Ryan Ferguson: The Unorthodox Approach

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Season 2027/2028: February Review

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01/03/2028

Its a rivalry that keeps on giving! The battles between Ryan Ferguson's Whitehawk and José Mourinho's Manchester United in recent years have produced some memorable football moments, and the FA Cup will produce the final fixture between these two managers before Ferguson resigns from his role at Whitehawk.

Manchester United defeated Leeds United in a fifth round replay to gain a place in the sixth round, where they will host current arch-rivals Whitehawk at Old Trafford. The 'Theater of Dreams' will play host to the two favourites for the competition, with just eight teams remaining. With Manchester United suffering defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, this fixture will be the last time Ryan Ferguson will face José Mourinho's Manchester United as Whitehawk manager.

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England's most successful football club have lifted the FA Cup a staggering thirteen times, with their last triumph coming in 2024. Only Arsenal (14) have won the 'Cup of Dreams' more times. Rivals Manchester City knocked them out in the semi finals last term, by means of a penalty shootout.

Manchester United have won 86 major trophies since being founded in 1878, with 21 of those coming during José Mourinho's time at the club. The Portuguese manager has made his distaste of Ryan Ferguson public, on numerous occasions, and will certainly be ready to hotly contest the tie between the two sides, which will take place 12/03/2028.

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The two sides have already played three games against each other this season. The first was a 4-4 classic at Old Trafford in the Premier League all the way back in August, while the two were far more recent. Whitehawk were 3-0 victors at Whitehawk Stadium in the reverse Premier League clash at the beginning of Ferbuary, while the two sides also faced off in the EFL Cup final three days ago, where Whitehawk stormed to another 3-0 victory.

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Ryan Ferguson:

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"Its an exciting fixture for us to be competing in. We know Manchester United very well, with our most recent game being a win over them at Wembley in the EFL Cup final. They are a very talented team with a tactically astute manager and we expect a challenging game against them. Hopefully we can progress beyond this challenge."

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Previous Update: #93 - Season 2027/2028: February Review
Next Update: #95 - Youth Intake 2028

02/03/2028

A yes, the annual youth intake. A time when football managers worldwide have great hope for the next Messi or Ronaldo to come through their youth ranks. Ultimately, however, it usually ends in major disappointment, with the next Bebe, or worse, being their best prospect.

Whitehawk had a few different nationalities represented in their latest youth intake. Filip Ivic joined the youth intake from feeder club RNK Split, courtesy of an affiliation agreement, while Scott Hoole also arrived from feeder club Newcastle Jets. The pair were joined by Italian Domenico De Felice.... I'm not quite sure how he arrived at Whitehawk.

Collie Jacobs - MC

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Full Name: Collie Jacobs
Age: 15 (19/04/2012)
Nationality: English
Place of Birth: Brighton (England)
Position: MC
Current Ability:
Potential Ability:

Collie Jacobs looked to be quite an athletic player. He was quite determined, which would aid his development, and he could turn out to be a reasonable Championship player, or even Premier League player, in the future.

Domenico De Felice

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Full Name: Domenico De Felice
Age: 16 (19/01/2012)
Nationality: Italian
Place of Birth: Pavarolo (Italy)
Position: AML
Current Ability:
Potential Ability:

De Felice appeared to be quite a tricky winger. He had a reasonable amount of pace and his dribbling ability was commendable. I'd expect him to become a reasonable top flight player in the future somewhere across Europe.

Filip Ivic - ST

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Full Name: Filip Ivic
Age: 16 (26/12/2011)
Nationality: Croatian
Place of Birth: Makarska (Croatia)
Position: ST
Current Ability:
Potential Ability:

Filip Ivic was possibly the most exciting prospect of a shit youth intake. He joined our youth intake through an affiliate connection with RNK Split of Croatia. The young striker had good technical ability, and had a flair for the exciting. He was sharp in and around the penalty box, and I'd expect him to have a reasonable career in the future.

Matthew Wallace - ST

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Full Name: Matthew Wallace
Age: 16 (12/10/2011)
Nationality: English
Place of Birth: Maidstone (Croatia)
Position: ST
Current Ability:
Potential Ability:

Wallace was a fairly promising English youngster. He was very pacey, and naturally fit. He may go on to have a bright future, but he was quite limited when it came to all-round ability.

