Sharpening a Rusty Blade - Book III

[Dixie Flatline]

Keeping Flo fresh for the knock-out stage, I'm sure, Amaroq!

I still religiously read the story even though I don't post often. KUTGW.

[Amaroq]

Thanks, I'm glad to know its still holding interest for the long-time readers!

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 24th June, 2010.

Argentina had played two scoreless draws, which left them needing a win over first-placed Turkey to secure their place in the Round of 16 - or a draw from the match between Tappa's Jamaica and hosts South Africa.

There seemed to be nothing left in the Argentina tank. Manager Javier Clemente once again showed a real lack of offensive creativity. Though Argentina's defense kept Turkey scoreless, for most of the afternoon he knew his side needed a goal, and yet he was unable to muster more than two shots against a dominant Turkish defense.

South Africa took an early 1-0 lead over the Reggae Boyz when 23-year-old forward Lebohang Mokoena converted a penalty, and for a long time it looked like that would see them through, especially when Jamaica was reduced to ten men as Richard Langley was sent off.

Then, with sixteen minutes to play, Everton winger Ricardo Gardner scored a dramatic, short-handed equalizer that drew Jamaica level, and suddenly lifted Argentina back into the knock-out rounds.

With a sell-out crowd cheering their every touch, South Africa threw men forward in desperation, and it was late substitute Daniel Zulu who notched the glory, scoring the game-winner in the 83rd minute to give South Africa a 2-1 win over Jamaica, and knock Argentina out of the tournament - an early exit which would surely cost Clemente his job yet again.

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

Q 1 Turkey 7 2 1 0 2 0 + 2

Q 2 South Africa 4 1 1 1 2 2 0

3 Argentina 3 0 3 0 0 0 0

4 Jamaica 1 0 1 2 1 3 - 2</pre>

I texted my condolences Tappa's way, but didn't get a response.

The U.S.A. needed a win over Nigeria - if they won, their fate was entirely in their own hands. Landon Donovan scored in the 26th minute, but Nigeria put on an amazing show, dominating the remainder of the match in a search for an equalizer. For long periods, it seemed likely that they would not only score the equalizer, but find a winner as well.

However, Tim Howard, goat of the Holland game, proved unbeatable tonight, and Bobby Convey had an incredible game in the center midfield to earn Man of the Match. Time inexorably ticked away, and the U.S.A. managed to hold onto the lead for a 1-0 victory.

That result mitigated any result coming out of the Holland-Poland game, but honestly it was never close: Holland pounded Tomasz Kuszczak's goal, and only a fabulous performance by the keeper - who had spent the last five seasons in League One - kept a clean sheet for a scoreless draw.

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

Q 1 Holland 7 2 1 0 5 0 + 5

Q 2 U.S.A. 6 2 0 1 4 4 0

3 Poland 2 0 2 1 1 3 - 2

4 Nigeria 1 0 1 2 0 3 - 3</pre>

[Amaroq]

Friday, 25th June, 2010.

In Group G, there was everything to play for - any of the four teams could advance with a win and the right result from the other game, while Group H was already decided.

Italy thoroughly outclassed Iran, and demonstrated it from the opening kickoff. When Gennaro Gattuso and Alberto Gilardino had scored by the 20th minute, the match was all but over as a contest, and Gilardino added a second early in the second half to make it a 3-0 final.

The other match belonged to Claudio Pizarro and Peru goalkeeper Erick Delgado. Pizarro put Peru ahead early in the match, which, when coupled with an Italy win, would see them through. Delgado kept the furious Norway attack at bay with a Man of the Match performance between the sticks, and Pizarro made the final 2-0 on a late counter-attack, essentially scored entirely on his own. It was Peru's first win of the group stage, but was enough to send Norway and Iran out.

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

Q 1 Italy 7 2 1 0 4 0 + 4

Q 2 Peru 4 1 1 1 2 2 0

3 Norway 3 1 0 2 4 4 0

4 Iran 3 1 0 2 3 7 - 4</pre>

In Group H, the fight between Brazil and Croatia was for first in the group, and the right to avoid Italy in the Round of 16. Croatia manager Zlatko Kranjcar took the attitude of resting his top eleven, while Brazil's Vanderley Luxemburgo kept his regulars in the lineup. The result was predictable, and showed just how much gap there is between Brazil's 'A' team and Croatia's 'B' team: five goals, scored by five different players, in a 5-0 thrashing.

For Senegal and Honduras, it was a simple matter of pride, and Senegal, buoyed by strong travelling support, built a two-goal advantage before a late consolation goal made the final 2-1.

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

Q 1 Brazil 9 3 0 0 11 0 +11

Q 2 Croatia 6 2 0 1 7 6 + 1

3 Senegal 3 1 0 2 3 6 - 3

4 Honduras 0 0 0 3 1 10 - 9</pre>

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 26th June, 2010.

"He signed, I thought you'd be glad to know."

Young goalkeeper Simon Parker had turned seventeen a week earlier, and with several clubs nosing around to see if they could interest the youngster, we'd made a quick offer for a large raise to him. He kept us on pins and needles for the better part of the week while his agent investigated other opportunities, but in the end the player had been eager to commit his future to the club, and that had proven to be enough.

I was quite glad - Liverpool and Chelsea had apparently been drawn by Chris Brown's performances in training in South Africa, and I was worried about losing the talented Welsh 16-year-old, so keeping Parker had become more of a priority than it might otherwise have been.

The World Cup, however, continued apace, with the Round of 16 set as follows:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Spain - Egypt

Germany - Japan

France - Belgium

England - Paraguay

Holland - South Africa

Turkey - U.S.A.

Brazil - Peru

Italy - Croatia</pre>

The knockout rounds started with Egypt facing Spain. For a while, it looked like it was going to be one of those matches: Spain dominated possession, taking plenty of shots, but simply couldn't seem to find a telling shot. Egypt, on the other hand, scored on the counter on their only shot, with Mido putting them up 1-0 on 50 minute.

Luckily, Spain's blushes were spared when Raúl headed home Xavi's cross in the 70th minute.

They should, perhaps, have won the match in regulation, but again couldn't find a winner. Thirty minutes of extra time passed, with Egypt adding only one more shot, but Spain unable to find the net, and the match went to penalties. Egypt missed three of their five, while Spain made three of their four, and it was a 1-1 (3-2) victory for Spain.

Japan got themselves in trouble early on when young right wing Schwinosuke Ackaru got himself sent off in the 7th minute. Against powerful Germany, that seemed to spell doom for a side which hadn't impressed in group play, but for 15 minutes at least they played with heart and determination, and actually took the lead.

Fabian Ernst pegged them back almost immediately, however, and from there it was German domination - though, like Spain, they struggled to find the net. The winner finally came in the 85th minute, when Arsenal attacking midfielder Sebastian Deisler made himself the hero, scoring only his 6th international goal on his 50th cap for Germany. That put Germany through, 2-1.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 27th June, 2010.

France followed up their impressive group play with a solid performance against Belgium. Like Spain and Germany, they dominated the run of play, taking twenty shots to Belgium's three, but only one shot by Thierry Henry was able to find the net. The rest of the time, they struggled to finish chances, but that one goal held up for a 1-0 victory.

England had Paraguay for their opponents, and it was a similar 4-4-2 to the previous matches for Gary Megson. Paul Robinson remained in goal, and though Jay McEveley made a rare appearance at left back, the rest of the defense was John Terry, Jonathan Woodgate, and Owen Hargreaves. Gareth Barry remained on the left, with James Milner moving in from the wing to join Jermaine Jenas in the central midfield. 21-year-old Theo Walcott earned his eighth cap on the right wing. Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney remained the strike partnership.

Unforunately, the Three Lions started out tentatively, and Roque Santa Cruz made them pay in the 23rd minute, running down a beautiful long ball by Nelson Haedo Valdez, and exposing the lack of pace in the back four. He rounded Robinson, and made it 0-1 early to Paraguay.

It got worse in the 34th minute, when Hugo Duarte's free kick from 30 yards took a slight deflection off of Woodgate, in the wall, which left Robinson flat-footed. His desperate lunge couldn't keep the ball out, and it was 0-2 Paraguay at the half.

From there, Paraguay played defense, taking only one more shot all game - and that went wide, which left Robinson with the unenviable total of 2 goals from 2 shots faced, making him the goat of England. Faced with determined defense for the first time, Megson's men failed utterly to break it down, and became flustered and lost their patience too quickly.

It was clear that they were in trouble by the hour mark, and even the introductions of Owen, Konchesky, and Vassell to try and find some creativity failed to inject life into the attack - it was a pale 0-2 final, and England were going home!!

[Kairyu]

Man.... South korea just sucks in this game....

Being Korean myself, I really develope the young korean player regens that comes through my youth and they always get picked as internationals but south korea still looses....

[Amaroq]

I first saw South Korea live in the Gold Cup, and there was one guy fully kitted out in white robes, red head band, and a gong: I can still hear him, by himself, going "Cor-ee-ah! Cor-ee-ah!" throughout the match ..

.. then when I saw the national support and constant song during '02, plus the hard work the side put in, I was hooked: they're in my "earned my support through their play" category.

Do wish they could have at least scored a goal here, though..

[Amaroq]

Monday, 28th June, 2010.

What is it about hosting the World Cup? From Uruguay in 1930, to England in '66, from Argentina in 1978, to France '98 .. and of course, who could forget South Korea's incredible run of 2002? .. host nations, even lightly regarded ones, have always proved much tougher than one might have predicted.

The hottest ticket in Johannesburg was the Holland-South Africa match, which every European pundit was predicting would be a walkover. South Africa were regarded as lucky to have escaped their group, while Holland have a dominant attacking force and are a punters' favourite to reach the final four. To get there, the Oranje needed to beat South Africa, and especially their magical goalkeeper, a 19-year-old who has already declared that he's going to college in the United States rather than turn professional!

The magic of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rafael van der Vaart, and Wesley Sneijder proved no match for Tshepo Ramovha. Buoyed by the support of 98,000 countrymen, he turned them all aside with ease throughout 120 minutes, sending the match to penalties..

.. where he saved three of the six shots he faced, enough to let his teammates earn a 4-3 penalty shootout win: 0-0 (4-3), and Holland was stunned to be heading home!

The U.S.A. was a big underdog against Turkey, but I'd travelled to Cape Town full of hope, and was one of 34,959, though the Turkish contingent outnumbered Sam's Army by a good two-to-one. I was elated when Freddy Adu added to his international total in the seventh minute, turning a shot home from 12 yards, and danced in the aisles with my countrymen.

The match took a nasty turn, however, as the notoriously hard-tackling Turks were matched for intensity by the American midfield, and in the 20th minute Akin Ibrahim was injured; it may have been retaliation for that that saw DaMarcus Beasley lose his cool in the 28th minute, but a blatant shirt tug that sent Tuncay tumbling to the turf earned Beasley a straight red card.

It was a tense, tense second half, with the ten-man U.S. tenaciously holding onto their lead, and Turkey pressing the attack in what felt like a half-court game. Two more Turkish players were limping or off by the 64th minute, when substitute Arslan Volkan, 31, scored his first-ever international goal, carombing a shot off of Bobby Convey and past Tim Howard. Tight defending saw out the remaining 25 minutes of regulation, 1-1.

If the U.S. was hoping to reach penalties, they were disappointed in extra-time. Koç Okan's fabulous volley-pass in the 101st minute found the head of Nihat, who redirected it past Howard from eight yards out for a spectacular goal!

That gave Turkey a 2-1 lead. The U.S. had twenty minutes to try and come back - no Golden Goal rule, here - but was unable to find the equalizer.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 29th June, 2010.

With the three sides I support internationally - England, the U.S., and Holland - all eliminated within 36 hours, I was a bit adrift, emotionally. I found myself rooting for the hosts, simply from a perspective of continuing to enjoy the crowd atmosphere and the local colour.

That left me with no rooting interest in today's games, but watching Brazil is always entertaining, whether you root for them or against them. In this case, the matter was clearly decided by Man of the Match Ronaldinho, who scored a brace, notching the first after just five minutes, and when Dagoberto tagged on a third in the 81st minute, it was clear that Peru had nothing to offer. 3-0 was, indeed, the final.

