sherm Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 November 23rd, 1975. A young woman gives birth to a boy. The woman, aged 19, has lived her life on the streets. An orphan, and with nowhere to go, she had her son taken away and she was put into care. The son, who hospital staff named Hugo, was put into a nearby orphanage, but it wasn't long before he was taken home by a middle aged couple, Janet and Peter McAllister. They brought Hugo up in the right way, living a good life in Edinburgh, and when the young man was 13 he signed up for Aberdeen's youth team. Football had been the first real passion in Hugo's life, the one thing to get him away from it all. At Aberdeen, he played for the youth team for three years, and at age 16 he was spotted by then manager Jocky Scott, who brought him into the first team squad of a struggling side. Whether it was Hugo, or whether it was fate, no one knows, but in their last 9 league games they dropped just two points, eventually finishing 4th. Hugo started every one of those last 9 games, scoring four goals and becoming a real favourite with the club. His debut came against Hibernian, in March 1992, and from that point he played 198 games in 6 seasons with the club, scoring 76 goals. He holds a place in the hearts of the fans at Aberdeen, particularly because he is the only man to be unbeaten as captain of the club. In 7 games he captained the side, they never lost, and his best result came at Ibrox, as his side humiliated then Champions Rangers 5-1 in front of their own fans, Hugo himself scoring three of the goals. In 1997, aged 23, he found himself leaving the club of his dreams, after the struggling side had sold him to Aston Villa for £4 million pounds, a fee never heard of for a Scottish player. Unfortunately for Hugo, his career at Villa Park never kicked off, and in three seasons he only played 43 games. He was loaned to Watford, and helped them earn promotion to the Premiership under Graham Taylor, proving himself an essential cog of the team with 23 goals that campaign. His international career kicked off in 1994, as he made his Scotland debut in a friendly against Poland. He eventually went on to gain 24 caps, scoring 15 goals, and playing in all three of their Euro 96 games. Hugo should have had more caps, and would have had more caps, but an incident in Germany that saw himself and three of his team-mates caught in a bar put paid to his Scotland future, and he never played a game for the national side after that. The 2002/03 season should have been a defining moment for Hugo, but it ended in tragedy, his playing career ended in a road accident. A car crashed into Hugo's motorcycle, sending him flying off the road, and his injuries were so sever it cut his career short at the age of 27. A tragedy for such a gifted player. He knew he wouldn't kick a ball again, so went into coaching, gaining the UEFA Gold award within four years. That brings us to now, July 2007. Aidy Boothroyd, after seeing his Watford side relegated from the Premiership, stepped down from his post as manager. Many high profile names were said to be interested, but once Hugo put his name into the hat there was only going to be one winner. The fans were desperate to have him in charge, and their affection for him still held dear, despite the fact he played just 57 times for the club. As it was, the board were under intense pressure, and they wanted the man to be the right man to guide them back to the Promised Land. On July 12th, 2007, Hugo McAllister was appointed the new Watford manager at the tender age of 31, making him the youngest manager in English football. Hugo held the club in high regard, and he wanted to make the club one of the most respected and well remembered clubs of the next few years. He would bring some Scottish charm and wit to the South of England, and the fans would love him even more than they do now. Authors Note : Game being played on FM08, with English Leagues up to League 2, Spanish Primera and Scottish Premier Division loaded, and a Large database. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 November 23rd, 1975. A young woman gives birth to a boy. The woman, aged 19, has lived her life on the streets. An orphan, and with nowhere to go, she had her son taken away and she was put into care. The son, who hospital staff named Hugo, was put into a nearby orphanage, but it wasn't long before he was taken home by a middle aged couple, Janet and Peter McAllister. They brought Hugo up in the right way, living a good life in Edinburgh, and when the young man was 13 he signed up for Aberdeen's youth team. Football had been the first real passion in Hugo's life, the one thing to get him away from it all. At Aberdeen, he played for the youth team for three years, and at age 16 he was spotted by then manager Jocky Scott, who brought him into the first team squad of a struggling side. Whether it was Hugo, or whether it was fate, no one knows, but in their last 9 league games they dropped just two points, eventually finishing 4th. Hugo started every one of those last 9 games, scoring four goals and becoming a real favourite with the club. His debut came against Hibernian, in March 1992, and from that point he played 198 games in 6 seasons with the club, scoring 76 goals. He holds a place in the hearts of the fans at Aberdeen, particularly because he is the only man to be unbeaten as captain of the club. In 7 games he captained the side, they never lost, and his best result came at Ibrox, as his side humiliated then Champions Rangers 5-1 in front of their own fans, Hugo himself scoring three of the goals. In 1997, aged 23, he found himself leaving the club of his dreams, after the struggling side had sold him to Aston Villa for £4 million pounds, a fee never heard of for a Scottish player. Unfortunately for Hugo, his career at Villa Park never kicked off, and in three seasons he only played 43 games. He was loaned to Watford, and helped them earn promotion to the Premiership under Graham Taylor, proving himself an essential cog of the team with 23 goals that campaign. His international career kicked off in 1994, as he made his Scotland debut in a friendly against Poland. He eventually went on to gain 24 caps, scoring 15 goals, and playing in all three of their Euro 96 games. Hugo should have had more caps, and would have had more caps, but an incident in Germany that saw himself and three of his team-mates caught in a bar put paid to his Scotland future, and he never played a game for the national side after that. The 2002/03 season should have been a defining moment for Hugo, but it ended in tragedy, his playing career ended in a road accident. A car crashed into Hugo's motorcycle, sending him flying off the road, and his injuries were so sever it cut his career short at the age of 27. A tragedy for such a gifted player. He knew he wouldn't kick a ball again, so went into coaching, gaining the UEFA Gold award within four years. That brings us to now, July 2007. Aidy Boothroyd, after seeing his Watford side relegated from the Premiership, stepped down from his post as manager. Many high profile names were said to be interested, but once Hugo put his name into the hat there was only going to be one winner. The fans were desperate to have him in charge, and their affection for him still held dear, despite the fact he played just 57 times for the club. As it was, the board were under intense pressure, and they wanted the man to be the right man to guide them back to the Promised Land. On July 12th, 2007, Hugo McAllister was appointed the new Watford manager at the tender age of 31, making him the youngest manager in English football. Hugo held the club in high regard, and he wanted to make the club one of the most respected and well remembered clubs of the next few years. He would bring some Scottish charm and wit to the South of England, and the fans would love him even more than they do now. Authors Note : Game being played on FM08, with English Leagues up to League 2, Spanish Primera and Scottish Premier Division loaded, and a Large database. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 The squad I had at my disposal had some real quality to it already, a squad built by previous manager Aidy Boothroyd. The transfer market was a key thing, particularly for a Championship side, and although I had just over £8 million pounds at my disposal, I was determined to use it wisely, and not spend the money irrationally. Before any signings were made though, I managed to offload £8,000 off the wage bill, Gavin Mahon moving to Premiership side Wigan for £250,000. This left us with plenty of other options at the back, and I was quite happy to go with what we had. The squad was already full of talent, although between the sticks it was a straight fight, with Mart Poom and Richard Lee the goalkeeping options In defence, Lloyd Doyley was the first choice at right back, while Jordan Stewart was my favourite for the left back spot. In the middle, Danny Shittu and Jay DeMerit were my first choice centre backs, with the experienced Matt Jackson and youngster Adrian Mariappa the back-up options Our midfield was a very strong area, with Santiago Aloi and Al Bangura the candidates for the holding role in front of the defence. Lee Williamson and the currently injured Damien Francis were prime to fight for the central midfield role. The wings were due to be occupied by Jobi McAnuff, Tommy Smith and Anthony McNamee, and I was confident we had a very strong midfield to be more than good enough to compete in the Championship In terms of Strikers, we were strong in that area too, with two proven Championship quality strikers in Nathan Ellington and Marlon King, with 20 year old Tamas Priskin as the natural back-up. Further to that, we had Steve Kabba and Darius Henderson, meaning that the strength in depth was second to none in the striking department. I came to the conclusion that we were decidedly weaker in defence than in attack, but I had my problem positions at the top of the list that needed to be sorted out as soon as possible. The squad we had was already full of quality and we had the ability to win promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 The first transfer of our season was completed very soon after, Manchester City's goalkeeper Joe Hart joining on a season long loan, strengthening the options between the sticks, giving us three 'keepers to choose from. I was delighted to have secured Joe's services, as he was highly rated by both his club and his country. He went straight into the squad for the opening friendly too, taking his place on the bench for the trip to Boreham Wood I wasn't too happy with playing pre-season matches against lower league opponents, but with the games having been arranged before I took charge there was nothing I could do about it. In the end, the home side proved to be no test for us, as first half goals from my first choice strike partners Ellington and King secured the win. Ellington's pace taking him past his man and round the keeper, before King headed home Lloyd Doyley's cross. The second half saw a different side, as I made 9 changes throughout the second half. --- My playing career was relatively successful, or at least I think so. My time with Hibernian saw me play nearly 200 games for the club, and from midfield I scored 76 goals, a record I'm proud of. If I'm honest, I was never a flair midfielder. I was a box to box player, working for the team, and my stamina levels were high. I like to think of myself as a good player, and the Hibernian fans might be inclined to agree. My hero was Glenn Hoddle. He was a hell of a player, I just thought he was brilliant. He should have earned 150 caps for England, not 50. I wanted to be like him so much. When I moved to Villa, I thought I had my big break, but it never worked out. When I moved to Watford, I had my best season ever, scoring 23 times in 45 games. I helped them earn promotion, and I thought I was a favourite