The Diary of a Nobody.

[telstar]

Fantastic read mate. Great job. Enjoyed it a lot while I'm at work

[Peacemaker7]

The Rain In Spain – The Villarreal Years

Villarreal are not a ‘big’ club by any stretch of the imagination. They had had some moderate success in the few years before I arrived, most notably a 7th place finish in La Liga in 2001, their highest ever league placing, and a couple of moderately decent runs in Europe without ever really setting the heather on fire. At the end of the 2005 season though, they finished 18th in Liga 1 and so were sent packing to Liga 2, where they immediately popped back up from, and having lost their manager who was tempted away by some other club. They turned to me then to bring them back to, perhaps not glory days, but certainly days where they could be moderately happy.

Vila-real de los Infantes is a small town near the eastern coast of Spain, on the Golfo de Valencia, just a few miles north of the city of Valencia. They are therefore always in the shadow of their more illustrious neighbours. In many ways their fans didn’t realty expect too much, but I had set my sights on bringing some kind of success here, although I was well aware that this would not be an easy task. Yet perhaps we could win the Cup at least, although my target for the first season was quite a simple one. Don’t get relegated!

A lot of eyebrows were raised, and not just in Spain, when I started to bring in a core of Scots. It wasn’t that there were no Scots in Spain. In fact there was an incredible Scots influence here, with Scott Brown already at Villarreal, Barry Ferguson at Real Madrid, Charlie Adam just down the road at Valencia, Craig Gordon of course at Barcelona, and possibly a couple of others that have slipped my memory for now.

I though decided, for better for worse, to build a backbone of a side on Scottish talent. This wasn’t really me trying to be a good patriot, its just that these were the players that I knew and it made perfect sense at the time. For most of time at Villarreal the defence was all Scots, with Graeme Smith in goal, and a back four of Alan Hutton, Kevin McNaughton, Phil McGuire and Russell Anderson, with Bob Malcolm in the midfield holding role. They said it would never work, that so many Scots simply couldn’t adapt to the Spanish game, and it is true that we did seem to pick up an inordinate amount of bookings.

Indeed, Scott Brown was red carded twice in his first three games, and again before Christmas, and it was at that point I decided to discard him, selling him on to Barcelona, which didn’t please the Villarreal fans who had somehow become attached to the little git. I say that in the friendliest way possible of course. And there were those who simply couldn’t settle into the Spanish way of life and style of play, like Steven Thompson and Derek Riordan, who both came to Spain, decided they didn’t like it or me, and were promptly moved on again. They were no great loss really, and to be honest I probably shouldn’t haven’t signed either one as they simply weren’t good enough to cut the mustard.

Despite the doubters though, we made a particularly good start to the 2006/07 season, winning our first three games with ease, with striker Paul Gallacher in particular showing some fine form as he banged in the goals. Such a start of course helped to endear me to the home support, and ease any fears they may have had about my signing policy. A defeat at home to Valladolid did little to dismay the fans, and we even gained an excellent 2-2 home draw with Valencia, before crashing out of the Spanish Cup in disappointing fashion to Pontevedra in the very first round.

We were soon to get back on the wining trail though, and after nine games sat proudly in second place in La Liga. The press were taking notice, but it was early days yet, way to early to talk about a Championship bid. And indeed we were soon to be put firmly in our place as we were crushed at home to Real Madrid, and could only draw with Barcelona, before crashing to Betis, then Mallorca, and suddenly the honeymoon was over…….

Villarreal Club Song

La il•lusió de tot un poble,

industrial i llaurador,

és un club que a tots pregona

la força de l'afició...

La gent de la nostra Vila,

de la Plana, del Millars,

porta al cor la seua estima

per l'equip més exemplar.

Els nostres colors són el blau i el groc

i els nostres amors pel Villarreal;

en el Madrigal sempre lluitarem,

tots agermanats sempre animarem...

Canteu, penyes! Canta, afició!

Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal

[Tyrone the Magazine]

I thought I got an unfair amount of cards but yours sounds rediculous

[Guest]

Put your hands up if you feel inspired.

[Peacemaker7]

I Wanna Go Home……

A 4-0 triumph over Zaragoza finally brought our mini crises to an end, but if we had thought we were out of the fire, a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Deportivo soon disabused us of that notion. Yet our good start had given us a lot of breathing space, and the fans, although they didn’t of course like to be beaten, remained realistic about the quality of side. Not that we had a poor team, but it would take the Scots a season to find their rythym I expected, and of course there were those who didn’t really fancy Spain.

Come January, a few changes in the personnel saw the cry babies of Riordan and Thompson sent back to Blighty, as they felt they deserved first team football, and generally didn’t like me for not giving it to them. The arrivals of Ross McCormack and Alan Hutton in the transfer window bolstered the squad, and although it took Hutton a long time to settle, he became a key figure at right back. The squad was slowly taking shape, but I wouldn’t sign my two best players till the summer, when they were out of contract. Money wasn’t exactly at a premium, but we certainly couldn’t compete with Barca and Real, and so finding good Bosmans was the idela solution.

The season continued to be a bit of a see-saw, but that to be honest wasn’t totally unexpected, and floating around between 10th and 6th was a lot more than most people could have expected at the start of the season. An excellent 1-1 draw in Valencia went down well with the Villarreal fans, and meant we remained unbeaten against them, although the same couldn’t be said about Real Madrid as we lost there by a goal to nil. As the season wore on though, we were starting to believe we could clinch a UEFA Cup spot.

Spain had four places in the Champions League, with two in the UEFA and two Intertoto, and with the Cup Final being won by Betis who ended top six, it meant that sixth place would be enough to secure the coveted place, and so we made that our aim. At the start of the season, our target had been to avoid relegation, and we had already done that with ease. Getting into the UEFA would be an incredible bonus, and as we entered the final stages, we were guaranteed at least to be in Intertoto. Having come this far though, I wasn’t prepared to settle for that.

If the low point of the season had been the far too early cup exit, the high point surely came on the 22nd of April 2007, when we travelled to a Barcelona side who were only just above is in 5th place. After a fantastic battle, we came away with an excellent 3-2 win, and for a fleeting time there was a real chance we might even get into the top four. Sadly though, that wasn’t to be, as we lost two and drew on of our last five matches, as the pressure and excitement seemed to get to the players, and in the end we had to settle for 6th spot, and a place in the UEFA Cup.

Although in some ways 6th was actually disappointing, given that we had had the chance to get 4th, all in all it was an excellent achievement, and of course was the highest league placing the club had ever had. Darren Fletcher, who had arrived just as the season started on a Bosman, after some fierce contract haggling, proved his inflated wage to be fully worth it, as he was voted Player of the Year by the Villarreal Supporters Association, and I think was the proof that my Scots theme was working. Fletcher though had played too well, and wouldn’t be with us next season, as Real Madrid had tabled an offer we couldn’t refuse, quite literally, and so Darren would go off to join Barry Ferguson. But the money from that transfer would help fund my acquisition of two high quality midfielders.

There was more reconition for my achievements, as despite having won nothing, I was voted 3rd in La Liga Manager of the Year, which I accepted as a great honour. I think it was fair to say that my first season in Spain, although not setting the country alight, was a successful one. Now the task was to build on that success, and given that we had pushed our goals so high already, that wasn’t going to be overly easy…..

