I think the story of Ted Lasso is over or better yet as written by Ted himself, this was never his story - so I see a spinoff or natural progression of the show perhaps re-titled AFC Richmond which keeps us focused on the team and area of Richmond. I would expect Ted to appear perhaps in conversation via Facetime of course but with Roy Kent now in charge of the team I do not see a way back for Ted unless he came in as an assistant coach… or perhaps managing an American team with AFC Richmond doing an American tour for friendlies, regardless Ted Lasso has probably moved onto a new page of his life.
Rebecca
Rebecca Welton will have started her new life, but I think the story for her needs to go along the lines of getting to know the kid, it is a touch awkward at first but eventually, all is good, as for her relationship with Matthijs, I think it needs to be wonderful but Rebecca concerned about being wooed and then treated like crap - as she was with Rupert will haunt her a little and perhaps cause her to do some really oddball stuff trying to catch him out
Roy, Keeley & Jamie
The trio of Roy, Keeley and Jamie hopefully remain good friends, Roy should go the obvious route of being good at the technical side of football but perhaps struggling with the emotional side… but giving it a go. Keeley I have no idea where her story goes, I think the safest bet is to keep her single and perhaps help Rebecca on her trails around the world keeping tabs on Matthijs… perhaps while doing so she discovers herself a little. I of course forgot about the AFC Richmond women’s team which she will be promoting very hard and dealing with some really dumb individuals (the obvious sexism angle)
Jamie started out cocky with a bad attitude, eventually, we learned why and by the end of Ted Lasso Jamie was going well on and off the pitch, part of me wants to see him angry - but I don’t know how to get to that point without covering old around. Perhaps a massive dip in form and inability to sleep could be a thing, this all due to an unexpected pregnancy… Jamie struggles to be a good dad while being away in the US and then away for champions league away games.
Coach Beard, Nate
Coach Beard I would not touch, Nathan, on the other hand, is easy to deal with - he needs to get his level 5 coaching qualifications aka UEFA Pro - he needs to walk in with a little chip on his shoulder (because he was a manager at West Ham United) and struggle, as in really struggle because the overseer of his qualifications is a West Ham fan and very angry about how he left them (or something dumb like that)
Higgins
It would be nice to see Higgins getting a slightly larger role, I see him being the one to deal with the other investors… in other words, having endless meetings and hearing endless complaints about everything from the starting lineup to how the seats are too plastic.
Trent
Trent’s story seems the easiest to go forward with, his book was a huge success, he has a deal for a new book due in X amount of time … and he is struggling in part because the season has been a bit of a yoyo for Richmond, Trent seems too well together to introduce a coping mechanism too - like drinking but I think the frustration of just not getting anywhere would be enough
Dani
Dani Rojas needs to be doing very well, to the point that Zava shows up and lets Dani know he is a fan of his and that football is indeed life (and then tries to sell him on Zavacados) Dani is flattered and tries to stay calm and just do his thing but rumours circle that his dream of playing for Real or Barca could be happening (scouts show up in ongoing games, press reports make suggestions etc)
Sam
Sam, I would recreate some degree of the Luis Suarez / Patrice Evra racism claims with Sam being booed by some fans but adored by others, either way, he puts his head down and continues to play his heart out and … turns out Real/Barca wanted him all along.
Colin
Colin will no doubt become an icon to the LGBT community… something he is uncomfortable with, constantly reminding people he just wants to play football. Eventually, something will break his heart, perhaps seeing a young kid playing with his friends and they call him some horrible names (the usual slanders for gay) simply because the kid isn’t as good as the others… this tips Colin into his past and the struggles of hearing those words, perhaps even using them himself…
Edwin Akufo has to show up at some stage, perhaps the moment the transfer offer comes in for Sam - Sam offering a smile and his usual humble responses
Jan & Moe
Jan Maas and Moe Bumbercatch could perhaps get into a bit of disagreement stemming from a tackle by one of them on the other doing the first of two euro qualifiers (for their countries) - on the pitch, both were sent off and now they have to find some common ground back at there club - with both knowing another gaming is upcoming … think the Rooney sending off against Portugal and the infamous Ronaldo wink .. something along those lines
The Women’s team
I would also introduce the women’s team and point out the alt-sharing of the facilities until new ones are built so … the men’s team and women’s will share lockers, training pitch etc and the friction that causes with man hair, weird women’s products and various other easy comical moments from those interactions (a bit like in Brooklyn nine-nine when two precincts had to share the one office)
and of course, a no inter-team nookie rule coming down from management … just to throw things off … and of course, Will needs to walk into every awkward moment as possibly can be had…
Isaac
I did initially leave out Isaac as I was not sure he needed much of a solo story, he’s the captain of the team and I would persist on that road - but then I thought what if we introduced a Harry Maguire or better yet Phil Jones scenario into his current season.
Phil Jones tried extremely hard to get back to fitness, even turned down a testimonial because he figured nobody but his parents would show up.. in the end, he was paid lots of money and rarely played… his body just would not cooperate with him anymore and sadly he ended up retiring.
So my setup for Isaac goes along the lines of he signs a new 4-5 year deal for a decent amount of money - other parties were circling and the club wanted to tie down its captain. The next game he had a cracker, the man of the match performance maybe even slot home a penalty.
The next game some horror tackle comes in, breaking his ankle and that’s an easy 8 weeks on the sidelines + rehabilitation and fitness training but no matter what he struggles on the pitch… chickens out of tackles he would have normally dived into for fear he might break something again - this gives us a fun way to bring Dr Sharon Fieldstone back into the mix
That’s all!
That’s all I can just about think up for what I would do with AFC Richmond going forward, I’m sure better ideas can be had, I’m not a writer just someone that really enjoyed the show and had some thoughts.