with the fans. The next year, my career was ended in a car crash, and I went on to earn my coaching badges. Now I'm here at Watford again, this time as the manager. --- Cheltenham provided our next pre-season opponents, and once again we were not tested at all. The victory was even more comfortable than the previous one, and once Marlon King opened the scoring after 16 minutes it was the sign for the floodgates to open. Tamas Priskin doubled the lead, while Danny Shittu headed home a third right on half time. Priskin and King both scored again in the second half to round off an easy 5-0 romp, a performance that impressed me a lot. Fair enough, it was only Cheltenham, but it was still a mightily impressive win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 My international career was quite a short lived one, I only earned 24 caps. Maybe I should have earnt many more, and indeed many people agree with that view. My debut came against Poland, and I scored twice in a 3-1 win. Getting a standing ovation when I came off after 83 minutes of that game brought a tear to my eye. It was incredible. Now if I was to tell you that my life was textbook, and perfect, then I would be lying to you. The car crash that ended my career also brought more heartache, as my girlfriend Emma was injured so severely that she is resigned to a wheelchair. We've been together for twelve years, seven when the accident happened. We're married now too, got married in 2005, and it was the happiest day of my life. She looked beautiful in her dress, and that day will live in my memory. She has never let the fact she is in a wheelchair bother her, and she is the most amazing and incredible woman I have ever met --- Our third pre-season match saw us travel down to non-league Northwood, and for the third straight game we ran out as comfortable winners, this time the final result was 3-0. Nathan Ellington grabbed a brace, while Marlon King's fourth goal of the pre-season saw us have the game secure by the interval. It was yet another impressive performance, and with the players getting fitter by the day, I was delighted with the way that the season was shaping so far. King and Ellington looked like forming a productive partnership up-front, and the defence was yet to concede a goal. 24 hours after the game, I secured another signing for the team, this time it was Blackburn's central midfielder Bryan Hodge, a player I felt would improve with experience. Although he wasn't quite ready for the first team just yet, for a fee of £28,000 I was more than happy to take the gamble of signing the youngster. He did have obvious qualities, and his tackling ability was exceptional, even at his tender age. I still wanted more cover in the centre of midfield, but Bryan would see some playing time He did just that in our toughest test of the pre-season so far, an away game against Brighton at the Withdean. He started in the central midfield role, and certainly impressed in the first half. The goals didn't come till the second half though, as substitute Will Hoskins volleyed home from the edge of the area. Al Bangura settled the score with nine minutes left, curling home a free-kick from 20 yards. Once again, we kept a clean sheet, and another good performance made me happy. We had just one game left in the pre-season campaign, and with the players really starting to gel together I was becoming more and more content with the job I was in Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 That final pre-season game was against Tranmere at Prenton Park. Though the home side tried valiantly, they couldn't contain our quality. Tommy Smith put us in front in the opening three minutes, and Marlon King continued his good form with the second goal. The third goal came in the second half, with sixteen minutes left, as the promosing youngster John-Joe O'Toole hit a sweet half volley from thirty yards to secure us a 100% record in pre-season, with fifteen unanswered goals in five games. --- With the opening day of the season fast approaching, I had time to make another signing, this was a signing that I was delighted to secure. West Brom's central midfielder Ronnie Wallwork had, for whatever reason, fallen out of favour at the Hawthorns, and with the price tag of just £100,000 attached to him I was quick to fork it out for the former Manchester United man. Ronnie fitted in brilliantly with the rest of the lads, and his obvious abilities were easily recognisable. He went straight into the squad that travelled down to Leicester on the Friday night for our opening game. It looked like it would be a tough test for us to pick up a positive result in the match, as the home side were one of the favourites for promotion, but I was confident in my side's ability to pick up the win Leicester had some good players, and their Walkers Stadium was a lovely ground. As I made my way to the dugout I realised that this was where my future lay. Being a football manager was what I wanted, and the atmosphere was unbelievable. It got a bit more hostile fifteen minutes into the game, as Nathan Ellington latched onto a poor defensive pass and slotted home past Marton Fulop. 'The Duke' probably should have had another goal before half time, but fired straight at Fulop, while the Hungarian 'keeper pulled off an unbelievably good save from Marlon King. To be fair, it wasn't all one way traffic, as the home side had their chances, but with both Poom and Fulop on good form we held on for a solid win against a pretty good side. We didn't need to wait too long for our next game, as Gillingham provided us with our first round League Cup opposition. It was a competition the board seemed to want us to do well in, but I was not inclined to agree. I didn't really care too much for the Carling Cup, with promotion to the Premiership my main priority. With this in mind, I rested several players from the starting eleven, and the team I put out was still one I fully expected to beat our League One opposition. After 23 minutes, we were well on the way, Jobi McAnuff's tap in put us in the lead, but our inability to convert the chances that fell our way was our downfall, as Steve Lomas equalised after 72 minutes to send the game into extra time and eventually, a penalty shoot out. Our exhibition of penalty taking was shocking, as we scored just once and succumbed to a 4-1 defeat and a first round exit, not something I was too upset about to tell the truth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 Preston made the trip south to Vicarage Road yet, and despite having some good players, I expected us to beat Paul Simpson's faltering side. We started well, forcing Preston 'keeper Andy Lonergan to pull of two good aves, from Marlon King and Lee Williamson. We didn't have to wait long to take the lead though, Marlon King converting Tommy Smith's cross. Going into the break, we should have been further in front, and had it not been for Lonergan we would have been. Our inability to yet again convert our chances cost us dearly, as the visitors got themselves back into the game after 68 minutes, former Liverpool man Neil Mellor firing past Mart Poom to earn his side an undeserved point. Even after the equaliser, we could have won the game, creating three more decent chances, but we had to settle for just the one point. --- The first time I captained the club, I was so proud. When I led the team through the tunnel and onto the pitch, I felt on top of the world. Without a doubt, my best game as captain came at Ibrox, as we humiliated then champions Rangers 5-1. I don't know whether it was the occasion, or whether it was just one of those days, but everything clicked into place that day. I had a brilliant game, scoring three and having a hand in the other two goals, and after that game I was a real hero to the Aberdeen fans. I just loved the adoration I got from the fans, and even now I still get appraoched by Aberdeen fans, wishing me well and asking how I am. I love that, I really do. I have to say, I still crave for that passion of being on the field, joining in with the team, but I can settle for the management size of it. I love this, it's definately something for me, and I want to be here for a long time. I love it. Football is my life, and my passion, and I want football in my life for a long long time. The final game of the month saw a trip to the Midlands to face Mick McCarthy's Wolves side. They had some good players, and I was a little wary about their ability. I had nothing to worry about come the end of the game, as a solid and professional performance from the team saw us run out as comfortable 2-0 winners. Marlon King's header just before half time sent us in ahead, and Nathan Ellington rounded Matt Murray to seal the win and double his personal tally for the season. The monthly awards saw Marlon King pick up second place in the player of the month award, while midfielder Al Bangura came third in the young player of the month category. The awards were not something that was extremely important to me, but it was always nice to see players pick up awards as an acknowledgement for their hard work throughout the month. I didn't get in the top three for manager of the month, but that suited me just fine. I could go about my business quietly and just let the team do the talking on the pitch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 August 2007 Summary (Championship unless stated) Leicester 0-1 Watford Ellington (15) (League Cup 1st Round) Watford 1-1 Gillingham (Gillingham won 4-1 on pens) McAnuff (23) : Lomas (72) Watford 1-1 Preston King (22) : Mellor (68) Wolves 0-2 Watford King (45) Ellington (59) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 I was happy with the start that the side had made, although the board were not too pleased with the early exit from the Carling Cup, something I hadn't really been unhappy about. Still, I expected the month of September to start with a win, as Ian Holloway's Plymouth made the trip to Vicarage Road. Marlon King picked up a slight knock in the warm-up, which saw him drop to the bench and Tamas Priskin came into the starting line-up. It was our left back Jordan Stewart that put us in front however, latching onto a loose ball and hitting a 25 yarder into the top left hand corner. Once again though, our worrying habit of creating chances and not finishing them hit us again, as we should have been three or four clear come half time. It wasn't until twelve minutes from time that we looked to have secured the points, Priskin firing across the 'keeper and into the far corner. This looked like being enough to give us three points, but two awful pieces of defensive play cost us the points, as first Rory Fallon and then Paul Wotton capitalized to give their side a point --- My coaching talent, and my eye for spotting a player was apparent quite early on in my career, in fact it was my first manager Jocky Scott that spotted it. I always used to give my advice after the game, and even at the age of 17 I was invited to all the captains meetings. When the crash happened, and my career ended, it was Graham Taylor that suggested I go on the UEFA Coaching course. I did go on it, and I actually enjoyed it. I didn't think I would, I thought I'd miss the football too much. The coaching was what I wanted to do, I knew that from the very start of the course. It took four years of damn hard work, but I got there in the end. I never expected to get into a job as quick as I have, but I'm at the club that gave me a chance to coach. I will always be grateful for that, and the club holds a dear place in my heart. An away trip to Lancashire to face Burnley was next on the agenda, again a game I expected to win. It was the home side that took the lead though, Michael Duff heading them in front after 7 minutes. Jordan Stewart equalised, his left wing cross beating everybody and dipping over the head of the Burnley 'keeper and into the far corner. We went in at the break in front, thanks to Tommy Smith's left footed half volley on 39 minutes. Elliott's equaliser looked like it might secure his side a point, but it wasn't to be, as substitute Tamas Priskin broke clear of the defence and slotted the ball home underneath the onrushing 'keeper to give us a win we needed after a disappointing result against Plymouth. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 The first (and only) major tournament I played in was Euro '96 in England, a tournament that went quite well. I mean fair enough, we didn't qualify, but we had two good results in the group, one which contained Holland, the host nation England and Switzerland. Our first game saw us play Holland, a game which nobody expected us to do anything in, but we gained what I thought was a very creditable 0-0 draw. Early on in the match Holland threatened to overwhelm us, and Andy Goram made a great save from Seedorf. From the resulting corner, de Boer saw his shot handled on the goal line by John Collins, but fortunately for us the referee failed to see the incident. This seemed to motivate us, and from then on in we played brilliantly, with both Gary Mac and John Collins had opportunities well saved. We threatened the most during the match and in the second half, we created more opportunities when Spencer came on as a substitute for Booth, but in the absence of Ferguson we probably lacked a striker who was capable of causing the Dutch defence problems. I came close late on and in the end we settled for a fine draw, although we could have had a win --- Stoke were our next opponents, and they had shocked everybody with their impressive performances last season. They shocked me in this game too, as they were very resilient in getting a draw. We did have chances, Marlon King, Jay DeMerit and Tamas Priskin all missing chances to put us in front. Sidibe missed the visitors best chance, but King, Williamson and McAnuff missed good chances in the second half, and we came out of the game with a 0-0 draw that we should have turned into an easy win, without a shadow of a doubt. I was disappointed with some of the performances so far, and with some difficult games coming up I knew we had to improve our performances drastically if we were going to stand a chance of gaining promotion. The team knew I was upset, and it was nice to see that they got their heads down and worked hard in training, and with a tough match coming up next they really worked hard during the next few days That tough game saw Crystal Palace make the trip to Vicarage Road, and we had a blow before the match, Tommy Smith picking up a thigh strain, which meant Anthony McNamee took his place on the left wing. It was McNamee who set up the first goal, his deflected cross falling into the path of Ellington who slotted home past Julian Speroni. Marlon King doubled our lead twelve minutes into the second half, heading home McAnuff's cross, but the man who provided the second goal put himself into my bad books, as his rash tackle resulted in a yellow card, but he decided to have a moan at the referee about the said tackle, earning himself a second yellow and an early bath. Luckily, it didn't affect the result, and we ran out as 2-0 winners, but Jobi's foolishness could have cost us so dearly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 The best midfielder I ever played with was Gary MacAllister. He was never rated as world class, but when you played with him it really showed off his true class. His passing was second to none, and although I only played with him at international level, I learnt so much. He was not only a top notch footballer, but he was a generous guy too. He did so much for charity, and when it came to family, nobody was a better husband or a father. I am so grateful to Gary, he took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew. I owed so much to him, and he is still a very good friend of mine. I have had problems, sometimes I struggled with the fact that Emma was in a wheelchair. Gary was brilliant, always there for me, and for that, he will always have my friendship --- Newly Promoted Bristol City provided us with our final opposition of the month, and despite the fact that they were newly promoted, they had looked comfortable at this level. They had some good players, in particular dangerman Lee Trundle, and I was slightly wary of their threat. I was proved right, as Enoch Showunmi put his side in front just 24 seconds into the second half. We had to wait until the last ten minutes to get ourselves a point, Tamas Priskin sliding the ball underneath the Bristol City 'keeper, although the amount of chances we had, it should have been three points. I was disappointed to have drawn three of our games, and although draws are better than defeats, we needed to start turning some of thos draws into wins, and converting some of the many chances we were creating in matches Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 September 2007 Summary (Championship unless stated) Watford 2-2 Plymouth Stewart (2) Priskin (78) : Fallon (86) Wotton (90) Burnley 2-3 Watford Duff (7) Elliott (58) : Stewart (10) Smith (39) Priskin (84) Watford 0-0 Stoke Watford 2-0 Crystal Palace Ellington (16) King (57) Bristol City 1-1 Watford Showunmi (46) : Priskin (81) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny.harv Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Good start Sherm Looking forward to more Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Cheers danny.harv. Its always nice to get support from other people and really encourages me to keep going --- We had started well, and September had been relatively successful. I was happy with the way the team were performing, although the lack of goals had me worried. It wasn't like we weren't creating chances, but we could not seem to finish them as much as we should be. With this in mind, I was slightly worried going into our opening game of the month, a trip to London to play recently relegated Charlton. They were a side that should be heading the table, especially with the amount of talent and depth in their squad, and I would quite happily have settled on a point from the game. Four minutes into the match we were behind, Luke Varney sliding the ball past Mart Poom. I hadn't counted on Marlon King though, as the big man sent us in at the half time interval in front, thanks to two goals in four minutes. He completed his hat-trick nine minutes into the second half, his looping header sealing the victory, but the scoring wasn't finished, as Lee Williamson scored his first goal for the club after 66 minutes to send us to a very good victory over a very good side --- My footballing philosophy was one of attacking proportions. I believe that you cannot win football games if you do not score goals, and as a player, and now as a manager, I instilled that into the team I was involved with. We had been creating chances in games, and it seemed to be all coming together in the previous game against Charlton. I wanted the team to score more goals than whoever they played, basically, if you score three, we'll score four, which was always a good thing to have, especially in our division, and I wanted us to carry that philosophy into the next match That next game was a home game against QPR, and typically, it finished 0-0. It was a dire game, one that we should have won easily, but we barely created a chance. The QPR defence stifled everything we had, and no matter what we threw at them they stopped it all. Marlon King and Tamas Priskin missed a couple of good chances, and the visitors had a few good opportunities, but we couldn't find the opening and had to settle for a point Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 The chairman had invited myself and Emma to one of his 'social gatherings' at his mansion. I was never really one for parties, always prefering the more quieter occasions or a bit of time to myself in the house. I didn't really think it was appropiate to say no to my chairman, so I accepted the invitation. As it was, I ended up going to the gathering on my own, as Emma couldn't make it due to previous commitments with friends. I was glad in a way, as maybe it gave me an excuse to get out of the chairman's early. Champagne was flowing, and with many suited and booted men there, I expected a few high and mighty looks. As it was, I was quite surprised, as many of the chairman's friends were down to earth, genuine people. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I had a good time. I might even go to another of the chairman's little gatherings --- On the pitch, I was struck by news of an injury to Jordan Stewart, on which would keep him out for up to a month. As my search for a replacement left back had been unsuccessful, youngster Jordan Parkes was the only man who looked capable of stepping into Jordan's on form shoes. It was a massive blow, and a bigger one was to follow when Ronnie Wallwork was added to the injury list with a bruised foot, which meant Douglas Rinaldi came into the squad. Parkes started on the left, while Rinaldi took his place on the bench for the trip to Ipswich, another game I thought could be difficult. This proved to be an inaccurate assessment, as we found ourselves four goals clear within the opening 35 minutes, thanks to a hat-trick from Nathan Ellington and Jobi McAnuff's free-kick. Danny Haynes got a goal back for the home side, and Billy Clarke halved the lead fifteen minutes from time, but Ellington grabbed his fourth goal four minutes before the end to seal a fabulous victory and send us into second place My worry about the lack of scoring had been blown out of the window in the last three games, as we had scored 9 times, against two very goos sides, and both away from home. I expected more goals at Vicarage Road, but our away form was a lot better than it was at home. Not that I was complaining mind, I was just happy to be on course for promotion and having the team starting to find their scoring boots Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 The stunning win and performance against Ipswich had left me in a good mood, one made even better by Marlon King's return to the starting line-up alongside Ellington. Lee Williamson picked up a knock in the win at Ipswich, meaning a half fit Ronnie Wallwork had to be put on the bench, with Douglas Rinaldi starting. Jordan Parkes had been impressive in the previous game, and I had no problem keeping him in the team. The visitors for the game were Sheff Wed, a side struggling down the bottom of the league. Marlon did the business again, heading us in front after 18 minutes, but Marcus Tudgay's sublime volley levelled the scores for his side. After that, we dominated the game, King completing his hat-trick and Wallwork scoring with his first touch to give us another comfortable victory --- I remember going to watch Aberdeen for the first time with my dad, I was 7 years old. He took me to Pittodrie, which was his side. We lived closer to other grounds, but Aberdeen were always his team. That day, January 23rd 1982, was a bitterly cold day, typically Scotland really. I took my seat, next to my dad and his friends, with a hot flask of hot chocolate. They were playing Kilmarnock that day, and the atmosphere was incredible. From that moment on, I was hooked. Although the Aberdeen side were on the wrong end of a 2-1 defeat, I wanted to go every week. I went until I signed for the club, for 6 years I went to Pittodrie every week. I loved it. Admittedly, Aberdeen are seen as my hometown club, but for some unknown reason, I hold Watford in my heart. I can't explain it, I just want to make Watford the most successful side ever. I love the club, I really do. The month closed off with an away trip to Iain Dowie's Coventry, another game I felt could be tough, but our away form had been very good of late. This fact seemed to bolster the side, Tommy Smith sliding us in front after 8 minutes, although within 60 seconds we were pulled back, as Simpson headed his side level. Tamas Priskin put us in front for a second time, after 35 minutes, but again we were pulled back by that man Simpson again, this time he waited five minutes to pull his side level. The second half was one way traffic, as the lads took my words on board and dominated the possession. We made five top notch chances in the match, and should have won the game, but the we could not find our way through to the Coventry goal and we had to settle for just the one point. Marlon King earnt the player of the month award, after two hat-tricks and a string of excellent performances, while Jordan Parkes came third in young player of the month, despite having only played twice for the first team. I had been delighted to hand Marlon the player of the month award, one he thoroughly deserved, and his 9 goal haul so far had seen us up to second place in the league. I also had my scouts out on assignments, as the winter Transfer Window was a matter of weeks away, and I was always looking to strengthen the squad with new and quality acquisitions. A left back had been top of my list, but with Parkes looking more than capable of holding his own it was not as important as it used to be. I did want a central midfielder though, a creative player who could burst forward, almost like a Frank Lampard style role. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 October 2007 Summary (Championship unless stated) Charlton 1-4 Watford Varney (4) : King (32,36,54) Williamson (66) Watford 0-0 QPR Ipswich 2-5 Watford Haynes (42) Clarke (75) : Ellington (2,20,34,86) McAnuff (28) Watford 4-1 Sheff Wed King (18,30,pen 55) Wallwork (72) : Tudgay (26) Coventry 2-2 Watford Simpson (9,40) : Simth (8) Priskin (35) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Goals were coming rather more freely now, and the worry I had going into November was the fact that we had kept three clean sheets in our last ten games, and with clean sheets a key part of winning games I wanted us to be a bit tighter at the back. The first opportunity for us to do this was a home game against the Simon Grayson infused Blackpool. The side that Simon had created were much like him as a player, tough and gritty, and they were a darned hard side to beat. This showed, as they were the dominant force throughout the first half, and Keith Southern's 20 yard drive put them in front a minute before the interval. As it was, my Alex Ferguson impression at half time seemed to do the trick, as Nathan Ellington and substitute Douglas Rinaldi scored our goals and sent us through to a 2-1 win, which was quite comfortable in the end, seen as we dominated the second 45 minutes and created 6 or 7 good chances, but I was happy enough to settle for the one goal victory <pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> PL W D L GD PTS 1. Sheff Utd 14 9 4 1 +17 31 2. WATFORD 14 8 6 0 +16 30 ------------------ 3. Southampton 14 7 6 1 +14 27 4. Leicester 14 8 3 3 +9 27 5. West Brom 14 8 1 5 +14 25 6. Preston 14 6 6 2 +2 24 ------------------ 7. Sheff Wed 14 6 4 4 +4 22 8. Plymouth 14 6 4 4 +1 22 9. Barnsley 14 5 6 3 +8 21 10. Wolves 14 6 3 5 +1 21 </pre> The table made for good reading, as we sat unbeaten in second place, and although it would be nice to be in first place, I was confident that we could do it eventually, although we did have some games against some of the top 6 coming up in the next few weeks. I had faith in my players, and the fans had faith in me, and I want to go up with the league title in my hands, with the fans adoring me as a real legend at this club Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishLad Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 this is a good story man keep it up good to see you had a good start, 14 games and not one loss is great I know you didn't field a full strength team for the League Cup (i never do either) its just a shame you didn't progress a little further still promotion is they key Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 A tough away game was next on the agenda, with a visit to the Hawthorns to play 5th placed West Brom. Tony Mowbray's side had some real talent to choose from, and particularly upfront they were dangerous, so I was wary of the threat that they posed. Come the start of the second half though, I needn't have been, as it looked like we were going to cruise to victory thanks to first half goals from Jay DeMerit, the American rising highest to head home Smith's corner, and Hungarian Tamas Priskin sliding underneath the home 'keeper. We should have taken all three points from that position, but Bartosz Slusarski pulled a goal back on the hour, capitalising on McAnuffs poor pass, and another bad piece of defending from Jordan Parkes allowed McDonald to equalise and earn a point for his side which there was no way they deserved, as we had run the game from first whistle to last whistle --- There had been some interesting transfer targets in the market, although one of particular interest to me was Ranger's midfielder Kevin Thomson. He was unhappy at Ibrox, and disillusioned with his sides poor start to the season which saw them sat in 5th after 13 games, a position they should not be occupying. He was a hell of a midfielder, reminding me of the role that Paul Gascoigne used to play for England, and I was very interested in signing him. Keith Burkinshaw, my assistant, a man whos judgement I trusted without a shadow of a doubt, recommended him, but felt he might not want to move anywhere lower than an average Premiership club. I made the enquiry to the Scottish side, who held my offer in consideration, but I did inform the scouts to keep their eyes out for other potential targets, should Kevin not wish to move Newly promoted Scunthorpe were our next challenge, and without their top scorer of the previous 3 seasons Billy Sharp, they had struggled to adapt to Championship life, sitting 23rd in the table. I planned on making life even more difficult for them, and with that in mind, Ronnie Wallwork came into the side in place of Rinaldi, while Ellington dropped to the bench to make way for Marlon King. It was Marlon who got us off and running after 14 minutes, using his pace to break clear and slide in his tenth goal of the season. He doubled that lead 13 minutes later, Priskin winning a penalty and Marlon duly ramming it into the top corner. The visitors got back into it right on the stroke of half time, Brett Ormerod beating Poom with a delicate little chip, but Jobi McAnuff's sole second half strike just four minutes from the end was enough to put the seal on the win and make it comfortable enough, a win which sent us top thanks to Sheff Utd's surprise home defeat to Burnley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 Thanks a lot IrishLad, it's always good to know that people are interested in my writing --- Unfortunately, the win against Scunthorpe brought a major blow for us, as Marlon King picked up a torn calf muscle that would keep him out until January, meaning that Priskin would get his chance for some regular playing time. His first chance for that would come in the teams trip to Southampton, the team sitting in third place in the league. If I'm honest, it wasn't the greatest of games to watch for the fans, but the key was that one goal decided the game, that coming from Tommy Smith in the 26th minute, as he broke free of his marker and slid the ball home underneath Bialkowski. Chances were few and far between in the match, the best for the home side falling to Marek Saganowski, while Nathan Ellington missed two good chances in the second half, but we held on to claim the win and all three points. --- There had been some possibilities that had been thrown up to me from the transfer market, and there were two in particular that caught my eye. One was left winger Jorge Rojas, who looked like he could do a hell of a job at this level, even though he was the wrong side of thirty. He could play on the left of midfield or the left side of defence, something which I had been looking for since the Summer transfer window. Another player who looked like he might be a useful acquisition was Aberdeen's central midfielder Barry Nicholson. The man who occupied my old position at my old club looked a good player, and one that I was quite happy to bring to the club. Bids were duly faxed off to both of the respective clubs, and I was hoping to complete the transfer dealing in time for the start of the January window November drew to a close withg a home game against Hull. They had some talent among the ranks, with Jay Jay Okocha and Henrik Pedersen in particular. In the end, neither of them made any difference to the game, as a Tommy Smith goal in either half secured three points for the side. His opener came on 26 minutes, heading home McAnuff's cross before he slid home underneath the Hull 'keeper in the second minute of injury time, extending our lead at the top of the table to 6 points, making me a very happy man going into the Christmas period Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 November 2007 Summary (Championship unless stated) Watford 2-1 Blackpool Ellington (67) Rinaldi (74) : Southern (44) West Brom 2-2 Watford Slusarski (60) MacDonald (72) : DeMerit (17) Priskin (41) Watford 3-1 Scunthorpe King (14,pen 27) McAnuff (86) : Ormerod (45) Southampton 0-1 Watford Smith (26) Watford 2-0 Hull Smith (26,90) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 After the misfortune of failing to qualify for the 2000 European Championships, Scotland found themselves unfortunate not to qualify for the 2002 World Cup Finals. They started off the qualifying group in great form, gaining 8 points from 4 matches, however after a 2-0 defeat in Belgium, they could not take any hold in the group. Their campaign for qualifying for the 2004 European Championships was anything but great, the word shambolic springing to mind. With Berti Vogts installed as the new manager, the Scots got off to a shocking start, drawing 2-2 with the Faroe Islands. Worse still was to come few months later as Lithunaia beat them 1-0. However after few lucky results, Scotland found themselves in the play offs for a stake in Euro 2004. After a lucky 1-0 home victory against Holland, they were smacked for six in the return leg and failed to qualify. A string of disastrous friendly results, such as a 4-0 defeat against Wales and 3-0 at home against Hungary added insult to injury. Just as things could not get any worse, they actually did, they lost at home in a crucial world cup qualifier against Norway and Vogt’s men drew 1-1 against Moldova, the weakest team in the section, and unfortunately for Berti Vogts, this proved to be his last match in charge. Walter Smith was appointed the new boss of Scotland and the response was immediate. Despite not qualifying, plenty of encouragement was taken, including a fine 3-0 win against Slovenia, an encouraging 1-1 draw against the future world champions Italy and a super 5-1 thrashing of Bulgaria. Scotland now have every chance of qualifying for the 2008 European Championships. --- Scottish football is on the up, very much so, and they currently sit second in a group that contains World Champions Italy and runners up France. Walter Smith has got the Scottish side playing with heart, and they have some real quality players in the ranks of the national setup. Any Scotsman is proud to see how well they are doing. It was doubly good for me personally as my club side were also doing well, sitting top of the Championship. Our opening game of December was a televised 5.15 kick off, against the team sitting in second place. Our trip to Sheff Utd was expected to be a tough one, but come the final whistle I had been surprised by how one sided the game had been, as we ran out with a comfortable 4-0 victory. Jobi McAnuff set us on the way with a 25 yarder, before second half strikes from Lee Williamson and Al Bangura sealed the game, and Jobi's second finished the game off emphatically, sending the home side to their first defeat at