[Tyrone the Magazine]

Well done not a bad achievement

[Peacemaker7]

Onwards and Upwards

The squad I had put together I believed was good enough to do fairly well in La Liga. Indeed, having already managed a very good 6th place, I think the point was proven. However, when you get the chance to sign quality players, and on a free, then you cant pass that up. And of course, we did need to replace Fletcher. Enzo Maresca had left Newcastle in the summer, and I felt he was a player who could do a job for us, and was delighted when we managed to secure his signature. He would be joined in the midfield by Spaniard Andres Iniesta, who had been at Blackburn. The former Barcelona players was happy to return home, and along with Gavin Rae, I felt we had a formidable creative midfield trio.

Not surprisingly, we decided to go on a preseason tour of Scotland, and although it was cut short by Rangers involvement in the Champions League qualifying, we did manage to get three useful matches in, gaining draws with Dundee and Aberdeen, and rounding it off with an excellent 1-0 win over Scottish Champions Celtic. The draw for the 1st round of the UEFA Cup didn’t promise to give us an easy time, as we were paired with Austrian outfit Admira Wacker, but a good professional first leg gave us a four goal lead to take to Austria, where we finished the job with a 3-1 win, and easily reached the group stages.

In that group stage, we came out the hat with Chievo, Hamburg, Rio Ave and AEK. With three from five progressing to the next phase, I felt we could get through this with room to spare, but not for the first - or indeed the last – time in my managerial career, I was to be proved dead wrong.

The league started very well for us, as we won out first five matches, to sit top proudly of La Liga. However, when you looked at the table, you would see that we had played the teams who filled the bottom five places, so it wasn’t that great an achievement. Nevertheless, it was good for confidence and morale as we eased passed Las Palmas in the first round of the Cup, only to go out to Sporting Gijon in round two. Another disappointing exit, especially in light of our excellent league form.

By the end of 2007, we had lost only three league games, one of which had been the very last game of the year at home to Real Madrid. We were right in with the title chasers, but the press insisted it couldn’t last. Only time would tell if they were right, or if they were as usual, wrong. Back to the UEFA Cup, and we started with a rather disappointing 0-0 home draw with Chievo, and then were murdered 4-1 in Hamburg. Not exactly the kind of results I had been hoping for, and when we could only draw at home to Rio Ave, we were suddenly staring disaster in the face.

We had to win our final match in Athens against pointless AEK, and also hope that Rio Ave didn’t beat Chievo, or else we would be crashing right out of the tournament. Considering how confident I had been, this would be a huge and potentially devastating blow. The match in Greece was exceptionally tough, and we had to call on all our reserves to gain a slender 1-0 win, and as the other match ended in a draw, we had just scrapped into the knock out stage on goal difference.

As we entered 2008, there was a lot to be pleased about. I didn’t think we could win La Liga, not yet, but confidence was growing that we could at least qualify for the Champions League and that in itself would be an excellent achievement. Tye draw for the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup was disappointing in that we were paired with Betis, but at least it was a match we believed we could win, despite having lost there by a goal to nil in the League already.

All in all, it was shaping up to be a very exciting second half of the season for Villarreal……

[HD]

Hurrah.

[flipsix3]

Looks like I'm not the only one finding continental league action to be a real challenge

Great stuff

[Peacemaker7]

Toying With Glory

If 2007 had ended on a low note with the defeat to Madrid, 2008 started just as badly, as we lost successive matches to Mallorca and Barcelona, which put a serious dampener on our supposed title challenge. Thankfully though, we managed to overcome that start to the year, and once more put together and impressive run of form in the League, that only ended in mid March with a poor loss to Albacete. It was clear to me by now that we were not going to win the title, but then I hadn’t really expected to.

What was also clear though, was that we had an excellent chance of being top four, and that would mean a place in the Champions League for the first ever time. The highlight of our season probably came on the 16th March, three days before the loss in Albacete, as we travelled to rivals Valencia, who were also battling it out in the top four, and trounced them by three goals to nil. It was possibly the best performance in my time at Villarreal, if only because it was a great place to get such a fantastic result, and would keep the supporters happy for the rest of the season.

At this stage, we were still right in there with hopes of the title, but the defeat at Albacete was followed by too many draws, and a couple of losses, and at the end of the day, we had to settle for a 3rd place finish. Of course, that was a place we were delighted to have to settle for, and it would mean we would be into Europes elite competition next season, and that wasn’t something to be sniffed at.

In the UEFA Cup, our chances had been blown out of the water in Betis, as we played fairly poorly, and went down by 2-0. Its never over till its over though, and a 2-0 win over 90 minutes in the second leg meant extra time, in which Paul Gallacher netted a fantastic winner, and we were through to the last eight. Our hopes of further progression though were hugely dented when we were pulled out of the hat to meet AS Roma. But then, at this stage there not going to be any easy draws, and so we would simply have to rise to challenge. If we could win in Valencia, we could win in Rome.

Of course there was no way we were going to win in Rome, and yet with five minutes to go we found ourselves 2-1 up, and on our way to glory. Gaetano D’Agostino though had other ideas as he pulled the Romans level, but even so a scoring draw away from home was an excellent result, and now we only had to draw by less at home to go through. The fact that the matches with Roma came slap bang in the middle of slight form slump domestically, was perhaps no coincidence. Roma’s chances were given a severe blow when Chivu was red carded after only 35 minutes, but that didn’t seem to handicap the Romas too much as Michael Owen sent them ahead on the stroke of half time, to set alarm bells ringing. We had learnt not to panic though when going behind, and just after the hour mark, Paul Gallacher sent us level on the might, and of course ahead on away goals. With the 10 man Italian side running out of steam, Gallacher struck again with two minutes left, and we were through to the Semi Finals.

Having reached the last four, we could now start to think about actually winning the tournament, and when the draw paired us with Fenerbache, we had to believe we were in with a real shout. The Turks though probably also believed they had a chance, and the first leg at La Madrigal was a tense and hard fought affair in which an injury time strike from veteran Mendietta, who only played when the moon was blue, sent us to Turkey with a very slender lead. The important thing though was that we hadn’t lost that away goal, and as the Turks took the lead after just seven minutes in the return, that was proving to be quite important. Ten minutes into the second half we were level on the night, and of course now we had the away goal. Fenerbache equalised three minutes later, but they still needed another, and they pressed to get it so we hit them with a classic counterpunch, and the tie was effectively over. Just to make sure though, Gallacher added the winner seven minutes from time. A quite excellent win in a tough place, and we were into our first European Final.

Waiting for us in the Final were Internazionale of Milan, who were positive veterans when it came to European Finals. The match would be in Greece, and we were confident we could take that final hurdle and be crowned as lesser champions of Europe…….

[Tyrone the Magazine]

Looking good

[HD]

Hurrah!

[Peacemaker7]

UEFA Cup

We arrived in Greece as the clear underdogs. There were a lot of parallels to be drawn between this match, and the World Cup Final. Hopefully though, this would end with a much more satisfying result. Yet even in Spain, few people outside of Villarreal gave us much hope of bringing the trophy back.

With eight of the squad though having been with me in Germany, having played or at least been on the bench, for the World Cup Final, I was sure that the occasion would not get to us. Back in Scotland there were was must jesting that this was closed a Scots club side would ever get to a European Final. That, although mildly amusing, was little of my conern.

The Italians were up for this match too, and if we had thought they might underestimate us and take a win for granted, we quicly found out they hadnt. Just five minutes into the match Bob Malcolm tripped Obafemi Martins just outside the area, and Adriano blasted the ball beyond a helpess Graeme Smith. This wasnt quite the start I had been hoping for.

