Mandy42

was just thinking that the awards ceremony thread should count towards this award!

clean sweep sounds suspiciously like your trying to bind me in some sort of contractual obligation to tidy the venue when we are finished

That follows the flawed assumption that I won't be dumping cheetos on myself as / when I win an award (helps when you quote the right post!)

HAT TRICK! I know I voted for that masterpiece! Congratulations Mark. *CHEETOS IN YOUR FACE* Now get the bar tender to fill your boots big toe with tequila

I think that's two successful vote for winners by yours truly. Now that should be an award! Person who voted for the most award winners! Might mean I actually win something. Anyway, *Dumps a full bag of cheetos over Cider Drinker* Glad we get the award that makes me feel old out of the way early

Not sure why you'd fill your boots at a free bar, unless they aren't supplying glasses. *throws cheeto's at EvilDave in a very congratulatory fashion* As indicated, I have 10kgs of these bad boys. So be prepared to go home looking like Donald Trump

So who is this person we are stalking following with interest. Well his name is Callum Halloran (my stepson in real life). He's 15 years old at the start of this story. He's signed for FC Halifax in the Vanarama League (because we live in Halifax). He's Welsh, because deep down he considers himself Welsh. Though both him and his mother were born in Shrewsbury (due to that being the closest emergency hospital to their Welsh home). So technically he's English, but he's always sided with his grandfather's nationality of Welsh. So, as I've never done this before! I made a few mistakes discoveries along the way. Firstly, you can't have all the leagues in your save as "view only" at least one of them has to be playable. And then just because a league is selected as view only, doesn't mean you actually get to see anything. None of the lower division clubs fixtures are loaded in (except for say cup competitions) nor can you watch match highlights. The plan was to put Callum at Halifax and then basically see where he went from there. I've now loaded the English leagues, so in his second season I can keep a closer eye on him. But if he begins to roam internationally. Well there might be some delay on me being able to load the leagues he moves too and thus the detail with which I spy on him.

Something a little different, at least I think so. Have used the in game editor to change one of the players names and stats. And this story will follow that players career from start to finish. Inspired by the thread linked below. I used the player creation criteria in this thread. Random attributes were determined with the use of an online 20 sided dice roller. Due to me not having done this before, there were a couple of teething problems. But hopefully we are sorted now!

My grandma could beat Jordan Pickford from 45 yards out. Good job I didn't go too over board with preparations at my house. (Sure those 10kg of cheetos will come in!)

Looking back at these notes I think I've made it pretty clear that I'm opposed to the Qatar World cup. In reality its boils down to the principle of the corruption and human rights violations. Not the disruption of the domestic game. I understand that might be the equivalent of saying I wouldn't mind going camping, except for the part about being outside and sleeping on the floor. Basically, the logistical and tactical pressures it placed on me as a manager were quite intriguing. In the normal four year cycle with the summer tournament (as far as Europe is concerned). Its at the end of the season, so who you may or may not want in your plans for the next season are more solidified. Plus the transfer window is just wide open. It even extends into the first month of the regular season, giving you time to find an emergency replacement or backup for anyone unlucky enough to be injured on international duty at the sharp end of the tournament. I'd say now imagine cramming all of that into the middle of the season, in just a 31 day period. But you don't have to imagine it, because it happened this year. As much as I didn't really want anything to do with the World cup. It would be unprofessional of me to not have my scout team keeping an eye on the tournament. Seeing if the stand out performances were the real deal, or just born of the passion of playing on the international stage and hyped beyond the realms of reality. For the most part it seemed to be the later. Which made my task considerably easier. There was no panic required. No need to get into an elbow out argy - bargy with another club at inflated prices. Just stick to the plan of replacing older expensive players, with cheaper, high potential younger ones. I say it was an easy task. But it looks like I wasn't as focused on it as I normally am. Because I don't have the players coming in and going out in date order like I usually have. In fact I don't have a clue what order they are in. They just appear to be names scribbled down on a sheet of paper. So in no other order than they come up on these crumbled pages in front of me. Out Best start with the players we let go, as you can't really spend money till you've made money: Runar Alex Runarsson - Legia £3.2m Auston Trusty - Brentford £4m Rob Holding - AS Monaco £22m Daniel Ballard - Lyon £5m Thomas Partey - FC Porto £40m Alexis Sanchez - Lyon £7m Ivan Perisic - Lazio £5.75m With the forced signing of Matt Turner, I basically didn't need any goalkeeper who wasn't good enough (Runarsson) was too old (Leno) or was going to complain about not getting enough play time, which was most of the others. Trusty and Ballard were young enough, not unlikely to be ever good enough. Holding was old enough to be expected to be better than he was. While Sanchez and Perisic were the oldest outfield players in the squad and the two highest paid. With Partey not far behind them. All three of them also wanted more money, which was a no go. Its that second fact, that they were all willing to run down their deals because I wasn't giving them further cash, that surprised me we pulled in the money we did. £7m for a 34 year old Sanchez felt like good money to me. I never expected Partey to go for anything near £40m. So I was well chuffed. IN Illia Zabaryni - Dynamo Kiev £30m Joe Gelhardt - Leeds £27m Complete polar opposites these transfers, and not because they play at different ends of the pitch. Zabaryni was a 19 year old Ukrainian central defender who was a direct plug in for the first XI. A literal younger, more promising upgrade for the departing Rob Holding. No qualms at all about the money I spent on him. Joe on the other hand. Think he's the closest I've come to a late January transfer window panic buy. He was making rumblings that he wanted out from Elland Road. And my back room team rated him very highly. But more definitively, I had in the back of my head a tactical style and formation that meant I needed more attacking midfielders who could play multiple positions. The tactical plan derived in some aspects from my love and study of American football. But more on that another time. It was basically strikerless, which yes, probably is a very daft idea having spent £50m on Dominic Calvert - Lewin less than six months earlier to lead the line. Either way, to cut a rambling story slightly short. Those factors culminated in me purchasing a young player, for probably more than I should, with not really anywhere to play him regularly inside the current squad.

