Sharpening a Rusty Blade - Book II

The morning fog hung low over the city of Sheffield. Beautiful down town Bramall Lane stood silent, wistfully dreaming of better days and capacity crowds.

If the oldest football venue in the world had had a mind, it would have been wistful and regretful: the Blades, who had appeared on the verge of promotion to the Premiership just two years earlier, were now scrabbling for a playoff berth in League One.

Attendances - which had risen steadily when the Premiership looked imminent - were quickly dropping, and the club had been forced to take a sizeable loan from its chairman.

The stadium couldn't know that.

All it could do was dream.

The morning fog hung low over the city of Sheffield. Beautiful down town Bramall Lane stood silent, wistfully dreaming of better days and capacity crowds.

If the oldest football venue in the world had had a mind, it would have been wistful and regretful: the Blades, who had appeared on the verge of promotion to the Premiership just two years earlier, were now scrabbling for a playoff berth in League One.

Attendances - which had risen steadily when the Premiership looked imminent - were quickly dropping, and the club had been forced to take a sizeable loan from its chairman.

The stadium couldn't know that.

All it could do was dream.

This is Book 2 of Sharpening a Rusty Blade. If you'd rather start at the beginning of the tale without spoilers, you might want to try Sharpening a Rusty Blade - Book 1.

If you just want to jump straight in, welcome aboard! The early posts of this thread should fill in the back-story well enough.

.

Table of Comments

Book I:

Chapter 1: July 2004 (Page 1)

Chapter 2: January 2005 (Page 5)

Chapter 3: June 2005 (Page 9)

Interlude: World Cup 2006 (Page 16)

Chapter 4: June 2006 (Page 17)

Book II:

Chapter 5: April 2007 (Page 1)

Chapter 6: June 2007 (Page 3)

Chapter 7: July 2008 (Page 16)

Monday, 23rd April, 2007, morning.

I arrived at Bramall Lane not knowing entirely what to expect. I'd been so focused on the League Two title chase that I had a lot to learn about Sheffield United Football Club.

The chairman is Derek Dooley, an elderly gentleman with a cane and a prosthetic leg. When he speaks, its entirely about the club and its future - it was only from a fan's website that I gleaned a bit about him. He's spent over 50 years in service to sport in Sheffield City, and has the odd distinction of being well loved both at Sheffield United and their bitter rivals, Sheffield Wednesday.

He made his debut as a player at Sheffield Wednesday in March of 1950, scoring 63 goals in 59 games over the next five years before breaking his leg during a match. Infection set in, and the leg had to be amputated to save his life, cutting short a brilliant career. He went on to become Wednesday's manager from 1973 through 1975, and for a number of years has been serving as Chairman and commercial manager of Sheffield United.

Terry Robinson is the General Manager, another older man. He has had a long career as a football executive, notably spending two decades as chairman and chief executive at Bury. He resigned his post there in January of 2002, and was named Football Executive at Sheffield United less than a week later, on February 5th. He's a genial fellow, talkative and outgoing.

I had a long meeting with them on Monday morning, in which they outlined the club's structure. Mister Dooley assured me that I can rely on the full backing of the club's board. They are both quite pleased with the team's performance within League One this season, as they had expected to achieve a respectable mid-table position, and so to be battling for promotion at the end of the year is exceeding their initial projections. The fans, they warn me, expected the team to challenge for the title and have been bitterly disappointed. They divide the labor fairly equally, with Dooley responsible for the club's finances, and reporting to the board of the public company. Robinson is more involved in the day-to-day operations of the club, but put to rest any concerns I'd had about control by stating that I would be in 'full control' of transfers and contract negotiations.

Then Mr. Robinson gave me the short tale of the history of the club. They are a legendary club, with a long history and a number of historic firsts. Founded on the 22nd of March, 1889, Sheffield United joined the Football League Second Division in May of 1892. The Blades placed second that year, making them the first club in the world to be promoted. They were truly a power around the turn of the century, winning the First Division in 1898, and triumphing in the FA Cup in 1899 and 1902. They remained a part of the top flight through 1934, winning the FA Cup twice more in 1915 and 1925, and taking part in the first British radio commentary of a football match, versus Arsenal at Highbury in 1927.

From 1934 through 1978 they bounced back and forth between the First Division and the Second Division, earning the Division Two title in 1953. The 1978/79 season was an awful one, and over the next three years the side fell all the way down to Division Three, but with a new chairman, manager Ian Porterfield started the club's revival. He earned two promotions, and then Dave Bassett earned promotion back to the First Division in 1990, finishing 9th in 1991/92. The Premier League was formed the following year, and not only were United founding members, they scored the first goal when Brian Deane netted after five minutes against Manchester United.

The Blades were relegated after the 93/94 season, and despite eight top-ten finishes in Division One over the next eleven years, couldn't quite earn their way back up to the top flight. Neil Warnock took over in December of 1999, with the club deep in debt, but three seasons of mid-table finishes helped clear much of the debt, and in 2003/03 they reached the Division One playoff final. Two more respectable finishes followed in the newly named Championship, the club always seeming on the verge of promotion but unable to pull it off.

Last season, under the management of first Warnock and then former Wolverhampton manager John Gregory, the Blades just couldn't seem to buy a win, notching an incredible 19 draws from 46 games. They finished the season in 22nd place despite a goal differential of just minus-two, and were relegated to League One.

This season had started dismally, but the purchase of two central defenders in November had helped turn things around, and the club had gone on a promising run, including a trip to the LDV Vans Trophy final and a 1-0 win at bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday in mid-March. Since that game, however, the side hadn't won, losing four of six in a run that saw Gregory fired after a 0-3 drubbing by Colchester.

"We decided to look for a bright young talent," Robinson finished, "And your application suited what we're looking for only too well. Your successes at Lancaster caught Derek's eye, and your incredible F.A. Cup run with York marked you as one to watch."

Monday, 23rd April, 2007, afternoon.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Blades Name New Manager

Derek Dooley, as expected, named 33-year-old Ian Richards as the new manager of Sheffield United at a press conference yesterday morning.

Richards left York City after three seasons in charge, in which he secured successive promotions from the Conference to League One and has the Minstermen poised within a single result of clinching the League Two title.

The American first earned a reputation with his sterling Cup runs, and won the Conference Mananger of the Year last season. He has also carved out a name for himself as a promotion wizard with an eye for spotting and developing young talent. Those skills are exactly what the doctor ordered for the Blades.

The Bramall Lane side, in the middle of a thick fight for the four playoff berths with just two games to go, clawed their way to fifth place under the interim management of assistant manager Stuart McCall with Saturday's 2-1 victory over Oxford United, who had previously occupied that place.

"I want to thank everyone associated with York City," Richards said, "Its been a magical three years, and I hope my departure won't disrupt our rhythm: you all have a big match next weekend!

"Seriously, fans, supporters, and especially Mister Beck and the McGills, you have all treated me so wonderfully; I couldn't have asked for a better home. I hope we've built a foundation my successors can build on, ensuring York City Football Club's rightful place in the League for years to come.

"I'd have liked to see out the season before making a move, but I suspect the Blades need me more than the Minstermen do."

The reaction from York, however, has been mixed, with some vocal fans accusing their manager of "selling out", while other lament the end of an era, with Richards leaving and talismanic midfielder Tappa Whitmore retiring to take up a coaching position in Jamaica. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tuesday, 24th April, 2007.

I've had a bit more opportunity to evaluate the club. Most of my time has been spent watching the players on the training pitch, but I've also been studying the books and trying to map out what my next steps are.

After leaving the morning press conference yesterday, and settling into my office, I gathered my new staff for a quick meeting and a round of introductions.

My Assistant Manager is Stuart McCall, a 42-year-old former Scottish international with 40 caps and one international goal. He seems very talented across the board, determined, and I'm impressed with his adaptability. He and I got along quite well in the interview process, and he's under contract through 2010. Though I'd thought of inviting Viv along, after spending a bit more time with Stuart, I expect to keep him on through the duration of his contract.

Mick Jones, at 60, is one of the oldest coaches I've worked with. Stuart assures me that Mick is an excellent coach of young players, but his contract is expiring at the end of next season. I think I'm likely to ask him to renew it, as its rare to find one so gifted with youngsters.

Scott Sellars, aged 41, is the other coach. I think I'm going to need to bring in more coaches, as even at York I'd had four. Sellars hasn't impressed me so far. I don't think the players respect him, and I've got a better tactical understanding of the game than he does. I think I'll want to replace him.

Tom Mitchell, age 45, is the head physio, and he seems excellent, very knowledgeable in the brief conversation I've had with him so far. He's one of those guys that its easy to trust right off the bat.

His assistant is an older man, Dennis Pettitt, whose quick smile and chuckle remind me a bit of my grandpa. He likewise knows his subject, and both physios are under contract through 2009.

The scouts, I am unsure about. I definitely miss Spencer Field and Dave Colley, who have been so fantastic for me in the past. In fact, Wayne Broughton and Kevin Randall inspire so little confidence, I may find myself replacing them directly.

