Mandy42
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Posts posted by Mandy42
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On 06/12/2022 at 13:18, BenArsenal said:
Chaps,
I recently got myself a new laptop, and I'm thinking of getting back into FM.
However, the last FM I've played in earnest was FM17. I am of the understanding that the FM of today is a vastly different animal from 5 years ago.
What should I be expecting?
The 3d game enjoy gets tweaked slightly every year. I'd say playing FM22 that its definitely moving in the right direction and seems closer and closer to actual football.
I haven't noticed any of the things that used to drive me nuts about the game engine. Such as a defender under no challenge making a headed clearance straight to an opponent.
Or two or more players aimlessly chasing the same opposition player I'm guessing "pressing" them? But in reality not doing much of anything.
Off the pitch, they've put considerably focus on transfer deadline day and an end of season highlights reel.
More day to day stuff they've added xG and other stats and created an "analysis centre" which on the face of it is rather generic. But you can get some useful information out of it if you put the time in to tailor it to your needs.
Then the completely useless fluff like social media style updates from fans pre and post game. Which is basically "generic statement" with random player inserted and I wish I could turn off completely.
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First order of business is to make some halftime changes. I had a list of players I wanted to introduce in the Finland game if we had taken care of business against Israel. With the greatest respect, at 5 - 0 up with a half to play. Business was already taken care of.
So Amir Sher replaced Mattias Svanberg in midfield. While Sebastian Andersson our target man was withdrawn, his job was well and truly done. And in his place Dejan Kulusevski was introduced. Which meant we switched to the 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation I was hoping to deploy more often than not.
After that I didn't really know what to say. Yes I was blown away by our first half efforts. But at the same time the sloppy ending didn't make me feel good. I was desperate to keep a clean sheet in the second half. But it didn't feel right to warn the players against complacency with a 5 - 0 lead. Eventually I settled on praising their first half performance. What with it being my first game in charge, nothing wrong with greasing the wheels slightly.
After the almost frantic start to the first half, I didn't know how the second would go. Israel kicked off, and they seemed content to keep the ball to themselves. I guess they wanted to ease into the half and not be subjected to another quick fire five minute scoring spree like they had during periods of the first half.
After seven or more minutes of lulling us to sleep with the patient passing. Solomon gets the ball in a pocket of space halfway inside our half on the left hand side. He turns and instantly drills a ball along the floor into the right side of our penalty area. Liel Abada has acres of space, but his first touch is too heavy and the ball runs harmlessly on to Dahlberg.
He slows the game down, walking out to the edge of our area before rolling the ball to one of our centre backs. They pass it between themselves, into midfield for Sher to get on the ball. Before it ends up on the left side our defence with Augustinsson. The tempo suddenly ramps up as he finds Forsberg ahead of him, who likewise plays a looping ball forward for Isak to chase beyond the last defender. Isak controls it, gets into the box, then squares it all the way to the right corner of their box. Roony Bardghji takes a touch to control it before putting his right foot through the ball on the volley. The keeper manages to get both hands behind it and palms it over the bar.
The resulting corner is cleared upfield to Solomon who takes the ball to the touchline just before halfway. Then darts inside, he leaves Sebastian Ohlsson in his wake as he drives into our half. We have defenders flooding back but it doesn't look like anyone is going to get in his way. He makes a beeline for the left corner of the six yard box and looks like he's going to pull the trigger. But then diverts away from goal to the byline. He pauses, looks for someone in the box, but our swarming defenders have cut off his angles. He sends the ball back, almost to the halfway line, on the left touchline. Cohen takes one touch and delivers a deep cross to the far post. This time the ball is spot on, Abada rises highest and his downward header beats the flailing Dahlberg, only to smash against the foot of the right hand post and roll back into play. We hack the ball clear and I breathe again.
Sher picks up a booking for a cynical push in the midfield. Annoying as he's only been on the pitch about 15 minutes. He slightly redeems himself just on the hour as Isak makes what seems to be an almost trademark run into the left channel. He goes in behind the fullback, pulling one of the centre backs with him. Which allows Forsberg into the central space between the Israeli defence. Our veteran winger is about to pull the trigger when a lunging tackle takes the ball off him. Sher runs onto the ball from deep and hits it. The shot curls dangerously, but just clears the right corner of the bar.
Couple of minutes later and he is involved again. We've worked the ball down the right and Bardghji makes his first mistake of the game. He drives inside from the touchline, squeezing between two Israeli players. But looks like he's run himself down a cul-de-sac. He turns, head down and plays a rather wayward pass backwards. Which has Ohlsson scampering back into our own half to retrieve it.