You had me at "silky southern Chinese voice" but welcome! Hope you enjoy your time here. And my stories better have been some of those you perused

Four games in November, all squished into the opening fortnight. With every international manager and fan holding their breath after every "robust" tackle. Which in this day and age translates to any challenge that is followed by two rolls on the floor, not just one. First up was the final and crunch game in the Europa league group stage. It was simple, win and we qualified. Due to our head to head record against Galatasaray and Fiorentina. If we beat the Turkish giants in our last game, then our record was equal or better against them. And would see us finish top of the group. You would have been forgiven to think that such a scenario would prompt me to field a strong team, especially with board expectation being we reach the final. And I'm usually all about the board expectation. However, I had my eyes set on over achieving in the league. The board wanted European football secured via league position. While currently we were challenging for the title. Neck and neck on 32 points with City after 12 games played. Though we had the slight problem of them having a considerably better goal difference than us. Thanks to one Norwegian striker they'd signed who you might have heard of in passing. Luckily, or perhaps inevitably, the kids got it done in continental competition. James - Bynoe - Gittens continued his impressive start to life at the club with a goal in each half. His and our second came in the 68th minute. And as we so often do when on top, we heaped an extra helping of hurt on the opposition, scoring our third just two minutes later. Reiss Nelson showing he wouldn't be outdone when it comes to scoring in Europe. 3 - 0 it finished and we ended my inaugural continental group stage top of the shop. So just three league games to go till the enforced break. All four games to be wound up and done by the 12th of November. We welcomed Norwich to the Emirates on the sixth. Man they were frustrating. Sitting in and with no desire to do anything but stop us from creating a decent chance on target. We put them under enormous pressure for the first 20 minutes. With the consecutive corner count reaching six on multiple occasions. But as much as they would bend and buckle, we couldn't break them and the atmosphere inside the stadium began to turn. Especially as news of an early goal in the Man City game saw our title contenders losing. While there was still a lot of football to be played this season, and it was very likely quite previous for us to be using the words title contenders when describing ourselves. It was clear the fans felt this was an ample opportunity to lay down a marker and we had to take it. The frustration began to build and build, both in the stands and on the pitch. A few daft challenges and cards for our team as the first half staggered along. But then inspiration struck like a thunder bolt. As doggedly as Norwich defended, you just can't stop a worldie. A curling, dipping, rasping drive from Martin Odegaard from outside the box on 33 minutes destroyed the frustration in the stands and sent the fans into raptures. The fact he did it again on 62 minutes was even better! Both strikes were from so far back in the top draw they made Thomas Partey's 35 yard no nonsense bullet of a daisy cutter on 78 minutes look routine. We finished 3 - 0 victors, and although City had scrambled back to rescue a point. It had lifted us top of the table with a two point cushion! Title contenders? While the rest of the club basked in the excitement that came with going top of the league. My frustrations continued to grow. Not at our or Norwich's performance. But at the ineffability of the fixture organisation committee. We had just six days left till the Qatar break. And for some reason they thought it was a good idea for us to play both Man Utd and Liverpool away within that time. Now either they were doing us the disservice of considering us a none runner, and thus an easy mark for those two clubs. It being an irrelevance when we played them, or if we played them back to back, because we just weren't that good. Or they'd decided that with over a month of distraction before the next round of Premier league games. Two potential top of the table blockbusters back to back were just what the fans needed to keep in the back of their minds to remind them of the domestic leagues relevance and ability to produce a spectacle. Neither possibility overly filled me with much joy. Nor did our performances. Over that six day period, we went from top of the table possible title contenders. To second spot likely also rans. Two 2 - 0 defeats with little to no resistance sent me into the break in a foul mood. Diogo Jota and Mo Salah scored for Liverpool in the first half of that game. With Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring for Utd in the second half of the other. City won both their games. So after 15 league games played. We sat second, four points behind the leaders. But they had the ridiculous Haaland (already on 27 league goals in 15 appearances) to bolster their +35 (we had +24) goal difference. Absolute mountain to climb....

