Rob Ridgway's "Rat Pack"

[Kewell08]

Great stuff as always. Keep it up!

[SCIAG]

I now expect to be pulled up on every slight mistake I make in my stories, ever.

[tenthreeleader]

SCIAG, I don't play that way. However, I do write down an awful lot of names in my notes and sometimes switching back and forth between my game I do make mistakes that I don't catch. Since I hold myself to a high standard in this work, it's good to catch up anything that doesn't look right.

Kewell and Salkster, as always your loyalty to the Rat Pack is greatly appreciated

___

Monday, November 3

We’ll travel on Saturday this week for our match at Pride Park against 18th-placed Derby County.

Patty and I had a very quiet day yesterday and she went back to work today – thankfully without the issues she had yesterday. I assume that some mornings are going to be really unpleasant for her and I can only hope that she doesn’t go through too much discomfort.

For now, though, we’re keeping things a secret. It’s too early to tell anyone and for the time being, we have somewhat selfishly decided to keep our good news to ourselves.

I arrived at the stadium at 7:30 this morning with Patty out of the house for an early meeting, and caught up on yesterday’s matches. Victor Anichebe had staked Everton to a 2-0 lead at Birmingham through a first half brace, but Garry O’Connor and my fellow Yank Jay DeMerit hauled back the arrears by scoring in the last ten minutes of time.

And the Toon Army is finally happy. Christoper Samba and Andy Carroll both connected at St. James’ Park to sink Portsmouth 2-0.

Before training, I watched video of Derby County and noted how much they miss David Jones. The player I wanted to bring over is now at City (and not featuring regularly, which I find frankly shocking) and the Rams midfield is presently suffering from a lack of creativity.

I’ve got some issues with my own squad, though. Bikey was frankly horrible for his time on the pitch against Boro and there has to be a consequence for that. It wasn’t to the point where I need to consider a warning or anything like that, but he suffered a significant dip in form and I will watch him closely this week.

Dillon arrived and we discussed Bikey’s performance as the first order of business.

“It was pretty shocking,” he admitted. “He had been playing so well, it was just like watching him fall off a cliff.”

“I’m prepared to put it down to one bad match – for now,” I said. “But I’ll tell you this, Kevin. I can’t risk him this Saturday unless I see a much better week of training.”

“Understandable,” he said. “If you need to drop him, I can tell him.”

“No, I’ll do it,” I said. “That’s my job. What I need from you is to be the good cop with him. I’m going to spend some time with the defenders this week myself, but if I have to lean on André, I need you there to pick up the pieces. Fair?”

“Fair,” he said. So far, he and I have been getting along just fine.

# # #

The Evening Post continues to favor us. A picture of Dagoberto’s goal was on the back page of the evening edition under the headline “It’s Just Like Watching Brazil”.

I suppose that’s an exaggeration, but one of the things I’m considering is a different base formation for when we have to hold the lead, and it’s based on Brazil’s famed “Box 4-4-2” setup.

In the main, I’ve been very pleased with our work out of the flat 4-4-2, even though it does not provide the offensive punch I think we need to succeed in the league. There’s a time and a place for everything, though, and the better these players understand each other, the more options I have for their alignment.

We haven’t spent the money that some clubs have, but the performance we’ve gotten out of our money has been good. Pogatetz has shown marked improvement over the last couple of games – so much so, in fact, that Harper has supplanted him on the list of imagined concerns in the eyes of supporters. If he goes on a good run of form, that will be a significant worry off my mind.

So I also spoke with Pogatetz today. “Be prepared to shift positions this weekend,” I told him. “I may try you elsewhere.”

By ‘elsewhere’, I mean central defense. Rosenior has performed better in training since his own horror show and may earn a recall if I decide to sit down Bikey. At this point, my choice would be between Ingimarsson in central defense and Pogatetz on the left or Pogatetz in the middle and Rosenior flanking him on the left.

I also have John Halls wanting a game, but Ferreira has been excellent for most of the season in front of him. We’re getting to the point where I can settle on a regular eleven and Halls isn’t in it. So I may have to deal with that soon as well.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Tuesday, November 4

Ola Toivonen.

Legend.

There are reasons why they make teams line up for each and every match on the schedule. As I told the players before the Chelsea match, no matter how much money you spend on a team the players still have to step onto the pitch and do the business.

Such was the case with Real Madrid tonight, playing a Group A Champions League match at FC Kobenhavn. The Danish champions were lightly regarded against their illustrious visitors from La Liga, until the abovementioned player stretched Iker Casillas’ net on 39 minutes.

From their point of view, it was wonderful. What made it even better was holding the lead against Real for the remaining 51 minutes, to gain a truly famous win.

Matches like that make watching this game fun. I have nothing against Real Madrid, mind you (except, perhaps, for the way Raúl treated us), but I don’t mind rooting for an underdog as long as I’m not the favored club. It was just plain fun to watch.

That wasn’t the only surprise of the evening in the Champions League. Celtic, while not getting the Champions League road win they crave, still battled Bayern Munich to a goalless draw at the Allianz Arena, taking four group points of six from the German champions. Bayern completely dominated the match but couldn’t find a route to goal.

And on the fourth try, Coppell’s United picked up its first group stage win, with Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha scoring to sink Osasuna 3-1 at Old Trafford. United haven’t been very good in the group stages, but they’ve been a bit fortunate with the other results. This win puts them second in the group with five points.

Premiership teams are in Europe this midweek, with Arsenal and Chelsea in action tomorrow night against Rangers and Bordeaux respectively, and four more Premiership clubs are playing in the UEFA Cup on Thursday. It’d be nice to catch one of those clubs this weekend, but we don’t have that kind of luck.

Today was spent in active preparation for Derby and unfortunately I’m not seeing the kind of improvement from Bikey that I need to see. He struggled again in training and really, I don’t see how I can play him this weekend.

Of course, being matched up in training against the Premiership’s in-form striker in Dagoberto didn’t help matters. So his misery continued. I worked with him a bit on positioning and use of his legs, as on those occasions where he caught up to Dagoberto he would routinely foul in so doing.

The trick is to keep his chin up. We do need him – he’s just in poor form at the moment. While Dillon worked with the rest of the senior squad, I took a few moments to remind André what he means to us. I can’t have him down in the mouth – and he understands full well that he isn’t performing to either his or my standards.

This morning I welcomed the media, and welcomed back Gazzetto Dello Sport’s favorite nuisance.

The staff knows to watch for him now, and he doesn’t get near me. However, he can still ask questions, which is where I tend to have disagreements with the man.

Yet when he asked to be recognized, I pre-empted him.

“Stefano, we’re still in the top four. I didn’t expect to see you back here until we were bottom half and sinking towards the drop.”

“Very funny, Rob,” he said. “I just want to know why Leroy Lita isn’t playing more and how you can justify keeping four goals on the bench when those goals are coming as the result of instant impact.”

“Because he has a role,” I said. “His role, strange as it may seem to you, is to create instant impact. In that respect he is a huge success.”

“I’m doing a story on the top eleven players in the league who should be starting for their clubs but aren’t,” he explained. “One of them is David Jones at Manchester City. Why isn’t he playing more?”

“I won’t go near that question,” I said. “No manager with a brain would touch a question about another manager’s player and you know it. Sven would kill me and I wouldn’t blame him if he were to get upset.”

“So I repeat my question,” he said with a smile.

“Next question.” I waved on across the room.

# # #

I arrived home to find my pregnant wife moving furniture.

That was not a good thing for me to see. It wasn’t heavy stuff – it was small furniture from the bedroom adjacent ot the master – but it was the thought that counted.

“Honey, no,” I said, striding into the room to move a chair she was thinking about placing elsewhere. “What are you doing?”

“Nesting,” she said, giving me a kiss. “I want to see how this room will look with a basinet in it.”

“There are ways to do that which don’t involve you possibly hurting yourself,” I said. “You need to let me be a Neanderthal and do that for you.”

“You’ve got two eyebrows,” she teased. “You don’t qualify.”

“I plucked the top one,” I answered, moving the chair where she wanted it to go.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, November 5

I really didn’t mind talking with Emiliani yesterday. However, what I did mind is the inference that somehow Dagoberto should sit down in place of Lita.

Everyone who has watched Reading play knows I play a “big-little” striker style. Unless Leroy grows five inches, he’s not going to play in place of Kitson, who does a superb job holding the ball when required and helping Dagoberto find positions where he can score. And, with the ball at his feet, Dave’s a pretty decent player himself.

I can only play two strikers, given the known defensive issues we face until I can say with certainty that the back line is sorted. The fullbacks have been generally good this season, but the relationship between the backs and the defensive midfielder is still a bit tenuous.

Of our main defenders, Rosenior and Bikey have had meltdowns in league matches. Sonko and Ferreira have been solid and Pogatetz has been subpar but improving greatly over the last few weeks. Three out of five isn’t awful, but I need better. So I can’t risk playing three midfielders to give Lita a chance to start.

Besides, I like catching lightning in a bottle off the bench and Lita has provided that for me. He also hasn’t complained, which is a good thing. As long as that continues, I plan to keep doing what has kept us unbeaten in the league to this point. I don’t think anyone with sense would blame me for that.

Stefano, are you listening?

# # #

However, a most unpleasant event occurred today that is sure to hit the papers. I’ve already talked with Madejski about it, and did so as soon as it happened.

I was served this afternoon regarding Kate’s divorce. McGuire meant what he had threatened. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment to not want to worry about this, but it seems that justice waits for no man. Or woman.

In this case, though, justice will have to pause until I can schedule my role in providing it. Next week is an international week and as a result I can, and probably will, be deposed. I don’t mind – I have nothing to hide, certainly – and I’d very much like to get this over with.

I also want to protect Patty. I don’t want to get involved between Kate and her soon to be ex-husband – though I have no doubt that Kate will bring up McGuire’s infidelity with Patty as part of her case – so for both of us the best thing to do is simply get it over with.

I didn’t want to have to go to the chairman with this, but felt I had no choice. “It’s going to wind up in the papers,” I said. “That can’t be avoided. I’ve nothing to hide and nothing happened involving me, so I’m looking forward to telling the truth.”

“The club’s general counsel is aware of the situation and you must understand that we will assist in legal procedure to seal the divorce proceedings, since they do not involve you or your wife,” he answered. “You should also be aware that I have had discussions with Sidney Richmond.”

That appeared to be at least a ninety-degree swerve in direction of the conversation, and he sensed my puzzlement.

“He is the director concerned about the public image of the club,” my chairman said. “Therefore, he is the one who might cause the greatest difficulty if and when these unfortunate events ever occur. You deserve that protection from me.”

Suddenly, I remembed that John Madejski is a skilled politician in addition to his other interests and responsibilities. He was running interference for me and that could well be priceless.

I expect McGuire to fight dirty to save his reputation. If his reputation is to be saved, I am determined it will not happen at my expense.