Italy were the wide favourites against Croatia, but as has been proven several dozen times in this tournament, the odds mean very little at this level. Ivica Olic put Croatia ahead just 2 minutes into the match, and with the Azzuri stretching to find an equalizer, Ivan Klasnic made it 2-0 before halftime.

With a quality side, Italy needn't panic, but they couldn't seem to find their way past Stipe Pletikosa, who was yet again playing very well on the international stage. His wonderful performance kept Italy at bay throughout the final forty-five minutes, and 2-0 was the final score.

England, Italy, Argentina, and Holland all out?!

That's why they play the games!

[Amaroq]

Wednesday, 30th June, 2010.

Finally, a day off, and I could enjoy a bit of tourism, seeing my wife, and enjoying the sights. You'll not care much for seeing the Carlton Centre, or what restaurant we went to on our first date in three hectic weeks, so instead I'll give you the Quarter Final matchups, and also outline the pre-season schedule we've arranged.

World Cup Quarter-Finals:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Germany - Paraguay

Spain - France

Croatia - South Africa

Turkey - Brazil</pre>

In other news, today was the day attacking midfielder Juan Carlos Valerón officially retired from professional football, clearing his £1.9M per-annum salary off of our books. We probably hadn't gotten £4M worth of play from him, especially not with his limited role last season, but he was magical when he was at his best.

Juan Carlos Valerón, AMC, 34: August 2008-June 2010: 2 seasons, 28 games, 1 goal, 7 assists, 0 MoM, 7.00

It may not be the end of his association with the club: I offered him a coaching contract, again, and this time his salary demands appeared quite reasonable.

Leaving the club, of course, was promising midfielder David Parker, who had skipped out of his apprenticeship contract with us to sign a professional deal with Real Madrid. The legality of that is questionable, to say the least, but the upshot of it all is we'd have to sue Madrid to recover even some form of compensation, and its unlikely to be worth it, so he's effectively left on a free.

David Parker, AMC, 17: August 2009-June 2010: 1 season, 1 game, 0 goals, 7.00

Jon Paul McGovern detached himself from the club, after failing to make even a single appearance last year - I guess I hadn't done much to revive his career by bringing him off the York bench and onto my own.

Jon Paul McGovern, AMR, 29: January 2009-June 2010: 2 seasons, 3 games, 0 goals, 7.00

Attacking midfielder Mike Flynn, likewise, hadn't gotten any senior action last season, and was happy to leave the club upon the conclusion of his contract.

Mike Flynn, AMC, 29: July 2008 - June 2010: 2 seasons, 12 games, 0 goals, 6.92

Eighteen-year-old goalkeeper Simon Fox hadn't really been given much of a fair shake, playing only a single Reserve match last season. He needed to find a team with less competition in goal. Also leaving was 17-year-old striker Scott Lee, who had scored 3 goals in just 12 Under-18 appearances, most of those off the bench.

With a day or two to spend with my wife - "Finally!" she said, jokingly - I was enjoying the sights. It would have been nicer, perhaps, to come in summer, but even so I was still enjoying it.

Micky Adams and I got together one last time, and commiserated in England's poor spot of luck.

"Its been fun spending time together," he said. "We should arrange a friendly next year."

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 1st July, 2010.

"Okay, we've never done this by conference call," Terry Robinson said, "Can you hear us? Okay, this is the monthly board meeting and annual review."

It's an important meeting, and I do wish I could have been in Sheffield for it, but the scouting continued apace.

The key aspects I took away were the board's expectation for the upcoming season: they remained delighted with my management, and expected us to 'stay clear of the relegation fight' this year, which seems straightforward enough after a 7th-place finish last year, though Terry warned me not to be too optimistic, especially if I focused the squad's energies on Europe - he reminded me what had happened to Aston Villa, though personally I lay the blame for that squarely on Javier Clemente.

I outlined my goals: essentially, to get some good experience for the squad and players as a whole, but treating the UEFA Cup as a secondary competition, with my intent to ensure that we earn European qualification again next year, either through the League or Cups, rather than placing any emphasis on advancing deep into the competition. Obviously, if it comes our way, its a bonus, but I'm not expecting anything.

Financially, we had secured £13.75M in Premier League TV rights, but had also paid out a £10M dividend. Both of those were accounted against the 2009-10 fiscal year, which left us with a net profit of £3.1M for the year at close - though the solid dividend to the investors for the second year running was quite pleasing to the board.

The month of June wound up including the £4.4M transfer fee for Freddy Guarín, and that combined with our dividend and TV income left us with a loss of £2.1M for the month. Somehow we'd already lost £5.2M for the 2010-11 season - mostly the Guarín transfer, and his signing bonus, I suppose. That left a healthy £20.75M in the bank. We'd also secured a new sponsorship deal, a five-year, £2.5M deal that would see £480k p/a into our coffers.

Finally, I'd been given a £6.75M transfer budget for the season, of which most had already been spent on Guarín; I had £2.4M remaining in the kitty.

We'd arranged the following as a pre-season schedule:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">10.7 Players report for training

13.7 Reserves vs Wolverhampton Reserves

15.7 A Wigan Athletic

17.7 H Arsenal

21.7 H Feyenoord

25.7 H Aston Villa

28.7 Reserves vs Leeds Reserves

1.8 H Fulham

2.8 U-18's vs Tottenham U-18's

5.8 H Rangers

6.8 Reserves vs Leicester Reserves

8.8 N CHARITY SHIELD vs CHELSEA

14.8 A Tottenham - Premier League - Game 1</pre>

Then, it was time to review the new signings.

DM RC Freddy Guarín, 24, Colombia, 35 caps, 3 goals:

11 games, 2 goals, 2 MoM, 7.45 for Inter Milan:

The talented Colombian defensive midfielder may be my best player - and that comparison includes Sinama-Pongolle. He literally has no visible weakness in any area, and I have a feeling I could start him anywhere and have him succeed. He has incredible long shots, free kicks, and long throw-ins which will make him a danger anywhere on the pitch. He takes a fine penalty, and has the stamina of a wolf. I'm impressed with his tackling, his marking, his crosses, his corners, his composure, his determination, his pace, and his work rate. In fact, if he has any downside at all, its that he doesn't speak any English - and if he can't settle in England, he won't be much use to me. I hope he's adaptable, as I'm planning to route him straight into the starting lineup.

D/DM L Celestine Babayaro, 31, Nigeria, 67 caps, 2 goals:

21 games, 1 goal, 3 MoM, 7.19 on loan to Cardiff, Wolves, (Championship):

This veteran left back never established a place in West Ham's lineup, and though I'm not sure he'll be a starter for me, he'll push Sean Dillon and Joe Keenan at left back, and should provide some veteran experience for our European campaign. His pace, stamina, and tackling are excellent, and he shows good flair and off the ball runs, which should help out going forward. I'm a bit worried about his weakness in the air, as I do rely on the fullbacks to win plenty of headers, so we'll see how he fits in before making a final judgment. Best, he came in on a Bosman, so the only cost to us was his salary.

D/DM RLC John Reid, 17, Scotland, uncapped:

40 games, 7 goals, 0 assists, 6.53 with Elgin City (Scotland):

A two-year starter at Elgin City, this lad just turned seventeen in April, and I was able to prise him away from them for a mere £30,000. He's a physically gifted youth, with pace, fitness, and stamina, and a hard worker. He already makes reasonable decisions, and can tackle, mark, and position himself reasonably. He's fine in the air, and if he's a bit weak going forward, that's okay - the flexibility he provides across every one of my back five positions would make him an excellent bench player if he develops a bit.

[Amaroq]

Friday, 2nd July, 2010.

"Here's what the article says." I wasn't in Sheffield, so I had to rely on Ray Hougton to read me the news of the day.

"Quote, Danny Payne admitted Sheffield United's swoop for Freddy Guarín is a, quote, 'kick in the teeth,' end-quote, for him. The arrival of fellow defender Guarín will mean even fiercer competition for places at Bramall Lane...' enq-quote.

"I don't think he's happy, but he knows he'll have to work hard to keep his place."

"Great, thanks for the warning."

As we'd already learned, the World Cup press are 100% informed in all aspects of the game, and if one of my players was unhappy at home, I could expect a question about it in South Africa.

Sure enough, I found myself asked about it that afternoon, and I gave a non-committal response, about understanding his concerns, but said I saw Guarín primarily as a midfielder, and Payne as a defender.

Before Ray hung up, he also gave me the good news: Juan Carlos Valerón has accepted our offer, and would be starting as a coach on the 10th, when players reported for training. Also, we'd been given £24,000 because of a 40% sell-on clause for some player I'd never heard of, somebody sold to Brighton before my time, who had moved on to Swindon.

On the pitch, the Quarter-Finals got underway with a classic battle between Germany and Paraguay. Paraguay keeper Anthony Silva did a fine job, as Germany pressured his goal throughout the match, but was unable to find a way past him in the first forty-five minutes. He even saved a penalty, struck by Bastian Schweinsteiger just before halftime.

The second half was more of the same: Germany had excellent movement, but just couldn't seem to finish, and Paraguay looked dangerous on the counter-attack, feeding it to captain Roque Santa Cruz, who twice nearly scraped out a goal. Extra-time loomed large when Germany took a corner in the 83rd minute. Schweinsteiger's first effort was headed clear, but he tracked it down, and sent another ball in, not to the crowded six, but to Torsten Frings at the eighteen. The 33-year-old German captain struck a wonderful ball, that Silva got his hands to but couldn't keep out of the net, and Germany won 1-0.

Spain dominated the first half against France, and looked sure to captialize on their constant pressure, but it was a counter-attack that put them ahead in the 42nd minute. César played a long ball from the left back position across the field and ahead of Joaquín. Fernando Torres drew triple-coverage in the box, which left Raúl criminally unmarked from the arc. He took Joaquín's cross and hammered it home to give Spain a 1-0 halftime lead.

The second half saw Spain continue to dominate, though they'd slowed their attack somewhat, and by the final fifteen minutes they were looking primarily to hold the lead, not to extend it. It took a spectacular individual effort, but when Kapo sent a cross to the back post, Sidney Govou rose above three defenders to head home the equalizer in the 81st minute. France had drawn level, and in fact forced extra time.

Buouyed by their comeback, they outplayed Spain in the extra thirty minutes, and on 100 minutes, Gaël Clichy picked out David Trezeguet in the area. He beat Iker Casillas with a low lazer to make it 2-1. In the final fifteen minutes, Spain grew ever more desperate, until on 120 minutes they had everybody forward save one defender and the keeper. That was just too tempting on the counter-attack, and though Thierry Henry's effort was saved, the rebound fell to Cristophe Mandanne, a young forward from Lyon, who drilled home his first international goal to make the final score 3-1.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 3rd July, 2010.

South Africa's World Cup adventure continued with an entertaining quarter-final that saw them go back and forth with Croatia throughout a flowing first half of football, and in fact the South Africans were outshooting their European counterparts by a two to one margin at halftime. Unfortunately for them and their fans, heart isn't enough on its own, and Croatia's combination of hard work and talent paid off in the 50th minute when Niko Kranjcar's wonderful through ball found Ivan Klasnic behind his man but held onside by a wayward fullback. Gifted plenty of space, he rounded the South Africa keeper and put Croatia ahead 1-0.

It was Ivica Olic who was left unmarked in the 65th minute, and again Kranjcar was the provider. Though the teen phenom in South Africa's goal saved the first attempt, Olic recovered the rebound and virtually dribbled it into the net for what turned out to be the final goal. Croatia had knocked the hosts out, 2-0, but the Cape Town crowd of 59,989 gave their heroes a standing ovation at the end of the match, celebrating their achievements in getting this far, despite the disappointment of not reaching the Semi-Finals.

Turkey and Brazil always seem to draw each other in international competition, and so it was in the Johannesburg quarter-final. With the Turks worried about defending the many talented Brazilian attackers, they seemed to have forgotten about 31-year-old defensive midfielder Renato. It might have been easy to do: prior to this season he hadn't scored a single international goal, but he knocked in his fifth of the year on 18 minutes, when he was left unmarked at the arc - it had looked like the dangerous ball would go deeper into the crowded box. Left with space again just after halftime, he added a beautiful curling 25-yard effort, and Diego dribbled half the length of the field on the counterattack in the 83rd minute to make the final a solid 3-0 for the talented Brazilians.

[Starr_Man5]

So my "tip" failed to make the cup...

Oh well.

