TheJonsterMonster

More for my future reference than anything else but here's how the save ended: It was a lot of fun. Winning the Premier League with Coventry City was a particular highlight, beating Didier Deschamps' all-conquering Arsenal side. In the end, there weren't enough points left at Arsenal to reach the top there but the first trophy at Borussia Dortmund saw us beat (Mikel Arteta's) Arsenal 1-0 to top the Hall of Fame. Here's the breakdown of the trophies won: Overall, a brilliant save. My first save of all future FMs will be a Wall of Shame to Hall of Fame and it will be fascinating to compare journeys. The concept of not signing a contract extension forced my hand and made it easier to move on, so that's definitely how I'll run these sorts of saves in future. Thank you if you read any of the earlier posts. Once again, I couldn't maintain writing about every single goal in every single match; real life took over, and I didn't want the writing to ruin my enjoyment for the game.

February 2024 In a world where PSG have signed a strong English contingent including Marcus Rashford, Tammy Abraham, and Harvey Elliott, Tobermore United's manager was focused on trying to keep the unbeaten run going. 10/02/2024 - Northern Irish Cup Second Round v Ballymena Utd (H) Another chance to test himself against a top tier side saw Tobermore take on 7th-placed Ballymena. The other games against top-tier sides had been close affairs so far this season and Sargent was hoping for much the same here. It was the strongest line-up available to him and he told the team they had nothing to lose. Ballymena created the first decent chance of the game from a set piece. Mitchell's corner from the right was nodded narrowly over by Gibson in the middle in the 17th minute. Set pieces seemed to be the greatest threat for Ballymena as Mitchell's free kick in the 23rd minute clipped the top of the bar. Mitchell was clearly the creative spark, all of Ballymena's chances seemed to involve him. His excellent defence-splitting pass in the 26th minute released McCullogh down the left and his floated cross landed on the head of an unmarked Tweed in the middle who could only nod the ball wide of the post. Tobermore were under considerable pressure; could they hold on until half time? The next fifteen minutes settled down, restricting Ballymena to potshots but in the 43rd minute they finally cracked. Kelly's cross from the right was awkwardly headed across the box by McCrory in an attempted clearance. Smith, not expecting it, could only head the ball up in the air. Waide brought the ball down, swivelled, and caught it perfectly to send the ball flashing past Ferris, who was berating his defenders for not putting safety first. 0-1 at the break. Sargent was philosophical at the break. They had barely threatened but were only a goal behind. A bit more belief and they could do something. In the 55th minute after some patient passing up the field, Keane managed to nick the ball off a hesitant Ballymena defender, play a neat one-two with Rafferty, but could only shoot straight at Johnston. Sargent's head was in his hands. A glorious chance for Keane, one he would have smashed into the far corner in the league. In the 59th minute, it returned to the Mitchell show. His free kick from a central area was arcing towards the top corner but Ferris managed to get a hand to it. However the ball fell straight to Kelly but he couldn't turn the ball home. A relieved Ferris scooped the ball up. Ballymena then took charge of the contest, producing numerous half chances and Tobermore were chasing shadows. The gulf in class was too great and they ran out deserved winners. Sargent couldn't be too disappointed - success was never on the cards - but he didn't feel that the side had been at their best. No-one had played particularly well. 17/02/2024 - LIPL v Portstewart (A) 10th v 1st. Having been flying high at the start of the season, Portstewart were starting to struggle and had won once in their last five. Sargent was demanding another win on the road to keep up the unlikely title challenge. He also wanted the side to put in a much better display than they had against Ballymena. On Portstewart's narrow pitch, Keane should have opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a chance he would normally gobble up. Instead he could only smack his shot off the bottom of the left hand post from inside the box. However, Rafferty made up for the miss by finishing a much more difficult chance in the 17th minute. Gillan made the goal with a superb switch of play, finding McCrory on the right. The right-back drove into the area and his low cross evaded several attempted clearances only to fall perfectly into Rafferty's path and he stroked the ball home from sixteen yards first time for his second goal of the year. Almost from the kick-off Rafferty should have made it 2-0. The long ball over the top by Portstewart was mopped up by O'Mullan and Ferris launched the ball over the top of the Portstewart back line. Rafferty ran through but blazed his shot narrowly wide. Sargent couldn't believe he had missed. He hoped they wouldn't regret those two golden chances that had been wasted. As the first half wore on, Portstewart created some efforts, but nothing particularly troubling for Ferris. As the clocked ticked over 45 minutes, Gillan's cross from the left wing was nodded out to Forrest, who took one touch before launching a rocket from all of 30 yards into the top-right corner of the net. That had Sargent on his feet, applauding. A stunning goal to double the lead that made Sargent's half time team talk much easier. As expected, Portstewart made a bright start to the second half, Bradley fizzing an effort just over from the edge of the box. Thankfully, Keane settled any nerves with a wonder-goal of his own. Kearns nodded Madison's clearance towards the striker. Keane managed to get the ball under control, escaping the attentions of Farrelly and burst down the left wing. He broke into the box, unchallenged, making a beeline for the goal. Exhausted from his run, Keane smashed the ball towards goal from eight yards, the ball flying past a bemused Madison into the far corner. Nobody had expected that from Keane, least of all the Tobermore bench who were cheering on the sideline. In yet more unexpected events, in the 69th minute, McCrory grabbed a goal. Morgan's cross from deep on the left wing found the opposite full back, whose header across goal was palmed into his net by Madison. Sargent made changes, and one of them, Tim Cahill (not that one), saw his free kick cannon off the post in the 83rd minute. It had been a good performance against one of the weaker sides in the league, putting the cup defeat behind them. Paddy McCrory took the Player of the Match award after a goal and an assist but Sargent was more relieved to have both Rafferty and Keane together on the scoresheet. 20/02/2024 - Intermediate Cup Fourth Round v Lurgan Town (A) Having overcome a reserve side in the last round, the fourth round tie saw Tobermore travel to Lurgan Town, a non-league side. Sargent sent out a relatively strong side, although didn't pick anyone not in top physical shape with another league game to come at the weekend. McCrory, O'Mullan, and Keane were the main ones to miss out, youngster McSorley, Crooks, and Cahill coming in to replace them. Sargent wanted the side to start well and they did. The first chance of the game fell to Rafferty, who picked up Fowler's loose headed clearance, bursting into the box, and firing past McFarland to give Tobermore the lead in the 9th minute. Ten minutes later, Rafferty made it 2-0. Kearns's clearance turned into a through ball with the Lurgan defence leaving it to each to clear it. Rafferty nipped in, took a touch, and buried the ball into the bottom-right corner. It was 3-0 before the half hour. Cahill began the move near the halfway line, switching the ball to Morgan on the left. His ball down the line found Forrest, who flicked it into the left channel for Rafferty. The experienced striker found his young counterpart with a square ball and Cahill was presented with a simple tap in. Two minutes later and it was 4-0. Clearing a Lurgan Celtic free kick, Tobermore sprang the counter. This time Forrest's cross was nodded in by McIlhatton at the back post and Sargent was looking set for the next round. Rafferty wasted a great chance for his hattrick before half time, but McMenemy added a fifth goal with a stunning strike. Forrest's lay off found him 30 yards out, and his curling left-footed effort sailed past a helpless McFarland. 5-0. Sargent didn't know what to say to the team. They had been irresistible. It took until the 67th minute to score again, Rafferty finally grabbing his hattrick with a composed finish. He collected Forrest's ball over the top and side-footed past the keeper to make it 6-0. Sargent swapped Rafferty for Keane and the substitute took advantage in the 75th minute. McIlhatton's pressing meant Quigley surrendered the ball in the left-back position. The midfielder squared the ball to the waiting Keane, who couldn't miss from six yards out. McDaid wasted Lurgan's best chance of the game in the 87th minute, but he could only shoot wide from a good position inside the box. An excellent win, Sargent's largest as a manager. Rafferty produced a 10/10 performance but nobody had played poorly. They were through to the Quarter Final. 24/02/2024 - LIPL v Knockbreda (A) 8th v 1st. This was a game in hand which would take them four points clear of Limavady with a win. Martin was back in midfield, and O'Mullan, McCrory, and Keane all returned. The game turned out to be a tense battle between the two sides. Neither side threatened much in the first half. Rafferty nodded narrowly over and some excellent defending denied O'Hanlon who took too long to launch a strike at goal allowing Kearns to get a toe in and deflect the ball up into Ferris's gloves. Sargent demanded more effort after half time, they hadn't been great on another narrow pitch. Knockbreda had defended resolutely in numbers and Tobermore didn't seem to have any keys to open the door. In the 55th minute, however, Rafferty rammed the door open. McIlhatton's precise pass ran straight into the striker's path, and he blasted home from just inside the area to give Tobermore the lead. Five minutes later, Kearns was deemed to have been pushed by Withers when contesting a Smith free kick, and the referee pointed to the spot. Rafferty grabbed the ball and delivered from the spot, sending the keeper the wrong way to double the lead. Knockbreda found a way back into the game in the 82nd minute thanks to Shaw's looping header which set up a tense final few minutes. Bingham had a fantastic opportunity to equalise in the final minute but could only shoot straight at Ferris when anywhere else on target would have been a goal. However, they managed to see the game out and they extended their lead at the top. Rafferty was the difference-maker and picked up the Player of the Match award to celebrate. Review A great month with another two league wins and progress in the Intermediate Cup. The narrow defeat to Ballymena United was a small blow but it hadn't destabilised the side. Keane and Rafferty had started scoring again too, Keane with 15 goals now in the league. The new board were delighted with Sargent's performance and he was hopeful of making it a truly memorable season in Tobermore's history. However, when he knocked on his brother's front door for the end of the month meal, his nephew answered the door, grave-faced. Sargent's brother and niece had gone to hospital after she had caught a sickness bug at nursery. His nephew's mum was frantically trying to wash some bedding and clothing in order to make sure there was enough available for the little one, and her responses to Sargent's attempted questions about how Tobermore had fared were little more than grunts. He had to fly back the next day to take training and only had a brief chat with his brother as they crossed over. Perhaps the end of the month meals were coming to a close. His monthly beer didn't taste quite so nice on its own without the football chat and banter to go with it.

January 2024 In a world where Karim Benzema was named World Player of the Year, Sargent wanted his side to keep pressing forwards in pursuit of an unlikely league and cup double. 06/01/2024 - LPIL v Distillery (A) 12th v 1st. Sargent wanted nothing less than a win in the first of only two league games this month. Sargent's preferred XI took to the field. Distillery had the first chance of the game, Davison shooting over from the corner of the area. However, a couple of minutes later, McIlhatton broke through down the middle, collecting Keane's flick on, and side-footed his volley into the bottom-right corner of the net. 1-0 to Tobermore and the rest of the half was uneventful. Sargent wasn't thrilled with the performance; it had been rather half-hearted. He asked for more effort in the second half. In the 49th minute, O'Mullan's header came back off the crossbar from Smith's free kick. Distillery were able to smuggle the ball out for a corner. Tobermore kept up the pressure and were having some success from set pieces. In the 56th minute, Kearns turned and fired just wide from the edge of the box following the breakdown from a corner. The pressure was certainly building. However, out of the blue, Distillery broke through down the left, Kenny beating McCrory for pace. His cross found an unmarked McCaw seven yards out, and he was able to slam home to grab a surprise equaliser. Sargent was livid, on his feet immediately, urging his team forward. Thankfully, Distillery weren't level for long. In the 62nd minute, Forrest unleashed a shot from 20 yards out, the ball cannoning off the crossbar but falling kindly for Keane to tap in. Tobemore continued to create the odd opportunity, but Sargent had to make changes in order to see if it would spark his side into life. Cahill released Keane in the 75th minute but the normally reliable forward blazed over when he had been scoring chances like that for fun previously. As time ticked on, Sargent struggled to stop the nerves from surfacing. Distillery had proved capable of scoring out of nowhere and with a one-goal lead, anything could happen. In the 89th minute, Keane added the comfort goal, making the most of an opportunity gifted to him by the Distillery defence. Ferris's long kick downfield was nodded on by Gillan, Cahill couldn't win the header but his pressure meant Nelson could only nod the ball straight into Keane's path, and he needed no invitation to sweep home. In stoppage time, Martin added another layer with a fourth goal. Crooks's lofted ball forward was won by Keane, who laid it off to Cahill, and his through ball was perfect for Martin who kept his cool to take it around the keeper and slot home. Keane was the hero yet again but for large parts of the game Distillery had been more than equal. A relieved Sargent was pleased to take the three points. 13/01/2024 - LPIL v Bangor (H) 1st v 5th. Bangor were the last side to defeat Tobermore United in the league, so Sargent wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. He was trying to bring in some new players but the wage restrictions didn't help, and all of the players he approached wanted at least an appearance fee. Rhys O'Mullan was suspended so Adam Rowe made a rare appearance in the centre of defence alongside Kearns. Rafferty had picked up an injury the previous week and wasn't fit enough to start. Bangor had been the only side so far they hadn't scored against, so Sargent wanted at least a goal. His wish came in the 4th minute, as a Smith free kick came to nothing and was cleared. McCrory retrieved the ball in the centre circle and sent a tempting ball forward towards the run of Keane. With the keeper in no man's land, Keane nodded it over him and into the empty net. In the 9th minute, Martin had a glorious chance to double the lead but his shot lacked conviction and Taylor was able to turn it around the post. In the 21st minute, a free kick was headed clear by Kearns and picked up by Sterling. His drive into the box was halted by a clumsy trip by Morgan and the referee didn't hesitate to point to the spot. Hughes stroked it home into the bottom-left corner and the two sides were level again. Tobermore responded with several opportunities, most from set pieces, but couldn't find the breakthrough. Keane wasted a good opportunity just before the half hour mark, only able to knee the ball into Taylor's hands when he should have done better. Dobbin went close for Bangor just before the break with a free kick from 25 yards that skimmed the roof of the net. Level at the break. Tobermore were on top and Sargent asked for more in the second half. The game looked like petering out to a draw the longer the match went on, neither side really seizing the initiative. Even the substitutes didn't seem to make an impact. As Tobermore pushed forward, Bangor looked to play on the break. A poor clearance from McClure ricocheted against O'Kane and Arthurs was able to squeeze a shot on goal that Ferris somehow flapped into his net. Sargent's hands were on his head. That had come out of nothing. He urged the side forward, demanding more from them. However, it was Bangor that looked more likely to score, Arthurs blazing over when clean through. In the 89th minute, O'Kane's free kick was cleared and Tobermore sprung an attack. Keane switched the ball out to Gillan, and his through ball for Black, on for a disappointing Cahill, was inch perfect. The substitute took the ball into the box and squared it for Martin to tap home. Sargent wanted the win, continuing to urge his side forwards, but neither side could create anything notable before the end. A tricky game, fairly even, and a draw was a fair result. Sargent was relieved to have recovered at the end. Limavady could only draw with Knockbreda, so the gap remained two points at the top. That was it for league matches in January - two cup games were to follow. 20/01/2024 - Northern Irish Cup First Round v Portadown (A) An away fixture against the side 11th in the top division gave Sargent some hope of causing an upset in the Northern Irish Cup. Portadown's form had been poor recently, losing four of their last five, so Sargent wanted to make sure his team made it as difficult for them as possible. In a nothing first half, the only major incident came right at the end. It began with a throw in by Forrest on the right. Keane gave the ball back to him but Forrest's cross was nodded away by McKeown. Morgan retrieved and fed Martin on the edge of the box. He wasn't pressed quickly and had the time to turn and launch a right-footed effort at goal that flew past an unsighted keeper. Sargent asked for more of the same in the second half. In a game of few chances, Balde wasted Portadown's best effort, his tame effort from the edge of the box easily smothered by Ferris. Tobermore's best effort came in the 85th minute but Gillan blasted over from inside the box. However, the game ended 1-0 to Tobermore. A famous cupset knocking out a side two divisions above them. Declan Martin was the hero with a superb midfield performance. 27/01/2024 - Intermediate Cup Third Round v Glenavon Reserves (H) Following last weekend's cup heroics, Sargent wanted nothing less than the same sort of effort from the side. This was the cup he was targeting. In the draw for the Northern Irish Cup they had been drawn at home to another Premiership side, so success in that competition was less likely. Two bits of news then scuppered Sargent's plans. First, news that the chairman was looking to sell the club. Second, the match had to be rearranged due to a waterlogged pitch. It would take place on Tuesday instead. 30/01/2024 - Intermediate Cup Third Round v Glenavon Reserves (H) The build-up to the game was dominated by the takeover rumours by a supporters' trust. Not knowing what it would mean for him, Sargent concentrated on focusing the players' minds on the game. He was grateful for the extra couple days of rest allowing him to name his first choice side. He was intrigued to see what sort of strength Glenavon Reserves would have, not knowing what to expect. The task was set out early on as a ball over the top in the 7th minute by Og McMahon found the run of McLaughlin. Ferris came and decided against it, allowing the left winger to break into the area and clip a shot past the stranded keeper. It wasn't the start Sargent wanted. However, his side tried to respond immediately as O'Mullan's ball over the top found Keane. He was shepherded out wide but his pull back found McCrory on the edge of the area. His effort was too high, though, looping over the bar. The miss was forgotten three minutes later. McCrory's corner was flicked on by Kearns and Martin was on hand to continue his remarkable scoring run by smashing home from six yards out. In the 24th minute, Keane grabbed the lead. Smith's perfect ball over the top found the talisman's run, and despite being under pressure, he managed to find the top corner from a narrow angle. Could they hold out? They did better than hold out - Keane was tackled in the area and the referee deemed the tackle to have been too forceful. Rafferty grabbed the ball, determined to end his drought. His scuffed shot from the spot was parried out by McCann but he reacted quickest to turn the ball home. 3-1 to the home side. In the 42nd minute, Tobermore broke, Keane releasing Rafferty down the middle. He wrestled his way past Og McMahon but his shot hit the base of the post and bounced clear. Tobermore were left to regret that miss a few minutes later as Morgan, unmarked in the six yard box, nodded Glenavon Reserves' second of the night with a bullet header. 3-2 at the break in an end-to-end game. Sargent encouraged the players at half time - they had proved themselves to be at least equals to the top-tier team's reserves side. However, within 8 minutes of the restart, the sides were level. Burns with a free kick from 25 yards curled it towards the top corner and a combination of woodwork and Ferris saw the ball end up in the back of the net. In the 67th minute, some nice build-up play led to Rafferty playing in McIlhatton, and the mezzala kept his composure to finish low into the net past McCann. Now could they hold on? They could have increased their lead in the 88th minute when the normally reliable Martin fluffed his lines four yards out, scuffing his shot into the keeper's hands with the goal at his mercy. Sargent hoped they wouldn't live to regret it. Time ticked on and Glenavon couldn't create another opportunity. Tobermore were through to the Fourth Round, the last sixteen of what Sargent considered to be a winnable competition. McIlhatton's winner contributed towards his player of the match performance but the whole team had turned up when it mattered. Review A decent month in charge for Sargent had produced yet more goals, and extended the unbeaten run. The cupset against Portadown would be remembered for a long while and they were still top of the league. The day after the Glenavon game found Sargent meeting the new chairperson. Johnny Bailie was the new man in charge as part of a takeover by the Supporters' Trust. He didn't want to upset anything with the club going well and didn't have any additional investment. It was full steam ahead as far as Sargent was concerned. In the dressing room, things were still a little tetchy. Managerial support wasn't great, despite the unbeaten run, and the side weren't as cohesive as they could have been. However, with the board, Sargent had met the aims, and now it was a chance to make it a memorable season, even if Sargent wasn't there next year to see it through. His flight back to London was a cheerful one and he was already plotting how to keep winning and try and earn his first points in the global Hall of Fame.