In the short term, the club lie fifth in the League One, where the top two teams promote automatically, and third through sixth earn a playoff spot. Its mathematically possible that we could earn promotion direct, but odds are we'll find ourselves in the playoffs.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Team Pts W D L GD

C 1 Leeds United 89 27 8 9 +27

Pl 2 Crewe Alexandre 76 21 13 10 +21

-----------------------------------------------

3 Barnsley 73 21 10 13 +14

4 Sheffield Wednesday 73 21 10 13 + 7

5 SHEFFIELD UNITED 70 19 13 12 +12

6 Oxford United 68 19 11 14 + 8

-----------------------------------------------

7 Stockport County 68 19 11 14 + 3

8 Blackpool 67 20 7 17 +11</pre>

In the long-term, there's no reason why this club couldn't earn its way back up to the Premier League. Bramall Lane is a fantastic facility, a 30,900 all-seater with under-soil heating. The training ground are top facilities, and there is a youth academy across the street.

The financial status is also very strong: the club have a positive balance of £11.0M, of which £4.2M is being made available to me for summer transfers. There is a £6.75M debt owed to the Chairman, which the club are repaying at the rate of £90,000/month. This month they've turned a profit of £0.2M, and are up £4.8M for the season, of which only £2.0M came from a positive player-sale balance. The total wage budget is £6.5M per annum, of which the current spending is only £3.0M p/a. Reviewing the books, I noticed that I had commanded a transfer fee of £220,000!

Wednesday, 25th April, 2007, morning.

I got a rude welcome to Sheffield, which I'd heard was a hard-knock city, in today's morning paper, which I found sitting upon my new desk when I arrived for work.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Dooley's Folly?

Sheffield United on Monday revealed their new manager, Ian Richards, whom they signed away from York City after three seasons in charge.

The team's press releases prematurely annoint chairman Derek Dooley as a genius for discovering the untried American, but Blades supporters have serious doubts about the 33-year-old.

The American has only been a football managemer for three years, and though he has been widely touted as the 'next great thing' in English management after guiding the Minstermen to successive promotions the last two years, he's hardly the next José Mourinho. The only silver in his trophy cabinet is a solitary Nationwide Conference title.

The first question is, is will his players respect him? While the young players at York may have had an instant respect for him as the gaffer, at Bramall Lane a number of his players are his age or older. Richards never played professionally, and took his university degree in Computer Science; the veterans on his lineup must surely have as much or more football knowledge as their new boss.

Will they find that he is qualified?

A Star investigative reporter has discovered that Richards has not yet achieved any of the UEFA coaching badges, which prompted us to ask the F.A. how he had been managing a club, any club, at all.

The answer, that his American coaching certifications qualified him for Conference management, is hardly satisfactory, though it is hard to argue with his track record. Still, he will be required to qualify for his UEFA "B" license this summer, and his UEFA "A" license by the end of the next season, hardly a vote of confidence.

The final question is how he'll handle the pressure: the 30,000-seat Bramall Lane is a far cry from the cozy confines of Bootham Crescent, and the new manager will find himself under far more media scrutiny than he has been used to. When things go poorly, the Sheffield supporters will surely let him know, and that, more than management acumen, is what unmanned predecessor John Gregory.

For supporters of the Blades, who had expected the side to promote to the Premiership last year, the fact that they couldn't even challenge for the title in League One, and lost in the F.A. Trophy final to a League Two side has been extremely disheartening. To rub salt in the wound, United find themselves trailing both Yorkshire rivals Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday in the league table.

Anything less than promotion via the playoffs will make the season an abject failure, and though all the blame cannot be laid at the feet of the new manager, its clear that he has his work cut out for him if he plans to sharpen the rusty Blades. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Harsh words!

I glanced to the byline: Rupert Wormwood, whom I'd not heard of before.

Still following this.. look forward to see how you do.

KUTGW.

One of the best stories in here imo

Absolutely loving it KUTGW!

Great start to the new book

Mazing jus been on holiday an this looking better than ever !

KUTGW

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by aaberdeenn:

The best story in here.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fixed.

The perfect start to a new week at work. Give us more! :-)

Congrats on your new job...

Wow, lads, I'm .. tempted to cheapen the moment with a joke .. but I'm honestly touched by the outpouring of support. Thank you, thank you, thank you - I've said it before, but its you folks that keep me both writing, and enjoying writing.

I hope to keep the story both real and enjoyable for you!

For those of you just joining the story, I've written quite a ways out in front of the story, and try to post about a match a day; I've been writing in an "every game matters" style which is quite different from the norm - more time-consuming to read, so I hope you'll find it worth it! (But be warned - trying to print it may run you out of printer paper!)

Now, let's get to our first match..

Wednesday, 25th April, 2007, afternoon.

Its been two days of hard work, but I've completed my evaluations of the players, at least as far as one can without seeing them in actual game conditions - and thanks to the tapes of their recent games, I've had the chance to see some of those as well.

Here is the current squad:

Goalkeepers:

GK Allan McGregor, 25, Scotland, 6 U-21 caps:

37 games, 36 conceded, 13 clean sheets, 4 MoM, 7.16:

Bought from rivals Sheffield Wednesday in October for £1.3M, this goalkeeper was capped at the Scotland U-21 level. He is determined and brave, with good agility and reflexes, and solid throughout though unspectacular. He doesn't feel like a weakness, though I doubt he's quite as good as Alan Blayney was for me at York. If he's got an area of his game to work on, its his anticipation and command of the area. Stuart McCall is worried about the average displays he's been putting on this season, but at less than one goal per game I'm content at the League One level, though I might want a stronger goalkeeper for the Championship.

GK Phil Barnes, 28, England, uncapped:

20 games, 20 conceded, 7 clean sheets, 1 MoM, 6.85:

Acquired on a free transfer in 2004 to be a backup, Barnes entered this season as the starting goalkeeper. Though he is agile and has good reflexes, there are a number of areas of his game which are lacking, from his decision making to his poor communication and teamwork and his weak punts. As a second keeper, he may be reasonable, but it would terrify me to consider starting him through a season, and he's the only option behind McGregor. Stuart McCall concurs, and recommends letting Barnes go to a lower-division club.

Centre backs:

D C Chris Morgan, 29, England, uncapped:

46 games, 0 goals, 2 MoM, 6.63:

One of the highest-salaried players on the club, Morgan is an exceptionally hard worker, who shows great bravery, determination, and team work, as well as being a fearsome tackler known for his aggressive play. He looks utterly lost in posession of the ball - seriously, I think I'm better with the ball at feet, and one of his long shots crossed the sideline before the end line - but he's been a stalwart in defense. He's got a pulled groin, and on Tom Mitchell's recommendation, I've sent him off for rehabilitation which will officially end his season.

D C Steve Foster, 26, England, uncapped:

35 games, 2 goals, 2 assists, 3 MoM, 7.00:

Acquired from Crewe Alexandra for just under £1M this November, Foster has been in the starting lineup ever since. He's much better balanced than Morgan is, and though he lacks any of the exceptional strengths that the other defender does, his game also seems to lack significant areas for improvement. He's strong in the air, and has good tackling and marking combined with a fine physique and a good understanding of the game, which makes him a solid starter in my mind.

D C Hayden Foxe, 29, Australia, 20 caps, 2 goals:

28 games, 3 goals, 4 assists, 3 MoM, 7.04:

Also acquired from Crewe Alexandra this November, Foxe provides a solid third player for the back four, and I'm tempted to check in on Crewe and see who they have left at the back! The Australian international has an excellent physique and good mental abilities, keeping his composure in many situations. He's quite good on free kicks, and has scored nine goals in the past two seasons, many from dead ball situations.

D C Kyle McFadzean, 20, England, uncapped:

42 games, 0 goals, 1 MoM, 6.43:

A young player who has seen plenty of starts for Sheffield over the past three seasons, McFadzean is one of Stuart's favorites. My new assistant thinks he could go on to achieve great things. At the moment, I can't quite see it: he's got exceptional positioning for one so young, but he doesn't excel in any other areas. He's good in the air, but his technique is fairly weak, and he loses his composure too easily. I certainly won't be expecting him to start, as he has been doing.

D C John Collins, 18, England, uncapped:

1 game, 0 goals, 7.00, plus 40 games at 6.15 in the Reserves:

Once considered a promising youth player due to his incredible determination and very good agility, Collins really hasn't been developing, according to Stuart. There isn't much to his game, and he's struggling to understand the game and keep up with it at speed, a problem exacerbated by his lack of fitness. His contract is expiring, and I'll be glad to see him go.

D C Paul Morgan, 19, England, uncapped:

0 games, plus 28 games at 6.21 in the Reserves: This has to be one of the worst players I've seen in my professional tenure. He is unable to execute even rudimentary technique, and after watching him struggling with anything from tackling to heading to making a throw-in, I was apalled. If he has any redeeming value, its that he concentrates and sincerely tries hard, but I just can't justify keeping him on the squad. He was transfer listed before I got here, and I'll make every effort to move him this summer.

Left backs:

There is no clear starting left back, which has me considering bringing Joe Keenan along from York City.

D/AM RLC Darren Wrack, 30, England, uncapped:

55 games, 4 goals, 3 assists, 2 MoM, 6.76:

A former Walsall player in his third year with the club, Wrack has a fantastic level of physical fitness which, combined with his versatile ability to fill six positions, has seen him start 54 games this year alone. He's an incredibly hard worker whose style of play seems to be to run, run some more, and then keep running once his opponents are exhausted. He's not particularly fast, and some of his defensive attribues, particularly his marking and positional skills, are truly abysmal, and his concentration is inferior. He's under contract through 2008, and I'm sure he'll be a contributor next season due to his versatility even if I manage to prise Joe Keenan away from York to take over at left back.

