The prospects of employment are on the horizon, with this week full of interviews and plenty of applications. My days of being a sponge on the state are perhaps coming to an end, which fills me with dread. Gone will be the days of Netflix binges and wearing comfortable clothes. Truly, a fate worse than death.
Yet all is not lost! To celebrate my move toward permanent employment, I dug through the treasure that is my collection of games for the PS3 and came upon FIFA 13. Childish glee swept over me, and I proclaimed that I shall take up the reigns of management once more and take Arsenal to the promised land of not being rubbish at football.
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| My old and dear friend |
This was a time travelling experience. Not only was I diving head first into the nostalgia pool of FIFA 13, but also to a strange time in the world of football. Paul Pogba can be bought on loan, Harry Kane spends his days at Norwich and nobody knows what a Jamie Vardy is. Also Monaco are stuck in Ligue 2 and I find that hilarious since they're super rich and champions of France.
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| Your time shall come |
The team that I took over in 2012 is an interesting one. Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain were still hot young England prospects, with Andrei Arshavin and Johan Djourou gracing the Emirates turf. Things had to change, and a shortlist began to be developed.
Hindsight is truly a beautiful thing, and I would abuse it here today. Once more nostalgia took a hold of me as I came across the youthful faces of Mario Gotze, Emre Can and Raheem Sterling. Yet the humble budget of £19 million was spent on the likes of Raphael Varane, Julian Draxler and Ibrahima Mbaye. Arsenal would once more become a football powerhouse.
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| A small selection |
I love a good Manager Mode playthrough on FIFA. I immerse myself in the story of one particular team, as the plucky John Lenin scouts the youthful prospects and turns them into demi-gods who rip teams like Manchester United and Barcelona apart with ease and grace. Then comes the inevitable game when you lose to West Brom or Stoke, and that feeling of invincibility is destroyed.
Nevertheless, I have had numerous successes. Among the greatest is taking Plymouth Argyle through 15 amazing years, from a shock 4-3 win over Chelsea in the 2016 FA Cup Final to back to back Champions Leagues at the end of my career. Tears fill my eyes when I look back upon these memories.
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| Never give up on your dreams kids |
January rolls around, and Bacary Sagna asks to leave. Just like in real life, off he goes to Man City and a nice £5 million into the war chest. Then Barcelona comes knocking for Wojciech Szczesny- £15 million, thank you very much. Arsenal are in the money, and in I go for Marc Andre ter Stegen and Danilo. Oh my, it's all coming together now.
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| Fast times at Arsenal FC |
Momentum picks up, and John Lenin finds himself in April, as he and his plucky North London lads aim to go for the treble. Their names would go down in history as one of the greatest teams that have ever kicked a sphere on a bit of grass. Spirits are high as we fly into Barcelona and prepare to do battle with the giants of Catalonia. Morale is through the roof, form is impeccable- victory is assured!
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| Ah |
OK, so that didn't go quite to plan, but this is Barcelona after all. Besides, who needs conitental success anyway? Not John Lenin, I tell you that. Not when you become manager of Russia and install the ambition to destroy the burden of capitalism and get through the knockout stages of the World Cup. With an army of hooligans backing you up, the path to victory is clear.
We reach 19 May 2013, and Arsenal celebrate their first league title since 2004. Although Manchester United bested the plucky Gunners in the FA Cup Final, we won the league so who gives a flying fuck. A truly wonderful start to the career of John Lenin, and only the deities know how this story shall end.
For now, I cherish this moment of joy. My efforts have proved effective, and pundits shower me with praise. Glory has returned to the red side of North London- perhaps my success here can inspire Mr Wenger... I doubt it.
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| Back on top |
I really did enjoy immersing myself once again in the simple world of FIFA 13. Perhaps there will be more posts where I find an old game from my teenage years and attempt to recapture that joy I felt when I first played it. I do feel like Assassin's Creed 2 is calling out to me.
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| Oh Ezio |
Ben G xo 😁
P.S. A small update from the teaching front- I shall be employed in the next few weeks, yet need to decide where I should work. Oh boy, more internal strife.
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| You do need to look good doing it though |
P.P.S. I was at Churcher's College on Tuesday and in some sort of ironic twist I only managed to take one picture, and it wasn't even of the school (or me, amazingly enough)
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| I just can't get away from turf management |
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