Fortunately though. we didnt crack, and we were proving to be at least equal to the task of the Milan giants. By half time we had taken what we hoped was the best they could throw at us, and went in still trailing by that early goal. We were far from out of this match, and with fourteen minutes left to play, Enzo Maresca, playing in what would turn out to be his third last match for the club, fired home a glorious equalizer, and now the ball was in firmly in our court.

Push as might though, we couldnt quite find that winner before the referee blew for the end of extra time. It would take an extra 30 minutes to decide the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, but the reality was, it only took three. The 93rd minute was when Dejan Stankovic sent Inter back ahead, and this time it was for good. Once more I had to watch my players pick up runners up medals in a Cup Final. At least this time though, we couldnt argue that we had been cheated.

We had given it our best shot, but at the end of the day it simply hadnt been good enough. The experience though would surely benefit us in the long run, and hopefully we would be ready for a good run in next seasons Champions League.....

[Euan]

Good stuff PM. Hopefully you'll get a bit more luck in any finals you reach in the future

[Peacemaker7]

Thanx Euan.

I really need to read what I type that update was pathetic, sorry.

[Peacemaker7]

Homeward Bound

The departure of Enzo Maresca in the summer, to Liverpool for £19M, was a huge blow. He had been an outstanding player for us, and although the money would enable us to bring in new faces, I wasnt sure if they would be of the same quality. Young French starlet Nicolas 'Nico' Arnaud , aged just 19, was a player I had been tracking, and decided to lure him to La Madrigal. He still had a lot to learn of course, but he looked a player with real potential, and I hoped he could replace the missing Maresca. That of course would be quite an achievement.

The big talking point in the summer for the Villarreal fans, the Maresca departure apart, had been of course the Champions League. We would have to play a qualifying match, and the draw for the 3rd round would see us with a tough tie against Romania's Dinamo Bucharest. A poor home performance saw us only manage a 1-1 draw, and our involvement in Europe's premier club tournament was looking like ending prematurely. But as the Romanians lost the plot in the second leg, ending the match with just nine men, we romped to a superb 4-1 away win, and this was just the kind of result to give us confidence for the season ahead. The draw for the group stage would see us face Ajax, Newcastle and Marseille. It was hardly the easiest group we could have had for our first ever attempt at the competition.

We were fairly confident going into the new season that we could at least repeat last seasons achievements, and hopefully even push closer to the league title. Yet if our start last season had been spectacular, this time round it was nothing less than shambolic. A 1-1 draw away to Deportivo was followed by a disgraceful 5-2 annihilation from Valencia. Yet in between these matches, we had pulled off an excellent 2-0 home win over Ajax in the Champions League.

Draws against Marseille and Newcastle kept us in the running to qualify for the last sixteen, but the Spanish Cup was to once more prove fruitless, as we crashed out rather pathetically away to Badajoz. By the time we went to Bilbao on the 25th October, we hadnt won a league match, having drawn four and lost two of our opening games, and rather than a title challenge, we were looking at a relegation battle.

This wasnt quite was I was hoping for, but it turned out that the match in Bilbao would be my last in charge in Villarreal, as I had been offered a job I could not in all honesty refuse. We were going home......

[rocheyuk]

Enjoying this. KUTGW

[Peacemaker7]

Return to Blighty

It had always been our plan to return to the UK after three years in Spain, unless we felt there was good reason not too. Derek was reaching the stage where he would soon be doing his important exams, and we felt he would be better off in a British school to do them, whilst the twins would be starting High School soon. In Spain, Elizabeth had also given birth to another set of twins, born on the 3rd of February 2007. Being that this was the date on which one of my musical heroes had died in 1959, we decided to name the twins, a girl and boy, Holly and Buddy.

Of course, had we stayed in Spain, the younger twins would have had the advantage of learning the lingo, but we knew we wouldnt be staying there forever anyway. Whether the bad start to that season had influenced me at all, I couldnt honestly say, but I think I would have found it hard to turn down the opportunity to manage the club I had supported all my life.

On the 27th October 2008, just two days after my final match in charge of Villarreal - a 1-0 loss in Bilbao - I was at a press conference in the Blue room at Ibrox, being unveiled as the successor to Bobby Williamson. The fact that I was the fourth person to be managing Rangers since that day in 2004 when I was appointed Scotland boss was irrelevant to me. I was confident I could bring the glory days back to the club.

I was sad to leave Villarreal, and I wasnt sure whether the fans there would think of me as a hero or a zero, but I was sure I had left the club on a good footing, and I hoped the new manager, whoever he may be, would be able to build on that. At Ibrox I had a massive challenge on my hands though. When I arrived, Rangers sat 7th in the table, a long long way behind a Celtic team heading for their 6th successive title.

It probably hadnt helped the club to have sacked three managers in just over four years. Last season Williamson had even taken them to their first trophy since the treble year of 2003, when his side had beaten Livingston in the League Cup. But for a club like Rangers, who had been runners up every year of Celtic's five successive titles, that simply wasnt good enough. I knew that I would have to endure a lot of frustration from the Rangers support in my inaugral season, because the fact was the squad as it was when I arrived simply wasnt good enough. We wouldnt win the League and I was quite blunt about that, and hoped the fans would see sense.

It would be January of 2009 before I would have any chance of bringing in new faces, and until then I would just have to deal with the current squad I had inherited. A squad that really was full of duds. It was going to be a long winter....

[Peacemaker7]

The Waiting Game

The state of the club when I arrived at Ibrox was a disgrace. I have no idea what management techniques Bobby Williamson was using, but they certainly hadnt been working. A few weeks earlier the side, having already crashed out of the Champions League qualifying to Brugge, had gone out of the UEFA Cup to to unknown Austrian side Bregenz. To cap it all, they had been mauled 4-0 by Celtic in the league, a result which almost literally ended any hopes the club had of winning the title.

I only had two days to prepare for my first match in charge, which would be a League Cup tie at Alloa. Of the Rangers squad when I had taken over Scotland, only Lovenkrands, Novo and Marvin Andrews remained, plus a handful of not so hot youngsters, and the players that my predeccesors had brought in didnt seem to me to be up to the job. They all had though, six months to prove me wrong. The press were up for the Alloa game, claiming this could be a repeat of Berwick in 67, but in the end they were wrong as we cruised to a 4-0 win.

We managed to put together a five game unbeaten run in the league, the only flaw being a draw in Dundee, before a 1-0 reversal at Pittodrie. But despite that setback, you could already see a difference about the club, as the confidence was slowly ebbing back. To the turn of the year we didnt lose another game, and although the title was well out of reach, we had pulled ourselves back into 2nd place and Champions League contention.

Come January the transfer windowed opened again, and that allowed be to get rid of some dross and bring in some new faces. It wouldnt be till the summer though that I would complete all the pieces of my team jigsaw. Of the players that did come in during January, the most influential ones, who would continue in the side over the summmer were, Czech centre back pairing Martin Latka and David Marek Rozenhal, Dutch right back Jan Kromkamp, Spanish striker Luis Garcia, and the coop of the winter, former Celtic midfielder Stilian Petrov.

Whilst the former three helped to shore up a leaky defence, Luis Garcia would end the season as top scorer, hitting 25 goals in 24 games. But it was Petrov who made the headlines, especially by telling the press that he had always wanted to play for Rangers, and had been happy when he had left Celtic for French side Montpellier.