# # #

[copperhorse21]

Moments later, the final whistle blew and our supporters celebrated a truly famous win. 3-1 over the Gunners – on their turf – would set the Hob Nobbers alight for sure.

Arsenal 1 (Eduardo 6th, 40)

Reading 3 (Dagoberto 6th, 31; Lita 3rd, 82, 4th 87)

A – 58,281, Emirates Stadium, London

Man of the Match – Bogdan Lobont, Reading (2)

What was Gallas' reaction? Sorry, I know this is old news, but I needed to know in light of the latest real-life news...

[tenthreeleader]

Gallas accused my players of trying to unsettle the Arsenal changing room ....

___

Thursday, November 6

I heard the usual from Derby manager Billy Davies today.

“We have to stop Dagoberto,” he said. “No one else has been able to do it over the last month and he’s the reason why Reading are where they are.”

Then he made an unfortunate foray into humor. “I tried to buy Sonko off Rob Ridgway in the summer,” he said. “Looks like I tried for the wrong player.”

I was none too pleased with that – if it was an attempt to unsettle my striker I’m going to graduate all the way to furious – but the point of the matter is that I wouldn’t have sold him Dagoberto either. Whether some club makes a big money play for him in January is of course yet to be determined, but for now the best chance I have to keep him with me is to simply keep his confidence high and make his environment as positive as I possibly can.

The fact that his goal-scoring streak is now at four straight matches isn’t lost on me either. His service has been excellent and in fact the player I have respected almost as much during the streak as Dagoberto has been Kalou.

The Ivorian has passed up more than one good scoring opportuity to “feed the hot hand”, so to speak. I’ve been hugely impressed with his sense of teamwork and his understanding that it’s a team game. Some players never learn that. In fact, too many players never learn that.

But I digress. Davies has spoken, so the reporters were after my reaction. “Bring it on,” I said. “The managers in this league line up to talk about Dagoberto and lately he’s made them all pay for it. I’d love it if Billy would compare him to Pelé.”

I need to put on that sort of front, to show that I’m not scared of others praising my players. Even if privately it drives me insane.

# # #

Last night Arsenal did the Champions League double over Rangers, who appear headed for the UEFA Cup. Adebayor and Fabregas scored in a 2-0 win at the Emirates. Chelsea struggled again, this time at home to Bordeaux as Shawn Wright-Phillips saved their blushes in a 1-1 draw.

Tonight in the UEFA Cup, there was a real oddity in the matches involving English clubs. Three of the four matches featured a goal in the opening minute of play. In an even greater oddity, none of the three clubs that scored so quickly managed to win their match.

At Goodison Park, Fenerbahce’s Senturk Semih needed just 48 seconds to score but it didn’t help his club in a 3-1 loss to the Toffees. Bolton’s Kevin Nolan scored in 51 seconds but that was all the home team could manage at the Reebok in a 1-1 draw with Trabzonspor. And Robbie Keane won the night’s lightning round by taking just 26 seconds to score away from home, at Rosenborg. However, that match wound up in a 1-1 draw as well.

I sat in my darkened den, watching the Everton match on replay while Patty tried to get some sleep in the master bedroom. She had a difficult afternoon and went to bed not feeling well. She’s quite worried about the McGuire divorce proceedings and I’m worried for her as a result.

Finally, I simply turned off the television and went to her. I climbed into bed and it turned out she hadn’t slept at all.

“Glad you’re here, honey,” she said, sliding into my arms. “I just need you to hold me.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, November 7

I spent part of the morning speaking with the club’s general counsel.

Gabriel Farmer QC spent the morning training break in my office listening to me. I thought that was wonderful. The barrister was well suited to help.

“I understand it is important to have the proceedings of Mr. McGuire’s circumstance sealed,” he said.

“I would love it if that were the case,” I admitted. “Not so much for me, but for my wife. She had a past relationship with Mr. McGuire and is very afraid for her reputation. He was most inappropriate with her, before we ever met, and she is quite concerned.”

“And Mr. McGuire has threatened you with false accusations,” Farmer said.

“So I’m told, but I have not had a threat delivered to me personally,” I said. “The threat in question was made in a letter to a reporter for the Evening Post. She told me about it recently.”

“He went to the press?” Farmer asked. I thought his eyebrows would climb up his forehead and hide in his hair.

“Again, that’s what I’m told,” I said. “I haven’t gone to the reporter for clarification. I’m not sure how to proceed. I don’t want to give this idiot any sense of legitimacy and I’m concerned that asking the reporter or her editor might give this nonsense credence that it doesn’t deserve.”

“Mr. McGuire has done an exceedingly stupid thing,” Farmer said.

“Oh, believe me, he excels at that.”

“Should he say anything publicly, he’s going to have trouble he doesn’t want, but it would need to be handled by your private counsel,” Farmer said. “My job is to represent the interests of Reading Football Club. Where the club’s interests cross with yours, I will be pleased to assist.”

“I figured as much,” I said. “I do have professional representation.”

“Good,” Farmer answered. “I suggest you have your solicitor handle any contact with the paper on this matter. You should stay as far away from this as you possibly can.”

“Mr. Farmer, I have no intention of going anywhere near this unless I’m dragged by my hair.”

“Then I might consider shaving your head,” he smiled, ending our interview.

# # #

One of the things managers dread is the “vote of confidence” from the board. Basically, it means “win the next one or else”.

So when you get a vote of confidence from an opposing manager, that can be problematic as well. Especially when that manager is Arsene Wenger.

The Mail reported that Wenger has spoken warmly of Birmingham manager Steve Bruce, who he will face tomorrow. Birmingham is 19th in the table and has a total of eight points so far. Only the fact that Cardiff City is playing even more poorly has stopped the Blues from becoming the butt of jokes that would be most unflattering.

The teams meet tomorrow at the Emirates, and perhaps Wenger is playing another one of his mind games. With my club trailing his by only two points, a shock result in London plus my players getting the job done at Derby on Sunday would make the league race even more interesting.

And I’m sure Ola Toivonen would tell you that it does make sense to get out on the pitch and not “mail it in”. Perhaps Birmingham will make an emergency loan signing from Denmark for added inspiration!

# # #

Emiliani’s article is out. It could be worse, and believe it or not, it does make a few valid points.

Lita was named as one of the “Missing Eleven” in the article, which included such luminaries as Mido, Pascal Chimbonda of Spurs, Alex Hleb of Arsenal and Tomasz Kuszczak of Birmingham. The latter hasn’t stepped on the pitch this season despite a £2m purchase price from Manchester United. Manuel Almunia has played every second of the season for a 19th placed club.

Some of his writing even showed a bit of wit. While wondering while Kostas Katsouranis of Newcastle had only started three matches all season, he questioned Sam Allardyce’s sanity. “One wonders why Katsouranis doesn’t simply retire,” he wrote. “Playing behind Joey Barton in that team would be enough to make me take the pledge.”

Bruce came in for a bit of added criticism for his decision to play Charlie Adam ahead of Gary McSheffrey. Charlie, while a good talent, is yet to score in eleven starts and McSheffrey hasn’t started a match all season. So Bruce will now get an idea of how criticism from such an odd source will feel.

As for Lita, Emiliani showed that he has backstory with me.

Leroy Lita, Reading: Rob Ridgway has a habit of making personnel decisions that both keep writers awake at night and provide us with endless amusement. He did it last year in Italy and he’s doing it again here with Lita, a fine young talent who is inexplicably stuck behind Dave Kitson in Reading’s team sheet. Ridgway has preferred a “big-small” striker combination in the past but the rest of this league should be thankful that Ridgway does not have the tactical nous to pair Lita with the lethal Dagoberto. If he had such acumen, Reading would undoubtedly pace the Premiership.

Well, that was nice of him. Not that I care about his opinion.

# # #

[SCIAG]

Is Miguel Manuel's brother?

[tenthreeleader]

Yes. I'm now deliberately inserting one error into each submission I make and you caught it.

___

Saturday, November 8

Derby

We traveled to the East Midlands today in a relaxed fashion before tomorrow’s match. We also got some extra pressure placed on us.

Arsenal did as expected, getting goals from Carlos Vela and Eduardo to dismiss Bruce’s Birmingham with some ease. Wenger’s remarks of yesterday about his opposition now came into sharper focus.

They made me think of Winston Churchill, whose masterpiece The Second World War has long been a favorite of mine, who wrote in that work: “When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.”

The Gunners have restored a five-point advantage over us and a four-point lead over Chelsea. Because of that, we have an opportunity tomorrow.

The Blues slipped badly this afternoon, being held 1-1 at Portsmouth. Landon Donovan opened the scoring for Pompey, but Sylvain Distin’s horror season continues as he put through his own goal for the second time this season eleven minutes from time to give Avram Grant’s team a point.

Grant’s post-match comments were far from kind. He was furious with his team, which generated practically nothing at Fortress Fratton. Obviously, a result tomorrow at Derby will put us in second place.

Newcastle got a goal from former Manchester United striker Alan Smith today against his old team, but the Red Devils responded with a goal from Louis Saha before Jean Il Makoun scored an own goal seven minutes from time to gift United a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. Coppell is now into fourth place.

Middlesbrough rebounded nicely from their setback against us by defeating West Brom behind goals from Jonathan Woodgate and Mido. Blackburn continues to slide, getting Kevin Doyle’s second goal of the season and a goal from Marco Rigters 13 minutes from time to wipe out Anton Ferdinand’s brace for West Ham. Yet the great veteran Freddie Ljungberg and Craig Bellamy both found the range in the last five minutes to give the Hammers a badly needed 4-2 win.

And Cardiff … was Cardiff. They were shut out at home again today, with Man City’s Valeri Bojinov piling the misery on Dave Jones and his players. The Bluebirds have just five points from fourteen matches and trail the Gunners by a whopping 29 points in the table.

# # #

I also spent a fair amount of time talking with Patty on the trip.

It’s not a good time to be gone – she’s still in a bit of an emotional state after the events of this week – but I have to do what I have to do. That doesn’t make it any easier.

Over and over again, I discussed my conversation with Farmer of yesterday and reminded her that we do have representation. Yet even that didn’t help.

“Rob, you know him,” she said, referring to McGuire. “All he has to do is find a tabloid – and it doesn’t matter which one – and the sealing of any divorce record won’t make a bit of difference. You know that.”

“If he does, we’ll make him pay for it,” I said. “And you know that. He may be a lot of things, but I haven’t yet known him to take a public poke at us because he knows how it will turn out.”

“I do wish you would understand what I’m saying,” Patty said.

“Honey, I do understand,” I began.

“You haven’t seen him in action,” she answered sadly. “I have.”

I thought that through for a minute and realized that she had seen a side of him I surely hadn’t. “Rob, he has never liked you,” she added. “You know that. But he once tried to convince me he was a real human being. For nearly a year, that’s what he did. And I believed him. He’s slick, he’s smooth, and he plans to cause a lot of trouble. I’m sure of it.”