Bramall Lane all season. I was delighted with the performance of the lads in that win over a very good side, and the fact we had kept three successive clean sheets was also pleasing. More good news came on the Monday morning, Barry Nicholson and Jorge Rojas both having agreed terms and they would join up with the squad on New Year's day. The same day, I travelled up to Liverpool to watch our reserve side play in a re-arranged game. I came out of the match with another potential transfer target, French midfielder Damien Plessis having impressed me throughout the 90 minutes, as he helped his side to a 3-1 win. The squad was strong enough to cope with the heavy schedule, but I was always looking for players who could improve the overall ability of the squad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 Emma and myself had been having a few problems of late, she seemed to feel that I was concentrating more on my job than I was on my marriage. I was, obviously, inclined to disagree, as I felt I was doing a good job juggling them both. She said I never gave her the attention she needed anymore. The most worrying aspect was that we had argued more since I took the job than in the previous ten years. I tried to put it down to adapting to a new life, but the arguments and shouting matches played heavy on my mind as we got ourselves ready to entertain Cardiff at Vicarage Road. Maybe my thoughts swayed onto it too much, and maybe it rubbed off on the team, because we were shockingly bad. We could not create even a sniff of a chance, and we deserved to have nothing in the goals for column. Fortunately, the visitors were just as awful as we were, and the 0-0 draw was flattering to both sides. It was by far an away the worst we had played under my management so far The next game, against bottom side Colchester, wasn't much better. We created more chances, and played better overall, but we could not find a way through and drew a blank for the second game running. Priskin and Ellington were not given the service, and they had to rely on creating the chances for themselves, meaning more hard work for them which gave less opportunity for finishing the chances. I was disappointed with the team, something which I let them know in no uncertain terms. We needed to be much better than we had been the last two games if we were going to gain promotion --- The arguments with Emma were becoming more frequent, and more heated, one of them even resulting in a candlestick flying through the air towards my head. I had expected things to cool down, especially once she got used to our new life and my new job, but they were getting much worse. It had taken its toll severly on Emma, and when I arrived home to an empty house after training on the Friday, I knew it had gotten to her. The note on the coffee table really hit home how it affected her <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Hugo I had to get away from it all for a while. I've gone to stay at mum and dad's. Please don't try to call me, we just need some time apart Love Em xx </div></BLOCKQUOTE> I didn't know what to do. I sat there, not in hand, and I cried. I just couldn't think what else to do. Then, it came to me. The only man who could help me in this situation, the only man who I could talk to about it. So I picked up the phone, and I dialled the number... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 Adjusting to life on my own was tough, and it really was difficult to focus on the footballing aspect of life. Even on the coach on the way to East Anglia, all I could think about was Emma. The team were asking what was wrong, but I didn't want them focused on anything other than the football. Norwich were our next opponents, and Peter Grant's side had been underperforming consistently throughout the season. This was a game that they played well in, and they went in at half time in front thanks to David Strihavka's strike. The team picked it up in the second half, and it was Ronnie Wallwork who equalised after 65 minutes, brekaing free from the defence and sliding underneath the home side's 'keeper. Both teams had chances in the remaining 25 minutes, and either side could have won it, but we had to settle for our third successive draw --- My pain had been helped thanks to my conversation with Shaun. That's my best friend, I've known him for about 24 years now. He moved to my street when we were 7, and from that moment on we were inseperable. We went everywhere together, apart from the football, as he was a Rangers fan. The only fault he has really. We talk to each other about everything, and I just knew that he would be able to help me out. I phoned him, and we spoke on the phone for hours. He got in his car and drove down from Scotland, a 7 hour drive. I didn't ask him to do that, he offered. As a friend, he's brilliant, and I couldn't wish for a better friend than Shaun. He was also a bit of a statistics freak, and his love of useless information came in handy when he told me that if the team avoided defeat in our next match against Barnsley, it would be a club record. I hadn't known that, but apparently the previous best was set between 28th September 1996 and 4th March 1997. 23 games, 24 if we avoided defeat. This made me determined to be the holder of the record, and I opted to pin a notice up on the board in the dressing room to inform the lads. It motivated them big time, and they were all determined to beat the record Unfortunately for Barnsley, the determination of the team shone through, and even when Miguel Mostto put the visitors in fron, we were even more determined to win. To be fair though, we had to wait until the final 12 minutes to secure the points, as Danny Shittu headed home McAnuff's corner, before Al Bangura's rocket from 20 yards and Nathan Ellington's ijury time goal gave us the win and a club record 24th game unbeaten Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 Coming off the back of the record breaking game, I was greeted by good news, as Kilmarnock's Canadian midfielder Rhian Dodds had agreed to join up with the team. He wasn't the most talented individual on the planet, but for a fee of £8,000 I was more than willing to give him a chance. He had made the trip down to the South of England for his medical, and he agreed to stay and watch the lads in action. Leicester were the team who had the mammoth task of dampening our Christmas spirits, and they very nearly managed it too, as we were only saved by an 82nd minute goal from substitute Steven Kabba. The former Sheff Utd man had only took his place on the bench because of injuries to Ellington and King, which left Priskin and Tommy Smith the starting strikers, but Kabba was the man who sealed the points. The side were in excellent voice on the shortish trip to the seaside, and with the confidence of knowing a win would keep us top of the table by 7 points going into the New Year was a real boost for the side. Having said that, you wouldn't have known from the way they played in the game with Plymouth, as we were awful. The creativity was seriously lacking, and the defence, particularly DeMerit and Shittu, had to get us out of the mire on more than one occasion. Still, our resilience shone through and Tommy Smith's stunning volley two minutes from time was enough to seperate the sides. I was happy with the win, as playing badly and winning games is always the sign of champions. All the good teams do it, so that was one positive from the game. I had been worried by how badly we had played though, and it was an issue I was looking to address in the upcoming weeks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 December 2007 Summary (Championship unless stated) Sheff Utd 0-4 Watford McAnuff (28,88) Williamson (55) Bangura (83) Watford 0-0 Cardiff Watford 0-0 Colchester Norwich 1-1 Watford Strihavka (24) : Wallwork (65) Watford 3-1 Barnsley Shittu (78) Bangura (88) Ellington (90) : Mostto (27) Watford 1-0 Leicester Kabba (82) Plymouth 0-1 Watford Smith (88) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spav Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Excellent work, sherm - I'm really enjoying this story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 Thanks a lot Spav - I'm really enjoying writing (and playing) it, so hopefully I can keep you interested --- Going into 2008 at the top of the table was nice, and although I was happy with the squad, I had managed to add four players who joined up with us on New Years Day. The first man to arrive at the ground was Barry Nicholson. The midfielder was a player who had more than enough talent to do a job at Championship level, and I was sure he could be a valuable asset to the side. The transfer fee I had paid was the highest I had forked out, £1.5 million, but for a man of Barry's talents I was happy enough to pay that. He was followed shortly after by another man who had joined from an SPL side, as Rhian Dodds joined us from Kilmarnock. For £8,000, I didn't feel like he was a gamble, and the Canadian would provide some useful back-up to the first team. Both Dodds and Nicholson travelled up North to Deepdale, but we had left the previous night, celebrating New Year's Eve in the hotel bar. Preston had picked up their form a little bit, and were sitting just 3 points outside the play-off places. I was still confident of the team's ability to pick up the three points, although the way we started the game didn't suggest that. It took Tamas Priskin to recue us, as he used his pace to break the home side's offside trap and slide the ball underneath Andy Lonergan to send us in at half time in front. The second half was much easier on my eye, as we controlled the game, passing the ball nicely and creating three good chances, but it was 'The Duke' who secured the points, playing a lovely one-two with McAnuff before ramming home in the third minute of injury time to keep us top of the table Both Dodds and Nicholson had been impressed with the side's win, and they were soon joined by their other two new colleagues, as Frenchman Damien Plessis stepped foot inside his new home while we were picking up three points at Preston, but America's left winger Jorge Rojas didn't join the squad for training until the day before the F.A Cup game, but straightaway he looked impressive, even after suffering jetlag, and he took his place on the bench for our second successive trip to Lancashire. Our opponents this time however, were a totally different kettle of fish, as the Premiership Leaders Man Utd entertained us at Old Trafford. They were on a great run of form, having not lost in any competition since September, so I didn't really fancy our chances. Ironically, the team proved me wrong, as we were the better side in the first 45 minutes, even having the cheek to take the lead after 7 minutes, Priskin heading across Van Der Sar and into the far corner. I think that the home side got some of Sir Alex's hairdryer treatment in the half time interval, as they came out all guns blazing in the second half, goals from Nani, Saha, Brandy and a Ryan Giggs penalty ensuring we were well and truly beaten and would not be taking our place in the 4th round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 Marlon King had resumed full training after his injury, but I didn't want to rush him back into the fold and risk him getting an injury again, so I sent my scouts out to have a look at the loan and free transfer list for a decent back-up striker to give support to my main three. Since Marlon's injury, Nathan Ellington and Tamas Priskin had stepped up to the main two striking berths, but I knew I had to find a striker to support them. The best option appeared to be Liverpool's Hungarian striker Krisztian Nemeth, and I duly made a bid to take him on loan for the remainder of the season, although I was a bit unsure if he would want to come and ply his trade at Vicarage Road for a few months. The home game against Wolves saw Damien Plessis come in for his debut, as Al