I'm looking forward in anticipation to the community shield.

Obviously it is technically a "Friendly" but COME ON AMAROQ!! Knock the stuffing out of the blues for us!!

[Starr_Man5]

Originally posted by Starr_Man5:

So my "tip" failed to make the cut...

Oh well.

I'm looking forward in anticipation to the community shield.

Obviously it is technically a "Friendly" but COME ON AMAROQ!! Knock the stuffing out of the blues for us!!

That's what I meant.

[Amaroq]

"Amaroq is feeling the pressure of public expectations."

Sorry bout the Reggae Boyz, Starr_Man. Maybe if they'd put Tappa in charge!

[Amaroq]

Monday, 5th July, 2010.

"He's issued a formal apology. What more do you want?"

This trip was racking up quite an international-long-distance bill.

"I think you should reprimand him for his outburst," Ray Houghton answered from the other end of the line. "A professional footballer shouldn't be throwing tantrums in the press just because his manager brings in another player."

"Maybe if he was a disruptive influence or something, I could see your point, but Danny Payne's been a solid member of this squad for three years, and this is his first misstep. No, tell him I consider the matter resolved."

"Okay, but I'm warning you, if you go soft on one player now, it'll be harder to discipline the next guy."

Ray hadn't had a reputation for strict discipline, so I was a little surprised that he wanted to take the hard line with Payne.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I meant to tell you. Jacek faxed back an acceptance offer."

We'd signed Jacek Krzynowek, a veteran left winger, to a contract as a part-time player and full-time coach. The Polish left wing had failed to break into the West Ham starting lineup over the past two seasons, and after making just a single substitute appearance had sought his freedom on a Bosman. He'd first come to our attention as a coaching applicant, as he intended to retire from professional football. I hoped to convince him to retain the cleats for one more season.

AM L Jacek Krzynowek, 34, Poland, 87 caps, 11 goals:

1 game, 0 goals, 7.00 with West Ham United:

Dangerous at long shots, free kicks, and from the spot, a fine corner taker, and a good crosser, he still has the pace and stamina to compete with kids half his age, and if can convince him not to hang up his boots, he'll challenge Joe Hamill for the starting berth. I'm especially hoping to add his experience and composure in the European competitions - and if he retires from football, well, we got him on a coach's wage.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 6th July, 2010.

If ever there was a game to take a "soccer" neophyte to, it was this one, the World Cup semi-final between France and Croatia. Vranzyi Sigmundarson got the game off to a strong start, with a half-volley from twelve yards to put Croatia ahead, 1-0, in the 15th minute. The teams traded shots through the remainder of the first half, but neither was able to pick up an advantage, and the Croatians held the single-goal lead at halftime.

Ivan Klasnic had played provider in the first goal, and he was the recipient of a generous pass in the 46th minute after Ivica Olic dribbled to within ten yards of goal. With two defenders and a keeper rushing him, he knocked it right for the unmarked Klasnic, and at 2-0, France's backs were against the wall.

However, they pegged one back immediately, taking the resulting kickoff and heading straight downfield. David Trezeguet's cross found Thierry Henry in the six, and with three defenders napping near him, the French star headed home to make it 2-1.

The French dominated the next forty minutes, peppering the Croatia goal with shots, but goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa was majestic, putting on a tremendous show. As the match entered injury time, he had ten saves, many of them top-drawer. In desperation, France was throwing everybody forward, and it paid off when Patrice Evra headed home Stéphane Dalmat's cross for a miraculous equalizer! It was the first-ever international goal for the Newcastle left back, bought from Bochum back in 2005, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The match, already tense, went to extra time, and yet again Croatia took the lead. Patrick Vieira brought down Olic right on the eighteen. The replays showed that the contact was slight, but clearly in the box, and Olic pleaded for the penalty. The referee split the difference, awarding an 18-yard-free-kick to Croatia, managing to infuriate both managers and just about everyone in the crowd of 64,970. Bosko Balaban drilled it straight and true, finding the top corner of the net with a laser strike, and it was 3-2.

Yet again, France was chasing the match, and yet again they pounded shot after shot at Stipe Pletikosa. Five more incredible saves kept the one-goal advantage intact, and France's plight grew ever more desperate. Both sides were exhausted by the 117th minute, when France earned a corner. Dalmat floated it in, and Henry rose majestically to head home the second dramatic equalizer of the day!!

Even the fans were exhausted after that emotional wringer, and the penalty shootout still lay ahead!

Nicolas Anelka converted, and Sébastien Frey saved from Kranjcar. Suddenly, Croatia trailed for the first time all day, but when Pletikosa saved from Kapo, and Balaban converted, it was level at one apiece.

Michaël Silvestre and Olic both scored, making it 2-2. Henry is as close to a sure thing as you could hope for, but Pletikosa made a brilliant diving save to deny the eventual Man of the Match. Jerko Leko could put Croatia on the verge of winning it, but Frey punched his weak effort wide. The fifth man, veteran centre back Phillipe Mexès, blazed it over the bar for France, and that sent young Mladen Babic to the line for the most important kick of his life.

He hit it, scoring the winner to put Croatia in the Finals for the first time!

[Amaroq]

Wednesday, 7th July, 2010.

The second Semi-Final was the last match I would watch in South Africa, as I had to leave before the final to return to Sheffield: I'd asked the players to report on Saturday, and the least I could do was be there when they were.

Right from the beginning, it was clear that Germany had come to play defense, with a 4-4-2 that allowed both strikers to drop back all the way to the eighteen in defense, and of course Brazil was their usual brilliant selves, passing around with flair and creativity that's hard to match. They'd forced three solid saves from Timo Hildebrand when Bastian Schweinsteiger launched a long ball behind their defense in the 27th minute. Pacey 32-year-old Miroslav Klose chased it down, and slotted it home to give Germany a 1-0 lead which they held through halftime.

The second half got ugly, with Éwerthon carted off for an injury. Brazil, searching for the equalizer, grew ever more in control of the game, but that all changed when Naldo was sent off for an intentional foul in the 78th minute. While they were still stunned, substitute Lukas Podolski broke in behind the Brazil defense to make it 2-0, and that all but assured that Germany would be in the Final.

Ten minutes of solid defending later, it was confirmed!

I shook hands with Spencer and Dave, leaving them to watch the third-place game and Final, while I headed home for England on the red-eye.

[Amaroq]

Friday, 9th July, 2010.

I'm always exhausted after travel, and pretty much useless for a day, but I made sure to get into the office Friday morning - I wanted to clean up any business I had prior to the players arriving tomorrow.

There didn't turn out to be much: an interview with a physiotherapist candidate named Kim Eaton, whom I decided was acceptable.

Keith McCormack's contract was expiring at the end of the season, and I called his agent to outline the new contract I had in mind for him: a solid £900,000 p/a for five years, as I'm quite intent on keeping the youngster in a Sheffield United jersey.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 10th July, 2010.

The smell of the freshly manicured lawn at Bramall Lane - and our burgeoning practice facility across the road, which I'm assured is one of the top facilities in the world - the sound of the ball: it was time for football, and the sense of excitement in Sheffield about our upcoming season could be measured by the crowd of 3,000 who appeared to cheer us on.. in practice!

There wasn't much to see: I had the lads doing a lot of strenuous conditioning work, some gentle warm-up passing exercises, and the like - its early days yet!

I tuned in to the highlights show in the evening to figure out the result of the third-placed game. I'd hoped France manager Arsène Wenger would give Florent Sinama-Pongolle his first action of the tournament, given that it was a meaningless game, but he stayed with his starting lineup. Brazil went with a youthful eleven, and the difference in quality was clear as Kapo and David Trezeguet exploited the gaps in defense in the first half to run up a 2-0 lead, which France then held through the second half to claim third place.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 11th July, 2010.

94,978 filled FNB Stadium in Johannesburg for the World Cup Final between Germany and Croatia. We'd done some heavy running in the morning, and I'd given the players and staff the rest of the day off, allowing them to watch with family or friends, as the mood took them. A small cohort, including Ray, Derek, and myself, stayed at Bramall Lane to watch at the owner's box.

The global betting line had heavily favored Germany, so it was quite a shock when just eight minutes into the match, Marko Balbic skinned right wing Paul Freier, and delivered a beautiful cross into the six. Niko Kranjcar, my personal choice for the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, headed home, and Croatia led 1-0.

Anyone who had expected Germany to dominate was shocked when, at the 28th minute, they still hadn't troubled Stipe Pletikosa to make a single save, twice shooting wide. The Croat's build-up hardly looked dangerous, but Vranzyi Sigmundarson curled a wonderful thirty-yarder over the head of Timo Hildebrand, who really should have been able to stop it, and it was 2-0 for Croatia heading towards halftime.

In the second half, the Germans stopped focusing on defense, and began pressuring forward, the obvious tactic, and they discovered, as France had before them, just how stiff the Croatian defense could be. Solid defending meant that Pletikosa only had to make four saves to reach the 90th minute with his clean sheet intact, and as Germany grew more desperate, holes opened at the back. It was one such hole that captain Robert Kovac found with a long ball, and Ivica Olic tracked it down, hammering home the third goal to crown Croatia as World Champions.

It mattered little that four minutes of injury time were called for, or that Marko Babic was whistled for a penalty on the last corner kick of the game, when it was ruled that he tripped Bastian Schweinsteiger. Kevin Kuranyi converted the penalty for his 21st international goal, but all it could accomplish was making the final score a more respectable 3-1.

Croatia hoisted the World Cup in celebration as the disappointed Germans watched in disbelief.

It was a touching moment, honestly, for who didn't become a Croatia fan during their darling run of 1998? This was all the sweeter, a Cinderella story come good with a lustre that Hollywood could never replicate.

[Starr_Man5]

With a lustre that Hollywood could never replicate...

But we can rely on you Amaroq.

Well done Croatia, by the way.

Good to see a "Smaller Nation" have success.

A change from the mundane is always welcome....

PS - Still waiting the Community shield, with baited breath.....

[tenthreeleader]

Tip of the cap to you, Amaroq, for a wonderful chronicle. Congratulations!

[Wegason]

Saturday, 24th October, 2009. Premier League - Game 12, at Ipswich Town.

Ipswich, one of the Championship class of 2007/08 with us, were in dire danger of going back down. They hadn't won a league match in over two months, and a 6-0 pounding by Southampton last weekend hadn't helped their morale at all. We weren't making the trip to Essex for charity, though it would be sad to see one of our best recent rivalries broken up. I had to remind the lads that the last five times we'd met, the home side had won by two goals, so they needed to be on their 'A' game.

Hey Amaroq,

Currently catching up on your epic tale after a long break from FM due to various personal reasons and a lack of enthusiasm for FM. Noticed this bit, I know you're a bit of a stickler for perfection, like myself, and thought I should point out that Ipswich is in fact in the county of Suffolk, not Essex.

The story is again fantastic, I'm only up to page 4 of book III after carrying on from where I left off in book 2 back in January. I hope to also restart my various projects over the next few months, determination and willpower permitting.

Wegason

[Starr_Man5]

Amaroq?

Perhaps I'm a little TOO impatient...

I've nothing left to read is all.....

[Damien77]

Can't wait for the new season to start

[Kairyu]

Hope you are enjoying your break while you can Amaroq

[thomax14]

I started a temping job three weeks ago and have been slowly getting through this between taking calls and making cups of tea. It is a marvellous story that has kept me going through some very long days. Thank you Amaroq, KUTGW.

[Amaroq]

Thank you, guys! It was a much-needed break; had some things to tend to and some relaxation to get. Sorry to keep you waiting so long .. I hope the new season - and our first European campaign! - make it worth the wait!

[Amaroq]

Monday, 12th July, 2010.

"I'm sorry, boss, I just don't think I can play anymore. These old knees just don't want to run that hard anymore."

"That's okay. I appreciate that you gave it two days working with the lads before you made your decision."

To nobody's surprise, coach and left wing Jacek Krzynowek retired from professional football. He'll be remaining at the club on the five-year coaching deal we'd offered.

Physio Kim Eaton also accepted my offer, and though it'll cost £30,000 to pry her away from Brighton, she'll be starting tomorrow.

On the international front, United States manager Bruce Arena has decided to step down from his post as manager of the U.S. National Team - and guess who is linked with a position as the U.S. manager? That would be a tough decision, let me tell you, as I can't manage an English team and the U.S. concurrently, but I wouldn't want to leave Sheffield.

