16 Sep, 2025

Asking AI for the 100 Best Saves on FM26

England National League North

1. Macclesfield — Phoenix rise hits Step 2; can you push on to the NL?
2. AFC Fylde — Big reset after relegation; immediate bounce-back challenge.
3. Worksop Town — Back at Step 2; rekindle a sleeping giant with proper crowds.
4. Bedford Town — Small club, big leap to NLN; make survival a project.
5. AFC Telford United — Up again; rebuild toward the NL with a big fanbase.
6. Merthyr Town — Fan-owned Welsh club in Step 2; can a Welsh side storm England?
7. Chester — “Nearly men” tag; turn play-off pain into promotion.
8. Kidderminster Harriers — Proper club, proper fanbase; plot a route back upward.
9. King’s Lynn Town — Reignite promotion pushes and stabilise finances on the way up.
10. Hereford — Historic name; can you finally take the Bulls back to the NL?
11. Chorley — Consistent contenders; find the extra 5% to go up.
12. Curzon Ashton — Punching above weight; perfect for a data-led project.
13. Darlington — Rebuild a proud club and heal the yo-yo scars.
14. Buxton — Compact budget, tough league; prove smart recruitment wins.
15. Alfreton Town — Well-run, awkward away day; turn grit into a promotion recipe.
16. Leamington — Step 2 consolidation into a push; tight margins everywhere.
17. Oxford City — Make a community club over-achieve at Step 2.
18. Bedford Town — (Alt angle) Build a youth-first identity at new level.
19. AFC Telford United — (Alt angle) Restore former NL stature methodically.
20. Macclesfield — (Alt angle) Sustain the surge while keeping finances stable.

England National League South

1. Dagenham & Redbridge — Big fish after relegation; immediate title expectations.
2. Maidenhead United — Long NL stay ended; can you spring straight back?
3. Ebbsfleet United — Relegated; resources + ambition = promotion test.
4. AFC Totton — Newly up; survival vs. surprise package storyline.
5. Horsham — Isthmian champs step up; build a South Coast contender.
6. Dover Athletic — Back up from below; stabilise, then attack the top.
7. Torquay United — Big club at this level; can you finally climb again?
8. Maidstone United — Cup-run vibes, promotion nous required.
9. Worthing — Footballing identity + talent production = push the ceiling.
10. Hornchurch — Up the pyramid surge; keep momentum rolling.
11. Enfield Town — Fan-owned pioneers; model club to take higher.
12. Chelmsford City — Perennial challengers; convert consistency to a title.
13. Farnborough — Tight budgets; squeeze efficiency from set-pieces & loans.
14. Hampton & Richmond — Local talent pipeline; turn Beveree into a fortress.
15. Weston-super-Mare — Smart recruitment save; go from mid-table to menace.
16. Bath City — Sleeping giant energy; bring Twerton Park some silver.
17. Chippenham Town — Margins game; win the South West derby mini-battles.
18. Chesham United — Step up consolidation; build a semi-pro to pro pathway.
19. Slough Town — Reassert identity; be the league’s best “dark arts” unit.
20. Eastbourne Borough — New era, tricky away days; maximise defensive structure.

National League

1. Carlisle United — EFL drop-off; rebuild quickly to bounce straight back.
2. Scunthorpe United — Promoted from NLN; giant in waiting for an EFL return.
3. Brackley Town — Finally in the NL; can the model scale up again?
4. Truro City — Cornwall in the fifth tier; logistics + survival masterclass.
5. Boreham Wood — Back up from NLS; stabilise, then attack play-offs.
6. Rochdale — Third straight NL season; push for automatic promotion.
7. Gateshead — Clear identity; convert pretty football into a promotion.
8. Aldershot Town — Strong fanbase; can you go from fun to functional?
9. Altrincham — Technical squad; turn mid-table into a real tilt.
10. FC Halifax Town — Defensive solidity; squeeze out one-goal wins all year.

Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland

1. The New Saints (WAL) — Annual Europe gauntlet; optimise coefficients & moneyball.
2. Barry Town United (WAL) — Push TNS domestically; target UECL qualifiers.
3. Bala Town (WAL) — Recruit smart, win playoffs, chase Europe nights.
4. Linfield (NIR) — Title battles + UCL/UEL qualifiers puzzle each summer.
5. Larne (NIR) — New-money project vs traditional giants; Europe step-up.
6. Cliftonville (NIR) — Duels with Linfield/Larne; turn near-misses into titles.
7. Crusaders (NIR) — Cup pedigree; build a league monster.
8. Queen’s Park (SCO) — Ambitious Glasgow project; accelerate toward Premiership.
9. Cove Rangers (SCO) — North-east climb; steady the structure and go again.
10. The Spartans (SCO) — Newer SPFL story; build a sustainable rise.

Spain

1. Real Oviedo — Back in LaLiga after 24 years; survive then thrive.
2. Levante — Promoted; Valencia derby spice back in the top flight.
3. Elche — Return to LaLiga; consolidate with smart loans.
4. FC Andorra — Micro-state club back in Segunda; push for top flight.
5. Deportivo La Coruña — Sleeping giant reawakened; march toward LaLiga again.

Italy

1. Como 1907 — Serie A return + richest owners; keep the fairytale alive.
2. Parma — Back in Serie A; restore the ’90s aura with shrewd rebuild.
3. Venezia — Yo-yo drama; make the lagoon club a Serie A mainstay.
4. Bari — Big crowds, big potential; engineer a top-flight return.
5. Palermo — City Group backing; turn potential into promotion.

Germany

1. Hamburg SV — Finally back in the Bundesliga; keep the dinosaur up.
2. FC St. Pauli — Second straight top-flight year; sustain identity + results.
3. Holstein Kiel — First-ever Bundesliga in 24/25; rebuild after the drop.
4. Fortuna Düsseldorf — Perennial nearly-men; make promotion stick.
5. 1. FC Kaiserslautern — Sleeping giant; route back to the top.

France

1. Red Star FC — Parisian identity; climb with modern recruitment.
2. ASSE Saint-Étienne — Massive fanbase; stabilise top-flight return ambitions.
3. FC Rouen — Cup giant-killing bounce; rebuild league momentum.
4. Angers — Rebound project; smart sales → smarter buys.
5. AJ Auxerre — Academy pipeline; engineer a sustainable top-flight stay.

Netherlands/Belgium

1. NAC Breda — Back in the Eredivisie vibe; make it permanent.
2. Excelsior — Yo-yo club; end the yo-yo.
3. Union Saint-Gilloise — Title pushes; crack Europe knockout runs.
4. Lommel SK — CFG club chasing promotion; execute a smart, youth-led build.
5. Gent — European regulars; target UEL/UECL deep run

Nordics

1. Bodø/Glimt (NOR) — Serial champs; European coefficient farming.
2. Rosenborg (NOR) — Restore a fallen superpower.
3. FC København (DEN) — Champions League blueprint; sell high, buy smarter.
4. Hammarby (SWE) — Turn Stockholm noise into titles.
5. KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) — European qualifiers puzzle; test the micro-nation meta.

Balkan/Eastern Europe

1. Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) — European shop window; sell big, stay winning.
2. Hajduk Split (CRO) — End Dinamo dominance—finally.
3. Partizan (SRB) — Wrestle the title back and make UCL groups.
4. CFR Cluj (ROU) — Continental football as standard; push the ceiling.
5. Ferencváros (HUN) — Serial champs → consistent UEL/UECL knockouts.

Extra Lower League English Teams

1. York City (ENG) — NL instability; be the boss who steadies + climbs.
2. Yeovil Town (ENG) — Back in NL; restore EFL status.
3. Eastleigh (ENG) — “always there” NL side; finally crack the play-offs.
4. Braintree Town (ENG) — Overachievers’ ethos; turn it into promotion.
5. Boreham Wood (ENG) — (Alt angle) Cup giant-killing reputation → league consistency.

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