Playoff heartbreak

73 points · 6th in the league

Wilderness Years · Hard · 2 choices · 2012/13 league · Hard 1.9

Player replaced

A knee injury in training rules Scott McKenna out of the promotion run-in. Cooper must name a replacement.

Before · MD 1–23Scott McKenna2 goals · 0 assistsForest: 37 pts · +1 GD

After · MD 24–46Joe Worrall2 goals · 0 assistsForest: 36 pts · +9 GD

Good call — joint-best points return36 points in the final 23 league games · 1 of 4 choices

Verdict compares the offered players over the same run-in, with your other manager calls. The two halves above had different fixtures.

Season details

Fictional club events from this simulated season.

MD 12 · Sponsor asks for a stunt
Do a short interview; lift the mood. The sponsor takes a quick interview instead. Ben Osborn and Finley Back laugh off the stunt, but lose a little preparation time.
Next 3 matches: a dressing-room lift creates more chances, with a little less defensive focus.
MD 32 · The applause gap
Change the order next time. The club changes the order next time. Sammy Ameobi and Finley Back can leave the crowd response alone.
Next 3 matches: fewer distractions tighten the defence, though Forest create slightly less.
MD 46 · The Wembley shirts arrive early
Box them up until the tie is won. Cooper sends the box back to storage. Robbie Earnshaw keeps the squad on leg two, and Ryan Yates asks for his shirt back after the whistle.
Second leg: calmer heads and fewer mistakes, but a slower start.

Home team first. W / D / L is Forest’s result. All scores are from your simulated season.

MD 1

Forest 3–1 MiddlesbroughRobbie Earnshaw, Michael Mancienne, Sammy Ameobi