Intriguing! especially as a Messi dribble usually ends up with a dive at the end

Called it! Ex casino employed honey trap! Ensures the best EDC players are forced to move on so they can never become a sustained threat! Futuristic 40,000 seater stadium sounds awesome!

its at my house... only chance I have of ensuring I get an award. By handing out fakes and keeping the real ones for myself!

Dinner and a show! Quite the night of entertainment! Though you best make sure she's not a deep cover casino employee!!

NINE games in October.... N I N E ! As we try contort ourselves to fit in the Middle East Christmas Corruption Association. First up we have newly promoted, and odds on to be instantly relegated Coventry in the league. While they haven't exactly been playing quality football. They've also struggled to adjust to the less physical Premier league. In that I mean, challenges that might have been allowed to stand in the Championship have been drawing cautions in the top flight. Case in point against us, as Gustavo Hamer applies too much gusto in his challenge on Emile Smith - Rowe. Only 11 minutes played and the Coventry man sees red. It probably was always a case of "how many" but with 10 men its even more so. We rack up 7 for no reply. Including a bit of disrespect from me. As I let Aaron Ramsdale take a penalty on 26 minutes with the score only 1 - 0. He converts. Odegaard gets two, Calvert - Lewin one. But the pick of the performance has to be Smith - Rowe's hat trick. Not a bad start to October. There are only three days between most games this month. Which means rotation is key, regardless of the competition. Turns out the next game is Newcastle in the Carabao. So the second XI would have played anyway. Its a win, though nowhere near as convincing as the Coventry result. We run out 1 - 0 with a Mika Biereth goal after 23 minutes the deciding factor. I'm happy we are solid at the back even without our first selection defence on the pitch. West Ham at home another three days later. Five days since his first hat trick against Coventry. Smith - Rowe bags a consecutive hat trick in the game against the Hammers. Two in the first half and the third with 10 minutes of the game remaining. The hammers have no reply. Four days later and we are at home again in the league. This time its Southampton. Not sure, looking back, why I kept the first XI in. Maybe because we were toe to toe with City. And it had always been my plan to have the first XI play the league games. But back to back games seems unlike me! Luckily the lads got the game sown up in the first half. A typical Calvert - Lewin fast start saw us in front after a minute played. A Smith - Rowe and Odegaard sucker punch within the last four minutes of the first half saw Southampton slink into the changing rooms. They didn't really emerge in the second period. I made some much needed changes to keep the legs as fresh as possible and we closed out the game 3 - 0. Halfway through the month and we played Brighton in the league. Away for the first time this month. The second XI came in, and carried on exactly where the first XI had left off. Four goals for no reply. A Perisic brace either side of a Biereth strike with Reiss Nelson putting the icing on the cake some five minutes from time. That's 18 goals in five games across two competitions, for no reply. There might be something to this constant playing lark! A majestic five day gap between the Southampton league game and our next fixture. Away to Fiorentina in the Europa league. Maybe it was the time gap, or the fact it was the furthest we had travelled this month. But we were sluggish. An Ivan Perisic tap in just before the halftime whistle stood us in good stead. But I wouldn't say I was confident. I think Fiorentina sensed it. As the second half drew on they kept attempting to apply pressure. Just as they were on the verge of giving up in frustration. A whipped ball into the corridor of uncertainty bounced off a sliding Rob Holding and into our net to make it 1 - 1 with only three minutes left. The home crowd went ballistic and they more or less sucked the ball into the net from a corner just two minutes later. Nicolas Gonzalez, the scorer from the previous group game, at it again. Rising highest at the back post to score Fiorentina's second, and send us home from Italy with nothing. Not just that, but due to Saint Etienne having beaten exactly nobody. It meant we went from top of the group, to third. With Fiorentina on seven points like us. With Galatasaray on 10. We had Etienne next, and Galatasaray last. So much for me being able to rest players to see out the final group games. Back to the league three days later. And Mr consistent Smith - Rowe. His third hat trick of the month! This time at home against Burnley, Odegaard got himself on the scoresheet. Wout Weghorst for Burnley had started the scoring on the 20th minute. As it looked like we might suffer from "continental hangover" which is ridiculous as none of the players on the pitch had played in Europe. But the four second half goals saw us stretch comfortably away. Etienne away four days later was a completely different story. The French side had nothing to play for but pride. And they gave it everything. We looked devoid of ideas, and quickly becoming frustrated by their well attempts to frustrate us. As the end of the game came closer, so did our time in Europe this season. Fiorentina were seeing off Galatasaray to put both of those teams on 10 points. If we couldn't beat Etienne, what hope did we have against the Turks in the final match. As I contemplated this, Fred Kabangu for the French side got himself sent off. Surely now, with just over 30 minutes left in the tie we could force something. But no, on and on it dragged. Nothing coming for us, into injury time at the end of the game and a clumsy slide by the keeper on Perisic saw us given a penalty! Ainsley Maitland - Niles stepped up and fired life back into our European campaign with basically the last kick of the game. We stole away 1 - 0 winners with a 90+4 penalty conversion. Which brought us to the 30th of October and the last game of the month. Everton away. It took us a while to get going. But almost inevitably, Smith - Rowe put us ahead with his 11th goal of the month on 52 minutes. It didn't seem like it was going to be our afternoon after we gave away a penalty just 10 minutes later. Dele Alli converting from the spot to make it 1 - 1. 11 minute later and we had the lead again. If Smith - Rowe scoring had been in the script. Then Calvert - Lewin returning to Goodison Park and securing the points for us was likely they to be in their somewhere as well. 2 - 1 it finished, maximum points in the league. And still in the hunt in the Europa. Only a paltry four games to play in November. Plain sailing surely?