D/DM RL Kevin Simpson, 18, England, uncapped:

16 games, 0 goals, 6.25, plus 30 games at 6.43 in the Reserves:

A recent graduate of the club's youth academy, Simpson has the physical attributes which I'd like in a player at this level, but is abysmal in both the mental and the technical sides of the game. His concentration wavers, his decisions are poor, his passes go awry, and his first touch frequently goes to the opposition. He would need to make major strides to contribute at the Championship level, and at the moment I don't think he's even ready for competitive non-league football. Stuart thinks he's showing promise, but I would rather abandon him and find somebody who is a little closer to reaching the big show. The fact that he's started 16 games this year just goes to show how thin this club is at the fullback positions.

Right backs:

D/DM RC Eric Deloumeaux, 33, France, uncapped:

51 games, 2 goals, 4 assists, 4 MoM, 7.14:

Acquired as a free transfer at the start of this season, the Frenchman is under contract until the conclusion of next year. He's consistent and strong, displaying fine stamina which has carried him through fifty games this season. A veteran leader with excellent composure, he seems a natural choice for captain. His reading of the game is good, and if he's losing a step and not as perfect a marker as he used to be, those seem acceptable prices to pay for his other qualities. He's under contract through 2008, which seems about right to me, as I doubt he'll be much use past the age of 34.

D R Rory Beanes, 21, England, uncapped:

19 games, 0 goals, 6.26:

A product of the Sheffield youth system, Beanes has been coming in off the bench this season, but really doesn't seem to be cutting it at this level. He is a hard worker with excellent concentration, good tackling, and good marking, but the rest of his play leaves much to be desired. He is too slow for my tastes out wide, and doesn't have the physique to make a shift to central defense. He's a likely candidate for the transfer list in my mind, despite Stuart's opinion that he's showing signs of developing into a quality player.

D RC Dominic Roma, 21, England, uncapped:

5 games, 1 goal, 6.60, plus 30 games at 6.84 in the Reserves:

Another product of the club's youth system, Roma is below the standard of quality I expected from players at York City. He makes good decisions, and he's determined, but his plack of pace and utter deficit of technical ability leave me convinced that he's a Conference player at best. In one particularly painful incident, he tripped over the ball while dribbling, and got up storming mad, completely losing his composure. He's definitely not a player that I will need or keep despite McCall's faith that he has potential.

Central midfielders:

DM C Paul Thirlwell, 28, England, 1 U-21 cap, 0 goals:

48 games, 5 goals, 15 assists, 3 MoM, 6.96:

For the past three years, Paul Thirlwell has been a key member of the United side from a central midfield role. His keen passes have accounted for a team-leading 15 assists this year, and he's a hard worker who is willing to range from sideline to sideline on defense. If there's anything I would want from him, its better decision making, and my ideal defensive midfielder would be a long-range-shot expert, but for now Thirwell is certainly fine in this role.

F C Jack Lester, 31, England, uncapped:

42 games, 8 goals, 1 assist, 6.83:

A wily veteran who has scored 41 goals in the past four seasons with United, Lester is the only attacking midfielder on the squad. He's got some pace and physical ability, but for the most part he makes his offense through guile, clever off-the-ball runs, and good teamwork. He doesn't have the creativity or the long shooting that I would most like to see from a starter in this position, but he'll be an admirable fill-in through next season, when his contract expires.

M C Ian Ross, 21, England, uncapped:

3 games, 0 goals, 6.00, plus 25 games, 2 goals, 4 assists on loan to Conference:

This ambitious midfielder has spent the better part of the past five years going out on loan, and now feels that he is too good to be loaned out. Looking at him, I think he's quite reasonable, with few liabilities in his game either technically or mentally. However, physically, he is weak and seems to have no stamina or fitness. I'm not sure if he just hasn't been applying himself at the gym, or whether his loan coaches have focused on other aspects of his game, but he would need serious work with a trainer to get even remotely in shape. I don't think its worth the trouble, for a player that doesn't play the positions I prefer, so I think I'll put him up for transfer.

M C Paul Cooke, 18, England, uncapped:

3 games, 0 goals, 6.33, plus 37 games at 6.43 in the Reserves.

Another youth academy product who hasn't panned out, Cooke is close to reasonable. Physically, he could get the job done, and in a number of places he falls just shy of the mark. However, in the key areas of tackling, marking, passing, creativity, and decision-making, he comes up well short. That, combined with Stuart's report that he hasn't been improving, and his choice of position, have me thinking he's straight for the transfer-wire.

M C Stuart Cross, 17, England, uncapped:

2 games, 0 goals, 6.00, plus 36 games at 6.28 in the U-18s.

I feel like I'm writing this a lot, but he's another player from the United youth system who just isn't ever going to be good enough. He's got the physical aspect down, and he's got good teamwork, but in the main he lacks the determination and ambition required to turn sheer physical ability into talent on the pitch. His technical skills are atrocious, rivalled only by his poor decision making, utter lack of creativity, and poor positional play. His contract is expiring, but I'll see if anybody might want to purchase him.

M C Mark Murray, 17, England, uncapped:

0 games, plus 40 games at 5.97 in the Reserves: This product of the youth academy appears physically mature and able of competing on this level, but there are so many fundamental flaws in his game that it really won't be worth investing time in him. He's on a par with Paul Morgan for the title of 'worst I've ever seen', from pathetic tackling to poor passing to slow decision-making and a lack of composure. He doesn't seem to know where to go on the pitch, whether his team has the ball or not, and I'll be glad to be rid of him.

There is only one attacking midfielder - and two decent central midfielders, period - which means this is an area I'll need to dramatically strengthen over the summer if I'm going to move to the 4-5-1 formation which I ran at York. That formation requires two strong attacking midfielders, and four or five total to account for rotation and injuries.

Left wing:

AM LC Alan Quinn, 27, Ireland, 6 caps, 0 goals:

52 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, 3 MoM, 6.60:

For the past three years, this former Wednesday man has started almost every game, sometimes central and sometimes on the wing. With seven goals and eleven assists, he's been a key member of the United attack, and one practice session was enough to convince me of his quality. He looks like exactly the quality of player I would want for the Championship, solid in many aspects, determined, hard working, with pace, good teamwork, and a solid game that has no holes to speak of. Unfortunately, his contract was expiring this summer, and he's already agreed to join Swansea City on a Bosman. That's going to leave me with a real hole on the left side, as the next-best wing is unable to match him in any respect.

AM L Jonathan Forte, 20, England, uncapped:

25 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 6.32:

This result of the youth system offers more than all of the others combined. He's quite fast, with good off the ball runs that make up for his relatively mediocre play in other respects. He'll never contribute much defensively, but with a bit of work on his crossing and dribbling, he could make a solid attacking winger. Stuart thinks that with hard work and a bit of luck, Forte could become a very good player for the club.

Right wing:

AM R Chris Sedgwick, 26, England, uncapped:

41 games, 6 goals, 4 assists, 1 MoM, 6.59:

A tremendous player physically, Sedwick was acquired from Rotherham last season for £1M. He's got the key attributes I look for from a winger, the pace, the crossing ability, a bit of dribbling. If he were able to win a header at all, I think he might be looking for a place in the Premiership, but perhaps his creativity and decision-making aren't up to snuff either. Still, at this level he should be a tremendous asset on the right wing, freeing me to worry about other positions for now.

AM/F RC Andy Liddell, 33, Scotland, 12 U-21 caps, 1 U-21 goal:

0 games, 20 games, 2 goals, 1 assist, 6.58 on two loans to Conference National: Currently on loan with Harrogate Town in the Conference National, and with his contract expiring, I doubt I'll ever see the aging Liddell play. The coaches don't think he's Championship quality, and he's unlikely to want to renew given that he hasn't played for the United senior side since last February.

M RC Stephen Pearson, 16, England, uncapped:

0 games, plus 39 games at 5.72 in the U-18s:

Another youth programme player, Pearson looks similar to the others, with reasonable physical skills but seemingly lacking the foundation. I'll give him the time until he turns seventeen, but I can't seem him making the tremendous strides he would have to make both technically and physically before he could be considered a contributor beyond the U-18 level.

Strikers:

S C Peter Weatherson, 26, England, uncapped:

23 games, 8 goals, 1 assists, 7.17:

Led Grimsby Town with 20 goals during their promotion campaign from League Two in the 2005/06 season, including that memorable four-goal performance against Torquay United. He added 7 more goals and 7 assists in the first part of this season before being bought by Sheffield United for £1.4M. That's a bit over what he is probably really worth, but he's the best striker on the squad with pace, strong finishing, and excellent jumping. He has no particular weaknesses, though his concentration can waver in some games and he hasn't quite settled into form since the mid-season transfer. He wears the number 9 jersey for the club, and Stuart says they're hoping he'll really come into his own next season.

S C Billy Sharp, 21, England, uncapped:

28 games, 10 goals, 2 assists, 3 MoM, 7.04:

In his fifth season with the club, this is the first year Sharp has really been given the opportunity to start, and he's responded by finding the net ten times in only 20 starts, leading the squad. I don't think he's quite Weatherson's quality - he doesn't have any hope of reaching the Premier League, as he lacks any truly standout attributes - but he has quality finishing, and a supporting game which is good enough to see him free of trouble. He's on an incredibly cheap salary for the club's leading scorer, earning a mere £7,000 per annum, which is about a fifth of what my starters were earning at York, and less than a tenth what some of his contemporaries are earning. Stuart thinks he's showing signs of developing into a quality player, and I suspect a new contract will be in order shortly.

