Ryan Ferguson: The Unorthodox Approach

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10/08/2027

A third competitive game of the season for Whitehawk brought a second opportunity to win a trophy. The UEFA Super Cup final against Arsenal at Via del Mare in Lecce, Italy, presented a perfect opportunity for Sir Ryan Ferguson's side to add to their FA Community Shield victory of nine days previous, and the Brighton-based club failed to disappoint, winning against Slaven Bilić's Arsenal by the score of 3-1.

3-1 Win vs Arsenal - UEFA Super Cup

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Sir Ryan Ferguson made one change to the side that defeated both Manchester City and Watford, with Miroslav Novakovic dropping to the bench as fellow Serb Gradimir Lucic took his place in the side. Lucic started on the left hand side of the attack, pushing Mbappé to the right.

Right back Jésus Vallejo skippered Arsenal on the night, while Arsenal's top scorer of last season, Antony Martial, started as a lone striker.

Whitehawk started the brighter of the two teams, and showed their attacking intent with a goal after just eight minutes. Gradimir Lucic was at the heart of the goal, initially feeding Jason Coffey in to a one-on-one position with the goalkeeper, but Alex Meret parried the shot away. Coffey picked up the loose ball, before picking out Lucic, and Lucic then created another superb opportunity to score, teeing up Kingsley Osagie to give Whitehawk a deserved lead.

Whitehawk were nearly two goals to the good after twenty minutes, were it not for the woodwork. Kingsley Osagie and Kylian Mbappé linked up well on the edge of the area, with the latter sliding a pass in to the right channel for Jason Coffey to run on to. This time Coffey beat the goalkeeper, but could find the outside of the post.

A minute later, and Whitehawk would have their second. Kylian Mbappé delivered a dangerous corner from the right hand side, tempting Alex Meret in to rushing out to the ball. However, the goalkeeper missed his punch, and Whitehawk's Gradimir Lucic had the simple task of heading the ball in to an empty net. Whitehawk had a strong lead.

Arsenal cut the deficit by half with less than thirteen minutes remaining in the first half, and it came from a great deal of pressure. Antony Martial wrestled the ball away from Emanuel Mammana, and released Sébastien Blanchard. The Frenchman centered the ball for Nadiem Amiri, who in turn teed up Amund Gyøsdal-Sandberg to find the back of the net. Game on.

Arsenal's fight back was short lived, as Whitehawk scored a third just two minutes later. Gradimir Lucic was again at the heart of the move, as he picked up a loose ball in the box. His low cross was converted by Jason Coffey to restore Whitehawk's advantage.

The second half passed with only one major incident, as Whitehawk left back was given his marching orders following a second bookable offence. Whitehawk would finish the game with ten men, but lifted the trophy regardless. It was trophy number two for Sir Ryan Ferguson and his men.

Gradimir Lucic (Whitehawk) - 9.1/10

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Ryan Ferguson's Interview

Ryan Ferguson:

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"I am delighted with the performance, and to win another trophy. We have played just three games this season, but we have two trophies already! We fully deserved this title, and I think the supporters can go back home happy with what they have seen tonight.

We have time to celebrate this title at the end of the season, but we must quickly switch our focus back to the Premier League. We have very difficult games coming up against Bournemouth, Manchester United and Arsenal. Ideally we can leave these games with nine more points, but we know how difficult our opponents can make these fixtures. We'll take each game as it comes, and hope to be able to put in a performance deserving of victory, that is all I can ask of the players."

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Comments Section

mgriffin2012, thank you! Yeah I'm happy Mrva stepped up and performed on his debut, but I think questions need to be asked of the more senior attackers for failing to score in the 67 minutes before he was introduced

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Previous Update: #39 - Teenage Debutant Rescues Victory
Next Update: #41 - Hawks Share Spoils In Old Trafford Thriller

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21/08/2027

It was a game which was highlighted as a potential season-changing moment for both sides, and neither Whitehawk or Manchester United failed to disappoint when it came to producing an exciting encounter. Whitehawk had raced in to an emphatic 4-2 lead at half-time, but José Mourinho's Red Devils produced a second half comeback to share the points in the Premier League's most highly anticipated fixture of the season.

4-4 Draw vs Manchester United - Premier League

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Whitehawk headed in to the game following four straight wins in all competitions, most recently a 2-0 victory in their first home fixture of the season against Bournemouth in the Premier League. Looking to capitalise on the form of the players who started in the UEFA Super Cup, Sir Ryan Ferguson made just one change from the side that defeated Arsenal in Italy. Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic made his second consecutive start, following a return from injury.