“Kate’s going to take him to the cleaners,” I predicted.

“And then he’ll have nothing to lose,” Patty said. “He’ll want to take someone down with him, and if it can’t be Kate, it’s going to be us. Can’t you see that?”

“Patty, let’s not borrow trouble here,” I answered. “Nothing has happened yet but if you’re this nervous about it, take a morning off this week and I’ll get you to see the solicitor. Forewarned is forearmed.”

“That makes sense,” she said. “I just don’t want to feel so alone. I know you can protect me physically, but this is different. I need to feel safe, Rob. For my own sense of well-being.”

# # #

As a result, I wasn’t in the best frame of mind when I had dinner with the coaches this evening.

Dillon wanted to talk about Bikey. I’ve already made up my mind about that subject – Rosenior will come back into the eleven with Pogatetz moving to the middle in place of Bikey, who will drop to the bench.

“All right,” Dillon said. “That’s a good option.”

“It’s the one that makes the most sense,” I said. “Liam is showing he’s ready to come back and Pogatetz is playing better. André knows what he needs to do to get his place back and this week he didn’t do it. When he’s ready, I’ll look at putting him back.”

“And right midfield? John Halls is making noise about wanting a better role again.”

“Understandable,” I said. “But right now Faé is going into the spot. I need a little better defense than either Oster or Halls can give us at that position, and Ferreira’s playing too well for me to give his place to Halls. I’ll talk with him.”

But after the conversation with Dillon, my mind immediately veered elsewhere.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, November 9

Derby (2-2-9, 18th place) v Reading (8-5-0, 3rd place) – EPL Match Day #14

I sure hope today isn’t a foretaste of what the winter will be like. From the moment I got out of bed in our hotel today, it wasn’t fun to even think about being outside.

The old phrase “raining pitchforks and hammer handles” sprang to mind as I looked out the window. It was not going to be a fun day on the ground.

“Miserable,” Dillon said as we sat to breakfast with the team. We faced a window and watched it pour.

“A postponement would be nice,” I said. “Even if it means we traveled all this way for nothing. People get hurt on days like this.”

“Touch wood,” he said, still using few words. I could only agree with him.

“Still, if we play, we play, and we do what we have to do,” I said in a moment worthy of Captain Obvious. By this time the players had all arrived and I stood to give them a quick talk.

“Fellows, let me have your attention,” I said, and was grateful to receive more or less immediate silence from the eighteen players and two travelers in my charge. “Obviously, I’m not optimistic about the conditions today. We have to be ready to change our approach once we see the condition of the pitch.”

“We might get some old-fashioned football out of today,” I smiled. “All I know is this: it’s the sort of day where we’ll have to stand up and be counted. You’ve got an opportunity today – Chelsea didn’t win yesterday and if you get the job done this afternoon we’ll be in second place. Make yourselves hard to beat today. That applies regardless of the conditions. And what’s more, I know we can do this. We have the squad and we’re playing well. Make it happen today. Enjoy the day.”

With that, I sat and the players resumed their breakfasts, though talking in more subdued tones. It was time to concentrate on the business at hand.

# # #

The pitch was in poor shape but they decided to play the match anyway. It certainly wasn’t the fault of anyone associated with Derby – the Pride Park pitch was covered until the absolute last possible moment – but it didn’t take long after kickoff for patches of standing water to appear.

I suppose the reason they didn’t postpone was because there was no lightning. It was just a good old-fashioned gullywasher. I stayed on the touchline for about the first five minutes of the match until, soaked to the skin, I had a choice of either sitting in my dugout or risking pneumonia.

The rain and chill made it hard on the players, obviously, but at least they were moving. The weather showed its ugly face just seven minutes into the match and it cost our hosts the first good scoring opportunity of the contest. Sebastian Mila had the ball on the right side of midfield and managed to squeeze a wonderful cross through the defense and past Pogatetz for the run of Kenny Miller to Lobont’s left.

The cross hit a puddle of water near the penalty spot and stopped dead. Unable to stop his momentum, Miller ran right past the ball. Gratefully, Pogatetz slogged to the now-stationary ball and slammed it into touch.

I turned to Dillon, having wiped my wet hair and managing to look at least a bit presentable.

“Unbelievable,” I said. “We’d better be ready for weirdness today.”

Players weren’t going at full speed as often as they usually would, mainly because they couldn’t. Sharp cuts were virtually impossible to make and frankly I worried for players like Kalou, who use misdirection as a key part of their game. As long as he knew where he was headed, he’d be fine, but the last thing I wanted was a sprained ankle due to the turf giving way on some stepover move or other.

Finally, I ventured out of the dugout and into the deluge again, yelling for Kalou’s attention as he embarked on a twisting run past me. “Keep it simple, Salomon!” I urged. “Use your teammates!”

We earned a corner the old-fashioned way on sixteen minutes and Rosenior went to take it on our left. His high, arcing ball into the six-yard box fell out of the rain and onto the forehead of Kitson, who powered it past Stephen Bywater and home for a 1-0 lead.

Kitson sloshed off to the visiting support to celebrate the goal and on a day like this one the lead was certainly welcome. Having the lead then showed in our play, which was surprisingly good from a technical standpoint given the conditions.

Moments later, Kalou didn’t keep it simple, stepping over the ball to find space against Tyrone Mears. The defender hauled my winger back and was promptly carded by referee Chris Foy, giving us a free kick at the top of the box.

Maloney liked his chances and sized up the effort. His application, though, was poor, as he drove the kick straight at the right edge of the wall.

Unfortunately for Mears, he finished up a perfectly woeful few minutes by deflecting the shot past his own keeper for a 2-nil advantage. Just over twenty minutes into the match we were already in the drivers’ seat and Maloney was celebrating his fifth goal of the season.

He’s done everything I could have possibly asked him to do since joining us and having him back on the scoresheet just makes us that much more dangerous. Now two goals to the good, the home fans were starting to let Davies hear of their displeasure.

On we played, with a less attacking bent due to being two goals up. The rain showed no signs of letting up and as far as I was concerned that was just fine with me. Derby came close again right on the half hour with their new signing Nené driving a knuckling shot that Lobont was fortunate to catch against his chest. The slippery football was made even more dangerous by the fact that Nené's shot had dipped on top of it, making the save quite tricky indeed.

Derby came to life after that, and we started to consider our counter options. Miller shot over the bar moments later and from Lobont’s goal kick we started down the right side. We were checked immediately at the center line as Faé was squeezed out of the play, his ball for the overlapping Ferreira picked up by Jaime Lozano, who laid the ball back to Bywater.

Amazingly, it went into the net. Lozano had made the mistake of putting the backpass on goal and since Bywater couldn’t play it with his hands, he was helpless when the ball hit a clump of churned-up turf and bounded over his foot.

It was a gift, no question about it. Our bench reacted with joy at a completely unexpected three-nil lead and even I was smiling, though in an understated way, at our opponents’ generosity.

Whistles and boos now fell harder than the rain on the Derby players. Their club sinking into the turf faster than the precipitation, they lined up to kick off with ten minutes still to go until halftime.

My direct instructions were to pull back. I wanted this lead to last to halftime. Derby seemed lifeless and listless, finally making a foray five minutes after the own goal. Nené moved forward through the rain and Pazienza moved in to close him down at the top of the area.

Nené fell, and Foy pointed to the spot. I was absolutely aghast.

All sorts of feelings of déjà vu passed through my mind. It was at this exact time in the match in the exact same situation – 40 minutes into the Manchester United home match, also with a 3-0 lead – that a penalty award had changed everything.

Nené lined up and immediately sent Lobont the wrong way to get Derby on the scoreboard. Red-faced, I looked at Dillon.

“If we concede again before halftime, someone’s coming off,” I snarled. I then called for Sonko and told him the same thing. I was fit to be tied – another key penalty against us at a key time in the match might help do that – and we then proceeded to play an ultra-cautious last four minutes of the half.

The lead held, and, somewhat calmer, I reflected on the fact that Lozano’s own goal was at least as big a gift to us as the penalty award had been to Derby. The players reached for towels and dry gear as they sat for the halftime team talk.

“All right, men, the penalty award was shocking but we should be used to that by now,” I said. “You played well. You’re two goals up and we got some good fortune on our third goal. What I don’t want to see is the same kind of running around that got us a draw against United in a match we should have won. Stay on these guys and take away their will. Get it done.”

[JamboJen]

10/3, I'm pleased to say I've finally caught up with the story and can now concentrate on my own one! Joking aside, this genuinely is a phenomenal piece of work. Your writing has given me so many ideas and that's just on the football side of things. How you also weave a non-football plot throughout it is unbelievable. I'm finding myself inwardly oohing and aahing anytime Kate gets involved! Time to read the first installment methinks!

[tenthreeleader]

Jen, thank you so much for the kind words, and above all, welcome to the Rat Pack! I'm glad people are picking up the story from the beginning due to its length, but my hope is to keep Rob Ridgway producing story copy for some seasons to come.

___

Unfortunately, I did have to make a substitution at half, one that was most unwelcome. Dagoberto took a kick to the thigh in a challenge just before the halftime whistle and picked up a dead leg. His scoring streak would end today through no fault of his own. Lita got the call, which I thought would at least please Emiliani. Yay for me.

I pulled us to 4-4-2 to try and counter Derby out of the match. Yet two minutes into the second half, Jay McEveley made me rethink my tactics. His audacious thirty-yard strike from straight onto the keeper struck the unfortunate Sonko, changing directions as it sped past the flat-footed Lobont to make it 3-2. It was his first goal for the club and he reacted as you’d expect him to.

Suddenly, Pride Park was alive again. I tried a different tactic, pulling us out of our shell a bit on the theory that pressing Derby would take away their momentum. There was far too much time remaining to simply sit on the lead, especially in these conditions, so my thinking was that we could take the starch out of them by simply not letting them have any space.

We countered beautifully, with Kitson and Lita working a beautiful wall pass that freed up Leroy for a great chance on 53 minutes, forcing a superb save from Bywater on a low bullet from just outside the area.

Our corner floated in and again Kitson climbed the ladder, heading the ball sharply downward past the lunging Bywater. The ball shot agonizingly wide of the left post, though, giving them a goal kick.

Bywater’s goal kick found Sebastian Mila on the right, and back Derby came. Mila put the ball to the middle for Agustin Delgado, who had entered as a halftime substitute, and got it back as he entered our penalty area. Rosenior moved to close him down.

“Uh-oh,” I thought, as Rosenior overcommitted and ran past the ball. Mila wound up, shot, and beat Lobont cleanly to his right to level the score at 3-3.

Now most of the 22,874 in attendance had something real to celebrate, while I was left to stew over losing a three-goal lead for the second time this season. Mila slid on his stomach at the corner flag, to the delight of the home fans.

It was time to go back to blank paper.