Scott Hoole - AMR

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Full Name: Scott Hoole
Age: 16 (09/09/2011)
Nationality: Australian
Place of Birth: Cessnock (Australia)
Position: AMR
Current Ability:
Potential Ability:

Scott Hoole joined our youth intake through an affiliate connection with Newcastle Jets of Australia. There's no sugar coating his ability, he was shit. We signed him to show good faith with Newcastle Jets. He had no future at Whitehawk. Perhaps he could return to become a good player in Australian football, but he was not talented enough for the top flight of English football.

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Previous Update: #94 - FA Cup Draws Man Utd And Whitehawk
Next Update: #96 - Whitehawk Finish Off Atlético Madrid

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07/03/2028

Whitehawk secured progression to the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League with a second leg victory over Atlético Madrid in the Last 16, by the tune of 2-1, which completed a 5-3 aggregate victory. Kingsley Osagie continued his incredible form in this fixture, but the evening was marred by potentially serious injuries to Whitehawk attackers Jason Coffey and Miroslav Novakovic.

2-1 Win vs Atlético Madrid - UCL Last 16, Leg 2

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There were two notable absentees among Whitehawk's staring eleven in this fixture. Right back Erkan Aktaş was unavailable due to an abdominal injury, meaning Radek Podzemsky would start, while Jerôme Onguéné started in the place of captain Stephen Lacy for tactical reasons.

Kingsley Osagie and Kylian Mbappé were always going to be the stars of the show, and they combined to break the deadlock in the thirteenth minute. Osagie made a run from deep towards the penalty area but, with nowhere to go, released the ball to Mbappé who fired a low hard shot from twenty yards which found the bottom corner.

The rest of the first half was quiet in terms of chances, but two major incidents occurred which could potentially change the course of Whitehawk's season. First, Novakovic was stretchered off with a serious looking foot injury. Second, Coffey was then stretchered off with a potentially career-threatening ankle injury. Indeed, Ryan Ferguson's face was paler than the moon following these two incidents.

The abrasive Atlético were desperate for a way back in to the game. They needed three goals, and got their first (and only) goal through Romelu Lukaku, just after the hour mark. The legendary Belgian striker charged at Whitehawk's goal and fired an unstoppable effort past Predrag Rajkovic. Atlético had began to hope of a way back in to the tie.

Kingsley Osagie, angered by what had happened to his team mates, had other ideas in mind. Martin Ødegaard collected the ball from a Podzemsky throw in and picked out the Englishman on the edge of the area. Osagie took one touch before firing a powerful surging shot in to the top corner. Lights out for Atlético.

Kingsley Osagie (Whitehawk) - 9.0/10

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"We got the win and we're through to the next round. Atlético proved stubborn and talented, and gave us an incredible fight over the two legs. Both teams deserved to progress, but I think we deserved it that little bit more.

The two injuries don't look good. (Miroslav) Novakovic looks to have badly broken a toe and could be sidelined for a couple of months. We won't know for certain until he has it examined tomorrow but the most important thing for him to do now is to rest and recover. Jason's (Coffey) injury looks much worse. He may have ruptured something in his ankle but we will only know tomorrow when that is examined.

We must now prepare for an important FA Cup clash against Manchester United this weekend and we have quite a few players unavailable. Tonight we rest, but tomorrow we begin work. It looks like we won't have Novakovic or Coffey for this weekend, while a few others will also be absent, but we will have to work with who we have. That is all we can do."

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Comment Section

mgriffin2012, perhaps some of them will join me in the future, football is a mysterious game!

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Previous Update: #95 - Youth Intake 2028
Next Update: #97 - Whitehawk Duo Hit With Long Term Injuries

08/03/2028

Whitehawk were hit with two serious injury concerns over two of their star attackers, Jason Coffey and Miroslav Novakovic. The pair were stretchered off the pitch following separate incidents in last night's UEFA Champions League fixture against Atlético Madrid, with both of them being ruled out of action for the remainder of the season.

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Miroslav Novakovic came off the pitch the better of the two, having picked up a badly broken toe. The injury was expected to take at least two months to fully repair, with the likelihood of Novakovic playing a part in any of the latter fixtures of the season seriously doubtful.

The Serbian attacker joined Whitehawk in the summer from Watford for a fee of £23,000,000. Novakovic had shown some glittering form, scoring twice in the EFL Cup final win over Manchester United, and had become a key component of Whitehawk's star-studded lineup.

Novakovic's ability to both score and create goals had come to the fore this season, having been deployed in an unfamiliar right wing position. From here, Novakovic has operated as an Inside Forward to great avail, having contributed 15 goals and 15 assists in 43 appearances. Quite a decent return in his first season at a new club, in a new position and role.

