Mandy42
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Posts posted by Mandy42
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Only been here a week and I think someone is spying on me, so be careful with any comments you might leave on this post....
I spoke about the relative ages of the squad, and that Thiago Silva was our only player over 30. In the space of the next week, we (I say we, really its they, as I have no say) have put bids in for Axel Witsel from Atletico and Dani Parejo from Villareal. Both midfielders, both 34.
Now maybe it's just my outdated thinking, but I never liked players over 30, they tended to expect higher wages at the end of their career, to not be able to play out a full game, and generally not be worth it. Though, for the short term, perhaps with the amount of youth in the squad, a few players more long in the tooth might be just what we need to find some kind of balance. I might have to ban things like Tik Tok etc so as not to magnify the generation gap between some of the players!
Another group of players that bothers me more than the old bunch, is the injured bunch:
Wesley Fofana, so long he's not ever registered for a squad number this season.....
Christopher Nkunku, 4 -5 months
Trevor Chalobah 7 weeks to 3 months
Benoit Badiashile, 3 - 6 weeks
I wouldn't mind if it didn't seem to be a tactic by the board to go in for these players, whether they think they can argue for a discount due to them not likely to play for X amount of time. Case in point they are showing interest in Ivan Toney, who is suspended until next season....
On the pitch, we go to Singapore for pre season training camp, play some team I've never heard of, then fly home to face Lyon and Stade Reims almost back to back.
Where's the gin....
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I'm not convinced I'm going to enjoy this....
But then a big part of me coming back is the chance to manage my favourite team, but in a more challenging situation, so maybe that makes me some what of a sadist.
Either way, if I had any doubts that the dominant era at Chelsea had ended, I only had to endure my meeting with the board regarding their expectations for the season. Sitting there nursing a rather spectacularly bad cup of tea (note to self bring Yorkshire tea from now on), I was glad I hadn't taken a swig at the decisive moment. EUROPA LEAGUE! That's all you want, qualify for the Europa league this season, and be "best of the rest" in 5 years time? I almost headbutted the desk in resignation and walked out then. But, sadist?
The reality is, even the Europa League might be shooting too high. The squad is woefully young, we only have one player over 30, although that's Thiago Silva at 38. Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling are the only two above 25, literally everyone is 25 or younger. I don't doubt their potential, but potential doesn't guarantee points, definitely not straight away.
I quickly scribbled my signature on the bottom of the documents before me. Picking the match squad, dealing with the tactics, talking to the media, yep that will do donkey, that will do. All of the other responsibilities, picking the fuel and stoking the flames of this inevitable dumpster fire, they could be someone else's problem.
Now, retreat to my office and make the first tough decision, is it too early in the day for a gin or not?
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September 2023
You know you're back underway when you suddenly find yourself playing six games across three competitions in one month.
I've also managed to spectacularly lose my glasses (no idea where they are!) So its very likely the increased font size is here to stay!
Sat, 2/9/2023 17:30 Man UFC true A 3 - 1 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (10, 45+2), Illia Zabarnyi (18) Premier League With all due respect to Villa and Brighton, our first true test of the season came at Old Trafford in our third game. Gabriele Milano, left Juventus to become the Man Utd manager at the beginning of last season. He's brought in a plethora of young talent:
Roger Ibanez from Roma
Dominik Szoboszlai from Red Bull Leipzig
Darwin Nunez from Benfica
Marcos Leonardo from Santos.
All to compliment the raft of experienced world class players (Pogba, Ronaldo, Varane and De Gea) already at the club. They are likely to be a force going forward. Why I'm very happy with the result we got at their place. I was slightly worried about how Calvert - Lewin would take to being deployed as an inside forward. But he seems to be loving the role. A lot of his goals for us have been headers, and in this setup he thrives on ghosting in at the back post on the back of full back and just dominating in the air.
Darwin Nunez got one back for the Red Devils on 17 minutes, a perfect Pogba through ball allowing the speedy Uruguayan to latch onto the pass in full stride, dispatching the ball past Ramsdale before he could properly set himself.
Parity was short lived however, Illia Zabarnyi's header from a corner saw us back in front just a minute later. I only noticed a few days ago (when checking the board opinion and club vision) that we were being judged on maximising set pieces. I did wonder why we were spending so much time on them in training. Now I know, and now I understand looking back why we've been scoring more goals from dead ball situations! The benefits of having the staff take responsibility for the majority of the day to day workings at the club!
Calvert-Lewin's second was almost a carbon copy of his first, drifting in to head home when the Man Utd team seemed to already have their heads in the locker room. It is interesting to see the difference between how Smith - Rowe and Calvert - Lewin play the same position. Smith - Rowe stays wider, driving into the box if he feels he can take the defender on, the wingback staying deeper in order to provide an easy pass.
By comparison, Calvert - Lewin plays further infield, more in the channel than the wing, and the wingback overlaps him to create a 2v1 situation that facilitates either a cross, or a cut back inside the area.
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On 12/04/2023 at 23:02, Jon1982 said:
Part 66 - Sieve-Like Defending
When we last left off things seemed to be back on track in EDC-land. Results had picked up and we found ourselves just one point off the top of the table, right in the hunt for a shot at C-League glory. Even the board seemed happy and most importantly the other boss, Charlotte was also pleased with how the team was progressing. If you have been reading this story long enough though you will know that some complete nonsense is just around the corner..
Match 15 – Chhlam Samuth v EDC 05/07/25
We must continue to keep winning to maintain the pressure on Angkor Tiger. The team have an excellent record against our opponents, but we must not take our eye off the ball. Samuth lay in 10th, four points off the relegation zone, while we are in second. I make a couple of forced changes. Vavanak and Yaty are both suspended so in comes Chea Sam at DMC and Sok Panha to partner Gbayoro in Central Defence. Nhem is preferred to new signing Nhem Dara up front.
Team: Som, Ratana, Panha, Gbayaoro, Bairaing, Sam Chea, Chea Samnang, Men Samnang, Nhem, Noron, Taboula
The hosts make a much brighter start and have two early efforts wide, while we have barely touched the ball. I demand more in just the third minute and my players listen as we assert dominance in the game. Men Samnang picks up the ball and runs at the heart of the defence, before laying off to Chea Samnang, whose first time pass releases Nhem in the box who powerfully strikes the ball home from the angle. Brilliant from the youngster again. Samuth respond but it is us who double our lead. Ouk Ratana in his 99th appearance for the club has turned into Roberto Carlos of late and one such free kick swirls into the top corner for 2-0. Samuth haven’t given up. Dangerman, Ke Vannak heads against the upright. Then they get a dodgy penalty after a goalmouth scramble, which is converted by Ouk Voeun. 2-1. Just after half time and Men Samnang is upended in the box after chesting down a Ratana throw in. Given! The full back steps up and smashes home his second goal. We strike not long after when a team move started deep in our own half results in Nhem crossing low for Noron to sweep home a fourth goal. They pull one back when Panha misses an aerial ball and Ke Vannak squares for Dara to convert. Nhem though can do what he likes and dribbles into the box from the excellent Men Samnang’s pass and slams it into the top corner for 5-2. Bunsan pulls one back for the hosts and they hit the post late on, but by hook or by crook we win another game.
Final Score: Chhlam Samuth 3-5 EDC
Voeun 45 Nhem 12, 75
Dara 61 Ratana 24, 51 (pen)
Bunsan 85 Noron 54
Halfway through the season and that result has opened up a little two horse race between us and Angkor Tiger.
Tola Mao Makes Professional Debut
In the 5-3 victory over Chhlam Samuth I was delighted to give a debut to defensive midfielder, Tola Mao, yet another youngster to come through the ranks at EDC. I hope to promote as many as I can and establish themselves in the first team reckoning like Ratana, Nhem and Pheara before him. (Hopefully it might make him buck his ideas up in training mind you)
Match 16 EDC v Prek Pra 12/07/25
We just have to keep on winning and see where it takes us, starting at bottom of the table, Prek Pra. As we know from past experience you take this opposition lightly at your peril. I make a few changes. Yaty replaces the unsteady Panha in central defence, while Vavanak returns at DMC. I am spoilt for choice with attacking options, but keep faith with Noron and the slightly out of sorts Taboula. We need to win, don’t care how, a deflected goal off Noron’s backside will do, just three points to keep the pressure on The Tiger.
Team: Som, Ratana, Yaty, Gbayoro, Bairaing, Vavanak, Chea Samnang, Men Samnang, Nhem, Noron, Taboula
Match Action
We attack from the get go and win a free kick. Ratana, who has suddenly developed a wand of a left foot whips it in, straight onto the head of Taboula at the far post, who leaps like a salmon to powerfully head the ball into the roof of the net. Great start. 1-0. Nhem nearly rounds off an excellent move to make it two, but shoots straight at the keeper. We do double our lead, this time from a Men Samnang corner. Yaty flicks the ball on at the near post and Mat Noron ghosts in at the back post unmarked to tap home from the angle. On 22 minutes we make it three. From a counter attack, Nhem is played in on the right edge of the area, but his shot is parried away by the keeper. Taboula retrieves the ball and crosses in low for Noron to turn home his second. 3-0 it’s looking like a cricket score already... don’t get too complacent lads.. My fears are compounded when Chanraksmy is allowed too much time to pick out a cross, straight onto Ung Dara’s head for 3-1. FOCUS! I bark from the touchline. We respond. A resurgent Taboula whistles one over the bar. He then connects with a Nhem cross with a stunning g volley which whistles into the top corner for 4-1. Into the second half and we dominate once more. However Mr Klose rears his ugly head again, as their goalkeeper, Sophana somehow plays the perfect goal kick straight to Ung Dara in an onside position who fires it confidently past Som for 4-2. Suddenly Ung Dara, their 33 year old striker suddenly turns into Kylian Mbappe. From Som’s goal kick the ball is headed forward and Mbappe runs onto it like a greyhound, before lashing it past Som for 4-3.. Don’t let this slip now!! Enter Captain Fantastic, Chea Samnang... Vavanak has the ball in midfield. He finds his skipper who turns and unleashes a fierce shot which flies into the top corner like a bullet for 5-3. Boy we needed that! Mbappe hasn’t finished yet though and a stinging shot is only just tipped round the post by Som.. Then from a stupid misplaced throw in we give them the opportunity to break. The ball is worked left and then crossed in where Chanroeurn thrashes the ball home first time. The bottom team in t he C-league suddenly cannot miss! 5-4 incase you’ve lost count. They weren’t finished. I go into contain mode. Taboula is playing as a flippin' wide midfielder, it’s getting that desperate. Nhem is sacrificed for Sam Chea as I look to keep them out, It’s no use. The FM gods have decided my fate. Prek Pra are playing one touch football in the manner of Brazil 1970 and we can’t cope with them. Forget Mpappe, Ung Dara has turned into Pele, Chamroeurn, Jarzinho.. Young Vavanak who has morphed into Carlton Palmer plays a stupid ball towards Noron and they seize their opportunity. Can’t remember how, but it ended up at feet of Pele inside the box who slipped the ball under the hapless Massimo Taibi.. sorry Som to complete an incredible comeback. Once more Prek Pra have put a huge spanner in the works of EDC’s march to C-League glory.. Somehow, my laptop has survived this experience in one piece... On the bright side we are nine games unbeaten, but we are now three behind Angkor Tiger who beat Nagaworld 2-0. What a waste!