# # #

After losing the lead, we actually started to play better. Shocked, and perhaps shamed, into action, we created a couple of good chances in search of our fourth. Kalou missed to the left before Pazienza’s piledriver from twenty-five yards fizzed wide to the right. We were creating, but not applying. At least it was a fightback.

The match degenerated at that point as the pitch really started to affect play. Ten minutes from time I knew what I needed to do, however disappointing the thought was. I brought in Harper for Kitson and moved to 4-5-1. Eight minutes from time, the substitution was made. Davies had used both of his remaining substitutions on defenders, so it didn’t look like he was in the mood to find a winner himself.

Harper stepped on, and I immediately liked the thought of stability with two holding midfielders in my 4-5-1 alignment. Lita remained as the lone forward, with enough pace to take advantage of another sloppy backpass or provide pressure we really needed to put on.

Harper slipped into position alongside Pazienza and play resumed. Ferreira took the ball up the right side and tried to pass to the middle, but Mila intercepted and in one volley played the ball forward. Delgado saw his chance and moved onto the ball, splitting both the defensive midfielders and both the center-halves in one motion. The ball fell at the penalty spot and the Ecuadorian international gave Lobont no chance.

His volley crashed home and just like that, we were trailing 4-3. I looked on, hardly able to believe my eyes. The fightback was complete, and Derby led with seven minutes to play. Delgado was celebrating his first goal for the club right alongside McEveley, and I was watching our unbeaten streak dissolve in the rain before my eyes.

“4-3-3,” I sighed. “Who knows?”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Nothing was happening.

As the rain now soaked into us, and the Derby fans sang loudly in anticipation of their third victory of the season, I tried to figure out where we had gone wrong. Was it the penalty award? Was it yet another lapse in concentration with a lead? Video would be able to give me some of the answers I needed, but watching my front line of Kalou, Lita and Faé flailing away at Derby’s back line was getting more and more frustrating.

The fourth official signaled for three minutes of added time, and Derby had ten men behind the ball. We had possession but were getting pushed away from the goal with ease.

The fans started whistling for the end of the match as Maloney threw a desperate high ball forward with about fifteen seconds of added time remaining. It headed toward Lita, who was swallowed up by the defense. Foy looked at his watch.

Then Lita squirmed out of the mob of players, moved to his right and jammed a desperation effort at Bywater. It squirmed between the keeper’s arm and the left post and into the goal to get us level at 4-4.

The noise was remarkable. It was sort of a cry of outrage from the Derby faithful mixed with shrieks of joy from our away supporters who suddenly realized that they really hadn’t come all this way for nothing.

Lita ran around like a crazy man to celebrate equalizing with the last kick of the match – and his manager was pleased too. I tried not to show too much emotion, but we all jumped out of the dugout to celebrate the unlikeliest of equalizers.

Seconds later, Foy blew for full time and I approached Davies for a handshake.

“Amazing,” he said, as we shook hands. “Absolutely amazing.”

“Good luck, Billy,” I offered. “Right now I have to stagger off home.”

Derby 4 (Nene 4th, pen 41; Jay McEveley 1st, 47; Sebastian Mila 2nd, 57; Agustin Delgado 1st, 83)

Reading 4 (Kitson 3rd, 16; Maloney 5th, 21; Jaime Lozano og 35; Lita 5th, 90+2)

A – 22,874, Pride Park, Derby

Man of the Match – Sebastian Mila, Derby

# # #

“Funny game, isn’t it, Rob?”

“Ha, ha, Bobby,” I said to Setanta’s Hopkins, who at least had a smile on his face when he asked the question.

“So what’s your verdict?”

“Frankly, I’m glad it’s over,” I answered. “I’m not the least bit pleased that we’ve conceded four times again and even less happy that we’ve lost a three-goal lead for the second time in just over a month. I’m not happy that we had a chance to overtake Chelsea in the table and couldn’t do it because we coughed up a big lead. On the positive side, we are still unbeaten, nobody got hurt, and I’m still ambulatory.”

He thought it over for a minute, and finally grinned.

“Lita,” he said. I noticed Emiliani standing over his shoulder, ready to write, but unable to ask a question due to this being an exclusive post-match interview.

“Great impact player,” I immediately said, catching the Italian’s eye. “He has filled a role for us this season and done it beautifully. I can’t praise him enough for the job he’s done.”

“Word in the media is that Manchester City is interested in him,” Hopkins told me. “Do you have any comment on those reports?”

“It would have to come through me first,” I said. “Leroy is an important member of this club and my job is to make sure he knows it. I have no desire to see him scoring goals for City or anyone else but us, for that matter. Besides, it’s still November and we’ve got a couple of months yet before we have to worry about that sort of thing. Right now we have an international break coming up and some of my guys could use the rest. That comes first.”

“What about André Bikey? Could you have used him today in a match where you conceded four goals?”

“On his form, André would have been out there for us,” I said. “But he’s not on his form and I gave him a week off to try and find it again. Once more, we have an international break coming up and my hope is that he’ll use that time constructively so we can utilize his talent when we get back to action.”

# # #

[Fivewood]

Fantastic story 10-3 not least as it involves my beloved Royals

Keep it up !

[Spav]

A month has gone since my last comment here - the quality is still first class and the variety of your subplots is matched only by the breadth of your imagination. KUTGW tenthree.

[tenthreeleader]

Fivewood, welcome to the Rat Pack! I hope Rob is able to do right by the Reading faithful such as yourself Spav, it's always great to read your supportive words - your opinion is always welcome and highly valued!

___

Monday, November 10

Training was quiet this morning.

With the international break this weekend, the players not heading off to World Cup qualifiers have until Wednesday off. Dagoberto didn’t even suit up today, going straight to physical therapy for his dead leg. If he has to be injured, now’s the time, without a match for a fortnight.

So, while Dillon took the smallish senior squad this morning, I sat alone in my office trying to figure out what had gone wrong yesterday.

I couldn’t be too upset, in the final analysis – we had picked up a point away from home and even though we didn’t pass Chelsea we at least kept pace. Yet the greedy manager in me wanted that win to keep pace with Arsenal and better our situation relative to the rest of the Big Four.

It was frustrating on another front as well. Everton held Liverpool to a goalless draw in the first Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park, so we missed a chance to put some distance between ourselves and the champions as well.

Elsewhere yesterday, Bolton’s Daniel Braaten and Charlton’s Mauro Zárate cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw at the Reebok Stadium, and goals from Robbie Keane and Yakubu cancelled out Gabriel Agbonhalor’s brace in Spurs’ 2-2 draw at Villa Park. It was a day of cancellations, I guess – there were four matches on Sunday and not a winner to be found.

So now I’m left to examine where we stand before the coming break. Our total of 30 goals from 14 league matches leads the Premiership, but our 18 conceded leaves our goal difference at plus-12. That’s not bad, considering that mighty Chelsea have scored 25 goals. Yet, Grant’s men have conceded only six times in 14 matches, leaving them at plus-19 – and comfortably ahead of us on goal difference. Looking at their defensive record, I’m quietly thrilled that we got one of the six.

We’ve come far enough in the league now – five matches from the halfway point – to be considered genuine contenders in my mind. If we can keep up our form through that midway point hopefully people will take us seriously. This is as far as Coppell got last season – except at this point last season he led the league while I’m third – and there’s a lot of work to be done before we can think about Europe’s golden spires.

One of those elements of work is to try and figure out how not to concede four goals again this season. Derby, United and Aston Villa scored eleven goals against us the first time through – take them out and we’ve allowed seven in eleven matches. That’s more like it.

Yet our propensity to blow up defensively worries me. We’ve scored enough goals to overcome that at least to the point where we have the exact same record as Chelsea – but if our scoring touch deserts us, we may have real trouble.

# # #

Patty was glad to see me. She spoke with our solicitor this morning and was reminded that yes, she does have rights. As a result, she feels somewhat better. She was better still after I arrived yesterday evening.

McGuire still scares her, and for that I can’t forgive him. As far as I’m concerned, I wouldn’t mind ending his little soap opera in the press because I’m confident I could do it. But when he gets my wife involved, he crosses the line each and every time.

Not that he cares. Which is just one reason Patty’s afraid of him. Were it up to me, I’d have no problem with telling him to get away from us and stay away under pain of a bruising. That comes with having two sets of eyebrows.

Obviously, and perhaps unfortunately, I can’t think of actually doing such a thing. More is the pity. Looking at my wife lying contentedly in my arms as we woke up this morning, though, I found myself wishing Peter McGuire would simply leave us alone.

# # #

| Pos   | Team          | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st   | Arsenal       | 14    | 11    | 1     | 2     | 26    | 10    | +16   | 34    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd   | Chelsea       | 14    | 8     | 6     | 0     | 25    | 6     | +19   | 30    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| [b]3rd   | Reading       | 14    | 8     | 6     | 0     | 30    | 18    | +12   | 30  [/b]  | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th   | Man Utd       | 14    | 8     | 3     | 3     | 25    | 15    | +10   | 27    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th   | West Ham      | 14    | 8     | 0     | 6     | 24    | 25    | -1    | 24    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th   | Liverpool     | 14    | 6     | 5     | 3     | 22    | 13    | +9    | 23    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th   | Aston Villa   | 14    | 6     | 5     | 3     | 22    | 16    | +6    | 23    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th   | Bolton        | 14    | 7     | 2     | 5     | 19    | 16    | +3    | 23    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th   | Tottenham     | 14    | 6     | 3     | 5     | 24    | 21    | +3    | 21    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th  | Middlesbrough | 14    | 6     | 1     | 7     | 23    | 23    | 0     | 19    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th  | Portsmouth    | 14    | 4     | 6     | 4     | 25    | 22    | +3    | 18    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th  | Everton       | 14    | 3     | 8     | 3     | 13    | 11    | +2    | 17    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th  | Man City      | 14    | 4     | 5     | 5     | 14    | 16    | -2    | 17    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th  | Charlton      | 14    | 3     | 7     | 4     | 19    | 27    | -8    | 16    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th  | Blackburn     | 14    | 5     | 1     | 8     | 16    | 25    | -9    | 16    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th  | Newcastle     | 14    | 3     | 3     | 8     | 15    | 22    | -7    | 12    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th  | West Brom     | 14    | 3     | 3     | 8     | 18    | 27    | -9    | 12    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th  | Derby         | 14    | 2     | 3     | 9     | 15    | 26    | -11   | 9     | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 19th  | Birmingham    | 14    | 2     | 2     | 10    | 11    | 24    | -13   | 8     | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 20th  | Cardiff       | 14    | 1     | 2     | 11    | 6     | 29    | -23   | 5     | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

[SCIAG]

Fivewood, welcome to the Rat Pack! I hope Rob is able to do right by the Reading faithful such as yourself

I wouldn't be upset after a start like this

Nice football, winning matches, Dagoberto, and high in the table. One small (tactical) thing that I know wouldn't happen in real life, but I'll keep quiet about that.