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Unfortunately, Coffey's injury was much more serious. A damaged achilles tendon could potentially ruin an athlete's career, and Coffey was ruled out for the best part of half a year. The Irishman would be lucky to be fit again to play any part in the first quarter of the next season, considering how long it would take to be fully fit and prepared.

Coffey joined Whitehawk in 2023 from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £10,250,000. The Irishman has since become a key part of Whitehawk's team, having consistently scored a high number of goals each season. Earlier this season, Coffey became only the second ever player to score 100 competitive goals for Whitehawk and continues to see his tally rise. His importance will see him missed over the next half year.

Coffey had enjoyed an incredible season to date, scoring 32 goals and assisting 6 more in 42 appearances. The Irishman's pace and finishing ability made him lethal in front of goal and his presence will prove to be difficult to replace.

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"It is incredibly saddening to see two terrific players, in the prime of their careers, suffer such injuries. They had contributed enormously and would have enjoyed fighting to finish the season with more trophies had this travesty not occurred. I can only feel sorry for them, and we will support them as much as possible through these difficult moments.

For us, it leaves us in a very difficult position. Tomas Mrva is currently out of action with a hernia injury, leaving us with one fit striker in the form of Chavez Miller. He's still very young and hasn't played much senior football, but he will be ready to step up to the plate. He has to be.

We have a number of other players absent too. Erkan Aktaş is still recovering from an abdominal injury, while Facundo Foti and Ricardo Barbosa are currently suspended for our next game. Our next game just so happens to be an FA Cup game against Manchester United. It is not an ideal circumstance for one, but not one we can change. We just have to continue to fight and to give one hundred percent of our effort and hope we can get a result."

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Previous Update: #96 - Whitehawk Finish Off Atlético Madrid
Next Update: #98 - Whitehawk Triumphant In Old Trafford Thriller

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12/02/2028

Games between Whitehawk and Manchester United have contributed an enormous amount of goals in recent seasons, and this FA Cup sixth round fixture was no different. Whitehawk looked set to claim victory in normal time, but a sensational Riccardo Lorenzi stoppage time equaliser sent the game in to extra time, with the sides scoring three each. Eighteen year old Chavez Miller was thrown in to deep end in the absence of Jason Coffey, Miroslav Novakovic and Tomas Mrva for Whitehawk, and his goal in extra time proved enough for Whitehawk to march on the semi finals of the FA Cup.

4-3 Win AET vs Manchester United - FA Cup 6th Rnd

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Ryan Ferguson's side was very much torn apart by injuries and suspensions, heading in to this fixture. Cup goalkeeper Daniel Bentley kept his place in the FA Cup fixtures, but the back four in front of him was a weakened one. Erkan Aktaş was only fit enough for the bench, meaning Radek Podzemsky would start at right back, while Pipoca took the place of the suspended Facundo Foti at left back. Without right winger Miroslav Novakovic or strikers Jason Coffey and Tomas Mrva, Martin Ødegaard and teenager Chavez Miller were tasked with filling these holes.

The game didn't have to wait much longer than eight minutes for the first goal, and there were no prizes for guessing the scorer. Despite the absences of Jason Coffey and Miroslav Novakovic, Kylian Mbappé's individual brilliance was still evident for all to see. From thirty yards out, his direct free kick effort proved to have too much swerve for David De Gea to deal with, and Mbappé's strike clattered off the upright before bouncing in to the goal. A makeshift Whitehawk side had taken an early lead.

The two sides would go in to halftime level, as Leroy Sané found an equaliser. The German was unmarked from a corner, and his header was too powerful for Daniel Bentley to keep out, as the ball squirmed through his desperate parry.

It took just less than eight minutes in the second half for Kylian Mbappé to restore Whitehawk's lead with his second goal of the game. The Frenchman played a clever one-two with Frano Díaz before hurdling his way in to the box. His excellent dribble was rounded off with a thunderous low effort which was only ever going to end in a goal.

Minutes later, and Riccardo Lorenzi had left his first mark on the game with a Manchester United equaliser. Excellent work from Paul Pogba and Tim Skinner ended with the latter teeing up Lorenzi on the edge of the area to smash a brilliant drive in to the back of the net, Another Old Trafford classic between Manchester United and Whitehawk was in the making!

Despite Manchester United's brilliant attacking efforts, Mbappé was proving to be a thorn and the Frenchman completed an incredible hat trick in the sixty-ninth minute. Radek Podzemsky's initial cross was blocked, but he picked up the rebound before picking out Mbappé in the box and the Ballon d'Or winner gave De Gea no chance with a low finish. A hat trick for Mbappé, and the third time in the game that Whitehawk had gone ahead.