Thirty-six year old goalkeeper David De Gea had to make do with another substitute role, as Manuel Di Martino started between the posts. Right back Felix Passlack was the Red Devils skipper for the afternoon, while summer signing Luken Díez played a role in midfield alongside Benjamin Henrichs and Jorge Alexandre. Last season's golden boot winner Facundo Colidio was a lone striker for the home side.

Whitehawk had made a habit of starting games brightly this season, and they followed this trend with a first minute goal at Old Trafford. It took just eighteen seconds for the deadlock to be broken, and it was the in form Gradimir Lucic who created the opportunity. Kingsley Osagie ghosted through midfield with the ball, and released the Serbian wide attacker down the left. Lucic delivered a fine low cross to the near post, where Jason Coffey was on hand to score a first time half-volley.

Three minutes later, and Whitehawk had doubled their advantage. Stephen Lacy flicked on Kylian Mbappé's corner, but the ball evaded others in the box. Gradimir Lucic picked up the loose ball, and picked out Franco Díaz on the edge of the area. The Argentine struck the ball first time, with superb technique. The ball skidded across the surface, out of the reach of the helpless Manuel Di Martino. Whitehawk had doubled their lead, with under four minutes on the clock.

Manchester United were not dead and buried, however, and found a way back in to the match with twelve minutes on the clock. Kingsley Coman's wide free-kick delivery was directed at central defender Allan Guerin, who cushioned a header in to the path of Felix Passlack. The German full back powered a volley at goal, and it was deflected in off international team mate Leroy Sané, who would claim the goal as his own.

Another goal would complete a frantic opening fifteen minutes, and it was Whitehawk who got on the score sheet yet again. Whitehawk dealt with a Manchester United set piece very well, and Anton Nyman lead a quick counter attack forward. The ball found its way to Kylian Mbappé who played Gradimir Lucic through on goal, and the in form Serb rolled a low shot in to the back of the net to restore Whitehawk's two goal advantage.

Gradimir Lucic would have his second, and Whitehawk's fourth, fifteen minutes later. Kylian Mbappé's deep cross from the right proved too difficult to control for goalkeeper Manuel Di Martino, who could only tip the ball in to the path of Gradimir Lucic, and Whitehawk's man of the half-hour rounded off an impressive first half display with another goal, adding to his earlier goal and two assists.

It was the first time since a 0-4 loss to Olympique Lyonnais in the UEFA Europa League in February 2017 that Manchester United conceded four goals at Old Trafford in a competitive fixture, but they were keen to make amends before the interval. Kingsley Coman restored hope, rifling a long range effort in to the top left corner, well out of Predrag Rajkovic's reach. A comeback was certainly not out of Manchester United's reach.

The Red Devils began the first half like a team possessed, and very nearly scored a third four minutes following the restart. Kingsley Coman was proving a real threat, and his low cross was pounced on by Facundo Colidio. However, the prolific Argentine goal scorer could only produce an effort good enough to strike the post, giving Whitehawk a taste of what was to follow.

José Mourinho's players were in relentless form, and scored their third goal after sixty four minutes. Midfielder Benjamin Henrichs picked up the ball in acres of space in midfield, and produced an unstoppable drive in to the top corner, putting the home side just one goal behind Whitehawk.

And it took just two more minutes for Manchester United to level the game. Kingsley Coman was, once again, at the heart of the goal, as he cut in from the right. The Frenchman moved in to the box, and fired a left footed shot at goal. However, the ball ricocheted off former Manchester United star Emanuel Mammana, and in to the back of the net. Manchester United had come back from the dead to find parity.

In what can only be described as one of the greatest comebacks of Premier League history, Manchester United had beaten the odds to make to equal Whitehawk's four goals. Sir Ryan Ferguson may have seen it as an opportunity to deliver a big blow to Manchester United, while José Mourinho would certainly have seen the game as a sign of how capable his squad was of matching the visitors in league competition.

Gradimir Lucic (Whitehawk) - 9.3/10

Ryan Ferguson's Interview

Ryan Ferguson:

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"There is an element of disappointment in the dressing room right now. We had played what was possibly the best thirty minutes of football in the club's history to start the game, earning our selves a 4-1 lead at Old Trafford, of all places. What followed, however, will disappoint every person involved with the club. Last season, we conceded just seven league goals all term. This game alone saw us concede four.

We can take great pride from parts of our performance. We have been criticised, at times, for our goal scoring ability, but we scored four goals against our main rivals for the league title, on their turf. Also, taking a point from Old Trafford is still something to be proud of. Not very many teams have the luxury of doing so.