December 2023 In a world where nothing weird and wonderful had happened (except perhaps Tobermore United being top of the league), Sargent had a busy month in store starting with the first game of the fourth cup competition they would compete in this season. 02/12/2023 - Northern Irish Cup Fourth Qualifying Round v Lurgan Celtic (H) A reunion match against Lewis Tennant, who had left the club in September at the height of Sargent being unable to refuse due to the farcical wage budget situation. Sargent didn't want to lose to lower league opposition and sent out a relatively strong team, with a week until their next fixture after this. Cahill and Martin came in to give them an opportunity in the first team. Sargent told the team to win. They seemed to pay heed as in the 2nd minute they took the lead. A long ball forward by Morgan found the run of Martin who had the strength and persistence to outmuscle his man and square the ball for McIlhatton to stroke home. Tobermore continued to press, creating several chances from set pieces. In the 17th minute O'Mullan was adjudged to be offside as he nodded in Smith's free kick from the left. They continued to create the odd chance but nothing particularly clear cut. 1-0 at the break and Sargent asked for more of the same in the second half. In the 64th minute, the best opening of the half saw Keane break through the backline but his normally reliable finishing let him down as he fired past the far post. In the 77th minute, O'Mullan, still in the box following a corner, managed to escape his man and fire a low cross towards the middle. Cahill was on hand to poke the ball home from six yards to settle Sargent's nerves. Lurgan had barely offered a threat past the odd half-chance but had a great chance near the end when Lucas broke through in the left channel. With Ferris looking out of position, it took a great block from Crooks to loop the ball up and into Ferris's gloves. A comfortable 2-0 win and progress into the next round of the cup. O'Mullan was named as the player of the match after a solid defensive display and an assist for Cahill's goal. 09/12/2023 - LPIL v Moyola Park (H) 1st v 8th. Sargent wanted a win having had a week to recover from their cup exploits and to keep up their excellent league performance. Moyola Park were a combative side and chances were few and far between in the early stages. In the 24th minute, a long ball over the top found Wigman free of both centre backs but he could only fire wide with Ferris to beat. It took until the 35th minute for Tobermore to muster a meaningful opportunity. Smith's free kick from the centre circle looped into the area, bounced a couple of times as Moyola Park struggled to clear allowing Kearns to power home from a few yards out. Tobermore had their tails up and should have made it 2-0 when the referee played a brilliant advantage after Keane was flattened when clean through but Martin could only shoot narrowly wide. A couple of minutes later, Keane wasn't flattened when clean through and fired in off the crossbar from inside the area. In stoppage time, McIlveen was shown a straight red card for a needless two-footed lunge on Martin near the centre circle and Moyola Park were reduced to ten men for the rest of the game. Sargent was pleased at half time and made sure he let the team know. However, rather than pushing on they seemed to be content to sit on it despite Sargent's efforts to encourage them forward and were punished in the 64th minute. A sloppy pass from McIlhatton led to Willighan being played through and he kept his composure to fire low across Ferris and into the far corner. Sargent was furious. In the 85th minute Keane was rightly flagged as offside, touching in McClure's effort when he didn't need to. It nearly cost them the win as Willighan thought he had grabbed a late equaliser, poking past Ferris when played through, the ball kissing the post on its way into the net. Sargent was relieved to see the assistant's flag raised. It had been a tight one but was the correct decision. After that scare, Tobermore managed to keep their composure and saw the game out. Sargent told the players exactly what he thought in the dressing room. He wouldn't allow such complacency again. 15/12/2023 - LPIL v Newington (A) 6th v 1st. After picking up their first away win in emphatic style against Banbridge, Sargent wanted more of the same. Paddy McCrory was suspended so Stuart Forrest switched to right back, Gillan replacing him in midfield. Newington began the brighter, moving the ball through the lines quickly allowing Stuart to have an effort from the edge of the box which sailed over. Stuart continued to be a threat on the break, Newington's compact shape meaning they maximised any opportunity to break. Defending in numbers, Tobermore struggled to break them down until the 30th minute. Forrest fed Keane in the right channel and the striker continued his excellent form with a typical Keane finish into the far corner to give Tobermore the lead. Martin went close with a decent effort from the edge of the area before half time but it was 1-0 at the break. The second half was a quiet affair thanks to more resolute defending from the home side but Tobermore doubled their lead in the 69th minute. A throw in from Morgan on the left found Keane, who swivelled and sent a raking cross to the back post where Gillan was lurking to nod home. Sargent made some changes to freshen the legs. In the 79th minute, Keane sealed the three points with a towering header from a Whiteside cross from the left, rising above his man to nod home off the post, the ball dribbling across the goal before eventually crossing the line. Martin wasted a brilliant chance in stoppage time, unmarked five yards out but could only nod over. Yet more goals for talisman Gary Keane, and the trip back to Tobermore was a satisfying one with another clean sheet and three points in the bag. The side were definitely clicking now. Sargent was allowing himself to dream of a title charge. 23/12/2023 - LPIL v Belfast Celtic (H) 1st v 3rd. Sargent wanted to stretch the gap to the play off place as well as gain revenge for the defeat earlier in the season. Sargent named his strongest side. However, all the recent momentum gained seemed non-existent during a tepid first half display. Belfast Celtic were a tall side and made the most of set pieces. Tobermore only managed one effort in the first half after watching Belfast Celtic lay siege to the Tobermore game. How it was 0-0 at the break, Sargent couldn't explain. There was only one side that looked to be top of the table based on that first half. He made the players aware of his thoughts and demanded a much improved effort after half time. In the 49th minute, Martin had the best Tobermore chance of the game, forcing a header at goal that dribbled about four yards wide. It was an effort at least but Sargent was still scowling on the touchline. His scowls turned into a smile a few minutes later. Some excellent pressing by Keane saw him win the ball back in the Belfast Celtic half, toeing the ball to Rafferty. His strike partner clipped the ball in towards Martin but everybody missed it. Except Keane who had continued his run. The ball ran into his path and he slammed the ball into the top corner from ten yards out. Sargent hoped it would open the game up a bit from there. Tobermore created another glorious chance in the 58th minute as Keane played through Martin, always willing to break forward from midfield. However, the midfielder's shot cannoned off the bar and looped over. Belfast Celtic continued to probe but Tobermore were a threat on the break, Martin having another opportunity in the 66th minute, shooting harmlessly over when he should have at least hit the target. In the 74th minute, Rafferty's goal drought continued as he saw his effort from Martin's pullback cannon off the far post when he should have found the net. McCrory on the rebound could only shoot straight at the keeper. Sargent was keeping everything crossed that these missed chances wouldn't come back to haunt them. He made changes, Cahill coming on for an out-of-sorts Rafferty, and the youngster had a great opportunity to give Sargent some thinking to do but could only shoot straight at the keeper when played through. Belfast Celtic continued to pose a threat and sent another warning shot that Tobermore only had a one-goal lead in the 84th minute, McAlorum's free kick thudding off the left-hand post. Thankfully, Tobermore saw the game out from there. A hard-fought victory. Keane was the difference yet again. 30/12/2023 - LPIL v Queens University (A) 7th v 1st. Three away wins on the bounce? Sargent certainly hoped so. It was a strong line-up again, none of the players seemingly suffering over Christmas. Tobermore made a better start in this game, grabbing an early lead after 7 minutes. Smith's free kick was cleared but a perfect return pass from Kearns found him in tonnes of space. He took a couple of touches before firing into the top corner from a narrow angle. Two minutes later, O'Mullan rose highest at the near post to nod home Smith's corner and in a blink of an eye it was 2-0. The players appeared to switch off a little from that point, although Rafferty should have done better when played through, his tame effort easily claimed by the keeper. 2-0 at the break. Sargent didn't say much at half time, remembering the side's reaction against Moyola Park. The home side had the best early chance of the second half, Hughes firing just wide from the edge of the box with Ferris scrambling to get there. Sargent was beginning to become nervous as Fell's header landed in Ferris's gloves but those nerves dissipated when Smith's lofted ball from inside the centre circle found Rafferty on the edge of the area. Rather than bringing the ball down, he stooped to head the ball towards goal, catching the keeper by surprise. The ball found its way into the corner and at 3-0, Sargent couldn't see a way back into the game for the home side. He didn't account for Queens University's substitute striker, Simon Johnston. In the 81st minute, he found himself goalside of Kearns and found the bottom corner with a low drive and two minutes later Sargent was barking orders at the team as Johnston nodded in Hughes's cross from the left. 3-2. Out of nothing. Thankfully, Whiteside's flick from Ferris's goal kick found the run of Forrest who was put clean through and dinked the ball into the far corner from the right side of the area. Sargent was relieved. However, straight from kick off, Johnston's throughball found the run of McIlroy who chipped the ball over Ferris. The ball clunked off the crossbar and McCrory hacked the ball away. According to the stats, the home side had had the better chances but Sargent was pleased to come away with a 4-2 win. Despite Smith's set piece wizardry, Simon Johnston's cameo won him the player of the match award. He had completely changed the game when he came on. It meant Sargent's side signed off the year with another three points and were sitting proud at the top of the table, two points clear of Limavady. Review A fantastic month capped off with goals galore and some impressive performances. Sargent's main concern around the dining table was how he was going to keep hold of his players. Plenty of them were attracting interest and he knew he wouldn't be able to offer them improved terms. Hopefully being in with a chance of winning a trophy or two might persuade them to stay. This time last year he had returned to London for New Year and discovered his brother was having another child. No such shocks this year, but there was another mouth to feed around the table. This was also the point last year where he had celebrated his first full month in management. He had been employed as a manager for more than a year now, and was enjoying it, despite all the trials and tribulations. He was pleased the team had slowly turned to his methods, although support in the dressing room for him was still low. His aim for the next few months was to win as many games as possible, and with his tactics, he was certain he had everything in hand.

November 2023 In a world where only six points separate top and bottom after seven games, Sargent was hoping to build on recent performances; could a title charge be on the cards? There were only three competitive games scheduled for November, though. 11/11/2023 - LPIL v Limavady United (H) This game came on the back of the news that Sargent had completed his National C Licence. He was straight into the boardroom asking if he could possibly do the next one, with them having been keen to send him on his first one in the summer. He had been working hard between training sessions and fitting kitchens. He was delighted to see that the board had agreed to fund his National B Licence prior to kick off. If form continued, he could complete it before the end of the season and request a National A Licence before his contract expired. Before that, he had to focus on the game at hand. 3rd v 1st. A win could see Tobermore top the table if other results went their way. It was an unchanged line-up with things finally starting to click for them. It was a tense start, neither side creating anything particularly clear cut. Box up front for Limavady was the main threat, using his power and pace to terrify the Tobermore defence. Ferris pulled off a great save in the 36th minute to deny him, tipping over Box's effort from the edge of the box. Sargent was preparing his half-time team talk when Rafferty broke free in the left channel, centred the ball after a neat turn to find Forrest unmarked in the middle who lashed home to give Tobermore the lead. If they could contain Box, Sargent was hopeful of picking up three points. He asked for more of the same in the second half. Within seven minutes, a neat throw-in routine found McCrory free on the edge of the area but he blasted over. In the 57th minute, Brown headed a far post cross narrowly over, and Sargent knew a second goal would be needed. From the goal kick, some nice interplay on the right between McCrory, Forrest, and McIlhatton found Keane in the right channel, and he raced through to double the lead with a powerful effort from an angle. In the 65th minute a corner from the right was nodded in by O'Mullan for his first ever Tobermore goal. Gillan went close with a curling effort from outside the area towards the end of the game, and the problematic Box produced an outstanding save from Ferris after a persistent run through the middle. Forrest and Keane also had good chances to heap misery on Limavady before the end but couldn't find a way past Wells. On the balance of play, Limavady had created the better chances but Tobermore had been clinical. O'Mullan picked up the player of the match award after a solid display at the back, although that owed much to Box's lack of finishing and Ferris's display in repelling him. They returned to the dressing room to find they were two points clear at the top after Belfast Celtic and Armagh drew with each other. Sargent was delighted. Nobody could take that away from him. 25/11/2023 - LPIL v Banbridge (A) After a weekend off which included a 2-0 win over local side Maghera Strollers, Sargent was eager to see if Tobermore could pick up an away win. With three clean sheets in a row, he was hoping that would have given the defence some confidence. Training performances had improved even more, club atmosphere was much better than when he had arrived, and the managerial support was starting to favour him slightly. Results had seemingly won a lot of people around. In a surprising development, even the press conferences were going better, with the atmosphere in those much more positive than when he had first arrived as a virtual unknown, despite the good work he had managed with Goytre United. Could they pick up their first away win in the league here against the side in 5th at the start of the day? Banbridge had the first effort of the match but in the 13th minute, McIlhatton received the ball outside the area, took a touch to create an angle, and launched a rocket into the bottom-right corner of the net. Sargent was out of his seat applauding. A fantastic strike from someone who hadn't always put the effort in during training. Three minutes later it was 2-0. McCrory sent a booming ball over the top to find McMenemy wide on the left. His pullback found Morgan on the edge of the area and his low cross took a deflection to end up sneaking in at the far post. Two goals out of nothing. Sargent wasn't complaining. Morgan's attempt had been a cross but it would count as his first senior goal. Banbridge nearly pulled one back shortly afterwards; Ferris pulling out an outstanding save to deny McCarrick from a free kick. The game settled down after that, but McCarrick's set piece delivery led to Banbridge putting themselves on the scoresheet before half time. A free kick wide on their right wing was squared to the unmarked Michael McCavitt near the penalty spot whose scuffed shot ended up squeezing in past an unsighted Ferris. Sargent was philosophical at half time. It had been a good start but they had eased off and had now been pegged back at half time. Could they raise their game again? Within 10 minutes of the restart, McMenemy notched his first goal for the club as he picked up a loose header outside the area, drove into the box, and unleashed a powerful left-footed effort into the roof of the net from 12 yards. McCarrick continued to send dangerous set pieces into the box but Tobermore made it 4-1 with a lovely move building from the back. McCrory broke down the right and his low cross was tapped in by Rafferty for his 10th goal of the season. McMenemy limped off after 72 minutes and Gillan came on to replace him. Banbridge then pulled one back as the defence were beginning to tire. A loose header from Kearns gave the ball back to the home side, who found Weir in the left channel and Stephen McCavitt reacted quicker to the cross than O'Mullan to turn home at the near post. Michael McCavitt then powered a header against the crossbar after 80 minutes, and Sargent had the sense his side were starting to creak under the pressure. He encouraged them and from the goal kick another neat passing move resulted in Crooks finding McIlhatton in the right channel. His effort should have been easily saved by Hunter, who inexplicably let the shot slip through his fingers to make it 5-2. Banbridge continued to threaten and received a lifeline as the clock ticked over 90 minutes as Adam Black brought down a Kearns header about thirty yards out, and curled a glorious effort past an unsighted Ferris. Sargent could only shake his head as the Banbridge crowd demanded more, roaring their team on. Could Tobermore hold out? McIlhatton made the scoreline even more convincing deep into stoppage time with a low drive from the edge of the box that deflected past a helpless Hunter to make it 6-3. Sargent was effusive in his praise for the side as they walked off. It had been a performance even he hadn't expected. A 6-3 win away from home was virtually unheard of. Some of the players he had been criticising in training had really stepped up, noticeably McIlhatton with his hattrick. It was even more remarkable for the fact that they only had 7 shots on target with an XG of 0.99. 28/11/2023 - Intermediate Cup Second Round v Larne Tech O.B. (A) Coming three days after the Banbridge game meant Sargent was keen to give the reserve players an opportunity to impress. Monster had always been keen to progress in cup competitions and Sargent had taken that on board. After their win over Wellington Rec in the last round, Sargent wanted to make sure they were in the hat for another round. This competition presented a perfect opportunity to add some silverware, with sides from their current division, non-league sides, and the top division's development sides included. Declan Martin, Matheus, and Eoin Gillan made rare starts but the rest of the side were first-teamers. Tobermore didn't make the best of starts, the non-league side putting on some early pressure in forcing a corner. As the cross was swung in the referee blew his whistle, indicating that Gillan had pushed McAllister. Kane stepped up and drove the ball down the middle. Ferris nearly managed to keep it out but couldn't prevent the ball from slipping past him. The rest of the half was a turgid affair. Larne Tech managed to keep Tobermore away from their goal with defending in numbers and nothing Tobermore tried seemed to work. When Larne Tech went forward they were good at keeping the ball and made it count when a long ball from the halfway line by Campbell found the run of Heggarty between the two centre backs and he was able to prod the ball past an onrushing Ferris. Sargent was furious and he let the players know it. Thankfully, a long ball from Kearns was mis-controlled by Campbell allowing Martin to run through and fire low past the keeper to reduce the arrears. Sargent's fury continued during the half-time team talk and he demanded the players improve in the second half. Within three minutes, they were level. Martin's flick on found the run of Keane who fired the ball home on the bounce from inside the area. Sargent was out of his seat demanding more. In the 56th minute, Forrest nodded Tobermore in front with a decent header at the back post from Keane's cross. Tobermore continued to press and two questionable offside decisions added to Sargent's annoyance. However, Keane made it 4-2 in the 68th minute with a tap in after the keeper had dropped McCrory's cross. In the 80th minute, uy7tested Keenan with an effort from the edge of the box and the hapless keeper let the shot spill through his hands to make it 5-2. In what had been an end-to-end cup tie, McAllister's low effort from the corner of the area clipped the far post to show that Larne Tech weren't out of this game just yet. In stoppage time, Keane grabbed his hattrick. Martin's through ball was perfect for the striker's run, and Keane's shot cannoned in off the crossbar to add a degree of comfort to the scoreline thanks to a blistering second half display. The 6-2 scoreline didn't quite show the full picture of the game but Sargent was thrilled with his side's comeback and he was intrigued to see what the draw for the next round produced. Review An excellent month with three wins and lots of goals. The team were starting to click and the Rafferty/Keane partnership up front was producing plenty of goals between them. Sargent's visit to his brother's was postponed due to the quick turn-around in games but his brother did make the trip out to Tobermore to visit him instead. Sargent opened his front door with a satisfied air with his side top of the league. It wasn't all plain sailing, though. Managerial support was still low, and fringe player Lee McMenemy was starting to kick up a fuss in training due to wanting to play more. However, the board were happy with Sargent's progress. Things had seemingly settled down at his brother's house too. His thumb had healed and he had bookings coming at him from all angles. It was looking like a decent Christmas in the Sargent households.

October 2023 In a world where Bayern Munich have sold three of the top four highest transfers so far (Kimmich to Manchester City for £129m, and both Sane and Gnabry to Real Madrid for £98m and £76m respectively), Sargent was wondering where his next away win was coming from. 07/10/2023 - LPIL v Armagh (A) Armagh were top of the table going into this match. Sargent hadn't seen anything in the league yet to fear, and didn't see the point in ditching his balanced philosophy just yet. He had faith in playing balanced away from home still - it had worked in Wales, although not towards the end. Gillan started in midfield alongside McIlhatton and Forrest. Armagh started strongest, forcing an early corner. King's corner was headed away but the ball found its way back to him and he knocked it in to the unmarked Carr running on to the ball from the edge of the box. His low shot was fumbled in at the near post by Ferris. It wasn't the way he had wanted the side to start the match. From the restart, the ball found Forrest in the right channel and his low cross was smashed off the underside of the bar by Gillan. Sargent was fully expecting the referee to point to the centre circle but play continued. It had looked over the line from the dugout. Fortunately they weren't behind for long. McIlhatton tried to get the ball over the top on several occasions but couldn't seem to beat the first man. When Forrest retrieved a rebound, he managed to loop it up and over for the run of Rafferty who strode into the box and smashed the ball past the keeper at the near post. Armagh proceeded to dominate the rest of the half but couldn't find a way past Ferris. Campbell wasted the best chance taking advantage of a horrible misunderstanding between Ferris and O'Mullan only to have his shot blocked when he had time to pick his spot. From the clearance, McIlhatton wasted a good opportunity when put through, forcing Crawford into a good save. 1-1 felt about right at half time. Both sides had had chances but both would have felt hard-done-by to be behind. Sargent encouraged the team - they were doing fine. Gary Keane had a decent opportunity early in the second half but his shot deflected up in the air for an easy catch for Crawford. In the 63rd minute, an aimless ball over the top went straight through to Crawford who launched a long kick upfield. The Tobermore defence stood and watched it sail over their heads, nobody reacting to Lavery's run. Ferris was caught out of position and could only dive in vain as Lavery found the net from a narrow angle. Three minutes later, Patterson thumped home a King corner to make it 3-1. He had won near enough all of his headers and this was no different. Sargent turned to the bench and sent on Whiteside and Harkness, hauling off McIlhatton and Gillan. It sparked something in the team. Keane was found with a glorious through ball and he managed to slot home to reduce the arrears. With time running out, Smith stood over a free kick about thirty yards out. His effort smacked off the crossbar but Keane reacted quickest to turn home from a couple of yards out. Sargent was out of his seat and jumping down the touchline as the striker was mobbed by his teammates. It hadn't looked likely but Keane had rescued a point. It had been a fairly even game so a draw was probably deserved. Keane was the hero with his brace and his partnership up front with Rafferty seemed to be flourishing. 10/10/2023 - North West Senior Cup Semi Final v Coleraine (A) Another chance to test himself against a top division side, everything in the press suggested this match would be comprehensively won by Coleraine. Sargent wasn't so sure. He had confidence in his players, despite the match taking place swiftly after the Armagh fixture. It was also the largest crowd he had ever managed in front of, the ground packed with over 3,000 fans in attendance. It was an opportunity to at least give a top side a scare, if nothing else. He was forced into changes at the back, Crooks and Matheus having to start. McMenemy and Bennett came into the midfield too but Rafferty and Keane were fit enough to start up front. Coleraine played an odd formation with five central midfielders which packed the centre of the pitch. In the 11th minute, the referee pointed to the spot when he deemed Rafferty to have been too physical with Corr. Lafferty stepped up and sent Ferris the wrong way. They would have to do it the hard way again. Tobermore's best chance of the first half fell to Keane in the box. Morgan had enough space to play Keane in, and he found the far corner of the net with a tidy finish. 1-1 at half time. There were some tired legs in the dressing room so Sargent tried to rally them. They had come from behind before. Just after the hour mark, McIlhatton drove past Rafferty and picked up the striker's through ball. Two Coleraine defenders were drawn towards him leaving Keane all alone in the area. The square pass came and Keane lashed home to send the away fans into raptures. Could they do the unthinkable? Their joy was shortlived. Doherty seized on Matheus's indecision with a bouncing ball, nipping the ball away from the youngster. Ferris got a strong hand to the shot but it trickled over the line to draw the sides level. Neither side could find a winner and it was looking like a penalty shoot-out until Keogh was played through the middle with a neat passing move and he kept his cool to end Tobermore's resistance with two minutes remaining, his low shot finding the bottom corner from inside the box. Sargent tried to not be too hard on them. They had run a top division side very close. Keane was a superstar. But they were out of the cup. 21/10/2023 - LPIL v Portstewart (H) One of the sides that had refused to offer Sargent a coaching badge in the summer were the next opponents, thankfully with a few days rest in hand. Having made a better-than-expected start to the league, this was a battle between 6th and 7th. Both sides would presumably be happy with those finishes at the end of the season. However, it was a home game. Sargent wanted three points. After the Coleraine game, he tweaked the tactic to put the backline on a standard position, rather than pushing up the whole time. He wanted to restrict the balls over the top, and give the midfield more space to work in. He also made the advanced playmaker a central midfielder on attack. McIlhatton had been prone to wandering around all over the place and hadn't been all that effective. One of the developments in recent weeks was Smith's prowess with a dead ball. In the first minute, Keane was shoved over about thirty yards from goal. The defensive midfielder stepped up and curled an absolute beauty past the keeper to give Tobermore the lead. In the 16th minute it was 2-0. Smith over a free kick again, this time near the left corner of the box. His deep cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Kearns and into the net. A minute later, Rafferty was sent through and as he was about to pull the trigger, Bradley tripped him. Rafferty dusted himself off to stroke the ball into the bottom left corner and make it 3-0. Sargent settled into his seat to watch the team put on a show. They grabbed a fourth before half time, McIlhatton stroking in from four yards after Rafferty could only turn Keane's cross against the post. Sargent said nothing to the team at half time. There wasn't anything to say. 4-0 was a dream scoreline and entirely deserved on the balance of play. In the 57th minute, Forrest chested home at the back post but the assistant's flag was raised. A minute later, Keane also had a goal chalked off, his run not quite timed to perfection. Tobermore eventually grabbed their fifth in the 77th minute. Daniel Barfoot, on as a substitute, benefitted from McMenemy's persistence and pressing, the youngster nicking the ball off Peden in his own area and then squaring it via a deflection so the ball sat up nicely for the substitute to smash in his first goal of the season. A comprehensive victory and a professional performance lead by Smith's free kick prowess. Sargent was delighted. He was even more delighted when he discovered the win had catapulted them into 3rd. Could they pick up enough wins to stay there? 28/10/2023 - Intermediate Cup First Round v Wellington Rec (A) Another cup competition (the third of four) and Sargent wanted his side's form to continue. They had done well in cups so far, a trend he hoped wouldn't end in a shock defeat here. He sent out the first XI to try to continue the momentum. It took half an hour to break the deadlock in this one but Tobermore broke through on the left side, Morgan completely unmarked as the ball was worked out to him. He took a couple of touches to stride into the box before smashing home. With the shackles loosened again, Ferris's long ball found the run of Rafferty, who hooked in a shot from the edge of the box which the keeper could only help into the net. Morgan was a constant menace down the left and he set up the third a minute later. His through ball found the run of Forrest who flicked a left-footed effort into the bottom right corner. 3-0. It looked to be game over. Tobermore weren't done, though. Smith scored another scorching free kick from range, a similar position to his effort against Portstewart, and it was 4-0 before half time. Things settled down in the second half, McCrory turning provider this time as his deflected cross ran straight into Keane's path, and he couldn't miss from a few yards out, poking the ball in at the near post. Job done. Into the next round. Review A solid month for Sargent. Unbeaten in two league games. Progress in one cup despite defeat in another. He could enjoy his end of the month dinner back in London. The tactical tweaks he had made seemed to have had an impact and they were looking far more potent going forward. With no clear frontrunner in the league, the top six were separated by a point, for instance, Sargent hoped he had gained enough support with two consecutive 5-0 wins. At the very least he had made the Northern Irish third tier teams sit up and take notice with their impressive goal difference in comparison to the rest of the top sides. Keane had 6 goals and Rafferty had 4 assists. Keane was also the best performer with an average rating of 7.67. In terms of his end of month meeting with the board, they were pleased on the whole, but the wage budget situation was still making them a bit jittery. They also cited his support in the dressing room hadn't improved much but Sargent had pointed to the results as evidence that the team were starting to come around to his methods. The beers went down a bit better than the ones in September, at least. His brother was still sleep deprived, and he was worried it was starting to have an impact on his work, nursing a sore thumb he had caught with a hammer a week ago.

