Then, the main menu appeared. The piano chords of the soundtrack hit. It was like hearing a song from a high school dance—instantly transporting. I clicked on my old save file: "arsenal_2022.fm."

There I was. Arsène Wenger’s ghost. My squad had a 34-year-old William Gallas, a 21-year-old Cesc Fàbregas (rated 178 PA), and a Brazilian regen named "Juninho" who I'd signed from São Paulo for £5M. He scored 47 goals last season.

Instead, I found a folder labeled simply: .

I clicked "New Game." The familiar whir of the hard drive as it loaded leagues. England. Italy. Spain. All down to League Two. The database size: Medium. No custom graphics. No real-name fixes. Pure, unpatched 2008.