Happy New Year, Happy New Year, may we all have our hopes, our will to try, if we don't we might as well lay down and die.

So say Abba, but there's no sense of laying down and dying this weather as we finally get to close out another calendar year of fixtures and brace ourselves for the ridiculous onslaught of January.

This week, with the last of the Christmas holiday days upon us, we're recording on release day with Ken at home, Shane in the office and Liverpool and Man City still jockeying it out for top dog spot in the Premier League.

To take us up to the end of the year, Shane's entertaining Forest, Newcastle and Wolves while Ken also gets a crack at Forest along with Fulham and Arsenal. Spolier alert from last week - the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Spurs did get played albeit only this morning.

Liverpool are being hit by injuries and contract demands, City are still being hit by positional demands and may need reinforcements in the January window with Shane already busy scouting away.

So for the first time this year, welcome to 2024, to another weekly helping of The Football Manager Football Show, and more madness from the world of Football Manager! Follow Ken, Shane and the podcast on X. Contains strong language. Email us at any stage too, it's podcast@fmfshowcom.