[nette000]

Great story (just in case I forgot to mention that earlier ). One question on the league tables though: since you put Reading in bold in the league table (for obvious reasons), did you ever consider italics or both combind for singling it out?

Normal
[b]bold[/b]
[i]italic[/i]
[b][i]both[/i][/b]

[salkster2102]

lucky man with the derby result sounds like a thrilling game for the neutral. or everyone really.

[SCIAG]

What about underlined?

[u]Underlined[/u]
---------------
[i][u]Italic and underlined[/u][/i]
----------------------
[b][i][u]Bold, italic and underlined[/u][/i][/b]
--------------------------

Bold seems to have minimal effect, italic, only slightly more.

[tenthreeleader]

Fellows .. I use boldface because it's an easy and quick way to differentiate and I like the look of the bold type face. Salkster, the Derby match was fun, but 4-4 is a bit hard to take when it happens more than once a season

___

Tuesday, November 11

The story of the day was about Everton’s Andy van der Meyde.

The winger didn’t play in last weekend’s Merseyside derby so today he thought he’d take the day off. David Moyes, on the other hand, was expecting the player to show up for work and as you might expect he took a dim view of the whole thing. Evidently not everyone has until Wednesday off.

Van der Meyde has been in and out of the Everton eleven this season – in fact, I was mildly surprised not to see him in Emiliani’s article because he’s done a half-decent job when he’s played – but not playing against Liverpool evidently rankled him.

That’s one thing about my budding managerial career to which I cannot relate. I have never managed in a white-hot derby atmosphere. Last year at Padova all our mortal rivals were in Serie B above us, with Venezia the closest, though there isn’t a true derby between those clubs.

This year, Reading’s great rivals are all in lower leagues. The closest thing we have to a feud is with West Ham, partially due to Alan Pardew, and now that he’s at Charlton we don’t even have that.

In a way that’s a good thing, but having played in the Old Firm I suppose I could say part of me misses the atmosphere of being around two clubs who really can’t stand each other.

Sometimes, when we come out flat, I wish I had the extra motivator of a derby to get the players fired up and passionate to do what is necessary. That isn’t to say my team has been pedestrian – you don’t get to third in the table of any league unless you work at it – but it would be a nice extra tool to have in the kit.

So van der Meyde’s passion for playing, and disdain for not playing, has landed him in very hot water with his manager. Now he has to deal with it. It has been a frustrating few weeks for Moyes, who saw Raúl sent off for violent conduct recently to coincide with a slide that has dropped Everton to mid-table status. He’s got a challenge at the moment and the blue portion of Liverpool is watching closely.

# # #

I’m also hearing some disturbing rumors regarding my first choice keeper.

Lobont, who has performed heroically for us in the league, is reportedly a transfer target in January for clubs both inside and outside of England. He’s gone with Romania’s national team this week so he couldn’t comment on what I was reading online, but the stories are enough to cause me concern.

I’ve heard the same things about several of my players that I would prefer not to lose – Dagoberto, Sonko and now Lobont have been linked with moves for big money in January. Manchester City is reportedly interested in both Dagoberto and Sonko, but the values the club is now placing on these players means I should certainly be able to find replacements even if the board forces me to sell.

It’s just another reason why we need to stay competitive for the next month. If we can stay in the top six into the January window, it will be easier both to convince the board not to sell if they get a silly-money offer for a key player, as well as convince my key players that it’s in their best interests to stay if someone else comes calling.

For the morning, though, I took counsel of my fears while looking at video. I don’t suppose that was a very good idea.

I also wonder if Coppell, Wenger, Benitez and Grant have the same sort of troubles I do. I’m guessing they don’t.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, November 12

David Moyes has fined van der Meyde for missing training, and the Liverpool Echo had the details of quite a conversation between player and manager today – all attributed, naturally, to the ever-popular “anonymous club source”.

It was that sort of reporting that got me in trouble with Harper and my board, though Richmond has remained quiet over the last week or so. I half-expected him to say something after the Derby match but so far if he’s angry with me, he is keeping his powder dry.

Madejski has not seen fit to fill me in with details and frankly, if there’s no news concerning me then it’s none of my business. And right at the moment, I don’t want to know anyway.

I welcomed the squad back for some conditioning work today. We don’t play again until a week from Saturday at West Brom so there really isn’t a lot of sense in heavy preparation work since such a substantial part of the senior squad is gone.

Today’s training gave me a chance to blend some of the reserve players like Gaspari and Cathcart into our rotations and gave me an additional opportunity to assess their progress. I see the reserves play as often as I can, but with the January window looming large I want to know my options.

Gaspari is really doing well. I haven’t had the chance to put him into the senior squad yet but I’d like to be able to give him a debut in the FA Cup provided our first opponents are smaller than we are. Dillon has spoken highly of him in the reserve fixtures he’s seen and I myself have seen him play three times. He’s about ready to make a jump and I’m pleased at the level of commitment he’s showing despite not having played a senior match.

It could be worse. He could be Marcus Bent, loaned away from a suddenly in-form Charlton side to Nottingham Forest, struggling in the Championship. They need the firepower, I guess, and Marcus isn’t getting a game for Pardew. So, off he goes.

# # #

I also know what’s wrong with Patty. It hit me on my drive home.

One year ago tomorrow, I lost her. We were in Venice together, and I was finally getting an opportunity to watch her work for the State Department at the Biennale art show event she helped administer.

Kate and McGuire showed up as part of their public relations firm’s efforts, and to say it didn’t go well would be an understatement. I almost wound up giving McGuire his richly deserved thrashing at a public event near the center of the city – and that was only the beginning.

Kate opened up to me about her husband’s affair with Patty, and even though Patty was blameless, it opened up all kinds of old wounds. Now, one year almost to the day later, they are divorcing, and he’s still threatening.

Patty found Kate looking for consolation by throwing herself into my arms, finally emptying her pain out to me five years after our breakup. That was too much for Patty, and she snapped.

The resulting emotional train wreck didn’t help either of us. Things were going horribly off the pitch for me and Patty was so upset she returned to the United States for a time.

When Patty got back, Paul Marsley got his claws into her and, as they say, the rest is history. In our case, it wasn’t especially good history until she finally pulled herself up by her bootstraps and we got back together. It was just a dark time for both of us. So, tomorrow is the first anniversary of an important event in our lives – and not a positive one.

I returned from training today to a very quiet house and a very subdued wife. She sat in our television room, with the shades drawn and the lights out, watching television.

I crossed behind Patty and greeted her with a soft kiss to her neck.

She turned, tears in her eyes. “Hi, honey,” she said, reaching up to me.

“Patty, you can’t go on like this,” I said, and she stood, throwing herself into my arms. She buried her head in my shoulder and gave vent to long-stored frustration and sorrow.

“I know, Rob,” she said. “I’ve just been sitting here thinking, and the more I do that, the angrier I get.”

“You’re thinking about Venice, aren’t you?” I asked.

She looked up at me, and her perfect green eyes again filled with tears. A single tear raced down her left cheek and I lifted her delicate chin to kiss it away.

“How did you know?” she asked.

“Because I’ve been thinking about Venice too,” I said. “It hit me on the drive home. It’s been a year and I was thinking about the state of mind I was in then. All over the same idiot.”

“It was so silly of me to leave you over that,” she said. “I can’t forgive myself. I let him win.”

I took her face in my hands, making sure our eyes made contact. “Honey, no, you didn’t. You did not let him win. You came back, we patched things up, and look at us now!”

“Standing in a darkened room crying like schoolchildren?”

She managed a weak smile and I kissed her. “Married, preparing to start our family and making sacrifices for each other,” I said. “That’s what I had in mind.”

“Rob, all I want is to be able to concentrate on us and the baby,” she said. “And it’s so difficult to do, sometimes I can hardly stand it.”

“We’re a team,” I reminded her. “He couldn’t beat us then and he will not beat us now. Tomorrow, I’ll prove it to you.”

She looked up at me. “How will you do that, Rob?” she asked.

“I’ll prove it to you as soon as I get back from training,” I promised. “Get ready for a wonderful evening.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Thursday, November 13

Today was an anniversary of sorts.

I tried not to think about what I was doing one year ago tonight, for two reasons. First because it hurt too much and second, I don’t remember much of that evening due to being hammered beyond rational thought.

Obviously, one year on Patty and I are in much better shape as a couple. I wanted this day to be good for her, both to assuage her fears as well as to get her out of the house.

She hasn’t had any significant outside offers since her commercial began to air – which is both good and bad. I wouldn’t mind if the local “Patty-mania” subsided for a bit, but from a professional standpoint that’s probably a bit of a disappointment to her.

The commercial is being received well. I hope it does some good for the clients, and naturally she is excited about the prospect of more work. But for the last few weeks she’s been on hold in her “new” career, which means she’s been in her unhappy work situation followed by worry at home when I’m not there.

It’s a bad cycle for her and she needs to get out of it. So tonight, I did my best to shift her mind back onto the positive.

# # #

It didn’t help matters that she was sick this morning. Thankfully, morning sickness does not appear to be an everyday sort of thing, and she’s even happier about that than I am.

“Remind me again why I’m supposed to be happy,” she groaned as she passed me on her way back to bed before sunup. “I didn’t think three o’clock in the morning was really morning.”

“It’ll be over soon,” I said. “Though I know that isn’t much comfort to you.”

“It isn’t,” she sighed, trying to find a comfortable position to resume her sleep.

# # #

When Patty got to work, she found a dozen long-stemmed red roses waiting at her desk, with a note from me to remind her that a better day was ahead.

At last, a smile crossed her face as she set to her work. Turning on her computer, she sent me an e-mail whose meaning could only be “message received”.

I received the e-mail just before I left home for the ground. My smile was finally as wide as hers.

# # #

I’m still worried about the rumors concerning Lobont’s future. Transfer rumors at this time of year are pretty rare, but the papers are still reporting Manchester City’s interest in my first-choice keeper.

So today, I called in the scouts and we had a little meeting before our training session. “Two can play at this game,” I informed them. “Before the end of the week, I want a list of goalkeepers in the £7-10 million range who would be interested in coming here with a first-choice promise. We’ve got some time to work on this but I do not want to be caught out in the event something screwy happens with Lobont. And I don’t want to hear about you contacting agents or clubs. If this turns out to be nothing I don’t want word getting to Lobont and having him think we’re trying to replace him. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

I really found myself wishing I could talk with my keeper about this, but it’s probably for the best that he’s away on international duty. Unsettling him isn’t my goal, obviously. Time and place for everything – and it’s probably not right now. So I need to be calm and wait. I’m not terribly good at either of those things under certain circumstances, so it’s going to be a long wait until next week when everyone gets back.

