I'm writing this after losing my first game of the season. I'm managing United, as always - I'm an 'always manage the team you support' kind of FM player, as opposed to your Bundesliga hipsters or local club saviours, whom I have infinite admiration for but not a shred of envy - and of all teams to finally collapse against, I've lost away to Liverpool.
The first two goals were an injustice. Two penalties, both awarded by VAR, neither - and I mean this, neither - were anything close to a pen, and yes I'm aware of the irony and yes that does make it worse. The first was a clean tackle, a Wan-Bissaka classic, the second about a yard outside the box. After that the lads collapsed, as they have been alarmingly wont to do in the real world, and that was that. A good 20 games unbeaten and the one match I care about we lose 4-0, all thanks to some VAR nonsense and United bottling it. Once again, Manchester United brings me only pain.
But that's football! And that's Football Manager. With FM21 the two are closer than ever and, Klopp-inflicted drubbings aside, the result is pretty special. The team at Sports Interactive has had to weather an especially turbulent year, what with football itself being as disrupted as the studio trying to simulate it, but nonetheless they've excelled with FM21. It's a wonderful effort. Much of it down to that incredible closeness to the real thing.