Final Score: EDC 5-5 Prek Pra
Taboula 4,41 Ung Dara 27, 47, 62, 94
Noron 13, 23 Chamroeurn 78
Samnang 64
Match 17 – Build Bright United v EDC
Every game from now in is a must-win if we are to win the C-League. The criminal surrendering of the game against Prek Pra must not and cannot be repeated. I go in with pretty much the same team and they can hopefully make amends after their capitulation from a 4-1 lead against the bottom team. Unforgivable! That game is over and now we must concentrate on the remaining fixtures, starting with Build Bright away. They have ex-EDC man, Sung Rot in their ranks and a dangerous striker, Soksana. The newly promoted side have kept their heads above water this season and are in 9th position. We are second, three behind the beer company.
Team: Som, Ratana, Yaty, Gbayoro, Bairaing, Vavanak, Chea Smanang, Men Samnang, Nhem, Noron, Taboula.
Match Action
Disaster! In the opening minutes. Chea Samnang passes the ball backwards to who he thinks is Yaty. It turned out it was the referee. Their striker Pom Samnang latches onto it and buries it past Som. FFS! We respond. Taboula has a fierce shot tipped wide and then Noron forces a fine save from Taboula’s cross. Hope. Ratana takes a throw on the right and the defender misses the ball. Nhem turns quickly and hooks the ball into the roof of the net for a very clever equaliser. 1-1. We start to exert dominance, passing the ball with confidence in midfield. Noron has a stinging shot well saved by the keeper. Then another disaster strikes on the stroke of half time. Our corner is headed away. Savy Soksana runs down the right, before playing the perfect ball to the onrushing Pom Samnang, who slams it past Som for 2-1. FFS! A flowing move through midfield though results in Mat Noron cutting in from the left before unleashing a fierce shot which flies in at the near post, with the keeper only able to palm the ball into the roof of the net. Two each!
In the second half we dominate and look far more likely to take the lead. I exchange the out of sorts Taboula for Chitra. A big hoof downfield from their keeper, results in the ball being flicked on and Pom Flamin Samnang runs into it (who else) and slams it once again past Som....Aarrrgghhhh! i hate this stupid game!”!!!!!Nhavbfhiegfhydguf!!!
Djsofbhdbfhdis Pom Samang scores another breakaway goal 4-2 when will we learn? When will we f******. Learn you stupid defenders i will sack you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We pull one back when Nhem gets in behind their defence and his shot deflects off a defender and squirts under the keeper 4-3. I go all out attacking and it’s end to end, with them looking as likely to extend their lead as us to equalise. One or the other was going to happen. From their goal kick for once it didn’t go to Pom whatshis face, but to Ouk Ratana. The right back drives forward with the ball, before slipping in sub, Nhem Dara to slide the ball home for a dramatic late equaliser 4-4. Either team could win it now. Gbayoro recovers brilliantly to recover a missed header and he feeds Vavanak who floats a lovely ball to DARA!!!! He hits the foot of the post from the angle.. how unlucky! Four each and I’ve just about got my breath back! However in the cold light of day we have slipped to third and Tiger have a game in hand, so could stretch their lead to 5 points. Once again we let it slip, just at the time when we needed to keep on winning and our defence is an utter shambles, We will never win the title with this defence and changes are needed fast.
Match 18 – National Defence v EDC
I just want a good solid performance and a clean sheet. We are a “fur coat no knickers” team at the moment, great going forward, but terrible at the back. This is not helped by the suspension of Ratana and Yaty, meaning 18 year old Ly Vattanak will make his debut and partner Gbayoro in central defence. I go with a more conservative 4-2-3-1 formation, in order to try and maintain some solidity against dangerous opponents. We must win. A 4-0 win over today’s opponents put Angkor Tiger 5 points clear, so we need to close the gap to two.
Team: Som, Sihavong, Vattanak Gbayoro, Bairaing, Sam Chea, Chea Samnang, Men Samnang, Nhem, Taboula, Mony Udom
Match Action
We start well. Chea Samnang bursts forward but his shot is straight at the keeper. We look more solid and organised than in previous games. Gbayoro picks up the ball on the halfway line and plays an accurate ball for Samnang Nhem who runs into the the right channel. His snapshot is parried by the keeper, only into the path of Taboula for an easy tap in from 6 yards. The way we are playing though our lead was not to last long. A lucky rickashy from a Bairaing tackle fell to midfielder Nen Hai, whose easy through ball finds Dairpatch who is clean through on goal and slots it comfortably past Som for the equaliser.. We are just not learning at the moment. The aptly named Thorn Darapitch latches onto another through ball with our defence all at sea yet again and he makes no mistake. All that work we have done in training on organising the defence gone to pot. I am fuming! A thorn in our side he is. We come close to an equaliser when Mony Udom’s cross is glanced ontothe bar by Taboula. The same player comes to our rescue again when Bairaing flight in a cross and the Nigerian hotshot half volleys the ball home first time. 2-2 after just 27 minutes. Kamikaze football! The impressive Udom has a free kick tipped round the post by former EDC man Um Channou. We end the half the most likely to take the lead, but the score remains Desmond at half time. In the second half and it becomes a slug fest. They seem content with the draw, nothing but a win will do for us. I go attacking, throw on Pheara and Chitra and go 4-3-3. On a breakaway the brilliant Taboula gets into the right channel and crosses in where sub Pheara meets the ball with a bicycle kick, (think David Platt v Belgium in Italia ’90) straight past the keeper. 3-2. We are hanging on a bit here, but when the ball is hacked downfield, their defender inexplicably whacks the ball out for a corner. Chea Samanag swings the ball in and super sub Pheara rises at the far post to nod home a clincher. Pidor pulls one back for them with the last kick of the game. 4-3 papers over the cracks of our frailties a little but keeps us in touch at the top of the table. A win is a win, but still 5 behind the Tiger who plough on with a 2-1 win over lowly Port Autonome.
Final Score National Defence 3-4 EDC
Darapitch 11,17 Taboula 4,28
Pidor 96 Pheara 68,90
Chea Samnang wins Goal of The Month
Club captain and all round midfield dynamo, Chea Samnang has won the July Goal of The Month Award for his sensational strike against Prek Pra.
Match 19 EDC v National Police
It’s a grudge match nowadays against the Police, with Sok Ouen Pidor and the cheating Judas on ‘theirs’, plus a constant headache over the years, Timothy Okereke.. Great. They really have been on a recruitment drive of late and have conscripted a decent team, which lie in 5th, two behind us currently. We just have to keep on winning, hope the Tiger slip up somewhere and then beat them at our place. We are racked with international call ups for Ratana and Nhem Dara and suspensions to Bairaing and Sam Chea add to our absentees, so in come Vavanak at DMC, while young Ly Vatanak switches to left back.
Team: Som, Sihavong, Yaty, Gbayoro, Vatanak, Vavanak, Chea Samnang, Pheara, Nhem, Noron, Taboula
Match Action
We kick off an knock the ball around quite comfortably but there is no incisiveness. One stray pass and they are in.. Our old friend Pidor has the ball on the left and his perfect ball for the onrushing Okereke sees the Nigerian reach the bye line where he clips a perfect cross for Dina to easily nod home. That was far too easy... Then our captain lunges in on their midfielder and is shown a red card. Things are all going Pete Tong as it often does against the Police.. We rally. I throw on young central midfielder, Sann Dara for his debut in centre mid to give us more numbers there at the expense of Noron. Pheara is at the heart of everything and his through ball to Taboula results in him hitting it narrowly wide. Encouraging. 1-0 to them at the break. We huff and puff in the second half, but fail to create much. Sok Ouen Pidor takes a random corner, straight onto the head Chainuth’s head for 2-0.. Is there any way back? Well.. Taboula is upended on the edge of the box. Up steps the unlikely man of defender Chan Yaty.. What’s he doing there? Where’s Taboula? Yaty steps up and smacks it straight into the top corner, 2-1 game on! We come alive. Pheara is buzzing around again. Sihavong finds the energy to overlap on the right and Taboula suddenly looks dangerous. Pidor at the other end reminds us of his ability and has a pot shot just over the bar. From the goal kick, Som strikes a clean ball up to Nhem, who instantly brings the ball under his spell, creates a little bit of space, before belting the ball into the top corner. Quite magnificent from the youngster once again! It’s end to end as both teams seek a winner. Okereke forces the best out of Som on a couple of occasions. Then our goalkeeper launches another handgrenade down the pitch into the path of Nhem who has the composure to give the keeper the eyes, before slotting cooly past him at the near post. Unbelievable Jeff! Ten man EDC 3-2 National Police. We batten down the hatches and even have a couple of chances to win it through that man Nhem and a Gbayoro header. But. With just four minutes to go another Pidor corner causes chaos in the box and the ball is stabbed home by that old foe Timothy Okereke for 3-3.. Then we hit the suicide button. The inexperienced Ly Vatanak takes a pointless long throw which is seized upon and crossed in for Sadet to lash home the winner. Heartbreak for EDC! Joy for the flippin’ police.. 4-3 to the coppers...
Final Score EDC 3-4 National Police
Yaty 55 Dina 7
Nhem 65.76 Chainuth 54
Okereke 87
Sadet 88
Gutted! Our 11 match unbeaten run comes to an end and sadly our C-League hopes fade once again for another year after Tiger and Phnom Penh Crown open up a 5 point lead at the top with a game in hand. We cannot win the title with such a leaky defence.
A sudden glut of high-scoring games have derailed EDC's title bid. Next match, a six pointer against league leaders Angkor Tiger. Can EDC keep their faint title hopes alive? Find out next time on The Ultimate World FM Game!
after those scorelines, if you get called out for not playing "entertaining football" I'd resign on principle!
Its a marathon not a sprint, don't give up until the end!
