For the Love of the Game

[Mandy42]

Obviously its Chelsea. 

Because, when it comes to actually playing the game. What else do I do? 

However, unlike all the other threads, stories I've started in similar fashion. This one will go the distance. (If you listen very carefully, you can hear Don't Believe a Word, by Thin Lizzy, playing on the radio in the background.)

Though I feel better about this year. Mainly because. There is no grand plan. I'm not having to dissect the mind bending quandaries of time travel. And the fear of becoming ones own mother or father. Nor am I negotiating the criminal underworld of well the world. In reverse order. 

All I'm doing is having fun. At my favourite club. Trying to run some version of the 3-4-3 that seems to work well in real life. Plus I'm having living club legend Marina Granovskaia do what she does best. Manage the transfers in and out of the club.

Why I feel I could go far this year. As all I'm really doing is training the players and playing the games. As that is the part I love. 

[tenthreeleader]

Good luck with it!

[Mandy42]

12 hours ago, tenthreeleader said:

Good luck with it!

thanks! tis nice to be playing again. And thus trying to carve out time to write about playing again

[Mandy42]

I'm crouched behind a room wide serving hatch that connects a kitchen to a living room. I'm on the living room side. I have a gun in each hand. There's a man on the opposite side of the hatch. He. Is in a similar position.

BANG.... BANG BANG BANG.

I lift the gun over the lip of the hatch and squeeze the trigger. Not looking or caring. Just shooting. Then I wait. The rather exceptional acoustics of firing a hand gun into a kitchen fade. There is silence.

"This club of yours. Will there be meetings?" I'm speaking to break the silence. To check whether my rival is still in fact capable of speech.

"Of course!!!" Comes the over enthusiastic reply. Implying that not only is the speaker very much alive. But still bursting with vim and vigor.

"No meetings!" I reply emphatically. 

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!

I further punctuate my displeasure. Both at him still being alive and at the prospect of meetings. With a few more projectiles.

 

I drift back to reality. There is no gun in my hand. The only banging sound is the much less dramatic drumming of my fingers on the desk before me. There is however the bitter taste left by the phone call I had just taken. Meetings.... WEEKLY! Meetings. I mean. Surely the whole point of having the Director of Football (DoF) do everything. Is to well reduce my workload.

Speaking of the DoF. This setup is going to take some getting used to. In the meeting it is suggested that Antonio Rudiger is placed on the transfer list. To cash in on his current market value. As he seems to have zero interest in renewing his contract. Sounds like a good idea to me. 

However the first bid that comes in for him doesn't meet the DoF's valuation of the player and is rejected. Suddenly I am being accused of standing in the way of a player leaving the club. I have a micro posse of five players outside my door telling me I'm treating him badly. It's my flaming first week! Reign those horns in boys.

Its all very confusing. Rudiger does leave post haste to PSG. Ross Barkley goes to Newcastle. But only for £5M and then only because he failed to agree contract terms with Milan who the DoF was going to let have him for free! 

She has no problem signing players for the future who I've shown no interest in scouting or looking at. But players I've marked as transfer targets she seems to take an age to get round to doing anything about. I refuse to label every one of them as urgent... 

But I've signed a midfielder I wanted. Plus a replacement defender for Toni. However she refused to sign the future defensive prospect I wanted. Because we were in the process of signing another defender! One is for now... One is for later!!! That is even what the different groups say on the transfer target board I've created. I used different colours and everything...

Amidst this learning curve. Pre season is rumbling along. We've not really played anyone of substance. Nor have we left the country. Nor have I played a single game with my full first team squad yet! They are returning in dribs and drabs after the European Championships. The English contingent come back at the beginning of August. While Jorginho is the last player to come back. Taking an extra days holiday. Probably just to rub it in that he can. Due to him winning the competition.

Charlton away. Its like our under 23 and under 18s against them. We seem unsure of what to do with the formation I've proposed. So much so that we go behind in the first half to a back post header from a corner. While I'm a strong advocate of pre season being for practice and not really caring about the results. I don't want to practice losing to championship sides. I let the players know I want them to win the second half. I introduce the few first team players I have at my disposal. A headed goal of our own from Jude Soonsup-Bell and an outside of the box rocket from Hakim Ziyech. Do indeed see us win the second half and the game. But there is much work to be done.

This is even further highlighted by our performance against Portsmouth a week later. We once again start slow. Though we don't concede this time. Once we get going we bang in four goals. A slight blemish sees the hosts steal one back in first half stoppage time. Still 1-4 is a much better showing. Yet the game ends 4-4. We slowly deteriorate over the course of the second half. Some of it is the quality (or lack of) on the bench that I am forced to introduce as the legs begin to give out. What with it being so early in the campaign. The rest of it is likely my detached manner. I'm not prowling the touchline demanding more from the players. I'm just letting it happen. The run out is the main thing. 

Over the next 11 days. We play Birmingham away. Avellino, Waasland-Beveren and Alaves at Stamford Bridge. We score 10 and don't concede at all. I've been tinkering with the minutia of the positions of the formation. Getting a steady stream of potential starters back from holiday. The play looks better. The atmosphere feels better. My only concern is the lack of chances that seem to come for my striker. 

Timo Werner nets a commanding header from a corner. Expertly jumping between two Waasland-Beveren defenders at the back post. But otherwise he doesn't seem to touch the ball. Against Alaves. Romelu Lukaku, in his first appearance back from holiday. Seems to be suffering the same affliction. Nothing even remotely close to a sniff at goal. He's involved in build up play. But not at the sharp end where his price tag demands he performs. 60 minutes this goes on and I'm wondering about tactical changes. When Ziyech swivels on the edge of the box, slides a ball centrally along the turf. Lukaku finishes it superbly into the bottom right corner off the woodwork. 

One touch in the box, one shot, one goal. If he keeps that up. We won't have a problem. 

 

 

 

[Mandy42]

They say that success breeds success. I think I'd amend that to: Success breeds the opportunity for success. Otherwise it feels like it creates a rod for your own back.

Case in point. My competitive managerial debut is the European super cup. A game you only play in due to winning something else. I've also got the World Club Championship in December. Plus the whole Premier league season is compressed in order to make way for the publicity stunt that is the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The long and the short of it is. I have some amazing players. And I know where I want them all to play. I just don't know if I have enough of them to make us competitive in all of the competitions we are expected to be in this season. There's no more money either. Not that I can complain on that front. Even after resigning Romelu. There was £40M in the kitty. Add in the Rudiger money and our DoF signed the only two players I really asked for. Plus a few I didn't. One I'm not sure I would have been able to find who looks like a star for the future. And another who even if I had found him. I'm not sure I'd have touched him with a barge pole.

Anyway, back to the super cup. Or actually the week running up to the super cup. The game itself was on the 11th of August. With my full compliment of European championship players only all having returned on the 2nd of August. My back room team in their wisdom had organised all of our friendly games for July. So I had a full squad and nobody to play against. I don't even know who the opponent was. But the U23 friendly on the 3rd wasn't (at least for the first 60 minutes) an U23 game. But a full strength starting XI. Lukaku bagged a hat trick and everyone got some much needed minutes on the pitch.

Even so. Come Wednesday night when we played in the super cup. A lot of the players weren't 100% match ready. Not a worry exactly for this game. But our first Premier league game was only three days later on the Saturday! 

Before the game it felt like there was a little mini coup by my backroom staff. They'd all been nodding their heads and smiling at me through pre season. Now though, just before kick off in my first competitive game. They all came to me suggesting we changed the mentality and the formation. Felt like they had been whispering behind my back "surely this plonker is going to change things... he isn't going to stick with this... oh **** he is. Quick get him told!"

Their main concerns were that the 3-4-3 formation prevented us from playing important players in their favoured positions. Possibly. But... that was why I was in charge of training the players to adapt to their new positions! Suck it up fellas. Either it works and you can fall in line and say you believed all along. Or it wont I'll get sacked and you can say "I told you so!" to my replacement.

Though 10 minutes into the game at Windsor Park. When Villarreal had the first real chance from a corner. And they headed just over the bar. I might have been slightly concerned. I had also been concerned that I didn't know where Windsor Park was. Obviously there is the royal Windsor Park, but I didn't think they were going to let us play football there. There is a Windsor Park B&B in Blackpool. But I thought that was even less likely. Turns out its the national stadium in Belfast Northern Ireland. Just goes to show how successful the Irish are at football. 

My nerves were settled a few minutes further into the game. When we put a quality ball of our own into their box. Kai Havertz first time side footed volley clipped the angle of bar and post before bouncing harmless over. They didn't stay settled for long however. It became clear very quickly that we were in a game. Nothing like those pre season matches. Villarreal were not only assured with the ball at their feet. But were very capable of playing around and through our press if we didn't get it quite right. 

It was also looking like being a storming game for the neutral. End to end. Kepa had only just made a one handed save low down to his right. Than we had worked the ball up the other end and Lukaku had powered a header from just behind the penalty spot. Right down the throat of their keeper. 

Villarreal then proceeded to put 14 consecutive passes together. The final one being a whipped cross that flashed in at the near post. The striker got his head to it. Kepa made himself big. But luckily for us it vanished high away over the far post and out of harms way. Then it was our turn. A good combination between Lukaku and Hudson-Odoi saw the latter escape down the right wing. His cross found the former in the box. A vicious first time volley once more found its way straight at their keeper. Hitting him and deflecting wide more than him making a conscious effort to save it. I just hoped we weren't going to rue these missed chances.

Halftime came and went without much input from me. And the second half continued much in the same vein. Both teams kept the ball well. And both teams created chances. Slightly alarming was Villarreal's apparent change to counter attack and hit us on the break. From our corner. They rushed the ball up the field and Kepa had to make a smart save. The attempt was a good height for him. But strong enough that he had to push it away to his left rather than claim it. 

70 minutes played and I thought we had scored. Some clever interplay saw Kante with the ball on the edge of their box. I thought for a moment he was going to shoot. But he slid the ball into Mason Mount. Who had ghosted in at the back post in front of his defender. A cool, controlled, side footed finish and we had taken a worthy lead. But no, their keeper got down low and clawed it away before the whole ball had crossed the line. The goal line technology replay made it clear it wasn't a goal. Even if it had looked nailed on from my angle in the dugout. I went from being certain he had scored. To fuming over how he could have missed. But then a big screen replay showed two defenders cluttering up the far side of the goal. In reality Mason hadn't had much goal to aim at and had done very well to get that close to scoring!

Ten minutes to go and it was Kepa's turn to make a fantastic save. The tinniest of flick on headers in front of the near post from a corner. Saw the ball screaming for the top corner. A finger tip from our Spanish keeper saw it onto the bar and over. By now both teams had been forced into making multiple substitutions due to player fatigue. There was also one eye towards extra time and then ensuring the best penalty takers were on the pitch. In that vein with seconds left in the 90 I exchanged N'golo Kante for Timo Werner. 

Into stoppage time at the end of the game and we had the ball on the left wing. A deep hanging cross from Alonso is coming down in the general vicinity of Hakim Ziyech beyond the back post. But the ball bounces harmlessly on the turf and spins out for a goal kick. I think nothing of it and go back to conversing with my assistant about our plans for the additional periods. But then the whistle goes. And the referee is jogging over to the pitch side monitor to watch something on VAR. I catch the eye of the fourth official and he mouths at me "Possible penalty." It takes a few seconds for me to process those words. I hadn't seen anything in open play that suggested we deserved a penalty. Even if we won a penalty I felt slightly conflicted. Yes it was a golden opportunity to win my first game and proper piece of silverware. But it almost felt a shame to conclude such a contest in that manner. Once again I tilted my head to the big screen and watched the video replay. 