The year of 2009 started well, with good wins over Dundee United and Aberdeen as the new players found their feet and settled in. the first big test though would come on the 17th of January, as Celtic came to Ibrox. Over the past five and half years, despite Celtics dominance in terms of winning the title, matches between the two had been remarkably even, and indeed the record slightly favoured Rangers.

The 4-0 drubbing earlier on though had allegedly shown that Celtic were pulling further and further away, and this was our chance to prove the critics wrong. With Petrov injured, few gave us much hope, but in typical fashion when things go against them, Celtic were reduced to 10 men on 27 minutes as Mark Kerr was sent off, as we dominated the play. One minute after the restart Luis Garcia endeared himself to the Rangers support for life by sending us ahead and substitute Craig O'Reilly wrapped up the points on the 74th minute. Celtic would still win the league, but at this moment victory over them was very sweet.

Our good run continued, as all thoughts of Blobby Williamson and his mis-management were swept away as we went unbeaten into March, reaching the Final of the League Cup, which would be against Celtic. At 2-0 down after 22 minutes, goals from Beattie and Pearson, the cause looked lost, but the team dug in and held firm. Eleven minutes after the restart, Luis Garcia gave us a lifeline but try as we might we couldnt quite pull level.

Finally, in the third minute of stoppage time as the Green and Orange minnions were wildly celebrating, Luis Garcia shut them up in an instant as he fired us level and we moved into an extra time period the produced no further goals. Ironically it was Luis Garcia who missed the vital penalty that meant that in the end it was Celtic who were celebrating, and I was yet again on the losing side in a Cup Final. And yet I was far from despondant. I had seen enough to know that we were not that far away from our rivals, and we would soon be overtaking them. I had full faith in that belief...

[Peacemaker7]

Dignity Above All

Although we had put together a decent run of results, the fact that the team wasn't quite the finished article was shown as we lost 1-0 at Easter road, and that result meant when we next went to Celtic Park, a win for our bitter rivals would give them a 6th successive title. I had known of course that they would win the title when I arrived, yet it still hurt to see them ease to a 2-0 win over us, which wrapped up their triumph. Yet even in defeat I was determined to remain dignified, and congratulated Celtic on a well deserved title. I also took the time to remind they would not get a 7th so easily.

In the Scottish Cup, which Rangers hadnt won of course since 2003, we progressed with relative ease, disposing of Ross County, Dunfermline and Dundee to set up a Final meeting with Celtic once again. In their six years of domestic domination, they had remarkly failed to achieve the domestic treble. Usually, when a team is so dominant they can clinch such a feat at least once, and perhaps this was to be their season. Not if I could help it though.

A draw against Hibs was the only blip before our final league match of the season, which saw us visit Celtic Park for a ridiculous 3rd time. Of course, the game meant very little as we went down 2-1, and the media immediately gave us no chance for the following weeks Cup Final. And to be fair who could blame them. But surely, I was due a win in a Final, and what sweeter way than to end their treble dream?

Hampden was awash with Old Firm hatred for the second time this season as the teams ran out on the 23rd May 2009, with Celtic fully expecting this to be their treble celebration day. Six minutes into the game, Valgaeren tripped Luis Garcia just inside the area, and Spaniard himself stepped up to score. It would give the Celtic support and management something to whine about if they lost, if nothing else.

My team were really fired up for this, and although for some of them particularly goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka, and late substitute Nacho Novo, would never play for the club again, they were giving it their all. Second before the end of a first half we had totally dominated, Martin Latka headed home a Petrov corner and the Cup was in our grasp.

Of course, I had seen cups taken away from my grasp before this, and I certainly wasnt counting any chickens. Ten minutes after the break though, Graham Weir added a third and the Scottish Cup was ours. I had finally guided a side to winning success, and you could almost feel the tide of power turning once more in Scottish football. If Celtic wanted that 7th successive title, they would have to fight for it, of that I was doggedly determined.....

[flipsix3]

Silverware at last, bravo that man!

[Peacemaker7]

That Winning Feeling

Having finally cracked the key to success, there was much celebration both at club and amily level. With the exception of Derek of course, who went about sulking all summer becuase we had ruined his treble dream. Still, he would be moving out soon, and could go and live with O'Neil if he wanted. I think though he was just being a typical irritating teen.

All summer the Scottish Cup stood proudly on my dinning room table, until Mr Murray phoned me and informed me that in reality the Cup should be in the Rangers trophy room and could I please make sure it got there. My main focus of the summer, once the euphoria of success had died down, was to strenghten the squad for our title push, and of course to be able to compete in the Champions League. Jan Lastuvka had not been as consistant as I would have liked in a keeper, and so I decided he could go. My main keeping target had been bringing Graeme Smith back to the club, but he chose to go to Arsenal instead. In the end I settled for Paul Gallacher and Alan McGregor, both of whom I knew I could trust from my Scotland days. In the youths, we had the strangely named Scott Scott whose parents clearly had no imagination. Scott though, at 17 years old, seemed to have the potential to be a decent keeper, and we would have to keep a close eye on his development, although it was unlikely he would make any first team starts for a while.

In defence, Latka and Rozenhal had formed a good partnership, and with another kid, 16 year old Chris Henderson looking to be the part here, the players we brought in would only be back up, including 20 year old John Armstrong from Airdrie. Kromkamp would remain at right back, but it was left back that seemed to be a problem. Henderson could play here, but he was way too young and untried. Fortunately, Clive Clark - a player who was at the club when I arrived - showed to me that he was in fact more than capable of filling in here.

One player I had wanted to bring back to Ibrox was Bob Malcolm, who had always played competantly for me in the holding role in front of the back four. Bob though was reluctant to return, and who could blame him really. Instead I had brought in Ian Murray, who remarkably had still been at Hibs. The midfield was an area I felt we really did need to strengthen. Petrov was the man to build round, and in bringing back former Ger Stephen Hughes, and acquiring former Hearts kid Joe Hamill, I felt we had a midfield that could match anyone in the country, and the back up players would do the job when needed.

Up front we had the third kid from our academy looking to shine. Indeed, it was a pleasure to finally see some decent Scots youths as they were very thin on the ground it seemed to me. Chris King, at 17, would not be a regular starter, but he would surely get a run here and there and we'd see what he could do. Another young Scot, Ross Hepburn - a former Celtic youth - was brought in from Aston Villa, and with the arrival for Garry O'Connor, I felt we had some real competition for the place beside Luis Garcia.

The nice thing about the squad now was that it contained a backbone of Scottish talent, and that had been my aim from the start. Whether the side was good enough for the season ahead, only time would tell, but I was fairly confident. Two preseason games, at Alloa and St Mirren, were all we could fit in before we headed to Ireland for a Champions League 2nd round qualifier with Shelbourne. This was a match which in all honesty we should win, but even I didnt quite expect the way we performed in the first leg, as we ran out 7-0 winners, including a hattrick from new boy Hepburn. In the home leg, if the fans were expecting another goal glut, they were to be dissapointed as we cruised through with a 2-0 win.

The draw for the 3rd round though made us shake in our boots, as we were given a tie that would give us an early test of the potential of our squad. I wasnt sure that we were ready yet to meet a side of the quality of Liverpool, but we would just have to get on with it. The first leg was at Ibrox and it was important we get a win here. Ten minutes in Hepburn responded to my call with a great strike, but just three minutes later Ibrox was silenced as Jose Mari pulled Liverpool level. The goal seemed to knock the wind out of us, and the sides went in level at the break.