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Just to clear something up before we go any further, the "false / true" entry is regarding whether the game was shown for TV or not. In case anyone was wondering.
Moving into August and we had five games to play. Two friendlies, the Community Shield, and our first two Premier league games.
August 2023 Sat, 5/8/2023 15:00 Venezia true A 3 - 0 Franck Kessié (pen 3), Bukayo Saka (46), Illia Zabarnyi (73) Friendly I've probably mentioned before, but the further through the preseason I get, the more action the first XI gets. Yes I need everyone as ready to go come matchday one as possible, but the first XI especially. Which is why Franck Kessie is back on penalty duty, and Maitland - Niles is on the bench. We looked sharp when we needed too, but realistically, we won this one at a canter.
Wed, 9/8/2023 20:00 Villarreal H 7 - 0 Bukayo Saka (1), Emile Smith Rowe (9, 31), Franck Kessié (12), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (28, 30), Jude Bellingham (45+2) Friendly Returning home after almost a month playing away and what a statement. This wasn't against (with all due respect) some Chinese team, this was a Spanish outfit accustomed to going the distance in continental competition. Don't think I've ever seen a half of football quite like it!
Sat, 12/8/2023 17:00 Man City true N 0 - 1 None Community Shield Which is what had me so fuming about our first duck of the season. Not only did we squander our first chance at silverware this campaign, but my undefeated record against Man City is gone. I can have no qualms about the goal we conceded. A penalty is a penalty regardless of when in the match it occurs. So when Serge Gnabry danced into the area just four minutes into the game. Smartly shifted the ball, Kieran Tierney missed the ball and caught the player. Haaland converted from spot and we found ourselves a goal down.
Not the first time City have jumped on top of us, but unlike all the other times we didn't get back on level terms. A couple of times in the first half, their goal seemed to be leading a charmed existence, and during the second period they definitely made a conscious decision to hold onto what they had rather than risk anymore.
I took some solace in the fact they created little to nothing in way of their own quality chances. If we hadn't given up the penalty it likely would have gone to penalties. Which bodes well for the coming season. Just frustrating to lose.
Sun, 20/8/2023 14:00 Aston Villa true H 3 - 0 Jude Bellingham (37, 46), Yusuf Demir (59) Premier League No such trouble on opening day! I count the Community shield as a competitive fixture. But it seems the match engine doesn't. As it credited Jude Bellingham as scoring on his debut. Did for a while in the first half wonder if the goal was ever going to come. Would we regret going in at halftime being completely dominant and only a goal up? Thankfully no, as straight from kick off we secured the tie with a second, then finished it with a third as Villa tried come out a little and get themselves back into it.
Sat, 26/8/2023 15:00 Brighton false A 2 - 0 Gabriel (34), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (87) Premier League Last game of the month and this one was frustrating. The whole game was played in the Brighton half, as they put everyone behind the ball and did their level best to keep us out. To my relief and eventual amusement, we scored both our goals from corners. Which was probably inevitable, the high number of blocked chances resulted in us having nearly 20 of the flaming things!
Also relieved to get off to a perfect start in the Premier league, yes its only two games! But I'm always nervous that smashing preseason is setting me up for a reality check when the actual competitive fixtures start. While the Man City result was demoralizing for me. Seems it galvanized the players to get the job done.
Sure there will be tougher tests to come, but for now we are off to a great start.
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Lets see what the month of July had in store with regards fixtures and results.
July 2023 Sat, 15/7/2023 20:00 Club Brugge true A 3 - 0 Martin Ødegaard (3), Gabriel Martinelli (55), Charlie Patino (89) Friendly While we are getting closer to the present day with regards catching up on old results. This is still long enough ago that it no longer lists the starting line ups for each squad. I can't remember if Fofana started this game, just a day after he completed his move to us. I vaguely remember Bellingham was nursing a niggling injury when he signed, so pretty sure he didn't play. A pretty solid performance against a team who had an outside chance of getting into the Champions league. Also a strong performance from Charlie Patino, who was amongst a number of young midfield players who needed to show they had it within themselves to step up and play. So they didn't get loaned out again come the start of the regular season.
Sat, 22/7/2023 15:30 Nantong false A 7 - 2 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (8, 32), Albert Sambi Lokonga (15), Bukayo Saka (22, 41), Charlie Patino (74), Yusuf Demir (84) Friendly First problem, the schedule view doesn't show the scorers when other teams dare to put goals past you. Another reason to keep the number of occasions that happens too a minimum. In order to spread the love, this year I chose to take the squad to China for the pre season training camp. While it was unlikely to result in any meaningful competition. It allowed us to show off the club to a completely different selection of supporters. Playing at the Rugao Olympic Sports Centre. We were five goals to the good before Xie Ziran gave the home crowd a goal of their own to cheer about. Not that they hadn't been cheering our performance to that point!
Good to see that Calvert - Lewin could score goals from his inside forward position, though I should probably hold out for more difficult opponents before making that conclusion definitively. Patino made it two in two. And Yusuf Demir, someone we signed in 2021, but only joined the club at the end of last season due to his loan deals, gets himself on the scoresheet.
Thu, 27/7/2023 19:30 SH Shenhua true A 4 - 2 Martin Ødegaard (21), Emile Smith Rowe (25), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (pen 44), Gabriel Martinelli (55) Friendly Very different complexion to this game. Chang Shenlong had the Hongkou Football Stadium in a frenzy when he put the hosts ahead on 17 minutes. Even after Odegaard levelled some four minutes later, the hosts were back in front on 22 minutes with a Lautaro Rodriguez effort. We finally did get a handle on the game and ran away with it. But definitely more of a contest than I expected. Maitland - Niles, while still at the club, needed to keep his fitness up so got some time.
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Here comes the new season, and the movement of players was only just getting started!
Out
1/7/2023 Rafael Garcia Real Irún Free 1/7/2023 Jordan McEneff Bohemians Free 1/7/2023 Boubacar Kamara Sevilla £25M 1/7/2023 Matt Turner OL £3.6M 6/7/2023 Omar Rekik VfL Bochum Loan - £1.1M Total Fee 6/7/2023 James Olayinka Fleetwood £115K (£160K) 6/7/2023 Tyreece John-Jules Blackburn Loan 7/7/2023 Zak Swanson Reading £600K 9/7/2023 Marcelo Flores Barnsley Loan - £45K Total Fee 10/7/2023 Marc Roca AS Monaco £20M 11/7/2023 Folarin Balogun SV Werder Loan - £1.1M Total Fee 14/7/2023 Reiss Nelson Leicester P/Ex 15/7/2023 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens FC Augsburg Loan - £1.2M Total Fee 19/7/2023 Mika Biereth Nottm Forest Loan 27/7/2023 Mirko Čulina SV Werder Loan - £1.1M Total Fee 31/7/2023 Jack Henry-Francis St. Pat's Athletic Loan - £2.2K Total Fee Its amazing what you can achieve when you workout how to print from the in game engine to a webpage and then copy the table over! Though it prints the transfer history page in chronological order, so the empty lines are where I've had to manually remove the incoming players. So I can then put them in the "IN" section. I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to get attached to certain players, and in certain saves I don't get rid of them, or sulk when I do! There was a little of that in this window, but not as much as I expected. I moved on Boubacar Kamara and Marc Roca, players I'd bought. Which usually makes me feel I made a mistake, as they've not stayed at the club long at all. Though in the case of the Kamara transfer, I picked him up on a free, so 25m of profit is definitely a nice piece of business!
The loans of Jamie Bynoe - Gittens, Mika Biereth and Folarin Balogun were a different story. This was the consequence of the formation shift. I was going strikerless, meaning that those two talented youngsters had no real place in the current setup. So they were loaned out. I had no idea whether I was trying to increase their value before selling them, or if they'd be back after a season with the formation change having been a failure. Bynoe - Gittens went on loan for a similar reason. Calvert - Lewin could play as an inside forward on the left side. Meaning Jamie went to third choice in that position and thus would benefit from development elsewhere.
In
So who exactly did we bring in?
3/7/2023 Jude Bellingham Arsenal £101M If your going to go big on making yourself tougher to beat, then you can't go wrong with signing arguably the best young defensive midfielder in the world. I like to think that me letting Reyna go back to them on a one final year loan helped develop the good will that saw this deal done. On top of everything else, he's homegrown! Was over the moon when he decided to sign.
14/7/2023 Wesley Fofana Arsenal £50M - P/Ex I didn't think I'd get a defender of his calibre. Basically there wasn't enough money for both him and Bellingham in the pot. But we wheeled and dealed back and forth with Leicester before settling on a fee and Reiss Nelson in part exchange. I half expected Nelson to reject his contract and thus torpedo the deal. But we got this one over the line as well and I began to feel pretty darn hyped about the increase in our defensive quality.
19/7/2023 Mirko Čulina Arsenal £3.4M (£3.9M) Again the observant amongst you will see this gentleman's name appearing in the out section of the transfer list. He came to us from Dynamo. He's an 18 year old Croatian phenome who can play pretty much anywhere in our half of the pitch. He's very much a purchase for the future, so he went out on loan just a week after signing for the club.
27/7/2023 Charlie Sayers Free Transfer Free Not sure why some players are showing up on the "from" list, while some are only showing up on the "to" list. But guess I can look at that going forward to accurately show the transfers a bit better. Either way, must admit that Sayers was a bit of a panic acquisition. On reflection he might never be good enough for the first team. The problem I had at this point in the window is, Ainsley - Maitland Niles wants to leave to improve his chances of getting in the England squad, and Nuno Tavares wants a new contract. The first I'm not opposed too, but Man Utd don't make an offer worthy of not being laughed at. The second, Tavares has plenty of time on his current deal and isn't worth what he is asking in his new one. All in all, my wing back prospects are not as rosy as they were. Hence Sayers.
2/8/2023 Miguel Gutiérrez R. Madrid £19.5M Slightly more thought out here, but for pretty much the same reason as the Sayers buy. Miguel is an accomplished left wing back, and at 22 fits the mould of being young and full of potential. I feel slightly better about my back line options than I did a week or so ago.
31/8/2023 Christian Marques Free Transfer Free 31/8/2023 David Button Fulham £115K Bit more panic here. Always wanting to have an argument with me. Gabriel stormed into my office and demanded that I give Nuno a new contract. I refused, but we did compromise on me promising to treat the players better in future. I see this as a no win situation, as in my mind, I treated Nuno as well as he could expect to be treated. I mean I didn't laugh in his face. So its only a matter of time until I fail this promise and have to look to replace Gabriel. Marques is not that replacement, not even close. I mean he could be, he's 20, Swiss and full of potential, and he's free. But he's not ready right now.