So the scouts set to work. Right now, most of our operation is centered in England looking for youth players, and in central and western Europe looking for new talent that can help us win now. But moments after the meeting ended, I passed the scouting offices to find the staff busily working on spreadsheets and looking through files. This time, I hope I get what I want – unlike last time, when we looked for a loan midfielder and I wound up finding Pazienza myself.

# # #

Perhaps I’m borrowing trouble over Lobont, but I do have a somewhat larger goal in mind.

Every club has contingency plans in place in the event a key player is either lost or leaves. But what I’ve seen too much of here is an unwillingness in certain quarters to prepare to execute that plan.

I want our front office staff thinking about how we can grow – not just when it’s necessary, but all the time. After all, that is part of their jobs. Our youth team is still half strikers and it’s still foundering. I plan to ask the board for additional youth investment at the end of the season so we can generate the kinds of players who will either help the senior squad or move to other clubs and generate revenue through transfer fees. Right now we aren’t doing that – our u-18 team is eleventh out of twelve teams in its league because we have so many people playing out of position – and that needs to change. We can’t be put in the position where we have to buy players to grow.

That said, we do have good prospects on our reserve team. But that team is far too big as well – clogged with players that we can’t loan or who we tried to move on in the August window but couldn’t. I want the future of this club to get its chance to play at reserve level while we build the youth setup. It’s a lot to ask, I know, and it’s a lot of work. But if Reading FC is going to become a viable long-term member of the Premiership, it simply must happen.

So I want the scouts thinking of how we can improve – at all levels – and I want to know what’s going on in their heads. We can’t succeed without them.

# # #

I took Patty shopping this evening.

It wasn’t so much the physical act of shopping that raised her spirits – it was where I took her shopping that did the trick.

On the anniversary of our saddest night as a couple, we went out for an evening together. We started at a furniture store.

“What’s in here?” she asked, and then it hit her.

“Oh,” she said, in a small voice. We were going to look at nursery furniture.

I put my arm around Patty’s waist and we walked through the aisles, the store clerks giving us a respectful distance.

“You do know we’re going public by doing this,” I said, and she nodded. “It will get out that we were seen together shopping for basinets.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I’m ready.”

“Good,” I smiled, puling her slowly and protectively to me. “It’s time to start enjoying your pregnancy instead of simply watching you get sick in the morning.”

We stood in one corner of the store, looking at the most wonderful little basinets and cribs. Finally, her arm came around my waist and we stood for a silent moment.

“I love you,” I said, looking down into her perfect green eyes.

“I love you more,” she answered. “Thanks for doing this.”

“You deserve it,” I said. “We deserve it. We need to concentrate on what’s good in life instead of what some idiot has on his mind. I know you understand this – let’s you and I enjoy what’s happening to you and to our family.”

“We could not take another step tonight and it’d still be a perfect evening,” she said, leaning her head on my shoulder.

“Eventually, we’ll have to,” I teased. “But not until you're ready.”

# # #

[copperhorse21]

Friday, October 31

As I got home, though, I got a surprise.

# # #

I arrived to a darkened house. I was home a bit late, but it wasn’t like Patty to not be at home – or not call if she would be late – so I was a bit worried when I entered our sitting room.

“Honey?” I called.

“In here,” she said, and a sense of relief flooded through me. “I’m in the dining room.”

I entered to find my wife seated at the table, wearing a white dress. Candles flickered in a centerpiece placed on the table and the rest of the room was completely dark.

She poured me a glass of wine and took a small sip out of her glass. “I want to propose a toast,” she said, raising her glass. “While I can still drink.”

“While you can still drink,” I said, raising my own glass. I stopped halfway to hers, and nearly dropped mine into my lap.

“Baby, you don’t mean…”

She locked eyes with me. “Yes, Rob,” she said. “Baby. I’m taking a sabbatical. From model to mother.”

Talk about a shock...considering the date, I was wondering if it was a trick...then I realized it would be a treat, especially for a guy like Rob.

However, having not read further in the story, I can't help but wonder if Kate isn't going to enter the frame again with another of her famously ill-timed and inappropriate letters/emails.

[tenthreeleader]

Copper, sometimes people have a hard time letting go, I guess ....

___

Friday, November 14

A light day today. The eyes of the nation are on tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier at Wembley against Serbia.

I was hyping Dagoberto as the hottest striker in the Premiership, but I am giving short shrift to West Ham’s Dean Ashton when I say so. Dagoberto has been the hottest striker of late, but on a season-long level no one has compared to the Hammers’ hitman.

Ashton has scored a remarkable 13 goals in 14 league matches to this point and 14 in 16 matches in all competitions. He’s also in Steve McClaren’s England setup for tomorrow night’s match along with Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Andy Johnson. That’s not a bad strike force in terms of raw striking power. If they can finish as well, the Serbs may be in for a long night.

I indulged myself with some happy thoughts as I drove today. Last night was as much for me as it was for Patty. The idea of fatherhood is really starting to appeal to me, especially when I see how thinking about motherhood affects Patty.

Once Patty’s mind was shifted from her troubles, it was like she was a different woman. Concentrating on the baby for even a couple of hours relaxed her. The simple reminder between husband and wife that there are more important things in life was actually as welcome to me as it was to her.

I sort of floated into the office this morning as a result. Paula Ryan, my PA and right arm, actually asked if I was feeling well.

“Rob, you look different today,” she said. “Are you sure you aren’t ill?”

I smiled at her. I resisted the temptation to say ‘no, but my wife is’, because that would have been awful of me. Instead, I took the high road.

“No, just some good personal news,” I said. “I do get to have good news, don’t I?”

Paula laughed in reply. “I suppose you do, yes. Can I get you anything before you lock yourself in your office for the morning?”

“Just a cup of coffee would be nice, if you care to,” I said. “Otherwise I’ll get it.”

She got up from behind her desk and reinforced what I have been trying to tell Patty. “May I be perfectly honest with you, Rob?” she asked, and I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

“Of course.”

“You need to start letting people help you,” she said. “You’re used to doing everything yourself, probably because of your background at a smaller club. I’m your personal assistant, so I need to remind you every now and again that I’m here.”

“Do I not give you enough to do?”

“You do fine at that,” she said. “But I’m certainly not above doing the smaller things to help you through your day. You’re the boss to the players – remember that you’re the boss to the front office staff too and you’ll find your day goes more smoothly. You shut yourself in your office and sometimes you do work you don’t really need to do. You don’t need to worry about getting travel manifests and per diems to your players even though you want to. That’s my job.”

I smiled. “I thought students just out of university weren’t supposed to be this smart,” I said.

“I’m working at a big club doing a big job,” she said. “I don’t get to do that unless I’m at least a bit smart, yeah? Now let me get you some coffee. Your mail is sorted and on your desk and don’t forget the press department wants to talk with you at ten for the website. All right?”

It was like curtains had fallen away from my eyes. I nodded.

“Very well, Paula,” I said. “Thanks for the reminder.”

# # #

[copperhorse21]

(Think Tom Hank's voice in the movie scene from League of Their Own)

What? Collaboration? There's no collaboration in football!

Haven't you seen Dream Team?

[tenthreeleader]

Oh, but I have ... where do you think I get my story arc ideas?

___

Saturday, November 15

For once, news from England has put a smile on my father-in-law’s face.

Tonight, Patty told Martin that she’s expecting and despite the fact that the child is mine, he seems pleased.

He’s so pleased, in fact, that he wants to come over at Christmas with Paula. I have no objection to that – frankly, I wouldn’t mind the opportunity to show him that outside of her office, people here really have taken to his daughter – and the resulting lessening of tensions would be welcome too.

He and I haven’t spoken since our last bust-up on the telephone and I really don’t want that sort of trouble with my father-in-law. So Patty’s situation may finally be the thing that helps us get over our troubles and start behaving like a proper family.

I talked with my mother today and let her know the news. To say she was overjoyed would be an understatement and were she not over seventy years of age she would probably have been bouncing off the walls.

Babies have this habit of doing that in families. It’s just one reason why people seem to want them, I guess.

I let Patty have time with her father on the phone, happy that for once there was no confrontation involved. For my part, I figured watching England on the television would be all right while she repaired matters with her family.

The Serbs set their stall out to defend and McClaren’s men hammered away at the wall they formed. Faster than you can say “England expects”, Owen found the range, followed ten minutes later by a wonder goal from Rooney to make it 2-nil. The visitors were squarely between the proverbial rock and hard place.

As odd as it may sound to longtime observers of the England team, they really were a joy to watch tonight. They’ve gone from “can we not knock it” to something really close to Joga Bonito over the last six months.

The second half was more of the same. Owen and Rooney came off with twenty minutes to play for Johnson and Ashton, and darned if both the substitutes didn’t score as well. Ashton finished the scoring four minutes from time with a masterful display of skill to free up space for a shot fifteen yards from goal, bending a superbly taken effort home after maneuvering his way into space.

The final score of 4-0 certainly didn’t flatter England. They were at least four goals better and they proved it. The mood regarding the national side should be nothing short of ebullient after tonight’s masterclass.

Enough superlatives for you?

# # #

[stoehrst]

Oh that's "ebullient," 10-3. It doesn't count because you misspelled it, so no, not enough superlatives

[tenthreeleader]

Okay, okay, so Ridgway can't spell ...

___

Sunday, November 16

The scout reports showed up in my e-mail today regarding keepers who might be available in the January window. I’m not terribly excited by what I’m seeing.

However, the Sunday Mail did better than my scouts, running a story that intrigued me. Jens Lehmann, Arsenal’s third-choice keeper who hasn’t played a match all season, is reportedly ready to leave the Gunners by mutual consent.

He’s 39 years old now, but on a six-month deal he could do a team some good. Especially a team which might need a keeper for just that long.

Having lost the battle to be Germany’s number one to the now-retired Oliver Kahn, Lehmann lost his Arsenal job last season to Manuel Almunia and then again this season to Lukasz Fabianski. A proud man, Lehmann doesn’t want to sit on the bench any longer, though the paper reported he wouldn’t mind taking a backup role at a place he was wanted.

The gears are starting to turn in my head. Should City make a serious bid for Lobont, a fallback option may be just around the corner.

# # #

The papers are running hot on McClaren’s England, which hasn’t happened often over the last year or so.

The headlines ran from the mundane – “Three Lions – Four Goals” graced the Sunday Mail's effort, which led over its later article on Lehmann – to The Observer’ s attempt at wit with “Serb-ice With A Smile”. That headline came over a picture of a beaming Owen after he had opened the scoring.

Of course, if and when McClaren gets beat on this World Cup qualifying run he’s in for a bit of a different ride. That’s the press here, of course – in that regard they’re no different from the press in Italy or anywhere else. I gave my bride the sermonette as we read the morning papers.

“You shouldn’t be so cynical,” Patty teased, sipping at her cup of decaffeinated coffee.

“What’s this I’m hearing, Mrs. ‘I hate Stefano Emilani’ ”? I smiled.