It became clear very quickly what the infraction was. Like a pass interference penalty in American Football. The Villarreal defender just didn't turn around to make any attempt to play the ball. His entire focus was on stopping Ziyech from getting any meaningful contact on it. If he'd made any kind of attempt to acknowledge the ball was coming in his direction he probably would have gotten away with it. As it was the referee. After making the obligatory hand gestures. Signaled a penalty to us due to obstruction by the defender. 

Lukaku stepped up to take it. In all honesty the way their keeper had played to this point. I more than half expected him to save it. Lukaku's penalty was a bullet into the top right corner. The keeper went the right way. He looked like he'd done enough to get to the ball. But it went past too quickly for him to get his hands into any kind of position to save it. 1-0 up! With only two minutes of the added on time left to play. My only remaining fear was I'd taken off Kante for Werner. When I needed the former to sure up the midfield in these dying minutes. Though my fear was misplaced. And almost fittingly it was our German forward who finished the game off for us. Running the ball past a beleaguered Villarreal defender and seeing the final seconds out by the corner flag.

Next step. Only five premier league games to play in the 20 remaining days of August! 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Mandy42

[Vossenoren]

Gotta get your head around, it's DB 101. Not too much contact beyond 5 yards, gotta look at the ball while you shove the guy so you can have it. 

 

I shall be keeping my eye on this

[Mandy42]

I believe I've made my first DoF insight. 

It is all. A matter of lists. To start with. There is the long list. The massive, never ending swirling gargantuan group of players my scouts find. On a side not I believe that all scouts have at some point in their lives been queued outside a computer games store waiting to be one of the first people to buy a new Pokemon game.

"Gotta scout em all!" Basically. If there is a scabby dog down the park who looks like he's got a half decent left foot. Then he's on the long list.

The majority of these get culled. Never to be seen again. But those who survive make it onto the shortlist. Here they sit gathering dust until a transfer window. When another selection occurs.

The truly blessed few. Get put on the transfer target list. At this point the DoF springs into action and attempts to sign them. This is where I went wrong. I was using the transfer target list as more of a short list. Basically. Over ordering from the menu in the restaurant. If they don't have the Beef, I'll have the Pork. ETC.

Now that I know where my lists are. I think this whole process is going to make more sense.

Right! Lets talk tactics.

At the back we have a sweeper keeper. Potentially there is going to be a lot of space ahead of him that he might be responsible for. Whether because our opponent is playing long balls. Or because we make a mistake in possession and we are high up the pitch. I'm not overly interest in his ability to start attacks with long range distribution. I mean if its there then by all means. We have the players up top with pace to make it work. But I don't want it to be his go to option.

In front of him we have three central defenders. Seen as its required for us to play possession football. They all have to be able to play with the ball at their feet. Now I don't demand Franco Zola like ball control. But decent passing is a must. The outer two are just bog standard defenders. The only difference between them is that the "best" defender plays on the right hand side of the three. More on that later. But the central one is (usually the slowest) and will sit deeper in order to cover behind the other two. Plus have a head start to make up for their lack of pace. We won't be using an offside trap. I don't see the point. We are looking to play the game in the oppositions half. Along with our desire to press the ball back when we loose it. Our defensive line of engagement is almost the halfway line anyway. No point having an offside trap if their striker begins his run in his own half and can't be offside anyway. 

Pretty simple so far. But moving into the midfield is where it gets a little bit more complicated. The 3-4-3 is just that. The wide players are midfielders. Not full backs or wing backs. So they need careful consideration. The left sided player is a defensive winger. His job is basically to press and suppress the opposition full back. Winning the ball back high up the pitch is ideal. Or at least disrupting the play on that side of the pitch so the space behind him isn't exploited. With the ball, he isn't very adventurous. His instructions are to stay wide and cross from deep. So he can still be an effective delivery service for those ahead of him. But he shouldn't be marauding to the byline.

On the right side it is exactly the opposite. He's a throwback attacking winger. Without a defensive care in the world. Think Ryan Giggs, minus the sleeping with your relatives wife. He stays wide. He gets to the byline and he puts the ball into the box. As often as he can. Also he has instructions to shoot more often. Hopefully to encourage him to mix up the play. Keep the defenders guessing. The ideal scenario would be he starts wide. Then drives into the box to commit defenders, possible draw fouls and penalties. And or score goals when he does shoot. His marauding nature is the reason I want my best central defender on the right hand side of our back three. Even just in pre season. Over half of our opponents chances came down our right hand side. So we need to be at our best defensively there.

In the middle of the park we have two players. On the right hand side of the pair. We have the out and out ball winning midfielder. Again he needs to be good at getting the ball back. He shouldn't stray too far from his position. He is the stop gap that allows our right winger to drive forward. And he protects the back three behind him. 

Alongside him is basically a jack of all trades midfielder. He supports those around him. Be it the defensive winger on his left. The ball winning midfielder on his right. The defenders behind him, or the advanced playmaker ahead of him. In some regard I see him has the most intelligent player on the pitch. What I might call a "reactive playmaker". Basically his role changes depending on who in our team has the ball. I want him making decisions based on what the other players in the team are doing. Protecting and keeping it simple for those around him. Or exploiting the spaces created by those ahead of him.

Talking of ahead of him. We have two midfielders further forward. The left most of the pair is the shadow striker. He's instructed to roam from his position and, possibly strangely for a striker. He is also told to get wider. Basically because he's got the whole left hand third of the pitch to himself. As the defensive winger isn't going to be coming into that space. I want him, as his moniker suggests. Vanish. For defenders to have no idea where he is or where he is supposed to be. Until he pops up and puts the ball in the net. Finally I've told him to shoot more often. Maybe to slightly curb the get wide instruction. As I don't want him playing as a winger and not threatening the goal.

His advanced midfield partner is the most creative player on the team. Our advanced playmaker. The reason I don't want our central midfield player to be a playmaker. I want this guy to be dictating the play. Pulling the strings and unlocking the defense. He's been told to shoot less. If there was a don't shoot at all instruction I'd give him that one. He's an artist with the ball at his feet. I want him painting on the canvas. Not flinging paint brushes into the stands. He too is instructed to roam from position and where possible get wider. In one regard having both advanced midfielders roaming creates space for our reactive midfielder to come into. But also, I hope it allows our advanced playmaker to identify the weak link in the opposition defense and position himself accordingly to exploit it.

Finally we have our sole striker. The spear point of both our attack and our press. He's basically to bully the center backs out of possession. In possession his job is to shoot. I want him dribbling less. Shooting more. I'm not interested in him holding the ball up or playing in others. That's not his job. If he gets the ball then its because the winger or advanced playmaker have decided he is in the best position to score. If he doesn't get the ball it means he's pulled defenders out of position and either the shadow striker or reactive midfielder are in a position to profit from his movement. 

All sounds wonderful in theory. Just waiting on enough data to makes its way through to my team of analysts in the data hub it see whether it works in practice.

[Mandy42]

Further into August and we open up our premier league account. Southampton away. Since time immemorial, or at least 1992. Premier league referees have been laying down the letter of the law in the opening months of the season. By Christmas they are being lambasted for being too strict and ruining games with a heavy handed presence. Fast forward a month or two more. You will see fans and pundits alike laying into refs for being inconsistent. Usually after they have relaxed slightly due to the pre Christmas abuse.

That early season refereeing might be why James Ward Prowse was dismissed with a straight red card on 28 minutes. However it could also be something to do with the fact that his two footed challenge looked like an audition for a Bruce Lee movie. Romelu Lukaku added insult to the dismissal by scoring with a header from the resulting free kick. A second header from Andreas Christensen only three minutes later all but sealed The Saints fate. I reduced the tempo and rotated in some less than match fit players in the second period. Hench why the lack of much creativity from open play doesn't bother me. At least for now.

Three days later and we play Watford. The same Watford who saw off Spurs 1-0 on opening day. This looks like a rearranged fixture from December in order for us to be able to go play in the World club championship. As we are the only two teams down to play. In our first outing at Stamford Bridge we are much more lively. A first half brace from Timo Werner helps us on our way to a 4-0 first half lead. While we capitulate slightly in the second period the result is never in doubt. Werner's hat trick in the dying minutes of the second half sees us run out 5-2 winners. We go top of the table due to the fact we are the only team who has had the opportunity to accrue six points. By the way. Watford also had a player sent off. This time in the second half for two yellow cards.

A whole two days later we face Crystal Palace at home. With Liverpool at Anfield only three days later I fielded a once again rotated and much weaker side. Palace made us pay in the first six minutes of the game. Jordan Ayew finishing first time at the back post. From a left wing cross that both Andreas Christensen and Trevoh Chalobah failed to clear with their head.

After an angry tirade from the touchline we looked much improved. We restored parity just before the half hour in a move that went a long way to lift the spirits which had been dampened by the torrential rain. 12 consecutive passes saw Marco Asensio finish off a lovely team move with a sweeping finish from around the penalty spot. Tactically it looked pretty much like I wanted it to. With Mason Mount running wide with the ball to the left flank in order to make use of the space out there. Jorginho providing support as the reactive midfielder. Asensio having the intelligence to identify the space Mount had vacated. And use that space to score. 

I had intended to wait until the end of August and the closing of the transfer window in order to unveil all the signings together. However Marco had the audacity to go and ruin that by scoring!

Into the second half and we looked the much better team. However it took a Marc Guehi deflection to see us take the lead. The former blue. Starting his first game for his new club. Attempted to block a Trevoh Chalobah drive from a half cleared corner. From my angle it looked as though Chalobah's effort was on target anyway. So maybe the dubious goals panel will overturn it.

 A Romelu Lukaku placed finish from a through ball completed our comeback. He came on in the last 10 minutes for a flagging Werner. Our victory was in no small part aided by yet another red card. Palace captain Luka Milivojevic getting an early bath for lunging out in a tackle through pure frustration once we were 2-1 ahead.

So to Anfield and the first time all season I bowed to my backroom staff. I moved to a 5-3-2 formation, changed to a cautious mentality and wanted to basically keep the ball away from Liverpool in an effort to frustrate them and tire them out. In the first half we managed just that. We had over 80% of the possession and the home team were restricted to very limited chances. In fact we fashioned the most clear cut chance of the game. Romelu Lukaku blazing a header over the bar from a corner in the last few minutes of the first half.

I started making mistakes in the second half. Buoyed by our ability to stifle Liverpool in the first period. I got greedy and went looking for more as the second half wound on. With a change to a more positive mentality we still kept around 70% of the ball. But the quality of the Liverpool chances began to improve. On 65 minutes Sadio Mane finally broke the deficit. Slotting home an inch perfect through ball, beyond Edouard Mendy's near post. I continued to increase our attacking intent as I tried salvage something from the game. By 10 minutes to go we had transformed into a 4-3-3. Both Lukaku and Werner had chances. The former forcing a strong one handed save from Alisson. While the later unfortunately blazed his over the bar.

In the end I think we played Liverpool too soon. If I had more time and confidence in our frustrating defensive tactic. Then I might have stuck with it for the whole 90. But we live and learn. Nine points from a possible 12 isn't the worst return and it sees us sit third in the league at this early stage.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Mandy42

[Mandy42]

If I thought that going from August to September would somehow make all our problems go away. I was grossly mistaken. After the injury lottery that is the international break. We would play Man Utd at home in the league. Before Barcelona away in the Champions league just three days later. I've no clue who else we play in September, as I've not been able to get my head past going to the Nou Camp.