We can take a lot away from this game, with much to appreciate, and much to learn from. We showed our best today, and we also showed our flaws. Now we can work on these flaws, and make sure they're no longer evident in future fixtures."

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Comments Section

mgriffin2012, yeah it is great to have two trophies already, even if they're not so reputable, and we will be looking to add to them!

MJK46, there hasn't been clubs who have risen like we have, but there have been quite a few improvers. Watford,Swansea and Stoke have become strong Premier League outfits, while Liverpool and Spurs have become much weaker Premier League sides.

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Previous Update: #40 - Whitehawk Claim UEFA Super Cup
Next Update: #42 - Aktaş Signs Contract Extension

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25/08/2027

Whitehawk defender Erkan Aktaş today signed a new five year deal with the club, worth an estimated £41,000,000. The Turkish full back had become a key player for the English and European champions since signing from Hoffenheim in a £30,000,000 move in the summer of 2024, and the twenty one year old had established himself as one of the best full backs in the world.

The new contract deal had come in the wake of increased interest in Aktaş' services from a number of top European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and FC Bayern München. The commitment shown by Aktaş to Whitehawk has brought an air of relief to the football club, with many fans having grown nervous over the possibility of losing one of their top players.

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The twenty five times capped Turkish international had become a key player for Whitehawk since signing for the club three years ago, and notched up 130 appearances in all competitions since joining. Aktaş' maiden goal for the football club came in December 2026 in a Premier League match against Newcastle, but it has been his defensive contribution and, at times, his crossing which has helped Whitehawk.

The 2026/2027 Premier League season saw the best of Aktaş to date, as he scored once and assisted four times. He also collected four man of the match awards, and finished with an average rating of 7.62. His defensive contribution was evident as he averaged 3.66 tackles per game, and a pass completion ratio of 81% demonstrated his control of the ball.

The right back signed a long term contract with Whitehawk, with the prospect of winning more major trophies, and he has his eyes on retaining the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

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Erkan Aktaş:

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"It is a fantastic moment to be able to commit my long term future to this fantastic football club. I have felt at home here from the very first day, and I feel I have had a very successful relationship with the club. Together, we have won many major trophies and played some very good football.

I hope we can continue to win major trophies, and we already have two this season. Our target is always to win, and we can start this by holding on to the Premier League and Champions League titles. It will not be easy, but we are very capable of beating anybody when we play at our best."

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Comments Section

MJK46, I hope so too! I'm glad to hear it has inspired you somewhat, maybe we'll see your own version of Whitehawk next year

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Previous Update: #41 - Hawks Share Spoils In Old Trafford Thriller
Next Update: #43 - Whitehawk To Face Burnley In EFL Cup

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26/08/2027

EFL Cup champions Whitehawk were presented with a fixture against Burnley in the third round of the competition, as Whitehawk begin their defence of the competition. The reigning champions lifted the trophy in March with an extra time victory over Manchester United in the final.

Whitehawk's one and only competition victory came in the previous season, having never reached the final previously. Sir Ryan Ferguson's men did reach the semi final in the 2023/2024 season, however, but crumbled at the hands of Everton over two legs.

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Burnley had never won the competition in their history, and were defeated in the third round stage last season. Crystal Palace were the victors on the day, following a nervy penalty shootout at Turf Moore.

Burnley, currently in the EFL Championship, entered this season's competition in the first round. A 2-0 win away to Grimsby Town saw manager Jon Daly's side progress to the second round, where fellow EFL Championship side Ipswich Town awaited them. A late Harry Winks goal gave Burnley a deserved 2-1 victory, pitting them against Whitehawk in the third round.

The fixture between Whitehawk and Burnley will be played at Whitehawk Stadium on 22/09/2027, with the victor progressing to the fourth round. Whitehawk captain Stephen Lacy is expected to recover from his fractured ribs injury to return to first team action by that stage, while no Burnley player is currently available through injury or suspension.

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Ryan Ferguson:

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"We are very happy to get underway in this competition once again. Cup competitions bring great excitement, and we have some very fond memories of the EFL Cup. Of course, the fondest of memories of us is winning the competition last season. Hopefully we can do that again!

Burnley will be tough opponents. They have plenty of Premier League experience in recent years, even if they have failed to settle in the league, and they have some very talented players in their ranks. They have won every single game they have played so far this season, and I imagine they'll be looking to continue their form in to the game.

The EFL Cup will not be a competition which we neglect. It may not have the same hold as the Premier League or the Champions League, but we will treat the competition with great respect, and look to win it as we would any other."