September 2023 In a world where Manchester United spent a net total of £214m in the transfer window, Sargent was coming under scrutiny for the dressing room mutiny. The narrow defeat against top-tier Warrenpoint had been a stick the players were using to beat him with, citing his lack of experience. Could he turn it around? 02/09/2023 - LPIL v Belfast Celtic (A) A first competitive away league game of the season saw Tobermore United travel to Belfast Celtic. Sargent was keen to pick up the first win of the season against a newly promoted side that had lost their first game. Tobermore began sluggishly, allowing Glackin to break through inside the opening minute, but the Belfast Celtic forward couldn't find a way past Ferris, sliding his shot past the near post. In the 19th minute, Keane broke clear on the halfway line, playing through his strike partner Rafferty, who calmly took it around the keeper and found the net to give Tobermore United the lead. Tobermore United continued to press forward and Morgan hit the post in the 31st minute with an effort from inside the box which the keeper then managed to smuggle around the post. Five minutes before half time, McAlorum hit the corner of post and bar with a stunning free kick from all of thirty yards. 1-0 at half time. Sargent was pleased and encouraged the side to continue in the same vein. Within a minute of the restart, McAlorum went close again with another free kick to act as a reminder that a goal lead is rarely safe. Belfast Celtic began the second half with much more intent, Whiteside going close with a header before they grabbed an equaliser. Rafferty couldn't win his header on halfway and Belfast Celtic released O'Brien down the left. His cross landed perfectly on the head of Whiteside, completely unmarked in the area, and his header kissed the post on its way in. 7 minutes later and Belfast Celtic grabbed a deserved lead. O'Brien once again broke the back line and his cross for Jasir this time was turned in. Sargent made changes but couldn't spark a comeback. McCauley was dismissed late on for hauling down Cahill as he broke through in stoppage time but there wasn't enough time left to make it count for anything. Sargent wasn't too unhappy; Belfast Celtic had been the better side and had scored when they had the chances. However, he knew he would need to make sure the team didn't shrink from the fight as they had appeared to in this game. They had only had one effort in the second half. That had to change. 12/09/2023 - North West Senior Cup Quarter Final v Newbuildings (H) A chance to reach a cup semi-final beckoned if Tobermore United could find their way past a side they could only draw against in their pre-season friendlies. After ten days' rest, Sargent fielded his strongest possible side. They hadn't won for three matches, and this presented an ideal opportunity to do so. After putting the away side under considerable early pressure, Rafferty opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, tapping home from Keane's pullback. He scored his second of the match from the penalty spot having been clipped by Wray as he tried to shoot, smashing the ball to the keeper's left in the 40th minute. Tobermore United added a third before half time, Keane heading in Tennant's cross from the right. Tobermore United were cruising. Sargent didn't say much at half time; he just wanted more of the same. Straight from kick-off, Tobermore United built a move which ended up with Keane's effort bouncing off the far post. Newbuildings pulled one back in the 53rd minute, much to Sargent's irritation. They broke in down their left wing, McIntyre having all the time in the world to pick out a teammate in the box and it was McGurk who gleefully smashed home with a red shirt nowhere to be seen. They didn't mount much of a comeback, though, and it was Tim Cahill (not that one) who grabbed a fourth for the home side in the 81st minute. On off the bench, he kept his composure on the edge of the box to slot in after a defensive mix-up. It was a welcome win for Sargent and he hoped that it would be followed up with a win in the league. They had proved they could win matches. Now they had to demonstrate it in the league. 16/09/2023 - LPIL v Distillery (H) 10th v 7th in the fledgling league table. Sargent wanted to build on the mid-week victory. Distillery were the favourites, but Sargent would always back his side at home. Distillery were predicted to be battling at the bottom of the league, so Sargent wanted to put down a marker here if possible. He knew there were goals in the team. It was whether they could keep them out at the other end that would determine their results. In the 6th minute, Morgan played a long ball forward which was flicked on by Rafferty. Keane ran through and tucked the ball past the keeper. Sargent had switched the strikers' sides, Rafferty on the left and Keane on the right, and it looked to have paid off. In the 17th minute, O'Mullan could only hit the post from an acute angle when the ball broke to him in the box following a corner. Tobermore United continued to besiege the Distillery goal and grabbed a second when Rafferty picked the ball up inside the box, ran out of the area into the D, and unleashed a low drive which kissed the post on the way in. A glorious goal that had Sargent out of his seat. It could have been 3-0 a minute later but McCrory's header thudded off the post from Rafferty's cross. 2-0 at the break and Sargent was delighted. They had been all over Distillery and he wanted more of the same in the second half. Keane lay any doubts to rest in the 52nd minute, benefitting from a missed header leaving him to smash home from the edge of the area with the keeper out of position. From the kick-off, Distillery broke forward and there was disbelief on the Tobermore United bench as the referee pointed to the spot when McCrory was deemed to have kicked the shins of Lynch inside the box. It was soft at best. Metcalf passed the ball into the bottom right corner past Ferris and they had a goal back. Thankfully, Tobermore United restored their three goal lead straight away. McElhatton's ball over the top found the run of Keane and he kept his cool to stroke home to make it 4-1 and grab a hattrick. Sargent hoped that would kill off any hopes of a Distillery revival. Distillery continued to threaten, McLaughlin escaping from Kearns on the hour mark and Ferris denying him with a good low save. Tobermore United put the game beyond doubt in the 84th minute when Cahill smashed home from close range from Rafferty's ball over the top to make it 5-1 and round off a fantastic performance. Keane was the player of the match following his hattrick but Sargent was pleased to see Cahill had now bagged in consecutive games off the bench. He was bemused when looking through the stats to see Distillery's XG was actually higher than Tobermore's. It hadn't felt like that sort of game, despite McLaughlin wasting several one-on-ones. 23/09/2023 - LPIL v Knockbreda (H) Another home game meant another chance to take all three points. Last week's win had seen Tobermore climb to 6th while their opposition were in 9th. Training performances had slowly started to improve following Sargent's less-than-complimentary feedback he had been dishing out. Another convincing win would certainly help improve the players' faith in his methods. He hadn't been helped by Lurgan Celtic signing Lewis Tennant from beneath him, though. Powerless to offer an improved contract, and with there being rumblings of discontent from the board about having to fork out more than £50 p/w to satisfy player wages, Sargent knew he wouldn't be able to sign a replacement. A loan, maybe, in the January window if it was going to prove too much of a problem. For now, he had to make do with what he had. Having been free-scoring the week before, Sargent was disappointed to return to the dressing room with the score at 0-0 at half time. The two sides had cancelled each other out. Knockbreda had their best chance of the game shortly after half time when Davison escaped Kearns's clutches, racing through, but only able to clip his shot wide with Ferris to beat. Rafferty also wasted a good chance, only able to hit a tame volley at the back post when completely unmarked which the keeper smothered. Five minutes later, Rafferty made amends. Using his strength to nudge the defender off the ball, he took one touch and fired past Pauley to break the deadlock. As Knockbreda began to push forwards chasing an equaliser, they were caught on the break in the 81st minute. Forrest was sent clear and he had time to pick his spot and fire low past Pauley to double the lead. It settled Sargent's nerves and Tobermore saw the game out from there. Knockbreda did create a few chances before the end but they found Ferris in fine form. Rafferty had been the best player on the pitch, with a goal and an assist, closely followed by Kearns's imperious display at the back. One note of concern was the injury suffered by McElhatton, stretchered off in the 75th minute. However, it turned out to be a bruised knee so he should be fit for the Bangor game. 30/09/2023 - LPIL v Bangor (A) 7th v 3rd. After two home victories, Tobermore were sitting pretty near the top of the league, only two points off the top. Sargent wasn't counting his chickens yet, though. Could they pick up an away league victory using this 4-1-3-2 formation against the promotion favourites? It was a battle of the defences in this one. Bangor's defence absorbed everything that Tobermore could throw at them and no matter what Sargent tried to tweak, they always had an answer for it. As they pressed for a winner, Bangor played on the counter. A free kick from wide on the right was swung all the way to the back post where Crooks lost his man allowing defensive lynchpin Boyle to nod home the winner in the 81st minute. After the recent successes it was a chastening defeat which showed Sargent there was still work to do. They had struggled to find a way through in this game, with mainly speculative efforts and Bangor grew into the game, taking the chance that came their way. Review A mixed month at the helm for Sargent, winning the home games and losing the away ones. There were through to a cup semi final, though, albeit coming up against top division side Coleraine. He was still struggling to gain traction in the dressing room, meaning his team talks had little impact, but he was relatively happy at sitting sixth in the league, three points off the top and five clear of the relegation spot. Rafferty and Keane appeared to be a potent partnership up front. The board were pleased enough with his start but his lack of control of the wage budget was a blot on his record. There wasn't much he could change. The formation was working on the whole. Even his brother couldn't come up with any potential suggestions at their end of the month meal. Sargent had to press on and see how far he could take them, while studying for his National C Licence between coaching two days a week and fitting kitchens when he could.

Pre-season 2023/24 With a total wage budget of £51 p/w, transfers were proving tricky. With some of the youth players having been signed to the club on appearance-fee-only deals, it meant the board wouldn't sanction any of the triallists joining on similar deals. Sargent ended up having to let some of the promising youngsters go. In the end, he had to resort to loans to bolster the squad in key areas. A lack of width meant he was being forced to use his 4-1-3-2 centre midfielders tactic he had prepared but never needed at Goytre United. On the eve of the season, he had so far only managed one new signing; a goalkeeper who had agreed to sign on an amateur contract. Nobody else had come in despite the Director of Football's best attempts too. Squad Sargent was happy enough with the balance of the squad. There was a decent mix of youth and experience but short of quality in some areas. Strength was definitely in the striking options. Transfers (updated after the transfer deadline) As mentioned above, transfers were restricted due to the lack of available wage budget. Three loans and a goalkeeper were all he managed. Young midfielder Lewis Tennant was snapped up by Lurgan Celtic in the only transfer out. Staff It was a relatively small staffing set up including some staff that the board hadn't budgeted for. As a result, Sargent didn't see the point in bringing in any more. Already having a performance analyst and a sports scientist meant he wasn't going to fire them just to stay within the board's recommended staffing levels. He was only here for a season, after all. League Season Preview Predicted to finish 11th. Sargent was hopeful that wouldn't be the case. No players in the media dream XI either. In fact, Tobermore's best player was listed as Tiarnan Rafferty, who was third bottom from the list of top players in the league. It showed the task that faced him. Pre-season fixtures It hadn't started all that well, with a 3-3 draw that they scraped through against non-league opposition. However, having settled on the 4-1-3-2 (centre mid) formation, the goals and results began to flow. Young striker Tim Cahill caught the eye with 5 goals, including a hattrick against UUJ. (The results are included in the August Review.) August 2023 In a world where Luis Enrique was the new Chelsea manager and Diego Simeone had taken over at Manchester City, Sargent was looking forward to trying to progress in two of the four cup competitions, and getting the league under way. 08/08/2023 - North West Senior Cup First Round v Limavady Utd (A) Sargent's first ever cup fixture he had taken charge of came at fellow third-tier side Limavady Utd. Predicted to finish 3rd in the league while Tobermore were predicted 11th meant Sargent wasn't expecting much. The struggles with transfers had continued, the Director of Football seemingly offering players from the youth team contracts to stretch the budget even further, despite only offering appearance-fee based deals. With the match coming almost as part of pre-season, Sargent's team selection gave chances to fringe players he hadn't seen a lot of. It didn't prevent them putting in a decent performance, exchanging shots with the hosts in an even first half. Both sides had decent moments, but it was level at the break. Sargent encouraged them. One goal could decide this. Limavady had the better chances, spurning some decent opportunities. In the 67th minute, a forceful run down the right from Forrest produced a ball across the face of goal which Cahill slammed home at the far post. Both sides had further chances to score, but reserve keeper Morgan Moore added to his tally of saves to keep the hosts at bay. It finished 1-0, which Sargent was thrilled with. He considered it to be an upset with a weakened team on the field. 12/08/2023 - Bet McLean Cup First Round v Banbridge (H) Another game against a side in the same division found Banbridge travelling to Fortwilliam Park. Sargent wanted the side to build on their performance in the last game, hoping that the player's faith in him would soon improve. He named a side that was stronger than the one against Limavady, his preferred striking pairing up front. Tobemore began the better, fashioning a couple of early chances. In the 21st minute, Banbridge broke through down the left, the ball finding McCavitt in the middle to slot home. However, he was flagged for offside. In the 35th minute, McIlhatton went close with an effort from the edge of the area following a barnstorming run from Keane, who had picked the ball up inside his own half before pulling the ball back on reaching the byline. Banbridge grabbed the lead five minutes before half time, Weir spinning O'Mullan, who should have been stronger in the tackle, and racing through to slot the ball over Moore. Sargent wasn't pleased at half time, demanding improvement in the second half. More goal pressure was required. In the 49th minute, Tennant swung in a corner from the right, and centre back Kearns rose highest to force a header at goal, which Hunter couldn't keep out. Sargent wasn't complaining. Just after the hour mark, McCavitt wasted a glorious opportunity to give Banbridge the lead. Clean through, he could only pass the ball into Moore's hands. A minute later, a ball over the top from Gillan was thrashed in on the volley by Rafferty to give Tobermore the lead. A thunderous effort which Sargent had to applaud. In the 69th minute, Gillan was also on the scoresheet, tucking home left-footed from just inside the box, another effort that Hunter may have felt he should have done better with. Banbridge gave it a good go, trying to get back into the game, Black nodding narrowly over after a horrendous misplaced pass from Gillan. However, Tobermore saw the game out, Cahill wasting a decent chance, nipping the ball off the defence in the final minute but shooting straight at Hunter. Conor Kearns was the player of the match after a commanding centre back performance. Having now beaten two teams in the same division in the cups, Sargent was hopeful Tobermore wouldn't be in for too much of a relegation battle. 26/08/2023 - Lough41 PIL (LPIL) v Queens University (H) The first league game of the season and Sargent was eager to see if he could start with a win. Tobermore United were predicted to finish 11th, with only Portstewart predicted to finish below them. Queens University were predicted to finish mid-table. Could Sargent's boys pull off a home victory? Se Ferris, Eoin Morgan (not that one), and Jay Smith all made debuts. Tobermore started brightly with Keane scoring a howitzer from outside the box after 11 minutes. Sargent hoped it would be the start of something brilliant, but Queens University responded within 10 minutes. A well-worked moved found Hughes free in the area, and he made no mistake with his header into the bottom corner from six yards out. Queens University always looked the more likely to score, carving out the better opportunities but the game ended in a draw. Not the perfect start Sargent wanted but he had to temper his own expectations; they weren't expected to win. The loanees hadn't been spectacular, but neither had anybody else, excluding Keane and his wonder goal. 29/08/2023 - Bet McLean Cup Second Round v Warrenpoint (H) A chance to test himself against a top division, saw Tobermore United welcome Warrenpoint to Fortwilliam Park. Sargent couldn't expect much from this game apart from a good performance. A win was unthinkable. However, managerial support in the dressing room was proving to be an issue. Nothing he had done so far had seemed to improve it. If he masterminded a victory, would it help? He had to make several changes from the side that had played against Queens University but Keane and Rafferty started up front together. He wanted the side to start well, just to prove to themselves they could mix it against a top tier side. They were certainly even until the 36th minute. A cross from the left was watched by both centre backs allowing Swan to hook in from close range. They added a second before half time. A loose pass in midfield was sent forwards by Davidson to find the run of Carroll, who ran through and fired into the far corner. 0-2 was a mountain to climb. Sargent didn't hold back at half time, telling them exactly what he thought. It sparked a reaction. Maybe his managerial support wasn't too bad after all. In the 47th minute, McCrory's run forward found Keane, who burst into the box and fired across the keeper and into the net. 8 minutes later, McIlhatton's cross from the right was nodded in at the far post by Gillan. An unlikely equaliser! Both teams had chances to win in normal time and in extra time but couldn't be separated. As Sargent began planning who his penalty takers were going to be, a deep cross from the right found its way to Wilson. Challenged by Harkness, the ball went straight up in the air. Wilson reacted quickest and turned the ball home to win the game for the top tier side. Sargent slumped in his seat. So close but so far. Review This was the first chance he had to go home and review things with his brother and give him a first-hand update of how it had all been going. His brother had his hands full with a three-month old so the dinner was constantly interrupted. However, it was good to see his family again, having not been home since the end of June. He couldn't believe how different the baby looked. When settling down on the sofa later, Sargent concluded it had been a mixed month, drawing the first league game, and the gut-wrenching last-minute defeat in the most recent cup game. However, he was still on track with the targets, but the lack of managerial support was still a concern. They were 9th in the table after one game and Sargent had to say he would take that if that's where they finished the season.