With tomorrow our first friendly, let's take the time to review the club. I'm afraid our total player list is getting quite extensive, so bear with me:

Goalkeepers:

GK Roy Carroll, 32, Northern Ireland, 55 caps:

17 games, 16 conceded, 9 clean sheets, 2 MoM, 7.41:

A veteran and consummate professional, who really excelled in goal last season. Agility is probably his strongest suit, but he's brave, positions himself well, jumps well, and has fine aerial ability. He doesn't punch to clear often, and in fact there have been some reports that his teamwork is a bit lacking, but overall he's clearly our best goalkeeper.

GK Stephen Cummins, 18, Ireland, uncapped:

8 games, 8 conceded, 3 clean sheets, 1 MoM, 6.88 on loan to Norwich (Championship):

A real prospect, Cummins looks like he could begin challenging Carroll and McGregor this season. His concentration, teamwork, work rate, and jumping ability are all at the international level, and he doesn't have any real weaknesses to his game. He tends not to punch or rush off his line, but other than that he's an ideal young keeper. I'll be naming him as my number two, and trying to break him in with some first-team appearances.

GK Allan McGregor, 28, Scotland, uncapped:

26 games, 25 conceded, 13 clean sheets, 0 MoM, 6.96:

Four seasons as the starter have come to a close for McGregor, with Carroll supplanting him last year and really excelling. He is determined and brave, with good agility and reflexes, and solid throughout though unspectacular. His anticipation and command of the area leave a bit to be desired, and he's fallen to number three on my depth chart this summer, with the development of Cummins. If Cummins looks steady through the first half of the season, I might put McGregor up for transfer at the mid-season transfer window.

GK Chris Brown, 16, Wales, 8 U-21 caps:

11 games, 14 conceded, 0 clean sheets, 6.64 on loan at Wigan (Championship):

The best young prospect I've ever seen, he earned a call-up to the Welsh national team for the World Cup this year. Though he didn't play a match, the honour, at age 16, shows just how highly thought of he is. His concentration, determination, and work ethic combine with his natural leadership to make him captain material, and his cat-like reflexes, pace, and stellar acceleration excite everyone who watches him. He's strong in one-on-one situations, and he's had dozens of scouts nosing about ever since we first signed him.

GK Richard Thomas, 17, Wales, 2 U-21 caps:

No appearances:

Phenomenal concentration, good work rate, and sheer physical ability from pace and acceleration to agility and balance, fitness, and stamina all mark this Welshman as a potential star. Ray and John are concerned that he may never improve beyond his current level, but he's developing well in everything I'd listed as a weakness. I'd love to get him some first-team action on loan this season, preferably at the League One or Championship level.

GK Adam Ryan, 19, England, uncapped:

2 games, 1 conceded, 1 clean sheet, 6.50 on loan to Blackpool (League One):

Despite excellent agility, and the determination, bravery, and strength one would ask for, Ryan hasn't been able to earn much professional experience anywhere. I'm forced to agree with Ray and John that he doesn't really compare with our other top prospects, and its probably best to let him go, especially as his reflexes really aren't at the level I'd like to see.

GK Nick McDonald, 20, England, uncapped:

44 games, 48 conceded, 16 clean sheets, 8 MoM, 7.18 on loan to Wrexham (League One):

Well-rounded, with modest quality in almost every aspect of his game, there's nothing about Nick that really stands out. He proved himself a solid League One keeper, last year, and he's been on the transfer list for several months. He's entering the last year of his contract, so I hope somebody is willing to pay to acquire him, as I'll be letting him go on a free at the end of the year otherwise.

GK Simon Parker, 17, England, uncapped:

No appearances:

Little more than a fairly average player in most respects, though fit, with good stamina, balance, and a fine work rate, this promising goalkeeper has shown enough improvement to rate a three-year professional contract when he turned 17 in June. Ray is concerned that, given the competition, he'll never get the playing time he needs to improve beyond his current level, but he's got enough potential that its worth keeping him in the U-18 programme.

GK Paul Stone, 19, England, uncapped:

No appearances:

Teamwork, hard work, and determination characterize this resilient young goalkeeper's game. From a personality perspective, I love him, but unfortunately he just doesn't show any of the other attributes a young keeper needs: from anticipation to reflexes, from composure to concentration, he just doesn't have what it takes to get the job done. He's been on the transfer list all last season without any takers, and I fully expect his contract to expire before anybody bites.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 13th July, 2010.

Our pre-season friendly campaign got underway today, with a home tie billed as our Reserves against Wolverhampton Reserves. I named a bit of a mixed lineup, with Cummins in goal, and Babayaro, Shittu, Cooper, and Herzog in youthful defense, but with veterans Berson, Sikora, Forte, Bridge-Wilkinson, and Hume in the midfield, and Weatherson at striker. Jonathan Forte scored in the tenth minute, heading home a corner, only to see it ruled out as he'd pushed Beattie.

For most of the first half, we dominated possession, but woeful finishing let us down: the closest we came was Gary Thomas striking the crossbar. The worst bit of the match was seeing Marc Bridge-Wilkinson come off injured in the 26th minute. Injuries plagued our one-time star last year, and I was beginning to suspect that age was taking its toll on his body.

Most of the starters were out by the 50th minute, though Shittu lasted eighty-one minutes. Despite Keith McCormack and Joe Newell as notable second half substitutes, it was primarily youngsters, who never really threatened the Wolves goal the way the first team had, and at the end of the day it was still scoreless.

"Hey, we kept them without a single shot," Ray said afterwards, looking for the bright side.

"And at least Marc wasn't seriously hurt, which is all I really want from the friendlies: get us fit, with no injuries."

"It'll be interesting to see how the first team does Thursday against Wigan."

Centre backs:

D C David Marek Rozehnal, 30, Czech Republic, 34 caps, 1 goal:

35 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 7.23:

This hard-working veteran sees considerable action for the Czech national squad, and the highlight of his season had to be scoring his first international goal. He's a complete player; he has literally no weaknesses, and could do anything from taking a corner to making a long throw to hitting a shot from range. He's a very good marker, and fantastic in the air. He's strong, has great stamina, and good balance, and I love his marking. He can also make a long throw at need, and has fine off-the-ball runs. I'm counting on him to be a bulwark of our central defense for years to come.

D C Ben Hammond, 21, England, uncapped:

12 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 7.25:

He's quickly developed into a Premier-League quality defender. He makes very good decisions, keeps his concentration, and anticipates the opposition well. He's aggressive, and determined. His first touch and passing is excellent for a defender, and he can whip in a cross at need, or drill a long shot if asked. He has the obvious characteristics as well: he's the fastest central defender on the squad, with good tackling, brilliant marking, and a solid header. I'm expecting him to edge Foxe out for the second starting central defender role this season - but he'll have to earn it.

D C Hayden Foxe, 33, Australia, 48 caps, 3 goals:

25 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 0 MoM, 7.28:

The captain of the team, and a regular starter for Australia, this experienced defender is in the twilight of his career. He still has the natural fitness, and jumping ability which characterized his game, and his composure under pressure is legendary. I love his determination, and he can hit a free kick, but he's lost a step and in many ways he's starting to look more like a Championship-calibre player. Ray no longer thinks he's good enough to hold down a regular first-team place.

D C Steve Foster, 29, England, uncapped:

16 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.25:

A real fringe player at this point, whose brightest spots are his natural fitness and control with his head. Other than that, he looks like a Championship-level player, and could still excel at that level. I've placed Foster on the transfer list, as his contract is expiring at the season's end anyways, and I hope he finds a taker who can get him regular starts.

D C Abubuakar Shittu, 20, Nigeria, 6 caps, 1 goal:

1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.00:

Part of the reason I'm transfer-listing Foster is that if this Nigerian youngster doesn't start playing a bit more, we won't be able to renew his work permit when it expires in 2013. I'm hoping he's ready for a few starts this year. He has excellent pace and acceleration, and great anticipation of the game. I also like his concentration, and he can take a fine penalty. Other than that, he doesn't appear fantastic in other areas, and Ray says that, though he's showing promise, he isn't good enough to remain at the club.

D C Jamie Cooper, 21, England, uncapped:

1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.00:

One of my best improvers at York, he seems to have reached the limits of his ability. I love his strength, his determination, and his quality headers. He makes great decisions, especially for one so young, and he has perfect composure in all situations. Unfortunately, he just doesn't have the core elements that I expect at this level, and his pace is average at best. His contract is no longer protected, and I've placed him on the transfer list.

D C Danny Ryder, 17, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

This promising centre-back was singled out as the best of this year's youth crop. He may have a reputation for an unsporting personality, but his pace, fitness, agility, and obvious determination earned him a three-year professional contract and a chance to show what he can do. He'll need to develop his positioning, tackling, marking, and decision-making, but they're not too far off a reasonable standard, and he makes controlled headers, which is always a plus. A year as the Under-18 starter should suit him.

SW/D C Mark Wright, 15, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

This enthusiastic centre-back has all of the mental attributes I love: determination, teamwork, work rate, and bravery. I also like his natural fitness, and his quality headers. I could wish he had a bit more pace, but I think he's got everything else he'll need, and he'll earn two seasons in the U-18's.

D C Ross "Russell" Crowe, 18, England, uncapped:

No appearances:

This youngster impresses in the air, with fine jumping and excellent headers which make him a natural center back. His stamina is good, as well, though the rest of his game needs a lot of work. His technique is woeful, and I'd hoped that two seasons at the U-18 level might help him mature into a good center back. 32 games last year didn't help, and I doubt a second will, either, so its onto the transfer list for "Russell", as the lads call him.

SW/D C Paul Davis, 19, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

A determined, hard-working free kick specialist, who is equally deadly from the spot or from the 18, this youngster is even worse than Crowe in the areas that matter. His technique, passing, positioning, and first touch are abysmal, his mental development seems equally poor, and he actually struck one of our physios with a wayward shot last season! 31 games last season made no impression, so he, too, is on the transfer list.

SW/D C Nicky Holmes, 15, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

The only true standout attributes for this lad are his bravery and work ethic. He's far too slow of foot to make it in our system, and his technique is execrable. He's straight onto the transfer list, despite graduating our academy just this summer.

[Amaroq]

Wednesday, 14th July, 2010.

Rozehnal Renews Through 2014.

Key central defender David Marek Rozehnal, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, has signed a new deal worth £6M over the next four seasons, which should see the 30-year-old close to his retirement as a Blade.

There was a lot of action on the transfer and contract front: it felt like my phone was ringing off the hook this week.

Rozehnal was the biggest name, but captain Hayden Foxe had agreed to an extension as well, adding two years to his deal and accepting a step down to a rotational role.

A number of fringe players had signed contract extensions, notably 20-year-old wing Simon Blake and 18-year-old defensive midfielder Steven White who renewed their contracts through 2014 as backups to the first team.

19-year-old left wing Chris Rowe renewed through the same year. Goalkeeper Chris Brown renewed his contract through this season, a move I hoped would stiff-arm interest from Chelsea.

Darren Gibson had decided to accept my trifling contract offer, a pittance compared to what he'd originally demanded, and no guarantee of more than a backup's role, but his agent hadn't been able to secure a move elsewhere. Unfortunately, he suffered a bit of a set-back on the training pitch, picking up a twisted ankle which will knock his pre-season back two weeks.

Left backs:

D L Sean Dillon, 25, Scotland, 5 U-21 caps:

33 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 MoM, 7.18:

Our starting left back for the past three years, he has looked outclassed at the Premier League level, and Ray doesn't think he's good enough to hold down a regular first-team place. He does have a number of strengths, especially mentally, where his excellent determination, teamwork, and work ethic combine with his natural leadership to earn him the captain's armband occasionally. Defensively, he's got good positioning, marking, tackling, and beautiful headers, but he has a frustrating tendency to lose concentration at the worst of times, and he doesn't have the pace to recover from a mistake.

D/DM L Celestine Babayaro, 31, Nigeria, 67 caps, 2 goals:

21 games, 1 goal, 3 MoM, 7.19 on loan to Cardiff, Wolves (Championship):

I expect him to push Dillon and Keenan at left back, and he should provide some veteran experience for Europe. His pace, acceleration, and stamina are excellent, as are his balance, agility, and fitness. He shows good flair and off the ball runs, which should help out going forward, and he's got good positioning and solid tackling in defense. I'm a bit worried about his weakness in the air, as I do rely on my fullbacks to win plenty of headers, but he has no other weaknesses.