As for David Button, ever since I managed to shift Matt Turner my DoF has been stomping around trying to sign any person willing to put on a pair of goalie gloves. A long time ago I made sure I had the power to make final signing decisions on any incoming transfers. So I basically get to veto all the useless dross that attempts to be signed. While Button is pretty useless, he's the least awful prospect that we went in for. And as he's only going to see action if Aaron Ramsdale literally dies, then I guess I can live with him being in the squad.
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So, having won four trophies last season, securing the FA cup and Premier league title double in my first full season in charge, which is important for the Ferguson challenge!
Where do you go from there?
Well obviously, you attempt to keep building on that success and become a consistent performer, then transition into a dominant force. Guess the more pertinent question is how.
You see, when I finished that takeover season, I had a solid idea of who played well, who didn't and what we needed to do in order to improve. I suppose, when there are lots of areas to improve, then making some level of progress is easy. But after you've picked off the low lying fruit, its harder to firstly identify, and then acquire the required pieces of the puzzle which will continue to move you onward and upward.
I sat and ruminated for quite a while, probably not as long as the gap between this entry and the last, but a fair while. Before I made the following decisions:
I'd commit to the change in formation and tactics that I'd been building towards last season. This was partly down to me wanting to score more goals, but mainly due to me feeling that I couldn't rely on Calvert - Lewin to produce as an out an out single goal threat.
I also decided that it was unlikely I'd ever outscore Man City with the players we both had at the current time. Meaning that if I ever wanted to be on the positive side of a goal difference battle with them. I needed to make the goals I did score, count for more. Meaning I would look to strengthen my defence before the upcoming season.
So with that in mind, lets take a look at the business we did before the start of the 23/24 season:
Out
Amario Cozier - Duberry - Kings Lynn: Loan (23.5k fee)
Nikolaj Moller - Bolton: Loan
Zach Awe - Burton: 200k
Harry Clarke - Burton: Free
Tim Akinola - Cambridge: Free
Giovanni Reyna - Borussia Dortmund: Loan
Kaleel Green - Hereford: Free
Brooke Norton - Cuffy - Aston Villa: 4.3m
Alan Potter - Norwich: 92k
Mazeed Ogungbo - Preston: 54k
Nicolas Pepe - Barcelona: 41.5m (end of loan clause)
Granit Xhaka - West Ham: 42m (end of loan clause)
Khayon Edwards - Watford: 175k
If you've been paying attention your like, hold on! Giovanni Reyna, where did he come from? Well we bought him from Dortmund at the end of the 22/23 season, with an agreement to loan him straight back to the Germans for one more season.
In
Giovanni Reyna - Borussia Dortmund 35m
And that concludes the business June, and what I consider the end of the previous season. With friendlies starting in July, and the squad returning for the new campaign, I see the signings I make after this point as new season signings. Sounds daft? You're probably right. But it works in my mind.
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Few days after the confetti and fireworks had rained over our heads at the Emirates, I was sat in the back office looking back over the past season and taking it all in. Truth be told I also was spending quite a bit of time standing in front of our recently refilled trophy cabinet.
Strange how you never really know in football. At just before the halfway point in the season, at the Qatar enforced break, we'd trailed City by four points. At that juncture they hadn't lost a game, and Haaland was already setting goal scoring records. I thought our best chance of taking a trophy would be, ironically, the one piece of silverware we failed to win, the Europa League. Probably because the domestic juggernaut that was City, scared me to death.
After a dodgy draw in the tumult of Turkey against Galatasaray we managed to string home wins together against Saint - Etienne and Fiorentina. Then a defeat away in Italy put getting out of the group in jeopardy, we relied a little too heavily on other results going our way, needing a soft stoppage time penalty away in France to take all three points. Before securing the group in the last game with a 3 - 0 win over the Turks. We got Juventus in the knockout round, over a single leg due to fixture congestion. A 2 - 0 win saw us progress, with PSG being knocked out by Atlanta, we were beginning to look like one of the dominant forces in the competition. Unfortunately that is where our journey ended. Spurs saw us off over two legs, scoring twice at the Emirates and then frustrating us with their rear guard action back at theirs. We went out 2 - 1 on aggregate.
Athletico Madrid ended up winning the competition, beating Atlanta 2 - 1 thanks to goals from Riyad Mahrez and Luis Suarez.
Moving on from the trophy we failed to win, to the thankfully longer list of ones we did.
The community shield saw us come from behind against Man City, with new signing Dominic Calvert - Lewin scoring just a minute after Ruben Dias had given the Northern club the lead. We'd run out 5 - 3 winners on penalties.
Across the five games of the Carabao cup, we scored 12, conceded four, in a competition where I generally played the kids and or second XI. The only deviation from that theme was the quarter final against Man City, which came just three days before we played them in the league. The Premier league title still felt like a mountain to climb, so I wanted to give our best showing in the cup competition. Our other opponents in order were Doncaster, Newcastle, Everton and then the final against Brighton.
Similarly in the FA cup I played mostly the second XI, here we also scored 12, conceded just twice. With us not conceding a goal until the quarter final against Aston Villa where they took us to extra time. By that point, Cambridge, Crystal Palace and Leeds had already fallen by the wayside. The semi final against Liverpool and the final versus Man City I brought in the first XI. Liverpool surprised me by being bowled over 3 - 0, Man City we beat by our signature score of 2 - 1.
Coming to the league, at the break in November, I said if we were going to challenge we would need to be nigh on perfect. We didn't lose another game in the 23 league fixtures after the world cup ended. City on the other hand lost four times, twice to us, the other two coming against Man Utd and Norwich. Even then, counting just our own efforts we would have come up short, once again failing to get the pivotal goal past Spurs, as their 10 man rear guard held us to a draw in the penultimate game of the season. It took an Odsonne Edouard goal at St James park in the 87th minute to hold City to just a point. Sending us into the final day with an advantage we wouldn't give up.
Calvert - Lewin scored 19 goals for us in his debut season, less than the 25 he scored for Everton which is what enticed me to go out and spend £57 million to sign him. Haaland unsurprisingly took the golden boot scoring a ridiculous 52 Premier league goals for City.
Enough reminiscing now, time to build towards the new season.
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Game day 38, and we play Wolves at the Emirates. On paper, not the hardest game we could be given, or is it. This is the fourth time we'd play Wolves under my tenure, and we were yet to record a win. Having only scored a single Alexis Sanchez penalty in the previous three attempts. Oh dear.
By comparison, City were away at Bournemouth, who were in the process of yo-yoing their way back down the championship. They'd been newly promoted at the beginning of this season, and already 19th on the final day, needed a miracle to stay up.
Having been 259 minutes of play since our last goal against Wolves, it was a relief in every possible way to be a goal up just three minutes into this tie. Illia Zabarnyi's goal in the FA cup final eight days earlier must have left its mark on him. As he scored pretty much a carbon copy from our first corner of the game.
We were on our way!
Who else but Erling Haaland scored for City on the 10 minute mark in their game.
Franck Kessie put more than just one hand on the trophy for us with a penalty conversion in the 25th minute. Then with Wolves still reeling, Bukayo Saka wiggled his way through their disjointed defence to put the icing on our champions cake just three minutes later. We were 3 - 0 up with just 28 minutes played.
City got a second through Raheem Sterling on 51 minutes in their game, but realistically, they could score as many as they liked, if we didn't lose our game it didn't matter.
Its a wonderful position to be in, when the main factor behind making substitutions is getting players who you feel deserve to soak up the atmosphere of becoming champions, onto the pitch with the result well in hand. Most of the first team were on the pitch, so I sent in Marc Roca and Reiss Nelson, who I felt wouldn't likely be here next season, so should at least get to revel in their success now. Finally Jamie Bynoe - Gittens was sent in late on, not just because wherever Nelson went he went, but because he'd been the standout player for me in the second XI, and had been a significant factor in our ability to continue to produce the required results.
The final whistle came as both a joyous and bitter sweet moment. In that we were now champions, but at the same time, if you'd offered me the chance to stay a little longer, on the cusp, being champions in all but name, I wouldn't have said no.
The reality was, it wouldn't be long until we would be being judged on achieving new targets, and this success would be shrugged off.
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So, while I'm as happy as a pig in the poop at being Chelsea manager, this isn't really the point of this tale. So lets focus on Callum for September.
Shows how little I know about injuries, while still in his rehabilitation period, Callum was selected for his first Chelsea U18's game. I hoped he didn't reinjure himself. The team ran out 5 - 1 winners against Brighton U18s with Callum converting a penalty on 10 minutes, and bagging his second just after the half hour. Good to see he's still the go too penalty taker even though he's changed clubs.
Speaking of injuries, a week later, with a crisis on the wings in the senior team, I had little choice but to bring the 16 year old onto the bench for our home game against Newcastle. After 2 goals from Erling Haaland in the first half. It seemed safe to introduce him for 30 minutes in the second half. Give the first team wingers a rest. When he came on the pitch, he became the youngest player to kick a ball for the Chelsea first team, at the ripe ole age of 16 years and 133 days. Replacing previous record holder Ian Hamilton, who had been 16 years and 135 days old when he took the record on March 18th 1967.
With orders to Marina Granovskaia to get us an emergency loan at the winger position, Callum went back to the U18s.
A fortnight after his first appearance he was back in the goals. Scoring his first hattrick in an 11 - 0 demolition of Bristol City U18s. Once again he converted from the penalty spot, then scored on the 34th and 84th minute.
Five goals in six appearances is his current tally, with 100% conversion of his penalties. He's also provided four assists.
He's currently valued by the club at between 55 and 72 million pounds.
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I don't have many dreams, which, when your 4ft 5, and gifted with all the athletic prowess of a barrel, kinda comes with the territory. But being a football manager, well they come in all shapes and sizes.
But now at the age of 47, I feel that even this last holdout is going to be washed away by the harsh facts of reality. I don't have much managerial experience, and nobody seems to want to take the punt on me to give me the experience.
Without a job I'm willing to admit too, still living in my parents basement, its getting to the point (lets be honest we are well past it!) that I need to give up on it. I've made myself a written agreement that if I'm still not a football manager by the time I'm 50, well then that's it. Plus I might actually move out.
So why, you might ask, do I feel I can make it in football? Because I know everything, about everything, more or less and eidetic memory when it comes to all things football. Let me blow your mind.
Did you know that the "Uncle" of Italian football, Giuseppe Bergomi played in four world cups for his country, but he never ever played in a qualifying game. Of course you didn't.