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Comments Section

mgriffin2012, yeah it was important to get rid of interest quickly in order to make sure there was no unsettlement!

MJK46, well I think Erkan would have started for almost any team in the world, barring perhaps Manchester City who have a sensational DR!

InfraRed, yes indeed! He's been one of our most consistent performers, and it was always important to secure his future!

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Previous Update: #42 - Aktaş Signs Contract Extension
Next Update: #44 - Whitehawk Handed Challenging Group

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26/08/2027

The group stage of the UEFA Champions League gad been drawn, and four English teams would compete in Europe's elite club competition. Whitehawk, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal were all in the draw for the group stage.

Reigning champions Whitehawk were handed a challenging group which contained seven times winners AC Milan of Italy, French giants Olympique Lyonnais, and Belgian side RSC Anderlecht. Whitehawk would kick off their Champions League campaign at home to Anderlecht.

Four times winners Manchester United were given a considerably easier group, with their main challengers being Bayer Leverkusen of Germany. Two times winners SL Benfica of Portugal and Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb made up the rest of the group. José Mourinho's Manchester United would begin their run against SL Benfica at Old Trafford.

Manchester City had considerably less luck than their great rivals in the draw, having been placed in a group which contained eleven times winners Real Madrid of Spain. Bundesliga giants FC Schalke 04 and Norwegian side Rosenborg BK completed the group. Manchester City would first play Schalke at home.

One time winner Arsenal were handed a very simple group. Dutch super power Ajax, Scottish giants Celtic and Viktoria Plzeň of Czech Republic were their opponents. The Gunners would first face Ajax at home.

Group A Juventus (ITA) Fenerbahçe (TUR) CSKA Moscow (RUS) Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Group B Manchester United (ENG) Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) Benfica (POR) GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) Group C Arsenal (ENG) Celtic (SCO) Ajax (NED) Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) Group D Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) Barcelona (ESP) RB Leipzig (GER) Rio Ave (POR)

Group E Whitehawk (ENG) AC Milan (ITA) Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) Anderlecht (BEL) Group F Atlético Madrid (ESP) Porto (POR) Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) Austria Wien (AUT) Group G Manchester City (ENG) Real Madrid (ESP) Schalke 04 (GER) Rosenborg BK (NOR) Group H Bayern München (GER) AS Monaco (FRA) AS Roma (ITA) Dundee United (SCO)

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Ryan Ferguson Interview

Ryan Feruson:

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"The Champions League is always a very exciting competition to participate in, and I am very excited about the proposition of playing against some very good teams in the group stage. The teams we have put up against are very talented outfits, but we always enjoy playing in big games.

I think the prospect of playing at the San Siro against AC Milan is the highlight of the draw for us. They have won the competition seven times, and they have a caliber of player in their squad which can only be admired. (Gianluigi) Donnarumma is their captain, and he is quite possibly one of the greatest goalkeeper of all time. (Alessio) Romagnoli and André Silva are very experienced, and talented, players, and we also have to be aware of the threat posed by the likes of Mario Gómez and Santino Saggio.

Our first game is against Anderlecht, and we have home advantage for that. Personally, I don't think it matters who we play first. We always aim to win, regardless of who we play against, and when we play against them. We will be looking for maximum points in each game, that is always the objective."

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Comments Section

ScottT, hopefully it will be! It would be nice to win a few more trophies!

mgriffin2012, soon they'll need a new spring for their yo-yo, it is beginning to wear out!

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Previous Update: #43 - Whitehawk To Face Burnley In EFL Cup
Next Update: #45 - Season 2027/2028: August Review

Ryan Ferguson: It was the beginning of the final season of my Whitehawk tenure. Nobody else had known of my decision at that stage, as I did not wish to disrupt the flow. We were in a good way, and any sort of distraction may have created difficulty. As far as the rest of the world were concerned, I was to be Whitehawk manager for a long time.

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Transfers

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August was the final month of the summer transfer window, and it proved to be a very quiet one for Whitehawk. Nobody joined the club, while two players left the club on loan. Young Spanish striker Juan Antonio Fernández was loaned out to feeder club Blackburn Rovers to compete in the Sky Bet Championship for the season, while Polish midfielder Arkadiusz Stelmach joined Jagiellonia Białystok for the season.

