MLS season LAFC only managed a 9th placed finish and didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Do you have what it takes to The Black and Gold to MLS glory?
Atalanta
If you fancy dipping your toes into the Italian water then look no further than Atalanta. Last season they entertained the world when they played in the UEFA Champions League and latterly, the Europa League but the congestion of European football played its part and saw them finish just outside the European Qualification spots finishing in 8th place.
Atalanta are renowned for their recruitment strategy and during the off-season they’ve recruited several new players, including Ademola Lookman and Jeremie Boga.
Can you return them to European football and hear that iconic UEFA Champions League anthem?
Stade Rennais
Mathys Tel may have left for Bayern Munich but Stade Rennais always have their Squad Planner at the ready and the signing of Amine Gouri excited the fans around the world, still just 22 he has the world at his feet if he can find his scoring form in Northwest France which will hopefully materialise quickly with the likes of Kamaldeen Sulemana and Jeremy Doku around him not to mention wonderkid Désiré Doué who recently broke into the first team.
In Ligue 1 Uber Eats you have the might of PSG to overcome but the first season is all about UEFA Europa League glory, how far can you take this promising club?
Derby County
Excellent training facilities, excellent youth facilities and a transfer embargo that looms over the club as the administrators look for a new owner. There is no doubt that managing Derby County will be tough but where better to cut your teeth than to take charge of The Rams as they battle to stay in the league.
With your hands tied in the transfer market you are going to have to get the best out of your young players (fortunately the likes of Jason Knight and Louis Sibley have stuck around despite relegation) - the good news is that the infrastructure at Derby is excellent so there’s a great chance you’ll unearth a gem or two in your youth intake and hopefully be seeing 5 stars at Pride Park before long.
FC Copenhagen
If it’s UEFA Champions League football you are after but fancy a bit of a challenge then look no further than the reigning 3F Superliga Champions - Football Club Copenhagen.
The Danish side have won the most titles domestically winning the Championship 14 times but when it comes to European competition they have only managed to reach the last 16 in the UEFA Champions League once and the Quarter-Finals of the UEFA Europa League once - can you take them one-step further in their first season? Sidenote - probably worth mentioning this side contains not one but two FM wonderkids in the form of Roony Bardghji and Isak Bergmann Johannesson 🔥🔥.
Six teams with six unique challenges and objectives ahead of them - FM23 is out from Tuesday 8th November with the Early Access Beta expected a couple of weeks before this, choose wisely ☝️.
Let us know your thoughts on Twitter (@5StarPod) or Instagram (@5StarPod) and be sure to listen to the 5 Star Potential podcast, the longest running Football Manager podcast with a new episode released every Monday.