D/DM LC Joe Keenan, 27, England, uncapped:

25 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, 0 MoM, 7.00:

This versatile defender spent the last year sulking that I don't appreciate his contributions to the team. Consequently, I've tried to transfer him, but haven't received any interest. He was a solid fullback at the Championship level, but his middling pace is a real limitation at this level, and the only thing he really excels in are off-the-ball runs. Still, he has fine technique, crisp passes, and good marking. His concentration and teamwork are quite good, and he has creativity and acceleration. If I can't transfer him, his contract will expire at the end of the season, and I think I'll look to replace him.

DM L Brian Holmes, 20, England, uncapped:

2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 6.00:

Despite his hard work and great determination, this attacking fullback doesn't really seem to be making the step up. I tried to retrain him as a fullback last season, but he hasn't learned the position competently yet, and that has really seemed to be hindering his development. He has great strength and fine concentration, but other than that I don't think he'll ever reach the level that Keenan is at, so I've placed him on the transfer list. He should be pretty solid at the League One level, and I hope somebody is willing to make an offer; if not, his contract expires at the end of the season.

D/DM RLC John Reid, 17, Scotland, uncapped:

40 games, 7 goals, 0 assists, 6.53 with Elgin City (Scotland):

A physically gifted youth, who already has two years as a starter at Elgin City. He's a physically gifted youth, with pace, acceleration, and stamina. He's a hard worker, and makes great headers. He's a bit weak going forward, and he needs to improve in a number of the core defensive areas before I'd consider him for the first team, but the flexibility he provides would make him a valuable asset if he develops.

D L Chris McKenzie, 19, Scotland, uncapped:

No appearances:

I wish this youngster were developing to match his incredible pace, stamina, and strength. He has the determination, the work ethic, and the teamwork that I'd love to see, and his free kicks and penalties are very nice. Unfortunately, he remains abysmal in key areas from decision making to passing, from anticipation to technique. It doesn't look like he's really progressing, and that will see him, too, on the transfer list.

D/DM L John Berry, 16, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:A

A recent graduate of our academy, the only standout area for this kid is his teamwork. Other than that, his utter lack of strength and natural fitness, his cowardice in challenges, and the fact that he can't seem to mark an injured fieldmouse imply that he won't have a future with the club. I doubt he'll earn a professional contract, but as the only real option, he'll get a turn in the Under-18s.

[Amaroq]

Thursday, 15th July, 2010. Friendly, at Wigan Athletic.

Wigan Athletic had offered us an away friendly early in the pre-season. Despite its proximity to the Reserve match and our home tie against Arsenal on Saturday, it did fit my schedule, so I'd accepted it - I had enough players to make it worth starting two entirely different squads. Relegated from the Championship at the end of 2007/08, Wigan had earned promotion the following year, and barely staved off relegation last season, placing 21st.

I didn't expect them to be much of a match for my first team. Roy Carroll was in goal, though his defense was a bit of a mix, with Sean Dillon and Hayden Foxe providing veteran leadership, and Steve Foster and Danny Payne from the second team. Freddy Guarín made his Sheffield United debut as the defensive midfielder, with Joe Hamill and Jermaine Pennant on the wings. In attack, Bruno Cheyrou was the playmaker, with Robert Cousins his partner, and Imre Szabics was the lone striker.

A mere 772 turned out to the JJB Stadium in Wigan, and to my surprise there was actually a noticeable traveling contingent on our behalf. Our poor shooting continued, as Imre Szabics had two shots saved in the early going, and after his wonderful through ball in the 17th minute, Bruno Cheyrou hit the side netting. It was the sort of chance the Frenchman would normally bury, with fully five yards on his defender, but we were still quite rusty from the off-season.

Debutante Freddy Guarín set up the first goal, in the 20th minute, demonstrating the vast improvement his creativity is going to make for the team. He overlapped out to the right wing, something I'd rarely seen Berson do from the holding midfield role, and then knocked a low pass left for Jermaine Pennant, who was cutting inside of him. Nobody had picked up our right wing, who was almost at the center of the pitch. As he reached the arc, both central defenders tried to close him down, and he poked it into the area for Szabics. The Hungarian striker rounded Wigan keeper Luke McCormick with his first touch, and was left with an easy finish for a 1-0 lead.

We continued to dominate through halftime, and in fact held Wigan without a single shot for the first 45 minutes. I began making changes at halftime, and by the hour-mark, nine of my eleven starters had given way for others on the roster. Wigan just missed a chance to equalize in the 75th minute when right back Kevin Foley - once considered Ireland's hope at right back, before the emergence of Keith McCormack - headed just wide.

Three minutes later, we earned a corner kick. Joe Keenan took, and though the initial ball was headed clear, he tracked it down and lifted a second cross in. This one found 18-year-old James Bradley unmarked, 12 yards out, and he struck a powerful half-volley which made the final score 2-0.

Wigan Athletic 0, Sheffield United 2

----; Szabics 20, Bradley 78

MoM: Hamill

"A solid win," Ray commented afterwards, as the lads packed up to take the bus home.

"I'm still not pleased with our finishing," I answered, "But that'll improve once we start training normally, I expect."

"The substitutes did well."

"Not as good as the first team, but yes."

"Dare I say, 'bring on Arsenal'?"

[mr.rooney]

Great to see you back Amaroq

[Amaroq]

Thanks, Mr. Rooney. Its nice to be back in the saddle again!

[Amaroq]

Friday, 16th July, 2010.

Unfortunately, Mathieu Berson, whom I'd slated to start against his former club tomorrow, pinched a nerve in his neck in the morning training session today. It was painful enough that he couldn't practice by afternoon, and he'll definitely miss the match.

The first transfer I'd arranged completed Thursday night, with 17-year-old Welsh fullback Kevin Price agreeing to join us from Port Talbot, for a mere £30,000.

D/DM RL Kevin Price, 17, Wales, 12 U-21 caps, 0 U-21 goals:

20 games, 3 goals, 2 assists, 6.55 with Port Talbot (Wales):

Good stamina is necessary, given how hard this youngster works. His teamwork is excellent, and he's reported to have the respect of his Port Talbot teammates. He's reasonably strong, and in most ways looks physically ready for the Premiership. The rest of his game might be reasonable for the League Two level, and his marking is particularly bad. Still, with a few year's development time, he might be worth something, and I've signed him for five seasons.

Being predominantly right-footed, he'll join my corps of right-sided fullbacks.

Right backs:

D/M R Keith McCormack, 21, Ireland, 6 caps, 0 goals:

29 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 0 MoM, 7.28:

I'm extremely proud of McCormack's development over the past three years. He made his debut appearances for Ireland this season and staked a firm claim to our starting right back. His anticipation is incredible, and his concentration and decisions are of a veteran level. Offensively, he has creativity, good off the ball movement, he can shoot from range and up close, and he can dribble, so he can really contribute going forward, even playing as a right wing at need. Defensively, his tackling and marking are fine, and his jumping and heading would make him a capable centre back. He's really making progress, even in his weaknesses, and he's shown the most improvement of any player I've ever seen. He's currently considering a contract offer.

D/DM RC Danny Payne, 23, England, uncapped:

24 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 MoM, 7.00:

A strong tackler, with crisp passes, and the ability to direct his headers with precision, this composed defender is a solid number two behind McCormack. His fine shooting and ability to curl them in from long range makes him a valuable contributor to the attack if I let him range forward, or play him at defensive midfielder. Due to his lack of pace, his weak first touch, and his tendency to lose concentration or back out of tackles, Ray suspects he'll never be more than a fringe player at the club, and I tend to agree. Still, his versatility makes him useful.

DR Benjamin Herzog, 17, Germany, 13 U-21 caps, 0 U-21 goals:

2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.50:

A pacey defender, with phenomenal concentration and good bravery, Herzog is closing in on ready to take over the number two spot from Payne. His concentration is phenomenal, he's brave, and he has the makings of a future leader. He looks very solid in the core areas I expect of a defender, and although I'm worried about his lack of aggression, determination, or composure, if he can improve, I expect him to get called up to the first team both at Bramall Lane and the German national team.

D/DM R Terry Moore, 19, England, uncapped:

No appearances:

A fairly average young player, promoted from the youth team last year, he hasn't really shown anything to inspire me to keep him. Though he's determined, and has influence with the other youngsters, the only thing I'd really laud him for is his nice long throws. In everything else, he's average to poor, and not really improving. His decision-making in particular is awful, and I think I could beat him for a header, which says something as I really ought to go on a diet. He lived on the transfer list last year, and if he can't find a buyer this year, he'll be gone on a free at the season's end.

D/DM R Jon Atherton, 18, England, uncapped:

No appearances:

This kid has a wonderful personality: he's brave, hard working, determined, and aggressive, the sort of team player who leaves everything on the pitch every match, and inspires his teammates to do the same. Unfortunately, his pace is mediocre, and his technique is execrable. He's lacking in just about every core skill I'd expect of a professional footballer, even at the Conference level. A year banging about in the U-18s hasn't helped matters, so it'll be the transfer list for him.

D/M R Simon Gray, 15, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

This summer graduate of our academy lacks any standout characteristics. I doubt he'll mature enough to overcome his average pace, he's fairly poor in the air, and he's got no determination at all. Still, its next to free to give him a year or two with the U-18s.

D RC James Hunter, 16, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

This lad is excellent in the air, both at getting vertical separation and directing the header once he's reached it. Physically, he looks a likely sort. Unfortunately, he is utterly lacking in every other regard: from the mental side of the game to the technical side, if he made tremendous improvements in every area he still wouldn't be good enough for our side. He'll fill out the U-18 roster, but I hope he never plays.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 17th July, 2010. Friendly, vs Arsenal.

It was a sign of how big we were becoming on the national scene that our friendly against Arsenal was chosen for a BBC national broadcast. The Arsenal board had agreed to this friendly as part of the sale of Gabriele Mattiussi last year. After two seasons as runner-up in the Premier League, the Gunners had given Chelsea a real run for honours last year, before faltering at the end, and slipping behind Manchester United to finish third.

Facing the formidable London squad was a mix of my first and second teams. Stephen Cummins was in goal, as I wanted to see how the youngster fared against the best. Celestine Babayaro, David Rozehnal, Ben Hammond, and Keith McCormack might represent the best four defenders I could field, but at defensive midfield was Steve Newton, third on the depth chart. On the wings, Jonathan Forte and Victor Sikora weren't my first choice, either. In attack, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson got a chance to show how if he could still pull his weight, partnered with the promising Joe Newell. Florent Sinama-Pongolle made his first start of the pre-season - I'd wanted to reserve his introduction for the home fans, and he got a standing ovation when his name was announced.

Arsenal looked the more dangerous side in the first five minutes, with Ivica Olic striking the crossbar from nearly thirty-five yards, and Ian Bradley rifling a shot from the eighteen just over. Things settled down again, but an Arsenal free kick in the eleventh minute looked dangerous. Sinama-Pongolle, all the way back in our area, headed it clear, and Celestine Babayaro started the counter-attack, racing up the left sideline like a winger. He cut it in for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson just before the halfway line, and Marc knocked a gorgeous ball ahead of the streaking Sinama-Pongolle. The Frenchman made a gorgeous low finish, and the crowd of 19,914 rose to their feet in appreciation as Florent put us ahead, 1-0.

He came close to adding a second five minutes later, but struck side netting after beating Shay Givens. In the 21st minute, Arsenal nearly scored, when both Olic and Jhon Jairo Mosquera slipped past our back line. Olic passed in front of Cummins, who got just enough of a hand on it that the 22-year-old Colombian whiffed, his foot missing the ball entirely despite an open goal six yards away. Cummins scrambled on his hands and knees to clutch the ball safely before anyone could recover. Three minutes later, his fine work was all for naught, as Nicolae Mitea's cross found Christian Ledesma in a packed box. The Argentinian rose above Forte, and his header glanced in off the far post to level things at 1-1.

Arsenal were stringing passes together nicely, and Cummins did well to turn Mosquera's header away in the 30th minute. Despite the goal, the youngster was playing quite well, and fisted away a dangerous cross minutes later. Both goalkeepers made fine saves just before the half, with Shay Given denying Sinama-Pongolle one-on-one after Iain Hume - in for Bridge-Wilkinson - had sent him clear with a wonderful pass. Cummins made his finest save to deny Mosquera again, this time from point-blank range in injury time, and it went to the break 1-1.