S C Dene Cropper, 24, England, uncapped:

17 games, 6 goals, 0 assists, 6.71:

Dene Cropper was one of the most dangerous scoring threats in the Conference North when I played there, knocking in 19 goals two seasons in a row for Worksop Town. Early this season, desperate for strikers, United acquired him for £85,000. His current salary is more than ten times that of Sharp, and he's nowhere near the player the younger man is. As a target man, he does have an incredible talent for reaching an aerial ball and playing a flick-on header, but with the ball at feet he is almost useless. I'm certainly going to have to transfer him, and hope that I can find somebody who is willing to take him so that I don't have to eat that ridiculous salary.

S C Marcus Stewart, 34, England, uncapped:

4 games, 1 goal, 6.50, plus 28 games at 6.82 in the Reserves:

An aging veteran who is drawing a quarter of a million pounds in salary, which will expire shortly, Stewart is a definite albatross, signed in a moment of weakness last season, apparently in memory of his 16-goal season with Sunderland during the 2003/04 campaign more than a realistic assessment of his chances with Sheffield United. After struggling to find playing time last year, he's spent this year almost exclusively in the Reserves. He seems to be counting the days to his retirement, and honestly, however good he may once have been, at this point he seems slow and uninterested in the game.

S C Chris Coupe, 20, England, uncapped:

15 games, 2 goals, 1 assist, 6.67:

The only other youth product who is beginning to make good, Coupe has come off the bench 12 times this season, eight of those in Cup matches. He doesn't thrill, lacking any truly outstanding ability, but given time he can find the net. His fitness is a worry, and his lack of determination concerns me, but according to Stuart, he is showing signs of developing into a quality player.

S C Andrew Roberts, 18, England, uncapped:

3 games, 1 goal, 6.33, plus 41 games, 16 goals, 8 MoM, 7.02 in the Reserves:

Its hard to explain to a young player how he can score 16 goals, and earn Man of the Match 8 times, while playing constantly in the Reserves and still be released at the end of the season. In Roberts's case, though he is determined and physically adept, like so many of the products of the United youth system he seems to lack any hope technically, and his understanding of the game is pretty abysmal. I'd rather find players a bit closer to developing than take a chance on him for another three or four years, especially after Stuart cautioned me that he hasn't really improved this year.

S C John Talbot, 18, England, uncapped:

1 game, 0 goals, 7.00, plus 37 games, 12 goals, 6.68 in the Reserves:

Its the same story with his strike partner, who has added 12 goals and 6 Man of the Match awards, but has the same trouble with the fundamentals. Neither of them is showing the quality which would prompt me to take a closer look.

.

Overall, that feels about right to me. There are six players who will fit in well for my core XI, and though I want to bring in five new starters, I have the transfer budget available to do that. I've identified 13 players that I want to sell, plus there are a few whose contracts are expiring that I don't intend to renew, so in general it will be a rebuilding plan, which may cost me at the start of next season if my summer moves don't gel immediately.

The key need on the squad is for attacking midfielders. To fully pull off my scheme, I'll want to bring in four whom I think can contribute at the senior level, and ideally I'd have two more training at the youth and reserve level.

We also need a left back, a replacement for Alan Quinn at left wing, and a long-term solution at right back, occupied by the aging Deloumeaux.

I switched our players over to a physical training schedule similar to what I was using at York, and that's led to some early grumbling from players who feel it is too strenuous, in particular aging Marcus Stewart and out-of-shape midfielder Ian Ross. I'm not surprised.

Thursday, 26th April, 2007.

For a number of players, our Reserves match at Port Vale Wednesday night was a chance to overturn a negative first impression from their new manager. Chris Coupe scored merely 14 minutes into the match, and veteran Marcus Stewart found the net mere moments after being introduced in the 77th minute, but nobody else impressed. I used the 4-5-1 I'm intending to install - I've had the lads begin practicing it, although I think I'll run a standard 4-4-2 on Saturday. The final score? United Reserves defeated Port Vale Reserves, 2-1.

Though the English teams were all out, the Champions League semi-finals last night were a big talking point amongst football fans everywhere. Real Madrid defeated A.C. Milan 1-0 on Raul's early goal in the Bernabeau, while holders Bayern Munchen got a key away goal through who else but Roque Santa Cruz in their 1-1 draw with Inter Milan. Defensive, negative football seemed the watchword in the two matches, and the results would set up a thrilling second leg.

Thursday night were the UEFA Cup semifinals, in which Dortmund beat VfB Stuttgart, 3-1, and the last surviving English club, Manchester United, trimphed over Auxerre, 4-2.

Friday, 27th April, 2007.

"I'm so glad, Spencer. You've no idea!"

"Well, we've come this far together, and its worked out pretty well."

I chuckled. Three of my York City staff have accepted offers to come work for me at Sheffield United, but none was more heartening than scout extraordinaire Spencer Field.

"So, do you have another Tappa Whitmore in mind for me?"

"Well, there's this Cousins kid at York City..."

That drew a real laugh. Its probably a bit premature to think about the summer transfer window; I can't make any moves between now and the end of the season, at any rate. The only thing I can do to help myself was coaching and tactics - and on both those fronts, York coach John Richards looks much better than Scott Sellars ever was.

The other addition was Dave Colley - he may be outspoken and opinioned, but we'd gotten along very well, and, die-hard York fan or not, he, too, signed a five-year contract through 2012.

Between Dave and Spencer, I think we've made an instant upgrade at that key position, well worth the nominal compensation we've had to pay the Minstermen. They're both coming to London to watch our first match, and gauge where the club is at currently, but after that I hope to get them both out scouting for available talent with an eye towards the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, youth coach Mick Jones has signed an extension through 2010, when he'll be of retirement age, while Sellars and scouts Wayne Broughton and Kevin Randall have accepted shortened contracts that will run through the end of next season, but no longer.

Saturday, 28th April, 2007. League One - Game 45, at Brentford.

I don't think I slept a wink last night.

My first match in charge of the Blades was a trip to London to face Brentford, who lay 15th in League One. They were mathematically assured of mid-table safety: clear of the relegation battle, but well shy of the playoff battle. That means they have little to play for, which makes them a good side for us to face - but I was still nervous as a cat for my debut.

There hadn't been time to install my favored 4-5-1 formation, and honestly the side didn't have the players to support it. I started a fairly vanilla 4-4-2, starring Allan McGregor in goal. Versatile Darren Wrack I named at left back, but could move to either side, or either wing, as the game developed. Steve Foster and Hayden Foxe were the obvious pairing in central defense, and Eric Deloumeaux was the captain and right back. My central midfield was Paul Thirlwell and Jack Lester, the former more defensive and the latter the attacker. The stellar Alan Quinn started on left wing, with Chris Sedgwick getting the nod on the right wing. Up front, my strike pairing was Peter Weatherson with target-man Dene Cropper.

Griffin Park is relatively small, and only 7,756 showed up to the late season contest. Nonetheless, my heart was pounding as I led the lads out of the tunnel to start my first match. I settled down a bit in the sixth minute, when I saw Jack Lester move the ball out left for Alan Quinn, who nodded it on into the path of Dene Cropper. Unfortunately, the ball fell to his feet, and Cropper predictably golfed it over the bar from 14 yards.

It was a tense match, and the referee handed out three yellow cards in a four-minute span, including one to Cropper for arguing an admittedly harsh decision. Steve Foster was playing very well in the back, thrice heading dangerous balls away with his head. In the 31st minute, Hayden Foxe went in hard on a challenge against Mark Wilson, and didn't get back up. Kyle McFadzean had to come in to replace the Australian defender.

It looked like it would stay scoreless through halftime, but in the 40th minute, left back Darren Wrack played a nice ball to Quinn in space along the left sideline. With room to dribble, he brought it upfield, and when right-side fullback Michael Greenwood came up to meet him, Quinn played it to Cropper in the space behind Greenwood, then made a diagonal run into the box. Greenwood hustled after the ball, leaving Quinn in plenty of space, and Cropper's pass found him perfectly in stride. The left wing closed to 8 yards before drilling a shot to the far post, and we had a 1-0 lead!

After seeing him in action, it was wrenching my gut that previous management had let Quinn leave on a free. The crowd was out of it, and I was content to go to the half at one-nil, as were twenty-one of the players. One was not. In the 43rd minute Brentford captain Stephen McManus, a central defender, took a back-pass from one his teammates. Hard-working striker Paul Weatherson pressured him all by himself, and beat McManus to the ball after a mis-touch. Weatherson dribbled to the eighteen, and cut back to his right foot just as McManus overpursued. With space in the area, Weatherson shot past Samuel Moore to the left post for a fine unassisted score, and that made it 2-0 at the half.

The crowd was morgue-like silent, and we looked certain to add another when Quinn switched things up to Chris Sedgiwck with a long cross in the 50th minute. Sedgwick had time to settle, then flicked it into the box in the air. Weatherson had the defense beat, but sent his header wide of the post, and I couldn't help but wonder whether we'd have had two more goals had I just had he and Cropper on opposite sides of the pitch.

We were in control and cruising, and I was already starting to think forward to the next match as the hour approached. In the 58th minute, however, Cropper was given another yellow card, this for holding McManus's shirt. Red card! He may have been hard done by, but I had a sinking feeling as I shouted at the lads to tighten up the defense, and play a defensive 4-4-1.