Merry christmas!

Amusingly, after fretting over our August fixtures. We were doing better than City. Well that's a rather sweeping statement. We were doing better than City in ultimately, the premium currency, points. City had rather comically drawn their last game of August, away to Brighton. So with our maximum point haul, we were above them. That is where our "superiority" ended. They'd scored 12 goals, conceded just twice. Haaland had scored seven goals in three games. They looked lethal. Which made the Brighton result all the more amusing. As they laboured to a draw, with only a Yves Bissouma own goal to save them from losing. But I was in no way thinking about a title challenge. So comparisons with City (except when they failed to beat us when we played each other) were rather previous. Into Septembers fixtures. And we had the unglamorous task of dispatching Doncaster at home in the Carabao cup. We rolled them over 3 - 1, Rob Holding starting us off early from our first corner of the game after just two minutes. Mika Biereth took advantage of not being sent out on loan to get himself on the scoresheet just before the hour. And Jamie Bynoe - Gittens scored our third with more or less the last kick of the game. Not bad for someone who'd only been at the club just over a week. Aidan Barlow for the Dons on 81 minutes gave the visiting supporters a glimmer of hope in an otherwise stoic but doomed performance. Four days later away to Wolves in the Premier league, the wheels well and truly fell off. I mean with the ugly, uninventive football we were producing at times, those wheels didn't have far to fall. But a very lacklustre performance saw us crawl to a draw. The same sort of form followed us into our first European game under my stewardship. Europa league action, away in Turkey. The giants of Istanbul, Galatasaray. As places to dip your toe back into continental competition, I could think of a lot more welcoming. 28 year old winger Emre Kilinc certainly had no problem turning the screw. Galatasaray were ahead and good for it inside 10 minutes. And we looked lost inside that cauldron of noise. If I'm completely honest, the competition was confusing me. Probably as mine and the boards ideas about it were at odds. I wanted to play the kids and focus on the league. They wanted to get to the final in continental competition. I'd thought about meeting them halfway and trying to take the group by the scruff of the neck, be qualified and able to play whoever I liked in the later games. Then we went on a four game winning streak to start the league campaign. And I reverted back to playing the kids in the none league competitions. They looked shell shocked for the majority of the first half. Nothing much better happened in the opening exchanges of the second period. Till we finally started to get on the ball. A smart interchange outside their box saw a speculative low shot from Reiss Nelson fizz into the bottom corner! Game on! Well not really, the crowd didn't like that at all, and we spent the last 20 minutes of the game cowering in our box with our tails between our collective legs like a whipped dog. We escaped out of Turkey with a point. Which we didn't deserve, but I'd take all day long. Three days later back home in the Premier league, and we were awful. Luckily it looked, just like the Wolves game, that our opponents Leicester, weren't much crack either. Until just about halfway through the second half and they were handed a gift. Gabriel was caught the wrong side of Jamie Vardy and clumsily bundled him over in an attempt to get back in. Penalty, which the aforementioned Vardy dispatched to give the foxes the lead. I thought that was the game. We hadn't looked like having anything, let alone a way to get back into the game. The forehead of Calvert - Lewin came to the rescue. An absolute peace of a cross from Tomiyasu, skipped through the corridor of uncertainty in the Leicester box. And Dominic's diving bonce met it beyond the far post to drive the ball across goal and in. 1 - 1 on 90 minutes! I cheered like we'd won the game, then nearly cried. Someone might have mentioned that "champions find a way to get results when they aren't playing well" I probably slapped them. Back to back Europa league games would see out the month. Both at home, which in one regard was great. But if we didn't get the results. I didn't want to be going on the road twice and needing points. Best get the job done at home! Saint Etienne were our first opponents, and on paper the weakest team in the group. A brace from Reiss Nelson, currently our only scorer in the competition, saw us get a much needed 2 - 0 win. He was another player definitely taking his opportunity to play for the parent club having been away on loan. Final game of the month was Fiorentina. They completely played us off the park in the first half. We were lucky to only be the single Nicolas Gonzalez goal down. I gave the lads a stern talking too at halftime and we came out playing better almost instantly. Ivan Perisic pulled us level just before the hour. The Croat getting his second some 20 minutes later. Both were typical goals for him. Vanishing from his marker to appear in exactly the softest spot of the defence. The Italians were flagging, and Martinelli put the result beyond doubt with five minutes left to play. A smart jinking run in behind and a cool finish round the keeper. Undefeated across all competitions, I probably had less reason to be grumpy than I was. But I didn't like how we just seemed to switch off for, sometimes it seemed whole games. The disparity between our quality in our ok performances and the lack of it in our bad games was just unacceptable. And I say ok performances because I'm certain we haven't played anywhere near our best yet.