Rejuventated at half time though, Hepburn restored our lead seven minutes into the second, and then Petrov hit a six minute double salvo and we were cruising now. Fifteen minutes from time, Luis Garcia made it an incredible 5-1 and Ibrox was rocking. The joy though was slightly tempered when Cavenaghi got a second for Liverpool, and I had a gut feeling that it could be a crucial strike. Even so, its not every day you beat a team with the quality of Liverpool by such a score, and we had lots of reasons to be happy.

In the return though, my fears were soon realised as Cavenaghi struck twice in the first half hour, and Liverpool were out for blood. On 35 minutes though, Garry O'Connor gave us what should have been a nerve settling goal, but it lasted only 2 minutes before Djibril Cisse made it 3-1 to Liverpool on the night. When Stephen Hughes made it 3-2 in the fifty second minute, my immediate reaction was that surely that was us. At least now we couldnt lose on away goals, but no sooner had I thought that when Liverpool scored a 4th. This tie was becoming the stuff of legend, as we grimly tried to hang to our lead. Thirteen minutes from time though, Biscan added a fifth, and remarkably, with scores at 7-7 on aggregate, we were into extra time. A Garry O'Connor strike in the 95th minute surely made us secure for the group stage, but still Liverpool refused to give up as Cisse grabbed a 6th on 114 minutes. Thankfully though, that was the end of the scoring, and after two of the most incredible games of football I had ever seen, the scores ended 8-8 on aggregate and we had reached the Champions League groups on the away goals rule.

The group stage saw us in with Ajax, Rosenborg and Cypriot shock troops APOEL. It was a group we could be confident of qualifying from, and one thing was for sure, we would surely never have two games like those against Liverpool ever again.....

[Tyrone the Magazine]

Congrats on cup success

Well done with the great games against Liverpool too.

[titto]

That's strange, I always thought that a goal in extra time didn't count as an away goal.

Anyway, great story

[Peacemaker7]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by titto:

That's strange, I always thought that a goal in extra time didn't count as an away goal.

Anyway, great story <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes you're right. IRL the rule has been changed so that away goals no longer count in ET, however it seems no-one told SI

[bjorn]

This is top stuff PM. Congrats on the succes also

[binny]

Fantastic result against Liverpool

Best of luck for the rest of the season

[Peacemaker7]

Thanks guys

It was certainly 'interesting' against Liverpool, thats for sure. I dont think i've ever had a tie like that before in any version of CM.

[Peacemaker7]

Lovely Jubbly

Despite the defeat in Liverpool, which if you took as an isolated result wasnt really all that spectacular, we had made a decent start to the season. By the time we travelled to Rosenborg on the 8th of September, we had won all five league matches, and sat happily at the top of the SPL. Celtic, who had only lost three league matches all last season, had gone to Easter Road on the 23rd of August and lost 2-1. Even this early in the season, such a result could prove to be significant as it was hard to see either side dropping too many points.

In Rosenborg we coasted to a quite surreal 6-0 win, and a further two league wins later we destroyed Ajax 4-0 at Ibrox. And yet good as those results were, we found ourselves being outshone by the Cypriots, APOEL having stunned Europe by winning 2-1 in Amsterdam, and then gubbing Rosenborg 3-0 in Nicosia. It would have been easy for us to laugh to at those results, but we now had the shock side in a double header. We could ill afford to underestimate them.

The Ajax match was followed by two key early season games, as first we had to travel to Easter Road, and then it was the Old Firm match at Ibrox. With Hibs flying high, and looking like serious contenders for the title, this was their chance to prove the point. Four minutes in, with Luis Garcia missing, Martin Latka sent us ahead from the penalty spot. But if the Rangers support had thought we were in for an easy afternoon, they were to be proven to be dead wrong. Just three minutes later the Hibees were level, and on the stroke of half time, Ian Murray seemed to forget he had moved clubs as he put the ball past Gallacher, and Hibs went in ahead at the break.

Three minutes after the interval, Ross Hepburn pulled us level, and if truth be told I would have happily settled for a point here. Hibs though wanted the win and Stephen Dobie restored their lead on 58 minutes. It was hard fought match, and Hibs were certainly looking like a side who felt they could mount a challenge this season. Eleven minutes from time, teenage striker Chris King pulled us level once more, and then with three minutes left, just as everyone was settling for a draw, Garry O'Connor bagged what could in the long run turn out to be a crucial winner.

The win at Easter Road had given us a head start over Celtic, and as they came to Ibrox they knew a defeat would leave them six points adfift. Not an impossible marging to pull back, but psychologically threatening. Craig Beattie sent a fired up Celtic ahead after just five minutes, but the match was to end in a draw as former Celt Stilian Petrov equalised eleven minutes into the second half. Honours even in the first battle of the titans, and now we had our cypriot double header that could see us with egg all over our faces...

[Peacemaker7]

The Rain in Cyprus

If APOEL arrived at Ibrox expecting us to take them for granted, they were soon left in no doubt as to our intentions. Hughes and a Petrov double had us three up inside 25 minutes, and when the Bulgarian completed his hattrick before half time, it was clear there was going to be no shock here. Petrov was to get a 4th after the break, and goals from Hughes again, and Hepburn, coupled with a red card on the 55th minute for Stylianou meant a convincing win for us.

In the return in Nicosia, the Cypriots were a lot more compact, and at the end of the day a no scoring draw was enough to see us through to the last sixteen. Taken alone, such a result may be laughed at, but APOEL also joined us in the that last sixteen despite further defeats from both Ajax and Rosenborg. Their dream run though would come to an end at the hands of Valencia, but they had still put Cyprus firmly on the footballing map, and deserved a lot of credit.

Having reached the last sixteen with two games to spare, our final matches were won comfortably enough, and we would now face German side Werder Bremen. We expected this would be a tough tie, but we also expected we could win it. Only tie would tell, and Europe was now a good few months away. Meanwhile we had to set about bringing the SPL title back to Ibrox.

By the time we travelled to Celtic Park on the 27th of December, we were still unbeaten and indeed the only points we had dropped were to Celtic at Ibrox. They meanwhile, as well as the defeat at Easter Road had dropped points in successive weeks with a draw at Kilmarnock follwed by a 1-1 draw with Hibs at home. It seemed that although Hibs own title challenge was fading, they were still having a huge say in who would be Champions.

We were, therefore, seven points clear by the second Old Firm meeting and it was being labelled as a title decider if we won. Theres no denying moving ten clear would be a huge obstacle for our rivals to overcome, but it wouldnt in my opinion decide anything just yet. On the day, the match ended in another draw and we remained those seven points clear as we moved into 2010. The title race was far from over, we still had to play Celtic twice, but we had a good lead, and if anyone wanted to stop us now, they would have to put together an amazing run of form......

[Peacemaker7]

To Flee?

In mid December we recieved a serious blow to our hopes, as right back Jan Kromkamp picked up an injury that would keep him out for three months. Luckily, come the transfer window, we brought in one or two promising young players, including Andrew Cave-Brown from Norwich. Born in England, he claimed to be a Scot, and already had one u-21 Cap for Scotland. It hadnt been my intention to throw the 21 year old into the side, but Kromkamps injury left me little choice. Its fair to say though that Cave-Brown fitted in fairly well.

