Hello! It must be winter as it is time for our annual visit to what has become a much trickier article to write in recent times. Managers are getting younger, one of these years we will have a manager not born in 1997. Anyway, let’s take a look where the current Premier League managers can be found in CM9798 and see just how small the list of players still playing is.

Also, Bluesky is taking off. I can be found on there under cm9798dave.bluesky.social – I still plan to post on X/Twitter (CM9798) too but I do fear one day I will wake up and it just won’t be there anymore…

Arsenal – Mikel Arteta

Always a bad start this. Obviously, Arteta still isn’t in the game but the bad news keeps on coming as a few years ago we could at least utilise his assistant Steve Round, but he’s now left the club.

Absolutely nothing to do with current Arsenal in 1997. Even Per Mertesacker (Academy manager) wasn’t around. Boo and hiss.

Aston Villa – Unai Emery

Ripping up the Premier League this year, Unai Emery of Aston Villa is here for another year. In 1997 he was playing for Toledo, and other than being a little slow, his attributes are more than respectable.

He’ll be hoping that adaptability of 18 helps him keep Villa at the top end of the league whilst competing in the Champions League.

Bournemouth – Andoni Iraola

As is becoming a worrying trend for the future of this annual tradition, Andoni Iraola is too young to have been a player on our beloved game. Most of his mates are the same but they do have Neil Moss as a goalkeeping coach. I’ve never been so happy to see Neil Moss.

Brentford – Thomas Frank

Oh look it’s another one not in the game. Thomas Frank had next to no playing career at a senior level so you’ll have to enjoy Brentford’s “Head of Individual Development” Steven Pressley. That seems like quite a big title for Steven Pressley.

Brighton – Fabian Hürzeler

Brighton continue to make appointments that do not help me or this article. I mean, Hurzeler is 31 for goodness sake. He’s 5 years younger than me.

However, for some reason they do still have ex-Everton defender David Weir employed as a Technical Director. He’s in the game aged 27 and, frankly not very good. I always find stuff like this amusing in the editor. Clearly they don’t rate him that highly:

But, whoever did the research decided that it was worthwhile giving him 14 for set pieces. Two caps for Scotland too and this disrespect!

Here he is in game:..

Chelsea – Enzo Maresca

It was nice when Chelsea had Pochettino. He was in the game, it was something worth talking about. But away he went and in came Mini-P, Pep Guardiola’s attempt at cloning himself.

Enzo Maresca isn’t in the game but presumably only narrowly missed out. He was a youth player for Cagliari around this time and signed for WBA (who knew?) in 1998. He does at least have ex-Porto goalkeeper Hilario on his staff.

Helpfully, Carlo Cudicini also sorts out their loans or something.

Crystal Palace – Oliver Glasner

Austrian Glasner was playing for SV Ried in 1997 but that isn’t enough to get him into the database.

Good news though, Glasner has Dougie Freedman as a Sporting Director. Dougie can be found at Wolves in 97/98 although he is at Palace in the out of the box version, moving to Wolves in October 1997.

Everton – Sean Dyche

I wrote last year that Frank Lampard would be doing well to stay in the Everton job by the time the 2023 edition rolled around and I was right to be worried for him. Lampard was replaced by Sean Dyche in January and, as of this writing, Everton are on a great run of form despite being docked 10 points.

Happily, Dyche can be found at Bristol City as a versatile option.

Fulham – Marco Silva

Still in a Premier League job despite being offered the old truck full of Saudi Arabian money in the summer, it’s Marco Silva. Still at Fulham, Silva has got the Cottagers playing some lovely stuff as they look well placed to comfortably avoid the relegation scrap if not better. In CM9798 he’s a young right back still in his homeland.

Flair of 2 is not befitting of his side’s current style!

Ipswich Town – Kieran McKenna

Newly promoted Ipswich are part of the problem with modern day clubs. Everybody is too young. McKenna is 38 and didn’t get to play for his youth side Spurs due to injury.

A lot of his colleagues are similarly missing but Under 21 coach John McGreal can be found at Tranmere. Phew.

Leicester City – Steve Cooper

Steve Cooper had a great run as Nottingham Forest manager and is now trying to keep Leicester City in the Premier Division. Importantly, he also played Ned Schneebly in School of Rock. His playing career is non-existent at 97/98 level so here’s set piece coach Andrew Hughes of Oldham.

Set Pieces – 3. Ha.

Liverpool – Arne Slot

For the first time in a long time there’s no Klopp in this list. Arne Slot is in the database, though to say he is unrated would be an understatement.

He’s at Zwolle but other than being a sort of midfield player, there’s nothing to say about him.

Manchester City – Pep Guardiola

Guardiola was excellent as a player and somehow even better as a manager. He is quite possibly the best player we have in the list today. As you’d expect, creativity, passing and technique are all very high. What else can you say really?

Manchester United – Ruben Amorim

Newly appointed Amorim is 39 so nowhere near the 97/98 database. At least Ten Hag made it, I miss him.

The best I can do is first team strength and power coach Michael Clegg. Presumably not an Amorim hire.

Newcastle United – Eddie Howe

Eddie is our King! Although he isn’t much in 97/98 he’s doing a fine job in management right now, steering Newcastle from relegation certainties to the Champions League and whatever we are now. Lovely Eddie.

Nottingham Forest – Nuno Espirito Santo

He’s in! Two in a row! Nuno is a young goalkeeper at Deportivo in 97/98 and is doing a fine job at Nottingham Forest when he’s not shouting at match officials.

Southampton – Russell Martin

Russell Martin made his debut for Wycombe in 2004 so he’s some way too young for our article. In better news, his first team coach is Colin Calderwood.

Tottenham Hotspur – Ange Postecoglou

Ange. Big Ange. Angeball. Whatever you call him, he’s got a unique style and it’s quite fun to watch unless you’re on the receiving end of it. Sadly, he wasn’t playing in 1997/98 and neither are most of his coaches, so here we have “Professional Development Phase Coach” Paul Bracewell.

Three caps for England!? Who knew.

West Ham – Julen Lopetegui

Not a popular man with the Hammers fans but Julen gets a vote from me for being in the database. A few keepers knocking around this year isn’t there?

Wolverhampton Wanderers – Gary O’Neil

Gary O’Neil is doing a brilliant job at Wolves but he isn’t in the game so once again we are scrapping around for alternatives. Thankfully he has Shaun Derry on the coaching staff, so here he is.

That’s the managers done but is anybody still playing from CM9798?

I think there’s only one, and that is Kazuyoshi Miura in Japan. He’s 30 in the game but 57 in real life but is still contracted to Yokohama FC. He’s just been on loan in Portugal in the second tier, which is a remarkably odd move but it probably means he’s in FM24. He didn’t make the World Cup squad last year but there’s always 2026. He’s now on loan at Atletico Suzuka in Japan, I await to see if he’s in FM25.

That’s it for the professionals though, previous stalwarts of this list such as Buffon, Bywater, Hughes and Keane have all called it a day. I imagine there are a lot more at non-league level, such as Jamie Cureton who is player-manager at Enfield, and Barry Hayles seems to always get a mention.

Do you know any more? Get in touch!