“Well, I do,” she said. “But you shouldn’t be so cynical.”

“Easy for you to say,” I laughed. I know she’s right, but in the end I suppose it’s safer for me to be on my guard. That kind of attack may well come my way someday. Best to be prepared.

# # #

I took a nap this afternoon.

Not that this is especially newsworthy, but frankly I don’t think I’ve slept during the daytime in the whole time I’ve been here. It was a cloudy, cool afternoon so when I reclined on our oversized couch with a comforter over me this afternoon it was all over in a matter of seconds.

It was a perfectly quiet afternoon and the combination of stillness and mental fatigue overwhelmed me. I slept deeply and dreamlessly, until I felt a very soft touch against my face.

I woke up to find Patty snuggled under the comforter next to me, tracing the line of my jaw with an index finger.

“Don’t move a muscle, honey,” she whispered. “Just go back to sleep. This has been a perfect weekend.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

All: I'm out of town on business through the weekend so updates may be sporadic. Thanks!

___

Monday, November 17

Starting today I’m trying to turn over a new leaf.

I passed by Paula’s desk on my way to my office this morning and dropped a folder onto it.

“There you go,” I said. “You asked for it.”

“Asked for what?” she said, looking up at me from her chair.

“These are the things I shouldn’t be doing,” I answered. “In there you will find my reimbursible items and per diem forms for the last three road matches that I haven’t gotten around to turning in. Everything’s there, but I haven’t put it all together yet. I’d like you to handle that.”

She smiled. “Of course, Rob,” she answered.

“Good. Also, I’m starting to get annoyed with the scouts as a group. Please set me up a meeting with the whole scouting staff and make it for after lunch. Some will need to call in, so let’s get a conference set up if we need to. When you talk with them, don’t be afraid to tell them that I’d like more creativity than they showed the last time we met. If any of them tell you they don’t know what you’re talking about, I want to know about it. Okay?”

“Clear,” she said.

“Good. Also, I’d like you to contact Freddie Eaton in London. I want to talk with him after work hours today, regarding requests for my time over the next week or so. I want you to work out a system with him where requests for my personal time that come here to the club go to him instead for screening. However, since you handle my personal calendar, there needs to be a system whereby he gets that information back to you.”

“That’ll be a challenge,” she said.

“I can’t have requests for personal appearances handled on the club’s time,” I said. “Figure that one out. It’s important. I’m swamped with this stuff now. When I’d rather be on the training pitch or in video, I’m worrying about where I’m supposed to be next Friday night. Can’t happen. I’d like to see some ideas from you tomorrow.”

“I’m a university graduate,” Paula said. “I’ll figure it out.”

# # #

While Paula got to work, I welcomed the squad back for full training this morning. We’re back off to the Midlands this weekend to face West Brom, who are having a difficult time. I want to keep it that way.

I had a bit of a speech to give to the players this morning as they reported to the training pitch. They stood around the center circle while I paced around inside it like a caged animal for a few minutes before we got started.

“This week our motto is ‘make hay while the sun shines’,” I said. “If you look at the matchups this week we’ve got a great opportunity here. This week the Big Four plays each other. Liverpool hosts Arsenal, which is top against sixth. Chelsea hosts United, so second is playing fourth. Meanwhile, we play 17th place on the road.”

“This is nothing at all against West Brom, because we’re going to work very hard to get ready for them,” I said. “But right now, we are sitting best in this round of matches. If we do our jobs we can gain ground against at least two of those teams I mentioned. We can do this and if we apply ourselves, we’re going to gain from it. Now that we’re back as a full squad, I expect total concentration from you this week. It’s time to get serious. Now let’s get to work.”

# # #

West Brom have had trouble, but obviously not as much as fellow promotees Cardiff City. Charlton has actually pulled themselves up to twelfth in the table with some solid play over the last month so they’re actually starting to entertain thoughts of survival. The Championship new boys are holding their own as a group, even if the Bluebirds appear doomed at the present time.

The Baggies’ closest target in the table at the moment is Newcastle, sitting 16th with only 13 points, one ahead of West Brom. Any sort of result against us coupled with a failure by the Magpies is just going to make things worse for Big Sam, who is probably wondering why he ever left Bolton.

They’ve made a good purchase in the form of Roberto Colautti, who has scored five times already for them, but we already know they’ve got issues on their backline. These issues aren’t due to injury – they are due to suspension.

Three regular players – Neil Clement, Paul Robinson and Chris Brunt – will all miss due to having accumulated five yellow cards. By comparison, our leader in cards is Pogatetz, who has earned four.

Further, James Morrison and Craig Beattie may both miss Saturday’s match due to injury. Touch wood, the only lost-time injury we’ve suffered to date has been Magallón’s, which means we’ve been extraordinarily fortunate to this point.

The pundits know it – they’ve made us 4-6 favorites away to get the points. That’s pressure I frankly don’t need – in a selfish sort of way I do want the only pressure on these players to be pressure I place on them. I’m sure they’re thrilled with that idea.

# # #

“Gentlemen, I’ve got a few issues I need to discuss.”

Apprehensively, the members of our scouting staff looked back across the meeting room table at me. The fact that I was seated on one side and everyone else in the room was seated on the other side led to this apprehension.

“Paula said you weren’t happy with us,” Shorey said.

“Right now, I’m not,” I admitted. “But since I really am not in the mood to pass out P45 forms today, I want to make sure we’re all on the same sheet of music here. Last week I asked you for goalkeepers and estimated prices. The list of players I got had about three names on it who could hold us in a Premiership match for 90 minutes. And you know it. I read the Sunday papers yesterday and there was a name mentioned who wouldn’t cost this club a thin dime. The reason I’m angry is that this name wasn’t on any of your lists.”

I looked across the table at the group. “I hear things when I talk with people – I hear things when I talk with managers. Part of all your jobs is to get out and talk with people. I want to know why we aren’t hearing things like this when we might be in a position to do something about them.”

“Surely you aren’t going to expect us to hear about every rumor, are you, Rob?” That was Shorey again. “And report every rumor to you?”

“No, I can’t hold you to that standard,” I admitted. “But on top of Gúti, on top of the early season recommendations that didn’t pan out and now with this latest issue, I have concerns. I do need better, fellows. January is coming up and there’s a possibility our club may be a player in the transfer market – both incoming and outgoing. We may well have to fight to keep our best players away from big-spending clubs, and we may not succeed. If we don’t, I need you to be on the ball – and I need better from you than I’m seeing right now.”

I saw blank faces across the table as my words struck home.

“I’ve been good about it so far, but right now this club is third-placed in the Premiership,” I said. “To stay there is going to require harder work than any of us have ever contemplated in this business. I know it’s going to require a lot out of me and these players – so it needs to require a lot out of everyone else as well. You people are key to what is about to happen here so I want to make that clear to you – before it becomes a crisis.”

In the past, I would have tried to stay positive at this point – but there was no point in it now. The Rob Ridgway of Serie C1A is starting to give way to a different manager, and eventually I hope he’ll grow into the kind of boss that can survive in the Premiership. It has to be this way. When Paula woke me up verbally last week, she set off a chain of thoughts in my head that resulted in the roasting my scouts were presently receiving.

“We’re going to try this again,” I said, “and not just with goalkeepers. Consider this a dry run, fellows. I want to know your best opinions on players in the same price range at all positions. This is going to take a little more time, so we’re going to take this week and work on it. One week from today we’ll meet again and go over your findings. I want us prepared for the January window by the middle of December. Okay, that’s all.”

I then dismissed the meeting and went to the chairman’s office. He was out on business and so I dropped a letter on his desk. I hadn’t written it.

Mr. Ridgway:

This letter is to inform you that at the 1 December board meeting I will recommend the hiring of a Director of Football for Reading FC. I will further recommend that this individual be hired and assume responsibilities in time for the January transfer window.

After our recent conversation, I am not fully satisfied that you possess the nous needed to guide the club in the area of player purchase and retention. While our match results have been good and you certainly deserve credit for the work you have done, I am convinced that a more experienced hand needs to guide our ship in terms of bringing in new players.

Thank you.

Sidney Richmond

# # #

[copperhorse21]

I hate the guy already!

[Kewell08]

Oh dear... We know where that kind of thing can lead. Wouldn't want to follow Kevin, would you?

[JamboJen]

10/3, your characterisation is fantastic. Too many football teams nowadays have a Sydney ruffling feathers all over the place. Mine included.

The story just keeps getting better.

[SCIAG]

This story has got to the stage where I check it after every comment to make sure I haven't missed an update

It shares that position with Spav's FMS story and (for the time being) Peacetime. I'm so sad, I mean, enthralled.

[Goofus]

Sidney's a c***!

Please don't end up being the Geordies of the Stories Forum...

[salkster2102]

Can we all start a protest with a banner saying "Sack The Board"?

[tenthreeleader]

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful comments. It's always nice to know you're enjoying the work. SCIAG, you've probably got the hottest story on the forum at the moment and as my official proofreader, I'm glad you're checking in

Richmond is keeping his powder dry for the time being, but Rob has definitely received a shot across the bow...

___

Tuesday, November 18

The press reports were correct. Jens Lehmann has left Arsenal.

Today’s sports shows were all about the great career he’s had, and from all the adulation he received you’d think he had just died.

Obviously, he hasn’t, which is why we’re intrigued. This time when I talked with Shorey he had better answers for me.

“His skills have declined, yes, but he’s still a top-flight keeper with experience in big matches,” he said. “He hasn’t gotten off the reserves this season but we’ve seen him twice and his reflexes still look good.”

“In light of yesterday’s conversation,” I said, “can he hold us if for some reason we lose Lobont?”

“I really would like to see him train,” Shorey answered. “There are some questions you can’t answer until you see someone up close.”

I have seen enough match video of Lehmann to form a good opinion of the man, but I had to admit that Shorey was right. I also wouldn’t mind getting a look at the player, but before I thought about it any further, there was a conversation I needed to have.

I called both goalkeepers into my office before the training session and told them what I’m thinking of doing.

Lobont spoke first. “I don’t want to leave,” he said.

“I’m glad to hear that,” I said. “I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose either of you, in fact. Adam’s got a bright future in this game and I think you are both important members of the club. What I need, though, is to make sure the club’s needs are met in the event these stories we’re all reading come true. You are the senior squad goalkeepers at this club and you deserve to know.”

“I don’t plan to go anyplace so hopefully this discussion won’t matter at the end of January,” Federici said.

“I hope you’re right,” I said. “I’m satisfied with both of you and the play you’ve given the club. But before anything hit the papers I wanted you to hear about it first – from me.”

They understood. They didn’t like the idea of added competition, but they understood.

# # #

[SCIAG]

That was close, I was worried that we'd be signing Lehmann for a minute there.

Which story are you talking about btw?

[tenthreeleader]

A little case of "Lehmannitis", eh, SCIAG?

___

Wednesday, November 19

There are good ways to communicate on a football club and bad ways.