I have to admit though, that by this time I was feeling a little bit of frustration. It wasnt to do with the club directly, but the fact that being Scottish, we couldnt attract the star players. Even less than star players turned us down, feeling a move to the SPL wouldnt be worth it, and so when the Birmingham City job became available, I was sorely tempted to apply for it. It would be a great challenge, but at the end of the day I decided that it would be unfair to uproot my family again so soon, and I would wait till the summer before making any decisions on my future in the game.

2010 started with a tough home game with Hibs, but our form saw us through fairly easily by three goals to nil, and it seemed we might go the season undefeated in the League. Of course, thats a dangerous things to think, and away to Livingston we finally succumbed to overconfidence as we crashed 2-1, and then a 1-1 draw with Dundee United saw the gap at the top the table reduced to just two points, and the press were wondering if we were starting to crack.

Livingston were never going to win the title, that much was very obvious, but they were sure to have a big say in the race as they stunned Celtic as well by 1-0, in between our rivals defeat to Chievo in the UEFA Cup, and Hibs also managed to hold the Celtic to a 1-1 draw at Easter Road, so the gap at the top was back to four points as we went to Hampden to take on Falkirk in the League Cup Final. Of course, we also had a game in hand now.

The Champions League resumed as we travelled to Germany and tore Werder Bremen apart by 4-1, but in the return the cracks continued to appear as we struggled to find any form, before finally running out 2-1 winners, and our reward was a tie with Manchester United in the Quarter Finals. The Scottish Cup had also given us a corker of a match, as we would face Celtic in the Semis.

The League Cup Final against Falkirk was predicted to be a very one sided match, and that was how it turned out. A Luis Garcia hattrick, albeit two penalties, and a fine Garry O'Connor strike saw us ease to the win, and now we were on course for the domestic treble. A lot had changed since my arrival 18 months or so ago.....

[Peacemaker7]

A Bridge too Far?

An all too easy win at Dens Park over Dundee in the match after the League Cup triumph, as we ran out 4-1 winners, set us up nicely for the clash of the season, as Celtic came to Ibrox needing to win to keep the title race alive. A win for us would push us ten points clear, and although in my mind it wouldn't guarantee us the title, time was running out and it would certainly go a long way to doing so.

The gathering injury and suspension crises that would see young reserve player, Kevin Cawley, thrown into the fray, hadnt quite arrived as Celtic took to the field. Indeed, apart from the longer term injury to Joe Hamill and returning from injury Kromkamp not being fit enought to start, this was the strongest line up we had, and would be the strongest side we would be able to field for over a month to come. We had no excuses then should we fail to deliver, and I virtually said as much in the press. I expected to win this game, and I wouldnt accept anything less.

You dont need to be lifted for an Old Firm game, and this day for sure our players didnt. Just two minutes in, and Stilian Petrov fired us ahead, and when O'Connor made it two near the half hour, the Ibrox crowd expected a mauling. Of course Olf Firm games rarely work that way, and Celtic entrenched themselves in defence, trying to keep the score respectable. Which they did to an extent, despite Luis Garcia added a 3rd on 52 minutes, and now the title was firmly in our grasp. Of course, there were still a few hurdles to jump, and one of those was against the 3rd best side in the country at Easter Road. On the day though we proved too strong, winning 3-0 and the title came that bit ever closer.

The Champions League Quarter Final against UEFA Cup holders Manchester United would be played on successive Wednesdays, with no league match in between. This would be a huge test for us, and would let us see just how big the gap was between ourselves and the top sides. Five minutes into the first leg at Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney had sent United 2-0 ahead, and it was becoming quite clear the gap was still enormous. Rio Ferdinand added a 3rd on 38 minutes, and although we did have chances to claim what could be a vital away goal, we failed to take them and when Rooney completed his hattrick in injury time, we knew our Champions League dream was over.

There was a strange air of depression hanging over us for that week, releasing that we were, it seemed, still some way away from being a side who could compete with the very best. In the return though, we at least matched United, and a Garry O'Connor goal in the 92nd minute gave us a win that at least showed we might not be as far away as we thought. Still, the bottom line was we were out of Europe, but having reached the last eight we could be proud of our efforts.

And having come through that torment, we now had to go to Hampden, to Face Celtic in the Scottish Cup Semi Final, with five key players missing. This would be their chance for revenge. We had killed their treble dream last season, and now they would be out to kill ours this. We simply would have to prevent them from doing that.....

[Peacemaker7]

The Jitters

No sooner had we bid farewell to Manchester United, we were off to Hampden for the Scottish Cup Semi Final showdown with Celtic. Apart from our 3-0 won at Ibrox, the teams had been evenly matched, and the press were predicting a cracker. Old Firm matches rarely live up to their hype, but this match was to prove the exception. Kevin Cawley, whom we had picked up from Plymouth in the January window, was another former Celtic player. At 22, he certainly wasnt a kid, but so far had made little impact on a midfield that was top class. With the gathering injury crises though, he had been thrown into the team and today he made a huge hit with the Ibrox support as he thundered a glorious 25 yard strike past the helpless Gordon Marshall, and after 16 minutes we were ahead.

The lead though was to last only eight minutes before Jermain Defoe pulled Celtic level, and the tempo of the game was set. It was fast, but it was also skilfull, a rarity in these matches. Come the end of an absorbing first half, honours were even, but five minutes into the second and we were ahead again, this time through Garry O'Connor. This time though, the red white and blue legions had even less time to cherish being ahead. Just three minutes in fact, when Craig Beattie pulled Celtic level again. Both sides looked like they could score any time they went forward, but neither did and in the end the match ended 2-2, and we had a replay.

The replay would mean that all in, we would have played Celtic six time by the end of the season, coupled with the five times we met them last season after my arrival, that meant that in just under two years since taking charge, I had seen a ridiculous eleven Old Firm matches. This was another reason why I was becoming discontent with life in the SPL. Discontent or not though, life went on, and for the second time in four days the Old Firm lined up at Hampden, but this time there would be a winner whatever happened.

Just four minutes in, and Defoe had Celtic ahead after a blistering start, but we too could battle from behind and just seven minutes later former Celt Petrov saw the tie levelled for the 3rd time. As you might expect, the replay wasnt quite up to the pace of the first game, but neverthless it had excitment of its. Still, come the end of ninety minutes neither team had scored again, and so we needed another thirty minutes of Old Firm football to seperate the side.

Yet that half hour proved fruitless, and so for the second time we had a penalty to shoot out to decide the winner. Last year we had lost the League Cup Final on the shoot out, and when Petrov missed his first spot kick, there were shades of deja-vu. Amazingly though Craig Beattie missed Celtic's 4th and it was all square once again.the shoot our sent on, and on and on, until up stepped Kevin McKenna with Celtic's ninth spot kick, with the scores at 8-8. He could only watch in despair as his shot sailed over the bar, and that left our goalkeeper Paul Gallacher to score to put us into a Final against Hibs. Which he did.

Yet if the people in the press had been sure that this was Celtic's last chance of a trophy this season, we were about to prove them wrong, as we completed the matches before the split by drawing with both Aberdeen and Livingston, and it seemed that the pressure was finally starting to get a team who were looking more and more jaded by the day. With Celtic breathing down our necks, it was important we didnt slip up in the first match after the split, at home to Dundee United. We had hoped Livingston might do us a favour, as they were at home to Celtic, but they try as they might, they went down 1-0. For an hour we huffed and puffed against United, and then the referee came to our rescue with a penalty which Luis Garcia scored, and six minutes from time Kevin Cawley eased the pressure with a second and it was more than relief as the referee brought the match to an end.