On a positive note. The ending of August saw the closing of the transfer window and the end of speculation as to who was going to stay and who was  going to go. Now just to get our head down and get some games played.

Its strange how different players are effected by football. Romelu Lukaku played both of Belgium's internationals. Scoring three goals in two games. He came back fit as a fiddle and raring to go. Andreas Christensen played one of Denmark's matches and came back knackered.

Meaning I had the choice between a tired Andreas and a fully fit Trevor Chalobah as my third defender. With Thiago Silva injured my back line didn't look as solid as I might like. Not when faced with the company of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho for 90 minutes.

A comfort to me, though not my backroom staff or some of the players. Was the fact we were at home. Call me old fashioned but I am of the opinion that being the home team comes with a responsibility to drive the impetus of the game. So I had no qualms with sticking with our more open, attacking 3-4-3 formation. The rest of the dressing room seemed worried it would leave us exposed at the back. Now I don't want to play like Kevin Keagan's Newcastle. But I'll stand by being ok with a bit of a swashbuckling mentality.

In terms of keeping the ball we were just as good as against Liverpool. Averaging high 60 to low 70% all the way through the match. Unlike the game at Anfield. We actually looked like we were going to do something with it. 

Most pleasing were the combinations between the players. Lukaku and Mount seemed to be playing their own private game at times. The former coming away from the Man Utd back line to collect the ball. To then feed Mount going past him and in behind. This pattern started in the opening 10 minutes. Forcing De Gea to make a finger tip save down to his right to stop Mount from opening the scoring. As the combination continued to bare fruit. Mount once more through on goal. But forced wide by a defender. Smartly cutting the ball back into the area for Romelu Lukaku to finish high and hard into the middle of the net.

Another good combination saw Marco Asensio finding pockets of space in the right channel. Enabling him to feed the ball to an overlapping Callum Hudson-Odoi. This not only had the benefit of keeping the Man Utd left back. Luke Shaw. Honest. But provided a great out ball and dangerous service into the opposition box.

After one such ball down the wing. Hudson-Odoi was left prone on the ground from a late challenge from Shaw. The result was just a free kick. One which Mount stood over menacingly. Looking to whip the ball in dangerously. Trevor Chalobah was the most prominent runner towards the near post. David De Gea was caught between whether to come or not. Wary of the run across him by our players. Mason Mount's ball missed everybody and nestled in the bottom corner of the net at the far post.

At half time I praised the players for keeping so much of the ball and in doing so reducing Man Utd to little more than scraps off the table. We continued in the same manner over the second period. I was continually impressed at the maturity of Trevor Chalobah's game. He had Ronaldo in his pocket for the full 90 minutes. Mainly by being in the right position to cut out service to the Man Utd front man. Rather than taking him on directly.

We secured the three points and moved to second in the league. Equal in points with Liverpool. Though they had a game in hand over us.

 

[Mandy42]

So to Spain. Heading into the game, much was made, by our backroom staff at least. That we were the better team. Ansu Fati on their right wing and Memphis Depay up front seemed to be the only players they deemed worthy to mention. The media and pundits put us down as only 'slight' underdogs.

But I wasn't going to be swayed. I can cope with drawing away games and winning home games. Doubly so against bigger teams. If you'd offered me a draw before kickoff I'd of not thought twice about it. 

I set the side up accordingly. Cautious and looking to counter. With five at the back, two sat just in front of them. Then the final three in advanced positions to give us at least the premise of some cutting edge. 

At times I thought I was being over cautious. But it wasn't the opposition, environment or venue that overly concerned me. More the schedule in general. I had Thiago Silva still injured for at least a month. Pulisic had pulled up in a reserve game, after trying to get some minutes to be match fit. He was out for a good fortnight or more. On top of those two. I had a list the length of my arm. Of players who were at a high risk of injury. The majority of the first team had played at least four games in the last fortnight. If not more. 

Which is why for the first 30 minutes against Barcelona. I was very, very uncomfortable. Its one thing to look to frustrate the opposition. Another entirely to give up territory and possession in the hope they will leave themselves exposed at the back. To trust that your team is good enough defensively to weather the long periods of the game where your under the gun.

It took even more restraint to refrain from abandoning the plan and pushing for more. When we did start to come out on top and create chances. Our first foray into their half with the ball came in the 32nd minute. And Kai Havertz hit the bar. Their keeper floundering. A few minutes later and they hadn't learned their lesson. A carbon copy of the previous move saw Havertz with the space to shoot again. Unfortunately this time he blazed clean over the bar. 

That seemed to make them sit up and pay attention however. They calmed down and looked to ensure they weren't as exposed. Meaning the game meandered towards halftime with little to no change. Until, in first half injury time. A deliciously inviting cross from the left. Saw Ansu Fati meet it first time with his head. Mendy couldn't make up the ground fast enough and we found ourselves 1-0 down just before the halftime whistle.

Just like against Liverpool. One moment of quality saw us undone. I was annoyed in the dressing room at halftime. And I let the players know it. Not happy with what I had seen out there. That was true of the last few seconds of the half maybe, but in general I'd been content with how things were going. 

Second half went much the way of the first. We knuckled down and kept them at arms length. Unfortunately fatigue was becoming an issue. More so for us than for them it seemed. I brought on Kovacic and Ziyech in advanced positions. Much like in the first half. As the half wore on and it became clear we were unlikely to break. Barcelona began to get frustrated and we created a few chances. We hit the bar again. And only a last minute diving lunge from Gerard Pique. Denied Romelu Lukaku, after he had rounded the keeper and looked certain to score. If he'd been fresh I think he would have put it away. But to be fair to him he looked exhausted. And I swapped him out for Timo Werner, after the resulting corner. The match ground down to the final minutes and it seemed that both teams had worked the other to a standstill. 

Four minutes of stoppage time were indicated. And with 20 seconds left in the added period we had a free kick. Kovacic delivered the ball from the right channel. The ball came down just beyond the back post. It looked long, most of the Barcelona defenders had given it up as a bad ball. While the other few had their hands up for offside. Timo Werner half jumping, half stretching managed to get his left foot to it on the volley and steer it into the top corner. The linesman kept his flag down, ignoring the Barcelona players protests. As he knew the goal would be VAR reviewed anyway.

After an agonizing wait. The goal stands. The replay shows Werner is level and his lunging touch has rescued us a point with what could be the last kick of the game. It isn't actually the last kick of the game. They get a free kick of their own in a dangerous position. But only manage to head it straight into the waiting hands of Mendy    

Wolfsburg beat Ajax 2-1 in the other group game. Which means we sit second after match one. With at least what I believe to be the hardest game of the group out of the way.  

[Mandy42]

Federico was waiting for me outside my office when I came back from a coffee stop. By the way he was rocking from foot to foot, holding his laptop almost like a shield in front of him. He looked nervous. Interesting how people whose job it is to analyse and provide reports on others, aren't necessarily the best when it comes to people. That is probably a sweeping generalization. But it helped me shield myself from the fact that I was probably the reason he was uncomfortable.

Because while Federico Bettuzzi was our head data analyst. I was still his boss. Being summoned to their office to explain your work was never likely to be high on an individuals to do list on any given day.

We smiled, exchanged a few generic formalities concerning each others health and mood. As we navigated the threshold of my office and I led him to the coffee table and corner sofa. As much as deep down, I felt I was right and he wasn't. This was an informal meeting, so I wanted to stay away from the desk and its head to head confrontational nature. Sitting side by side looking at the laptop together was much more the atmosphere I wished to create.

I offered him the second coffee cup that he'd only really acknowledged I'd been carrying once I gave it to him. I think he took the first taste just to be polite. But the pleasantly surprised expression on his face when he realized it was his favorite salted caramel latte definitely seemed to improve things. 

"You know why I asked you here?" I ventured.

"You want to go over the analysis from the Brentford game?" 

"That's right, while I will admit I don't agree with it. I didn't ask you here to lay into you work. But more over I was hoping you could explain it to me so I could get a better understanding of it. Which will enable me to use it more effectively for the betterment of the club." He nodded, waking up the laptop.

"Where would you like to start?"

"Can you get the match highlights up on the left of the screen, and the analysis program up on the right?" He nodded, his fingers flying over the keyboard and mouse until moments later we were ready to go.

"In your report you said that we struggled in the first half, specifically that we didn't have the momentum with us. While I understand that going in at 1-1 at halftime was frustrating. And that them scoring just before half time could be considered a shift in momentum. I took it from the graphs you created that you felt Brentford had more momentum the whole first half?"

"That's correct yes."

"You see I don't understand that." I manipulated the highlights to express my point. "We had the ball in the net twice in the first 10 minutes but were ruled out for offside. Timo had  two 1 v 1 chances with the goalkeeper which he put wide of the target. Then  the third one he scored to give us the lead. By comparison, yes Brentford had a few attempts at goal, but the majority were headers from outside of the box that our goalkeeper caught under no challenge."

"Brentford had less of the ball than we did, and they were rather direct in the way they approached their play. Meaning that per percentage point of possession. They had the ball in more dangerous areas than we did more often. As you say they had a higher percentage of their chances on target. Probably due to the nature of their chances as you described, but also that they had fewer chances than we did. Plus there is likely to be some form of performance bias in your interpretation of the play."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You train these players to play a certain way. When you see that take shape on the pitch, regardless of the outcome of the passage of play. You are encouraged by seeing what you've been working on in training. Which is understandable, creating no chances in a game would be a cause for concern. However just because the team have moments where they play the way you want them to. Doesn't automatically mean its good football." He paused to see if I was following, and that I wasn't getting annoyed by his comments. In truth I wasn't he was spot on in his assessment. "Plus you have faith in your players," He continued. " You have to, or you wouldn't pick them. Which means when Timo misses those first two chances, your thinking at worst that it just isn't his day. At best he will score the next one he is presented with. But statistically, that's irrelevant. Maybe when we are further into the season and we have more data to indicate percentile conversion rates for players base on their performance to date. Then the model might be more accurate. But only seven games into a season, creating chances on its own doesn't default to meaning control of the game."

He was right, data wasn't biased. My interpretation of it was likely affected by a myriad of factors. Most promiment among them was the fact we won the game 3-1, with a further 3 goals ruled out correctly for offside. Would I have disagreed with his findings if we had drawn or lost the game? Probably not. 

With that thought in my head I drew the meeting to a close. I had the carabao cup third round tie to prepare for. Usually it would have been no hassle at all to pick players needing a fitness boost, maybe give an occasion to some of the U23 of U18 players. However, when you draw bitter rivals Spurs. Then suddenly all notions of the competition not being important go out of the window. Which was a shame, as the squad desperately could have done with some rotation.

 

[Mandy42]

So its the end of the season. And I have to admit. I'm pretty disappointed. 

Hang on a minute. The last time I wrote here it was September and we were at the Camp Nou.

Yeah I skipped ahead a couple of chapters. 

Why the disappointment?

Well when you win five trophies and deliver on the boards vision a couple of years in advance. You'd expect them to be a bit more overjoyed. Their lack of support has me worried about what lies ahead going into next season.

In what way?

Other clubs are laying down big money. And we spent our big money at the beginning of last season. Plus there are some big names leaving. Which leave gaps in the squad. We have loan players coming back. But I'm flush in some areas and bare in others

Like where?

I'll get to that. But my key concern is midfield. Kante isn't getting any younger and replacing him when he eventually goes is always going to be a period of transition. But its who plays alongside him. Jorginho is no spring chicken. And with the likes of Billy Gilmour and Connor Gallagher lighting it up on loan. It feels like a decent time to switch. Plus our Italian playmaker is still worth a pretty penny after being a European champion only last year. 