Unfortunately, Sinama-Pongolle had fallen heavily, and at halftime I brought him off for Peter Weatherson, hoping to prevent further injury. Chris Brown replaced Cummins in goal. On the hour mark, I followed that with wholesale changes, as did Arsenal, and from there the match degenerated a bit. The players were clearly not used to playing with each other, and though there were moments of individual brilliance, such as Hume's 30-yard strike, saved in style by Given, and the Irish keeper's brilliant stop when Celestine Babayaro headed a corner goalward, the game looked spotty and ugly.

Perhaps it was appropriate that the goal, when it came, was equally ugly: after Samuel Kuffour's sliding tackle on Peter Weatherson, Hume picked up the loose ball and tried his luck from 25 yards. Kuffour, just getting back to his feet, got a leg in to deflect it, but that left the ball slowly bouncing in at the far corner, when Given had already moved towards the near post. If it were a fishing trip, we'd have thrown it back as 'too small', but every goal counts, and that one made it 2-1.

Arsenal began pressing men forward, and immediately took control of the game. Mark Hope's header at the far post just caught side netting, and Darren White - returning to Bramall Lane for the club which owns his contract - took a free kick from 20 yards. It took a deflection off the wall, but Brown made a fine save to keep it out. In the 73rd minute, however, a free kick up the left side found Mitea, and he made Benjamin Herzog look foolish as he danced around the young German. A low pass found Olic, who took it to the corner of the six. The battle between one of the Premiership's best and a 16-year-old goalkeeper could only have one outcome, and it was 2-2 with seventeen minutes to go.

That was the last touch for Mitea and Olic, as they each - some of the last starters on the pitch for either side - came off. Celestine Babayaro was the absolute last, and he followed them off on the 80th minute, when he picked up a knock. Arsenal seemed content to see out time, and only Iain Hume was intent on impressing for either side. Despite three good chances, the Canadian managed a trifecta: one saved, one over, and one wide, leaving the final 2-2.

Sheffield United 2, Arsenal 2

Sinama-Pongolle 12, Hume 66; Ledesma 24, Olic 73

MoM: Given (Arsenal GK)

"How bad were the injuries?"

Martin Baverstock, our head physio, pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Celestine just had a bruise, honestly he's fine, he'll just be a bit sore tomorrow."

"And Florent?" It was my top goal-scorer I was most concerned about.

"A sprained wrist, maybe a week or so."

"Darn. I'd been hoping to play him against Feyenoord."

"Best not to risk it, I'm afraid."

"I understand."

[Amaroq]

Monday, 19th July, 2010.

"Guess who's the new manager of Jamaica?"

From the excitement in Tappa Whitmore's voice, I had only one guess: "You?"

"No, mate, I wish!"

"I've no idea, then. Who?"

"No, its Glenn Hoddle!"

The former Millwall manager?

A high-profile signing like that could only be good news for the Jamaica programme, though I was a little disappointed for Tappa that he'd been passed over.

Still, from the excitement in his voice, he was really looking forward to it - and apparently the Jamaican F.A. had trusted Tappa to perform one of the interviews!

Of the players I'd decided to divest myself of, left-sided defensive midfielder Brian Holmes was the first to move, signing a contract on Sunday with Blackpool, as last year's League One champions needed to improve the squad to compete in the Championship. His sale brought in £450,000.

Brian Holmes, DML, 20: July 2007-July 2010: 3 seasons, 4 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 6.50

Blackpool fans were reportedly delighted as they felt they'd made a real steal, but from my perspective it was all profit: he'd only cost us £50,000 to bring in three years earlier.

Percentage-wise, the sale of Andy Lee to Scottish club Ross County was an even better profit. Last year's prediction that he wouldn't last beyond his 18th birthday was borne out, but the consistent young winger fetched £250,000, after an investment of only £12,000 two years earlier. I was somewhat surprised to read that their supporters were worried that he would be a disruptive influence, as he'd never been trouble here.

Andy Lee, AMR, 19: June 2008-July 2010: 2 seasons, 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.00

Goalkeeper Adam Ryan, one of the least promising of my horde of young 'keepers, signed with West Ham United, bringing in £325,000 and the promise of a home friendly next year.

Adam Ryan, GK, 19: June 2008-July 2010: 2 seasons, 2 games, 4 conceded, 1 clean sheet, 6.50

Michael Harrison, who had spent last season on loan to Gravesend & Northfleet, made the move permanent, a deal that cost the Conference club £140,000.

Michael Harrison, AM/F C, 18: September 2007-July 2010: 3 seasons, 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, 6.00

A group of youngsters who had never even played a senior game brought in nearly one and a half million more between them. Pacey 19-year-old left back Chris McKenzie was the headliner, moving to to fellow Premier League side Blackburn for £750,000, and 18-year-old defensive midfielder Jonathan O'Connor brought in £450,000 from Scottish Premier side Kilmarnock on potential more than talent. 17-year-old Tim Mason, one of my weakest strikers, had agreed terms with Walsall, down in League Two - and to my surprise he fetched £190,000! Goalkeeper Paul Stone was worth £65,000 to lower-division side Harlow Town, a deal which made sense when I saw that they had only one goalkeeper, aged 36, on the books.

Young fringe players Tom Baker and Gary Phillips would be moving to Stone Dominoes, an English lower-division club, on free transfers, and defender "Russell" Crowe moved to a similar level to play for Guiseley for £8,000.

Staying with us would be Danny Payne, who signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him at the club through 2014, though doubtless as McCormack's backup. The knowledge that he was part of my long-term plan did serve to relieve his concerns about me signing too many players, however.

Left wing Steven Howard, who had just turned 17, signed his first professional contract, also through 2014.

Defensive and central midfielders:

DM RC Freddy Guarín, 24, Colombia, 35 caps, 3 goals:

11 games, 2 goals, 2 MoM, 7.45 for Inter Milan (Italy):

A spectacular player, and my biggest acquisition of the off-season. He literally has no visible weakness in any area, with fine pace and the stamina of a wolf. He takes incredible long shots, can nail free kicks, and his long throw-ins will make him a danger anywhere on the pitch. He takes a fine penalty, and I'm impressed with his tackling, his marking, his crosses, his corners, his composure, his determination, and his work ethic. It remains to be seen if he can learn the language and settle in England, but he should slot straight into our starting XI.

DM C Mathieu Berson, 30, France, 18 U-21 caps, 0 U-21 goals:

29 games, 1 goal, 4 assists, 0 MoM, 7.38:

That means a reduced role for Mathieu Berson, who has been my starting defensive midfielder the past three seasons. The veteran Frenchman has a fantastic understanding of the game, from anticipation and positioning to decision making and concentration, from bravery and aggression in defense to creativity and team work in attack, he's got it all. He has fine passing, the creativity to choose good targets, and a natural first touch. I could go on about his stamina, natural fitness, balance, tackling, long shooting.. suffice it to say, I absolutely love him, and it'll be a challenge to keep both him and Guarín happy.

DM C Steven White, 18, England, uncapped:

1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.00:

A torn hamstring two seasons ago really stunted this youngster's career. Though he has fine tackling and heading, coupled with some determination and bravery, he just hasn't been improving that much. Ray doesn't think he'll turn into much more than a fringe player at the club, but at the moment that suits me: he'll be the third defensive midfielder behind Guarín and Berson this year - maybe I can send him out on loan to help him develop.

DM C Steve Newton, 21, England, uncapped:

12 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.17:

Berson's backup last season, Newton looks like a reasonable Championship midfielder. His only standout attributes are his heading and his passing, but those are offset by his lack of pace and his lack of jumping height. He's distinctly mediocre, and though he's still improving, both Ray and I think he'd be better off a division or two lower.

M C Alan Daly, 16, Ireland, uncapped:

Youth academy:

A mediocre to poor candidate, who needs retraining to the defensive midfield position, so I doubt he'll really develop. His determination should help, but I doubt he'll receive a professional contract when he turns 17 in April.

[Amaroq]

Tuesday, 20th July, 2010.

All of that was done between Saturday's game and Monday night, a truly whirlwind two days, and I found that in total we'd brought in £2.4M for the sale of a series of fringe players.

The fire sale continued mid-week, with right winger Mark Kearney dropping to League Two to play for Rushden & Diamonds, who had a real injury crisis brewing on the wings. He'd done well at that level, with 14 goals for Port Vale two years ago, though he had never taken the field at Bramall Lane.

Hinckley surprised me by purchasing Peter Gardner for £150,000 - I certainly hadn't had that much money when I was managing in the Conference North. I suppose a player who can score, even a single goal, at the Premiership level is worth splashing your entire transfer budget on at that level! Reportedly, the fans were delighted to get the 21-year-old striker with the statuesque physique; I was equally glad to see him off of our books.

Peter Gardner, SC, 21: July 2008-July 2010: 2 seasons, 1 game, 1 goal, 0 assists, 7.00

Also gone was right back Terry Moore, who moved to lower-division Lincoln United for £20,000 - and apparently sparked a run of fans purchasing his kit, to my surprise and amusement.

In Sheffield, however, the names were meaningless to anybody but the most hard-core fans, and excitement was brewing for our first international match in years: Dutch side Feyenoord were coming to town, and everyone was anticipating a great game! The city was decked out with banners welcoming them to England, and there was a gala dinner Tuesday night with all the big names from both clubs attending to celebrate 'the spirit of brotherhood'.

Left wings:

AM L Joe Hamill, 26, Scotland, 8 U-21 Caps, 1 U-21 goal:

24 games, 1 goal, 5 assists, 4 MoM, 7.71:

A brilliant debut season saw Hamill amass a fine average rating. Despite splitting time with Forte on the left at the start of the year, he staked a firm claim to the position by the second half of the season. Ray is a keen admirer, considering him a great benefit to the club. An excellent dribbler with good technique, great determination and an excellent work ethic, Hamill has a knack for making the creative pass or sending in a solid cross. He takes a good corner, and his natural fitness may be second to none on the squad.

AM L Jonathan Forte, 24, England, uncapped:

20 games, 2 goals, 4 assists, 7.20:

The player who has been with the club the longest, this hard working winger lives and breathes Sheffield football. Sadly, he doesn't really have the skills to make it in the Premiership - he was much more suited to Championship play, where his pace and agility was amazing instead of merely good, and his crossing was average instead of poor. He does have excellent off the ball runs, but he also has many deficits: lack of bravery, composure, and concentration, especially, plus an inability to contribute defensively.

AM RL Simon Blake, 20, England, uncapped:

8 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 6.75:

A determined winger with fine concentration, an instinctive ability to move off the ball, and wonderful natural fitness, this former Chelsea youth product has progressed to the point that he looks like a reasonable League One winger after two seasons. John and Ray both agree that we should transfer him, but until we have deeper bench coverage, I think I'll keep him around.

AM L Chris Rowe, 19, England, uncapped:

1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.00:

This promising speedster is apparently shocked that he's not getting time with the senior club. Admittedly, he has nice determination, concentration, teamwork, and agility, but he's nowhere near ready for the Premier League in any of the other areas I'd like to see from him - he looks more like a League Two player to my eyes. Still, he's very highly rated, and I'd like to help his development, if I can. 29 non-competitive games last season surely helped, and I'll try to get him out on loan this year.

AM LC Steven Howard, 17, England, uncapped:

No appearances:

This youngster played a solid campaign as an attacking midfielder last season, with 7 goals and 7 assists in the U-18s. Consequently, he'd earned a professional contract when he turned 17 yesterday, even though Ray thinks we should transfer list him. There are plenty of areas where he's only halfway ready, but if he can make even slight improvement, he might actually be a reasonable winger. He takes a fine free kick, can hit a corner, and finishes chances well. He's very aggressive, which has served him well so far. A campaign out on loan will do him wonders, I suspect.

AM L Paul Alexander, 18, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

This youngster has an odd mix of capability and ineptitude. He's blindingly fast, with wonderful flair and fine acceleration. He takes a nice penalty, can drill free kicks, and puts corners into the six with ease. Unfortunately, his lack of composure, inability to anticipate, and fairly sad crossing and dribbling are likely to prevent him from stepping beyond the U-18 level, even if he drops down to the Conference.