Manchester United's efforts to get back in to the game once more were frantic. They threw everything at the visitor. After all, it was Mourinho's last chance to put one past Ryan Ferguson and Whitehawk. Paul Lucas hit the post and Riccardo Lorenzi came close as Whitehawk were penned in.

It all looked to be in vain for Manchester United. That was, of course, until Lorenzi scored one of the greatest goals Old Trafford had ever seen. It was stoppage time. Passlack's corner was cleared away, as far as Lorenzi. From thirty yards out, the Italian struck a first time half volley which swerved and dipped on its way. The sheer power of the strike left Bentley rooted to the spot. Football stopped and stared for a second as the ball, as if on a cord, buried itself in the top corner. The 'Cup of Dreams' had just produced a fairy tale comeback for Manchester United.

It was anybody's game in extra time. Manchester United seemed to have the legs, and very nearly went ahead at the end of the first set of fifteen minutes. Riccardo Lorenzi broke in to a one on one situation. His first shot was saved by Bentley, his second shot was saved by Bentley, and his third shot was saved by Bentley. It was an incredible triple save to keep Whitehawk alive.

But it all seemed in vain as Lorenzi, once again, charged down on goal having been gifted with a free run. Lorenzi's low shot seemed destined for the bottom corner, but Bentley once again somehow got a hand to it to tip it just wide of the post.

It was enough to keep Whitehawk in the game, and that was all they needed to create one opportunity to score. Samper's attempted through ball to Martin Ødegaard was blocked out by Luke Shaw, but the rebound fell to Chavez Miller inside the penalty area. The Barbadian swiveled on the spot and squeezed the ball in under De Gea to score the winning goal, with just over two minutes of extra time remaining.

It was one goal too many for Manchester United to keep up. Miller had sunk Manchester United in one of the craziest games of football ever!

Kylian Mbappé (Whitehawk) - 9.5/10

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FA Cup Semi Final Draw

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We got handed another tough game against Arsenal in the semi finals. In truth, any opponent would have been difficult, and we will have to play well to progress to the final.

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"I think it was one of those games which just leaves everybody lost for words! It was one of the craziest games I've ever been involved in. It had a hat trick, three comebacks, an incredible stoppage time goal, some superb goalkeeping in extra time and a late late winner. It had all the makings of a wonderful FA Cup game!

It was an incredible way to end my contests with José Mourinho. I think we can both look back and say we deserved to win this game, because we both did. It was a truly sensational game and I'll never forget it. I'm still shaking!"

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Comment Section

mgriffin2012, yeah Atlético out of the way now! Unfortunately, those two injuries do hamper our squad. The players offered technical ability and superb pace to break opposition defences in a split second. They will be missed.

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Previous Update: #97 - Whitehawk Duo Hit With Long Term Injuries
Next Update: #99 - Whitehawk To Face Bayer 04 Leverkusen

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17/03/2028

Whitehawk will face off against German side Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League. The tie will be contested over two legs in April, with the first leg to be played at BayArena, Leverkusen.

Whitehawk reached the quarter final stage following a 5-3 aggregate victory Atlético Madrid in the Last 16, while their opponents defeated AS Roma by means of away goals in the last round. Whitehawk and Leverkusen last played each other in this exact same round of the UEFA Champions League back in 2026, and have previously played in the Last 16 in 2025. Whitehawk came out victorious on each occasion.

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The last half-decade has been, by far, the most successful in Bayer Leverkusen's history. Three of their four Bundesliga titles came in this time, with their first coming in 2017, and they have also lifted the DFB-Pokal twice in the last three years. Last season brought a disappointing third place finish in the Bundesliga, but still showed how capable they have become.

Manager Stefan Kohfahl has been in his role since 2020, and has certainly developed his ideas at the club to fruition. His high-pace attacking football has brought many admirers, and the experience of the likes of Niklas Süle, Rúben Neves and Ante Coric has given the squad a very stern look about it.

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The German side has struggled to replicate the same consistency they showed at the beginning of the season and head in to the game out of form. They will be missing a few important players, as both Ante Coric and Aljosa Djuric have picked up injuries, while Emmanuel Sekyere will be suspended.

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"I'm excited about this tie. They look to play attacking football and they really don't hold back at all. They have, perhaps, not been in the best of form recently, but I expect they'll show their true abilities against us. We look forward to playing against the best, and Leverkusen are certainly up there now."

