FM26 The Stupid 4-2-4 AWB Full Pressure (Patreon)

Swansea Wonderkids Challenge | Season 1

The first season of the new Swansea wonderkids project is complete.

The Championship title is the obvious result, but it is not the main point of this save.

This squad was built with 24 young players for €145.6M, using a maximum budget of €150M. That is a completely different starting level compared to the previous €10M challenge.

Those players earned promotion too, but many of them were clearly not ready for the Premier League. This group should be different.

They are still not superstar signings. Several are affordable wonderkids who could realistically be used in normal saves, but most already have the potential to become Premier League players.

Now we can start asking the real question:

How different will this run be once we reach the Premier League?

Season Results

🏆 Championship Champions

📈 123 points

✅ 39 wins

🤝 6 draws

❌ 1 defeat

⚽ 146 goals scored

🧱 52 goals conceded

💥 +94 goal difference

Swansea finished 29 points ahead of Norwich and scored more than three goals per league match.

This Is Not a Tactic Benchmark

This season is not being presented as proof that the tactic is unbeatable.

The squad was clearly stronger than the average Championship team, and we have already produced enough unusual achievements with different systems.

The purpose of this project is different.

I want to track:

how these players develop

who becomes a genuine star

which players can handle the Premier League

which signings offer real value for normal saves

how their output changes across different tactical systems

whether the squad can continue without further transfers

The Stupid 4-2-4 AWB Full Pressure was the system used for this first season, but the project is primarily about the players.

Tactical Structure

The system used:

two central forwards

two wide attackers

two central midfielders

two aggressive wing-backs

two ball-playing centre-backs

a high-pressure out-of-possession structure

The objective was simple: attack with numbers, maintain pressure and create a constant supply of chances for the front four.

The results reflect that approach.

Team Output

22.5 shots per match

2.8 non-penalty xG per 90

131.83 league xG

47.92 xGA

102.46 expected points

18 clean sheets

85.3% passing completion

Swansea scored 146 goals from 131.83 xG, an overperformance of approximately 14 goals.

The team also finished with 123 points from 102.46 xPTS, so the final league total was significantly higher than the underlying expected-points model.

That context matters. The season was dominant, but the raw points total was also helped by strong finishing and consistent results in close situations.

The Main Attacking Performers

Ilyas Ansah

47 appearances

42 goals

12 assists

7.74 average rating

Ansah was the main scorer and the highest-rated player in the squad.

His movement and output made him the most productive player during the first season.

Dor Turgeman

50 appearances

36 goals

11 assists

7.47 average rating

Turgeman provided another major source of goals from the second striker position.

Together, Ansah and Turgeman produced 78 goals.

Mohamed Ali Zoma

43 appearances

12 goals

11 assists

7.09 average rating

A useful contribution from the left side, with balanced goal and assist production.

Cole Campbell Is Still the Must-Buy

Cole Campbell was retained from the previous project because his performances had always been stronger than his starting ability suggested.

The new squad was built with much more money and included players with better starting quality.

Campbell still performed.

44 appearances

14 goals

25 assists

7.37 average rating

He finished the season with 39 direct goal contributions.

At this stage, he is the clearest early recommendation from the project.

There are players with stronger profiles and potentially higher ceilings, but Campbell continues to produce in every environment.

Cole Campbell is a must-buy.

Production From the Wing-Backs

The aggressive wing-backs were also important to the system.

Zachary Athekame

38 appearances

3 goals

17 assists

7.38 average rating

Lukas Ullrich

40 appearances

6 goals

17 assists

7.32 average rating

The two wide defenders combined for:

9 goals

34 assists

That output explains a major part of the tactic’s chance creation. The front four occupied the defensive line, while the wing-backs consistently provided additional width and deliveries from deeper positions.

Early Player Evaluation

It is still too early to decide who the real stars of the save will become.

One strong Championship season does not guarantee that the same players will perform in the Premier League.

Some already look ready for the next level. Others may have benefited from the quality gap between Swansea and the rest of the division.

That is exactly what the next season will reveal.

The important difference from the €10M challenge is that this time we can realistically imagine more than simple survival.

We can start thinking about whether this group can immediately become competitive.

What Happens Next?

The squad will now move into the Premier League without another complete rebuild.

The objective is to keep developing the original group rather than replacing everyone as soon as promotion is achieved.

New players should ideally come from:

the Under-18 academy

the Under-21 team

future youth intakes

The transfer market will only become necessary if the squad reaches a point where progression is no longer realistic.

Season 2 will give us the first serious answer.

Was this only a dominant Championship squad, or have we already built a group capable of competing in the Premier League?

Download Package

The release includes:

The Stupid 4-2-4 AWB Full Pressure tactic

Swansea Season 1 game save

Season screenshots and statistics

Squad and player-performance overview

Team Instructions and Player Instructions video for console players