Devastated

This is more a "story" but not a full dynasty type story...more just a one off.

Currently in 2020 with Wigan, my fifth club in three years (no patience..lol). Started at Barnsley in 2015 (November), moved to Roda JC in May of that season and stayed through the 2016-17 season, winning the Jupiter League. I then moved to Blackburn, leaving after four months due to their financial straights. Basically I couldn't manage them out of the financial hole and had to dump the entire team. Moved to Spain, taking over Osasuna near seasons end and got them into the playoffs down the stretch. Started the 2018-19 season before getting upset at a fan group in a press conference and quitting on the spot. (I play this off that the board didn't support me.) Took a job at Wigan in the Championship and have been here, now in my second season.

Thought I was going to get sacked the first season after taking over in December. They were pushing for promotion and it didn't happen. I was at 36% security for quite a while. This year, going much better. We are near the top of the table, winning three in a row and sitting fifth in the table.

So here in recent weeks I've really gotten drawn in with this team. Many are players I've brought in on transfer (what a strange concept to me..lol). In February, we advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup by defeating Crystal Palace 4-1. I had interviewed with CP last season when I interviewed with Wigan. Palace were higher in the table but I liked the fit with Wigan better and the boards goals. In the Fifth Round we drew Manchester City, sitting fourth in the Premier at 15-9-3. I figured, no shot, no way. Especially given that we were two short in my starting XI and missing our reserve keeper due to injuries or illness that occurred this week. We were outshot 18-8 and City had a 10% possession advantage. Still we had a strong shot at goal in the 26th minute that went off Marc Bartra for an own goal, and a 1-0 lead. We'd fight until the 58th minute when Rodrigo Pavez made our line look bad for the equalizer. We'd fight on and manage to hold on for the draw. Unfortunately one of my young kids that I signed this year on a free from FC Inter, Mikko Makinen, was injured badly, suffering a torn hamstring while getting a pass off that led to the goal/own goal. In 25 matches, Mikko scored 16 goals and recorded 7 assists. He was, by far, the best get I've had in the game (I only use scouts and don't search for players or use wunderkind files...just my preference.)

We would face City in a rematch at The City of Manchester Stadium eleven days later. I'd get back my three players, but of course down Makinen; our leading scorer. Pablo Palmisano torched my line with his pace for the first goal, in the 50th minute. I was stunned that we held them off that long. I figured here that the dam had burst. The team manned up however. Outshot 23-5 on the night, and giving City a 18% possession advantage, we stuck gold for the second time as we got an own goal with a bounce off Niklas Sule in the waning minutes of the game (84). We then held off their attacks for all of extra time and went to PKs with the mighty City. The final tally on PKs was 4-5 in favor of Manchester City, ending our run, but knowing we had played even with a top level Premier team was really sucking me in. I was literally on chair's edge during the waning minutes of extra time and the PKs.

So that was Devastation 1..coming so close in PKs with MC. We would suffer a letdown against West Ham, losing 1-3 in the next game after the PK affair. This dropped us out of the top of the table in the Championship, sending us to 10th position. The strange thing there, we got the 1 goal, for the third game in a row, on an own goal. So strange.

In the last three games we've gone 3-0-0 to get back into contention for promotion. The first game was a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday. We had a 1-0 lead and were outshot 21-10 on the night when Steve Taylor was sent off just seconds before the half whistle. Still we carried on and managed a late goal by James Milner (72) to seal the game. The second game in this run was with Nottingham Forest. I was surprised to see Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, looping one over my keepers head on a brilliant run to give NF a 0-1 lead. We'd get two back for the victory and finally manage a decent shot tally.

Then came the most recent match, with bitter rival Bolton. We had lost our last match with Bolton and they were second in the table in this game. Another young player I signed my first season with Wigan was Joao Rodriguez who came to Wigan from RB Leipzig/Chelsea for a $325k transfer fee. He had 9 goals in 30 games for Leipzig his final season. His first year he played 19 games for me, scoring 7 and winning PoM four times. In this match with Bolton, in the 22nd minute, Rodriguez (our assist leader this year at the time with 11) would tally his 12th assist when he pushed to the far edge of the 18 on the right side and cross the ball goalward towards striker Alan Wild. Wild would go up strong and finish with a nice header into the net. It was his first of three goals on the night and a rousing 3-0 victory over our hated rivals. What nobody else saw was Rodriguez get tackled by Wyatt. He would literally crash to the ground, very differently from usual tackle/falls from what I could see. He didn't move after falling. After the goal the physio's rushed the field. It turned out to be a broken leg, by far the most serious injury I've ever had a player suffer. He is out for 5-6 months. Even worse, he was currently playing the AMC spot (instead of his customary AMR spot) due to Makinen's injury.

My heart was literally in my throat when he collapsed, not knowing how bad it was until after the match. Definitely was "in the game" at that point.

So, not really a story for the "story thread". Not sure it goes here either. Just wanted to share it.

I'd say this game has you hooked

Good read.

I have been there, after such highs or lows you just want to share it with someone, the wife sure as hell isn't interested in hearing about it!

Ouch. I had a similar feeling when Russell Bishop, the first 5 star potential youth player I had in my own academy in a long, long, long time (3 versions of FM) went down on his debut and was out for 8 months. He was also the only Liverpudlian in my squad at Liverpool, so he was going to be the most important guy at the club, a talisman if you will.

He was never the same after that. Poor guy.

Hang on! C.Ronaldo at Notts Forrest in 2020?!?!?!?!?

That would be correct.