The crowd were suddenly back in it, and Brentford's offense flickered to life. In the 63rd minute, Luke Guttridge sent a nice ball up the right wing for Lee San, who centered for Isaiah Rankin unmarked at the spot. Confusion at the back meant neither central defender was anywhere near him, and desperate midfielder Paul Thirlwell was three yards behind. It took a great save by Allan McGregor to deny Rankin, and he bettered that effort four minutes later with a fingertip save on Guttridge's 10-yard shot through traffic from an oblique angle.

It looked only a matter of time before the hosts found a breakthrough, and with twenty minutes left in the contest, a corner kick provided the opening. Wrack headed out the first ball into the box, but Steve Hunt collected it. Rather than sending another aerial ball into the tightly packed six, he played it to the arc where central defender Matt Somner was unmarked. He teed it up for himself, then drilled it from 19 yards. The shot took a deflection off of the unlucky Wrack, and found its way into the back of the net to whittle our lead to 2-1.

The next five minutes saw heavy pressure from Brentford, broken only by two breakaway counter by Alan Quinn. The first time, he was caught by Somner, and the second, he missed wide. In the 80th minute, Quinn had a third chance to put the game away, and this time he was saved at the post by Moore. I began to see why the previous management had been willing to let him go: he was a feast or famine player, it seemed.

It looked like we might be relieving the pressure some, but in the 82nd minute, Wrack tripped Ryan Peters on a long ball. As Wrack was receiving his yellow card, Brentford took a quick restart. Hunt sent it left to McManus, who found Guttridge unmarked at the edge of the arc ahead of him. The attacking midfielder, who had been on my shortlist while I was at York, drilled a blazing 20-yard strike to the top-left corner, which McGregor could do little about: the crowd came to their feet in amazemed appreciation, and it was equal at 2-2.

With the match tied, I went back to something approaching a balanced tactic: still a 4-4-1, but leading scorer Billy Sharp had replaced Weatherson up front, and he provided the spark through the final ten minutes. In the 86th, Sedgwick played Sharp into the box with help from Lester to his left. With 2 attackers and one defenseman, it looked a great chance, but Sharp took the shot and put it wide right rather than passing to the wide-open Lester.

Two minutes into stoppage time, it was Quinn whose great through ball sprang Sharp into the area and past the defense on the counter. He tried to dribble around the goalkeeper, Moore, but the ball kicked off of Moore's leg and rolled loose in the six-yard-box. Just before Sharp could get there and put it away, hustling fullback Greenwood swept in to remove the danger and preserve the draw.

Brentford 2, Sheffield United 2

Somner 69, Guttridge 82; Quinn 40, Weatherson 43

MoM: Quinn

In most circumstances, a 2-2 away draw in one's first match with a new team would be a good achievement, but after dominating for 58 minutes, and seeing the almost-winner in injury time, it was an agonizing case of 'what might have been.'

Alan Quinn was a deserved Man of the Match after a brilliant performance on the left.

Saturday, 28th April, 2007.

"How'd it go?"

Of course, I called down to Cheltenham to find out how my beloved York had done in the crucial match.

"No joy," my former chairman, Steve Beck, replied. "Viv went with a 4-4-2."

"What?!"

"Yeah, that's what I said when I saw it. I don't understand why he'd change something that worked."

"Neither do I!"

"The players didn't look comfortable with it, and with Cousins injured, Tappa inexplicably on the bench, and ..

"Well, let's just say it was a disaster."

"What was the final?"

"Three-nil."

"Ouch!"

"Yeah."

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Pts W D L GD

P 1 YORK 85 26 7 12 +26

P 2 Cheltenham 83 23 14 8 +22

P 3 Walsall 81 24 15 8 +32

-----------------------------------------

4 Bristol Rovers 76 20 16 9 +22

5 Cambridge 76 22 10 13 +18</pre>

"Well," Steve said, after a moment's pause. "At least we close at home against Milton Keynes."

"What are they, like 16th?"

"Seventeenth."

Sunday, 29th April, 2007.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Blades Collapse

Sheffield United's playoff hopes took a cruel blow yesterday when the Blades threw away a two-goal lead after Dene Cropper saw red in the second half.

New manager Ian Richards got his introduction to the inconsistency which has plagued the Jekyll and Hyde squad all season long. The Blades looked to be cruising to an easy victory as the hour approached, but seemed uninspired and pedestrian after Cropper's dubious dismissal.

Richards may have built his modest reputation on defense at York, but he had nothing creative to offer when forced to improvise with ten men.

There had been question before the match whether he would utilize the 4-5-1 he had used at Bootham Crescent, or continue with the 4-4-2 his Sheffield players were used to.

In the event, he used the latter ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Rupert Wormwood, again.

I've only been in charge a week, and already I've come to despise the Sheffield Star columnist.

Still a great read Amaroq, I can see why you left, but that still doesnt stop me from calling you a sell out!! only joking or am I

If i was a die hard fan of York I would travel the hour south to Sheffield and spray paint a nasty message on your car or atleast egg it!! especially if Viv screws up us winning the title!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by avstwentyone:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by aaberdeenn:

The best story in here.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fixed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just caught up with this; I have to say it's an excellent and enjoyable read, the writing is great and of a high quality. Keep it up

Good Luck with the Blades

Thanks, Wag, I was guessing you'd like it considering the work you put into your own.

And yikes!, Panpardus! Rough business, this.

Tuesday, 1st May, 2007.

I felt like I'd just met with the United board, but they, too, hold a monthly board meeting at which my presence is mandatory. It started altogether too early - I'd been working 18 to 20 hour days trying to get myself established, and I was only barely functional, my second cup of coffee still too hot to drink as it started.

General Manager Terry Robinson told me they are hoping for a long and successful era under my management. Though he didn't mention Rupert Wormwood by name, he did hint that a victory in the season finale and a berth in the playoffs would go a long way towards making me a favourite of the fans.

Chairman Derek Dooley was quite happy with the club's finances, despite losing £179,000 last month, we're up £4.4M for the season. The club retained a £10.6M balance and they were still making £4.0M of that available as transfer budget.

In fact, the upcoming summer transfers were the area they both wished to discuss in detail with me. I outlined my plan to institute the 4-5-1 which had been working for me at Lancaster and at York City. They may have thought my plan was a bit radical, especially when I told them that their squad, currently fifth in the League One, was going to require a complete overhaul, and that there were only five players I truly wanted to retain (six, if you counted Alan Quinn, whom I couldn't).

I explained that I was judging the squad against the standard "Who can get us to the Premier League?" and when they heard that that was my goal, they seemed much more understanding. I outlined my plan to acquire two or three top-quality attacking midfielders, as the key to the formation I want to run, and they agreed that that was worth the expenditure. Its a good thing, because I'd already started contract negotiations with two of my transfer targets!

Robert Cousins, of course, I knew from York City. The other was long-shot artist Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, who had been on my shortlist for a while, but I hadn't been in a real position to tempt him down to League Two. Sheffield United is a much bigger club, and I thought I had a real chance at him, now.

I'd spent the week outlining how I wanted to do comparative training form reports with Stuart McCall. If he's going to be my Assistant, he needs to understand my methodology. We took our baseline measurements today.

Wednesday, 2nd May, 2007.

Excellent news today! Both of my targeted attacking midfielders have agreed to contracts!

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson has agreed to terms after I met his £875k minimum-fee clause with Stockport County, and a £1.2M offer will pry young Robert Cousins away from my former club, to join us at the start of June. I'm penciling them in as my starting attacking midfielders for next year, and if that's half my transfer budget, its money well spent.

My joy was tempered a little bit by the afternoon training session, in which Jonathan Forte fell and broke his shoulder. Its good to see a player putting such effort in during training - its been sorely missing from our other players - and its hard luck that he was rewarded with a season-ending injury.

That evening, I turned on the Champions League matchups in the background while I reviewed a truckload of scouting reports. Bayern München totally dominated Inter Milan in Munich, with goals by Miroslav Klose and Roque Santa Cruz in the first fifteen minutes, and a second from my favorite Paraguayan forward in the second half to put the outcome beyond reach at 3-0, a 4-1 aggregate win for the German club.

Inter Milan was at home against Real Madrid with an 0-1 deficit from the first match. Goals by Andriy Schevchenko in the 39th and Jon Dahl Tomasson in the 60th gave the Italian side the lead, but Guti's goal in the 73rd levelled the aggregate score at 2-2 and put the Spanish giants on top on away goals. However, Tomasson struck an instant reply, and Kaká made the final 4-1, a 4-2 aggregate, in the dying minutes.

Inter were through to face the Germans in the Final.

Friday, 4th May, 2007.

More good news on Thursday - Joe Keenan has agreed to join the Blades next year, on a £300,000 transfer! We were quickly working through my transfer budget: I'd only have £1.5M left after the deals I'd already arranged. We were also quickly acquiring the players and staff I thought of as the cream of the York City crop. I hope they'll be able to contribute at the higher level of play.

Thursday night's matches were the semi-final of the UEFA Cup. Manchester United earned a 0-0 draw at French side Auxerre, which after their 4-2 victory in the first leg saw the Red Devils through. Dortmund built on their first-leg victory with a 2-0 win, making a 5-1 aggregate and setting the final matchup.

Our bad luck continued in Friday evening's practice, when left winger Alan Quinn injured his shoulder in training. The physios recommended that I not let him play in the crucial final match of the season.