End of Season Review The clubhouse was packed for the end of season dinner. Sargent had invited his brother to the event to fulfil their monthly dinner, having not returned at the end of March. His girlfriend hadn't wanted to travel with the baby due at any time. It was a chance for everybody to dress up and celebrate what had been a decent season, although the form in the last few matches had dropped off. Goytre finished 10th in the league overall, which had been an improvement on 13th place, where they had been when Sargent took over. Sargent used the same format to the evening that he had experienced at Hillingdon Borough. The chairperson stood up and gave a long and boring speech about the club culture and how the future looked before going over his favourite memories. The biggest win had been the 4-0 victory at Ynyshir. The match to remember had also been an away win, the 2-1 win over Cwmbran Celtic in Sargent's first away game in charge, in front of 3 Goytre United fans. The goal of the season award was given to youngster Malcolm Meredith for his effort against Carmarthen Town in March. It was then time for Sargent to give his speech. He reminisced about the journey he had taken in finding the job, the highs of beating the league leaders at home, as well as learning about the character of his players during the defeats. He thanked everyone for their hard work over the last few months. He then handed out the following awards: Fans' Player of the Season: Morgan Thomas Young Player of the Season: Gavin Jones Signing of the Season: Wade Ripley Goal of the Season: Malcolm Meredith Top Goalscorer: Jordan Edwards (9) Most Assists: Morgan Thomas (9) Most Player of the Match Awards: Corey Francis (3) Highest Average Rating: Morgan Thomas (7.0) It was now the middle of April. His contract ran until the end of June. He returned home with his brother that night and became a full-time kitchen fitter again, while still banking the weekly wage from Goytre United. The baby was due in May so he had a self-imposed deadline of kipping in his brother's sofa until then. It was a good opportunity to save some money while he kept an eye out for his next managerial appointment. Job Hunt 2023 The club did offer a year's contract extension but with Monster's advice burning in his mind, Sargent politely refused the offer, and as his contract end date came around, he offered his resignation. He was unemployed again. Although he had some experience of managing this time. With 9 wins, 3 draws, and 4 defeats, his record wasn't too bad. The baby had been born in mid-May. He had been renting a room nearby while working for his brother but the rental arrangement was starting to wear thin. His housemates weren't football fans and while Sargent spent his free time researching training sessions, their constant disturbances became a real hindrance to making progress. As soon as he found a job, he would be off. Plenty of jobs were available for him to apply for. He made the decision not to apply for any jobs in the same league as Goytre United but did apply for other jobs in Wales. One thing he was adamant about was ensuring that the club he joined would commit to him doing a coaching badge. Two clubs he attended interviews for, Portstewart and Denbigh, turned their noses up at this, leading to those interviews ending prematurely. However, he was thrilled that other clubs did agree to it in the interview and the first club that came back to him were Tobermore United, in the third tier of Northern Ireland. The contract offered was a considerable pay rise, £250 p/w, but it was only a year's contract until the end of May 2024. However, the prospect of completing his National C Licence was the cherry atop the cake. With the money he had saved over the last couple of months, he took the flight over to the middle of the Northern Irish countryside to sign on the dotted line and take his next job in his managerial career. He had been unemployed by a football club for a grand total of five days. He was delighted to find the facilities were better than the ones he had left behind too. In terms of reputation, his new club were at a similar level to his previous one. The wage budget was much smaller but Sargent couldn't wait to get started with the players. His approach would be the same as it had been at Goytre United - triallists. Use all club resources to find as many players available on a free transfer as possible. All of the players were still on holiday, so he couldn't meet them on his first day. That would be saved for his first team meeting. However, with the pre-season still to start in Northern Ireland, he was able to lay out his plans, tactics, training schedules, and establish all the staff roles for the coming season. With four cup competitions to play in as well as the league, there looked to be a need for a decent sized squad; he was pleased to discover there was both a B team and a youth team. He put up job adverts for a physio department as well as a scout. Finally, he asked the club secretary about local kitchen fitters who might be in need of an experienced worker, as well as any local estate agents that could help him find somewhere to live. Luckily, within a couple of weeks, he was all sorted, although he couldn't wait to be done with kitchens forever. He hoped the new football season in a different country would give him that springboard to better things.

March and April 2023 In a world where Antonio Conte has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, Sargent was approaching his final five games in charge. Three in March. Two in April. Goytre United didn't have anything in particular to play for, except as high a league position as possible. Sargent promised his brother that he would invite him to the club's presentation evening after the final game and they would review everything then. 04/03/2023 - JDCS v Swansea Uni (A) The third away game on the spin saw Goytre travel to Swansea Uni, who were 5th in the league, four places and six points separating them. Swansea Uni played with a compact system but Goytre had the better of the early chances. Swansea Uni were awarded an innocuous penalty in the 12th minute, Williams deemed to have been pulling Orme's shirt as a deep free-kick came in. Sargent wasn't thrilled with the decision but could only chuckle as Moreton chipped his penalty into Morton's hands. However, the penalty seemed to knock the stuffing out of Goytre, Swansea Uni then beginning to dominate the game. They opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, Morgan tapping home at the back post after some excellent work on the left wing. Sargent told the team he expected a much better performance after half-time, which produced a couple of chances but nothing clear-cut. Swansea Uni managed to see the game out, and Sargent was left bemused. A 1-0 defeat out of nowhere. Swansea Uni had nullified them completely, the strikers barely mustering a shot between them. 11/03/2023 - JDCS v Abergavenny (H) A home game against the division's bottom side gave Sargent hope they could reverse their winless run. They hadn't even been close against Swansea. Sargent sent the side out telling them he expected them to win. It was also his last home game in charge, with three away games remaining. The game didn't begin well for Goytre. The bottom side seemed to have a freedom Sargent could only dream of. In the 8th minute, Abergavenny broke through down the left wing, Reed cutting inside and firing past Morton from a narrow angle. Thankfully, the assistant's flag was raised on the far side, but Sargent was concerned. He was harsh with them again at half-time. They couldn't drop more points here. In the 47th minute, Reed tripped Dan Jones on the edge of the area. Meredith stepped up right-footed, and curled the ball around the wall and into the top-right corner, Christie perhaps feeling he could have done better. It seemed to settle the side down and they began to put more and more pressure on the Abergavenny defence. A second goal didn't appear until the 81st minute, though. The move began with Morton, who released Ripley down the left with an exquisite long-range pass. Ripley dribbled into the area before pulling the ball back for an unmarked Morgan to volley home. Relief all round. Abergavenny couldn't muster anything in the little time remaining. Wade Ripley was the player of the match after his wonderful piece of left-wing wizardry that Sargent himself would have been proud of. Sargent also spent a few moments applauding the home fans at the end of the game. His home record had been decent; 6 wins following the 5-5 draw in his first game. 25/03/2023 - JDCS v Carmarthen (A) After only managing a draw in the weekend friendly, Sargent was keen to try and earn another away win, having picked up two points from their last three away trips. The team had only managed a 2-2 draw in a friendly the previous weekend, so his usual tactic of winning those games hadn't happened. He hoped confidence wouldn't be knocked in this match. Williams was unavailable at the back so Griffiths was in. Morgan Thomas started on the left wing allowing Dan Jones to start on the right. As always, they made a fast start but Carmarthen always seemed to have them at arms' length. Walters gave the home side the lead just after the half hour with a sensational volley from the edge of the box, Morton helpless as the ball ricocheted off the crossbar and into the net. Sargent wasn't pleased at half time; they had created the better chances but were behind. Shortly after the restart, Carmarthen made it 2-0. Bassett headed in a corner from the left at the near post, Morton letting the ball squirm through his hands. Sargent had his head in his. After 71 minutes, Meredith lashed home from the edge of the area to reduce the arrears but the damage had been done. The game ended 2-1. Undone by two set pieces. 07/04/2023 - JDCS v Trefelin BGC (A) The penultimate game of the season saw Sargent wanting his side to win another away game before he left the club. On Good Friday, he hoped it would be a good Friday against local rivals Trefelin. A win would send Goytre above them in the table. Keeping with the balanced mentality, Sargent tried to be positive in the dressing room. Trefelin were above them in the league, and a win would see Goytre overtake them. Sargent gave Ripley a start in this match, Thomas returning to his natural side. In a relatively even opening to the game, Kieron Proctor had the best chance for Goytre, wasting his one-on-one chance when put clean through. In the 35th minute, Evans grabbed the lead. Williams's long ball down the left found Ripley, who played in the attacking midfielder who finished calmly across the keeper. In the 39th minute, Allen was adjudged to have pushed someone in the area as a free-kick came in and the referee pointed to the spot. Baynes stepped up but Morton got two hands to the ball and managed to turn the ball behind. Sargent wanted more of the same in the second half. Goytre always seemed to have a measure of control; Trefelin's best chance came from a corner late on, and a welcome 1-0 win saw them rise to 10th in the league. Morton was the hero after his penalty save making up for his poor performance the previous week. 10/04/2023 - JDCS v Llantwit Major (A) Back to where it had all begun. That remarkable 5-5 draw in his first match in charge against the same opposition brought back some wonderful memories. Could he finish his Goytre United career with a win? He tried Thomas on the left wing again to accommodate Dan Jones, unable to have Ripley, Jones and Thomas on the pitch at the same time. After a cagey start, the game sprang into life when Caswell's clearance released Harris down the left, creating a 3 v 2 at the back. His ball across the six-yard box was smashed in by Parker to gave Llantwit Major the lead. Goytre responded immediately but Ethan Morgan's header clipped the far post from a corner. Morgan also went close with a header from an Andrews cross as half time approached. Sargent wasn't pleased at half time. They had been competitive but looked vulnerable on the break. Caswell's distribution did the damage again with Llantwit Major's second goal early in the second half. Allen was caught ball-watching as Caswell's clearance sailed over him allowing Parker to nip in and dink the ball past Morton into the corner of the net. Goytre upped the pressure. Morgan went on a lungbusting run allowing Jones to curl an effort at goal, and some last-ditch defending prevented Thomas and Proctor from scoring after Caswell dropped the ball. In the 70th minute, Andrews's cross from the right was headed in at the near post by Proctor to give Goytre a chance. However, Llantwit Major extended the lead late on, Davidson curling in from the edge of the area after the breakdown from a corner. It was the first time Sargent had lost by more than a single goal. Clinical finishing had been the difference in what had been a relatively even game. Sargent's thoughts turned to where he would be managing next season during the bus ride home. But first, there was the end-of-season awards evening to get through.

February 2023 In a world where Erling Haaland has only scored 12 goals in 25 matches for Manchester City in the Premier League (so far), Sargent wanted his side to kick on from a perfect January. 11/02/2022 - JDCS v Taffs Well (H) Sargent was hoping for another consecutive win against a side below them in the table but was wary of complacency beginning to set in. The message in his pre-match press conference was all about continuing with the hard work. Training performances were slowly improving as the mood around the club was beginning to lift following the winless streak earlier in the season. Sargent could only sit and watch as the side put in a lacklustre first-half performance in the pouring rain, Proctor going closest with a header from a corner that clipped the top of the bar. He didn't hold back in telling the players how he felt. Within a minute of the restart, a long ball forward aimed for Meredith's run ran into the path of Morgan, who kept his cool to create the perfect angle to tuck it past the keeper. Sargent's mood lifted slightly. It took until the 75th minute to grab another, Allen nodding in at the back post from Thomas's free-kick from the right. With only the odd half-chance here and there, it took an 89th minute effort from Proctor to add some gloss to the scoreline, collecting Thomas's cross and slotting the ball across the keeper to find the net. 3-0. Comfortable in the end and nobody could deny the fact Goytre United had been the better side. Williams put in his best performance under Sargent, winning everything at the back and was a deserved player of the match. 18/02/2022 - JDCS v Pontardawe (A) A first away game for a few weeks saw Goytre take on a side below them in the league but had proven difficult to beat so far, picking up the most draws in the division. It was the first of three away games in a row. Sargent had only taken charge of three away games: a defeat to the top side and two wins against sides in the relegation zone. He wanted more of the same from the side, though. Could their winning run continue? They certainly made the better start, Ethan Morgan's header bouncing off the post in the 8th minute. In the 25th minute, Ryan Morgan chipped the ball forward towards Proctor in the box. Inexplicably, the Pontardawe keeper came to try and claim it but Proctor had the awareness to nod the ball over him, wheeling away in celebration when the ball dropped into the corner of the net. 1-0 to Goytre. Sargent's side continued to create chances, Proctor missing a particularly decent one-on-one opportunity, Reeve denying him with a strong one-handed save. On the stroke of half-time, Allen was pushed in the box contesting a corner and the referee pointed to the spot. Andrews stepped up but Reeve produced another outstanding save, making up for his rash decision earlier in the match. Sargent encouraged the team at half-time. They were the better side, the only threat had been from a free-kick which came back off the bar, but Goytre should have scored more than once. In the 59th minute, Thomas lost out in midfield, Pontardawe releasing Tae-Yun down the left. Williams never managed to get goal-side of his man, allowing Reed all the time in the world to poke in at the back post when the cross came in. Level. Sargent wasn't impressed. In the 69th minute, Pontardawe thought they had the lead when Tae-Yun tucked in from Reed's cross following a counter attack from a Goytre corner but the assistant raised his flag. Warning signs for Goytre. Sargent's fears were founded in the 77th minute when Reed found a half-yard of space between the two centre backs, rifling a low shot from the edge of the area which Morton couldn't keep out. 1-2. Sargent instantly demanded more. They hadn't been the same side in the second half and now looked like losing. Urging them forwards, Goytre applied all sorts of pressure and on the stroke of 90 minutes, Pontardawe finally cracked. Proctor's cross from the left channel found strike partner Morgan unmarked at the back post and he had the time to take a touch and bury the ball past Reeve. Relief on the Goytre bench. But Sargent wanted more. Ethan Morgan had a chance to win it with the final kick of the game but blazed his shot over the bar from Dan Jones's cross from the right. Sargent was disappointed but some excellent goalkeeping (eventually) from Reeve and two well-taken strikes from Reed had earned Pontardawe a point. 25/02/2022 - JDCS v Cambrian & Clydach (A) Former runaway leaders Briton Ferry had been reeled in by next opponents Cambrian & Clydach in recent weeks, and Sargent was less optimistic of returning to winning ways following the disappointments of the previous week against a side in top form. Goytre started the better, having a couple of early chances. In the 12th minute a tidy move began with Allen bringing the ball out of defence, knocking the ball down the right wing for the overlapping wingback Andrews. He cut the ball back for Jones to send in a low cross and Proctor knocked the ball home from eight yards out. The league leaders did have chances in the first half, mostly from long balls over the top, but it was 1-0 to Goytre United at the break. Just before the hour mark, Williams failed to find a teammate on two occasions, inexplicably giving the ball away on the left side of the box, allowing Bull to score a header at the back post. Sargent was livid. He wanted to make sure they didn't concede any more goals, at least. They had definitely been on top. As the clock ticked down, chances were few and far between. In the 83rd minute, Cameron Harris chased down the left back, whose clearance was drilled into the substitute's shins. Harris whipped the ball into the box on to the head of Ethan Morgan, who had a free header six yards out. Lewis, the opposition keeper got a hand to it, but the ball squirmed in. A winner? Sargent certainly hoped so. He didn't change the tactic, as the opposition hadn't been particularly threatening. As time ticked on, Cambrian & Clydach threatened from set pieces, mostly. In the final minute, Francis was muscled off the ball in the centre circle, and Cambrian & Clydach broke in numbers. Two men went straight through the middle of the centre backs and it was Eason who stroked home the equaliser from the edge of the area. Sargent was frustrated. They had been the better side but only one point to show for it. Ethan Morgan was the player of the match, having formed a lethal strike partnership with fellow new signing Kieron Proctor. Review As he knocked on his brother's front door after the drive from Wales, Sargent reflected on his achievements so far. He was beginning to regret promising to only honour the contract he had been given. Goytre United was starting to form a big part of his life, even if they had only picked up five points out of nine in February. However, one of those points had been earned thanks to a late equaliser, while two points had been dropped by conceding a late equaliser. He couldn't be too despondent. It had worked out about even. Goytre United were now up in 9th place, comfortably mid-table, closer to the top of the league than the relegation zone now. The board were pleased with how it was going but still wouldn't fund a coaching course due to financial reasons. His brother was in a reflective mood. His girlfriend was having more regular midwife appointments now, and they were starting to prepare what had been Sargent's room for the baby. David was now having to sleep on the sofa. He knew there couldn't be too many more visits to come, and returning here once the season was over was looking less and less likely. His aim was to finish as high up the table as possible to stand him in good stead for finding another job.

January 2023 In a world where Brazil have won the 2022 World Cup, Sargent was in for a difficult January, playing the top two sides in the league, albeit at home. 02/01/2023 - JDCS v Briton Ferry (H) With more new signings coming in, Sargent hoped they had enough in the tank to cause an upset. Coming up against a 4-4-2, Sargent wanted the side to try to force Briton Ferry to play through the middle. Bolstered by the biggest attendance in his short tenure, 182 fans through the gate, Sargent encouraged the team to believe in themselves. Kieron Proctor, a new striker, made his debut up front. Sargent continued with the balanced mentality, he didn't want to have to concentrate too much on defending. After a tame opening twenty minutes, Proctor had the ball in the net, tapping home from a couple of yards out after Meredith's header was palmed straight up in the air by the keeper. The assistant's flag was raised, however, Proctor ahead of the ball when Meredith headed the ball. Ten minutes later, a long ball from Evans in goal for Briton Ferry sailed over Allen's head. Walters reacted quickest, taking a couple of touches before tucking past Morton from just inside the box. Sargent's heart sank. In the 39th minute, Briton Ferry extended their lead. Power's long ball over the top found the run of the pacy Bowen who had caused so many difficulties the previous week. Williams tracked the run all the way across the pitch but still couldn't get close enough to block the shot which clipped the near post on its way in. Sargent went to the edge of his technical area, trying to encourage the boys. Two long balls had both ended up in the net; the league leaders had rarely threatened otherwise. A few minutes before half time, Thomas drove the ball in low, trying to find Proctor in the box. The ball spooned up in the air towards Meredith, who brought it under control, and returned the ball to Thomas. He took a touch to get the ball out of his feet, and then had a shot which deflected up in the air, looping the ball over Evans, dropping inside the far post. 1-2. Some hope, at least. A goal behind at half-time wouldn't be too bad. Goytre United continued to press, a long ball forward comfortably nodded back to Briton Ferry keeper, Evans. Rather than kicking from his hands, he kicked it from the ground, which Allen won in the air, nodding the ball into midfield. With Jones running towards him, Williams bottled the challenge, allowing the Briton Ferry winger to skip past him and feed Bowen through the middle. His express pace took him past Allen, the ball sitting up nicely so he could put his laces through it and find the bottom corner. The mood was apprehensive in the dressing room. Sargent gave everyone a pat on the back, encouraging them to believe in themselves. They had proved they could threaten. He also dropped the defensive line slightly to try and leave less room for Bowen to exploit in behind. After half-time, Thomas met Jones's deep cross to the back post but the ball looped on to the top of the net. Even having dropped the line, Bowen still posed problems, any through-ball like catnip for him with his pace. On this occasion his shot sailed into the crowd. Sargent let out a sigh of relief. Just before the hour mark, Thomas came short to pick up a throw-in on the left, sending over a deep cross to where Jones was lurking. His header wasn't great but Evans made a mess of it, flapping at the ball, which then dropped into the net. 2-3. Signs of life. Sargent encouraged them forwards. Proctor then went close with a back-post header; the ball drifting inches wide. As the clock ticked past the 70th minute, Thomas retrieved the ball on the right, setting off on a mazy run to the byline. He pulled the ball back for Andrews to drill in a low cross. Meredith couldn't control it but Jones behind him took a touch before swinging his foot at the ball to smash past Evans. An equaliser! Sargent was off the bench in an instant demanding more of the same. They'd pegged back the league leaders. Could they find a winner? A few minutes later, Meredith went close with a free-kick, the ball not dipping quite enough. The time ticked on. Sargent kept glancing at his watch - could they carve out one more opportunity? In the 83rd minute, Thomas set off on another run down the right. His cross was another deep one and as Jones challenged for it, Alfei was deemed to have shoved the left-winger in the back. Sargent wasn't sure but the referee pointed to the spot. Right-back Andrews grabbed the ball and passed it into the bottom-left corner. A remarkable turn-around. Could they hold on? The only other notable chance of note was Andrews having an effort from range which flew an inch over the crossbar but the game fizzled out. They had beaten the league leaders. Morgan Thomas was named player of the match for his goal, assist, and direct running but the attacking midfield trio had all put in exceptional performances. Sargent was full of smiles in the clubhouse afterwards. They had kept Briton Ferry at bay in the second half. How far could they push on now? 06/01/2023 - JDCS v Ynyshir (A) Coming up against a side 15th in the league and in poor form, Sargent hoped to bag a convincing away win and see if it would provide a firm base to start climbing the table. Beating the side clear at the top of the table had proven to him that there was enough at the club to compete. He wanted to reverse the side's negative goal difference and try to get as many points on the board as possible. Beating a side looking nailed-on to be relegated would be a big help. Two more debutants were named on the teamsheet; Wade Ripley, left winger, started on the bench and Ciaran Evans, centre attacking midfielder, was in the starting eleven. After a cagey first half hour, Sargent wanted to see more from the players. However, Ynyshir created the first clear-cut chance of the game, Anstee breaking clear on the left but blazing his shot over when well placed. Ciaran Evans had a good chance late in the first half, sent clear by Morgan's forward ball but placed his shot wide. Jones nearly broke the deadlock before half-time with an effort that crashed off the post but nobody was on hand to turn the ball home. Sargent wasn't pleased with his players during the break, and made sure they knew it. In the 51st minute, Jack Owen broke through down the left, his shot crashing off the left post and rebounding kindly for Evans to slot in for a debut goal. Shortly after the hour mark, Thomas's free-kick from the right was swung in and the referee pointed to the spot. Sargent couldn't tell why. He was surprised to see the referee produce a second yellow card for Matthews too. Andrews, having scored the winner the week before, stepped up but Howe flung himself to his right to turn the ball around the post. 1-0 still but now against ten men. Five minutes later, Evans thought he had snaffled a second goal, finding himself unmarked in the middle of the area to tuck away Jones's cross but the assistant had raised his flag against Jones. In the 72nd minute, Proctor also had a goal ruled out. Sargent was starting to think it wouldn't be his day. How the score was only 1-0 was baffling. He turned to his bench, sending on reinforcements. A minute later, they grabbed a second goal. Morgan's ball from the left was pursued by Owen, but Thomas and Howe collided, the ball bouncing out to Francis outside the box. His first-time finish was shanked into the open net, the ball nestling in the corner to Sargent's relief. The left wing provided another source of goals with the match entering its twilight. Morgan's through ball found the run of Ripley, and he had no difficulty in slotting the ball home to make it 3-0. It was then Ripley's turn to provide an assist, finding the run of substitute Edwards, who kept his composure to slot home a fourth goal. The scoreline reflected Goytre's dominance, although for a while it didn't look likely. The red card had certainly had an impact. Ripley was named as player of the match after a virtuoso substitute appearance. The result boosted the league position to 11th, joint-highest of the season. Sargent was delighted on the coach on the way home. Two brilliant performances. Everything seemed to be clicking into gear. 20/01/2023 - JDCS v Barry (H) After another friendly which gave Sargent a chance to experiment with some more triallists, it was another home game against a Barry side that had fallen to 4th. Sargent hoped to pile on the pressure. After Wade Ripley's excellent substitute appearance in the last game, Sargent gave him a start on the left wing. In the 12th minute, a Barry free-kick was cleared, releasing Proctor downfield. The Barry defence backed off giving Proctor enough room to squeeze a shot in which the keeper could only help into the net. The perfect start. Barry's main threat seemed to come from set pieces, and they were unlucky to only hit the post in the 23rd minute. Before the half-hour mark, Francis's ball over the top found Ripley in the left channel. The new signing controlled it, the ball popping up for him to lash towards goal which, once again, Brass could only help into the net. 2-0 to Goytre United. Sargent was delighted. Barry pulled one back five minutes later, Johnson able to escape the back line to create the perfect angle to slot past Morton. Sargent was philosophical at the break. The team were playing well but had to be wary of the threat of Barry on the break. He demanded more of the same. Thankfully, they restored their two-goal lead within five minutes of the restart. Francis's ball over the top found the run of Jack Owen, who nodded the ball over the advancing keeper. Just after the hour mark, Proctor notched his second of the game, running on to Williams's clearance, an awkward bounce working in his favour so he could tuck the ball under Brass, the ball barely reaching the back of the net. It was over the line, though, and Proctor wheeled away in celebration. There was even time for a fifth, Ripley adding his second in the 82nd minute with a gorgeous cushioned volley having been found in the corner of the box from Thomas's deep cross from the right. Barry put a slight dampener on the result, making it 5-2 in the dying embers of the game when Peters cut inside from the left wing and his weak shot seemed to go straight through Morton. However, it was no more than a consolation. Overall, a brilliant win with Ripley taking the plaudits. Sargent was thrilled. More performances like this and there wouldn't be anything preventing Goytre United from climbing the table. 27/01/2023 - JDCS v Afan Lido (H) A local derby which the players were excited for, as well as the fans. 360 fans had made it through the gate. Sargent kept the faith with the same side that had dominated against Barry, hoping for a similar outcome. Goytre took the lead after 28 minutes when Thomas's free-kick was met by Allen at the back post with a thumping header. The derby was played at a competitive pace with both sides picking up several yellow cards. At half-time Sargent was pleased with the lead but 1-0 was never a convincing scoreline. So it proved within ten minutes of the restart. The Goytre defence were static as a ball from the left channel found Brock in oceans of space. He squared the ball to the equally unmarked Thomas, who couldn't miss from eight yards. Afan Lido then shut up shop, happy with a point. Sargent urged his side forward. He didn't want to end the winning run at home. As the clock ticked down, Francis sent a free-kick to the back post from wide on the left. Harris's header bounced back off the crossbar. Jones tried to turn it home but was scythed down in the process. Penalty! New signing Ethan Morgan was the man who stepped up and he slammed his penalty high into the net. Relief all round. Sargent and the rest of the coaching staff were on their feet. It hadn't been the same convincing performance as with the previous few games, but they had made it over the line. Review A month ago, Sargent had made it back to his brother's house to discover he wouldn't be able to return there at the end of the season. In the meantime, he had agreed to still go for an end of the month meal. There was none of the fanfare this month. Takeaway pizza was all that was waiting for him. Having won all of the games, he had been hoping for something more. As he settled down with his brother and a beer to go over the games, he began to realise his brother's attention was elsewhere. Understandably. As he laid his head down on the pillow for the night, he couldn't help but reflect on the month. Four wins out of four meant everything had come up rosy for Sargent. The team were playing well, the new signings were settling in, and the only question now was could he keep it going?