Sounds like you have a plan

I do. I just feel like I deserve more credit. More leeway to implement it. FIVE trophies for crying out loud. That should buy me a season to make some adjustments so we can just as competitive long term. But I don't think it will. If I ship out the older players and it goes wrong. I reckon I'll be going with them.

Can we go back a few chapters? So we can be on the same page. Five trophies?

Yeah well the European super cup was my first game in charge and we won. That's trophy number one. 

Lets take a look at the rest.

 

[Mandy42]

Carabao Cup. Third Round.

Its usually a throw away competition. Unless you happen to be Man City. I'm not sure even their board make a point of it being a priority. Our board certainly don't see it as even on the list of priorities. Though perhaps that is the secret. Perhaps its all a manipulation. They don't see it as a important, so we win it anyway, to appease our masters. Provide them with extra in order to secure our employment a bit longer.

It could be that simply. Or it could be that we got drawn against arch enemy Tottenham in my first game in the competition. That tends to change the tone. 

We took the lead on 23 minutes. A hopeful ball over the top and somehow Mason Mount out muscled one of their centre backs and found himself 1v1 with the keeper. 

We didn't go on and take control of the game however. In fact, we got pretty lucky. On another day we could have shipped three or four. But Heung-Min Son was having a bad day at the office. Every time the ball would come over to the far post he'd put it wide or over the bar. We looked like we'd get through 1-0. But in the final minute of the game. Steven Bergwijn went down in the area like Mateo Kovacic had shot him. Harry Kane dispatched the penalty right on 90 minutes.

Which meant only two minutes later. The same exact scene was being played out. Kane standing by the penalty spot. Mendy in goal. This time the spot kick was saved. But we weren't out of the woods yet. Timo Werner hadn't looked confident when I'd put his name down on our takers list. And his effort was also saved.

Sergio Reguilon and Emerson Royal scored for Spurs. Kovacic and Kai Havertz scored for us.

Son continued his torrid evening by having his penalty saved. Kante scored his to give us the advantage.

Alfie Devine scored for Spurs, meaning Ruben Loftus-Cheek could send us through if he scored. But, he didn't. They were back in the tie and we were going to sudden death.

Cristian Romero missed. Marcus Alonso scored. And we went through!

 

 

 

 

[Mandy42]

Fourth round draw in the Carabao cup saw us at home against Crystal Palace. Looking back at the line up I'm not sure why I played such a strong team. But then I remember that October was basically whoever wasn't injured was likely on the pitch.

Which might be why we were ahead after just five minutes. We've already had the ball in their box a few times. But haven't been able to connect. This time Callum Hudson-Odoi gets to the by-line and drills the ball along the floor. It looks like its going out. Which is probably why the Palace keeper doesn't react. Its unclear from my angle in the dugout whether he responds at the last moment and pushes the ball onto the post. Or it simply strikes the post anyway. But it slams into the upright before richocheting out into the six yard box for Romelu Lukaku to tap into the opposite corner.

Its always frustrating to surrender a lead. However, both due to our slightly fortuitous first goal. And the nature of Luka Milivojevic's screamer on 20 minutes. I can't really complain. From a throw in opposite our box on the left. They work it to Milivojevic in a pocket of space on the edge of the box. He takes one touch. Then hits it with his right foot. Straight into the far top corner!

Luckily for the players. It doesn't take us long to respond to me prowling the touchline and getting annoyed at us conceding. From a throw in of our own seven minutes later. We pass the ball around until Kovacic gets into the right hand corner of the box. Schlupp makes a challenge and goes down awkwardly. Kovacic manages to keep control of the ball. He plays it to Lukaku on the penalty spot. Who, with his back to goal, rolls it into the path of Marco Asensio. A deft flick of his right foot sees the ball nestle in the bottom left corner. The Palace keeper. Unsighted by Lukaku and the defenders sheparding him away from goal. Is rooted to the spot.

After the break we are much better, and take control of the game. Possibly our best goal of the tie comes from a corner on 53 minutes. The initial ball is cleared. But we recycle possession and give it back to Marco Asensio, the initial corner taker. He plays a deft chip into the box. It lands perfectly in a pocket of space near the penalty spot. Or it would, if Callum Hudson-Odoi doesn't cushion it past the onrushing keeper on the volley.

We get a fourth in stoppage time at the end of the game. Palace are tired. Its another throw in. Taken short, close to the corner flag on the right. Its simply cushioned back to the taker. Who crosses it to the far post. Kai Havertz meets the ball and heads it in off the back post. 4-1. Comfortably through to the next round.

With the potential of facing one of the following: Brighton, Leeds, Leicester, Millwall, Newcastle, Norwich or Wolves. 

With the greatest respect to those teams. We have an excellent chance of winning the competition

 

   

 

[Mandy42]

Not sure how much of a Christmas present Leeds at home in the carabao cup is on the 21st of December. Especially as just three days earlier we were playing in Japan as part of the FIFA Club world cup.

Our jet lag showed as Leeds took the lead only four minutes into the tie. Similar to the Crystal Palace goal. A throw in opposite our box allowed them to work the ball into space just outside it. Rodrigo took a touch and hit a low left footed strike. It curled late and found its way in to the bottom right hand corner.

Still inside the first 10 minutes. And we managed to get down the left. Put the ball in the box. Timo Werner managed to drag two defenders to the near post. So when he turned them in the box I expected him to pull the trigger. But he slid a lateral ball to Mason Mount. He had all the right hand side of the goal to aim for. But fooled the keeper by placing it back towards the left. The goalie couldn't get down in time and the ball trickled under him. But it struck the foot of the post and bounced harmlessly wide!

And that  was it or the first half. Safe to say I was less than happy at halftime. I refrained from abusing any water bottles. But I did tell the players they were a disappointment. Also told them there would be no chance of a Prime or Netflix series if they didn't book their ideas up!

Well.

 It was as simple as a near post Mason Mount corner. Christian Pulisic flicked the ball on and Timo Werner headed down beyond the back post to put the ball in the net. Four minutes of the second half played. And we were level.

Leeds weren't done though. Rodrigo flashed the ball wide of the post after a nice dink over our defence found him in the left channel.

But we were definitely seeing more of the ball. And just five minutes later we were ahead. Leeds seemed to have been struggling with balls into the box all day. And when Mason Mount got down the right to the by-line and whipped the ball in. Timo Werner ducked ahead of the keeper and defender at the near post. Not sure whether it was his chest or his head. But he diverted the flight of the ball past the stricken keeper and doubled his tally. Putting us ahead.

Leeds were frustrated and struggling to find a way back into the match. Which is probably why Stuart Dallas lunged in as Pulisic backed him into the box. Clear penalty. On a hat trick it was no doubt that Werner was going to take it. Placed beyond the keeper in the bottom right corner to make it 3-1

The final nail in the coffin was placed just a minute later. From the kick off. Leeds went long down the left looking to catch us off guard after just scoring. But we recycled the ball back to Mendy. Who delivered it forward along the ground to our defenders. Through midfield to Mount. Back to Silva in defence. Who then played a long ball of his own down our left for Pulisic to chase on to. 

The American winger carried the ball to the by-line before pausing and waiting for support to arrive. Mount had ghosted into the box between its edge and the penalty spot. Pulisic delivered the ball and Mount struck a picture perfect thunderous full volley into the roof of the net. 

4-1 on 70 minutes. Just six minutes after we had first taken the lead. And only a minute since the penalty went in.

Carbao cup semi finals are played over two legs. I have the potential of playing Newcastle, Norwich or Wolves.

[Mandy42]

Now on the other hand. 19th place Newcastle over two legs in the semi final does sound like a Christmas present. Or rather the mother of all January sale bargains. 

I am intent not to make the same mistake we made against Leeds. I want this game over without a glimmer of hope for the visitors. We've hit the bar and had the ball cleared off the line in the first five minutes. But its not until a throw in during the 6th minute that we strike. Throw down to the by-line for Mount, he returns the ball to the taker. Cezar whips in a cross, deep , beyond the back post. The keeper is caught under the ball and Timo Werner jumps higher than the defender to prod it into the unprotected net.

Its from a similar throw in and cross some six minutes later. That Thiago Silva is bundled over in the box for a penalty. Saul steps up and dispatches it. Straight down the middle, after making the keeper blink first and dive to his right.

Saul doubles his tally on the half hour mark. A simple Asensio corner and Saul is somehow towering above everyone. Like a flung player at a rugby union line out. From the six yard line his header is like a bullet. Straight through the keeper and into the net. 

3-0 at halftime. Hope successfully extinguished. We take our foot off in the second half. Slow the pace down. Keep the ball. 

With just over 10 minutes to play. The crowd cheering every touch of the ball. We string together a 16 pass move which sees Kovacic slide an inch perfect through ball past five Newcastle players for Kai Havertz to round the keeper and score. Only after Timo Werner's run created the space for the German shadow striker to ghost into. Absolutely sublime play! 

I might still be riding high off the performance and specifically that goal as I'm questioned during the press conference at the end of the game.

Job done! I indicate emphatically. I can play our U18 team at St James Park and still get into the final! 

[Mandy42]

 The St James Park leg was on the 11th of January. I started Ronnie Sutter up front. A 17 year old youth prospect who had the potential to one day be a decent squad player. And Ruben Loftus - Cheek behind him as a shadow striker. Only because nobody had come in and bought him yet. He wanted to leave, I wanted to sell. But nobody wanted to pay. Other than that the rest of the team were a mix of first and second XI players. I did send them out with the mentality of being defensive. Sit behind the ball. Keep possession. Basically knock it around for 90 minutes without any real effort and come home.

Playing such a way we have two thirds of the ball. But we don't create a lot with it. On the half hour mark. A throw in on the right in their half is thrown long down the touch line. The ball is whipped in first time. Deep beyond the back post. Werner looses out and the ball is cleared. But only to Sarr on the left wing. He holds the ball up. Gives it in field to Saul. Before making a run behind his defender. Saul chips it in behind and Sarr gets to the ball just before it goes out of play. He has to control it. Allowing the defender to get back and put him under pressure. But Sarr manages to play it into the box along the ground. Werner has come short into a pocket of space in the box.

He has time to turn. The defence readies for him to shoot. But he chips the ball up towards the back post. Loftus - Cheek rises and gets a glancing header on it in the centre of the goal from the six yard line. It drops in the back corner of the net and we have an away goal for really not much effort. 5-0 on aggregate.

The first half runs its course with no further drama and I'm pretty content with the situation. No real fatigue. No problems. Lets have the same 45 minutes and get into our first final at a canter.

Newcastle have been trying to feed Jacob Murphy down their right all game. Most of the time Sarr has managed to cut out the ball before it reaches him. On the hour he does so again. But this time his header is misplaced back to a Newcastle defender. Stuck between closing down the player with the ball, and staying with Murphy. He manages neither. And for the first time the Newcastle wingback gets in behind down the right. He puts a teasing ball into the penalty area which Dwight Gayle meets with a precision header into the bottom right corner. Gayle is in the net getting the ball back and running back to the halfway line. I like the spirit. But I'm pretty sure the mountain is still too high for them to climb. 

1-1 on the night. 5-1 on aggregate.

They do give it a good go though. Invigorated by a reawakened crowd they managed to put us under some pressure. But 10 minutes later with no further product to show for it. They begin to waver. They get a corner on the right with about 10 minutes to play. And Murphy trudges over as if he is going through the motions. The drive seems to have gone. The corner is an out swinger with some serious whip. It misses everyone. But Newcastle recycle it beyond the back post and we are forced to put it out for another corner. The crowd get rowdy again. But its a token effort compared to the reaction after they had just scored. 