What about the fact that Manchester United legend Matt Busby played for both Man City and Liverpool (to the tune of 300 total appearances) before he came to United.
Try this one on for size, Portsmouth are the team who have held the FA cup for the longest consecutive period, which is seven years. You can argue that amongst yourselves while I go look for a job, and we'll pick that up later.
Bohemians and Bray Wanderers in Ireland came back with "too English" so that's a no. Bohemians by the way end up appointing Marc Bircham, a Canadian, so at least they stuck to their guns.
Buckley Town had their manager Dan Moore fired a week or so later. I was feeling the heat at home! My parents had stopped respecting the labelling system for food in the kitchen. My pop tarts were being demolished at an alarming rate!
I went for the interview, tried hold out for a coaching course as part of me joining. But realistically, with them being bottom of the JD Cymru North and semi professional, it was always going to be a tall order. They did however come back and offer me the position at £120 a week. At least for eight months, if the team goes down, then I get the boot. But for now, I can move straight into the office / shack in the corner of the Globe Way stadium. Least my pop tarts will be safe!
Now, Portsmouth, the won the FA cup in 1939, and as there was no professional football during the war years, that one final victory allowed them to hold the cup for seven years.
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2 hours ago, Daniel Evensen said:
No Contest
Well, we did it again. We demolished the Taiyuan Institute of Technology, winning 8-0.
We managed to bring the score up to 7-0 before the end of the first half. I started to worry in the second half, though, as our goal scoring suddenly stopped. Liu Yue finally finished off his hat trick in the 91st minute, however, and we put them away for good.
Taiyuan managed 8 shots, which is more than I would like to give up. Hou Yu was equal to the task, though he did seem a little bit wobbly at times. We really ought to prevent the ball from even reaching him. I guess I shouldn’t complain due to our dominance; however, we are going to need a defensive upgrade before we start facing fiercer competition.
Liu Yue was easily the man of the match, and picked up a player of the week award as well. I always wonder whenever any players from any other teams win player of the week, by the way. Our boys are so good that they simply shouldn’t be playing at this level.
It won’t come as any surprise to you that our attacking is far above and beyond everybody else in the league. The defending has also been superb, aside from those two fluke goals against Jiangsu, of course. We are simply a good team, and we continue to put out quality results.
I am concerned about Kim Yong-Il, though. He had a very quiet game, scoring an early goal and largely disappearing afterwards. My gut tells me that Huang Bowen should be starting more frequently up front. We just need Mr. Huang to stop freaking out about the fact that there are other strikers on the team.
Invincible?
That makes 10 wins in a row, by the way. We’ve won three matches this season by 8-0 margins, one by 7-0, one by 10-0, three more by 4-0, and one by a 2-0 margin. Only Jiangsu managed to score two goals against us, and both were flukes against a 15-year-old goalkeeper who seems to be clinically depressed. I’d say that’s a pretty good run of form.
The board doesn’t seem to agree.
I’m not sure if the problem is the quality of the opposition or the fact that we’re not scoring 30 goals a match. Whatever the reason is, Chairman Guo always seems to have something to criticize.
For example, the 2-0 win against Beijing University, who are second in the league and the only team that mounts any sort of challenge to us, led to quite a bit of criticism from him. He told me that we should have won by a bigger margin against a team that is supposedly inferior. I’m not sure what more we can do other than win — but, then again, when you have that kind of money I guess you’re not easily impressed.
Chairman Guo also didn’t think much of our earlier 4-0 win against Shaanxi, and gave us “B-” grades for the 8-0 demolishing of both Taiyuan and Jingchuang-Xian. And that 10-0 domination on the road against Qinghai? That got a straight “B.”
And don’t even get me started on how upset he is that we’re not signing Haaland, Mbappe, and the rest. There’s simply no reasoning with Chairman Guo on that issue. If he doesn’t have the best, he won’t be happy, and that’s that.
North Korean Flair
We’ve got another DPRK international to introduce you to.
His name is Pak Myong-Song (박명송), and he’s a 28-year-old fullback who is one of the mainstays of the squad.
Pak defies all stereotypes about North Korea as being a “hermit country.” He’s 6’0”, tall and lanky, in excellent shape, and has 23 caps to his name. He’s absolutely solid, with an excellent, determined personality, and is a natural leader on a squad full of leaders.
He hails from Pyongyang, which means that there are certainly political connections in his past. It doesn’t seem to affect his persona much, though. He gets along just fine with our other Koreans, including the other DPRK nationals, the South Koreans, and our young Chinese-Korean players.
Statistically speaking, Pak is league ahead of every other defender in our league. That’s no surprise, of course — just about everybody that we have is yards ahead of the competition.
We also picked him up for a song - under 200,000 RMB. You can find quite a few good players if you’re not above scouting the DPRK national team.
He’ll be around for a little while. I’m not sure if we’ll hold on to him once we finally make the Champions League in a few years, but we’ll see what happens.
Charlotte doesn’t care much for Mr. Pak, by the way. She’s too focused on finding Lee Jin-Yong’s hospital.
Jiangsu Nantong
We’re hosting Jiangsu Nantong next.
Like Jiangsu FC, this is a club headquartered in the city of Nanjing. They’ve played better than expected so far, and are in 6th place.
Having said all that, we should win this one easily. Lee Jin-Yong won’t play, of course. Aside from him, we should be up to full strength.
he'll change his tune when you give him the Ronaldo baby oil bill
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All set to deal with the final game of the league campaign. See if we would be able to take advantage of the surprising situation we found ourselves in. Top of the table, more by luck than better judgement, with a two point advantage on Man City. They still had a superior goal difference, so if we drew and they won, then they'd best us. But if we matched their result, then we'd be champions in my first full season in charge!
However, rudely, the league season showdown would have to take a slight Wembley detour as we were due to play the FA cup final. Who are our opponents you might ask? Well fittingly, we play Man City.
To say it was a strange atmosphere, is a bit of an understatement. I doubt there are many factors where two sets of opposing supporters would "get on", but this wasn't a rivalry born of years of needing to come out victorious for bragging rights, like the North London derby. This was a forced rivalry simply from this being the eighth time we would face each other, all in domestic competitions, in a span of 15 months.
That's an average of once every eight weeks.
This would also be the fourth of those occasions where silverware was riding on the result. In the previous three meetings where the winner hoisted a trophy at the end, City had come up short. Then when we weren't playing for a trophy, City had one point out of a possible 12 against us over that time period. Safe to say they didn't like us very much, and frankly that we didn't care.
Where it got weird, was the timing. The league was due to be resolved some eight days later, and while we had one hand on that trophy as well. It was anything but a foregone conclusion. Both sets of fans, who usually have plenty to say to each other, and have come up with some new simply yet witty specific chant for the occasion, were keeping it very civilised. They weren't subdued, this was still the FA cup, the greatest domestic cup competition in the world. It just seemed that everyone was looking to enjoy a day out at Wembley in the English summer sunshine, and if they appeased the football gods with some good behaviour, perhaps they'd get to cash that favour in come the final day of the league.
The first half had an air of inevitability about it. City were cautious in possession, and even more so without the ball. They'd lost the last six against us on the bounce, the last three by a 2 - 1 score line. In those six losses, they'd only scored first twice, so I could understand them not wanting to fall behind and repeat the same pattern once more. From our side of things, I don't think we'd ever gone into any of those six games (I certainly hadn't) thinking we were automatically going to win. But today we did, or it seemed like it from our play. We went about or business professionally, but there was no rush, panic or annoyance to our play when we didn't instantly get a reward. This wasn't a puzzle we'd failed to solve in the past (like scoring enough goals against Spurs....) as long as we kept going it would, as it always had, come up in our favour.
Which is why it only took a small chink in the City armour for us to break through. With the first half drawing to a close, they seemed to take a collective sigh of relief that they'd made it this far. Raheem Sterling got caught in possession in his own half, and in trying to win the ball back gave away a free kick in a promising position. From that free kick, it was the story of the season so far, Dominic Calvert - Lewin header, goal, 1 - 0 to us with 43 minutes played.
You can never underestimate the power of moments like that in games. I'd had two halftime team talks in my head, when that goal went it, there wasn't a question which one I was going to deliver.
"Keep working, like you have in the last three games against this lot, you've done it before and you're about to do it again. You worked hard in those previous matches, and you got your reward. You'll score again in the second half, they'll likely score, they're a quality side and its unlikely we can keep them off the scoresheet for the full 90. But its going to be 2 - 1, just like it has been the last three times. As long as you work to make it happen, you take it for granted for one second and they'll rip that trophy out of your hands before you can blink."
And with that, I sent them back out. In the other dressing room, Jurgen Klopp was having to find a way to tell his players to scale a mountain they'd been unable to climb over in the last six attempts. I didn't envy him. Mainly because he's German, not for the situation him and his players found themselves in.
The second period was much more disjointed and clumsy from both sides. Neither team knew whether to stick or twist. They say the most dangerous score line is a 1 - 0 and I can believe it. We couldn't relax into our lead, nor could we justify going all out to get another if it meant presenting City an opportunity to level. Likewise, they wanted to get back into the game, but not at the expense of leaving the door wide open for us to steal another from the hen house.
In the end, another header turned the tie. On 72 minutes, from a corner, Illia Zabarnyi put us 2 - 0 up. The moment was almost too much for him, its one thing to know you're playing in a cup final, another to be told by the homegrown players how much this competition means in this country. But playing in your first edition, at only 19 years of age, as he wheeled away to celebrate his goal. The exultation coming off the roiling mass of Arsenal supporters struck him like a physical force. His arms dropped limply to his sides and he allowed himself to be mobbed by his teammates.
And that was the game, well almost. Raheem Sterling scored for City very late on. It wasn't quite like Geoff Hurst in 66, but it ultimately had the same effect on the result, nothing at all. Aaron Ramsdale joked with me after that he'd only let the goal in to ensure my half time team talk had come mostly true. He was just as quick to inform me that, technically, as Sterling's goal came in the 92nd minute, we had managed to keep them off the scoresheet for the full 90. That was one of many things that put a smile on my face that day, as we retained our FA cup trophy.
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22 hours ago, Daniel Evensen said:
As for my wife? I’m sure she’ll get by.
You'll find her at the hospital if you need to talk to her!
Poor Lee can't get away from her now if he's bound by the chest to his hospital bed!