That win was vital, because with Celtic at home to Dundee, we were now off to Easter Road, knowing that a draw would leave us four clear of Celtic with three to play. And we had them at Ibrox next. Hibs had had a really good season, and with a bit more consistancy, they might have been real title challengers, so we knew this was going to be a tough match, and we werent dissapointed. In the 71st minute though, Chris King grabbed the goal that might just be the one to ease any final pressure, and four minutes from time returning from injury Joe Hamill made the points secure. And as the news came through from Celtic Park, the champagne was into the ice bottles ready for use, as Celtic had only drawn with Dundee, and the title was as good as ours.

Celtic came to Ibrox knowing that they had to win to prevent us doing to them what they did to us last season. Winning the title against your bitterest rivals is always sweet, and we were determined not to blow it. The side though were looking a shadow of what they had bee earlier in the season, and when Defoe put Celtic ahead from the penalty spot just after the hour, it looked like we would have to wait to uncork that champagne. Kevin Cawley had other ideas, and looking for a permanent first team slot, he levelled the match on 68 minutes, and Celtic couldnt raise their game to score again, and for the first time in seven years, Rangers were Champions of Scotland.

Our last two league games were won with ease, as we finished on 99 points, and then it was off to Hampden for the Cup Final with Hibs, and a chance of treble glory. Although I didnt know it at the time, this would be my last match in charge of Rangers, and it was end in dissapointment as the game went to a penalty shoot out, which Hibs won. Finally their Scottish Cup Jinx had been killed, and the truth was we couldnt deny them the win after they had such a decent season. Winning the treble would have been nice, but we would just have to content ourselves with a double......

[gonch19]

just wanted to say well done, i like the story

[Peacemaker7]

Thanks!

[Spav]

A very enjoyable read. KUTGW

[Peacemaker7]

Breaking Point

It all started when the press suggested that Tottenham manager Peter Taylor was under real pressure, and could soon be shown the door from White Hart Lane. I half jokingly told Elizabeth that I might just be tempted to move there if the position became vacant, and she just about hit the roof at the possibility of uprooting the family again. So far she had more than supported me in my career, and she knew that we would probably move again soon. Her concern was that we had only been back in Glasgow less than two years, and she really didnt think a move was right.

Yet somehow the Tottenham job appealed to me, and when someone from the media suggested to me 'off the record' that it might be a good move, I made the mistake of saying that if the job came up, I might be interested. It was back page headlines the next day that I was off to London, and their was outrage and dismay from the Rangers support who didnt want me to leave. There was even worse outrage in my own home though, as Elizabeth stated that if I did move to London I could do so alone.

Only a few days laterm there was more speculation, as Chelsea, despite having just won the English FA Cup, decided to part company with current manager Lorenzo Serra Ferrer. Whether it was because of my interest in Tottenham or not I was never sure, but suddenly my name was the top of the Chelsea list apparantly, and when Peter Kenyon called to ask if I would be interested, I felt this was just too good a deal to turn down. Chelsea were still a rich club, and could be turned into title contenders in England again, and could also do well in Europe. And I would be able to sign virtually anyone I wanted. I decided to take the job.

It was, family wise, possibly the biggest mistake I'd ever made, as Elizabeth was true to her word, and didnt move with me to London. Part of the reason was that we couldnt sell our house in Edinburgh, and partly because it wasnt easy to find to somewhere we liked in the London area. For eight months I stayed in a hotel, before we finally managed to find the place we wanted in Kent, and two months after buying, Elizabeth and the two sets of twins moved down. Derek stayed in Scotland, to study at Glasgow Uni.

It was perhaps a sign of my growing obssession with the game, that I didnt actually miss my family at first, and it was only looking back that I realised how close I had come to losing them. At the time though, I was more concerned with getting the players I wanted to Chelsea and turning them from a 6th places team to the title winning sidethey had been on 2007 & 2008. And I knew the pressure would be on from the start, as the Chairmain, Mr Abramovich told me he wanted that title and anything less wouldnt be acceptable.

With money to burn, and club people wanted to play for, my first port of call was Ibrox where in a strange turn of fate Ferrer had replaced me. I tempted away Joe Hammil, and also kids Chris King and Chris Henderson whom I believed could go on to great things. I finally got my hands on Charlie Adam from Valencia, and Graeme Smith from Arsenal, and the team was one more built around a Scottish foundation. Just before he left, Ferrer had signed the prolific Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona, and with players such as the veteran Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and John Terry adding experience, I also acquired exciting young Frenchman Nico from Villarreal and 19 year old French central defender Jerome Bonneau from Lens. In the Chelsea youth side I found two players who could play the holding role in front of the back four. Many people said I was insane for pitching 18 year old Daniel Duncan and 16 year old Lewis Carroll into the first team squad, especially as King and Henderson were 18 and 17 respectively. You cant win the English title with teenagers.

But I honestly believed I had the right blend of youth, experience and skill and we would be a tough team to beat. I also knew that my reputation would be shot to pieces if I failed to deliver.......

[flipsix3]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peacemaker7:

Many people said I was insane for pitching... 16 year old Lewis Carroll into the first team <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Christ, I bet he thought he was in wonderland!!

[Peacemaker7]

Yeah, claiming hes only 16 as well

[Peacemaker7]

Just a quick note, that as we enter 2010/11, the story has now 'caught up' with the game, and so the updates are likier to either be slower, or more frequent game time wise. It depends how I feel at the time

[maollelujah]

Nice story... Now I am off to see if Sir John can wiggle out of the devil's crasp.

[Terk]

very enjoyable tale, PM and it's good to see joe hamill doing well

[Peacemaker7]

You dont think he might be a tad overrated Be interesting to see if he can hack it with Chelsea though.

[Peacemaker7]

World Cup Fever - Again

Of course, being 2010 that meant it was World Cup Finals time again. Whilst I was frantically trying to pur together a side that could take Chelsea to the EPL title, 32 countries were battling out for the biggest prize in football. For Scotland though, there would be no repeat of 2006, as an opening defeat from South Korea saw them on the back foot, and despite a win over UAE, a final match draw with Italy saw Scotland crash out.

England were also to crash out once more at the group stages. Despite a 2-1 opening win over Holland, followed by a draw with the Czech Republic, a final match 2-1 defeat from group winners Bulgaria saw England sent home to think again. Apart from South Korea, the other 'shock' troops from the group stages were Saudi Arabia and Kenya, but they were to both go out in the 2nd round.

South Korea themselves lost to Denmark in the last eight, and indeed the Danes were to go all the way to the Final, against France. Interestingly, the Danes and the French had met in the group stages, the French running out 2-0 winners on that occasion. The Final was a bit tighter, ending 0-0 after Extra Time, and it was France who took their second World Cup title on the penalty shoot out.

Meanwhile, Chelsea were going through pre-season, and my first match in charge was a bounce match against Rangers, which they won 1-0. A decent draw with Valencia, annd then an unbeaten three game tour of France set us up for a practice match with the A side taking on the B , and the A side winning by 4-0. I wasnt sure if that was really a good or a bad thing.

The bookies had made us 3rd favourites to win the title, but the performance against Liverpool in the Community Shield left me wondering if I hadnt made a huge mistake. In the end, we only lost 1-0 but it was the lacklustre showing that left me feeling very down. I simply couldnt see how this team could fulfil the chairmans desires....