Bangura had picked up a slight strain, and Jorge Rojas took his place on the left wing. Rojas was terrific, as he bombed up and down the left hand side, whipping crosses onto the head of Priskin and Ellington. No matter what we tried, we could not find the breakthrough, as Matt Murray kept everything out that we hit towards him. We could not find the goal that would have given us the three points, and we had to settle for a 0-0 draw, and although it's always nice to keep a clean sheet I felt we should have won the game I was surprised when Nemeth agreed to join us for the rest of the season, but needless to say I was happy to have the talents of a man rated very highly at Anfield. He showed his obvious class in his very first training session with the side, as he could, and did score from anywhere. His passing was different class too, and he was an obvious class act who should be far too good for the Championship. I was growing more and more content with the team, although when I had listened to the radio that night my mood changed drastically. Steve Cotterill had been on TalkSport in an interview, and his basic philosophy was that he didn't want us to go up, and he wanted to put a dent in our promotion hopes by beating us in the next game. This really got under my skin, and I was determined to show Cotterill how much we deserved our promotion and that we were going to get it, come hell or high water Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 Burnley visited Vicarage Road wanting to hand us our first defeat of the season, and the lads were determined to stop this happening. The first half was all one-way traffic, as we controlled the game with ease, but Nathan Ellington's lone strike was enough to send us in at the break in front. I don't know what Steve Cotterill said to his side, but he obviously fired them up, as Robbie Blake equalised for the visitors just four minutes into the half. This stunned us slightly, and we could have found ourselves behind and in some serious trouble, as in the space of a crazy 15 minutes, Burnley had 4 good chances to go in front. In the end, we managed to get in front ourselves, as Priskin headed home from Lloyd Doyley's right wing cross. We nearly had a third in injury time too, Barry Nicholson curling his 20 yard strike onto the bar, with the Burnley 'keeper well beaten It had been a sweet victory over Burnley, and it saw our lead extended to 9 points at the top of the table, a lead which was comfortable and one I was delighted to be holding. Our final match of January saw us travel to the Potteries for an away game against a hard working Stoke side. Marlon King made his first appearance since mid-November as he started in place of Tamas Priskin, and he certainly made an impact, opening the scoring after 18 minutes with his twelfth goal of the season. We should have advanced our lead even further, but out inability to convert the chances that came our way came back to bite us, as James Keene headed his side level. In the end, we were rescued by our American Centre Back Jay DeMerit, as he volleyed home from 5 yards to give us three points that, looking back, we fully deserved after dominating the match Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 January 2008 Summary (Championship unless stated) Preston 0-2 Watford Priskin (45) Ellington (90) (F.A Cup 3rd Round) Man Utd 4-1 Watford Nani (52) Saha (57) Brandy (79) Giggs (pen 89) : Priskin (7) Watford 2-1 Burnley Ellington (35) Priskin (69) : Blake (49) Stoke 1-2 Watford Keene (64) : King (18) DeMerit (77) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 <pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> PL W D L GD PTS 1. WATFORD 29 18 11 0 +33 65 2. Sheff Utd 29 16 8 5 +19 56 ----------------- 3. Southampton 28 15 9 4 +26 54 4. Leicester 29 14 8 7 +14 50 5. West Brom 29 11 10 8 +14 43 6. Wolves 29 12 7 10 +4 43 ----------------- 7. Sheff Wed 29 11 9 9 +3 42 8. Blackpool 29 12 5 12 0 41 9. Preston 29 9 13 7 -2 40 10. Charlton 29 9 12 8 +3 39 </pre> The League table made for excellent reading for the team , and for any Watford fans, but I was surprised to hear that many of the so called 'experts' hadn't favoured us for promotion before the start of the season, so it was nice to be proving them wrong so far. Having a 9 point lead with nearly a third of the season gone was a luxury that I could have only dreamt about when I started at Vicarage Road, but it was truly a reality now. I was looking to extend that lead as we played to host to a greatly underachieving Charlton, who sat four places and four points outside of the play-off places. There was talk that a few more defeats would see Alan Pardew making his way to the nearest job centre. We were sluggish at the start, and within 120 seconds of the opening whistle we were behind, Izale McLeod tapping in the rebound from Andy Reid's shot. This definately woke us up, and despite creating chances we still find ourselves going in 1-0 behind at half time. Marlon King soon changed that, as he equalised within 5 minutes of the re-start. This was what we needed, and when substitute Krisztian Nemeth scored his first goal for the club in the 83rd minute it secured us our third successive win in the League Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 I had still not had any contact with Emma since she left to go to her mum and dad's, but I was still thinking about her all the time. I knew that I couldn't let it affect me too much though, as I had a job to do. I won't deny that it didn't hurt me, it hurt me really badly. I just wanted her back in my life, I loved her more than anything, and she was the most incredible woman I had ever been with. It hurts me so much that I can't be with her, but maybe she is right. Maybe we do need to be apart for our while, go our seperate ways. We need to talk about it though, and I want to see her to sit her down and talk about it --- We took the short trip south to face mid-table Crystal Palace, who had recently dispensed with Peter Taylor's services due to their shocking season so far that saw them lying in 17th place, a position that a side with their quality should not be occupying. Nathan Ellington got his place back in the side, while Nemeth stayed on the bench, but it was Ellington that made the difference, his fourth minute goal and early second half goal giving us a good platform to build on. We hadn't counted on the on loan striker Frazier Campbell though, as he scored with his first touch of the match, but we defended well and held on for our fourth successive 2-1 victory, which extended our lead further thanks to Wolves holding Sheffield Utd to a draw at Molineux Three days later, we entertained Bristol City at Vicarage Road, a side who had comfortably adapted to life in the Championship, sitting in 12th place. We were the better side throughout the 90 minutes, with Priskin, Ellington, King and McAnuff all forcing the Bristol City 'keeper into good saves, but we could not find that all important goal. The worst miss of the match came from Priskin, as he turned his marker before firing over from just 6 yards. He missed a hat-trick of good chances himself, while Ellington and King missed a brace each, but in the end all we could do was settle for a 0-0 draw, a disappointing result in the circumstances, but one that kept out unbeaten record in tact, a record that now stood at 32 games Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 The football side of things was going well, and I couldn't have asked for anymore on the pitch from the lads. In terms of the off pitch activities, and my life away from the footballing side of things, it wasn't as good as it could have been. I hadn't got Emma living with me anymore, and my nights were spent alone, generally looking towards the bottom of a glass. I was definately drinking too much, but it was the only thing that gave me solace these days. The chairman had invited me along to another of his gatherings, but I made my excuses and managed to get out of it. I didn't really want to tell him about my problems with Emma, but I maybe would have to eventually. --- I was still in a downbeat mood as we took the trip to QPR for our next league game. It was a game we should win comfortably, and we were in front after 25 minutes, the on-form Tommy Smith sliding the ball across the goal and into the far corner. We could have had several more during the remainder of the game, but once Marc Nygaard was sent off after 68 minutes, the game was ours. The home side didn't help their cause by finishing the game with 9 men, Stefan Bailey's terrible two-footed lunge earning him a straight red card. I was happy with the win, and a performance that was a lot more comfortable than the 1-0 scoreline suggested We only had 48 hours to prepare for the final game of February, one which saw Jim Magilton's floundering Ipswich side travel south to Vicarage Road. This time, we started lethargically, and Pablo Counago made us pay when he headed home Matt Richards' left wing free-kick. We counted our blessings to be going in at half time just the one goal behind, but four minutes after the restart, we were back in it, substitute Tamas Priskin volleying home from 18 yards. That was the final piece of action in terms of goal-scoring, but both sides did have chances to win the, but in the end we were both content to settle for the point, as we continued our amazing unbeaten run Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 February 2008 Summary (Championship unless stated) Watford 2-1 Charlton King (50) Nemeth (83) : McLeod (3) Crystal Palace 1-2 Watford Campbell (60) : Ellington (4,46) Watford 0-0 Bristol City QPR 0-1 Watford Smith (25) Watford 1-1 Ipswich Priskin (49) : Counago (14) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 Shaun knew I was hurting, and he also knew I was drinking too much. His solution? To drag me out of the house and make me join a golf club. Having not played golf in about 5 years, I wasn't sure how good I'd be, but I surprised myself as I carded a 71 around the course. I actually enjoyed myself too, not soemthing I admit too often. I decided that if I ever wanted to take out my frustrations or anger on anything, I'd hit a few golf balls, get myself relaxed. I think I'll enjoy this golfing lark --- Our first trip of the month saw us travel to White Rose country to face Brian Laws' mid table Sheff Wed side. The fact I went into the game with one fully fit striker saw a tweak in formation, as five occupied the midfield and Priskin took the lone strikers role. It was left winger Tommy Smith who put us ahead though, as his cross looped over everybody and into the far corner of the goal, to put us in front ten minutes into the second half. We were only in front for 6 minutes, as Wednesday striker Akpo Sodje drew his side level with a screamer from 25 yards. In injury time, it looked like we might win it, as Tamas broke free and was hacked down in the area, but referee Trevor Kettle deemed it a fair tackle. I was livid on the touchline, and I had to be restrained from literally thumping the referee at the end of the game I had been furious with the decision, and had stated as much (except for a few stronger words) in the interview after the game. If I had kept my comments to just the television cameras then I might have got away with a warning, but the fact I stormed into the referee's room and hit a volley of colourful abuse towards the officials was probably what earnt me a touchline ban, as well as a £2,300 fine. I got a ticking off from the board too, who were not happy that I had drawn attention to myself and the club, and they ordered me to send a letter of apology to Mr Kettle, and the F.A Chief of Referees Keith Hackett. I was still livid with the decision, but I didn't really want to lose my job over it so duly did as the board requested Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 My touchline ban came in our next game, as we entertained Coventry at Vicarage Road. Keith Burkinshaw