[Amaroq]

Wednesday, 21st July, 2010. Friendly, vs Feyenoord

For my part, I'd wanted to play at least two European clubs as part of my pre-season campaign to try and strengthen the club for our UEFA Cup campaign. The sale of Tim Barnes last August had provided the perfect excuse, as in addition to the £200,000 fee the young defensive midfielder had fetched, I'd inked a home friendly clause with Feyenoord. The Dutch club had had a wonderful run, winning the UEFA Cup in 2002, and had reached the knockout rounds every year save one since - they'd reached the Semi Final last year, so I expected them to be a stern test. After coming second to Ajax last season, they'd qualified for a Champions League qualifying spot this year.

Facing the powerful Dutch club would be my first choice across the board. Roy Carroll was in goal. With Babayaro hurt, the choice of Sean Dillon at left back was obvious, and David Rozehnal and Hayden Foxe provided my most experienced central pairing. Keith McCormack was on the right wing, and new man Freddy Guarín made his Bramall Lane debut. On the wings were Joe Hamill and Jermaine Pennant, and Bruno Cheyrou paired with Robert Cousins as my attacking midfield. With Sinama-Pongolle out of the lineup as a precaution, Imre Szabics would start up front.

After what felt like an interminable pre-game ceremony, Feyenoord kicked off and we were underway. It was a fast-paced, free-flowing opening segment, with chances at both ends, but both defenses were playing well, and the first four opportunities were each diverted by a wonderful defensive play. In the 7th minute, one of the central defenders drifted wide to fill in behind his fullback, and that left Cousins and Szabics both unmarked twenty yards from goal. Hamill found Cousins, and he knocked a lovely ball for Szabics, who appeared offsides but was in fact held on by the far-side fullback. Unmolested, he had his choice of shots, and blistered one low to the near post to put us ahead 1-0.

He nearly doubled his tally from 20 yards on the quarter hour, again set up nicely by Cousins, but it curled wide at the far post. On 22 minutes, the Dutch side took a free kick from out wide, which drifted in to the six. Carroll had space to catch it, but instead chose to punch clear, and muffed that, putting it straight to Pekka Lagerblom, who looped a header into the empty net from 16 yards. It was 1-1.

By the half-hour mark, we had our first injury, as Joe Hamill had picked up a bit of a limp. He came off for Simon Blake. In the 36th minute, Keith McCromack roamed forward from the right back spot, and that exposed a weakness in the Feyenoord defense. He played it for Imre Szabics, whose low pass found Bruno Cheyrou 30 yards out. The Frenchman let loose a fantastic curling strike that brought the crowd to their feet, as it found the top corner and put us up 2-1. It would have been a Goal of the Month candidate for sure, had it occurred in the league!

I wanted to get seventy minutes from most of my starters, but Szabics and Robert Cousins both had yellow cards, so they gave way for Peter Weatherson and Iain Hume at the half. We came out in dominant control to start the second half, the Dutch escaped going two goals down by a whisker two or three times. It wasn't entirely one-way traffic, as in the 64th minute it took a fine block by Hayden Foxe to keep Mark van den Boogart off the scoreboard.

By the 84th minute, only one of the twenty-two starters was still on the pitch. Feyenoord were throwing men forward, looking for an equalizer, and playing as though it mattered. That's when Hume started a breakaway, playing a beautiful ball that split the central defenders for Weatherson. From just beyond the eighteen, he slotted it past our visitor's backup keeper to make the final score 3-1.

Sheffield United 3, Feyenoord 1;

Szabics 7, Cheyrou 36, Weatherson 84; Lagerblom 22

MoM: Cousins

"Listen, lads. It may have been 'only a friendly', but today you've proven that you're the equal of any team that's going to be in the UEFA Cup this year.

"When the going gets rough, I want you to remember this day: we can score on European teams, we can keep them out when we need to, and we can dominate when we want to. Well done."

[Wegason]

A Conference North side with £150k to spend! Jeepers.

Glad to see you back and looking forward to more of this gripping tale. I must say however that despite reading Book I twice already, I am about 185 pages through the 380 A4 pages that Book I is on my third read of the book. They say re-reading books is a sign of their greatness, and for me, Book I and your tale of your time with York City remains my favourite part of 'Blade'.

[Nadessico]

he's back \o/ i was starting to think i'd actually have to start playing FM again due to boredem, thank god you saved me

[Amaroq]

Thank you, Wegason, Nadessico. Muchly appreciated!

[Amaroq]

Friday, 23rd July, 2010.

"I, Ian Richards, swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God."

Six years, I'd been in England now, and it has long felt "home" to me more than my brief returns to California have. It had been time to take the plunge, and I'd finally been naturalised as a British citizen.

Perhaps now they'll consider me for the Three Lions!

Right wings:

AM R Jermaine Pennant, 27, England, 23 U-21 caps:

12 games, 0 goals, 5 assists, 2 MoM, 7.42:

Though injuries plagued his season after last January's transfer, this pacey winger looks like a good addition. When healthy, his combination of acceleration, agility, and balance blended with pace and stamina is just what I want from a winger. His crossing is accurate, and he has a flair for the spectacular. His teamwork and work ethic guarantee that he'll blend well, and his skill at free kicks and corner taking is just an added bonus. I do wish he could anticipate his teammates a little better, and there are plenty of mental aspects at which he is merely pedestrian.

AM RL Victor Sikora, 32, Holland, 7 caps:

30 games, 1 goal, 3 assists, 1 MoM, 7.13:

An experienced winger who is equally competent with either foot, he is unfortunately beginning to lose a step due to age. He still has good stamina, but his natural fitness is poor. I love his ability to anticipate, his work ethic and creativity, but his concentration wavers at times. Though he can shoot from range, his extreme weakness in the air costs us possession. I expect him to be a valuable backup this season, but I also suspect that role will frustrate him before the season is out.

AM R Graham Allen, 23, England, uncapped:

14 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 6.79:

A torn groin ended his season last year, and, as it was his second groin injury of the season, surgery was recommended. He's still attending physiotherapy, trying to come back from the injury, and won't be ready to play for at least two months. When he gets back, he'll bring the best crossing we have on the right side, plus a solid dribbling skill and a wonderful long shot. He has great concentration, and fine acceleration and off the ball movement. Unfortunately, he's the laziest player I've ever coached, and that's reflected in his lack of stamina, and his inability to influence his teammates. Like Sikora, he's weak in the air as well.

AM R Ron Francis, 17, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

There's not much to this lad's game - he doesn't have the pace, creativity, or crossing to really impress, and he's utterly woeful at headers and contributing defensively. I don't think he'll do much more than consume a roster space over the next two seasons, but I have no better choice in the Under-18s at the moment.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 25th July, 2010.

The steady stream of farewells continued Thursday with an adieu to Steve Foster, a long-time central defender and close partner of Hayden Foxe back on our promotion-winning run from League One through the Championship. Stoke City, trying to build on their fourth-place finish in the Championship last season to earn their way into the Premier League for the first time since 1985, added a key piece to the puzzle, purchasing him from us for £95,000.

Steve Foster, DC, 29: November 2006-July 2010: 4 seasons, 116 games, 2 goals, 3 assists, 3 MoM, 7.10

It was a tough call for me in several ways: he's got a strong friendship with Hayden Foxe; I feel loyalty to a player who had started 116 games for the club; I liked him as a player and valued his experience; and finally, because they were paying us about a tenth of what it had cost the team to acquire him four years earlier. For all those reasons, I was tempted to keep him on the roster for one more season while his contract expired, but in the end decided it was better for his career to move him somewhere he could start and use my young players for depth.

Three young players who had never played a senior minute also moved. The youngster with all the leadership potential, Jon Atherton, brought in £24,000 from Conference side Harrogate Town. Forward Martin Hunt moved to Accrington Stanley, who have been battling relegation from League Two these past three seasons, for £10,000. Defender Paul Davis left on a free for Bradford Park Avenue, of the Conference North.

Attacking midfielders:

AM LC Bruno Cheyrou, 32, France, 2 caps, 0 goals:

31 games, 7 goals, 13 assists, 2 MoM, 7.42:

With Marc Bridge-Wilkinson missing much of last season on injury, this cultured midfielder stepped up in the creative playmaker role, exactly as he was supposed to. His technique, passing, and creativity sparked a team-leading 13 assists, with his first touch, decision-making, and determination yielding top effort no matter what the score. He struck 7 goals, most impressive curlers from as much as thirty yards, and though he may not have the pace that he did as a youngster, he's still contributing at a high level.

AM/F RC Iain Hume, 26, Canada, 42 caps, 8 goals:

26 games, 7 goals, 6 assists, 1 MoM, 7.46:

After struggling in his debut season, Hume blossomed into a real contributor in his second season with the club, with seven goals including a memorable strike in the F.A. Cup Final. He has incredible talent as an attacking player, with brilliant long range shots, a classy first touch, and fine off the ball movement. With his pace, acceleration, balance, agility, and natural fitness, he has no trouble getting open. His work ethic is also quite good, and that should more than make up for some of his shortcomings, noticeably his lack of composure. He's quickly become a fan favorite, and I'd expected him to produce more last season.

AM C Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, 31, England, uncapped:

19 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, 0 MoM, 7.16:

In contrast, our two-time Supporter's Player of the Year struggled throughout the season, both with injury and with Cheyrou and Sinama-Pongolle taking the limelight. Still, his experience remains an asset, and his creativity and composure are good, and his finishing, free kicks, and penalties are all of the top-flight standard. Unfortunately, he's lost a step, and his once-fearsome long shots are no longer striking fear into the hearts of goalkeepers. Like some of our other midfielders, he's quite weak in the air, which is the only thing I'd change about him - unless I were to magically give him five more years of youth! Ray doesn't think he's good enough to hold down a regular first team place this season, and he'll certainly be pushed hard by Cheyrou, Hume, Newell, and Cousins.

AM C Robert Cousins, 21, England, uncapped:

16 games, 3 goals, 3 assists, 7.25:

I'm quite pleased to have patched up my relationship with Cousins, whom I've been developing since our days at York, where he was the 2006/07 Supporter's Player of the Year with 11 goals. Reasonably quick and strong, his mental game is showing tremendous improvement. He has always had great concentration and good determination, which are now complemented by good decision-making and aggression. He plays nice headers, and he's shown continual improvement over the past four seasons. I'll be making more use of him this season, with the crowded schedule, and am hoping to get him a match every ten days or so.

AM/F RC Joe Newell, 21, England, 11 U-21 caps, 2 U-21 goals:

24 games, 3 goals, 2 assists, 2 MoM, 7.21:

One of my best improving players, Newell has a gorgeous shooting ability - whether you want a long shot, a penalty, a tap-in, or a powerful scorcher from 15 yards, he can place them all. He's determined, but realistic, with good off the ball movement, and I love the fact that he has no real weaknesses. Ray worries that he'll never be more than a fringe player at the team, but he's already quite talented and I'm sure I'll find a role for him.

AM C Gary Thomas, 19, England, uncapped:

3 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 7.33:

Determined, driven, with fantastic anticipation, he has pace and bravery, but is lacking a bit in some of the things I ask of my attacking midfielders. Ray and John are both worried that he hasn't been developing, but I still have faith in him, and would love to get him a full-season loan to a Championship side.

AM C Phil Davidson, 21, England, uncapped:

3 games, 2 goals, 0 assists, 7.33:

This promising, determined youngster has fantastic anticipation, which surely led to his scoring two goals last year. Unfortunately, his jumping is fairly weak. Ray doesn't think he's good enough to stay at the club, but I love the fact that he has no particular weaknesses, and is able to contribute both offensively and defensively. He's a deep backup on my depth chart, but should get some more action with the expected fixture congestion this season.

AM C Gareth Davies, 21, England, uncapped:

39 games, 9 goals, 6 assists, 1 MoM, 6.46 on loan to Boston United (League Two):

A great season in League Two ought to convince some team that they want to take him - he has great concentration and agility, and is average without excelling in most other areas. He should definitely contribute to somebody's League campaign, but I don't think he'll ever get ahead of the long list of young players at Sheffield United.

AM/F C Martin Gray, 17, England, uncapped:

Youth academy: This recent promotion from our youth squad has determination and influence, but judging from the rest of his game he'll be lucky to make it beyond the Conference level. I'll give him a year in the Under-18s, but I'm not expecting much.