Yesterday’s conversation with the keepers was what I consider good communication. As a result, they won’t be blindsided by the news that we’ve offered Lehmann a two-week trial to see if he can still play.

Then there are the bad ways. Today’s Evening Post contained an item that was news to me: John Halls wants first-team football or he wants to leave.

I suppose I have seen this coming for awhile. The fact that he’s stuck behind Ferreira, recently recalled to the Portugal squad, is frustrating to him. The fact that he isn’t getting a game because of it is making him go to the press.

Obviously, that’s a definite no-no in my book. But what he said in the paper was pretty strong stuff.

He didn’t question my sanity – which was at least a step in the right direction – but he did question my team selection.

“I know I could help,” Weatherby quoted him as saying. “We’re shipping too many goals and I’m certain I could help lower that total.”

Unfortunately, in the finest tradition of media, Jill didn’t get to me before the article ran. This way, though, she gets an article for tomorrow as well when I get to respond to the inflammatory questions I’ll get. Yay for me.

What stayed my hand with Halls today was the fact that he really is a good man-marker. Unfortunately, I need more than that from this position – which is why Ferreira plays and Halls spells him.

This meeting was a little more awkward. I approached him on the training pitch today and from the look on his face as I approached he realized he had crossed the wrong guy.

“Sorry about the article,” he began, in an early attempt at damage control. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No one ever does,” I said. “But, sorry doesn’t feed the bulldog. I want to see you in my office after training, John.”

With that, I ran the session and tried not to think about the other issues I’m facing. I went to bed last night in a bit of a black mood over Richmond’s letter and my mood was dark enough to keep even Patty at her distance.

“We’re in third place in the Premiership,” I kept repeating to myself as I watched training. “Why does this crap have to happen?”

# # #

“Sit down, John. Take a load off.”

Halls sat across from my desk in the manager’s office at the training center, still in his training kit. He figured, correctly, that “I want to see you in my office after training” meant “do not pass GO, do not collect 200 quid.”

I sat down and controlled the conversation. “You know, you aren’t making this easy for me,” I said. “I’m going to start this meeting by telling you something that may surprise you. I rate you as a player and I want to get you into the first team.”

“You’re kidding,” he said, an aghast expression on his face.

“John, I’m way too busy to kid,” I said. “You do have a role on this team, but you’ve put me in an impossible position by what you did. Now, I’m going to show you something and I want you to tell me what I should do in response to what you see.”

He nodded and I reached into my desk, pulling out a blue folio. I handed it to him.

“Open it,” I said. He did, to find a team sheet.

It was the preliminary sheet for Saturday’s trip to West Brom and his name was penciled in at right back.

“S**t,” he said.

“Yeah,” I answered. “Now you tell me what I’m supposed to do. I was set to put you into the eleven and then you pulled what you pulled with Weatherby. If I play you, I look like I’m caving. I can’t have that, John. You know that. Now I must ask you this next question honestly, and I expect an honest answer in return. Did you go to the press to engineer a move away from here?”

“Well, now I want to stay and fight for a place,” he said. “Especially after seeing this.”

He hadn’t answered my question and we both knew it. In its way, he had answered me honestly – he just hadn’t used the English language to answer the question.

I had done a pretty good job of maintaining my calm to this point but now I gave Halls some of the same ‘new Ridgway’ the scouts had seen. “You do this again and regardless of what you tell me, I’ll list you as sure as you’re sitting in that chair, John,” I said. “Absolutely unacceptable. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly,” he said.

“Good,” I said. “Now I’m going to have to talk with Jill this afternoon. It would be an excellent idea if you were nearby.”

# # #

[Simply Perfect]

To say that this story is impressive would be a massive injustice to you, sir. One of the best stories on this board, sans doubte! KUTGW

[Goofus]

Ridgway's earning a touch of steel eh?

Wonder if this is what comes with parenting...

[JamboJen]

Excellent as always, 10/3.

When SSN announced earlier that Reading scored I was really happy for them and I have no affinity with them whatsoever!!

[salkster2102]

if John isn't going to pass go and not collect the 200 quid can i have it?

[Kinnell]

I'm really enjoying this story, keep up the great work

[tenthreeleader]

Thanks to everyone ... seems all I need to do is leave town for folks to appreciate me ...Jen, I've found that playing FM has generated good feeling for me with several clubs I've "managed". I'm glad to hear that Reading generates the same smile for you as it does for me. SP, Goofus, thanks for the kind words. Rob is undergoing a bit of "character development" at the moment and I am glad you are following along. Salkster, if I had 200 quid to give you could have it. Kinnell, thank you for your kind words and post. But now I have to disappoint SCIAG...

___

Thursday, November 20

“Jens, welcome to Reading. It’s nice to have you here.”

“I’m happy to be here,” he announced, shaking my hand before a group of photographers and cameramen.

It was a bit of a different atmosphere today at the ground. Halls met with Weatherby yesterday after training and this evening’s Post article was a lot better in terms of its tone about the club and my squad selection.

Lehmann is here for two weeks. He worked out with the senior squad this morning and with the reserves in the afternoon. I’ve arranged a special reserve match against Middlesbrough for the 30th so he can get into a game with some of our players. We’ll get to run the rule over him and I’ll get to see what I need to see before we make any decisions.

The way it’s being posed to the press is that we’re simply looking to strengthen. Simon Shaw, our 16-year old keeper who we bought off Newcastle late in the August window, had sort of a star-struck look about him as he met the new arrival with the reserves after lunch.

In a way that’s fun to see but part of Simon’s professional development means that he can’t be in awe of people. I had Leo Dodge gently remind him of that after the furor had subsided. The press got pictures of Lehmann in Reading training kit this afternoon which made for a nice story on the official website.

It also drew a reaction from Wenger and the Gunners, which I thought was interesting. “We wish Jens the best of good fortune with his new club,” Wenger said at his morning media event. “He has been a great servant to our club and I am pleased to see him continue his career.”

The formalities aside, we continued preparation for Saturday.

# # #

At lunch, Paula approached with the same folder I had given her on Monday. It now contained a single sheet of paper.

“Done, Rob,” she said, handing me the folder.

I opened it and saw a proposed scheduling plan to which Freddie Eaton had already agreed. It said so right on the paper.

I read Paula’s work through and nodded.

“Excellent work, Paula,” I said. “Make this happen, please. At your discretion, I’ll want a plan to make sure I know who to talk to if I have scheduling questions.”

“The schedule is going straight into your PDA,” she said. “As for the rest, that’s why you have me.”

Her confidence was charming, but I’m going to need to see how it goes before I share it completely. She’s dedicated and hard working, but I’ve not asked anything like this of Paula before. That’s my fault.

“Very well,” I said. “We’ll give it a try.”

# # #

This afternoon’s media briefing felt better. I felt much more in control.

Of course, having new and good news didn’t hurt with that feeling. The questioning centered around one central theme: did we really need Lehmann?

“When someone becomes available of his international pedigree and reputation, you have to at least look,” I said. “We want to build for our future but we know we’re off to a good start in the league and want to maintain our position. That means finding players who can help us win now as well.”

“Does this mean you take the rumors about Lobont and Manchester City seriously?”

“No comment.”

# # #

[Kewell08]

No comment indeed...

Great stuff as always tenthreee.

[tenthreeleader]

Thanks so much, Kewell

___

Friday, November 21

We’re in the Midlands tonight, prepared for tomorrow’s match against the Baggies.

It was a quiet trip from Reading, which for me meant an opportunity to relax on the coach and listen to old “Slow Hand” himself, Eric Clapton, on my mp3 player. The fact that he’s a big West Brom supporter wasn’t lost on me, but then we can counter with Reading-born Kate Winslett in any event in the celebrity fan wars. But I guess she hasn’t sung anything.

Before we left early this afternoon, I got some news from Patty that I think is good for her. She’s going to have some high-powered business meetings next week and I hope they will remove some of the pressure she’s feeling.

It’s not about modeling shoots, though they may eventually lead to one. The meetings are with representatives of IMG, and while Patty’s firm is handling the meetings with regard to items of mutual interest, she is also one of the items on the agenda. Quietly, of course. And not on company time.

Of course, her pregnancy may well change everyone’s plans, but for now that’s not an issue. She’s meeting with major representatives and may get face time that her career could use.

Frankly, if it gets her out of the office situation she’s in, I wouldn’t complain either. Anything that takes pressure off her is something I support. Yet, as she has told me on numerous occasions, she wants to test herself in a career setting. Now she’s getting the chance.

# # #

“The Shrine” will host us tomorrow. Built in 1900, The Hawthorns has hosted some wonderful moments in this history of this club.

For raw emotion, though, it’s hard to argue with 2005 among these fans, when loanee Kieran Richardson’s goal completed “The Great Escape”, as West Brom became the first Premiership side ever to avoid relegation after being in last place at Christmas.

Our coach moved down the Birmingham Road to Halford’s Lane and turned into the stadium so the kit managers could unload our gear. I took advantage of the momentary lull in activity to talk with the squad.

“We’ve got a great opportunity tomorrow,” I told them. “While we’re preparing to play the match, remember what we’ve talked about all week. This is a match you can win, a match you are favored to win, but in the end how well you do is all about concentration. Odds aside, playing like you can play will do this job.”

# # #

When I spoke with media this afternoon for the television broadcast, I was reminded of a fact that had nearly escaped me in the buildup to the match.

“This was supposed to be your home stadium,” I was told.

They were, in a sense, correct. Late last season at Padova, I was strongly linked to the West Brom position after Tony Mowbray had difficulty reaching agreement on a new contract. Speculation in the media at that time linked me along with several others for the postion.

However, they weren’t correct in actual fact, as I never applied for the position and never formally expressed interest in it. So I demurred for the cameras.

“I think that’s a bit of a stretch,” I finally said. “This club has a manager, it’s carving out a place in the Premier League and they really need points tomorrow so the speculation about whether I should have been here or not serves no purpose. We know we’ll get a good game from Tony’s team tomorrow and they’re trying to stay out of the relegation places. The ingredients are here for a good match regardless of who the managers are. I respect Tony and I would hope he shares the sentiment.”

# # #

[JamboJen]

It was a quiet trip from Reading, which for me meant an opportunity to relax on the coach and listen to old “Slow Hand” himself, Eric Clapton, on my mp3 player. The fact that he’s a big West Brom supporter wasn’t lost on me, but then we can counter with Reading-born Kate Winslett in any event in the celebrity fan wars. But I guess she hasn’t sung anything.

I hate to be pedantic, 10/3, especially on something so trivial. But I'm afraid she has ! It was the main song from the movie Christmas Carol for which she voiced one of the characters. Can't say I've seen the film but I will admit to liking the song. She has a surprisingly good voice.

So she beats Clapton, just as the Royals will hopefully beat West Brom!

[SCIAG]

The Hoosiers, 10-3?