Murphy comes over to take this one as well. In swinging. Jamaal Lascelles gets a run on his defender at the near post. He connects with the ball just outside the six yard area. His downward directed header beats the outstretched diving arms of Mendy and nestles in the net. 

2-1 on the night. 5-2 on aggregate. 11 minutes plus stoppage time to play.

For once we don't do a very good job of keeping the ball from the restart. But then for the first time in the game. Newcastle have all of their outfield players in our half. When we are pressed into clearing it long. Dubravka comes and collects it just outside the centre circle and plays it to one of their defenders in our half. They once more work the ball down the right. Murphy is right on the touch line. He gives it in field to Hendricks. Next thing I know the ball is in our net. All game they have gone down the right. This time its a simple lift over the top from Hendricks. For Isaac Hayden to tap into the net. Gayle made a run to the right across our defence. Every pair of eyes on our team are looking out towards their right wing where they expect the ball to have gone to Murphy. 

Even Mendy. Who came for the ball was half watching the flank. Probably why he missed the ball in flight allowing Hayden the simplest of tap ins.

3-1 on the night. 5-3 on aggregate. Two minutes since the last goal went in. Nine minutes plus stoppage time to play.

If I thought I had experienced noise at any point before during that game. I was mistaken. The Newcastle fans were trying to force the ball into our net by sheer volume. They still needed three goals to get to the final. But they had just scored two in two minutes. For the first time possibly in the whole of the two legs. They had hope and belief. 

They hit the bar twice and had an effort cleared off the line. In what was probably the most unnerving 10 or so minutes of my managerial career to date. But we held firm and booked our spot at Wembley. 

I was expecting some backlash from either the board or the fans. But true to their word. The board seemed to honesty not care about this competition. And the fans were happy we were going to a final.  

 

[Mandy42]

Wolves against Norwich was the other semi final.

Wolves had won the first leg 3-1 at home. A Hwang Hee - Chan hat trick. With a penalty from our on loan Billy Gilmour. Giving the canaries a life line away goal.

Back at Carrow road and a 20 minute surge saw the home side take the advantage. Goals from Christos Tzolis and Adam Idah made it 3-3 on aggregate. With Wolves unable to find a way through. Romano Schmid finally put the home fans out of their misery and provided some breathing room in the 87 minutes. 3-1 on the night. 4-3 on aggregate.

In the build up to the final at the end of February. One of my backroom staff brought me an analysis folder stating that 

"We should win this at a canter. They are well below us in the league, and their recent form is much worse than ours as well."

Well. I can't say I was happy about that. League form is no indication of cup football. Plus the selection headaches I had due to injury weren't going to help. With the club world cup in December. Then champions league knockout football starting again. My squad is stretched thinner than my backup pair of weekend tights!

Why we are playing a 4-3-3 formation. With three strikers on the pitch. And a triangle of central midfield players. Because I've got no wide players fit enough to lift a fiddle.

So when we go a goal down after seven minutes. I'm ready to find that data analyst and slap him upside the head with his own folder!

Milot Rashica is hanging on the shoulder of our last defender as we push out in a line to outside our penalty box. He drifts into a pocket of space between Chilwell and Christensen. Santiago Caseres just lifts the ball up and over into the space inside our box. Rashica is onto it. He lines up to go for the near post. Mendy takes the sell and goes down just as the Norwich winger swings it into the opposite bottom corner. Our defenders are still looking at each other with their hands in the air for offside. The goal is reviewed by VAR and correctly given.

What is more. They look completely comfortable. It takes until the half hour mark before we get even a sniff. An in swinging corner from the right comes to the back post. Lukaku's headed effort hits the bar and bounces down the wrong side of the line. For the Norwich goalkeeper to collapse on.

But then we get a life line. 31 minutes and a rifle of a cross from Chilwell on the left wing. There is a tussle at the far post and Julian Alvarez is tasting the Wembley turf. Brandon Williams, their left back. On loan from Man Utd. Is protesting his innocence. But VAR clearly shows his arm hooked around Alvarez making it impossible for him to get anywhere near the ball. Penalty

Lukaku steps up and buries it to make it 1-1

Norwich are suddenly reeling. They put the ball out of play far too easily from the restart. Kante and Jorginho have the ball for us in our own half under no pressure. Our Italian playmaker has all the time in the world to put a long ball down the left flank straight onto Timo Werner's boot laces. He turns his back on goal and plays it to Kai Havertz. His first time left footed ball into the box looks too long for Lukaku. The Norwich defence look content to see it bounce in the box and loop harmlessly out of play. But they haven't spotted Alvarez. Ghosting in on the back shoulder of Williams. The ball bounces all right. Off Alvarez's right instep as he cushions it on the volley into the net. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up in under two minutes.

In at the half and I tell the lads not to get complacent. They need to know they are in a game. And treat this final with the respect it deserves.

Norwich are rejuvenated in the second half. They look more than capable of finding a way back into the tie. 

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Milot Rashica makes almost an identical run. And puts the ball in our net a second time. He has the ball on the right edge of our box and is safely marked. He plays the ball back. Drifts onto the shoulder of Ben Chilwell. He makes the run, but moves into an offside position and the ball doesn't come. He repositions. Angles his run slightly shallower and tries again. This time the ball is lifted into the space. Mendy comes out to get the ball. But Rashica gets there first. Gets an angle on our keeper to poke the ball past him. And draws the game level at 2-2.

LIVID!

10 minutes goes by without much action at all. I demand a lift from the players. Up the tempo. We get the ball out on the right with Reece James. He plays it long down the right for Alvarez to chase. He's into the box. Lukaku drifts towards the back post. But our Argentinian striker pulls the ball back. Werner had snuck from the left of the area into the middle of the box. Using Lukaku's move to make himself some space. He hits it hard and low. But Tim Krul in the Norwich goal manages to get down and paw it round the post for a corner.

Fool me twice shame on you. Fool me three times and you best sack me. Norwich go looking for the same Rashica run a third time. But its a lazy ball which doesn't look like it will get there and Christensen heads it away. Havertz wins the 50/50 ball halfway inside our half and quickly lumps it down the left wing for Werner to run onto. Suddenly we are on the break. Werner gets held up on the left touchline and reverses his direction. He gives the ball back to Havertz who is now halfway inside the Norwich half. He proceeds to lump a cross field ball into space on the right wing for Alvarez to chase. One touch from our striker and then a right footed cross into the box. Lukaku, two Norwich defenders and Krul are up for the ball. Lukaku gets his head too it. But another strong hand from the Dutch keeper diverts it away from goal. But only as far as Werner steaming in at the back post to poke it home.

3-2! with 15 minutes left to play.

After that we show at least a modicum of professionalism and close out the match by keeping the ball. 

So that is the Carabao cup.  Trophy number two (after the European super cup).

Any preferences on which trophy we talk about next?

  

 

[Mandy42]

We will move from one domestic cup competition to another. The FA cup.

Unlike the Carabao. The board consider the oldest cup competition in the world to be one worthy of our efforts. They demand we reach the final. Nothing else is acceptable. Great.

Luckily. Maybe. Our first tie is at home against Championship side Blackburn. I say maybe. Because Blackburn will want to get a result. While we are expected to get a result. Big difference.

Definitely luckily though. We get the perfect start with a goal in the first minute of play! 

Ben Chilwell, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic make a lovely triangle of passes which springs the American winger down the left. He gets to the by - line. Turns back and looks to deliver the ball. It bounces off a Blackburn defender and runs free. Pulisic is first to the errant ball and delivers another cross. This one is to the back post where Callum Hudson-Odoi has the run on their left back. He gets up first and he gets up high. The header powers into the back of the net. Which I'm elated and surprised at. As heading is definitely not his forte.

Blackburn don't give up. They stick to their game plan which seems to be keep the ball. And not be afraid to go back to then go long. A few times they come within an inch of connecting with the long ball from their keeper or central defender. For it to just skip on off the turf and into the arms of our keeper. Its a low percentage ball. But it doesn't risk them becoming over exposed. And they have plenty of time left in the game. On the 30th minute they finally connect with one. Mendy comes for it. But the Blackburn striker makes it first. He tries a deft chip which bounces right on the apex of the bar before crawling over for a goal kick. They are getting closer.

Which is why its perfect that we take a firmer control of the game just eight minutes later. A lovely passage of play which sees us striding down the left. Only to work the ball across the middle of the pitch and out to the right. Has Reece James thread a neat ball right to the by - line for Hudson-Odoi to chase. He drills it across goal with venom. Its too hot for the Blackburn keeper to hold and Romelu Lukaku is poised in the box to pounce on the ricochet and double our advantage.

This time Blackburn really are at sixes and sevens. We see all of the ball in the run up to the end of the half. With only a few minutes left we spring Pulisic again. In behind their defence. He tries find Lukaku with the ball in the box. But a comedy of errors sees it deflect off a defender, their goalkeeper and then the post. It ends up back at Pulisic's feet. This time he navigates the strewn bodies of the Blackburn players and delivers the ball to Lukaku to tap in for his second. Our third.

That's the end of the game. I remove Mount and replace him with Saul. Sit two three defensive midfield players in front of our back four and just strangle any life out of the game. It finishes 3-0 and we move on. 

[Mandy42]

We drew Norwich at home in the fourth round. Again on paper another tie where we would be expected to win. But then Man City probably thought the same when they drew Wolves in the third round. And Wolves beat them 3-2 at the Etihad.

Only three weeks ago we had found out Norwich would be our opponent in the Carabao cup final. That fixture was another three weeks down the line when we played them at Stamford Bridge in the FA cup.

It was a cagey sort of half. We didn't create much. Had a lot of the ball though. Either they were happy to sit there and frustrate us. Or they were showing us too much respect. For all the talent we had on the pitch. It was a simple header from a corner which gave us the lead just two minutes before the break. Nikola Milenkovic. A Serbian central defender I'd made my first transfer target when I joined. He came to us for £39m from Fiorentina. And now is apparently worth triple that. I was rather surprised that this was his first goal for the club. But then in the same instance. I had been considering developing a short corner routine. As we didn't really have much success with delivering the ball into the box from corners.

Second half was much of the same. We showed a little more impetus with the ball when we had it early in the half. Which resulted in us having the ball in their box more often. Only five minutes into the half and there was a tumble in the box. A penalty was awarded. Its probably one of the softer ones we have received all season. But Romelu Lukaku dispatched it all the same. 2-0. The last 30 minutes plus change we just kept the ball and stayed solid at the back. No problems. I was hopeful at that time that the Carabao cup final would be just as simple.

But we all know better don't we.

[Mandy42]

Our relatively easy draw in the competition continues. We have Championship side Sheffield United as our fifth round opponents. Once again we are the home side.

Though I deliberate the strength of the opposition. Against the boards demands for us to reach the final. And the complexities and motivations of knockout football. I eventually decide that our second XI should be good enough to get us a result.

Much like the Norwich game in the previous round. It was a slow burning affair. Nobody really had much to say for themselves in the first half hour. For us Callum Hudson - Odoi came closest on 33 minutes. With a central free kick just outside their box. His effort rasped past the left hand side post. Stealing a scrape of paint as it inched agonizingly wide.

Sheffield Utd were definitely in the mood of this tie. They were making it difficult. In the mix for every loose ball. Or chasing down players and making even good passes look like a loose ball. With about five minutes left in the half. We manage to press the ball back in our half down our left. A few passes later, each of which on another day could have ended up at the foot of an opposition player. Hudson - Odoi is released down the right. He has the freedom of the pitch ahead of him and strides into the space. Head up he delivers the ball into the box. 