Entering the final match of the year, the playoff battle stood thus:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Pts W D L GD

4 Sheffield Wednesday 74 21 11 13 + 7

5 SHEFFIELD UNITED 71 19 14 12 +12

6 Oxford United 71 20 11 14 +11

--------------------------------------------

7 Stockport County 71 20 11 14 + 5

8 Blackpool 70 21 7 17 +12

9 Huddersfield 70 20 10 15 + 7</pre>

Six teams. Three berths.

It was impossibly close, and with the various tiebreakers, the results of five matches would determine the three playoff berths!

We and Huddersfield had the easiest draws, against relegation fodder, while hapless Blackpool drew league leaders Leeds United. The biggest matchup was probably Wednesday facing Stockport County, while Oxford were looking at mid-table Bradford City.

Its took me ages to get upto speed on this story

I love following well written stories about hy home club Good luck with it, its certainly shaping up nicely for you

Saturday, 5th May, 2007. League One - Game 46, vs Rushden and Diamonds.

"You can't play him," physio Tom Mitchell told me.

I looked over at Alan Quinn.

"Its just my shoulder, gaffer. I can go."

It was the toughest choice of the day, but he'd looked okay in the pre-match warmups - and with Forte out, what choice did I have, really?

I glanced over at my assistant, Stuart McCall, who gave my only a cryptic, "Fortune favours the bold."

It seems to be his favourite saying.

I wrote "QUINN" on the teamsheet, and Mitchell shook his head, muttering imprecations as he stalked away.

The final match of the year was at home against Rushden & Diamonds. They had already been assured of relegation, and after our 3-1 victory against them earlier in the season, we were the definite favourites to win. They had nothing at stake, while we had everything to play for - a win would all but guarantee us a place in the playoffs, a loss would almost certainly be the end of our season, and a tie? Well, for that case, I had a walkman with an ear piece so that I could get score updates, but as it turned out I didn't need them: Bramall Lane has an out-of-town scoreboard.

For a match this crucial, I all but ignored condition and injury, starting the players I felt were best, and hoping that they could last 90 minutes. Allan McGregor in goal I had no doubts about, but the defensive line of Kevin Simpson, Steve Foster, Hayden Foxe, and Eric Deloumeaux all looked a bit tired, especially the Australian, Foxe, whose leg had gone dead last Saturday. Ignoring his injury and the advice of the physios, I started Alan Quinn on the left wing. The centre would feature Jack Lester in an attacking role, but it was essentially a flat 4-4-2. The other two midfielders, Paul Thirlwell central and winger Chris Sedgwick, both seemed fatigued even in warmup. Up front, the team's leading scorers, Peter Weatherson and Billy Sharp, would partner at striker.

I learned my favourite thing about Sheffield United fans even before stepping onto the pitch: they SING. Oh, I know other British fans do as well, but there is nothing that can compare to the chills which went down my spine as I listened to them from the changing room. The bell buzzed to summon the players to the pitch. As we headed down the tunnel, and the roar of the crowd of 9,702 met us, I got the jitters: this is definitely a bigger crowd than I'm used to, and I was deathly nervous.

To my surprise, Rushden started off strongly, venturing forward without fear in a fairly standard 4-4-2. It seemed our players were as nervous as I was, and they weren't doing much to slow the visitors down. Under the veteran leadership of Deloumeaux, the back four at least kept their wits about them, and McGregor was only called upon twice.

Finally, about fifteen minutes in, the lads began to settle, and in the 17th, Alan Quinn found some space on the left. He sent an aerial cross to the near post, and Billy Sharp tried a knock-on header for Peter Weatherson. It looked very dangerous, but Rushden central defender John Dempster got in to make the clearance out of the six-yard box.

Just six minutes later, Thirlwell found Quinn cutting up the left wing. The winger looked up as the ball reached him, and curled the cross into the box. Rushden had plenty of men back, but Billy Sharp rose above the crowd sixteen yards from goal. His header looped up, seemingly over the bar, but dropped in at the top right corner! We led 1-0, and the crowd were on their feet: we were bound for the playoffs!

In the 25th, Weatherson nearly made it two with a powerful header from Jack Lester's cross, but put it just over the bar. We looked to be in control, and the scores from other matches began to come in. First-placed Leeds United had taken a 1-0 lead against Blackpool, which was good for us, but sixth-placed Oxford had a 1-0 lead against Bradford City.

We held the lead through halftime, controlling the play in midfield, and at the break it seemed every result was going our way. Leeds had scored a second against Blackpool, and only a win by Stockport County - still knotted nil-nil with Wednesday - could threaten us. Relegation-bound Notts County took a 1-0 lead against Huddersfield, putting us ever closer.

The second half started, and with the fans on their feet urging us on, my tired players put forth a tremendous effort. It was the end of a long season, and legs were turning to jelly, but nonetheless, Alan Quinn broke up the right wing. He'd overlapped on a throw-in, and that caught the visitors by surprise. He was wide open for Thirlwell's service, and launched a great cross into the box for the run of Weatherson. The big man towered over the defense, and drove a picturesque header into the back of the net: 2-0!

A great roar went up in the 60th minute, as though we had scored again, but the ball was out of play for a throw. I looked around in confusion before spotting the out-of-town scoreboard: Sheffield Wednesday had put a goal past Stockport. It was perhaps off for our supporters to cheer for their rivals, but now even a draw in this match would see us through.

I brought the dazzling Quinn off, lest he worsen his injury, along with Lester, and we settled down to defend for the final twenty five minutes.

Rushden seemed to lack any heart or will to go forward, and as their ingnominous relegation campaign drew to a close, I closed my eyes for a moment, listening to the Bramall Lane crowd sing.

Was that... Annie's Song?

Not exactly..

You fill up my senses,

Like a gallon of Magnet,

Like a packet of Woodbines,

Like a good pinch of snuff,

Like a night out in Sheffield,

Like a greasy chip butty,

Like Sheffield United,

Come thrill me again...

Meanwhile, the scores rolled in. Huddersfield had equalized against Notts County in the 68th minute, but couldn't get the winner. Bradford City equalised against Oxford in the dying seconds, but neither result changed the table: the playoff field was set, and the celebration could begin in earnest.

Sheffield United 2, Rushden & Diamonds 0

Sharp 23, Weatherson 56; ----

MoM: Quinn

Alan Quinn, who had played through injury to provide two assists, was named Man of the Match, and the lads were celebrating in the locker room afterwards. I missed the reggae tunes which had adorned the York locker room - hard to believe I'd come to like that style, after avoiding it all my life in California. I'd have to get us a musical identity.

I gave the lads a "well done," but reminded them that their season wasn't done: there was hard work yet ahead of them in the playoffs.

Sunday, 6th May, 2007.

I heard another score that evening which filled my heart with joy: though York City had lost 1-2 at home against Milton Keynes Dons, Cheltenham hadn't been able to beat Rochdale, suffering a 1-1 draw which handed the title to my former squad by a single point. There would be a party in York town tonight!!

However much I might have liked to join them, the most I could do was raise a single glass in toast - that was the last thought I could spare for them, as I had work to do.

Here were the final standings of the top teams in League One:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Team Pts W D L GD

1 Leeds United 95 29 8 9 +32

2 Crewe Alexandria 80 22 14 10 +22

--------------------------------------------

3 Barnsley 79 23 10 13 +19

4 Sheffield Wednesday 77 22 11 13 + 8

5 SHEFFIELD UNITED 74 20 14 12 +14

6 Oxford United 72 20 12 14 +11

--------------------------------------------

7 Huddersfield 71 20 11 15 + 7

8 Stockport 71 20 11 15 + 4

9 Blackpool 70 21 7 18 +10

10 Wycombe 67 18 13 15 + 4</pre>

Yes, you're reading that correctly. We would face our biggest rivals, Sheffield Wednesday, in the first leg of the playoffs, and all of Sheffield was aquiver at the thought of a home-and-home playoff derby.

Have you written any other stories? Besides this as I'd love to read more

Its funny you should ask, I'd been debating whether to post this link or not.

I don't have any other FM stories that I've been happy enough with to start posting. However, I did a similar bit, polishing and posting the episodes of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, which you can find at the enworld forums.

So, if you're willing to cross genres for some swords and sorcery..

www.enworld.org: Scourge of the Ratmen

Be warned, however, the campaign tapered off, and when it did I lost interest in posting, so the story doesn't particularly "conclude" as a proper tale ought.

I'd like someday to write professionally; I've been using forum posts to hone my writing skills.

Cleon - thank you! I'll try to do you proud.

That was part of the reason I started it as a second thread rather than keeping it all in one thread; I wanted to pick up any Sheffield United supporters who may have given up on the tale.

Wednesday, 9th May, 2007.

The anticipation built quickly, and by Wednesday morning the Steel City was buzzing. You couldn't walk the streets without hearing friendly banter between Wednesdayites and Blades supporters, and the papers were full of nothing else. If I stopped anywhere but at the ground, I was quickly surrounded by tens of peopple, either wishing me luck or telling how badly the Owls were going to demolish us - or worse.

I'd shortly stopped going out at all - Mister Dooley has provided a personal assistant who can do the simple things, like getting my morning coffee exactly the way I like it. Truth be told, I didn't mind much; my wife, Stacy, was still back at York finishing up school, so I was living out of a hotel room. There was still so much work to do, and nothing to come 'home' for, that I was at the ground 16 to 18 hours a day anyways.

If we were to earn promotion to the Championship, the fact that Crystal Palace and Norwhich had been relegated from the Premier League would be relevant to us. If we didn't, the fall of Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers from the Championship to League One would be. Perhaps the most surprising season belonged to Gillingham, who had earned promotion from the Championship to the Premier League for the first time in their history.