I don't hold much stock in preseason friendlies. Like a love struck fool whose been hurt too many times when the woman he's enamoured with is stepping out behind his back. Good results in preseason flatter to deceive. Till you end up sucker punched and sick to your stomach on the touchline come opening day. After the Community shield. We had Red Bull Leipzig and Ajax at home. 4 - 0 against the former, Mika Biereth another striker in a similar boat as Folarin Balogun, bagged a brace. While Saka and a returned from loan Reiss Nelson, completed the scoring. As the friendlies get closer to running their course. The selection process for the starting and back up XI's has been going on in my head. What starts out as 45 minutes for each XI in friendly one, slowly develops into 60 minutes for the first XI and so on. Players in form might force a closer look and push into the first XI. But above all, fitness and match sharpness is the primary goal of the process. With that achieved, by the time we get to the final friendly against Ajax. Its basically competitive match practice. And with that confusing string of words I mean the first XI starts, and despite the unlimited number of subs allowed due to it being a friendly. I only make three, as thought it was a competitive league game. Calvert - Lewin, Smith - Rowe and Frank Kessie scored for us against Ajax. While Steven Berghuis scored a consolation for them some three minutes from the end of the game. 15 goals scored, four conceded, won five, drawn one, won a trophy. I'd say we were ready. Ready for what exactly remained to be seen. I didn't always dislike August, I mean its my birthday month. So there has been a shift from youthful excitement and fond memories to a more sombre reminder of my own mortality. But from a football point of view. Having to breath life into the fledgling embers of a competitive campaign, while juggling finding one or two more signings. Or even worse slapping away people who want to steal your assets. Its flaming stressful! I was drawn to Germany for the last two additions of the squad in this transfer window. Jamie Bynoe - Gittens an Englishman playing in the Borussia Dortmund II team came to us for 875k. On the 8/8/22, which I have only just realised when checking my notes now, was his 18th birthday. Gittens, our latest member of the double barrelled brigade had started life playing at Reading, gone to Man City, then the Dortmund first team. Not really making much of a showing anywhere. He fit the profile of player I was looking for, young, promising, cheap. The other signing came from FC Bayern II. And he didn't exactly fit the same mould. Though I guess 9m for something you want in the modern era of football is likely considered cheap. Marc Roca was a 26 year old Spanish central midfield playmaker, and I hoped he would bring some finesse to the middle of the park. Which would make a nice foil for the more direct minded Kessie and Partey. On the outgoing side of the sheet, there were no sales, but another issue with August, is that for some, their part in the vision is at an end. Either because they are being released, or being sent elsewhere on loan for a chance to try again next term. August Tyreece John - Jules - Forest Green (Season long loan) Folarin Balogun - Crystal Palace (Season long loan 145k) Jack Henry - Francis - Cambridge (Season long loan) Zach Awe - Tranmere (Season long loan 20.5k) Khayon Edwards - Watford (Season long loan 8.75k) Mazeed Ogunbo - Preston (Season long loan 4.3k) Charlie Patino - West Brom (Season long loan) And in the midst of all that. We had our opening four Premier league games to play. And we went straight in at the deep end on the 5th of August at Stamford Bridge. I was pretty nervous. This is the first start of a season for me in this job. And the squad I inherited couldn't hit the broadside of a barn last year until I took over in November. Whose to say this lot wouldn't do the same thing? Plus, I'm a Chelsea supporter remember, I'd of liked the opportunity to psyche myself up to go into "my" clubs backyard and try get something from the game. Dominic Calvert - Lewin needed no such warm up. His head once more made contact with the ball in the opening moments of play. From our first corner, he got up at the back post and drilled the ball down and in. 1 - 0 after only two minutes played. What followed was 88 minutes plus stoppage time of the most horrendous tripe you've ever seen. Both teams were disjointed and horrible. Which on the day, suited me fine, but as an indicator of what might be yet to come this season. Love sick fools are us it seemed! Leeds at home a week later wasn't much better. We had to wait until the 25th minute for Rob Holding to head us in front from a corner. Only for Alfredo Morelos to peg us back with a deft back post finish just four minutes later. Then the tripe descended again. It took an 89th minute Mika Biereth scramble from another corner to give us all three points. We were yet to even come close to looking like we could score from open play. 20th of August, Aston Villa away. A Frank Kessie penalty after seven minutes saw us take all three points home with us. But man was it dull to watch. Which brought us to Spurs at home on the 27th. And the only game of the month I actually enjoyed. We won 2 - 0, another Frank Kessie penalty set us on our way with 50 minutes played. Our 5th goal of the season and still not one from open play. Calvert - Lewin took care of that on 72 minutes. Latching onto a through ball in behind from Saka, as Spurs left space as they tried chase a way back into the game. It was the first time all month we played alright. The other games both teams had been poor. But against Spurs while we weren't free flowing in attack, it was because we were controlling in midfield and defence. Spurs could have played us for 900 minutes and they wouldn't have scored. Which was awesome. In reality, so was the fact we had played four, won four, conceded only once. But man it had been an ugly four games. Preseason this certainly was not!