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Four points is the difference, we each have five games left to play in the league which means there are 15 total points available. Their goal difference is significantly superior to ours. So we need to stay ahead the old fashioned way, otherwise we might as well kiss the top of the table goodbye. Here are our comparable fixtures We play:
- Aston Villa (H)
- Leicester City (A)
- Burnley (A)
- Spurs (A)
- Wolves (H)
City play:
- Brighton (H)
- West Ham (H)
- Everton (H)
- Newcastle (A)
- Bournemouth (A)
First up against Villa, I wanted to set the tone, so first XI was out, and I think we managed that. We won 6 - 0, all of the goals coming in the first half as we blew Villa away, and got "slippy" G sacked in the process. Calvert - Lewin bagged a hattrick, his first getting us going early on just six minutes. Saka was next up on nine minutes and we were 2 - 0 up before 10 minutes had been played. Calvert - Lewin scored the last from the penalty spot on 37 minutes, with Illia Zabarnyi and Frack Kessie getting in on the action in the meantime.
City got themselves a no nonsense 3 - 0 against Brighton. So 12 points to play for, lead of four.
Not gonna lie, I'd have taken five 1 - 0 wins rather than putting all those goals in the first game of the month. As, while that pulled our goal difference towards City, we were still a long way from parity. Points win prizes, and our prize was hopefully going to be a maiden Premier league title for me. No more was this the case than at the end of the Leicester game. We looked like we'd given our entire months worth of energy in the first half against Villa. We created nothing in the first half at Leicester. It took until the 56th minute for a bit of Martinelli magic to put us a goal to the good. But we still looked nervous, and when Patson Daka equalised for the home side with just 15 minutes left to play. We couldn't find a way to bring all three points home with us.
City beat West Ham 5 - 0, two for Haaland, two for Sterling and a Kevin de Bruyne effort somewhere in the middle. Nine points left to play for, gap only a single solitary point.
Burnley away, and be were back to being hot in the first half. A Calvert - Lewin brace put us in control at the half. But the wheels came off again just a minute before they had done in the Leicester game. Cole Palmer, on loan from Man City no less.... pulled a goal back on 74 minutes and I began to have kittens. We dragged ourselves over the line though. And took three priceless points.
The City game against Everton only had a single goal in it. Shame it was for Haaland on nine minutes. Six points to play for, gap of a single point. I don't think I've any nails left to bite at this point.
We went to Spurs, the last team to beat us during a competitive fixture. Albeit at the Emirates, with the media reminding me (like I'd somehow forgotten) that if results went our way, we could be champions by the end of the game. You don't say! I very much doubt it. But I'd be jumping with my heels together like Dick van Dyke if that happened.
Six minutes into the game, and blow me down and call me Dick. We were champions. Calvert - Lewin had us ahead on six minutes. While at St James, Allan Saint - Maximin had Newcastle ahead. Haaland had them back level on the half hour mark. But as things stood, we could get a draw at home and win the league by a point, regardless of what they did at Bournemouth. Games of football aren't ever done after 30 minutes though.
Pierre - Emile Hojbjerg certainly had something to say about us cruising into the final game week with one hand on the trophy. Shame he said it with two feet. Meaning he was shown a red card and off for an early bath on 42 minutes. A goal to the good and against 10 men. Everything was coming up roses.
Into the second half and Spurs had no production at all, but then they were back in the game from really the only avenue they had available, a direct free kick. Oleksandr Zinchenko (on loan from Man City no less) scoring a boomer which drew Spurs level. We still had 40 minutes against 10 men to grab another goal. But as time drew on in our game, news filtered through the stands that City had a penalty in the 70th minute. Haaland converted it to put them 2 - 1 up. Meaning they would go above us by a single point as things stood. Now I'd have bet my mortgage on them winning their final game. But in reality, if things stayed the same, they wouldn't have too. With their goal difference, all they had to do was match our result, heck they could even lose if we drew. Oh how things change so quickly.
We hurled the kitchen sink, harsh language, and a couple of midgets at the Spurs backline. But we couldn't get through. De ja vu from the Europa league quarter final, we needed a single solitary goal, and we couldn't get it. The final whistle went and that was that, we had come so close to fall at the final hurdle. I dashed out onto the pitch to round up the players and get us out of there. As no surprise the Spurs faithful were relishing the fact they had likely denied us the title.
Halfway down the tunnel and suddenly it was our fans making the noise, the City game was still going on. A pretty horrendous challenge had seen a length stoppage for injury, and ended with Fernandinho being show a straight red for the champions elect. The resulting free kick was whipped in and Odsonne Edouard had headed the magpies level! 2 - 2 at St James park in the 87th minute.
We contemplated charging back up the tunnel to celebrate with our travelling supporters, but that seemed more than a little crass, what with us not having been able to get the job done ourselves. That was my message in the dressing room before we left. Don't celebrate this, because we didn't achieve it, we had been handed a lifeline by another team. Our destiny was back in our own hands. But we would have to turn up and perform in the last game of the season against Wolves!
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This forum is being overtaken by women with mystical powers called Charlotte!
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Instant karma strikes! Though we will get to that in a moment....
What on earth was Thomas Tuchel smoking, or rather, what did Man Utd offer him to smoke?
At the end of last season, Chelsea finished third, Utd fourth. Chelsea won the FIFA club world cup, the closest Utd got to a trophy was being beaten by Arsenal in the FA cup final.
In a push to do better in the coming season, Chelsea went out and paid £120m (plus addons) for some Norwegian striker that everyone might just have heard of.
You sign Erling Haaland, and you move to a team that finished below you in the league before the blonde wonder has played a single game for you. He must really be looking forward to watching CR7 baby oil himself up in the changing rooms every week.
Perhaps it has something to do with the Chelsea team pretty much all needing new contracts, or wanting to leave. But I basically delegated all of that nonsense, sold a load of chaff, which allowed Marina Granovskaia to work her voodoo magic and bring in Matthijs de Ligt on deadline day for £100m, with enough left over to get Josko Gvardiol. The only input I had into those transfers was me telling her the squad were complaining about depth at centre back. Probably because I'd shipped out 37 year old Thiago Silva for wanting a new contract. No lad, take your yellow and green Zimmer frame elsewhere!
Love this delegation lark!
But....
Karma,
So the day I signed the Chelsea managers contract, having decided for this to be a hands off kind of save. Callum tore his groin in training. He's been out for all of August and still has 12 days left until he can resume full training.
In other news, the Champions league group draw has been made. We have Lyon, Sporting and Rangers, so hardly a group of death. I may or may not have added Callum to the Champions league squad, in the home the group is decided as a contest with a few games to go. Plus to give him an incentive to get back to training!
Oh... and Thomas Tuchel is top of the league with Utd, unbeaten after four games. We sit second, on 10 points.
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International break at the end of March meant we were done by the 18th, and not back in action again until the third of April. Which when we had to cram eight games into the month, once again seemed like international football was giving us the finger.
Fulham at home in the league was the first game. I'd felt nothing but building tension over the two weeks with no football. It was one thing to go top of the league, yet another kettle of fish when it came to staying there. The players could feel the tension and I needed to find a way to try keep it light, keep it fun.
Which after Byone - Gittens put us a goal to the good just eight minutes into the game. Then we got a penalty just a couple of minutes later. I felt letting Ramsdale take it, set the tone of keeping things level. He was beaming from ear to ear when I gave him the nod. His previous two conversions had been when games were out of sight. This one, at only 1 - 0 up and a little over 10 minutes into the game, was a little different. My point was, have a bit of fun, and if it goes in, it goes in. Well, it went in, and we saw out the game 2 - 0 with little to talk about in the remaining 78 minutes of play.
Even better, a day later, City were held at Elland road 1 - 1. Obviously Haaland scored for them, but Bryan Mbeumo's second half equaliser carried us four points clear, and out of range of City's game in hand.
Three days after our Fulham game, we were on the other end of a 2 - 0. Away to Spurs in our first leg of the Europa league quarter final. It stung, the first competitive match we'd lost in four months. Compounded by the fact they didn't even play their first XI. Tyrese Campbell scored both their goals, within four minutes of each other midway through the second half. In the two years since he's joined them from Stoke, he's made eight appearances and scored only three goals. Two of those, were against us in that game. I felt with the right approach we could overcome the deficit in the home leg. So it wasn't over yet!
With no continental football of their own, City played before us in the league. They were angry, and Jurgen Klopp must have put the fear of something into them, as they came out and annihilated Chelsea at home. When the dust settled, they'd won 7 - 0!
Nothing so emphatic in our game the next day. We played Norwich away. Maybe we had the thought that this was where City had come unstuck, or we were in the doldrums over the Spurs loss. But we were sliding on our way to a 0 - 0 draw, with the pendulum swinging back to City. When Reiss Nelson capitalised on a Norwich defensive mistake and gave us all three points in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of the game. Champions find a way even when they aren't playing well?
Though that was not the case in the following game, Spurs at home in the Europa league second leg. Saka got us on our way with a great finish on 23 minutes, and we looked set to take a stranglehold on the game and at least push it to extra time, if not win it out right within the 90 minutes. But Spurs offered nothing going forward, deciding to use all their energy to stifle us in and around their box. We couldn't force a second goal, and annoyingly, having beaten Juventus, and seen Atlanta put out PSG, crashed out ourselves to on of our biggest domestic rivals.
To win a game, but not progress in a competition was a new situation for me. Didn't really know what to say to the players. Plus with the FA cup semi final next, I was beginning to get the feeling this could be "one of those weeks" in football. Ones where you enter full of hope and in every competition, and come out the other end destroyed and only with the league left to play in. But for all my mental troubles, it seemed Liverpool were having some competition problems of their own. Only three days before they'd had to fight tooth and nail to get past Borussia Dortmund in the Champions league. A 4 - 2 aggregate result didn't really tell the story of Dortmund leading 2 - 1 across the tie with just 20 minutes to go.
So when Liverpool played us at Wembley, they looked exhausted. Marc Roca, Dominic Calvert - Lewin and then Joe Gelhardt scored for us. Liverpool had no reply, and we made it into consecutive FA cup finals. Where we would face who else, but Man City.
Must say to get those two cup games out of the way, as disappointing as coming out of the Europa league was. That week really cleared the fog of war. Now our next seven games were all in the league. Then the FA cup final, then the final day of the season.
Speaking of Man City, they won their game in hand 4 - 0 at home against Burnley, to bring them to within a point of us.
But, just like we beat them, and then dropped points to Coventry. They seemed to have clawed themselves back into contention, to only go and lose away in the Manchester derby on the 22nd of the month. With it being a heated derby, they were in the early lunchtime kick off. So we had time to celebrate Cristiano Ronaldo's 27th minute goal and ultimately match winner, before we went out to play Southampton at St Mary's. A Franck Kessie brace saw us come home with all three points. We now had a four point advantage, we'd played each other twice, and both had played the same number of league games. In short, we sat top with our destiny completely in our own hands. Must admit I was terrified!