December 2022 In a world where Rafa Benitez has become the new manager at Leicester City, David Sargent had the task of taking charge of his first four league games. 03/12/2022 - Another friendly at home, this time against Kingsbridge Colts saw many triallists take to the field. Sargent was keen to ensure his squad was used to the maximum, and he had scoured the list of players available on a free transfer provided by his Director of Football, Ollie Mitchell, and the scouting department. Jose Maturino scored a hattrick to offer a glimpse of what he might bring up front in a 3-1 win that wasn't as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. Food for thought for Sargent. However, it all would mean nothing without a positive result in the following game. 06/12/2022 - JD Cymru South (JDCS) v Llantwit Major (H) Sargent's first competitive fixture in charge came against a side in good form, currently exceeding expectations by sitting 5th in the league at the start of play. Sargent had no idea what to expect. Would the fans be accepting of a complete stranger? Would the players play to their best? To his surprise, his former boss sent him a good luck message, telling him not to sweat it. Taking over a side midway through a season was always going to be tricky. The first competitive game was always going to be an unknown. If they lost, they could work on their mistakes. If they won, they would try and maintain the same level of performance. If it was a draw, then it would be a bit of both. Naming what he believed to be his best side on paper, relatively strong in their individual positions, Sargent walked out in front of 69 fans at Glenhafod Park, having encouraged the team to do their best. The first chance of the game fell to Llantwit; Marenghi threatening with a run in behind but blazing over from the edge of the area. From the result goal kick, right-back Matthew Andrews drove down the right wing, playing in Jordan Edwards in the channel. His ball found strike partner unmarked in the middle, and Jack Owen tucked the ball home. Goytre United were up and running under Sargent! Or were they? The referee blew his whistle and held his arm up. Offside. Owen had moved too soon. Sargent sat down again. A couple of minutes later, a deep booming cross from throw-in taker, left-back Ryan Morgan was nodded narrowly wide by Gavin Jones at the far post, having drifted out there for the throw-in. In the 14th minute, it was a similar story, Jones's header whistling over the bar this time. Following a break from a Llantwit free-kick, Goytre managed to craft a chance when Meredith switched the play out to the left wing. Jones cut back inside, feeding left-back Morgan, who rifled his shot in at the near post to give Goytre the lead. The first goal of the Sargent era had arrived! Llantwit tried to find an equaliser before half time, Marenghi a constant threat through the middle, but Morton in the Goytre goal was relatively untroubled. Once back in the dressing room, Sargent told the team to keep going. It was a dream first half. Could they see the game out for a huge three points? Within thirty seconds of the restart, a long ball over the top saw Marenghi escape the attentions of Glendon, and he kept his composure to round Morton and slot home at the near post. Not what Sargent wanted. 1-1. In the 53rd minute, Thomas, full of running on the right, swung in a low cross which Jack Owen met near the penalty spot with a thunderous volley which rebounded off the crossbar. Hoofed clear by Jones, Morgan was released down the left wing and with the Goytre defence backpedalling, Marenghi had the simplest task to slot home when the ball found him in the middle. Sargent kicked the water bottles in frustration. Within seconds of nearly regaining the lead, they were now behind. Thankfully, they weren't behind for long. Thomas, the danger man yet again, was released down the right following some neat passing between the midfield, and his low cross was clipped in by Jordan Edwards on the edge of the six-yard box. Just after the hour mark, Meredith and Francis exchanged passes in the centre circle before the attacking midfielder skewered the Llantwit defence with a brilliant through ball for Edwards to run on to. Skipping past the onrushing keeper, Edwards was able to tap into an empty net. 3-2! Now could they hold on? Within ten minutes it was 3-3. Caswell's long clearance was nodded away by Williams, but Llantwit were first to the ball, releasing the prolific Marenghi to smash home the equaliser from the edge of the area. Sargent banged the dugout in frustration. Two minutes later, Goytre fell behind, adding to Sargent's frustration. Another headed clearance fell straight to the Llantwit midfield, and with no pressure being applied had all the time in the world to find Morgan, who raced through to tuck home past a despairing Morton. 3-4 now. Could they find a way back into the game? They had played so well and yet were giving away silly goals through the middle. In the 79th minute, Meredith was adjudged to have been too forceful contesting a header with Morgan in the box, the Llantwit forward going to ground, and the referee pointing to the spot. Sargent slumped in his seat as Jones stepped up to drive the ball low to Morton's right. 3-5. So close but so far. The first two goal lead in the match. Sargent encouraged the players, hoping they could perhaps get one consolation. He switched the wingers to see if that could spark anything. A couple of minutes later, Thomas jinked back in on his right foot inside the box, having been found by a raking Jones pass from the right. He took a couple of touches and launched a rocket into the top corner. 4-5! Game on! Sargent encouraged everyone forwards. Could they find an unlikely equaliser in the craziest of games? With time running out, Jones was clattered in the centre circle. Substitute centre back Baker clipped a ball forward towards the strikers but it was 16-year-old Malcolm Meredith who escaped the clutches of his marker, ran on to the pass, and clipped the ball into the corner past a shellshocked keeper. 5-5! The Goytre bench went wild. What a comeback! They had looked dead and buried at 5-3 down. Meredith had turned from zero to hero. Sargent didn't know what to say in the dressing room afterwards. The problem with cutting out through balls could be addressed, but the spirit to come back into the game was great to see. An incredible first game which had swung either way. On the balance of play a draw was a fair result. There appeared to be plenty to work with. 10/12/2022 - JDCS v Ammanford (H) Another home game to begin Sargent's reign saw the former Hillingdon Borough winger line this up as a match that could go either way. Learning the lessons from the first game, Sargent hoped it would keep things tighter without losing the potency up front. Ammanford were 6th in the table at kick-off, so already had wins under their belts. There was only one change from the previous game, Griffiths replacing Williams at the back. In the 20th minute, Morton's goal kick was flicked on by Edwards finding the run of Meredith. At the same end where he notched the dramatic equaliser last week, he looped the ball over the keeper from the edge of the D. Plucked from the U19s, the attacking midfielder was proving to be a scorer of key goals for Sargent's team. In the 33rd minute, Edwards made it 2-0, tucking Thomas's cross in off the near post with a delicate flick. Thomas shredded the Ammanford defence on the verge of half time, picking the ball up near the halfway line and running past a static defence to make his way into the box and clipping the ball into the far corner from ten yards out. A remarkable run and finish. 3-0 at the break. Sargent was thrilled. Monsterball appeared to be paying dividends and they had been rarely troubled at the back. Midway through the second half, Meredith managed a second of the game. Another throw in wreaked havoc, Morgan's cross from the byline finding the attacking midfielder unmarked near the penalty spot, and his first-time finish clipped the right-hand post before dropping into the net. 4-0! Sargent thought he was dreaming. Ammanford did pull one back before the end when Evans swivelled about 30 yards out and his low skidding drive flew past an unsighted Morton into the bottom corner. However, it didn't spark a comeback and the game petered out from there. A convincing 4-1 win. Morgan Thomas picked up the player-of-the-match award following his wonder goal and assist, although Meredith was perhaps unlucky after his brace. A first three points and a much more convincing defensive display. 17/12/2022 - JDCS v Cwmbran Celtic (A) A first away game in charge for Sargent saw him lead his side out at a side in the relegation zone. Three away fans had made the trip. He was hoping to pick up another three points to build on the four he had already gained. Williams returned in defence and Aneurin Lewis replaced Jack Owen up front in the only two changes. Sargent sent the team out with a balanced mentality again; it was a game they should be winning. The first half was a stalemate, neither side creating anything of note apart from two disallowed goals. Lewis thought he had his first goal for the club in the 5th minute but was rightly flagged. It was the same story in the 20th minute, Lewis again flagged, although it was much tighter this time. They hadn't done a lot wrong but they were missing that final touch. Sargent's mood darkened when Cwmbran took the lead in the 55th minute. A free kick from wide on the right was swung in and Martin managed to loop his header over Morton. Sargent wanted more from his players and they eventually managed to grab a goal that counted. Meredith received the ball from Francis in the final third and his ball around the corner found the run of Thomas who managed to poke his shot past the keeper for an equaliser after 75 minutes. Sargent was up out of his seat in the 81st minute when Harris's long ball forward was squared by Edwards to substitute Owen, who confidently slotted home from inside the area. However, the assistant's flag was raised again, Edwards deemed to have been offside. Sargent folded his arms and sat down with a bump. He was out of his seat again a few minutes later, though. Edwards was clearly held by the man marking him as he tried to get on to a through ball, and the referee produced a second yellow card. Could they make the man advantage count? In the 89th minute, Harris's long cross-field pass found Jones hovering unmarked on the far side of the area. He had time to nod it down to Owen, who swung his left foot at it. The keeper couldn't get there and the ball rolled into the back of the net! A winner! When the whistle blew, Sargent ordered the whole team to celebrate in front of the three fans in the away end. His first away victory and the relegation zone was beginning to look further and further away. Jones took the player of the match award following his late assist. 27/12/2022 - JDCS v Briton Ferry (A) The final match of 2022 was also the first of two matches against the league leaders in the space of a week. The board and the supporters were expecting a defeat but Sargent held a faint glimmer of hope. A new centre back, Kieran Allen, had arrived, and slotted straight in at the back. Sargent was confident this would be the greatest test of his reign so far. Briton Ferry had been impressive in the league, and were keen to stretch their lead at the top. However, it didn't look likely in the 14th minute when Edwards tapped in at the near post following some tidy work between Thomas and Andrews down the right, the wing back squaring the ball for the club's senior striker to stroke home. Edwards grabbed his second goal seven minutes later. Jones's ball over the top found the striker's run and he had the confidence to punt it past the keeper from the edge of the area. 2-0. Sargent couldn't believe it. Had he somehow cracked management? They couldn't keep their clean sheet going into half time, though. A long ball over the top caught the Goytre defence cold and Walters had the easiest job in the world to square it to strike-partner Bowen who couldn't miss from twelve yards. A few minutes into the second half, Bowen found a yard of space between the two centre backs and was able to turn and fire home from inside the area with the outside of his foot. 2-2. Sargent couldn't believe it. However, they had been pegged back before. In the 56th minute, another long ball caused problems, Williams tried to execute a one-man offside trap when nobody else in the defence went with him, and Bowen had the freedom of the penalty area to take his time and tuck the ball past Morton. With the pitch condition worsening, Goytre tried to find a way back into the game, but the pace of Bowen on the break continued to threaten. In the end, Sargent had to concede the better side had won. A first defeat for the new manager, but he could take plenty of positives from the game. Review A full first month in management completed. Sargent was secretly pleased with how it had gone. His journey back to London for New Year's Eve gave him some time to plot how he could win the return match against the league leaders and make a real statement as to how the Monsterball philosophy he had inherited could work for him and Goytre United. His brother opened the front door just as he was about to knock. "Come in," he said, visibly excited, unable to stand still, a broad smile on his face. Sargent followed him inside, wondering what had happened. His brother was never this excited to see him. Wandering into the front room, there were loud cheers at his arrival. Bewildered, he looked around at the 'Congratulations' banners around the room, as well as the smiling faces of his family. His mother and father were there, wedged on the sofa together, clutching their wine glasses. "Are these for me?" he asked, before spotting the colour of the balloons. "Why are they pink? We play in blue?" "They're not for you,' his brother replied, elbowing him in the ribs. "We have some news." David scanned his brother's face, a niggling feeling in his stomach. "We're pregnant!" "Congratulations!" David called over the cheers that had erupted again. "But you live in a two-bedroom house. Where's the baby going to sleep?" "Sorry, bro," his brother said, a grim look on his face. "Your room is going to have to be converted into the nursery. We're going to need it by the summer. I know your job is only for seven months, but you won't be able to return here once your job is over." Helping himself to some bubbly from the drinks table, David caught up with his parents, giving them the lowdown on how his new job was going. The club had risen to 12th, eight points above the relegation zone now. Safety was looking more assured. He had twelve games to go - how high up the division could they finish?

November 2022 - first impressions In a world where Bruno Lage has been named the new manager at Crystal Palace, following the players losing confidence in Patrick Vieira, David Sargent was looking forward to getting stuck in to his first managerial post at Goytre United. 21/11/2022 - The rest of the day passed in a blur. Sargent was introduced to so many new faces, shook hands with so many people, and was involved with setting up exactly how he wanted the club. Staffing levels. Squad registrations. He had been installing kitchen units a few hours ago. Now he was being asked if he wanted to hire any scouts for the recruitment team and what duties his assistant manager could take on. The first match wouldn't be for a couple of weeks, meaning he would have some time on the training pitch to try to embed the tactic and work ethic he was after. He requested two friendlies. The club secretary revealed they would play home matches against Ragged School and Kingsbridge Colts on consecutive weekends. Sargent had no knowledge of either of the clubs. He knew his brother would be all over the pun potential in a team name like "Ragged School", though. Having sorted out what he wanted at the club, it was then down to the training ground to put his training plans in place, establish his tactics, and meet the players. Sargent wanted to honour Monster's shape that had taken Hillingdon Borough to three consecutive promotions. However, if there were no wide players at the club, Sargent had prepared a similar 4-1-3-2 formation with three central midfielders. He met with the players, disappointed to discover there was only one first team striker on the books, but four goalkeepers. He immediately demanded the U19 squad join them. However, he did have a little room in the wage budget to play with. He requested the club start searching for strikers available on a free transfer. It was late when he and his brother made it home that night. The journey from Wales was a long one and Sargent didn't see the point in asking his brother to give him a lift every day. He would have to figure something out. He realised he could think about that later. Now, he wanted to start planning for his first game in management. A friendly against Ragged School later that week. There would be four training sessions to complete first. 22/11/2022 - The first training session. The squad were eager to impress but seemingly a little tentative, which was understandable. Sargent could remember the first training session Monster had held. There had been an air of curiosity to see if the players fitted in with the new manager's plans and this was no different. Sargent had time to explain his vision and the targets and told them all he would see it in action on Saturday. Mid-afternoon, Jordan Arnold, the club's Press Officer had to drag Sargent away from the training pitch to meet the press. Stuart Margetson from the Welsh Football Free Press was the only journalist in attendance. Sargent was surprised to be taking questions concerning his age. At 22, he was one of the youngest members of the dressing room. He had never even considered that could be a possible issue with the players. 26/11/2022 - The first friendly fixture. Sargent named his strongest line-up that he could field against local side Ragged School. What followed was a routine 4-0 win, with four different scorers. Sargent was encouraged. The team had seemingly bought into his ideas. Now he needed them to deliver on the pitch to steer them away from the relegation places in the league. Review Having not figured out his living arrangements as yet, Sargent returned to his brother's house after the friendly, having to catch the train. His brother's girlfriend looked surprised to see him as she opened the door. Sargent explained the circumstances as his brother stuck his head out from the front room. "Tell you what," he said, "promise you'll make this a regular thing. We'll do a dinner at the end of every month and you can tell us how it's all going. Even if you move. Promise you'll do it." Sargent saw no reason to refuse, even if the train journey was a pain. Returning to his roots might keep him grounded. He could also catch up with his former boss occasionally, if he was still around. He gave them a kick-by-kick account of his first proper game in charge. His brother nodded along, pleased to see David enjoying himself again.

November 2022 - Job Search To his surprise, there were several jobs available. He submitted applications for Goytre United and Penybont in Wales, Peterborough Sports, Welling, and Concord in England, and Dunfermline and Falkirk in Scotland. The Scottish ones were ambitious but were clubs he had heard of, and he was surprised to see them in the third tier. It took two days for a club to respond and he was offered his first managerial interview at Goytre United, 13th in JD Cymru South. The interview went well and there were rumours on news websites the following morning suggesting he was the new favourite with the board. Over the course of the next week, other jobs became available. He applied for the vacancies at Barry, Dungannon, and Buxton. He wasn't expecting anything but he knew he had to be in it to win it. Keeping a close eye on the sports pages to keep abreast of any other managerial jobs while still fitting kitchens, he kept everything crossed something would come up. His phone was busy with various members of the media asking him for his opinion on possible vacancies but he didn't feel able to comment. He wanted to know if the jobs were available. On the 18th November, while installing some kitchen units, his phone rang in his back pocket. It was the chairperson at JD Cymru Premier side Penybont offering him an interview. Could he be offered a job before the weekend? He attended the interview via Zoom, before returning to assembling kitchen units. Over lunch that day, his brother stood up, yelling in surprise, waving his phone in David's face. "You're the favourite to take over at Goytre!" he shouted. "Your name is favourite with the bookies!" Could it be happening? David couldn't help but flinch every time his phone vibrated in his pocket throughout the rest of the day. Media requests. David refused to respond. The weekend passed. David attended his nephew's match on Sunday again but his attention was firmly on his phone. Nothing. No contact from either of the Welsh sides he had been interviewed by. As the sun rose on Monday morning, his hope had fizzled out. He was frustrated he had let his hopes and dreams get ahead of him. What right did he have to expect that because Monster had managed to talk himself into a managerial job with no qualifications that he could do the same? The only crumb of comfort was that he hadn't received a rejection yet from either Goytre United or Penybont. Dunfermline had sent him a polite rejection, as had Wrexham. As his brother pulled the van up the drive of the house they were working at, he stared down at the signal on his phone. Nothing. No updates today, then. He was tempted to leave his phone in the van for the day. "Connect yourself to their Wi-Fi," his brother insisted once they were inside, finding the password on the back of the router box. "You're still odds-on at the bookies. Today could be the day!" As his emails loaded, David noticed an email received half an hour ago. From Goytre United. Entitled "Job Offer". His phone nearly slipped out of his hand. A managerial position. On £110 p/w. More than he had ever earned as a player. Wrapping his arms around his brother, tears of joy leaking from the corners of his eyes, he took a moment to compose himself before calling the chairperson back to accept the role. It was only for 7 months. But it was a managerial role. He would be calling the shots. And he might even be able to convince the club to set him up on his coaching badges. After packing the kitchen in at lunchtime, David and his brother bundled into the work van and bombed along the M4 to South Wales. The club wanted to present their new manager to the media as soon as possible. After purchasing a shirt, tie, and trousers at a nearby supermarket, David Sargent arrived at Glenhafod Park to sign on the dotted line. David Sargent. Manager.

If you're interested in seeing #WoStHoF in action, here's the FM22 version: https://community.sigames.com/forums/topic/564967-fm22-wall-of-shame-to-hall-of-fame/ This story will be blog-based mostly, but I'm hoping to experiment with a few different media. The story will also begin on the full release of the game.