Now to be clear, as much as I'd dined out on (or at least tried) the fact that I'd not lost to champions Man City during my tenure. I in no way considered us to be their equal. I felt more like the squad was mine this season. That we could play more the way I wanted too. But the problems would be that we were expected to do not just better, but considerably better than last year. And do it while being involved in continental competition as well. Luckily, the board seemed to share my sentiment where City were concerned. They considered the Community shield as a game in which we should "be competitive" which I guess could be translated to, "don't be an embarrassment." They didn't care about the Carabao, wanted Europa league football through the league, semi final of the FA cup and final of the Europa league. Made last seasons start 19th and see how high you can climb, seem like a walk in the park by comparison. I also can't believe I didn't mention this sooner. But my counterpart at City isn't Guardiola. About halfway through last season, Liverpool sacked Jurgen Klopp after a very lacklustre campaign to date. Now, they weren't 19th or anything, but seemed the Anfield faithful had well lost the faith. No more than a fortnight after that, City (who were flying high already) swooped in and hired Klopp, sacking Guardiola in the process. Pep then, either simply out of spite, or because the seat was empty. Went and took the job at Liverpool! I've talked about my signings for the coming season. None of them made as big a splash, both in terms of cash or media exposure as City's major signing. Erling Haaland came to the Etihad and I think I mentally gave City the title right then and there when I read the article. I figured at the least it would make for a fascinating year. Us looking to close the gap by building a younger, cheaper, higher potential squad to become a better sum than their individual parts. City just smacking down "Godzilla" money and levelling tall buildings with a single purchase. Haaland cost 125m with another 20m in potential addons floating around in the contract. They would go on to sign Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Tammy Abraham before the transfer window closed. Totalling 227m.... that's 3.5 times the amount we spent on bringing players in. Hilariously, none of those players featured in the Community shield. But the fact City had gone out and signed four attacking players in the same transfer window. And the cheapest two were players from their managers previous club. I think that unsettled their current crop of players. At least in the short term. Because they didn't play with the same cohesion that typified their play. As if each individual player wanted to make sure they stood out, and thus wouldn't be the one to be pushed aside by one of the new recruits. In the end, the game came down to two headers just a minute apart. Ruben Dias scored from a corner to put City ahead after 55 minutes. Then straight from the kick off we got the ball down the right with Saka, whipped it into the box and Dominic Calvert - Lewin got himself to the ball first and levelled the scoring on 56 minutes. The rest of the game passed without much of anything. Some half chances, City probably had the run of the game and on another day would have pulled away. I envisioned the monster they would be when all their new signings gelled. But on that day at Wembley, almost inevitably, we went to penalties. This time we went first. Bit shocked looking at my notes that Albert Sambi Lokonga went first for us. Must have been something about his body language in the huddle while we were waiting to take the kicks. But he scored so that's what matters! Kevin de Bruyne uncharacteristically missed, giving us the early advantage. Which new signing Dominic Calvert - Lewin capitalised on by scoring our second 2 - 0. Bernardo Silva sent Ramsdale the wrong way and put City on the scoresheet 2 - 1 William Saliba smashed his penalty into the top right corner, another strange pick looking back at it. 3 - 1 Gabriel Jesus threw his cap in the ring to stay in Klopp's striker plans by converting his penalty 3 - 2 Martin Odegaard, cool as you like with a side foot into the bottom corner 4 - 2 Into must score territory now and John Stones does just that with an absolute belter. Ramsdale had no chance 4 - 3 Bukayo Saka for us, score and we win, miss and City have their final penalty to have the chance to pull level and force sudden death. Saka chooses the former option, scoring, going some way to exorcise the demons of his international penalty miss. 5 - 3 and another trophy in the cabinet. Still unbeaten versus City, and yet to lose in a penalty shootout! Haaland you should have signed for us!

Point of order! Its not possible to eat proper fish n chips without a hot beverage! other than that, I approve and welcome!