[Amaroq]

Sunday, 25th July, 2010.

McCormack Cashes In

Fullback Keith McCormack, a key part of the Blades' successful squads for the past two seasons, has re-signed for another four years in a deal reportedly worth £4M in total.

The 21-year-old Irishman, who has become a star for both club and country, had been in the final year of his contract, and manager Ian Richards had been desperate to ink a new contract.

Reportedly, difficulties stemmed from the role for the player, and Richards finally capitulated to McCormack's demands to be considered a 'key player' at the club.

Ray stopped reading the article, and said to me, "That went well."

I agreed. "It leaves just one contract I'm desperate to renegotiate."

"Ben Hammond's."

"Yes. But his agent just called, and indicated that he's not interested in renewing his contract, although he might be tempted if the offer was too good to refuse. Do you believe that? We've been haggling for almost a month, and I thought we were close to an accord."

"His contract expires at the end of the year, right?"

"Yeah. I suspect the agent may want to hold out to see if he can get other offers."

More pleasing was the return of Graham Allen to the training pitch for some light jogging. He was still perhaps a month shy of match fit, but it was a start.

Strikers:

S C Florent Sinama-Pongolle, 25, France, 1 cap, 0 goals:

35 games, 33 goals, 8 assists, 9 MoM, 7.91:

What can I say about the Premier League's 'modern' record-holding goalscorer and winner of the European Golden Boot that you don't already know? He set a Sheffield United record with a 7.91 average rating last season. He loves to come back to pick up the ball in midfield, a tactic which creates opportunities for our attacking midfielders as well as himself. He adds to explosive pace a brilliant first touch, wonderful creativity, and fine passing, and he's one of the most clinical finishers you could hope to see. Stamina, balance, positioning, off the ball movement, decisions, concentration, composure, anticipation, technique, dribbling - he has it all. He's just come off one of the best seasons the Premier League has seen since Van Nistelrooy was in his prime, and he's committed his future to the Blades with the largest contract in club history, running through 2014.

S C Imre Szabics, 29, Hungary, 51 caps, 23 goals:

12 games, 3 goals, 2 assists, 0 MoM, 7.17:

His partner-in-crime is Hungarian-born Imre Szabics, who gives us a partnership worth playing a 4-4-2 with. A similarly clinical finisher, with wonderful technique, Szabics doesn't present the complete package the way that Sinama-Pongolle does. He's strongest mentally, with great decisions, off the ball movement, anticipation, composure, and concentration. His great work ethic endears him to me, and his fine dribbling, passing, and crossing skills serve him well when he drifts out wide - he really can act almost as a winger at times.

S C Peter Weatherson, 30, England, uncapped:

26 games, 6 goals, 2 assists, 1 MoM, 7.12:

Three years as a regular starter came to an end last season, when he made most of his appearances off the bench, failing to score a double-digit goal total for only the third time in his career. He feels he should be a first-team regular, but honestly he's our third striker at the moment. His finishing is good, especially from the spot, but not as good as my first-choice pair. His determination, teamwork, and work rate are fine, and his jumping is better than almost anyone on the club. Unfortunately, he just doesn't have the technical and mental skills to really excel at the Premiership level, and he's coming into the final year of his contract. Considering the rigours of an UEFA Cup campaign, I may let him play out the year, but if I get a good offer, I'd be willing to sell him.

S C James Bradley, 18, England, uncapped:

5 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.00:

With explosive pace and acceleration, this brave youngster is breathtaking. He netted 3 goals on a 3-month loan to Bradford City in League One. He takes a good penalty, and has spectacular control with his head. He's been working on overcoming his weaknesses, and at this point he looks like an average League One striker across the board. Another year on loan would be just the thing for him, but if I can't find him a home, I'll try to get him more action with the senior side. Ray loves his potential, and thinks he 'has the world at his feet'.

S C Darren Gibson, 20, Scotland, 8 U-21 caps, 0 U-21 goals:

15 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 6.33 on loan to Bolton (Championship):

Though officially out of contract, Gibson surprised me by turning up to camp and insisting on practicing with the squad. We came to agreement on a contract at a backup's role, which seems to be all that he rates, but between his fine finishing, his natural concentration, his determination, his anticipation, and the gorgeous headers, he does look like the fourth or fifth best striker in camp. If we're considering running a 4-4-2 for the season, it would be nice to have him available to cover, but I won't bring him in on false pretenses.

SC Michael Field, 18, England, uncapped:

4 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 7.00:

Impressive decision-making and great concentration and teamwork are this agile youth's strengths. More impressive, however, may be the consistency throughout his game. Ray is concerned that he hasn't been improving, but we have him under contract through 2014, and I'm willing to put him up for loan to see if a season or two of experience can make a difference. Like Bradley, he looks like about a League One striker.

S C Jake Giles, 18, England, uncapped:

1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.00:

Relatively quick, though not as blindingly fast as Bradley, Giles is determined, brave, and aggressive. His natural fitness and agility are complemented by his headers and penalties, but he needs a lot more polish than Bradley does. Unfortunately, he hasn't progressed in the manner we'd hoped when we brought him in, and I'll be placing him on the transfer list.

F C Craig Hunt, 17, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

On Ray's recommendation, I signed him to a five-year deal, at pittance wages. He takes good free kicks and penalties, and he excels in a number of other areas, from corner taking to crossing. I particularly like his determination and work ethic, and he has natural fitness and a flair for the dramatic. Unfortunately, the rest of his game needs a bit of work - he doesn't have the pace to get by with mediocre first touch and finishing, for example, and his heading is the worst I've ever seen.

S C David Fleming, 16, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

This youngster has lethal finishing, which would rival Sinama-Pongolle's, and he takes a good penalty. In a number of other areas, however, notably pace, he is merely mediocre to average, and his crosses are awful. His slack personality may prevent him from fulfilling his wonderful promise, but I'm willing to hand him the starting role in the Under-18s for a year and see how he turns out.

S C Chris Gray, 20, England, uncapped:

27 appearances, 6 goals, 1 assist, 3 MoM, 6.59 on loan to Cheltenham (League Two):

His great concentration remains the only standout characteristic of this young forward, and Ray agrees with last year's decision to place him on the transfer list. He has far too many holes in his game, and is particularly useless in the air - so nobody made a bid for him last year, and I'd be surprised to get any inquiries this year.

S C Neil Clarke, 15, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

Though not exceptionally quick, he has a solid base of skills considering his age. If he can improve noticeably, he might challenge for a place, though I suspect that poor passing, lack of flair, and a poor creativity may limit his career.

S C Michael Cross, 18, England, uncapped:

Youth academy:

Though he has gritty determination and a fine vertical leap, Cross is competing for 'worst player on the club' honours. Since he's just come off the youth programme, I may let him have a year in the U-18s, but no more than that.

[Amaroq]

Monday, 26th July, 2010. Friendly, vs West Ham United.

The scheduled friendly against Aston Villa for Sunday had been canceled in early July when Villa reached the Inter-Toto Cup Third Round, as the second leg had been played on Saturday - they drew 0-0 with Willem II, and thus advanced on a 3-0 aggregate. In its place, I'd hurriedly scheduled a friendly with West Ham, who had placed 10th in the Premiership last season. For some reason, they'd failed to schedule any friendlies, and we were their only pre-season tuneup.

Opposing them were Stephen Cummins in goal, with Celestine Babayaro, David Rozehnal, Ben Hammond, and Danny Payne in defense. Mathieu Berson, making his return after a week-long neck injury, should last 45 minutes at defensive midfielder. Jonathan Forte and Victor Sikora were on the wings, and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Iain Hume partnered as the attacking midfielders. Peter Weatherson was the lone striker in a 4-5-1.

The 3-4-3 West Ham were playing represented a different challenge for us, but they looked very inconsistent, and throughout the first half looked unable to string two passes together. When we had possession, the attack was often 5 on 4 or even 5 on 3, and it looked inevitable that we'd score first. Marc Bridge-Wilkinson came awful close in the 25th minute, hitting the goalpost from 18 yards, and Peter Weatherson's header whistled just over in the 36th.

Finally, a nice link-up play on the right side saw passes through Victor Sikora and Iain Hume. Each drew a man to him before moving the ball along, and when Hume played it forward for Weatherson, the striker was wide open in the box. You can't give him that much space in the area, or he'll make you pay, and his low shot to the far post gave us a 1-0 lead at halftime.

The Bramall Lane crowd of 13,510 were happy, with sun, a lead, and a game we seemed to be dominating, so I don't think anybody was worried when the Hammers had a free kick from 25 yards just after the restart. Substitute Stephen Pearson took it direct, and struck the crossbar. Unfortunately, that caught our defense ball-watching, as only West Ham fullback Hayden Mullins and goalkeeper Stephen Cummins continued to play. Mullins was wide open, and hammered the rebound hom just as it struck dirt. Cummins had no chance to prevent the equalizer, and just like that it was 1-1.

Even that didn't seem like a problem, considering how dominant we'd been so far, but West Ham switched to a 4-4-2 and really began to shut us down. As the second half wore on, our substitutes had trouble playing together as a team, and even though I switched to a 4-4-2 of our own with twenty minutes to go, the Hammers were never really threatened.

In fact, they would have won but for the play of 17-year-old John Reid, who had come in at right back for Danny Payne. Lomana LuaLua took a quick free kick for the Hammers, and found Robert Vittek unmarked in the box. The Slovakian had netted 22 times last season in his first year in the Premiership, and unleashed a powerful shot from a mere 12 yards that would have ripped right past Cummins. Reid threw himself in the way to block it, putting it out for a corner and preserving the draw.

Sheffield United 1, West Ham United 1

Weatherson 44; Mullins 48

MoM: Hume

Iain Hume's fine ball had made the goal, and he earned Man of the Match, but it was disconcerting to see the side play so poorly after they had looked so good against Arsenal and Feyenoord.

[Amaroq]

Saturday, 31st July, 2010.

There were two more departures Tuesday, and these were starting to hit a bit closer to home, as Steve Newton and Jamie Cooper began packing up their lockers.

Newton had fetched a solid £825,000 in initial fees from League Two side Huddersfield, which was a solid fee for a player who had cost me £16,000 three years earlier, and whose contract was expiring at season's end. He should be a dominant player at that level - I was somewhat surprised that he didn't wind up higher up the league pyramid.

Steve Newton, DMC, 20: June 2007-July 2010: 3 seasons, 15 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 7.07

Cooper was moving to Championship side Blackpool. He'd been a tremendous find for me at York, but though I'd paid £90,000 to bring him with me to Bramall Lane, he had stopped showing the tremendous improvement which had marked his York career, and it seemed he'd gotten discouraged with the lack of playing time, as he saw only 2 senior games once we reached the Premier League. Blackpool were willing to pay £240,000 for his services, and he was much more likely to start for them, so it was a win for everybody to let him move on.

Jamie Cooper, DC, 21: June 2007-July 2010: 3 seasons, 8 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 7.25

Wednesday, our Reserves faced Leeds Reserves in a short road trip. They played fairly poorly, with one or two exceptions, and really struggled with the 4-4-2. It was the first time I'd asked one of my lower teams to play with two strikers, and it seemed to throw them off entirely. Abubakar Shittu continued to make a case for inclusion with the first team by making several important stops, and it was a familiar face who finally got on the scoresheet. 21-year-old left winger Andrew Schofield had scored two goals for us on loan back in 2007/08, but he was back in Leeds white Wednesday, and beat Allan McGregor from close range for the only goal of the game.

On Friday, striker Chris Gray agreed to terms with Aston Villa, bringing in another £250,000. He was another player who had never taken the pitch for us, though he'd scored 6 goals on loan to Cheltenham of League Two last season.

Finally, late Saturday night, terms were finalized on a deal sending goalkeeper Nick McDonald to Colchester down in League Two. It brought a total fee of £300,000, of which £100,000 went to York due to the sell-on clause I'd used to pry him away from my former team. His numbers at Bramall Lane were pretty bad - 6 goals conceded in 2 games - but he'd done quite well at Wrexham last year, conceding just 48 in 44 games, with a 7.18 average rating, so it looked like League Two play should suit him quite well.

Nick McDonald, GK, 20: 3 seasons, 2 games, 6 goals conceded, 0 MoM, 5.50