Building a Hale End dynasty

"We don't buy superstars; we make them" - Arsène Wenger

This post will outline the squad-building approach used to integrate Hale End prodigies Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, and Max Dowman, taking Arsenal to the next level, conquering and dominating European football.

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First, there was Saka..

..then, there was Nwaneri & Lewis-Skelly.

..finally, there was Dowman.

The team written in the stars above Hale End came to life..

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2028 UEFA Champions League Final

25th minute: Ethan Nwaneri

49th minute: Bukayo Saka

56th minute: Max Dowman

63rd minute: Max Dowman

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The Hale End Dynasty

The 2023-28 period became the most successful in Arsenal Football Club history, establishing the club as a dominant force in domestic English football..

..and conquering Europe with back-to-back Champions League titles; winning 3-times in 5-years.

We finish 2028 with an elite squad brimming with talent; set to dominate for another generation.

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Establishing a Foundation

At the start of a save in Football Manager 2024 you take over an Arsenal side with a clear football identity; a young squad packed with talent ready to compete for Premier League and Champions League titles.

Mikel Arteta established a clear tactical identity built to sustain constant pressure high up the pitch:

• Structured positional play, starting in a 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 and attacking in a 3-2-5 or 2-3-5 shape.

• Flexible, dynamic build-up play.

• High-intensity pressing

2023/24 Squad:

• World-class core: Saka, Saliba, Rice, and Ødegaard

• Top players with world-class potential: Timber, Martinelli, Havertz, and - in this case - Tchouameni

• Top-class Premier League / Champions League players: Gabriel, White, Calafiori, Merino, Raya

• Elite potential young players: Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman

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Integrating Young Players

Environment is king in youth development.

1. Play young players in an otherwise functioning team

2. In an appropriate environment for their level

3. Watch them rise to the level of the team

4. ..and beyond to reach their full potential

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2024/25 - 2025/26: Nwaneri ‘number 10’

We won our first Treble in 2024/25 and a third consecutive title in 2025/26, playing Nwaneri as a second striker-type 10 ahead of Rice and Odegaard, off the shoulder of Havertz.

Nwaneri thrived in his preferred ‘Number 10’ role, winning the European Golden Boy award for his performances.

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2026/27 - 2027/28: Nwaneri ‘False 9’

After a whopping £148m Bayern bid for Havertz in 2026, we regained the 2026/27 Champions League by shifting to a more balanced 4-3-3, with Tchouameni shoring up the midfield.

Nwaneri exploded at False 9, winning his first Balon d’Or in 2027.

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2028 - ?: Max Dowman new No. 10

Our third and final Hale End prodigy - Max Dowman - gradually saw more game time throughout 2027/28, eventually taking the same attacking midfield role played by Nwaneri 2-3 seasons earlier.

Max Dowman continued the Hale End tradition, winning the European Golden Boy award in 2027/28.

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Thank you

Thank you for reading and supporting my first Substack post.

I hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed playing & writing; I plan to write a few more posts about it so let me know in the comments if there’s anything specific you’d like to read about.

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