Left back Kevin Simpson's contract expired Tuesday, and I released him on a free transfer. The 19-year-old had started 17 games this season, including the seaon finale, and though he had played decently enough in the last match, his 6.29 average for the season was nothing to be proud of.

The Reserve match followed, and our Reserves continued to fail to impress, marking a dreary 0-0 draw against Burton Reserves. That was their final match of the year, and left them 5th out of 21 teams in Reserves Group 3.

Friday, 11th May, 2007.

The big game drew ever nearer, and by Friday it was the only thing the local papers would talk about.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Chris Waddle made a point of telling the press that his Owls would be going all out to win in their clash with United, as there is nothing more satisfactory than getting a good result over their rivals. I answered that we'd do all our talking on the pitch, and added a bit about how I hoped they'd be going all out for any playoff match.

Disaster struck us during the build-up to our big derby: Peter Weatherson suffered a chest injury in training, a painful pectoral muscle strain, which would rule him out. He was bitterly disappointed, as you might expect, though physio Tom Mitchell thinks he might be back in time for the second game.

That left me with a nasty decision to make. I certainly didn't want to trust Dene Cropper up front in such a big game! Which meant either shifting to my 4-5-1 with only two decent central midfielders, starting Cropper up front, or reaching deep into the Reserves for Marcus Stewart or Chris Coupe.

My problems got worse when Darren Wrack joined him on the disabled list on Friday, having strained a calf. Tom Mitchell recommended therapy for the 31-year-old, and with his season effectively ended by the injury anyways, I sent him off for rehabilitation.

Unfortunately, that leaves me without a left back on the roster - it'll have to be somebody out of position, I'm afraid.

Saturday, 12th May, 2007. League One Playoffs - Semi-final, First Leg, at Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday are the elder club of the rivals, dating back even before United's founding. Like United, they were founding members of the Premier League in 1992/93, but have fallen on hard times, relegated twice in the next ten years. They play at Hillsborough, a tradition-filled 39,859 all-seater venue. Significantly reconstructed after the tragedy of 1989 to such a state that it played host to matches for Euro '96, it is a fantastic modern facility set on the same site that Wednesday have always played. Our players are very proud of the fact that they took the season series, drawing at Bramall Lane 1-1, and winning at Hillsborough 1-0. Wednesday, of course, are looking at the playoff as a chance for redemption in the derby series. Sharpshooting Congo forward Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu is their leading scorer, and captain Steven MacLean is second.

I started the best lineup I could cobble together. Allan McGregor stood between the posts. Rory Beanes, making only his second start all year, played left back though he's naturally right-sided. Steve Foster, Hayden Foxe, and Eric Deloumeaux rounded our the back four. Alan Quinn was almost exhausted at left wing, and if I could have spared him I would have, but we have no other left wings healthy and available. Paul Thirlwell, Jack Lester, and Chris Sedwick filled out the flat 4-4-2 midfield. Up front, leading scorer Billy Sharp was partnered with aged veteran Marcus Stewart. The retiring striker was making his first start of the year, so desperate was I to keep Dene Cropper on the substitutes' bench.

The proverbial phrase "wall of sound" doesn't do it justice: coming out of the tunnel to the noise produced by a capacity crowd of 39,827 was a dream come true, the sort of thing you imagine as a lad. My heart was racing: if I'd been nervous for the first two games, it was nothing compared to coming out to this. Many were in the blue-and-white vertical striped kits of the home side, but almost a quarter of the crowd were wearing our red-and-white stripes as well. They'd been singing and chanting four hours, and there was an extra police presence in case the fans got unruly. This was the atmosphere I'd wanted to manage in England for!

We got a lucky break when Wednesday announced their starting lineup, and Ndumbu-Nsungu was named on the substitutes bench. I wasn't the only one wrestling with injury-depleted lineups. The crowd were into a rousing rendition of

. Wednesday til I die, I'm Wednesday til I die,

. I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm Wednesday til I die!

as referee Andy Woolmer lifted his whistle to get the match underway.

We got things off to a great start just after the kickoff, when Paul Thirlwell and Jack Lester combined on a nice pass to put Lester into the area out left, but he hit side netting from 10 yards. Young Rory Beanes launched a long pass in the 8th minute to lead Chris Sedgwick up the right wing, and his low pass found Marcus Stewart in the area. The veteran striker looked to have a goal on a wicked strike, but Wednesday keeper Lee Grant did fantastically well to get his fingertips to the ball and tip it over the bar.

We'd had the better of the opening sequence, but Wednesday adjusted quickly and began to push forward. In the 15th minute, David Cockerill played a ball into space for captain Steven MacLean, and he had only Allan McGregor to beat but our keeper pushed it away. A minute later, Zoltan Gera broke into the box up the right wing, but stalwart defender Steve Foster cut out his back pass to clear. In the 21st minute, a dangerous free kick was taken from 23 yards by Matthew Hamshaw, and MacGregor had to make a brilliant diving save to keep it out. He was slow to get up, and though he waved off our physios, he was clearly playing hurt the rest of the match.

The rest of the first half settled into a cautious fencing match, with both teams unwilling to take chances this early in a two-legged encounter. Each side's forays were met by the other, and Paul Thirlwell in particular in the defensive midfield role seemed key to my side. In the 38th minute, Jack Lester finally found the killer through ball, picking out the wily Stewart in the area. It was a great chance, but referee Andy Woolmer whistled for offsides just as he put it into the net. The sides went to halftime still scoreless.

Wednesday made the first substitution, and it was to bring Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu on for the second half. The dynamic Republic of Congo international immediately changed the landscape of the game, as my defense scrambled to keep up with him. Just his ability to draw coverage and attention was making space for the other Wednesday forwards. In the 58th minute, he broke out wide to the left, trailing the play at the outside of the area. Then he lifted a cross into the box, picking out Steven MacLean eight yards from goal. The Wednesday captain drilled the header into the back of the net, and the crowd went crazy as we fell behind 0-1.

With some of my key players looking exhausted, and thinking of another ninety minutes to follow on Wednesday, I made two changes, bringing on youngsters Stephen Pearson and Ian Ross to spell Alan Quinn and Paul Thirlwell. Pearson, at 16 years, 5 months, and 4 days became the youngest player in Sheffield's recent history - and it was a pressure-packed game for such young players! Still, they held their own in defense; I wasn't about to order an all-out attack with a second game coming.

The crowd were now chanting

. Hark now hear what Wednesday sing,

. United run away,

. And we will fight forever more,

. Because of Boxing Day!

I didn't know what they were on about - Boxing Day?

In the 70th minute, I brought on Dene Cropper for Billy Sharp, conserving our leading scorer for the second game as well. Angry at having been left out, he immediately brought a sense of urgency to the offense, and the shift in momentum was clear.

In the 77th minute, Beanes again launched a long pass, this time over the top of everybody. Cropper had timed his run perfectly, onside, and reached the ball just as the onrushing Grant did. The big man hurdled over the keeper, and the ball carombed off of both of them, landing in his path. He took one touch to settle, and slotted it home from the 6-yard box right in front of the visitor's stand. He rushed to leap into the arms of our supporters - it was all even at 1-1, and we had a crucial away goal!

Wednesday finally broke out of their neutral shell, pushing forward to try and take advantage of the home field. Had we been in my usual 4-5-1, I might have had a trick up my sleeve to counter it, but everything I tried in the unfamiliar 4-4-2 just seemed to make the situation worse. The real problem was that Pearson and Ross were just completely at sea, and thus outmanned in the midfield we could do little to slow down Wednesday's assault. In the 80th minute, Lee Peacock threaded a pass through traffic to MacLean in the six-yard box, but somehow McGregor made the save. The Scottish keeper picked himself up slowly, visibly wincing - that injury was really beginning to tell.

We just had ten minutes to survive, now five.. MacLean launched a 16 yarder over the bar, and the vocal Wednesday support. We got one good counterattack right on 90 minute, but young Ross's half-volley from the 18 went wide left.

Injury time ticked away, and just as I was starting to feel proud of a job well done, and counting the away goal as a big advantage, Wednesday substitute Adam Proudlock spotted MacLean splitting my central defenders. With just a half-second before Hayden Foxe closed him down, the Wednesday captain drove a perfect first-touch shot to McGregor's left, a 15 yard strike which turned out to be the final touch of the match, giving the home side a 2-1 victory!!

Sheffield Wednesday 2, Sheffield United 1

MacLean 58, 90; Cropper 77

MoM: MacLean (Wednesday SC)

The jeers of the victorious Hillsborough crowd followed us down the tunnel, promising even worse to come, but we held our heads high and proud.

Wednesday captain Steven MacLean was a deserved Man of the Match for his brace, and had probably earned the honours before his late goal.

There was nobody in our locker room who felt we'd lost the two-legged tie however: a 2-1 deficit going to the home leg was something we knew we could overcome.

Hope you get promoted, a great career record going from conference north to league 1...or championship maybe?! am not a sheffield utd fan but i think you could reach premiership if you stick with them they have potential.

im on tenterhooks

Thanks, mikegoodman.. and cms, brilliant! I was, too, believe me!

Tuesday, 15th May, 2007.