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Comment Section

mgriffin2012, I expect Arsenal to pose a challenge, but we've overcome more difficult opposition and I will be looking to surge past them too!

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Previous Update: #98 - Whitehawk Triumphant In Old Trafford Thriller
Next Update: #100 - Whitehawk's Injury Crisis Worsens

18/03/2028

Following the recent long term injuries to Jason Coffey and Miroslav Novakovic, along with the month long injury sustained by Tomas Mrva, another injury would prove detrimental. And indeed, the injury picked up by Facundo Foti in a fixture against Leicester City has increased worries among the Whitehawk camp.

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Foti picked up his injury against Leicester City while chasing a loose ball. The Italian defender picked up a sprained ankle as he misplaced his footing. It was an accident which would rule out Foti for approximately five weeks of action.

Facundo Foti joined Whitehawk from Gimnasia La Plata in 2025 for a fee of £7,500,000. The Argentine-Italian full back arrived as a future successor for Tyrone Mings, and eventually took up the mantle as the club's chief left back. He made his debut for Italy in 2026, and has since made a total of 10 appearances.

Foti's ability to win the ball back has made him a very reliable full back. His technical ability defensively, and his determination, made him a ruthless tackler and his physical prowess certainly aided his play. Despite not being notably talented in attack, Foti has shown no weakness going forward, contributing a number of assists each season.

Foti's injury came at a very bad time for Whitehawk. With a number of key games to come up in April, Foti's presence will be missed. His backup, Pipoca, will have to suffice as the only natural left back in the team.

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Previous Update: #99 - Whitehawk To Face Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Next Update: #101 - Paul Pogba To Join Whitehawk

20/03/2028

It is a deal that has everybody in shock. All heads have been turned by the confirmation made by Whitehawk and Manchester United this evening. Manchester United captain Paul Pogba will join league rivals Whitehawk this summer for an agreed fee of £10,000,000. The Frenchman has played over 500 times for the Red Devils in two spells at the club and, in the summer, will begin a reported £155,000 per week contract which will last until 2030.

Paul Pogba - MC

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Full Name: Paul Labile Pogba
Age: 35 (15/03/1993)
Nationality: French
Place of Birth: Lagny-sur-Marne (France)
Position: MC
Fee: £10,000,000
To Be Signed From: Manchester United (England)
Current Ability:
Potential Ability:

Paul Pogba, 35, is currently enjoying his second spell at Manchester United. He originally joined the club as a youngster in 2009, and made his debut for the club, and his professional debut, in an EFL Cup fixture against Leeds United in 2011. He has since gone on to record over 500 appearances for the club, in two spells, with a four year stint at Italian joints Juventus in the middle.

In 2012, Paul Pogba left for Juventus on a free transfer. He made a total of 178 appearances in all competitions for Juventus, before making a remarkable return to Manchester United. The move cost Manchester United a then-record fee of £90,000,000, ending his time in Italy.

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Pogba became captain of Manchester United in 2023, and captain of France in 2024. Pogba has won an incredible number of trophies in his time. He won four back-to-back Serie A league at Juventus, and has won six Premier League titles for Manchester United. He has also lifted one UEFA Champions League and a FIFA Club World Cup with the Red Devils. He was also part of the France team which one the UEFA European International League in 2019.

Pogba has been acclaimed as one of the most complete midfield players of all time. His 191cm build, combined with his incredible all-round physical abilities, makes him a top athlete. While he has slowed down with age, his strength and general fitness is still to be commended. Pogba's defensive abilities match his attacking qualities, and he is seen as reliable in both phases of play. His incredible passing range and his aptitude to shoot from range makes him a threat wherever he is on the pitch, and his flair for the incredible makes him a constant danger, even when all seems lost.

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Danny Baxter's Reaction

Danny Baxter (Whitehawk Chairman):

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"This was a transfer made by myself, and not by Ryan Ferguson. It was made with the knowledge that Ryan will not be in charge after this season, and that we would require some additional experience in the squad. I did not feel the need to ask for Ferguson's council on this deal, as I know it is a good move.

Pogba may be 35, but he is a true winner and is still one of the top players in world football. His ability to score and create goals makes him exciting, he will sell a lot of Whitehawk shirts, and I love it when he dabs. But, most importantly, Manchester United will be losing their captain, and that's a big f*ck you to José Mourinho and his team. F*ck you Manchester United, we are the kings of football."

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Previous Update: #100 - Whitehawk's Injury Crisis Worsens
Next Update: #102 - Dele Alli To Join Whitehawk

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