Introduction David Sargent, a pacy left winger, had formed a key part of Jonster Monster's reign at Hillingdon Borough, forever remembered as the player who scored the first goal of the Monster era. The club had reached the Vanarama National League South on the back of three consecutive promotions. However, Monster had departed to Aldershot on the eve of the new season after a high-profile disagreement with the board, leaving the club in disarray. Hillingdon Borough went on to finish bottom of the league managing only 3 wins all season and earning a meagre total of 15 points in the process. Sargent, injured and out of form, was shown the door. He hadn't managed any minutes on the pitch, the new manager not seeing the point of playing with wingers, and with his contract up, no new offer was forthcoming. He was informed at the training ground at the end of the season, along with several others of the squad. Collecting his kitbag from the dressing room for one final time, he was left sitting on the floor, propped against the training ground wall, waiting for a lift from his brother. He had been earning £75 p/w at the club, working as a kitchen fitter for his brother's business the rest of the time, but it wasn't something he was wanting to pursue as a full-time career. Football was his dream, ever since his debut at the age of 17 for his hometown, Bridport. Fitting kitchens in and around London would keep him going in the short-term but having had a taste of the limelight, playing in the FA Cup proper for one, he couldn't believe that his football career was done. After 69 league appearances and 17 goals for Hillingdon Borough in three seasons, Sargent was hopeful of being picked up to continue his career. Having not played for a whole season, he wasn't in the best of shape and he was turned away by most of the sides in and around Hillingdon. He even tried calling his old team back home, Bridport, in Dorset, but they didn't want to know. His spirit broken, he wondered if he would ever play football again. After returning home to his brother's house after a back-breaking day installing a marble worktop, he received another rejection email. He slung his football boots into the shed. It was too hard. Nobody wanted him. He realised that his motivation for the game at the lower levels had dwindled. A year of injuries and training in a negative environment had taken its toll. It took kicking a ball around in the back garden with his seven-year-old nephew to rekindle his interest in the game, a wild shot from the youngster knocking the shed door open to reveal his boots that were gathering dust. He eventually managed to sit down and watch some football live on TV. He had had a glimpse of professional football - his trip to MK Dons in the FA Cup when Hillingdon Borough had reached the 2nd Round of the FA Cup in Monster's final season a particular highlight. Why shouldn't he aspire to be involved at that level? He tried to get himself back into shape. He began playing Sunday league with a vow to not settle for it; he would continue to put his name forward to Tier 6, 7, and 8 teams in the local area. However, his legs weren't what they were and soon it became clear that even Sunday League was too much for him. The pitches were terrible in comparison to what he had been used to, and he missed several weeks of playing having twisted his ankle in a rabbit hole. Trying to keep his spirits up, his brother invited him to his nephew's game at the weekend, and Sargent was able to offer some advice based on his experience to the excited Under 8s. Could coaching and managing be something he could do to stay involved with the sport? Having recovered from his twisted ankle and after a few weeks of further trials and rejections in and around the M25, Sargent was resigned to fitting kitchens the rest of his life. One evening, Sargent received a call from his former boss who was after a new kitchen. Sargent turned up at Monster's house, fascinated to see how his career was faring, hoping to hear some stories of how Monster had made it into the managerial business. The former winger returned home that evening in brighter spirits having been regaled with tales of the brush factory and what the cup wins and promotions at Hillingdon had meant to someone who had only ever previously experienced football on the television. Monster had managed to make it as a manager to a professional club with no qualifications - why couldn't he? The three pieces of advice Monster gave him, based on his experience, were: 1. Don't agree to any contract extensions. (Monster's greatest regret had been agreeing to extensions at Hillingdon Borough with the failed promises from the board.) 2. Be prepared to travel. (Monster had only gone within driving distance and it had been widely restricting in the jobs he could apply for.) 3. And always, always, aim for the top. That night, 8th November 2022, he had a look at jobs available across the whole of the United Kingdom. He wasn't restricted by geography, only by the fact he didn't have a passport. He was 22 with no commitments apart from the dates booked in to fit kitchens with his brother. This is the story of David Sargent, the subject of this year's Wall of Shame to Hall of Fame. Can a former winger with no coaching qualifications, who retired at the age of 22, make it to the top of the list of the greatest managers to have ever lived?

I chopped and changed quite a bit. Aldershot used Wingers on attack, whereas RB Leipzig used Inside Forwards on attack. I like symmetrical formations, so I reflected the same on both sides. It depended on what sort of players I had available at the sides I joined. If crossing was higher than finishing, I went with wingers, and if vice versa I went with inside forwards.

It's the 11th August 2038. Manchester United have just won the UEFA Super Cup thanks to a stoppage time winner from right back Luciano Fontana. Jonster Monster looks around the Eden stadium in Prague knowing that he is now the most successful active manager in footballing history. The person he has now surpassed, Pep Guardiola, Manchester United's chief scout (no, seriously - wait until you see who the Director of Football is) is in the stand with Director of Football Jurgen Klopp (see? It's a bit mad. Ralph Hassenhutl is a scout too), applauding another trophy victory for a resurgent Manchester United side. What started only sixteen years ago in the English non-league saw a previously unheard of manager win a fantastic number of trophies, using his impressive sweeping style known throughout Europe as Monsterball: Hillingdon Borough: Isthmian League Cup (2024) Isthmian League South Central Division (2024) Southern League Premier Division South (2025) Aldershot Town: Vanarama National League South (2026) FA Trophy (2026) Vanarama National League (2027) Brentford: Sky Bet Championship (2028) FA Cup (2028) RB Leipzig: Bundesliga (2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2035) Europa League (2029) Champions League (2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2035) DFB Pokal (2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2035) UEFA Super Cup (2029, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2035) German Supercup (2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2035) Club World Cup (2033) Manchester United: Premier League (2036, 2037, 2038) Europa League (2036) Champions League (2037, 2038) FA Cup (2037) EFL Cup (2036) Community Shield (2036, 2037, 2038) UEFA Super Cup (2037, 2038) The Manchester United job became available just before Christmas 2035 following the sacking of Diego Simeone with them at a low ebb having not won the league since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and having been refused the job several times, Monster took the reigns and led them to that first title in 23 years. Indeed, in Monster's career, the club had only won the EFL Cup (x2), the Champions League, and the Club World Cup. Monster leaves with 13 trophies in the cabinet in his 2 and a half year reign. But it's not over for Monster. He has become the most decorated manager in the world. But at the age of 52 he still has one more challenge. He wants to win the Premier League with Hillingdon Borough. Going back to his roots, he wants to catapult the club that gave him a chance into professional football and make them successful. Now living in his mansion, he will wait for the job to become available. In other news: That RB Leipzig side are quite simply ridiculous. With there being no restrictions on foreign imports in Germany, Monster set about hoovering up South American and European wonderkids, all of whom peaked around the same time. They're still the richest club in the world with a bank balance of over £1bn and they purchased Manchester United's star striker, Jean-Claude Casutt for £145m in the summer of 2038. The two United Champions League wins needed to beat Leipzig at the semi final stage both seasons. The Manchester United side are young but clearly capable. The new manager will have a team full of wonderkids and a transfer budget of £238m to play with and over £1m p/w left in the wage budget. Monster may well need to overcome that side to win a Premier League title. Oh, and hilariously, Mario Balotelli's Chelsea side have just been relegated. Predicted 7th. Finished 19th.

The end of season party had a different vibe to the ones he had experienced at Aldershot Town and Hillingdon Borough. It wasn't at the clubhouse any more. Brentford hired a swanky London hotel. Having not had one last year following relegation, Monster had to reflect on how the season had been. The fact the FA Cup was there on the table at the front alongside the Championship trophy was a miracle in itself. The actual FA Cup. The trophy he had seen handed out on the TV while he was at the brush factory. A mere 7 seasons later, he had been lifting it in the air while walking around Wembley Stadium with his victorious Brentford side. It was what dreams were made of. And on that note this blog will end. Winning the FA Cup had never been on the cards this quickly but it came as part of an absolute fairytale and it fell at a time of my life where this blog was one of the only things keeping me going. You may have noticed I stopped uploading on a daily basis, and that was due to experiencing a mental breakdown of sorts. The writing was the crutch I was using to prop myself up and I needed to learn to live without one. This was starting to eat into things that I really wanted to do, despite me having had a lot of fun doing it. It's why I uploaded the final few months as a huge finale this morning; they've been written for a while, I'd never got round to uploading them all. What I will say is that the save has continued... I'm determined to reach the top of the Hall of Fame ahead of all the other managers. Pep Guardiola keeps winning stuff, now in charge at Paris St. Germain, which is making it harder. I had to prepare Brentford for Premier League football again, so I did what any rational manager would do and spent a fortune on bringing in wonderkids. I'll highlight two of them: Sladan Spasojevic from Red Star Belgrade for £5.75m and Damian Perez for £10m from Rosario Central. I managed to keep hold of the aging stars who had been relegated with us, and we had a good crack at the Premier League. Chris Tipple was the star striker tasked with scoring the goals. We lost the Community Shield to a dominant Man City side (still with Mbappe and Haaland up front) but started the season with a comprehensive 6-2 win over Crystal Palace. It was tricky to assess what success would look like this season, as the board wanted relegation to be avoided. Smashing Crystal Palace gave hope that it could be so much more. This was then followed up with a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge to prove that the FA Cup final hadn't been a fluke (and to avenge some of the demons from the day we were relegated). The Europa League draw was kind with Cukaricki, Lille, and Astana drawn in the group. A home defeat to Man City followed but after that, the side remained unbeaten in all competitions until an away defeat at Leicester City on 10th December. The Europa League campaign was stunning. 6 wins out of 6, including an 8-1 thrashing of Lille at home where Tipple scored 6. On 5th November, Brentford went to Old Trafford and bagged all 3 points, thanks to goals from Tipple and Mbeumo. It was the final nail in the coffin for Gabriele Milano (aka Massimiliano Allegri) who was dismissed. I applied for the role but was unsuccessful. They went for Jurgen Klopp from RB Leipzig. So I applied for the Leipzig job. If it was good enough for Klopp, then why wouldn't it be good enough for an FA Cup winner with a thirst for bringing in and developing young talent. Fresh from beating top of the table Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 away, RB Leipzig appointed me on 18th December 2028 with them languishing in mid-table in the Bundesliga (I'm counting 7th as mid-table). They were also in the Europa League, so were in a good position. However, they had a youth team, a far bigger stadium, and Klopp had guided them to their first German Cup in the season just gone. Still no Bundesliga, though. Bayern Munich were still the team to beat. It was a blow to leave Brentford 3rd in the Premier League table, but RB Leipzig felt like a step up to the next level. David De Gea was appointed as my replacement at Brentford. With the January transfer window in play, I decided to buy all the wonderkids I'd been tracking for Brentford without taking anyone away from them, in the hope they wouldn't completely collapse. RB Leipzig had loads in the bank, having sold some stars in the summer so I purchased 14 players in January, including Mo Salah for £4m to provide some experience up front. Several players kicked up a fuss at my apparent lack of experience, so I showed them the door. Owen Wijndal was the first - £55m to Juventus. I strengthened the defence as a priority and stumped up the cash to bring in Argentine wonderkid Edgardo Talavera in from San Lorenzo for £5.75m as well as Raffaello De Marco from Lazio for an eye-watering £64m. Yes, he had been inconsistent in the Championship, but there was something about him that made me want to see if my hunch was right and he would become a superstar. He had scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final after all. He understood my 4-1-3-2 tactic and could be an option for either wing too. That season ended in a cup double. We only lost once, 3-2 away at Old Trafford in the Europa League semi final. Oh yes. We faced Klopp. And showed Manchester United what they could have had, having demolished his side 4-0 at the Red Bull Arena. In fact, it was almost a reunion tour throughout the whole campaign. We took on Lille in the Quarter Finals, beating them 11-2 on aggregate. The final saw RB Leipzig take on Tottenham Hotspur. And win. 2-1 after extra time. They had managed to hold on and win the Premier League in the end too. European silverware having taken over in December. Perfect. The league campaign had been successful too, finishing 2nd behind Bayern Munich by 3 points. The next season was intended to be a charge for a first top flight league title. And it was. Comfortably. Bayern Munich couldn't cope with the competition, falling 17 points behind a resurgent RB Leipzig. Sladan Spasojevic from Brentford was the big signing for £41m and he was crucial in the title-winning campaign scoring 16 goals. Another German Cup followed, but the Champions League campaign was halted by PSG at the semi final stage by Pep Guardiola with a 3-2 defeat on aggregate. Mo Salah left and was replaced by Harry Kane. Still playing for England (which he did until the age of 38!), he came in and gave a different dimension to the 4-1-3-2 formation, playing as a deep-lying forward alongside De Marco, who was starting to show signs of being clinical. Anyway, rather than drag you through it season by season, it's been a successful stint at RB Leipzig. It's now October 2032. We've won 2 Champions League titles (both finals against Barcelona, bizarrely). We've romped the league and cup 3 seasons in a row. Harry Kane was a surprising star for the club even in the twilight of his career, managing 33 goals in 49 appearances. Sladan Spasojevic set all sorts of records, eventually moving to Man City in June 2032 for £155m. Here he is. I'd spotted him in the Serbia U21s at the age of 18 and thought I saw something special. He's currently the largest transfer in this universe: I did try and apply for some other roles. I went for the Manchester United job again in the hope of rebuilding them as they haven't won a Premier League title in this universe. They went for Diego Simeone. Then Zidane took the France job late in the summer so I applied for the Man City job. They went for Pochettino from Real Madrid. It would have been fun to have Spasojevic behind Haaland and Mbappe but it wasn't to be. I've no doubt our paths will cross again at some point. I might not find my way back to the heights of the Premier League. I might consider another role if a truly massive club comes knocking, or if someone fancies a rebuild. But I've built something special at RB Leipzig. There's a long line of future wonderkids coming off the conveyor belt and I've now spent more time at Leipzig than I have any other club in the save, now in my 4th full season in charge. The youth setup is one of the best in the world. I could top the Hall of Fame here with everything they have in place. Brentford have held steady in the Premier League. They finished 8th in the season I left and are firmly mid-table. De Gea is still in charge. Aldershot managed to be promoted in their first season in League Two but went straight back down and are now in the upper reaches of League Two. Hillingdon Borough are back where I found them; near the bottom of Tier 9. They suffered three successive relegations after I left and even went back to Tier 10 for a season. I have a plan to return there one day. How much fun would it be to win a Premier League title with them? Final Thoughts Thank you to everyone who has read even a snippet of this in the past couple of months. WoStHoF has been a lot of fun to produce. I've typed out more matches than I ever thought I would and when my ebb was at its lowest, it gave me something to focus on. I hope this isn't the end of blogging. I'd love to do a WoStHoF in FM23, possibly with a player from this save. Sladan Spasojevic is an early contender for player of the series, although I have a sneaky feeling Raffaello De Marco may have something to say about that.

May 2028 (the rest of it) In a world where Championship side Brentford would have a chance of winning a spot in the Europa League if they won the FA Cup, Monster was looking forward to leading the side out at Wembley to contest his first premium cup final since winning the FA Trophy in 2026. FA Cup Final build up With the Championship season having finished, the final was bizarrely due to take place on a Tuesday. Monster arranged a couple of friendlies in the interim, taking on Dundee (6-0 win) and Winkel Sport from Belgium (4-0 win) to test his tactic for the cup final. He was fairly certain on his starting eleven, providing nobody picked up any injuries. Having won the title, the board had given Monster the budgets and he had been trying to strengthen the side where possible with the young players in on loan unlikely to return. He did have a bid in for Roganovic but the others looked like being too expensive to pursue with the limited amount he had to spend. He had also been shopping for youngsters and had a few due to come in, some without work permits unfortunately. The big name signing looked to be the signing of Chris Tipple from Sheffield United. Chelsea had relegated them on the last day (Editor Monster: sounds like a familiar story...) and his relegation minimum fee clause had become active. With some big sides sniffing around, Monster stumped up £34m to secure his signature. 23/05/2028 - FA Cup Final v Chelsea (N) A season finale of incredible significance. Could Monster lead a Championship side to FA Cup glory? He was intrigued to see if his side could overcome the side that had relegated them last season and re-enter the Premier League with European football in the mix too, which would send Chelsea into the Conference League. Roberto Mancini was still in charge of a Chelsea side starting to show some age with players like Jorginho, Lukaku, and Kovacic all 34+. Brentford had had a good run to the final, knocking out Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Everton from the Premier League as well as Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City. Chelsea had taken care of Arsenal and Manchester City, the two sides who had been fighting it out for the title, which had been won at the death by Manchester City, only topping the table for the first time on the final day, thanks to Arsenal drawing at home to Manchester United. Yes, Manchester United had handed Manchester City the title. Monster wanted to ensure other quirks of history would have Brentford written in. However, whatever way it was looked at, Chelsea were the heavy favourites. Monster asked the team to go out and prove a point and took his place at the front of the queue to lead the side out. Chelsea kicked off, and within seconds released Cerqueira down the left but without a right foot could only blast wide having cut into the box. After 5 minutes, after a good spell of pressure from the Championship side, Chelsea won the ball in their own box and sprung the counter with a ball to Havertz over the top. He pulled the ball back for Kovacic to have an effort but it was too close to Serin and he held it comfortably. Chelsea kept up the pressure, having a couple of free kicks near the right-hand corner flag in quick succession. The first caused a mad scramble in the box that was eventually cleared but the second resulted in Kovacic heading over when he perhaps should have done better. In the 23rd minute, Brentford had their first real chance of the game when Mbeumo broke into the box, but Pedro Porro managed to snaffle it away from him. Brentford won the ball back and sent Master through but his shot came back off the post. Monster wasn't quite sure how he had missed. Two minutes later, Anguissa played the ball through for Havertz but his shot was too close to Serin and the Brentford keeper could palm it around the post. From the resulting corner Kilman rose highest but his header was too close to Serin and the Belgian international pouched it comfortably. In the 27th minute, Brentford tried to spring a break, but the ball never reached De Marco, the ball finding its way through to Cerqueira who could only blaze over. Brentford had the next chance in an end-to-end final, Master blasting into the side netting from Talbi's knockdown. It seemed to calm down after that, both sides having speculative efforts that were easily blocked. 0-0 at the break. Chelsea had had more chances but Brentford had spurned the best one of the match. Within a minute of the restart, Talbi had to slide in with a last-ditch block to prevent a Cerqueira tap in. In the 52nd minute, Cerqueira had another opportunity, played in through the left channel, and produced another good save from Serin who managed to palm it clear. Brentford tried to respond, but De Marco was pounced on by two Chelsea players. James played the ball back to Martinez who played the ball out to Kilman, only for De Marco to intercept. The on-loan Italian took a touch before smashing the ball into the corner and running off to celebrate in front of the Brentford end. 1-0! De Marco had caught everyone by surprise by continuing his run and had nipped in to intercept the pass and find the net. In the 73rd minute, Roganovic went close with a looping header and 9 minutes later had another opportunity from six yards that he could only hit at Martinez who palmed it clear. In the 86th minute, De Marco was played clean through by a pass from substitute Murphy, but with only Martinez to beat, clipped his shot wide of the mark. Bardghji probably had Chelsea's best chance since the goal in the 90th minute, played through by Havertz but his attempted chip was charged down by Friedrich. The corner came to nothing, and Brentford saw the game out. They had won the FA Cup! THE FA CUP! In his 6th season as a football manager. Monster looked around Wembley Stadium trying to drink it all in. Having been relegated in the most unfortunate of circumstances last season, Monster was delighted to repay the faith Brentford had in him with a trophy win as well as a return to the Premier League. And his first taste of European football next season. (Editor Monster: Another apology - I completely forgot to screenshot the trophy celebration - my hands were on my head while it played out. It wasn't exactly expected.)