Three days later we head to Bournemouth, and we were completely out of sorts. A George Baldock own goal after 10 minutes of play was a stoke of luck we didn't deserve. It also seemed to take some of the spirit out of the home team. A sense that it wasn't going to be their day, despite them having us on the back foot until that point. Yet we still couldn't pull away, and it took a Martin Odegaard direct freekick on 68 minutes to double our advantage and allow me to breath somewhat easier. Man City beat Wolves 4 - 1 in their game to keep doing all they could to stay in touch.
Last game of the month was Everton at home, and once again, we were shot. It was whomever was fit enough to play. Which is probably why, after another slow and ponderous start, we found ourselves behind curtesy of a Richarlison strike on 29 minutes. But as often as been the way this season, right at the moment we needed a boost, we've gotten one. A rash Michael Keane challenge just a minute later saw Ainsley Maitland - Niles put us level from the penalty spot. Being top of the league and a goal down was a very different kettle of fish, sorry Aaron Ramsdale! But from there we settled down, and made it to halftime. In the second half we were much improved and the better side. Goals from Charlie Patino and Reiss Nelson just four minutes apart on 54 and 58 minutes respectively saw us take control of the game. Obviously once Nelson had scored, it was only a matter of time before Byone - Gittens found the net, which he did on 78 minutes. Everton and Keane had the last word with a consolation goal on 87 minutes, but our fans couldn't hear it, as they were too busy chanting about winning the league.
Which brings us to the final month of the season. Five league games, and an FA cup final to navigate!
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7 hours ago, mark wilson27 said:
Right lads, I've finally got myself FM23, which means its time for my usual 15-1 type story..
So guys who's interested,
If your interested let me know a random country we can do that is available in FM23
Italy? least then I can gorge myself on red wine and pizza when I'm the first to get sacked.
Or Mexico, same reason, just burritos and tequila
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Marching on, alone, towards second place.
Well, not straight away, firstly we had the slight detour of hosting Juventus in the second knockout round of the Europa league. The Italian "old lady" had definitely been showing her age in Europe this season, having only managed to beat bottom team Dinamo Zagreb. They drew one and lost one against both of the other group occupants, Ajax and Man City. Leaving them in third place with eight points. City topped the group with 16, and Ajax went through with 10 points.
Which meant they came to us on a balmy spring evening in March. Whether they hadn't gotten the memo regarding it being a single night affair, and were sitting in expecting to go home and beat us there. Or they simply didn't want to be there, either way they basically didn't turn up. Gabriel put us ahead with a header from a deep free kick on 24 minutes. Our other Gabriel, Martinelli, finished smoothly from a wonderful team move just 12 minutes later. 2 - 0 up at halftime and they didn't lay a glove on us in the second period. Into the quarter final at a canter.
Is it possible to have a continental hangover, when you play at home? And win? Well, the way we played against Chelsea at home just three days later, seemed to suggest you could. Interestingly, well maybe not, but we had played Chelsea on this exact date last season. On that occasion we had gone behind early to a Trevor Chalobah header from a corner. Martinelli had then pulled us level with 24 minutes played.
Fast forward a year to the present day and we were stumbling through a rather poor first half showing. Luckily for us, Chelsea weren't fairing any better, and we got into the half with it still 0 - 0. Man City were playing Norwich at Carrow road. The loudest cheer at the Emirates in our first half performance came when the news filtered through that Todd Cantwell had bent a free kick beyond Ederson and into the top corner in the second minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Which you might of thought might galvanise our players into action, maybe they thought that an inevitable Haaland second half hattrick would cancel out the Norwich goal so what was the point. The roar of a Ben Gibson header doubling Norwich's advantage swept round the stands, but didn't have much affect on how the players were going about business on the pitch. In almost typical fashion, with City loosing and the opportunity to close within a point (their game in hand and goal difference not withstanding), we ourselves fell behind. Another corner, another header, this time Thiago Silva nutted Chelsea ahead.
Finally, this seemed to be the straw across our collective backs that woke us up. Still, with the lead, and the knowledge they were preventing us from capitalising on Cities calamitous performance, the Chelsea team gleefully parked the bus. With their fans just as gleefully cheering them on. You can't stop class however. Franck Kessie, with an absolutely lightning bolt from 35 yards, aided by the fact the Chelsea team were trying to stay as compact as possible. Mendy was completely unsighted in the opposition goal, and by the time he knew his goal was under threat, the ball was past him and we were level. 1 - 1 85 minutes played.
Human mentality is a strange thing, we'd known City had been losing 2 - 0 since the 49th minute of their game. Their situation was still the same in the last few minutes of that fixture. We'd been losing for 20 minutes before we dragged ourselves level. But only then, with five minutes plus stoppage time remaining did it appear we ultimately believed we would win, and City would lose. The change in the way our players addressed the ball, the movement they made, Chelsea tried keep the ball from us, but now it was as though they'd played 180 minutes, and we had just charged out of the tunnel for the first half kick off. When Jamie Byone - Gittens swept home from close range in the second minute of time added on. It had all the hallmarks of theatrical inevitability. 2 - 1 at the final whistle, City lost 2 - 0, we were a single point behind!
Three days later and it was the FA cup fifth round. Once again, the priority dilemma was first and foremost on my mind. Because who did we have next in the league? A scant three days after this FA cup game? Only Man City at the Emirates. If we won that game, we'd go two points ahead of them and top of the league. Yes they had their game in hand, but we'd have done everything in our own power to stay competitive. And surely, actually being a competitive force in the title race would be enough compensation in the eventuality that we came out of the cup? Well! I sure hoped so.
All of which led to a rather cagey game as the second XI tried to negotiate their way past a Leeds side who were definitely more determined than we were. We just about managed to keep them at arms length. Byone - Gittens, who had begun to flag in the second half, probably due to him being introduced late on against Chelsea, was replaced on the hour by Gabriel Martinelli. Perhaps angry that he'd been left out, the Brazilian took only five minutes to put us ahead. Latching onto a wickedly inviting low cross in behind a retreating Leeds back line. 1 - 0 on 65 minutes and that was enough to put us in the hat for our second quarter final qualification of the month.
Right! Our fourth home game on the bounce. Culminating in Man City in the league. City's game against Norwich had been only their first league action of the month. Competitions were all over the place, they'd played their FA cup fifth round game while we put Juventus to the sword. And while we were in the FA cup, they had crashed out of the Champions league, 1 - 0 at home, 3 - 0 on aggregate against Real Madrid. Which meant across all competitions they had lost 50% of their last six games, and were 180 minutes of football without a win when they stepped out on to the pitch to face us.
And it showed, not in anyway that gave us the advantage, they came out like a wounded animal backed into a corner. Looking to strike first, and strike hard! Phil Foden's back post tap in on 24 minutes was less an isolated moment, and more just the first opportunity they'd managed to convert out of a myriad of similar situations that had gone begging to that point in the game. They had completely and utterly blown us away and I've no idea how we were still within sight. We limped in at half time and the team collectively looked at me expecting to be laid into. But in reality, they hadn't played badly, they simply hadn't played as well as City. I told them to keep going, keep working, and either we'd get back into the game, or it wasn't meant to be. There was more than a little confusion on the faces of the players as they went back out.
The same could be said with the City players as we started the second period. They probably expected a knee jerk reaction, an attempt to grab hold of the game and get back into it. Whether they began to run out of steam due to their frenetic first half display, or were sitting back because they expected us to be more proactive. We steadily grew into the second half, not by wrestling it out of their hands, but by building on our fundamentals. Which is why Calvert - Lewin's equaliser in the 65th minute came in the way he'd scored the majority of his goals for us so far this season. A no nonsense downward header, from a towering leap at a corner.
Then once again, our belief took over. Before this game, we'd only lost to City once in seven games. That 2 - 0 defeat had been before my tenure as manager. Meaning in six meetings, the worst we'd managed was a 2 - 2 draw. The last five in a row we'd emerged victorious, including a Carabao cup final and a Community shield. This season we'd played City twice in January, and the result had been 2 - 1 both times. So it was no surprise when Gabriel Martinelli fired us 2 - 1 ahead with just four minutes of the 90 remaining. Top of the league, by two points, with a bang!
We had a full week to recovery before our final game of the month. 18th of March and we were playing Aston Villa away in the FA cup quarter final. Perhaps it was the weeks gap and thus disruption to our momentum. Maybe it was being away from the Emirates for the first time in nearly three weeks. Or perhaps because I'd doubled down on my focus on the league. You can't not keep your first XI fresh for a competition where you find yourself top with just 10 games remaining. All of those factors culminated in us not finishing the game off. An Emile Smith - Rowe goal on 22 minutes had put us on our way. Rowe, a first XI stalwart, was recovering from injury, which saw him fielded in the second XI to get some minutes. But his contribution was cancelled out by Ezri Konza on 84 minutes, as we failed to see out the game and let Villa back into it. Extra time it was, what we didn't really need with a hard league and continental campaign coming up. Which is why I didn't turn to my first XI players on the bench, but introduced Folarin Balogun. His goal on 102 minutes saw us fall, battered and bruised into the semi final 2 - 1 after extra time.
April, three competitions yet again, as we would face mortal enemy Spurs in our Europa league knockout game and Liverpool in the FA cup semi. Tough fixtures, not what the doctor ordered when we looked to focus on the Premier league.
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5 hours ago, Jon1982 said:
Thanks Ben. I thought I would spice things up a bit. It has put me in some kind of dilemna though. On the blogger version which is posted on other platforms such as Reddit and Facebook I have had to add a Disclaimer at the top which basically says these are not real events, that in case any friends or family who stumble across it and have not seen me for a while that I have not suddenly emigrated to Cambodia and that I am still in the UK and live with my wife and son and not really having an affair with a woman called Charlotte, who is completely made up. Everything is a complete work of fiction based on my laptop screen and FM21. I did not feel the need to do that on these forums, because I am safe in the knowledge you already know this is just an FM story and not real life. I have enjoyed writing the last few posts, but for these reasons I will have to get back to the more humdrum football related posts soon...
Really? And I thought I had it bad, with people assuming I'm a 42 year old woman named Mandy....
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Shortest month of the year and yet we still played seven games!
First up was Brighton in the league, with Crystal Palace to come in the FA cup fourth round waiting in the wings. I had a long hard think about match priorities and which XI to pick for which game. Realistically the second XI could probably have handled either fixture. Or rather, I would have expected them too. And while we are talking about expectations, the board wanted us in the final of the FA cup, while being content with continental qualification through the league.