In my mind's eye that evening, every mistake I'd made replayed itself over and over. Leaving Dene Cropper, who had scored our goal, out of the starting lineup. Releasing Kevin Simpson, who would have started at left back when Wrack was injured. Putting Pearson and Ross into such a critical game. I tried to remind myself that resting Quinn and Thirlwell had been worth it - but the truth was, it would only be so if we could pull out the win at home.

It wasn't until he met with the physios post-match that I learned what had happened to Allan McGregor. He'd pulled an oblique, that muscle along the side of your abdomen and ribcage, but he growled that there was no way that he would let it stop him from playing. I wasn't certain - its quite possible that a 100% fit McGregor would have saved that second goal. Tom Mitchell recommended that he not practice between now and Wednesday, and that he'd evaluate it the day of the match to see if McGregor was fit to play.

Ironically, our Under-18 match on Saturday was scheduled to be at Sheffield Wednesday U-18's. The match was moved to Bracken Moor Lane, in Stocksbridge, rather than played at Hillsborough. The Wednesday youth outplayed a mostly amateur United side, 3-1. The lone goal came from Mark Murray, who was on as a late substitute, after the outcome was already beyond a doubt. That was the final match of the youth campaign, and left them 5th out of 13 teams in U-18 Group 4, which was won by Liverpool U-18s. The youngsters told me afterwards that the Wednesday players had been talking trash about what their senior side was going to do to us in the big game.

Elsewhere, Chelsea clinched the Premier Division with a 3-0 home victory against Blackburn in their final match, although Manchester United in second still had one match remaining. Everton were the third team relegated, a real embarassment for the 'other' Liverpool side, as it was the first time since the 1953/54 season that the nine-times champions been forced out of the top flight.

In Sunday's Semi-Final, Barnsley manhandled Oxford, 4-1, led by two goals from Nicky Wroe. It looked like they would be through to the final.

How meaningful is the Team of the Week when only four teams played matches? Eric Deloumeaux, Hayden Foxe, and Alan Quinn earned that "honour". That was three weeks in a row for Quinn, and I was spitting mad that previous management had let him go for free on a Bosman.

In other news, I'd started the great fire sale, trying to cut down the squad to consist entirely of players I intend to keep. I began offering players around on Friday, and was receiving and negotiating bids throughout the weekend. By Monday agents and teams were working on contracts for nine United players. There were no big names involved - it was all young players whom I've decided to get rid of. Mark Murray was the first of these to agree to terms, contracting with Ossett Town for next season.

Wednesday, 16th May, 2007. League One Playoff - Semi-Final Second Leg, vs Sheffield Wednesday.

Was it an ill omen to face Wednesday on their namesake date?

It was a brave group on the verge of collapse which lined up for the second leg. Allan McGregor passed a pre-match fitness test, and started in goal despite the strained oblique which limited his range of motion. The defense was Rory Beanes, Steve Foster, Hayden Fox, and in his 54th start of the season, iron man Eric Deloumeaux. Alan Quinn, Paul Thirlwell, Jack Lester, and Chris Sedgwick all needed a rest, but they would be my midfield. Up front, Dene Cropper partnered with Billy Sharp, despite Peter Weatherson's protestations that he was ready to start - I'd hold him on the bench for the second half.

The teams came out of the tunnel, and our Kop greeted the enemy with

Hello, Hello, we are the Shoreham boys

Hello, Hello, we are the Shoreham boys

And if you are Wednesday-ite

Surrender or you'll die

We all follow United!

We entered the match trailing 1-2 thanks to the result from the first leg. It took us merely three minutes to correct that.

Rory Beanes took control of a loose ball in midfield, and knocked a forty-yard back-pass to Allan McGregor. His blasted long clearance bypassed everybody. Dene Cropper burst free past a defense as exhausted as ours was, raced into the area, and slotted it home to the bottom-left corner. The sold-out crowd of 30,870 were all on their feet, and the noise was incredible!! We led 1-0, and with a 2-2 aggregate, we were ahead on away goals!

It was a tense, hard-fought game, and in the 15th minute a slide tackle by Beanes proved to be crucial, as he took away the legs of Wednesday's leading scorer Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu. It took a long visit from the physios to get the Congo forward back on his feet, and he never looked the same.

In the 17th minute, Alan Quinn's cross found Dene Cropper in the box. The big man is best with his head, and his powerful header would have beaten most goalkeepers, but was brilliantly held by Lee Grant.

The game was living up to its billing, chances at both ends, but Ndumbu-Nsungu was clearly struggling, and at 30 minutes he became the first substitution, replaced with Lee Peacock. Dene Cropper earned a yellow card in the 42nd minute, and remembering his red-card double booking against Brentford, I made a mental note to bring him off. We still led 1-0 at halftime, and nerves were getting taut on both sides.

Nobody who is familiar with the rivalry will be surprised that the match got very intense in the second half. Both sides were playing good tight defense - Wednesday were in a 5-3-2 - and fine tackles were flying around the place. I brought Cropper off for Peter Weatherson on the hour; Wednesday had made all of their changes by the 61st minute.

The players were visibly tiring, and as the match grew in intensity, referee Rob Martin began handing out fouls and yellow cards. Paul Thirlwell drew a yellow for tripping Peacock in the 61st. A foul by Eric Delomeaux gave away a dangerous free kick in the 68th, and when it deflected off the wall, my heart stopped momentarily, but Allan McGregor recovered, diving to his right to make the save. He got up wincing - what a gritty performance!

Fifteen minutes to play, now ten.. could we hold on?

In the 83rd minute, I made my final throw of the dice. Four yellow cards had been handed out in the last twenty minutes, extra time loomed, and my two central midfielders, Paul Thirlwell and Jack Lester, were exhausted and both carrying a card already. I didn't want to take a chance on a tired mistake, but I had nobody of quality left on the bench. Nonetheless, I made the change, and my new central midfield was youngsters Ian Ross and Stephen Pearson, with orders to run, run, run.

In injury time, we earned a corner kick. Chris Sedgwick played it out to Ross, unmarked on the 18 across from the near post. The youngster took a shot into a forest of bodies, but Luke Foster blocked it, and it went out for another corner. This time, Wednesday defender Mikele Leigertwood was given orders to mark him tightly. Again, Sedgwick played it to the youngster. His first touch was atrocious, fairly uncontrolled, but he set out after it with a burst of speed. Leigertwood, too exhausted to stay with the youngster, stuck out his foot. Ross fell to the turf, and the whistle blew. I could hardly believe it, despite the roar of approval from the crowd: Martin was pointing to the spot!

Utter silence reigned as Chris Sedgwick stepped up to take the most important United penalty since Don Giverns's chance to save the Blades from relegation at the end of the 1980/81 season. That famous miss was surely present in the minds of United fans as Sedgwick began his run-up...

GOAL!!!

He buried it to the keeper's left!! The crowd erupted in joyous celebration. A 2-0 lead, a 3-2 aggregate, and surely the referee would blow full time right as Wednesday kicked off - which he did!

Sheffield United 2, Sheffield Wednesday 0

Cropper 3, Sedgwick pen 90; ----

MoM: Sedgwick

Sheffield United 3, Sheffield Wednesday 2 (aggregate)

What a game!

What a rivalry!

Our delighted supporters cheered us off the pitch:

The Blades are going up

The Blades are going up

And now you'd better believe it

And now you'd better believe it

And now you'd better - believe - it

The BLADES ARE GOING UP!

Chris Sedgwick, the man who converted that nerve-wracking penalty, was Man of the Match, and the celebration lasted well into the night. We were now a single match from promotion to the Championship, a goal I had privately set for next season rather than this!

Excellent

Good Luck in the Final!

Brilliant stuff.

Spent the last few days reading the whole thing start to finish, and I'd say it's one of the top 3 CM/FM stories I've ever read.

I just wish I didn't have to wait for updates!

Best of luck in the final.

I can't wait to see how Ian Richards will break Rupert Wormwoods poisoned pen by guiding Sheffield United to a new glorious age.

I love this story Amaroq! It is one thing to make up a story by just playing the game. But this one has so much added flavour because of all of the little sidelines you have put in and that is why check the adventures of the legendary Ian Richards every day. Well done!

Congrats...now for the final

This is a fantastic story that has left me completely engrossed in your progression from the conference north to league one and possibly the championship. A cracking read.

yes, it is a great story... not happy about you beating the might sheffield wednesday though!!

Thank you all so very much! It means the world to me that you are enjoying this so much - really justifies the time put into it.

Joel - yes, that's always the danger in getting caught up

Doolev - "poisoned pen", that's a great turn of phrase! I'm glad you appreciate all of the extras; I was worried it might get 'too wordy' at times.

rlipscombe - oops! I knew I'd be upsetting at least one Wednesday supporter!

Thursday, 17th May, 2007.

"There are some matches you just don't lose," my friend Ope had once told me, trying to explain the British passion for football to an uninitiated American, "without handing in your resignation the next day."

Apparently, for Wednesday fans, this match was one of them: Sheffield Wednesday manager Chris Waddle handed in his resignation that same evening.

Of course, the morning press were full of nothing but the match. I was being acclaimed a genius for bringing on Ross when I did, "when nobody else would have trusted him," and it was written frequently that I had outmanaged Waddle. Rupert Wormwood was strangely silent on that matter, instead devoting his razor wit to belittling Wednesday for 'throwing away' the first-leg lead.

Of course, United chairman Derek Dooley could not hide his delight with our win over our arch rivals, and the letters to the sports editor were entirely convinced that I'd been the right hire. Overall, it had been a real crash course in just how important the United-Wednesday rivalry is in the Steel City.