April 2028 In a world where Arsenal's 30 year-old defender Benjamin White is proposed to be subject to an offer of £45.5m from Real Madrid, Monster was focused on winning the title, with promotion already secured. 01/04/2028 - SBC v West Bromwich Albion (H) A point against a team in 11th would guarantee the title. Monster wanted there to be no slip ups and sent the team out with an attacking mentality to try and ensure the win. What Monster hadn't countered on was West Brom wanting to spoil the party. In a tame first half hour, Ferrari scored the opener for West Bromwich Albion after 38 minutes. A ball forward was flicked on by Corbeanu and buried by the striker with the Brentford defence static. Just before half time, Murphy had an effort come back off the bar and with the goal gaping, Rogers proceeded to smack his effort off the post. Monster didn't hold back at half time and sent the side out with their ears ringing. Corbeanu then doubled the lead with a back post header from a corner to irk Monster even further. Did the players not want to win the title as soon as possible? Mbeumo pulled one back in the 59th minute, playing a neat one-two with Vonasek on the edge of the box and then clipping his effort in off the far post. Cruz hit the outside of the post late on and Mbeumo also had an effort come back off the post. Monster hurled water bottles once the team were back in the dressing room until one of the backroom staff pointed out that Sheffield Wednesday had lost. Brentford had won the title! It wasn't the way Monster had wanted to win, but he sent the players back out again to celebrate with the fans. He eventually appeared to celebrate with them but he was already planning some tactical tweaks, tearing up his beloved 4-1-3-2 to see if he could find a formation that would prevent situations like this arising again. He hated being the best side on the stats but keep giving away silly goals. 04/04/2028 - SBC v Reading (H) 1st v 12th. Monster wanted to test a new 4-3-3 formation in order to put 3 central midfielders in the middle of the park and see if that changed anything. Patino, Hughes, and Murphy were the middle 3 for this game. The first half was full of event but no goals. Lots of chances were created for both sides, but it was goalless. Monster was getting fed up with yelling at the players at half time but told them to get their act together. Within a minute of the second half starting, Hackett launched an effort from the edge of the area into the bottom corner. Another stunning effort from outside the box to add to the recent run. Substitute Cresswell then nodded on Vonasek's corner and De Marco converted at the far post. Reading threatened from a series of corners but the defence held strong and the game finished 2-0. Food for thought for Monster moving forwards. 08/04/2028 - SBC v Derby County (A) How would tactical Monster fare in this game? He went with dropping the attacking midfielders into midfield but using the same roles. However, Derby made a fast start to the game, scoring from yet another throw in despite everyone being picked up. The ball was fed into Mbala and he found the top corner after 4 minutes with a good turn and finish inside the area. A minute later and it was 2-0. A free kick from Amaechi near the right byline was met by Tyrese Campbell in the six-yard box, and his header found the corner of the net. Monster was livid, immediately up on his feet and barking at the team. Thankfully that stemmed the flow of goals but they couldn't find a way back in, continuing their trick of hitting the woodwork on multiple occasions. Monster had faith, though. The system did seem to be working in terms of creating chances. At half time, still sick of yelling at the players the whole time, he strode into the dressing room, looked at them all in the eyes, and stormed out without saying a word. In the 55th minute, Aitchison scored a similar goal to the one Hackett had scored in the previous game, a left-footed belter from outside the area. A couple of minutes later, Bielik brought down De Marco as he ran through on goal and was shown a second yellow card. In the 68th minute, a nice passing move on the edge of the area was worked into Thiaguinho's path, and not for the first time this season, he curled home from the edge of the area. A deserved equaliser. Now to hunt for a winner. In the 84th minute, Will Hughes received the ball in space from Thiaguinho on the edge of the area and launched a left-footed stunner into the top corner to silence the Derby crowd. Turn-around complete. Monster was elated with the team. Jack Aitchison was the player of the match but Hughes was a close second. Having not scored for Brentford before the Portsmouth game, he now had two in a few weeks. Attention was now turning to the next week where Brentford could have a say in the promotion race with their game against Sheffield Wednesday, who had been out of form recently, and then the FA Cup Semi Final against Everton. 13/04/2028 - SBC v Sheffield Wednesday (H) What had been pencilled in a while back as the title decider, now appeared to be more about Brentford affecting the promotion race. Sheffield Wednesday's form had slipped in recent weeks and there was still a chance that a resurgent Wolves in 6th could gain automatic promotion, being 5 points behind. Norwich City were now the holders of the second promotion spot with Millwall and Cardiff making up the rest of the top 6. With the Everton game in three days, Monster went with a fully rotated side. Even Serin had a rest for the first time this season. Monster kept the formation that he had used against Derby, with the midfield trio rather than an attacking midfield trio. In the 5th minute, Brooks was tripped on the edge of the D, and Patino curled it over the wall and into the top-right corner to give Brentford an early lead. Brooks scored a wonderful goal in the 17th minute, cutting inside from the right flank on to his left foot and finding the left corner with a thunderbolt from inside the box. Before half time it was 3-0 when Roganovic scored a header from a Patino cross from the left channel. The sort of goal Monster hadn't seen enough of throughout the season. Maybe dropping the midfield was giving the strikers more space to work in. He was thrilled with the first half performance from the back-up players. The second half was a bit of a non-event but Monster didn't mind. It set a new record in the Championship for the number of wins in a season (34). Patino was the player of the match with a goal and two assists. It dropped Sheffield Wednesday to 5th in the league. 16/04/2028 - FA Cup Semi Final v Everton (N) A first ever FA Cup semi final for Brentford against Roberto Martinez's Everton side, 14th in the Premier League. An Easter weekend trip to Wembley as well. In the other semi final, Chelsea had beaten Arsenal 1-0. Monster had been here before. Two years ago he had lead National League South side Aldershot Town to a semi final against Newcastle United. It had been a 4-1 defeat that day but Monster had a better team now. He knew he could beat them, having won 4-1 away in his second Premier League game in charge last season. Mbeumo, Ajer, and Sorensen had started that game for Brentford whereas Everton had a few players in their ranks who had been beaten that day. Monster told the team to go out and make the most of it. It was Everton who made the strong start, though. Rogers lost the ball on the right hand side and Luka Romero sent a perfect ball over the top to find the run of Moffi who kept his cool to bury the ball in the net with Serin helpless. It brought back echoes of the Newcastle United game when Aldershot had conceded after 3 minutes. Monster remained in his seat in the dugout. He believed he had set the side up correctly. One shot shouldn't affect their approach to the game. In the 11th minute, some gorgeous Monsterball brought an equaliser. One-touch football, forward movement, and they scythed through the Everton defence. Aitchison played De Marco through in the middle but rather than taking the shot under pressure he played it to Mbeumo who clipped it across for Ferguson to head in from 7 yards. It was his first goal since February. Monster had said in the tunnel interview before the game that he had faith in the striker and so it had proved. A minute later, Brentford broke through again, beautiful triangles being formed, Ferguson feeding Talbi who found Mbeumo with a first-time pass. The winger hit it first time on his left foot with little power but Pickford was slow to react and the ball squirmed under him, kissing the base of the post and deflecting into the net. There was little action to speak of for the rest of the half. The two sides effectively cancelled each other out. After half time it was much the same, the game flew by in a blur. However, in the 83rd minute, just as Monster had remembered to make some changes, Okocha broke free down the Everton right and found Moffi. His shot was blocked but the ball bounced back to Okocha who squared it for a now unmarked Moffi to tap in from a couple of yards out. Monster had his head in his hands. His main focus was to get them to full time intact. They were relatively okay in the dressing room. He told them all again that he wanted them to show him what they could do. Extra time began and the Brentford players looked out on their feet. Could they dig deep enough to find a breakthrough or would the tie be settled by penalties? In the 98th minute, Rogers broke down the right, cutting the ball back for Murphy on the corner of the box. Travis sent him tumbling with a tired flailing leg and the referee pointed to the spot. It took VAR to confirm it was definitely a penalty but it was eventually given. Was this the chance? A tired Mbeumo stepped up... and found the bottom corner! A composed finish into the bottom-left corner meant Brentford had the lead. Monster set everyone on to a more defensive mentality within their individual roles. Hold on. That's all they had to do now. The time ticked away. Everton couldn't muster up another decent opportunity despite having numerous corners. Brentford fans had their faces covered; hands, scarves, and anything else they could find. Would it be a first FA Cup final for Brentford? John Semakula blew the final whistle and Monster was on the pitch to celebrate with his players. A spectacular and historic victory. Mbeumo was named as player of the match after two goals and an assist. He had certainly proved his worth to Monster in recent weeks. And now a chance to avenge their relegation last season against the side who they had played on the final day of last season. A first FA Cup final for Monster, in what he hoped would be the first of many. He was also intrigued to see that Brentford only had three league games left before the final whereas Chelsea had at least seven - five in the league, and a Champions League semi final to negotiate against Bayern Munich. 22/04/2028 - SBC v Norwich City (A) On a great run, Norwich had worked themselves into an automatic promotion spot. This was a game where Monster wanted to test his theory against a 4-2-3-1 formation, one that Brentford had struggled against this season. On a balanced mentality, and slightly shorter passing, Monster was looking forward to putting another dent in one of their promotion rivals' hopes. The first half shot by. Brentford created the better chances but didn't find a breakthrough until stoppage time. Murphy played Brooks in behind the Norwich defence, and on his left foot he curled a beauty from the edge of the box into the bottom corner. Chances came and went in the second half. Norwich went close with a couple of efforts but Monster was confident that they would see it out, which they did. A controlled 1-0 win, although the strikers looked out of sorts. With two games to go, Monster had the opportunity to test some more of his tactical theories before the cup final. 29/04/2028 - SBC v Hull City (H) The final home game of the season. Monster wanted to put on a show for the fans against a side battling against relegation, although they seemed to have enough points in the bag already. The first half's main talking point was when Evan Ferguson inexplicably went in two-footed on his marker on the halfway line in the 26th minute. A moment of madness. The referee had no option but to produce the red card. It scuppered any chance Ferguson had of confirming his status as top scorer in the league, having not scored a league goal since February. At half time he asked for more from the players. They needed to produce something special. In the 55th minute, Aitchison was played into the box by Mbeumo and was sent tumbling by O'Nien. The referee pointed to the spot, although there was some scepticism whether it was inside the area. However, Mbeumo stepped up and scored into the bottom-left corner to give Brentford the lead. Could they now hold on with 10 men? It was a scenario Monster hadn't had to deal with often as a manager. In the 63rd minute, Sanders scored from all of 30 yards with an effort Serin should really have kept out. 1-1. In the 81st minute, Honeyman scored from 25 yards. Hughes should have put his body on the line, Serin should have stopped another long-range effort, and instead, Monster was facing a defeat which could so easily have been avoided. It was also a scorer he remembered from the FA Cup tie against Hull last season when he had been in charge at Aldershot. Brentford couldn't muster any response and Hull saw the game to ensure they would be playing Championship football again next season. Monster was livid with the team afterwards. Brooks had played terribly after being the match-winner the week before, and Ferguson had to take the wrath of the manager for his stupid moment of madness. He would most likely miss the FA Cup Final with it being a straight red. Monster had no sympathy for him. 06/05/2028 - SBC v Coventry City (A) (Yes, I'm aware this game was in May but the Championship finish was a bit mad - 5 teams were vying for the final automatic promotion spot.) 23rd v 1st to finish the season. If Brentford won, they would set the record for points won in a season. If they scored 4 goals, they would set a new record for goals scored in a Championship season too. In the promotion race, the key game was Sheffield Wednesday (4th) v Millwall (3rd). Norwich were at home to Watford and Wolves were at home to bottom side Huddersfield Town. Monster didn't hold back on the players in this game. He wanted them to finish the season in style. Win the game. Handsomely. They would never have a better chance to enjoy themselves. In the 12th minute, Roganovic scored from 8 yards to give Brentford the lead. The ball was worked across the pitch and Mbeumo played him in with a hint of offside. Even so, Roganovic blasted the ball home for only his 10th league goal of the season. In the 37th minute, Friedrich doubled the lead. He won the header from a Rogers corner which Dieng managed to keep out but Friedrich was on hand to bury the rebound from a narrow angle. Murphy added a contender for goal of the season 3 minutes later. Sorensen played the ball into his feet about 30 yards from goal, and the playmaker took a touch, swivelled, and hit the ball as hard as he could towards goal. Dieng could probably have done better but the ball flew past him and it was 3-0. They were relentless and added a 4th before half time. A Talbi free kick from the left wing was missed by the keeper and landed on De Marco's head to nod home from close range. 4-0 at the break. And the Championship goals scored record. From kick off in the second half, Murphy played Mbeumo through on the left and the winger was tripped in the area. He picked himself up to tuck the ball into the bottom right corner of the net and extend the lead even further. Roganovic grabbed his brace in the 69th minute, De Marco feeding him in the box and he had time and space to steer the ball into the bottom corner. The game petered out from there, Monster keen to ensure there weren't any injuries for the cup final. A wonderful way to end the season by matching their biggest win and to confirm the two records they had been close to at the start. On returning to the dressing room they discovered Sheffield Wednesday had grabbed the second promotion spot. They beat Millwall 2-0 while Norwich lost 2-0 at home. Wolves won 1-0 so finished 3rd. April (and a bit of May) 2028 Review Two frustrating games sandwiched some spectacular ones in April before being finished off in style in May. 4-2-3-1 seemed to be the biggest problem formation for Monster's side to deal with. Thankfully Chelsea played a 4-3-3. It had been a fantastic season, all in all, returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking, breaking records in the process. Ferguson missed out on top scorer in the league, but having not scored in the league since February it wasn't a total surprise. Brentford had 11 players inside the top 20 in terms of average rating. There had been some great performances across the season from players young and old. The older players that had stayed had played a key part, taking the top 4 places.

March 2028 In a world where Diego Simeone, Leeds manager, was offered the job at Aston Villa, and replaced by Gareth Southgate, Roberto Martinez is back at Everton after Slaven Bilic was sacked, and Frank Lampard has just been dismissed as Sheffield United manager, Monster knew it would be a difficult trip back to Ewood Park against Blackburn and their possession-dominant 3-5-2 formation. 01/03/2028 - FA Cup 5th Round v Blackburn Rovers (A) He had learned last week that their wingbacks had to be marked. He had a theory about dropping the passing directness slightly to counteract Blackburn's methods, but to keep the high tempo. He also pushed the back line up further, having been pushed so low at the weekend. He hoped it would move the team forward and make them dominate possession more. It blew Blackburn away in the first half. In the 2nd minute, Mbeumo knocked in Rogers's free kick from inside the 6-yard box to give Brentford the lead. In the 25th minute, Rogers escaped the attentions of his marker on a mazy run inside from the right wing where he was playing, and tucked it past the keeper into the far corner. In the 34th minute, a hurried clearance from Carter went straight to Brooks and Ferguson was played through to square it across goal where Rogers was lurking for number 3 and his second of the game. There was a goal for Mbeumo also ruled out for offside. 3-0 at half time and Monster couldn't believe how well they had played. He did drop the tempo slightly for the second half so as not to wear the players out. Vonasek created the fourth goal, producing a great cross from the right for Rogers, whom had swapped wings, to tap in on the volley for his hattrick, his best ever performance in a Brentford shirt, and to round off a comprehensive 4-0 win. If this formula worked for the rest of the season, Monster was going to be thrilled. Of the 8 5th Round ties played, this game was the only one won by the away side outright. Tottenham Hotspur needed penalties to beat Bournemouth but the rest were all home wins. 02/03/2028 - FA Cup Quarter Final Draw Monster's second time in the Quarter Final. Who could forget the Swansea win two seasons ago? Having knocked out Newcastle already, Monster didn't have much fear of any of the other sides. Avoiding Manchester City and Arsenal would be useful but apart from that, he hoped he would be testing Brentford against these sides next season. Brentford were drawn at home... to Tottenham Hotspur. 5th in the Premier League but Monster had already beaten them once as Brentford manager. 04/03/2028 - SBC v Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) A game which on paper was 1st v 9th. Under new manager Colin Calderwood, Wolves had spent money in the January transfer window, including the signing of former Brentford striker Fabio Silva for a deal worth up to £45.5m. Could £100m-worth of signings give them that boost towards the playoffs? Monster hoped it wouldn't be today. With them playing a possession-based tactic, Monster set the passing to be slightly shorter and sent the team out to put in a good performance. With Ferguson not fit enough to start, Roganovic played up front alongside De Marco, and he opened the scoring after 10 minutes. Luke Shaw's free kick went straight to Ajer, whom nodded the ball to De Marco, being played onside by Shaw. He played through his strike partner and Roganovic managed to create an angle to tuck the ball past Travers, another former Brentford player. Wolves hit back in the 19th minute with a goal on the counter. Lazcano knocked the ball out wide to Silva, who took on Cresswell beating him for pace, and then played it square to Suddick in the box. He applied an awkward finish off-balance but the ball sailed into the top corner, clipping the post on the way in. 4 minutes later it was 2-1 to Wolves when Suddick scored again. It was their next attack, Lazcano's persistence paying dividends despite the close attention of several Brentford players and Serin should have done better at his near post with Suddick's shot. Monster was up on his feet and berated the players. They'd fallen asleep and let Wolves score twice. Wolves then proceeded to see out the rest of the half, leaving Monster wondering if it was going to be one of those days. He questioned them at half time whether they wanted to win, trying to provoke them into some sort of reaction. Apart from ensuring the opposition instructions were fully in place, he didn't change anything else; they had been the better side so far, apart from conceding two goals. In the 58th minute, Aitchison whipped in a free kick from out wide on the left and Cresswell was unmarked at the back post to nod home the equaliser. Brentford continued to build pressure but couldn't find a way past Travers, the former Brentford keeper pulling off numerous stops to keep the home side at bay. Monster sent on Mbeumo for Benitez, and Hackett for Sorensen, both players coming off having put in a below par performance. In the 88th minute, Mbeumo whipped in a corner from the right which bounced in the six-yard box. Anderson tried to clear it but it went straight to Master who poked it towards goal and Roganovic was on hand to tap in and send three quarters of the stadium bouncing. Wolves tried to respond but were then caught on the counter themselves, Aitchison feeding Mbeumo in the area, and the left winger made it to the byline to then square it for Roganovic to grab his hattrick. Monster was delighted. A 4-2 victory having been 2-1 down was huge against the biggest spenders in the league and the favourites for promotion at the start of the season. 11/03/2028 - SBC v Huddersfield Town (H) Top v bottom. A must-win game. No slip-ups allowed. Murphy grabbed the opener in the 10th minute, shooting past an unsighted keeper from the edge of the box, catching almost everyone by surprise. Master had nipped the ball off the toes of a defender as he broke forward, swivelled, and played it to Murphy who took a touch and hit it into the net. It was Master's last meaningful contribution as he was taken off in the 15th minute, limping off to be replaced by Vonasek. In the 24th minute, Trevino broke forward unchallenged in the left channel, playing in De Marco in the box, and the Italian did the rest, finding the back of the net with a low finish to make it 2-0. In the 42nd minute, Brentford were awarded a penalty when De Marco was pushed over in the area waiting for a cross. Mbeumo stepped up and found the net to the keeper's left. 3-0 at the break. Monster said he was happy with the amount of shots. It seemed that made the Brentford players believe they no longer needed to apply any pressure. It wasn't helped when Trevino was stretchered off in the 50th minute with a serious-looking injury after an innocuous challenge. In the 56th minute, Koroma broke down the right and squared for an unmarked Obafemi to tap in. Monster was in the technical area demanding more. They seemed to have completely switched off. In the 71st minute, Koroma made it 3-2 as Sorensen missed his header, and Koroma was able to take it round Serin to slot home. Brentford managed to cling on but Monster made it clear in the dressing room how disappointed he was with their second half efforts. The news on Trevino's injury wasn't good either. A broken ankle. His season was over. Master would also be missing for a few weeks having twisted his ankle. On a brighter note, Sheffield Wednesday had capitulated 2-0 at Peterborough, meaning the lead at the top was now 20 points. It meant two more wins were required for promotion. Three more wins required for the title. 14/03/2028 - SBC v Nottingham Forest (A) 13th v 1st. A mid-table Forest side with little to play for. Monster knew he would have to rotate with the FA Cup Quarter Final coming up at the weekend and also with the injuries picked up against Huddersfield. Only Serin kept his place. The changes seemed to pay off early in the game, Vonasek grabbing the lead in the 7th minute thanks to Thiaguinho's excellent 25-yard pass over the defence, and the Czech striker took it round Trott to slot in. Brentford were the better team, creating the better chances but Nottingham Forest equalised in the 32nd minute when Radonjic found the top corner from inside the area. Monster told the players he wasn't happy, they continued to create chances in the second half, but no second goal came and the match ended in a draw. Having rested everybody apart from Serin, Monster was satisfied with a draw, and it turned out that Sheffield Wednesday had lost at home to Barnsley so the gap had widened to 21 points. All attention was now on the fixture against Tottenham at the weekend. 19/03/2028 - FA Cup Quarter Final v Tottenham Hotspur (H) Buoyed by the news that due to results on the Saturday, they had gained promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking, there was a real buzz around the stadium prior to kick off. Could they prove their Premier League credentials with a win against the side in 5th? Monster approached the game as if it was any other home game. De Marco started on the right with Master out injured, meaning Ferguson and Roganovic started up front. Brentford had the first effort, but Zaniolo was the main threat and went close with a curling effort from the edge of the box. Following a corner in the 26th minute, Hughes was given the ball back by Friedrich and sent in an awkward floated cross towards the back post which Portilla made a complete mess of giving De Marco a free header to nod into an empty net. Monster couldn't believe it. They'd gifted his side a goal. Tottenham cranked up the pressure but found Serin in fine form. Monster knew he was an excellent shot stopper but he had had little opportunity to prove it in the Championship. As the game headed for half time, Nianzou sent Ferguson tumbling in the area and Mbeumo grabbed the ball. Could they go in at half time 2-0 up? Of course they could. Mbeumo despatched the ball into the left corner and ran off to celebrate in front of the home crowd. Monster feared the backlash, and was more cautious after half time, adjusting the mentality of a few players to be less attacking. It seemed to do the trick, although Zaniolo hit the post twice with speculative efforts. However, as the time ran on, Monster encouraged his side to keep the ball, not be so risky, and they saw the game out professionally. Serin was the player of the match having kept Brentford in it at several points, but it had been a clinical performance to give hope for next season. Another semi final for Monster and a first ever semi final in the FA Cup for Brentford. However, De Marco would be missing for a few weeks after picking up a knock in the match. 20/03/2028 - FA Cup Semi Final draw With Arsenal, Chelsea, and Everton in the hat, Monster was hoping for Everton, with them being the lowest in the Premier League, in 16th place as the draw took place. Arsenal and Chelsea were pulled out first which meant Monster could plan for a game against Everton at Wembley in mid-April. 28/03/2028 - SBC v Portsmouth (A) Another Monster revenge mission. They had inflicted Monster's first league defeat in several seasons back in August and Monster wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. They were 20th in the Championship but 10 points clear of the relegation zone. With their gegenpressing style, Monster knew it would be a tricky tie. Ferguson was inexplicably still on international duty so had to miss out meaning Monster went with Vonasek and Roganovic as his strike partnership. Serin had also been capped by Belgium in the recent internationals. Monster was hoping for a decent away performance too with recent away form having been unpredictable. With the squad stretched, fringe players were likely to be needed to fill the bench over the next few weeks and 3 points would nearly guarantee the title. Portsmouth made the better start and scored a well-crafted opener in the 3rd minute. Greenwood won the ball on the right, fed Castro who launched a ball over the top for Micovschi to clip the ball over Serin, having caught Talbi on his heels. Not the start Monster had in mind. Portsmouth continued to dominate the early stages and Monster told his side to stop focusing down the flanks and play through the middle instead. It seemed to pay off and Brentford finished the half stronger. In the 37th minute, a clearance by Sorensen ended up looking too long for Mbeumo to reach but as the keeper dallied, Mbeumo nipped in to flick the ball square with the outside of his foot to allow Vonasek to tap into an empty net. In the 42nd minute, Hughes scored his first ever Brentford goal with a thunderbolt from outside the area. Talbi played the ball into him, and Hughes took a touch, and with his left foot walloped into the far corner. 2-1 at half time. Monster wanted more. In the 50th minute, Murphy grabbed one of the most bizarre goals of the season. Roganovic broke into the box on the right, playing the ball across looking for Murphy. The ball was intercepted and played to Poole, but his clearance was intercepted by a sliding Murphy and the ball dribbled over the goal line to make it 3-1. Brentford continued to pour forward and made it 4-1 just after the hour mark with another tap in. Mbeumo made it to the byline, whipped it in, Bass couldn't hold it, and Vonasek was on hand to tap in for his second. Sonny Perkins grabbed a goal back a few minutes later, escaping the attentions of two markers to nod in from a right-wing cross. In stoppage time, they grabbed another. A neat passing move, once again coming from the right, they worked the ball across for Perkins to fire in for his second from 10 yards out. It had been a spectacular game, a great game for the neutrals, as Monster admitted in the press conference afterwards, and it was also the 3 points he was after. A single point against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend would confirm the title. It also confirmed a total of 96 points, breaking their highest points tally in a season. March 2028 Review Another good month with the only slip coming away in the draw at Nottingham Forest. Reaching the first FA Cup Semi Final at the club felt like a big step and they only need 1 point to seal the title. Monster had now been in charge for a year and had developed a style of football that had brought Premier League football back to the Brentford Community Stadium at the first time of asking. In the NxGn Top 50, Vonasek (30th) and Gubler (45th) featured, as well as the on-loan Roganovic, which pleased Monster. His scouting for youngsters was working, and there couldn't be too many second tier sides that had players featured in there that had been picked up at a young age. The expansion to the club's training facilities had also been announced, giving the club 4-star training facilities now. In terms of awards, Roganovic won young player of the month, as well as Monster winning manager of the month. There was also transfer activity going on in the background with Monster trying to negotiate for youngsters to come in and beat the big clubs to their signature. Having won promotion, the board had somehow removed some transfer budget, giving him only £48m to play with and keeping the wage budget the same. As a result, Monster was looking for bargains.