Sitting second, just about on the coat tails of Man City more than met the league expectation. But the FA cup was, well a cup, you never knew who you were going to get in the next round, or how hard they were going to be willing to fight to progress.
Fielding the second XI in the league, would feel like a capitulation, and while mentally I'd probably already made that choice. I wasn't ready to be seen to definitively show that through my match day selection. Be that in front of the fans, the board or just myself in the mirror. Plus, and this is probably what swung it at the end of the day. Our Carabao cup final opponents were Brighton, so I wanted to put the fear into them in the league, so when it came back around at the end of the month, they wouldn't be looking forward too it.
So first XI in the league it is, and they didn't let me down. Saka dancing his way through the Brighton defence to finish with panache just two minutes into the game. Illia Zabaryni, on his debut no less. Soared highest from a second half corner and headed us 2 - 0 up with just 55 minutes of his Arsenal career under his belt. He ran over to the corner flag kissing the badge, which felt a little much, but the Ukrainian teenager certainly has heart.
He got an assist just under half an hour later. From another corner, with no angle to turn his header towards goal, he knocked it back across the penalty area for Calvert - Lewin to apply a simple finishing touch. 3 - 0 with 82 minutes played.
Slightly disappointed from there to concede in the last eight minutes of play. But to Brighton's credit they had never really given up, kept trying to play football. And finally they put together a passage of play that saw Alexis Mac Allister in space in our box. His low drive from the left hand corner whipped across and past Ramsdale into the bottom corner of the net at the far post. 3 - 1 it finished.
City managed the same result, hosting Spurs. Haaland got them off to a flyer, not as fast as Saka did for us mind. But they were 1 - 0 inside 10 minutes. Rodri made it two just before half an hour of play. Kane pulled one back for the visitors midway through the second half, and Spurs looked worthy of drawing level as the game marched onwards. But they over extended themselves looking for the equaliser, and Rodri bagged his second just two minutes from full time, which settled the contest.
Palace in the cup, and all that worry about whether the other team would be "up for the cup", and they didn't even look like they were up to playing the game. The first half was one of the most boring 45 minutes of football I'd ever seen. Then in the second period Folarin Balogun just took over the game. On another day, with a little more luck, he could have scored five. But he settled for a brace, which was more than enough to ease us into the fifth round.
There was nothing easy about our league game at the London stadium four days later. West Ham had been having an absolute mare of a season, finding themselves languishing in 15th and in real trouble of continuing to slide further south. All pre season aspirations were well and truly out the window and they were just looking to survive. If that survival came at the expense of damaging another London clubs chances of catching the league leaders. Well all the better.
The crowd was loud, hostile, and not just at us, they were fed up with their team and wanted to howl their frustrations at everyone. Dominic Calvert - Lewin put us on the front foot eight minutes into the game when he latched on to a Martin Odegaard through ball. In other circumstances that might have subdued the home fans. But it had the opposite effect here. They got louder, more irate and the atmosphere began to turn pretty nasty.
I was glad to get in at halftime and get a bit of shelter from the noise and just vitriol of the crowd. Second half got underway and both teams looked like they wanted to be anywhere but in the middle of all that negative emotion. Ivan Toney, brought in by West Ham on deadline day from Brentford, had obviously had less time than anyone else to get weighed down by the fans negativity. He smashed the Hammers level on 68 minutes. Which if you listened very carefully, might have caused a change in the tone of the crowd.
It didn't last long though, all of four minutes later we were back in front from a by now almost trademark Calvert - Lewin header corner conversion. 2 - 1 with 72 minutes played.
To be fair to the West Ham players, they didn't buckle under the pressure of being behind, or the noise of their own fans. They kept working away at it, and probably deserved a draw from the balance of play. It just felt unfair the way it came about. A Declan Rice hit it and hope from outside the area, cannoned off William Saliba as he attempted to block it. What would have been a tame strike that Ramsdale would have scooped up 100 times out of 100. Now completely wrong footed our keeper and sailed into the net. 2 - 2 90+5 minutes, and that's how the game ended.
Due to Champions league commitments, City didn't play, and while I dreaded when they would actually capitalise on their game in hand. I always prefer having the points on the board rather than in the back pocket still to play as it were. The gap was now four points at the top of the table.
Three days later we played Man Utd at home, and I wanted blood. We'd gotten revenge on the only other team to beat us so far this season. Liverpool had been undone by a Franck Kessie goal. But to me, the Man Utd loss was worse. It had been our last game before the enforced winter break, so I'd had a long time to ruminate over it. That and the fact I felt that result had been the nail in the coffin of our title challenge. To drop three points against Liverpool would have been manageable. Dropping six points with the defeat against Utd, that seemed like too big a gap.
We absolutely battered Utd at home, in every way except on the scoresheet. And as the game came into the final minutes it was somehow, ludicrously still 0 - 0. Even worse, City were two goals to the good at home to Aston Villa, looking to pull six points clear, with a superior goal difference, and a game in hand.
I think my face was the colour of a Man Utd home kit as I continued to urge and gesticulate the players forward. Though how much further forward could they get, what with us having played most of the game in the opposition half. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the fourth official was holding up the injury time board, and we were in the last minute of the 90.
We had a free kick on the left side of the box. Odegaard stood over it. He whipped it in, curling in a way that it looked like it might go in all on its own. De Gea didn't know whether to come or not, with our players running across the ball threatening to get something on it and change the flight of the ball. The ball bounced, and it became clear that it just wasn't going to curl enough to go in at the bottom corner of the far post. But before it could skim on out of play, Dominic Calvert - Lewin ghosted in beyond the back post, sliding to make contact with the ball and redirecting it into the roof of the net!
1 - 0 with 90 minutes showing on the scoreboard! I was over the moon, not only with what turned out to be the final result. But with the big money acquisition I'd made at the beginning of this season, exactly for this reason. To be counted on to score goals, when goals were needed. He'd scored four goals in his last three starts. Putting us ahead twice in the West Ham game, which we only lost due to a deflection, and now securing three points in the final minute of regulation. Worth every penny of his £50m transfer so far.
Leeds away three days later was a second XI outing. Which could mean only one thing. Goals for Byone - Gittens and Reiss Nelson, one a piece in the second half saw us win 2 - 0.
Once again City didn't play due to European football, meaning we had closed to within a single point. But they had two games in hand.
18th of February and our last league game of the month. We went away to Newcastle. I kept the second XI in, which due to the signing of our new Ukrainian central defender, saw Gabriel moved to that XI. He opened the scoring for us on 21 minutes. Only problem being, that only pulled us level from a Callum Wilson goal for Newcastle in the first 10 minutes.
Luckily once we got level, we didn't look back. Balogun and Martinelli putting us 3 - 1 up before the end of the half, Martinelli's goal coming in the 45th minute. Then before Newcastle could regroup at the start of the second period. Reiss Nelson grabbed our fourth goal just four minutes after the restart. Newcastle had no answer and 4 - 1 was the final score.
City for some reason played Spurs twice in the league in the same month. This time away, and just like the first game, Spurs had sections of the game where they looked like they were going to run away with it. Kane once more scored for them, but this time he was the first name on the scoresheet. Phil Foden pulled City level, arguably against the run of play, just before the half hour mark. That looked like how it would stay, until who else than Haaland scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the game to make it 3 - 1 and secure the three points back to Manchester.
City played Leicester on the final weekend of the month, while we prepared to defend our Carabao cup trophy in the final against Brighton. A Haaland and Raheem Sterling hattrick saw them emphatically win one of their games in hand 6 - 0. Restoring the gap at the top to four points.
Meanwhile, in London we put the slog of the league behind us and did our best to enjoy the day at Wembley. While there were a few groans in the stands from pockets of fans listening to City game on the radio, and when it became clear that Brighton weren't going to lift the trophy, their fans began to try goad us that we couldn't be considered to be in a title race. The rest of the day was pretty awesome.
It might only be the Carabao cup, but its going to always have a special significance for me, as its the first trophy I won as manager of this club. So to defend that trophy 3 - 0 was again, pretty special. Smith - Rowe and Odegaard scored in the first half, with Calvert - Lewin putting it beyond doubt late in the second.
Only five games in March, still across three competitions, as the Europa league knockout stages begin. We've been drawn at home against Juventus, after they crashed out of the Champions league. Not exactly the easiest draw there was. But at least its at home, and only at home, some efforts to reduce fixture congestion for some reason. No idea why....
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38 minutes ago, Daniel Evensen said:
Sorry about how this one is going to end, lol. New thread and story coming soon — but we'll keep the family together, of course. ;-)
she's pregnant!!!!
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Sloe Gin (Wash Away the Pain Inside)
in FM Stories
Posted
All the games in pre season were of two halves. Obviously that's the format of the fixtures, but you know what I mean.
Personally I don't mind, the point is rotation, get everyone fit, get a good look at different players and combinations.
One very clear trend emerged, we seriously struggle in the later periods of games. Either blowing a 3 - 0 lead against Lyon to draw 3 - 3. Or having to rely on a 96th minute mistake from the Stade Reims defense to sneak a 2 - 2 draw. We had control of the Lens game after a Noni Madueke wonder strike put us ahead before halftime. But then another growing trend bit us in the ass, sloppy play. I'm hoping its the fact the players are learning the formation, tactics and playing alongside each other. Or rather, it better be that, because if the silly mistakes, cheap turn overs in possession and poor passing doesn't improve, then its going to be a long uphill slog of a season. Lens capitalized on this on the hour mark and held us to a 1 - 1 draw.
Basaksehir, our last friendly opponent in Turkey, took the lead from such a mistake. Defenders stepping up to make a clearing header straight to an opponent, who then exploited the clearing defenders poor positioning (and the lack of anticipation in the rest of the defensive unit) to put someone through on goal with a single direct pass. Not acceptable, it took two impressive long range efforts, one from Noni Madueke and the other Moises Caicedo to give us our first win of the pre season.
I'm exceptionally pessimistic of how we will go in competitive fixtures, Everton, Luton and Burnley are our August league fixtures. Not too many moons ago they would have seemed like games ripe for an upset but otherwise straight forward. Now though, a draw in any but the Luton game seems to me an expected or in fact acceptable result.
Off the pitch, and the focus seems to be on player development for improvement and or profit. Malang Sarr, Ian Maatsen and Malo Gusto, who all play at wingback, have been loaned out in the last month, leaving us feeling decidedly bare in the first team at that position.
One saving grace is the fact we only have domestic football this season, though, hopefully not a "luxury" we want to have for too long.