would take charge of the team through the 90 minutes, but I picked the side to take the field. Ellington came back into the side to support Priskin, while Adrian Mariappa replaced the injured Lloyd Doyley. I took my place in the stands amongst the fans, and for 90 minutes I was as much a spectator as they were. I was left just as frustrated as the fans too, as I watched my side create chance after chance after chance yet not finding the back of Coventry's net. The final statistics read 27 shots to the visitors 4, yet we could not find the goal we needed, and had to settle for a goalless draw. The most frustrating thing was knowing that I could not do anything about it, and I wanted to go and encourage the lads. Damn it was hard. --- The golf was becoming a regular thing, as myself and Shaun entertained ourselves in our free time by taking on a round. I was beginning to think that my 71 had been a bit of beginners luck, as I hadn't recorded anything less than 80 since, whereas Shaun was firing of 60 odds all over the place. A round generally took us 4 hours (5 if I was having an off day) so we had time to engage in some really long conversations. Ironically, the last one we had was about Emma, and I arrived home to find a message on my answer machine from her that had been left that afternoon "Hugo, it's me. I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. We need to go our seperate ways. It's not you, it's me. Phone me later and we'll talk. Love Em" Three hours later, that was that. Emma had decided that the marriage needed to end, we needed to go our own ways. She still wanted us to be friends, but she would be round to collect her stuff. I had offered to put her a deposit down on a flat when she found one, but she was determined to make it on her own. I won't pretend it didn't hurt me, because it did, badly. I loved her, she was the only woman I had loved, but our time had passed. She would be coming round to pick her stuff up and leave her key. That night, old habits came back to haunt me, as I sat down with a bottle of Southern Comfort and the series of Alien films to try and make myself feel better I was still feeling the effects of the Southern Comfort a few days later, but the fact I was a single man now had hit me even harder. I had still not gotten my head round it, and everybody in the club could tell there was something wrong. Anybody who tried to ask got the same response, so they left me to it. I was as quiet as I ever had been on the trip to the North, and I didn't say much until half an hour before the match with Blackpool. I dopn't know whether it was my motivational skills that helped the boys, but Nathan Ellington's third minute strike was enough to give us the points. Kiegan Parker and Kaspar Gorkss both recieved their marching orders for the home side as they finished with 9 men, and we extended our lead at the top to 12 points Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 I was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Emma had left me, and the house certainly looked a lot emptier now she had gone. Shaun had been brilliant, and the chairman had been supportive, even offering me time off from the club. I had refused that though, I knew that the time off would only make me feel worse. I had to have something to concentrate on and to help me take my mind off it. It certainly did that, as the players and the staff all helped me get through it. We did have more games to get through that month, and West Brom visited Vicarage Road. The 6th placed side had been out of form of late, and it was obvious that they were coming for a point. This was what they managed to get too, as we didn't play at all well. In the end, we were lucky to come away with a 0-0 draw, as the visitors had the better of the match. We seemed to suffer a bit of fatigue throughout the game, and with 8 games remaining it wasn't a good time to get fatigued. We didn't have much time to rest either, as we had to travel north to face Scunthorpe. Again, we looked sluggish and lethargic, and when Brett Ormerod put the home side ahead three minutes into the second half it looked like we might be handed our first defeat of the season. Our goal scoring ability shone through though, and Nthan Ellington rescued a point for us in the 72nd minute I had been worried by the tiredness that seemed to be creeping in to the side. We never had the biggest squad in the division, and I hadn't really though that we would suffer fatigue. Maybe I have to take responsibilty for the squad's fatigue, I don't know. The one thing that I do know is that if we suffer fatigue in the Premiership, we will be in serious trouble. We need to have a big squad for the Premiership. Saying that, we have to get there first. I don't want to assume we're there already, but we are very close to the promised land. 14 points clear of second, 18 clear of the play-off places, and we were looking healthy at the top of the table Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 The golf had started to become more and more regular, and even if I didn't have the time for a full round I would go and hit a few balls on the driving range. My game was improving, and I even managed to win a round against Shaun (albeit he was having an off day) but I was becoming more and more of a pleasure to be around. The squad hadn't trained for two days, and I hoped that it would show throughout the next match. The home match against Southampton would prove to be a walk in the park, as the visitors were awful. Nathan Ellington's 70th minute strike was the difference between the sides, but we could, and probably should have scored many more. Ellington and Priskin both missed good chances, while Lloyd Doyley and Jay DeMerit had headers cleared off the line, but I was happy to settle for the 1-0 win in the end The final game of March, and our 41st of the season, saw us travel north for what seemed like the umpteenth time that season, as we played mid-table Hull at the KC Stadium. This was our most efficient performance for a while, and Nathan Ellington's first half brace, his 17th and 18th goals of the season, were more than enough to give us a professional 2-0 win. Again, we could have had more than we did get, but that wasn't something that bothered me too much. The good thing about this particular victory was that it meant we needed just a point to gain promotion, thanks to Southampton's surprise defeat to Barnsley, and I drummed this message home to the players, as we suddenly entered the final stages of the campaign Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 March 2008 Summary (Championship unless stated) Sheff Wed 1-1 Watford Sodje (61) : Smith (55) Watford 0-0 Coventry Blackpool 0-1 Watford Ellington (3) Watford 0-0 West Brom Scunthorpe 1-1 Watford Ormerod (48) : Ellington (72) Watford 1-0 Southampton Ellington (70) Hull 0-2 Watford Ellington (15,26) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 This was it. The defining game of the season. All of our hard work, and all of our results have built up to this point. Having played 41 games, our 42nd game could be the one that secured us promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt. I went with my strongest team available to me, Priskin and Ellington up-front, with Marlon King on the bench. Our opponents were second placed Sheff Utd, who needed two wins themselves to secure the promotion they craved. Once again, we had to settle for just the one goal win, but I would have taken that without question at the start of the match. It was Hungarian striker Tamas Priskin who sealed the points, as he headed home Tommy Smith's free-kick past Paddy Kenny. The visitors didn't help themselves either to be fair, as both Leigh Bromby and Nick Montgomery were given their marching orders, but we held on for our defining moment of the season --- The celebrations couldn't go on too long, as we had another game in two days, but I allowed myself and the team a few celebratory drinks that night. The next day, I turned the television on in time to see Luther Blissett being interviewed by Jeff Stelling. The former Watford man seemed to be surprised by the team's promotion, and particularly by the way we had played under my guidance. He was obviously delighted, but he felt we would need to heavily strengthen the squad to stay in the Premiership. The board also seemed syrprised by the promotion. I couldn't understand what was so surprising about it, as we had a good squad and we had been relegated the season before. Still, whether it was a surprise or not, it was a reality, and we would be plying our trade in the Barclays Premiership next season We travelled to Wales for our next game looking to secure the Championship title, with our opponents Cardiff looking to push themselves further up the table. Marlon King was back in the side, and he justified his selection by heading us in front a minute before half time. We were pulled back level within four minutes of the restart, but captain Jay DeMerit won the game with a 66th minute header from Jobi McAnuff's corner. To secure the title was a massive achievement, and I was so proud of the boys. I told them just as much in the dressing room, and our lap of honour was applauded by both our fans and the Cardiff supporters, fair play to them, it was a nice touch. My first season in football management, and I had taken Watford to the Championship title. It can't be too bad can it? I love this football manager's life Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 Luther Blissett had been on the T.V again, this time praising me for 'working a miracle' by taking this squad to the Championship title with the squad at my disposal. With three games of the season left, I had two more goals I wanted to achieve. To be unbeaten throughout the season, and to reach that magical 100 point mark. If we could do both of those things, the season would be perfect. Outside the ground on the Monday morning, there was a group of fans that were leading a thankyou campaign, led by supporter spokesman Louis Leary. They were quick to say thankyou and praise me and the efforts of the side, saying that winning the title was an unbelievable achievement and they were delighted with my efforts. The next game we had to concentrate on was an away trip to Colchester. Geraint Williams' side were just one place above the drop zone, and needed 4 points to secure their safety. I was determined that they wouldn't get any of these against us, and we duly did the business, Jobi McAnuff's 32nd minute strike securing us the win. Jobi had been brilliant throughout the season, contributing 15 assists and chipping in with some vital goals, and I was delighted with his part in the side. The penultimate game of our campaign saw Peter Grant's under-achieving Norwich the final opponents to Vicarage Road for the season. Al Bangura gave us the lead after 23 minutes, curling the ball home from 30 yards, and we went in at half time ahead. Julien Brellier equalised ten minutes into the second half, but Jay DeMerit's header looked enough to seal the points. The visitors had other ideas, Brown equalising four minutes from time, but we struck an injury time winner, Nathan Ellington firing home his 19th goal of the season and sending us past that magical ton Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 April 2008 (Championship unless stated) Watford 1-0 Sheff Utd Priskin (25) Cardiff 1-2 Watford MacLean (48) : King (44) DeMerit (66) Colchester 0-1 Watford McAnuff (32) Watford 3-2 Norwich Bangura (23) DeMerit (68) Ellington (90) : Brellier (55) Brown (86) Watford win Championship title Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 Our final game of the season saw us travel to Yorkshire to face Barnsley, a game which was irrelevant to either sides season. One goal won the game, Al Bangura curling home the free-kick on 52 minutes. The win meant we finished the season unbeaten in 46 games, a club record that may take a long time to be beaten