February 2028 In a world where Jose Mourinho has announced he will retire at the end of the season, currently unemployed, having been sacked by Atletico Madrid in December, Monster would start the month facing Stoke City again, this time in the FA Cup. With 4 leagues games against sides in the lower half of the table, and then one game against Blackburn in 8th, Monster hoped to stretch their lead at the top of the table. 05/02/2028 - FA Cup 4th Round v Stoke City (H) Monster hoped it wouldn't be settled by a late penalty this time. In what was his 300th game in management, he named a strong line-up. Having seen his lack of goals from strikers, he decided to tweak the tactics a little. Instead of having a playmaker deep, he changed the attacking midfield position to the advanced playmaker role. He also changed the passing to be mixed, including some directness, and asked the side to pass into space. The hope was to get the ball to the front players quicker. He also asked them to be prepared to dribble more with the ball. It meant surrendering possession more often, but as long as they had more than the opposition, the hope was still to put their goal under pressure. It seemed to pay off immediately. Neat passing in midfield saw the ball out to Master, who knocked it through for the run of Brooks. As he was about to shoot, a Stoke defender got their foot in with a great last-ditch tackle but the ball fell to Ferguson to volley in from 12 yards to break his scoring drought. In the 22nd minute, Sam Field was show a straight red card for a challenge on Mbeumo as the winger broke free down the left. Monster was surprised to see the referee go for his top pocket but it had been for the two-footed nature of the challenge, which Monster thought was harsh. Still, Stoke only had 10 players and he wanted his side to take advantage. Talbi whipped in the free kick, Ferguson flicked it on, and De Marco nodded in to double Brentford's lead. Monster thought they had made it 3-0 in the 28th minute, Ferguson smashing home from De Marco's flick on but the assistant correctly ruled it out. In the 34th minute, De Marco scored the sort of goal Monster had wanted to see from his strikers. Brooks picked up the ball inside the centre circle in his own half and played a fantastic ball over the top for the Italian to run on to. Not even taking a touch, De Marco slotted the ball in first time to make it 3-0. At half time Monster implored them to keep going. Straight after half time, De Marco broke through and was scythed down by Roberts inside the area, despite getting a good chunk of the ball. De Marco grabbed the ball and slammed home from the spot to make it 4-0 and grab a hattrick. Monster was thrilled for him. Monster decided to make the team ease off a bit from there and focus on keeping the ball but play for set pieces. In the 81st minute, substitute Hackett nodded in at the back post from a Brooks free kick on the right. 5-0. Monster was delighted. However, Stoke did squeeze a goal in before the end. Mbeumo lost the ball near the halfway line and the visitors worked the ball through for Assal to score his first Stoke goal, creating an angle to slot it past Serin. Monster couldn't complain too much. Now to see what the 5th Round would bring them. 06/02/2028 - FA Cup 5th Round draw Being one of three Championship sides remaining, Monster wanted to draw one of Nottingham Forest or Blackburn Rovers at home for his ideal draw. Forest went second, away to Chelsea. Blackburn were then drawn out. Thankfully Brentford then followed. All the other ties were Premier League sides against each other. It would be another trip to Ewood Park in a week, and Monster was keen for revenge with Blackburn having beaten them at home earlier in the season. 08/02/2028 - SBC v Barnsley (A) Before then, Brentford had their league campaign to focus on, the next leg of which was away to 18th-placed Barnsley. With the tactic now installed, Monster hoped it would help achieve promotion as early as possible. He had to make some changes with fitness being an issue, but had faith in the side that walked out. Murphy grabbed the early goal with a tap in after Trevino had left his marker on toast. However, Brentford proceeded to waste chance after chance and it was somewhat inevitable that Barnsley equalised in the second half with a back post header from Lane. The wingers had been terrible in the match and Monster handed out some more day fines for Rogers and Vonasek, who had been terrible. Master and Benitez came on, but couldn't find a breakthrough. Master came closest with a header that hit the crossbar late on but otherwise, Barnsley managed to hold on. Still work for Monster to do. 12/02/2028 - SBC v Middlesbrough (H) The next chance Monster had to test the changes to Monsterball came at home to 19th-placed Middlesbrough. They had made easy work of them earlier in the season in a 4-0 win away and were hoping for similar at home. Mbeumo scored a tidy finish in the 12th minute, having been fed by Ferguson, tucking the ball across the goalkeeper. A couple of minutes later, Friedrich nodded home at the near post from Mbeumo's corner from the right. Two goals out of nothing. In the 22nd minute, Middlesbrough scored with their first attack, Halil looking suspiciously offside when the ball was played through to him and he couldn't miss with only Serin to beat, toe-poking the ball home. Monster encouraged the team at half time. 2-1 up but with far more of the play, he wanted them to express themselves more. In the 62nd minute, a well-constructed move put Monsterball into action through the middle of the pitch, Brooks with the delicate flick, and Ferguson with the powerful first-time finish. It was a similar outcome 7 minutes later, Thiaguinho the provider this time, and De Marco the goalscorer. The game fizzled out after that, which Monster was fine with. A 4-1 win maintained their 14-point lead at the top. It was Ferguson's 20th league goal of the season too. Not bad for a player Monster hadn't expected to be a starter when he signed him. 19/02/2028 - SBC v Preston North End (H) Another home match in quick succession, before two trickyish away fixtures to finish the month. Preston North End hadn't troubled Brentford in the first meeting in September, and Monster hoped that would work out the same way here. Monster told them he expected them to come back in with a win and they seemed to take that to heart. They had the lead within 13 seconds. From kick off, Monsterball came into full effect, the ball working its way out to Mbeumo who played a gorgeous through ball for De Marco's run, and the on-loan Italian did the rest, caressing the ball home from 12 yards out. In the 4th minute, from a corner, Sorensen was deemed to have been pushed over in the area, and Mbeumo stepped up to beat the keeper with a low finish from the spot. Gunn guessed the right way but it had too much on it for him. In the 19th minute, Sorensen scored his 3rd goal of the season, nodding in Mbeumo's corner. Master had picked up a knock, but it didn't stop him from making it 4-0 in the 33rd minute. Some excellent one-touch passing in the middle of the park between Talbi and Brooks found the run of Ferguson, whose cross was on a plate for Master to stroke home on the half-volley. It was 5-0 before half time, Ferguson nodding home at the back post from a Mbeumo free kick near the right-hand corner flag. Monster thought that was it but they were able to squeeze in a sixth goal before the break. Following the breakdown from a free kick, Talbi swung the ball out to Sorensen, who played in Brooks in the left channel. The now-advanced-playmaker drove a low cross across the six-yard box and De Marco was on hand to slot home from a couple of yards out. 6-0! Monster was ecstatic with the side. Of course that meant the second half was a damp squib. They spurned a couple of chances but the game had already been won. Monster made changes, and Aitchison was scythed down by Jim Johnston late on, the frustration clearly having got to the former Aldershot youngster, whom had been at The Shots for a brief spell before Monster cashed in on him. Mbeumo had had one of his super performances which would probably mean he would be useless for a few matches afterwards with a goal and a hattrick of assists. But Monster was delighted to see his strikers scoring goals again. Having the playmaker further up the field had definitely connected play for them and they were starting to dominate home games at least. How would they get on in the next two away games? How would Monster approach them? Take the home tactic? Or go with the possession-focused one which had seemingly done okay earlier in the season? 22/02/2028 - SBC v Blackburn Rovers (A) A pre-cursor to the FA Cup tie the following week. Blackburn were 8th in the league and in decent form. Monster wanted revenge following their victory at the Brentford Community Stadium in November. He decided on the possession style to start the game but as Reine-Adelaide scored from a corner in the 6th minute, he instantly switched to the style that had been more successful at home. Blackburn played a 3-5-2 formation, which Monster anticipated the 4-1-3-2 would find tricky to combat. He asked his wingers to mark the wingbacks and it seemed to do the trick. In the 33rd minute, Brentford had sustained pressure on the edge of the Blackburn box, Ferguson's blocked shot looping up in the air over the backline to fall into the path of Mbeumo, who tucked home from a few yards out, the keeper and defence stood ball-watching. In the 39th minute, Patino scored his first ever Brentford goal with a free kick from the edge of the area, curling it over the wall and into the top corner left-footed. In the 44th minute, it was 3-1, when Mbeumo tapped home at the back post. Ferguson played the ball over the top for De Marco to chase, the striker pulled it back into the danger area to Talbi and he flicked it first-time to Mbeumo who finished with aplomb. After half time, just before the hour mark, Master was tripped in the area to earn his side a penalty. Mbeumo finished to make it a hattrick. Monster made changes to try and rest some legs but the substitutes seemed far too complacent. Blackburn grabbed a goal back through former Brentford man Semenyo, whom Monster had sold in the summer, his low shot beating Serin at his near post. Thankfully, they didn't kick on from there, Brentford managed to see the game out, and Monster was delighted to come away with a 4-2 win. Based on the stats, the game had been incredibly even. Brentford had taken their chances. On returning to the dressing room, the news filtered through that Nottingham Forest had despatched Sheffield Wednesday 4-1, so it meant the lead had now extended to 17 points. As it stood, Brentford could win the league in the game against Sheffield Wednesday on Good Friday. 26/02/2028 - SBC v Watford (A) A match against local rivals Watford to finish the month. Erol Bulut had replaced Phil Neville earlier in the season and had improved their league position from 21st to 17th. After their recent form, Monster was hoping Brentford would still be able to impose themselves on the game. It didn't happen. They created some decent chances, Talbi coming closest with an effort early on. It was a stalemate first half, Watford only looking threatening from set pieces. Monster changed tactic to get a different song from his team but they seemed helpless on the pitch, the defence unable to push up. With an air of inevitability, Watford scored from a corner in the second half. Monster's substitutes looked so ineffective too, despite being motivated. Ferguson missed a great chance late on, heading so far wide it threatened the corner flag more than the goal. Monster told the side exactly what he thought of them afterwards, not holding back at all. Their inconsistency was so frustrating, looking like world beaters one week to being played off the park the next. He vowed there and then to keep the tactic the same but only tweak the mentality. February 2028 Review A frustrating end to the month after having made such a lot of progress. They now couldn't seem to play well away from home, which hadn't been a factor earlier in the season. De Marco was second and Trevino third in the young player of the month award, while Monster was third in the manager of the month competition.

January 2028 In a world where Sean Dyche has taken over at Barnsley and Wolves are on their third manager of the season already (taking Colin Calderwood from bottom of the Premier League Swansea City), Monster had some grudge matches to settle for himself and Brentford in the next few weeks. With 4 home games, Monster wanted to use them to prove Monsterball would work at home in providing dominant performances. 01/01/2028 - SBC v Burnley (H) Burnley were in 9th and didn't look likely to push for promotion, despite being predicted to finish higher than Brentford. It had been a hard-fought contest in September, settled by two Mbeumo goals, but Monster was hoping his tactical tweaks made since then would make the difference in this match. Brentford took the lead in the 11th minute when some good work on the left by Aitchison produced a brilliant low cross to Ferguson. He had the awareness to lay the ball off to Murphy, whose shot was blocked, but fell kindly for Talbi to sweep in. Lerma equalised six minutes later with a powerful header from a corner. In the 19th minute, Master produced a stunning finish to a glorious move to give Brentford the lead again. Hughes intercept in the Burnley half, played in Ferguson, who gave it first time to Roganovic, who played it square to Master on the edge of the box who hit it first time into the far corner past a flailing Pope. On the stroke of half time, Brentford made it 3-1. Hughes tried an effort from the edge of the area, the ball deflecting up off Murphy into the path of Aitchison who stooped to nod it into the net via the far post. Monster encouraged the side to keep going. Sorensen made it 4-1 in the 78th minute with a well-directed header from a Master corner. De Marco came off the bench to add another in the 89th minute with a well-taken volley. Hughes chipped the ball into the box, Master flicked it on, and De Marco caught it perfectly on the volley to find the net and record Brentford's biggest home win of the season. 5 different scorers. Master the master on the pitch. This was more like the Monsterball effect Monster had seen at his previous clubs. Now could they do the same to a side chasing a European spot? 08/01/2028 - FA Cup 3rd Round v Newcastle United (H) In his 6th season as a football manager, Monster had now reached the 3rd Round for the third time. However, it was the first time he had entered at this stage. To have drawn the side that had won it two years ago, knocking his Aldershot side out in the semi final, Monster wasn't thrilled at the prospects of making the 4th Round. If they did, it would give them nothing to fear. The memories of meeting Manchester City in the EFL Cup were still fresh enough to make him wary, though. Monster named his strongest line-up. As did Newcastle. They must have played a rotated side in the 2026 semi final because Monster didn't recognise any of the names from that fixture. In the pouring rain in West London, Newcastle grabbed the lead in the 22nd minute, Calvert-Lewin converting N'Dicka's cross from the left. In the 27th minute, Ruben Neves had to be substituted, overstretching to block Master's cross, and going down in a heap. In the 31st minute, Newcastle tore the Brentford defence to shreds with neat one-touch football, Nkunku's cross from the right headed just wide by Evanilson from 8 yards out. On the verge of half time, N'Dicka was substituted with a similar issue - sliding in to challenge Master near the halfway line, he went down asking to be substituted. At half time, Monster encouraged them. Despite being 1-0 down, they had created more in terms of XG and certainly weren't out of the game. In the 49th minute, Nkunku swung in a corner from the left, but Brentford were able to clear. Mbeumo broke and fed Ferguson in the left channel. The striker played a tantalising ball across the box for Roganovic to knock home first-time. 3 minutes later, Evanilson broke down the left wing and played a ball into the unmarked Calvert-Lewin who missed a straightforward chance to give Newcastle the lead, shooting straight at Serin. In the 65th minute, a Trevino ball from the halfway line unlocked Newcastle's defence to find Roganovic in the right channel. His backheel found Master who played a ball into the middle for Ferguson but he could only shoot wide when it looked easier to score. Calvert-Lewin grabbed his second of the game in the 74th minute after a great spell of Newcastle possession where they patiently probed until they found an opening, Sorensen missing his header, allowing the England striker in behind him to slot past Serin. Brentford went on the offensive, hunting for an equaliser. In the 82nd minute, Mbeumo levelled it up with a tap in from a narrow angle. Sorensen whipped a cross in from the left having been out there to take a throw-in, and found Roganovic at the back post. The striker headed it down into the 6-yard box for Trevino to hit at goal. Lafont made a great save but could only palm the ball into the path of the winger to tuck it away. Monster didn't want a replay. He demanded more and watched on through his hands. In the 93rd minute, Sorensen went out to the left to take another throw. Mbeumo laid the ball off to Brooks who whipped a cross out to Master at the back post who somehow got up above Aarons and looped a header at goal that Lafont couldn't get to. The ball hit the back of the net and the Brentford Community Stadium erupted. Monster's love affair with the FA Cup continued. It was Brentford's first victory over Newcastle United since 2021. Master's late winner earned him the player of the match award and looking at the stats, nobody could say Brentford hadn't deserved the win. 09/01/2028 - FA Cup 4th Round Draw Stoke City. At home. Monster was reasonably happy with that. In decent form in the Championship, but winnable. 15/01/2028 - SBC v Millwall (H) 1st v 3rd. The only side Brentford had drawn with so far this season. Surprise promotion candidates having been predicted to struggle, but Monster didn't take them lightly. Ferguson, on a comparative goalscoring drought, started up front with Roganovic. Millwall had an early chance through Wallace but his shot was straight at Serin. Brentford took the lead in the 17th minute. Hughes played the ball into the box for Murphy to have a shot. It was blocked but the rebound fell kindly for Mbeumo to slam home. In the 26th minute, Master doubled the lead. Hughes played like a wall, exchanging passes with both inverted wingbacks before launching the ball over the top for Master to run on to and find the far corner on the volley. That was it in terms of goals. Brentford saw the game out, exchanging shots with Millwall but always keeping them out of reach. Ajer had led from the back, putting in a player of the match performance. He still had his promise of being sold if £65m was bid for him but nobody seemed willing to part with that much money for him. Monster hoped he would stay and lead the club back to the Premier League. 22/01/2028 - SBC v Cardiff City (A) Cardiff were pushing for a play off spot. It had been an entertaining game last time out with Ferguson grabbing a hattrick but he was on a goalscoring drought now, not having scored since the Peterborough game before Christmas. For whatever reason, Brentford didn't get going in this game. Cardiff began better, nullifying Brentford's threat, and took the lead in the 33rd minute with a counter attack after Master gave the ball away, resulting in Longman tapping in at the back post. Monster laid into the team at half time but it didn't have any effect. Wintle scored a 25-yard screamer from the right side of the box before the hour mark to double Cardiff's lead. Ferguson did grab one back with a nice finish to end his drought but Brentford couldn't put any pressure on the Cardiff goal and were always second best. A mystified Monster couldn't figure out what had been different in this match. Any tweaks he had made hadn't worked. The journey back to London was mostly conducted in silence. 25/01/2028 - SBC v Plymouth Argyle (A) In some better form than when they last played each other, Plymouth had recovered under their new manager. Coventry City had appointed their former manager, who had been bottom of the table with Plymouth at the time. Coventry were now bottom, to Monster's bemusement. Plymouth were up to 22nd. After a defeat, Monster's aim was to win. It didn't need to be a comprehensive win. Any old win would do. To see an unmarked McKiernan nod in after 4 minutes, to open the scoring as he had done in October, Monster wanted to kick something. The lead didn't last for too long. In the 19th minute, Brooks drew them level with a low drive from the edge of the box, following some tidy work by Vonasek and Roganovic down the right. Brooks gave Brentford the lead in the 29th minute. Mbeumo broke down the left and sent in a low cross which Ashby-Hammond could only palm into the middle of the area. The shadow striker for the day raced in to smash home. Plymouth had been the better side up to that point but couldn't create much else for the rest of the match. Brentford had plenty of chances but couldn't find the finish. Brooks was the player of the match, as a reminder that if Murphy had a bad game, he was more than capable of filling that role. A win was all that Monster had wanted, and they returned to London with the 3 points in the bag. 29/01/2028 - SBC v Stoke City (H) The first of two home matches against a Stoke City side in decent form and now sitting 4th in the league came to round off January. Monster tried to give the side a lift and send them out so they could dominate the game. He had made his deep-lying playmaker a regista, to try to give him the licence to be effective higher up the field. Patino was the man in that spot today. Stoke turned out to be very compact, not looking to break forward too much but be clinical on the counter, presumably fearing being destroyed as they had been in October in that 7-2 defeat at home. Monster threw everything at them. Barely a notable chance created. It was only when Roganovic was flattened in the area contesting a cross from Mbeumo in the 84th minute did Brentford have the opportunity to break through. Mbeumo took the penalty, driving it low into the bottom-right corner. Relief. It turned to panic when Assal broke through in stoppage time but his shot was straight at Serin. Patino had played well in his new role, and the defence had all played well too. Going forward, Monster fined Murphy, Ferguson, and Vonasek a day's wage for their abysmal showings. He had had enough of Ferguson's pathetic efforts recently, resulting in another poor, and goalless, performance here. January 2028 Review Through in the FA Cup, with another cupset under his belt, but league performances hadn't been convincing. Monster knew he couldn't win 5-0 every week, no matter how much he wanted to, but he was becoming fed up with goal-shy strikers. Of the 14 goals scored in January, only 3 had come from his strikers. He had just seen Fabio Silva sign for Wolverhampton Wanderers for a deal worth up to £45m. Would someone like him have made a difference having sold him in the summer? Master was second in the young player of the month award with Monster also second in the manager of the month.