I think I've mentioned before that I'm writing this after the fact. Well, obviously, because if I was writing this before it happened, well, my talents would be wasted as a football manager. What I mean is, I'm currently sat on the team bus heading up to Deepdale. We are playing Preston away in the Carabao cup. Its 2023, and I can't tell you how this game goes, because it hasn't happened yet. And I'm not jumping ahead to cover it, because there is some AMAZING stuff to come before today. The problem is, I didn't know it was going to be amazing at the time. Nor did I know just how much the details would enrich the story. Otherwise I'd have noted more of them down. So I'm making a note to myself, in these notes to others, to make more notes. No finer example exists than the pre season friendlies of the 22/23 season. I barely remember who we played. Let alone who I put on the pitch for each game. This is as much to do with my lack of interest in friendlies as competitive fixtures. They are there for fitness and tactical repetition. So everyone usually plays some of if not a half in every game. I do remember, just like the FA cup coming a game early and messing up the flow at the end of last season. The Community shield was scheduled almost exactly halfway through our set of friendlies. Talk about a change of pace... So looking back at my notes, trying to read my own chicken scratch, we played Real Hispalis for or first game in preparation for the coming campaign. The starting XI was an amalgamation of new signings, and players who felt like new signings. IE those back from loan who I was hoping to make use of. In what would become somewhat of a trademark for our season. We scored within the opening minutes of the game. Dominic Calvert - Lewin finding the net after just three minutes played. We created some more chances in the first half, but didn't score again. Then at halftime I swapped the whole XI. While we didn't play awful in the second period. We didn't play as well as the first half. Which meant no more goals for us. Nabil Fekir restored parity for the hosts on 84 minutes and that's how the game ended. A decent run out, and no injuries sustained. So not bad. Then we went to America for our training camp. While there we played Sporting Kansas City, and the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Now I'm a strong believer in circumstances having an affect on a players ability to perform, which could translate into having a romantic view of football. Either way, when it came to that first America game. I decided I would start with Folarin Balogun our American striker leading the line. He'd been out on loan last season. And he was potentially going out on loan again this season. But I figured he should have an opportunity to show what he could do. And well, what better motivation than to do so in your home country. He scored the only goals of the game. In the first and 38th minute. And we came away 2 - 0 winners. He didn't manage to score in the game against Colorado, but enough other players did. We ran out 4 - 1 winners, with goals from Emile Smith - Rowe, Ivan Perisic, Alexis Sanchez and Gabriel Martinelli. Ashleigh Smith, an Englishman of all things, got Colorado's consolation goal late on. And just like that, the US training camp was done, friendlies were put on hold. Because 11 days after the Colorado game came the Community shield, and the nemesis Man City.