It frustratingly looks like an aimless ball in. Which, considering the amount of time and space he had to play it. Is rather poor. Alvarez and Havertz aren't going to get to it. The former is near post and the latter is outside the box. The ball is going to land about level with the penalty spot. Just beyond it, towards the back post. 

Christian Pulisic suddenly appears. Having ghosted in from the left. With an absolute perfect touch. He guides the ball full on the volley. Back the way it has come and into the top right hand corner. Past a stricken, diving keeper. 1-0

Norwich limped into halftime when we scored in that game. But Sheffield Utd want something out of this before the half. They get the ball down the right and win a throw in. Gibbs - White and Baldock play a few interchanges on the corner of our box. Before the latter gains enough space to whip a right footed cross into the box. Freeman is on the inside of Azpilicueta and lashes his right foot at the cross on the volley. It hard and high but so close to goal that it might creep under the bar. Mendy manages to get enough on it to tip it over.

We come out looking to finish the job early. We have the ball in the net just three minutes into the second period. Pulisic comes in off the left. Gives it to Alvarez outside the box. He in turn slips it slightly right to Hudson - Odoi. Our right winger plays a diagonal ball into Pulisic behind their defence. And the American finishes first time on the deck at back left hand corner of the goal. 

But its chalked off for offside. 

It does however seem to work wonders for shattering Sheffield Utd's confidence. They seem more terrified of conceding a second goal than trying to get back into the game.

They begin to try and come out of their shell again with just over 15 minutes left in the game. They've brought on a second striker and are looking to play the ball in through the air. And profit from a knockdown in and around our box. One such ball almost comes off. But Chalobah intercepts it and gives it back to Mendy. His long clearance in turn is headed away by the opposition. But that ball lands with us in midfield. It ends up with Pulisic, who once again has drifted in off the left into a pocket of space. He's been a thorn in the side of the Sheffield Utd defence all game. He runs with the ball. But only enough to draw defenders towards him. Before he plays a through ball for the run of Alvarez. Its a straight ball. But the position, strike and finish into the bottom corner. Are all a carbon copy of our American wingers disallowed effort. This time however the goal stands. 2-0 with just under 10 minutes to play. And that sees us through into the quarter final.

Where we could draw any of the following teams:

Aston Villa, Everton, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool, West Brom or Wolves.

[Mandy42]

We get Villa. Which isn't as good as it could be. But definitely could have been much worse.

This game was March 20th 2022. 

Just two weeks earlier we had played them at Villa Park. A Romelu Lukaku hat trick had seen them off. Despite an attempt to spark a revival in the second half through a Danny Ings goal. They had been willing to play. And that openness had cost them the game. 

Which might be why. When we played them at Stamford Bridge in the FA cup. They were tighter than a bulls ass in fly season. And 100 times more cantankerous. They seemed to be more interested in kicking us up in the air than actually playing the ball. Eight yellow cards! Always think that when a team gets that many cautions. Either they are seriously, seriously lucky to still have a full compliment on the pitch come full time. Or they have a pre planned system of who is going to commit fouls when. In order to cause the maximum amount of disruption without going a man down.

Because that's what they did. Anything they could to slow the pace of the game. Break up our play. Disrupt our flow. 

It was a horrible game!

Our only real moment of quality came straight from the second half kick off. We got the ball and kept them at arms length so they couldn't commit a foul or try some other way to frustrate us. Kante played a ball down the right for Asensio to chase. He gets too it. And tricks the defender. He goes to cross it straight away with his right. But then pulls a sort of modified Cruyff turn so he's facing back towards our goal. Then delivers the cross low with his left foot. Its curling across the box and looks like its threatening the back post if the keeper doesn't react. 

But then Romelu Lukaku stretches for it on the slide. It looks as though he has no choice but to just stub his studs at it and poke it straight at the near post. The keeper is caught in two minds. And in the end doesn't have time to react. Lukaku somehow lets the ball past him before fully extends his leg. Catching the ball and giving it some lift. Changing its trajectory slightly. So it still ends up towards the far post. But flies into the top corner instead of trickling along the floor.

That was Lukaku's 10th goal in four games. Four of those against Villa.

It appeared they didn't have a plan B. Which meant other than fearing for the physical safety of my players. We were safely into the next round as soon as that ball hit the back of the net.

Semi final time and we could play:

Leicester, Liverpool or Wolves.

[Mandy42]

I remember when I was younger. When me and my dad would see the FA cup draw. At least its latter stages. He reckoned you could more or less predict the draw. Coming to the semi finals he said you'd never get two "big" teams drawn together. As they would want there to be the potential for the biggest final draw possible. 

So I figure, when we drew Liverpool in the semi final. I might have to go have a word with my dad. But then I remembered. In those days. Only the final was played at Wembley. Now that the semi finals also take part there. Then the big games can probably be spread out a little more.

With the greatest respect to Leicester or Wolves. I see the overall winner coming from whichever of us wins out of our semi final.

There is certainly no quarter given straight from the whistle. Liverpool kick off and have Divock Origi running with the ball. Kante sticks his foot in and wins the ball twice. First time the Belgian forward manages to rescue possession. The second time it is whisked away and Ben Chilwell clears. 

From the resulting throw in. Liverpool whip the ball into the box. It must have been a premediated plan. As Virgil van Dijk is up in our box. His flick on header glances the top of the bar and goes over. It feels like its going to be a long afternoon!

Frustratingly we don't seem to be able to get out. Mendy is clearing the ball long as he seems worried about the Liverpool press. They are camped in our half. And anytime we do get a clearance out. It seems to be coming straight back. Thiago has been booked for a nibble in trying to get the ball back. But other than that the Liverpool press is working wonders.

Seven minutes played and we really are riding our luck. Mount is the latest player to have the ball pinched off his toes in our half. Van Dijk, Keita and then Henderson move the ball between them rapidly. Henderson lifts an inch perfect ball over our defence and into the box. Origi is in behind, he takes a touch which takes him round our floundering keeper. But Nikola Milenkovic somehow gets round from behind him and hacks the ball away at the last second. Chilwell rescues it from going out of play. We pass the ball around a couple of times and then lo and behold we boot it long. Lukaku gets muscled out of it on the halfway line, and the ball is coming back our way.

It settles down a little. And Liverpool have to be content for the next 10 or so minutes with having shots from outside the box. The home fans are getting a bit restless with how much of the ball our visitors are having.

18 minutes played and Liverpool have a corner. The Chelsea fans are openly booing now. Its whipped in from the left. It is just too high for the near post. Chilwell puts his boot too it before it can bounce right in the centre of the goal. For once Lukaku gets on the end of the cleared ball. He carries it the length of the Liverpool half. Evading a van Dijk challenge. But his cutback is cut out. Liverpool clear. But this time we win the second ball and build from there. Its played between Lukaku and Mount on the edge of the Liverpool box. Before the latter unleashes a low drive which forces Alisson to scamper across his goal and get a strong hand too it. Corner for us.

We put the ball in the box twice. Its cleared both times and suddenly Liverpool are breaking with Salah. He tries a cute lob in behind. But it comes off a retreating Ben Chilwell's back and the move gets broken up. For a few minutes its exceptionally scrappy and neither team can really get control of the ball.

Our turn to build some pressure now. Liverpool are camped outside their box. Though we don't seem quite able to get into it. Mount and Lukaku are getting the ball in small pockets of space on the edge of the box. But their backs are always towards goal and its hard for them to go anywhere. Thiago dives in on Mount with a tackle that needed to be inch perfect due to the Liverpool players early caution. And it is. But the ball breaks for Kante. He plays it to Lukaku, who slides it out wide for Azpilicueta on the right. Our Spanish captain plays a through ball along the ground into the box for Lukaku to chase, He gets there before Alisson. Who slides out on his knees and tries to make himself big. Lukaku deftly taps it past him and the ball rolls into the far bottom left corner.

Only our second shot on target and we take the lead! 25 minutes played.

After five minutes of scrappy half chances for both teams. Alexander - Arnold has a free kick in a promising central position just outside our box. He goes to lift it over the wall and is aiming for the top left corner. It hits a jumping Azpilicueta's back and ricochets in the opposite direction. Mendy is having kittens as he scrambles back across his goal. Only to watch the ball loop harmlessly wide. Phew!

The next 15 minutes towards halftime are all Liverpool. Corners and crosses into the box. Luckily the chances aren't of great quality and most of the headers are under challenge. They either go over our bar. Or are easy for Mendy to save.

We've been weathering the storm as the halftime whistle approaches. Slowing the play down and happy to win a series of throw ins down our left. We keep throwing it in and protecting it near the touchline until we win another. With only a minute of stoppage time to be played. We have a throw in with about 20 seconds left. This time we put it into the box. Lukaku rises at the back post and his header hits the angle of the frame of the goal. Bouncing down behind Alisson before Robertson hacks it clear. With that the first half comes to an end.

Not really sure what to say at halftime. On the one hand we've created the better quality chances. And have actually taken our chance. But Liverpool are enjoying such a weight of possession and pressure that I don't want the players to just think they can continue as they are.

We make a better showing of keeping the ball. But Liverpool still have an unnerving knack of pinching the ball from us in their final third. Right off the toes of our players. With only two minutes played in the second half. They break and feed Origi with a ball into the right side of our box. He hits an absolute screamer across goal. Its always rising and looks closer than it is. Wouldn't have counted anyway. Flag is up for offside.

A bity 10 minutes which sees Azpiliqueta and Robertson's name taken by the referee. We have more of the ball. But it almost makes them more dangerous. As we can't complete our passes in the final third. Then they are away like lightening. Salah is the next player to come close. A ball over Chilwell's head. And the Liverpool striker snatches at it on the volley with his left foot. Mendy is able to take the sting out of it then collect it off the floor. He probably had more time there to control it and forge a better chance at goal.

On the hour, and a frantic passage of play sees the ball change hands six times. On the last occasion. Mount and Thiago are once again tussling for control of the ball. The Liverpool man pinches it before Mount sticks with him and takes it back. He's away from his opponent and Thiago can't bring him down due to his caution. Quick as a flash. Henderson is round on the cover and regains possession. He gives it to Mane on the left. Who cuts in field and runs all the way across the park before sliding the ball out to second half substitute James Milner. 

Milner's first time cross is perfect. And this time Origi is on side as he rises to catch the ball with a glancing header. Which sees it fly into the top left corner. 1-1

The next 20 minutes are all Liverpool. Only Origi's inability to keep himself onside. Coupled with some last ditched defending and strong blocking stop Liverpool from scoring. Players are getting tired, but with the game level as we go into the last 10 minutes. The chance of extra time is increasing. Meaning both teams might need to hold onto their final substitutions a little while longer.

With eight minutes left. We clear the ball long down the left. A fresh Callum Hudson - Odoi is on and chasing after it. But the ball is too long for him. Alisson is coming to collect it and will redistribute it. But the ball isn't reaching the Liverpool area. A moments indecision by Alisson and suddenly he is back pedalling as Hudson - Odoi gets to the ball. Our winger drives into the box. Once again Alisson is stuck between diving at his feet for the ball, or continuing to back up. Its in that moment that Hudson - Odoi lashes the ball past the Liverpool keeper and into the far bottom corner. 2-1! 82 minutes played.