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Results

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2-1 Win vs Manchester City (N), FA Community Shield - 01/08/2027
Attendance: 81,951
The domestic season opener saw Whitehawk claim the Community Shield with victory over Manchester City at Wembley. Goals from debutant Kylian Mbappé and Jason Coffey gave Whitehawk a commanding lead, and Manchester City could only muster a single goal through Ronald de Boer. For an in-depth match report, see here.
Kingsley Osagie (Whitehawk) - 8.4/10

2-0 Win vs Watford (A), Premier League - 07/08/2027
Attendance: 21,250
It was a tense opening day to the Premier League season between two possession-hungry teams. Neither side caved in the first half, and it took two moments of magic from teenage debutant Tomas Mrva to win the three points for Whitehawk. The Slovakian played the final 23 minutes of the game, and scored two superb half-volleys to help his side to victory. For an in-depth match report, see here.
Tomas Mrva (Whitehawk) - 8.5/10

3-1 Win vs Arsenal (N), UEFA Super Cup - 10/08/2027
Attendance: 33,876
It proved to be a game of who had the most fire power, and Whitehawk came out on top. Goals from Kingsley Osagie, Gradimir Lucic and Jason Coffey proved to be enough to dismantle a hard-fighting Arsenal side. For an in-depth match report, see here.
Gradimir Lucic (Whitehawk) - 9.1/10

2-0 Win vs Bournemouth (H), Premier League - 14/08/2027
Attendance: 26,786
Kylian Mbappé starred in his home debut for Whitehawk. The French attacker scored twice, at the end of each half, to earn his side all three points.
Kylian Mbappé (Whitehawk) - 8.8/10

4-4 Draw vs Manchester United (A), Premier League - 21/08/2027
Attendance: 91,635
It was possibly one of the most exciting games in recent Premier League history. Whitehawk raced in to a 4-1 lead in the first half, courtesy of two goals and two assists from the in-form Serbian wide attacker Gradimir Lucic. However, Manchester United staged a remarkable come back and drew level midway through the second half. For an in-depth match report, see here.
Gradimir Lucic (Whitehawk) - 9.3/10

1-1 Win vs Arsenal (H), Premier League - 28/08/2027 Attendance: 26,786
Whitehawk rounded off August with another win over Arsenal. Jason Coffey scored twice in the first half to give Whitehawk a very comfortable lead, and held off Arsenal for most of the second half. A Filippo Melegoni penalty with two minutes to go gave Arsenal some hope of a late comeback, but Whitehawk ground out the win in the end.
Jason Coffey (Whitehawk) - 8.7/10

Overall: The month went fantastically. Two trophy wins, and five wins and one draw in six was something to be proud of. There was an air of disappointment following the collapse against Manchester United, but the players had a great mentality t bounce back and defeat Arsenal to round off a great month of football.

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Premier League

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Three wins and a draw was enough to put us on top of the league table by the end of the month, albeit by means of Goals For. Liverpool had made a surprisingly incredible start to the season under Javi Gracia, and were second in the rankings. Chelsea and Swansea rounded up the top four, while Manchester United were sixth. Manchester City and Arsenal had suffered poor starts to the season, sitting in fifteenth and fourteenth respectively.

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Player of the Month

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A number of attackers had performed admirably for Whitehawk during August, including Kingsley Osagie, Gradimir Lucic and Jason Coffey, but new signing Kylian Mbappé was quite possibly the pick of the players. The French attacker scored three and assisted four in six impressive appearances across all competitions.

The arrivals of Mbappé, Mammana and Novakovic had meant the club were predicted to fail Financial Fair Play regulations for wage spend increase. This would result in just a small fine at the end of the season, which the club could afford with a significant balance of over £174M available.

There was just one senior player injured by the end of August, with club captain Stephen Lacy out of action with fractured ribs. The central defender was expected to be out for approximately three weeks, and would probably return to competitive action by the end of the month.

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September Fixtures

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We would, once again, begin the month with a game against Manchester City. This time, no trophy would be on the line on the day, but any result would affect the outcome of the league standings. Victory was the objective. We would also kick off our campaigns in the UEFA Champions League and EFL Cup against RSC Anderlecht and Blackburn Rovers, both at home. A trip to the San Siro to face AC Milan awaited us at the end of the month.

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Ryan Ferguson's Message

Ryan Ferguson:

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"We had a terrific opening month to the season. Five wins from six, no losses, and two trophies. We couldn't ask for much more. Perhaps we should have held on to the win at Old Trafford, but the players are still young and will only learn from this fixture.

We have many more big games next month, and we play some terrific teams such as Manchester City, RSC Anderlecht and AC Milan. Our objective is always to win, but we will take each game as it comes."

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Previous Update: #44 - Whitehawk Handed Challenging Group
Next Update: #46 - Major Transfers Of Summer 2026