And so after a very successful season (if I do say so myself) we come to my favourite time of the year. Hilariously, when we ain't playing any football. Do I like cup finals and trophies, crunch games in knock out football or versus rivals upon which the fate of a season can swing? Of course I do. But all those are either endings or waypoints on the journey of a campaign. The off season, where I stop and take stock of what I have, what is coming back to the club from loan, and what I need. That's a beginning. Where the plans are hatched, whether, like last season. I brought in Perisic for short term reasons. Or moves in the market are based on schemes that might take years to come to fruition. This time of year is where the vision takes shape, the rest is just overcoming the daily obstacles as you nudge that vision towards fruition. The first key problem, was the fact we were 500k over the wage budget when all the loan players returned to the club at the end of the season. Not only is that a spectacular fail when it comes to managing said budget. It also provides zero space in which to make positive changes to the squad. When it comes to said changes, I have a few very simple precepts that guide my decision making process: Three out of five stars for a players rating on the match day team selection screen is considered "Decent" standard for the competition they are being picked for. Now while I understand that these ratings are subjective based on other players at the club, and the staff doing the assessing. I don't see that as an issue. If your two stars compared to the five star player. Then the five star will play, and you likely never will. And my staff might not know their arse from their elbow, but that applies across the board to every single player. So at least the appraisals are consistent. I don't like older players, nor do I like high wages for said players. If you aren't a superstar with your best years ahead of you. You ain't getting paid big money. I like to have a first XI and a second XI, preferably made up of entirely different players. So that each XI develops positional chemistry, rotation of the squads is easier and hopefully injuries are less frequent and severe. All of the above results in the following actions: If your potential ability isn't at least three stars, then I'll pack your bags for you and send you on your way. If you're over 30 then your days are numbered. If you're trying for a one year contract every year. No dice you can go. I'll bring in high potential young players, either from other clubs or from the youth setup. As they are cheaper, and they will get playtime in the second XI to gel together as a unit. Unless I'm going for a current world class player, nobodies contract is more than "squad player" level. Because that's what they all are. A squad of players who gets rotated appropriately. I'm not against fibbing at contract time (especially with new signings) and making them feel important or first team player. But as their appearances don't tally with their expectation. When they come to me, they get told. You're a squad player now, if you don't like it. Tough. That mindset resulted in the following business being conducted in the pre season transfer window: June: Alex Kovacevic - Huddersfield (15.75k) Ovie Ejeheri - Stevenage (6.5k) potentially up to 21k Josh Robinson - Barnet (7.5k) Taylor Foran - Bristol Rovers (22k) Elian Quesada - Thorn - Boreham Wood (4.4k) potentially up to 15k Ryan Alebiosu - Kano Pillars (Free) Reuell Walters - Fulham (28k) Zane Monlouis - Nottingham Forest (135k) Alex Kirk - Blackburn (23k) potentially up to 36k Jonathan Dinzeyi - TP Mazembe (Free) Jimi Gower - Hull (17.75k) Nothing to write home about, just culling the herd. The only notable name to leave the club in June was Bernd Leno, who went to Newcastle for 17m. In the "In" column I signed Yusuf Demir, a young Austrian attacking midfield player who had all the makings of a potential superstar. He came for 14m from Rapid Vienna. I say came, we loaned him right back to them on a season long loan to keep his wages off the books for another year. Which allowed me to splurge pretty much all of our allotted transfer budget for the year on Dominic Calvert - Lewin. I've no idea why Everton took 57m for him. When he'd netted 25 times for them in the league last season. I had been buttering him up in the media for like, forever. But Everton had finished above us in the league. Still he wanted to come, and I think the pressure of him demanding to leave made it possible for that price. Which is fantastic as I didn't have another penny more. And none of the nobodies (no offence) I'd sold so far even scratched the surface of the wage deficit we had. July Matteo Guendouzi - Olympic Marseille (9.5m) Henry Jeffcott - Cardiff (Free) James Sweet - Burnley (Free) Charles Sagoe - Preston (Free) Mauro Bandiera - Lusitania Lourosa (21.5k) Lino Sousa - Brighton (145k) Granit Xhaka - West Ham (Season long Loan 900k) Jordi Osei - Tutu - Bristol City (Season long Loan 21k) Pablo Mari - Rennes (6.5m) Omar Rekik - Crystal Palace (Season long Loan) Nicolas Pepe - Barcelona (Season long Loan 900k) Karl Jakob Hein - Preston (Season long Loan) Konstantinos Mavropanos - Borussia Dortmund (13.5m) Hubert Graczyk - Lincoln (9.5k) Lucas Torreira - Benfica (36.5m) Hector Bellerin - Celtic (11.25m) Luigi Gaspar - Ferroviaria (12.75k) Quite a few more recognisable names on that list that were shown the door. Matteo Guendouzi's transfer had been agreed before my arrival to the club. Which frustrated me as he fit my requirements for a young, decent potential player on not too much wage money. Xhaka and Pepe both had mandatory transfer fees in their loan deals, meaning neither would be coming back to the club at the end of the year. Torreira, Bellerin and Mari were all moved on to free up wages, and provide room for younger, cheaper, higher potential players. Rekik and Hein were given season long loans to see if they could develop potential which would allow them to stay at the club next year. The rest simply weren't good enough. Now for the incoming signings, which is a much shorter, and cheaper list. Boubacar Kamara from Olympic Marseille joined us on a free. And is the only good thing to come from the Matteo Guendouzi agreed transfer. In that I was stalking around their squad trying to find a way to cancel said agreed transfer. When I came across Kamara and pounced on him. Speaking of agreed transfers, Matt Turner comes to us from New England for 5m. No idea why anybody thought this guy was a good or needed signing. But there we are. Finally Rafael Garcia a free agent central defender came to us completely on a free. Which means we spent a total of 62m on transfers in the opening transfer window of this season. And we made 79m on the players we moved on. Time to get the players ready for the new season to come!

The interesting part of the challenge (at least for me) is the stories of the players I'm using to make the challenge a reality. IE my version of the class of 92. If you look at Ferguson's record. He only finished outside the top 3 in the league four times. All of which were in the old first division. Which means for 21 years in the Premier league, he never finished lower than 3rd. Winning the title 13 times, so almost 66% of the time. Now look at the teams that beat him to the title: Shearer and Sutton's Blackburn. The Arsenal Invincible's team. Jose Mourinho's Billionaire funded Chelsea teams. Man City's Billionaire funded team (and only then on goal difference in the final game of the season). My point is, it took some pretty special teams (and amazing stories) to stop him winning even MORE trophies than he did. The "challenging" part of this challenge is building and managing a squad of players that stays dominant for over two decades. Identifying talent, growing that talent, purchasing the required players to fill the gaps in your squad, and being able to afford all of those players wages as they get older and demand more and more money. Then knowing when to replace them. And doing it all over again. But if you are looking for a further restrictions to make it interesting, look at the youth prospects rule. The challenge states that you have to have a minimum of one such player in each match day squad. Which means you don't even have to play them, they can just sit on the bench. But Man Utd often had Beckham, Scholes, Butt and both Neville's on the pitch. Force yourself to play more of your youth squad graduates (if you aren't already). But unfortunately, being dominant and staying dominant is the challenge. If that doesn't interest you, then you need to find a different save.