But the joy is short lived. A long ball down our right a few minutes later and Robertson is onto it. He delivers the ball low across our box. In that perfect area where the keeper can't reach it and a defender doesn't dare touch it. The ball makes it all the way beyond the far post. Where Salah is busting a gut to get on the end of it. He finishes from a ridiculously acute angle. Nearly bursting the net off the goal in the process. 2-2 85 minutes played.

Kante receives a booking right on the stroke of 90 minutes. But other than that. Both teams limp into extra time.

[Mandy42]

And limp. I probably should have meant crawl. 

Nothing, of any substance happens in the first period of additional time. Well not anything good anyway. Mo Salah's time on the pitch is over. He hobbles off at the end of the first 15 minutes of extra time. And doesn't come back. To be fair. He didn't look right after he stretched with every fibre of his frame to equalise and keep Liverpool in the tie. Liverpool don't have a substitute remaining to replace him. Not great. As much as I want to win. You might call it snobbish. But if the fact Liverpool now have to play with 10 men for the last period of extra time proves decisive. I'll feel a bit cheated. This game has been shaping up to be one of the FA cup semi finals for the ages. And I want my players remembered as such. Titans who swept all before them. Not mere mortals who were fortunate to snatch victory due to an unfortunate injury to a rivals star player.

Though I don't have long to dwell on it. We are out again to start the second period. And I have my own weary charges to organise. We kick off and look for a way in behind for Callum Hudson - Odoi. But Liverpool are sitting deeper and there isn't the space. We really get after them for the first five minutes and they are lumping the ball away at every opportunity. The fatigue has well and truly taken the bite out of their press and we move the ball much easier.

But our end product is also being affected by the amount of time we've been on the pitch. Through balls are running just a little long. As yet another pass is collected by a Liverpool defender and fed back to Alisson. This time Matip gets it in the right channel and stops Lukaku from being able to build on our pressure. 

Alisson slams his foot through the ball and its back with us in our half. Kovacic collects it and plays it simply infield to Milenkovic. He spreads it to the right wing for Reece James. Who in turn puts it into a pocket of space between Liverpool's midfield and defence for Mason Mount. All on the ground, all one touch. 

Mount has four Liverpool players converging on him, he taps it to Alvarez, who then goes backwards to James. Still on the right touchline. Back to Kovacic, who in turn sends the ball back just into our own half for Milenkovic. There are Liverpool players in attendance at every step of the way. But while they are close by, they don't seem capable of impacting on us moving the ball around. 

A point Milenkovic proves rather well with a flamboyant Cruyff turn to move the ball away from the oncoming Curtis Jones. Steady on now Nikola! He safely distributes the ball to Kante, who in turn finds Mount. With possibly the last bit of energy in his legs. Mount takes off with the ball. Making an angle which allows him to go round Thiago and threaten the Liverpool back four. 

Alvarez has made a run in off the right wing and Mount finds him with the ball. Our Argentine striker is my ace in the hole if it comes to penalties. But his fresh legs are certainly making an impact before it even gets to that point. He's onto the ball and into the box before the Liverpool defence can react. He takes a touch to move the ball ahead of him. Opening up space to shoot and ensuring no Liverpool player can take the ball off him.

He shapes to hit it. I think the angle is far too acute to have any real chance. He's past the corner of the six yard box when he strikes it. The balls rising, Alisson certainly doesn't share my pessimism as, after ensuring he wasn't beaten at his near post. Is flinging himself full stretch across his goal. If the Brazilian hadn't filed his nails this morning he probably could have got something on the ball. But it evades his claw like grasp. I still think its going to whistle past the far post. But it strikes the inside angle of the woodwork and drops in the net! 

3-2 109 minutes played!

Liverpool look completely dejected. A couple of minutes later, from a corner we have a chance to two goals up for the first time in the tie. But Alisson stands strong and the ball is lumped off the line by a Liverpool defender. That has to be that.

We have a throw in, with about 30 seconds left. Outside our own box on the right. James throws it in for Kovacic. He plays it down the right touchline for Lukaku to trundle after. Konate for Liverpool tracks him. But our Belgian forward seems content to just amble along the edge of the pitch going for the corner. Running out the clock and with it Liverpool's chances.

Konate seems to understand this and gets in his way, blocking him access to the corner and Lukaku turns. He plays the ball infield to Alvarez. But Keita for Liverpool gets a foot in, Konate collects the ball and he lumps it up field. Jones chests it down still inside their half. Plays it back to Keita. Who finds Tslimikas on the left wing. He hurtles forward with the ball at his feet. There's 20 seconds of time left.

Tslimikas is shadowed all the way to the by - line by Reece James. The Liverpool player seems to keep offering him the ball every third stride or so. James isn't biting, staying on his feet as not to give away a free kick and one last chance for Liverpool to flood the box. In the end Tslimikas has no option other than to cross. Thiago Silva intercepts a ball bound for Sadio Mane and deftly removes the danger. 

The ball is in the Liverpool half at the feet of Konate. He brings it into our half. Mane is buzzing around Silva as our defenders come out to the edge of the box. He seems unhappy about the robustness of their coming together over that last cross. 

Konate gives the ball to Curtis Jones halfway inside our half. He turns Mount, and finds himself in a pocket of space near the D of our penalty area. The only teammate ahead of him is Sadio Mane, who still seems more interested in squabbling with Silva. Jones takes a few more touches, and before he can be closed down. Shoots, pretty much as the ball crosses the curved white line of the D. 

The ball skims the ground the whole way. Narrowly avoids the remonstrating pair of players ahead it. Squeezes under an unsighted Mendy and dribbles over our goal line and into the net. 3-3 119 minutes and 55 seconds played!

Looks like we are going to penalties.....

Edited May 29, 2022 by Mandy42

[Mandy42]

Penalties.... We've had a 100% record in shootouts during my management. Though to press that means we've won the one single penalty shootout we've been involved in. Against Spurs in the Carabao cup third round. Slightly higher stakes here. 

First blood is to Liverpool, and that's before we even kick a ball. The coin toss sees them both going first. And us taking them at the end with their supporters. As I'm on one knee on the Wembley turf. Surrounded by my players. I look that way through the gaps in the circle of bodies. I imagine that's what hell might look like. A monstrous sea of churning, boiling red. Bubbling and straining to be let loose, as far as the eye can see. And sporting scouse accents. Hell indeed. I'm about to send my choice of players into that!

I wrap my arm around Mendy's shoulders. I take him back with me, to that previous shootout. 

"You're one of only nine goal keepers to save a penalty from that mouth breather Harry Kane. He's scored 53 of the darn things for club and country. Only missed nine. And one of those is yours. You have nothing to fear. Except maybe getting some form of disease if that foaming scrum of scousers manages to spit on you." He grins at me, nods slowly, and begins his walk towards hell.

James Milner is up first for Liverpool. Of course he is. At 568 years of age he's been in more crunch games than I've had hot dinners.

He puts the ball down, its a three step walk up. But then at his age I doubt he can run anyway. Inside of his right foot. He has two options, wrap his foot round the ball and steer it into the left corner. Or open his body up and go for the right corner. As soon as his body begins to open. Mendy is leaning to his left. Milner leans back slightly and the ball rises. Mendy is across, his dive propelling him the right way. But the ball climbs above his outstretched hands and nestles in the top right hand corner. 1-0 Liverpool.

Romelu Lukaku is first for us. I'm not one of those managers who saves their best takers for further down the order. And at £90m in transfer fees and our top goal scorer in all competitions so far this season. He is our best taker. He squares his shoulders, three step run up and BANG. Left footed, bottom right corner of the net. So hard that it hits the back of the net and comes back out to strike Alisson in the face as he's picking himself off the Wembley grass. 1-1 

From one Belgian to another. Divock Origi. Scorer of their first goal what seems like a lifetime ago. He steps up. Right footed, bottom left corner of the net. Mendy is going the right way. But its more for show than anything. He obviously hadn't read the taker before hand. And the ball is in the net long before his dive is complete. 2-1 Liverpool.

Mason Mount is our second taker. He jogs out of the pack before slowing up by the penalty area and composes himself after placing the ball on the spot. He too has a short run up. And like Origi puts a right footed strike into the left side of the net. But this is an absolute piledriver. Top left hand corner all the way, like a missile. And it needed to be. Alisson is across and hanging in the air like Superman, but the ball evades his reaching hand and smashes into the net. 2-2.

They've been following each other around all game. So its no surprise that Thiago is the next Liverpool player up after Mason. He sticks to the current pattern. Right footed, aiming for the left corner. But its a poor spot kick. The height is good for the keeper and its not in the corner. All Mendy has to do is kind of fall to his right, and he is able to bring his hands up and bat the ball away! SAVED!! 2-2 

Julian Alvarez, the player I brought on specifically for penalties. Who also scored for us in extra time. He looks fresh, almost to the point where his extra energy makes him appear nervous. But when he gets to the penalty area he suddenly exudes an aura of calm. Right footed, opening his body up at the last second and the ball is in the bottom right corner of the net. Alisson went the correct way. But couldn't get near the ball. 3-2 Chelsea! 

Curtis Jones is next for Liverpool. The man with the daisy cutter right at the death which kept them in the game. He does look nervous. But then he's what 12 years old? His attempt is right footed, and the abrupt change in direction telegraphs where he's going to put the ball. Mendy dives to his right, as Jones shoots for the left side of the goal. Good job the kid put his head down and just put his laces through it. Telegraphed it might be, saveable it ain't. Mendy isn't getting near that one 3-3.

Thiago Silva is our next taker. He puts the ball down carefully. Spends a long time turning it end over end on the spot. He turns his back on Alisson and walks out of the penalty area to start his run up. Right footed, his body is angled as though its going in the bottom left corner. Alisson dives that way, and at the last second Silva opens his foot up. Looks like he's on the verge of breaking his ankle. The ball slides into the net just right of centre. With Alisson frantically trying to extend his toes back in the direction he just dived from. But he can't get there. 4-3 Chelsea.

Kostas Tsimikas is Liverpool's fifth taker. His long slow walk up looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He puts the ball down. Takes a big deep breath and begins his run up. Its similar to Milner's right at the beginning of the shootout. A right footed effort, with an open side foot. Its going for the bottom right corner. But where Milner's was high and bound for the top corner. This is low, so low in fact it takes a bounce on the grass before it gets to the goal line. Whether that slowed it down or not is anyone's guess. But Mendy is there. Having dived the correct way. The ball strikes his left arm, between his diving body and the ground. And the BALL BOUNCES CLEAR!!!!!

4-3 on penalties and Chelsea will play in the FA cup final!  

[Mandy42]

And so to the FA cup final. I think I made it clear at the time of the semi final what I thought of the other teams in the competition. Although looking back, it seems I have a very short memory. Wolves did for Man City in the third round. So on the day anyone can be a pain in the ass. Especially as we played Wolves in the league only a week after the FA cup semi final. We won. However it took a 90+4 minute fluke deflection against 10 men for us to come away with all three points.

I intend to let the magnitude of the occasion be sufficient motivation for the players. Having seen off Liverpool in the semi final. I expect us to win here. And I'm sure the board do as well. As much as their expectations of reaching the final have been achieved. What's the point of reaching a final if you don't win it? Especially against a team we've beaten both home and away this season. Though see above for how frustrating the away fixture was. Long story short. I don't see the board being thrilled if we don't win.

I have the luxury of a pretty full strength squad to pick from. Which seen as the FA cup final tends to traditionally close out the season. Is great. However I'm not quite sure why. But this year it isn't the last game of the season. We have one last league game to play after this showpiece. 

N'golo Kante is recovering from injury and is the only real concession I make to an otherwise first team selection. He does however make the bench.