again. I never imagined that we would go the season without losing, but I can't say that I'm not a happy man. I love this club, and hopefully now this club loves me <pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> PL W D L GD PTS 1. WATFORD 46 29 17 0 +45 104 2. Sheff Utd 46 26 12 8 +35 90 ------------------- 3. Southampton 46 24 12 10 +34 84 4. Charlton 46 21 16 9 +19 79 5. Wolves 46 21 13 12 +15 76 6. West Brom 46 20 15 11 +26 75 ------------------- 7. Leicester 46 22 8 16 +11 74 8. Sheff Wed 46 17 13 16 +2 64 9. Cardiff 46 18 7 21 -13 61 10. Stoke 46 15 15 16 +3 60 </pre> 104 points. That is a hell of a good season for the team, and one which I am delighted to say I was manager for. The squad of players we had has outdone themselves, although deep down I know I need to strengthen to stay in the Premiership. I'm confident I can bring in the right players and that the lads can establish themselves as a Premiership side. I had been scouring the transfer market already, and found several targets I though would be incredible additions to the squad, and had set about trying to complete deals for these players Thanks to the undefeated season, I earnt the manager of the year ward, although I told the press it was the players who deserved the accolades. I was shocked, and quite disappointed that only two of them got in the team of the year, Jay DeMerit and Jobi McAnuff the lucky players. It was a true team effort and for the team to do as well as they have it is a fantastic achievement. Premiership here we come. I can't wait, I'm so pumped up about it. I love this job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 There was one major tournament to come in the summer - Euro 2008. England were the only home nation that would be competing in Austria and Switzerland. I felt that it would be a good chance to have a look at some future targets to try and sign, so I sat down with my notebook and pen in hand to watch the opening match between Croatia and Germany. It turned out to be a better game than I thought it might, and after Miroslav Klose had headed the Germans ahead, it looked as if they would start with a win, but two goals from Arsenal striker Eduardo sent Germany crashing to a shock 2-1 defeat. --- I had managed to secure two signatures to add to the team for the upcoming season, with Lee Martin agreeing a move from Manchester United for £750,000. The left winger was a talented player, and one who I felt would add depth and quality to the squad. He had been rated highly at Old Trafford but he wanted more regular football, which I was more than happy to give him. He would be joined in the transfer window by Levante's Spanish full back David, who would join on a Bosman. He was an experienced full back who would add a little extra quality, and despite his advancing years he would be a good addition to the squad Sat in the pub with Shaun was always an interesting experience, even more so when I get recognised everywhere. We decided to have a Euro 2008 afternoon, and we sat down to watch the two televised games. The first one was well worth the entrance fee, as France destroyed Romania 6-0, Barcelona's Thierry Henry bagging a hat-trick. The World Cup runners up were in imperious form, and the worry was that they were in England's group. England were the second game, and they easily opened their campaign with a 2-0 win against Switzerland. The hosts tried hard, but the quality of England was too much, as Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole scored the goals to open England up with a win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 I was still busy scouting the Transfer Market, and even with European Championship games on the telly I was still working on finding new additions to the team. I felt that I needed a decent striker, and when I saw that Manchester City's Italian forward Bernardo Corradi was available, I duly made an offer for the services of Corradi. The City fans hadn't been too impressed with his ability, but I was confident he was more than good enough to play for my team --- Germany were in serious danger of going out of the tournament after drawing 2-2 with the Czech Republic, squandering a 2 goal lead in the match, but Croatia became the first team to qualify with a 2-1 win over World Champions Italy. The Croatians had been drawn in a 'group of death' with Italy, Germany and Czech Republic, a group which no-one had expected them to qualify from, but they had won their opening two games to eanr their place in the Quarter Finals. They were soon joined by other teams, but most importantly England beat France 3-0 to secure their place in the Quarter's, Owen, Rooney and Lampard sending the Three Lions through My offer of £675,000 for Corradi was accepted quickly, and the Italian was quick to agree terms on a move to Vicarage Road. I was also delighted to secure the £2.5 million transfer of Rangers defender Brahim Hemdani. He was unhappy at Ibrox, due to his lack of first team opportunites, and I had no hesitation in offering the Tunisian a contract with us. He could play at centre back or in the holding role, and I was delighted to have a man with such prestigious talents at my disposal. The Championship winning squad would, in the most part, be kept together, but there were a few players that I knew wouldn't be good enough for the Premiership, and they would be allowed to leave the club Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 The Quarter Finals of Euro 2008 were decided, and Portugal defeated World Champions Italy on penalties to advance to the Semi-Finals. It was a dour game to watch, but the next live game was one the best of the tournament so far. Sweden and Croatia were the two least favoured teams left in the competition, but they played out a magnificent 3-3 draw in 120 minutes of football. The football was free-flowing, both sides creating chance after chance, and for the neutral it was superb, a great advert for World football, but it was eventually the Scandinavian country who prevailed, winning through 4-3 on penalties. --- I managed to secure two more transfers for the new season, after being handed a transfer budget of £12.5 million, aswell as the additional funds left over from the previous season. The healthy situation of the money saw me secure a club record signing, Deprtivo's Spanish striker Riki agreeing a three year deal on £16,400 per week. He wasn't a well known player to our fans, but having scouted him for months I had full faith in his ability to do a job for the team. He would join on July 1st, in three days, with the rest of the new signings, and I was looking forward to the season more and more with each passing day England had advanced to the Semi's thanks to an extra time golden goal win over Holland, and there they faced Portugal in a re-match of the World Cup Quarter Finals. This time, the result was very much different, as England ran out as surprisingly comfortable 2-0 winners, with Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand's second half goals sealing England's place in their first major final for 42 years. There, they would face France, who were fortunate to defeat a hard working Sweden 1-0, thanks to a moment of genius from Thierry Henry, in what would be a re-match from Group D in this very tournament Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 I was faced with good news when I returned to the office, as club chairman Graham Simpson offered me a new two year extension to my contract. He dropped it in front of me, and I signed it there and then, there was never any doubt I wouldn't. I would be earning £2,750 more than I was now, and I was delighted to be attached to this club till 2011. I just hoped I could celebrate signing my new contract with a joint celebration of new European Champions after the game that night Come the end of the match, the whole of a nation was celebrating, as England had triumphed 3-1 over a disapponting French side. A brace from Michael Owen and Frank Lampard's second half striker gave England a major tournament win for the first time since 1966. Many people think it's strange that I support England despite the fact I'm a Scotsman. Don't get me wrong, I am proud to be a Scot, but I want to see my other U.K nations doing well, and I would hope that applies to the other countries. I celebrated as much as any Englishman when they lifted the European Championship trophy, as much as I would have if it was Scotland lifting the trophy. --- With the International football finished, I could concentrate on the club football side of things, and with five pre-season matches arranged I felt that we had good preparation for the season ahead. The new signings had started life at the club well, and they fitted in with the training sessions, which pleased me greatly. I had also completed another signing, Hibernian's Moroccan striker Abdesslam Benjelloun agreeing terms on a move. He was an international striker who oozed quality, and I was delighted to have captured him, especially after beating off several more 'high-profile' clubs to get him. All of the new signings went into the squad for our friendly with Northwood, with the excpetion of Benjelloun, who had found himself sleeping off jetlag. It was an easy win over the minnows, with goals from Nathan Ellington, right on half time and a second half brace from Bernardo Corradi giving us the win. We didn't get the clean sheet, in fact we even went behind, Andy Jenkins heading home on the half hour, but it was a good start and a decent performance from the side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 I managed to complete two further signings in the next few days, with a midfielder and a striker joining the side. Mika Aaritalo was a Finnish international who had started his career at Aston Villa, but he had come highly recommended from more than one of my scouts. Having took a look at him myself, I felt he would be a good signing for the team. He could play in midfield, or as part of the strikeforce, but for a fee of £1.3 million I felt he would prove to be a bargain signing. The second transfer to join us was a player of proven Premiership quality, someone who had been a revelation for his side until recently. Matthew Taylor had fallen out of favour atn Portsmouth, and I was more than happy to match their asking price of £2.7 million. Matty could play on the left side of defence or midfield, and he would provide some excellent cover for the team --- Our next pre-season game was against the Champions of Ireland, Bohemians. They were a side that had been into the third round of Champions League qualifiers, so I was expecting a half decent test. Taylor and Aaritalo didn't make the squad, but Riki started his first game in our colours. He did well too, scoring our second goal. Tommy Smith had equalised after O'Sullivan had put the home side in front. I recieved a blow in the match though, as our Spanish international tore his calf muscle, an injury that would keep him out for up to four months, which was a real blow to my plans. We also lost a goal five minutes from time, so aswell as the injury to Riki we got a draw out of the match Swindon were our next warm up opponents, this time it was comfortable as we ran out 3-0 winners, the goals coming from the re-instated Marlon King and two from midfielder Damien Plessis sealing it. The players were getting fitter with every passing day, and with the opening day of the season fast approaching I was getting more nervous. The Premiership would be a completely different kettle of fish to the Championship, and our unbeaten run meant absolutely nothing in the forthcoming season. The signings I had made were, I felt, good signings and would be enough to keep us up. That was all myself and the board wanted. Survival. I didn't care if it was 17th, or 7th, just staying in the division would be more than good enough for me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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