[OMDave]

Just read three pages of this to catch up on what I'd missed -great story, it reads very pleasantly

Hope the youngsters make the grade

[Terk]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peacemaker7:

You dont think he might be a tad overrated Be interesting to see if he can hack it with Chelsea though. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

it would seem that's he's vastly overrated. in reality i doubt he'll ever be better than a decent hearts player. hope he can hack it at chelsea, though

[Peacemaker7]

August/September 2010

Of course, I couldnt allow my own feelings of despondancy to get through to the players. It was still very early days, and my main problems were that the Chairman was probably expecting far too much, too soon, and that I didnt have my wife to go home to of a night. Indeed, it wasnt easy living in a hotel room, and perhaps that too had contributed to my mood. I began to feel that perhaps it was time to get out of football, but having just signed a very lucrative contract here, I felt it wouldnt be right to just walk away.

When I heard that Valencia had made a bid for Rangers Stephen Hughes, I decided that I had to bring him here. I had built up a bit of a rapore with Stephen at Ibrox, and after watching the preseason games I had the feeling we might need a bit more guile in midfield. I felt Hughes could provide that, and so tabled an £8.5M bid, and a week or so later I captured my man. Towards the end of August, I made what I hoped would be my final signing for now. I hadnt been overly happy with the contribution from Eto'o and felt I needed someone else up front. Barcelona striker Fernando Torres was rumoured to be wanting a move to England, and so after a short negotiation, I snapped him up.

In the League, we started brightly enough with a 2-0 opening day win at home to Southampton. Joe Hamill in particular, along with Charlie Adam, had been outstanding in the middle, and Nico was looking like he could also shine in the Premiership once he settled in to his new country. A nil all draw away to Villa wasnt a bad result, and at home to Manchester City, Charlie Adam hit a hatrick to goals from Chris King and Nico as we ripped them apart.

It might seem churlish, but something just wasnt right for me, hence the moves for Hughes and Torres. And just before the derby with Tottenam, the other team I could have moved to in the summer, Joe Hammil picked up an injury that would keep him out for a couple of months. It was a serious blow, and against our neighbours we didnt play at all well as we went down by a goal to nil.

A 2-0 home win over Leicester was followed by a dissapointing draw away at Charlton, and then we were off to Bucharest to play Rapide in the UEFA Cup 1st round. When Torres sent us ahead on 13 minutes it was looking good, but the signs that we still have a lot of gelling to do as a team were clear to see as we ended up losing 2-1. Still, I believed we would should be good enough to complete the task at home. In Sheffield we finally broke our away duck, with a comfortable three nil win over Wednesday, young Chris King hitting his 5th goal in 6 games and looking like establishing a good partnership with Torres, who also scored. The result meant we ended September in 4th spot, with 14 points from seven game. Yet we were already seven points behind behind a Manchester United side who had won all seven matches. It wasnt looking too good.

In the UEFA Return, a nervy 90 minutes saw us scrape through 2-0 on the night, and into the group stages. We would be playing Antespor, Shaktar, Rapid Vienna and Pananthinaikos, and although I was nearly left with egg on my face when I stated this with Villarreal, but this was a group that if we didnt get throught with ease, a lot of our players ought to be very ashamed....

[Peacemaker7]

October- December 2010

Easy wins over local rivals QPR and Fulham, set us up nicely for our opening game in the UEFA Cup group stage, which would be in the Ukraine. The 2004 election was being recast for 110th time. With every losing candidate claiming that the election had been rigged, it seemed that Ukraine would never have a government. That though was little of our concern, and a competant performance from us saw come back with a 2-0 win and three vital away points in this strangely thought out competition.

The visit of high flying Birmingham was greeted with much anticipation by the Chelsea fans, but it was to end in bitter dissapointment as we went dowm 1-0. A severe blow to our title hopes, especially as our next League game would be at leaders Manchester United. A 1-0 win over Swansea saw us into the 4th round of the League Cup, but despite a 3rd minute strike from Fernando Torres, and a brave battling performance, we were to go down by three goals to two, and already the title was looking very distant even though we still held 3rd place.

A win in the UEFA Cup over Rapid Vienna did little to cheer the despondant Chelsea faithful, but a good 1-0 triumph over Arsenal helped wipe away a good bit of the depression. Leeds were seen off as we progressed to the Quarter Finals of the League Cup, where we would go out in a dismal 2-0 defeat in Portsmouth. A 2-0 win over Panathinaikos saw us into the knockout stage of the UEFA, and our final game loss to Antepspor was meaningless. In the last 32 we would play Russians Lokomotiv Moscow, a tough tie but one we should be winning.

Back in the League, wins over Newcastle, Hull and Middlesbrough kept us just about in contention with United, but as the year ended with draws against Burnley, Liverpool, Portsmouth and a loss to Southampton, things were starting to get a little bit rough. We ended 2011 in 3rd place still, but a massive 12 points behind Manchester United.

The League race was far from over, but the discontent amongst a Chelsea support who expected way too much was rising. There were some positives though. Chris King, with 10 goals in 13 starts and four sub appearances had proven himself at the top level, and look a striker who could go on to great things in the game. French midfielder Nico was maturing into a great players, and wowing people every week with his performances. For Joe Hammil though, there was only heartache, as having just recovered from his three month lay off, he picked up another injury that kept him out for a month, and his dream move was turning into a nightmare. But then, it seemed so was mine....

[Peacemaker7]

The End of the Road

The pressure was mounting as we entered the New Year. It was my belief that the expectations of the Chelsea support were unrealistic, and childish, and that the Chairman was acting like a stupid fool. Consecutive defeats to Manchester City and Tottenham had the supporters up in arms, and yet the season was far from over. I just couldnt understand why they were so upset, when we still had a slim chance of winning the title, still in Europe and still in the FA Cup. A lot of supporters would give their right arm to be in that position.

The poor start to the year was soon overcome though as we dumped Crystal Palace and Norwich out of the Cup, and draw for the Quarter Finals saw us face Tottenham. Four straight League wins a row saw us sit fifth in the table, with a game in hand that would we us move to within six points of Manchester United if we won, and there was no way the title race was over. A 9-1 aggregate win over Lokomotive Moscow seemed to be ignored by the supporters, and when our FA Cup tie with Tottenham ended in a goalless draw, Abramovich came into my office and told me I was sacked.

It was a stunning, unbelievable childish move by a chairman who clearly had lost his grip on reality. I decided that I wasnt taking this lying down, and took Chelsea to an industrial tribunal, charging them with unfair dismissal. In my opinion I had done little wrong, and the tribunal agreed with me as it awarded me £5M compensation, being the amount of my outstanding contract plus extra compensation.

I decided that now was the time to walk away from football. I had seen the good and the bad side of the game, but the bad side had left me sickened and dissapointed. Seven years ago, I had arrived at Hampden as a nobody, and I left Stamford Bridge under a shadow. But I was no longer a nobody, and the money I had made from the game would enable me to live in comfort with my family for the rest of my life.

All in, I have no regrets. I believe I proved myself as a manager, and I can hold my head up high. Hopefully, history will not think of me as a nobody, but will treat me as a somebody....

The End

[Peacemaker7]

I've decided to end this here, for now at least. I think its the perfect place to end, and would make sense. I will probably keep the save file and might do another story using it, as its good to have a file so far on, but I have another idea for a story I want to do for now, and with my Met Police one I dont want to have anymore stories on the go, so although I was furious as being sacked (they didnt even give me a warning!) I guess its all for the best.

Thanks to everyone who read, and to those who replied with encouragement, its very much appreciated!