The opening ten minutes are so are pretty bitty. Possibly the problem of drawing the players attention to the size of the occasion. Is that they are overawed by the occasion. Luckily both sides appear to be afflicted. As possession is hard to maintain. Passes go astray and both teams seem better at breaking up the play of their opponent than doing anything constructive with the ball.

Its Wolves who generate the first attempt on goal. 12 minutes into the game. Ruben Neves sprays the ball out to their left wing. Johnny Otto controls it and plays the ball, down the line for Adama Traore to chase down. His pace gets him to the ball, and his direct running sees him get all the way to the by - line. His only problem, he has nobody to really aim at in the box. He holds the ball up, and returns it to Otto. The Wolves wingback still has limited options in the box, and cuts infield. He continues until he gets a angle he believes he can produce from. His attempt is of a decent height for Mendy. Who manages to tip it over the bar.

Francisco Trincao delivers the resulting corner from the right. His out swinging delivery is met by Leander Dendoncker ahead of the near post. But his head is always rising and off target.

Another 10 minutes or so of fractured play follows. Wolves have more of the ball, and the Otto, Traore combination down their left seems to be an effective out ball to bypass our press. The latter's pace is a very effective factor in keeping our defence honest and not allowing much free space.

So its no surprise just after 20 minutes that Adama has the ball at his feet just inside our half. Slightly strange though is him not simply knocking it by Reece James and trying to beat our wingback for pace. Instead he gives it to Dendoncker inside him, and our press sees the ball go back to Connor Coady in the Wolves half. They have to work it out to the right and Neves feeds Trincao. But Timo Werner cuts off his angle for playing the ball out to the right touchline and the Wolves wingback has to come in field. Werner continues to hound his heels. And due to the attention Trincao takes a heavy touch as he enters our half and Saul is able to steal the ball away. He gives it to Lukaku just inside the opposition half. Who plays it left to Werner. Almost instantly our German winger lays the ball forward to Mason Mount. He's between two Wolves defenders and I hold my breath to see if he explodes into the gap and gets beyond their defence. But the gap closes quickly. And a deft back heel from Mount helps maintain possession and finds an advancing Saul.

Saul holds up the ball, which attracts defenders and allows Mount to sneak into a pocket of space, which is where Saul finds him with the ball. Again Mount has a moment to decide whether to take on the defence. Instead he rolls a ball between both centre backs for Lukaku to look to latch onto. Its a 50/50 ball at best. But its into the area before Coady and Lukaku are challenging for the ball. That might be what causes the Wolves defender to hesitate making a play for the ball. Lukaku drags his studs on the top of the ball and drags it across his body. Any chance for Coady to make a clean challenge has quickly evaporated. John Ruddy the Wolves keeper seems equally torn. He's rushed out, whether to make a play on the ball, or to try put Lukaku off. Whether the proximity of his teammate or the fact Coady could have made a play for the ball has confused him. But Ruddy is in no mans land. A fact that Lukaku's controlling touch has blunting highlighted. Instantly creating an angle to goal which bypasses the Wolves keeper. 

Lukaku's next touch smashes the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. Ruddy is still strickenly sliding on his knees, and can do nothing but turn his head as he hopes the ball somehow flashes wide. I too turn my head. Anxiously looking at the linesman once the ball has ballooned the net. Nothing, no sign from the referee that VAR needs to be involved. 1-0. 22 minutes played.

The goal seems to have settled us down and put us in the mood for more. Just two minutes since we scored. After a protracted period of play where we kept the ball. The crowd cheering every touch. Ben Chilwell tries lift a ball over the Wolves defence for Timo Werner to chase after. Willy Boly manages to get his head to it just as it looks like the ball will loop over him and land at Werner's feet in the box. Trincao collects the clearing header. But he manages all of one touch before Saul steals it from him and plays the ball the ball to Werner. Just outside the area. With Boly for his shadow. Our German gives it to Chilwell. This time the wingbacks lifted forward ball into the area does reach its intended target.

Mason Mount has made a run from deep. Though the ball from Chilwell is zipped in, and Dendoncker has tracked our shadow strikers run. Mount does the sensible thing, cushioning the ball with the outside of his left foot and turning away from goal with it. Werner makes an infield run, drawing the Wolves players. And Mount can play a straight ball back towards the edge of the penalty area along the floor. Chilwell has all the time in the world to shape himself to meet the ball. Which is why its disappointing that his first time effort is high into the Wolves supporters behind the goal.

Just before the half hour and Wolves had woken up enough to force themselves a corner. Trincao is once more over the ball on the right. This time its an in swinging delivery. Its deep towards the back post. And it looks like a specific training ground routine. Almost all of the Wolves players make a run towards the near post. But the ball doesn't go there. Coady is standing unmoving near the back post. And as all of our attention rushes to the near post. He waits as the ball literally hits him on the forehead. Perfectly executed delivery. Its guided down by his head and is going to bounce once before going in at the back post. But Mendy is there in a flash, diving in a panic and somehow cupping his hands round the ball and tossing it round the post. Like someone bailing water out of a leaky boat. Trincao wryly shakes his head as he jogs behind our goal to go take their next corner.

Out swinging from the left, but after a few choice words hurled from the side line by myself. And the goal line by Mendy. Our defence is more awake. Nikola Milenkovic rises and clears with a thumping header. Lukaku tracks back to collect the ball just inside our half. Turns and drives with it down the right wing. Fabio Silva chases him down and after sticking with him stride for stride eventually times his run to slide in and put the ball out for a throw in.

We keep the ball in and around the right touchline winning a series of throw ins. Wolves get a bit frustrated by their inability to win the ball back. Resulting in scything down Marco Asensio by the by - line, just outside the box. Its a really promising position, in essence a very short corner. Wolves must appreciate the danger as they have everyone back inside their six yard box to defend the delivery. Asensio himself stands over the ball. Wolves have a two man wall. Which appears to be placed to deter our Spanish winger from attempting to audaciously aim directly for the near post.

We have six players inside the box. Its pretty congested. Wolves have nobody on the posts. Lukaku, Werner, Milenkovic and Christensen are all within the six yard box. As Wolves instinctively push in closer to their goal as Asensio begins his run up. Likewise our plays move closer to the goal. Only one of our players moves backwards. Saul shifts his position to around the penalty spot. And its there that Asensio delivers the ball. Due to the number of players in the box Saul has two defenders within touching distance as he rises unchallenged to head the ball. The two Wolves players are beyond him, more watching the shortest of our players inside the box head the ball towards the top right corner of the goal. Ruddy makes a decent attempt to dive for it. But with the mass of players ahead of him he is fair unsighted. And the ball hits the back of the net. 2-0. 35 minutes played.

As the first half draws to a close. Wolves make one last attempt to make a meaningful impression on proceedings. The work the ball left and right, but can't find a way into the box. Until an underlapping Trincao creates enough space for a shot. Chilwell gets his body in the way and the ball spirals over for a corner. Its Trincao again from the left corner flag. And once again Milenkovic rises highest and clears. This time Asensio is the player collecting the cleared ball. And he instantly charges into the opposition half. Suddenly we have a 2 v 2 inside the last minute of normal time. Though Wolves do well. They bravely step up just as Asensio is looking to play in Lukaku, placing our striker offside. Asensio is forced to retain possession and take the ball wide. Where Johnny Otto successfully closes down his available space until he can put the ball out of play. Thus drawing the first half to a close.

Two goals to the good and with only really the corner routine as our moment of weakness. I'm happy with the first half performance and let the players know. However I  temper the enthusiasm with how hard Wolves made our recent league visit. The game isn't over. Especially if we give them a route back into the game.

We come out and have the second half kick off. Straight away we look to put the game to bed. A miss timed jump from Trincao almost sees Callum Hudson - Odoi latch onto a cross field ball straight from kick off. But it skids out of play. Two minutes later and this time we do find our English winger. He's released down the left in behind, and plays a first time cross along the group. Lukaku is unmarked around the penalty spot. But a two handed save from Ruddy sees the ball bounce just outside the right hand post for a corner. Though we waste the set piece with the ball going straight to the Wolves keeper.

With 50 minutes played. We take the ball off Traore's toes in our box, with an uncharacteristic long clearance upfield. Lukaku can do little but head on the ball. Which sees Wolves regain possession. They work the ball to midfield, before playing it down the left to release Traore again. Once more he slams into the box, this time Reece James is a step behind and is lucky that the direct running Wolves winger is so focused on getting in on goal that he doesn't take advantage of his poorly times challenge and trailing leg.

Traore shoots. Trying to go across goal along the floor. Mendy dives the right way, getting two strong hands down to block the shot. The power of the strike causes the ball to spin away from our keeper and go out of play for a corner at the near post. We clear the initial Trincao corner. But Wolves work the ball back down the left. Their left wingback manages to get to the by - line and after avoiding a less than convincing challenge from Mateo Kovacic. He plays a ball along the floor across goal. It more hits Christensen than anything else. And Reece James hacks it clear.

Wolves are growing into the game, and the next 10 minutes sees it played completely in our half. With an hour on the clock the ball yet again ends up in the left third of our penalty area. Traore has pulled off Reece James shoulder in the blink of an eye. The looped ball is pretty high, and the winger is forced to attempt an awkward looking crescent shaped volley with his right foot. Mendy is able to catch it with both hands at the near post.

For the next few minutes Wolves keep trying to get Traore in. But after being beaten just recently. James cuts out each attempt. Though obviously concerned by the Wolves players pace. Mendy puts his foot through the ball each time and clears. Rather than risking being caught out with the ball at his feet. On 65 minutes Wolves finally change tac and put the ball down the space on the right. Trincao chases it down. And gets there just in time to keep the ball in play. He cuts out a golf wedge like cross to the back post. There is no Wolves player in attendance. And Christensen is primed to head the ball down for Mendy to catch. But like a flash Traore motors into the area, makes up the space and jumps to head the ball. Forcing Mendy to adjust his position and make a sprawling save.

70 minutes played and its all Wolves, Fabio Silva is the latest player to see the ball come to him in our box. His effort is rushed, and he sends it wide of the far post, when it never looked like threatening the goal. 

I bring on Kante for Kovacic to sure up the midfield. And am very thankful that as I make the change, Wolves appear forced into bringing Adama Traore off as his race is well and truly run. With that, the game peters out and the final 20 minutes pass with little to no incident.

Wolves have been getting more and more frustrated. Which has been illustrated by Boly, Coady and Dendoncker all having been booked in the last 20 minutes of the game. To their credit they are still trying to threaten when they can. But with us sitting deeper, and with the added defensive skill of Kante prowling the edge of our box. We break up their attempts time after time. In injury time, one such key challenge by Kante sees him slip the ball simply to James on the right of our penalty area. He sees open ground ahead of him and accelerates into it. Before playing the ball across the halfway line to Mount in the middle of the centre circle. Mount spins 180 degrees as he controls the ball. Before playing it first time into the right channel. Lukaku gets past the retreating Boly and is onto the ball inside the area. He takes a touch as Ruddy advances on him. Then he hits it, hard and rising, the ball crashes against the bar in the top right corner and thunders down over the line! 3-0 91 minutes played.

With injury time stretching on. Wolves keep trying to get some form of consolation. Christensen seems to be celebrating before the final whistle. As with him not really paying adequate attention. The ball hits him in the back and almost goes in at the near post. But results instead in a corner. He redeems himself somewhat by clearing the resulting delivery. Wolves attempts to recycle the ball back down the right wing result in the flag going up for offside. And with it, the final whistle!

Domestic cup double! as the fireworks and confetti at Wembley are Blue for the second time this year!