10.14 - Grindhog Day
Added 2024-07-26 11:58:15 +0000 UTC14.
"Watch out for th
Comments
I've got like 18371 things I could say, but I'll just stick to a few thoughts: Chipper. If he used Chipper, he probably would have won the league. I think there is a difference between guys on Loan, and people he keeps in the club. Chipper isn't long term, so I think some pragmatism should have been involved. If he doesn't make it to the next level, then his mismanagement of Chipper is not a small deal. From a narrative standpoint, being uncompromising is good. From a realism standpoint, when you consider the consequences of failing to get promoted, its unrealistic to antagonise him so much, especially when Chipper did a damn good job of trying to prove him wrong. Keep in mind that if they fail to get promoted, then so much of the young talent in both the mens and womens teams will have to leave. Failure isn't really an option, from a narrative perspective, but I don't want to be reminded that this is a narrative, I want to be immersed, and see characters get punished for their idealism and have to compromise with reality. I think having a temporary negative effect in the locker-room is worth promotion, and when he is gone you can make sure to be more careful with future imports. I think the cost of Chipper could have been shown, and a few players aren't 110% behind Max for a while... But they would come around eventually, and the risk of losing a few players is insignificant when compared to the faith lost if they fail promotion I think the cost of Chipper could have been shown, and a few players aren't 110% behind Max for a while... But they would come around eventually, and the risk of losing a few players is insignificant when compared to the faith lost if they fail promotion. ANYWAY - Onto future speculation: Promotion is likely, but not inevitable. Darlington have been foreshadowed, which is clever because it really makes you feel like they may be relevant. Whether they will or won’t be, who knows? I can’t imagine them being a threat unless they are bought out by a few certain Americans and Chester fail to win promotion, but even then that would take one hell of a grudge and financial commitment. I don’t think Max can do another back-to-back-to-back promotion tbh. If they win this year, then next year will be a year of Cup runs imho, because killing it in the league is almost impossible. If they lose this year then victory is basically certain, and they can still focus on cup runs. However, they will have to let go of some of their talented juniors, as their max CA cap will hamstring their development, and so he would let them spread their wings with high sell-on bonuses to greener pastures… Though perhaps get them on loan to slaughter opposition in select games haha. I do like what Max is doing, in building a virtuous cycle. I can see as the story progresses that more of his good deeds will come back to help him, with players interested in playing for him, perhaps also interested in coming back to him also (thinking of a certain midfielder that can kick goals), investments in culture that increase the momentum and create self-fulfilling prophecies… It is very interesting. Thinking about the meta-game, I can almost imagine the culture of his club allowing him to grab some amazing loans that could make him competitive towards the tail end of a given season. When playing the game, I was always surprised by how… frustrating it was developing your own players in lower leagues. Its stressful because if you don’t make it, you can’t develop them properly, and even if they generate interest, they are unlikely to be developed correctly wherever you go. Later on I began to worry a lot less about their potential, and just looked at how I can build a functional side with players that existed on the market. Obviously Max is more interested in talent, but he can’t develop it all himself, so I wonder how everything is going to go long term. I’m honestly looking forward to the off-season too. The chapters where he went to Germany were mint, and I expect the same when he goes to South America. I think the game-y aspects of the game aren’t as interesting, or perhaps I’ve just been desensitised to it, so I am looking forward to relationism and how that affects his game and understanding. Also, huge effort on that chapter, its like a quarter of a novel by itself, wth man!!
Fraser
2024-07-29 03:36:19 +0000 UTCWow. What a chapter!
Galeg
2024-07-28 22:00:38 +0000 UTCLet’s go, Ted! GL writing the next chapter. It’ll be a banger whatever happens. Always class.
Sam McGuffin
2024-07-27 13:46:57 +0000 UTCThe budget shouldn't be as much of a constraint this coming season. He's got many revenue streams set up. The docu, hoole pitch, TV-solidarity payment, etc. In L1, however, I can definitely see Max going ballistic when the budget barely goes up at all from when they were in L2. Brooke opinion on this would definitely be interesting.
Crimson Sunset
2024-07-27 05:00:25 +0000 UTCI haven't said it just because I know it probably won't happen, but I really wish Max could learn about relationism by playing in the Brazilian league for a month during the Summer. It'd be an epic cheat to get his CA super-elevated going into League Two.
Eidetic Eidolon
2024-07-27 02:45:36 +0000 UTCThree reactions: First, I really, really want Brooke's assessment of MD's budget on screen - serious request Ted. Because it feels like MD is demanding 0% risk and giving Max like a 5% chance of keeping momentum since everything would have to go right. Whereas a small risk on the club's part would give Max a massively better shot at keeping rhe club going. But I really don't know if that gut feeling is true. Brooke, however, would. Second, gods that middle bit was exhausting. I truly hope there's no playoffs, because this feels like the 'Wave' arc of Super Supportive. So high tension for so long it's wringing the audience out. I want the promotion under Chester's belt and a solid budget locked in for Max so, just for a little while, thw story can breathe a bit. Vacation in Brazil without a doom cloud overhead. Third, the kit discussion was bizarrely compelling. I liked Gemma and Emma, fashion judges. But I cannot decide if the 'things repeat' pattern outweighs Max doomflagging himself. Come soon, Tuesday.
BelligerentGnu
2024-07-26 18:51:13 +0000 UTCMax tears up his own finances over shirts for the fans. I'm sure they will thank him, next season in the National League.
Richard Carling
2024-07-26 18:08:51 +0000 UTCAnd great chapter, Ted! One of the great things about a time loop story is that things around the protagonist stay the same so they have the freedom to do things differently every time. We see some of that with the shirt deal (cautiously optimistic about that relationship) and I hope more of that translates to on the field in the final game!
Geoff Urland
2024-07-26 13:45:11 +0000 UTCIt's been a while since we've had a doom shadow in an author's note.....
Geoff Urland
2024-07-26 13:41:48 +0000 UTCBully
Caerold
2024-07-26 13:40:40 +0000 UTCGreat chapter. Im really hoping there isn’t a playoff arc
John Marchman
2024-07-26 13:17:46 +0000 UTCIt would be such a boss move if Ted dropped merch now 😂. Tyftc.
Kanyau
2024-07-26 12:04:55 +0000 UTC