We redirect the play and go down the left, Forsberg sends it centrally to Sher, who finds Isak on the edge of the box, Isak gives it to Kulusevski, who returns it to Sher. Our midfield substitute slides Isak in on down the left side of the box. The subsequent shot is low and across the keeper. Going in off the bottom of the far post for Isak's hattrick. 6 - 0 62 minutes of the game played.
From the resulting kick off Israel go long looking for Solomon down the left, but we cut it out. We keep possession until Kulusevski is muscled off the ball and Israel spring Abada down their right. He gets in behind the defence but his attempt on goal is blazed high and wide to the left of our goal.
The quality seems to go out of the game for 10 or so minutes. We have a Forsberg corner go straight to their keeper. His resulting attempt to play someone in behind our defence goes long and we recover the ball. Cajuste plays Isak in, he's constantly on the shoulder of the last defender and peeling into space. This time his finishing deserts him as he places a rather tame shot to the keepers left. He goes down and palms it away for another corner.
After a few more exchanges of possession due to sloppy passing. We are into the last 20 minutes of the game. Israel look to be having the most joy out wide. With both Solomon and Abada looking to have more stamina remaining than our fullbacks. This time its Solomon down the left, and this time he doesn't switch his run and cut to the byline, he turns inside when he gets to the box and shoots. Dahlberg has to reposition himself at the last second. Which makes his dive look much more theatrical than required. But he saves and holds on to the ball.
We go straight up the other end, Bardghji finds an overlapping Ohlsson who puts the ball in the box. Isak peels off the defender and has a free header from just outside the six yard box. But its straight at the keeper and an easy height for him.
Then its Israel's turn. They have the ball down our right, which we look to have handled. They play it all the way back to their keeper. He delivers a booming long ball down our left. Solomon wins the header and suddenly Zahavi is on the loose ball and into our box. His shot is hard and low. Dahlberg gets down and pushes it away. It bounces off the outside of the post and goes for a corner.
The corner is deep, Israel are queueing up at the back post. Forsberg is beaten to the ball and the header flashes towards goal as Dahlberg flings himself through the air. It hits the keeper and goes out for another corner.
The second corner, from the opposite side is deep once more. This time its met on the corner of the six yard box. But the header fizzes over the bar and we can release some of the pressure. 10 minutes left in the game.
Dahlberg might have taken a knock during that last passage of play. Or he's a little flustered by the Israeli pressure. Either way he walks the line between allowed time wasting and getting a caution while positioning the ball for the goal kick. He plays it into defence and his actions in delaying the restart seem to set the tone for the team. We play the ball around, Kulusevski coming so deep to create another player in midfield that he's almost standing on Sher's toes. A couple of times the ball goes down the right, but it keeps coming back and worked across our back four then back again.
Finally it goes to Roony Bardghji on the right and he turns upfield instead of going backwards with the ball. He plays it in behind their defence. Forsberg has made a run between the left wingback and the central defender. He meets the ball on the half volley and strokes it into the bottom left corner of the goal! 7 - 0, Forsberg with his second goal and Bardghji with his second assist!
But the flag is up, it won't count. Either the ball was too late, or the run wasn't angled properly. But Forsberg is clearly offside and the goal is chalked off. Oh well.
The final minutes play out quite calmly. We force another couple of corners but they come to nothing. Israel keep chipping away when they have the ball. Zahavi is still trying to make headway down our left channel when the final whistle goes with the two minutes of stoppage time having been played.
My first international game is over. And I couldn't have asked for a better result!
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Its getting closer!
Got to keep the momentum and not loose 4 in a row!
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The note was printed not as a means to hide my identity. But more just as a by product of the process. I toyed with the idea of using cut out news clippings. Like a ransom note from a film, so no handwriting analysis can be conducted. I say toyed, its difficult to be in much of a playful mood about anything when you are suffering from temporal adaptation. The cube assured me that we were on the right track and just had to keep going. But I was still in considerable discomfort.
Besides, the note was meant to be taken seriously. As it needed to be actioned. I had no doubt the truth, when it eventually came out, would be scary enough. But one step at a time.
So the note was simple, a list of sixteen male names. Then a set of instructions.
Focus play down the left. Andersson is your best crosser.
Move Adams around onto their smallest defender.
Get the ball in the air in the box and head it into the onion bag.
You should score four with no problems in the first half. Then shut up shop in the second half.
Followed by a set of three pairs of names accompanied by times. Then the final statement.
You will win 4 - 0 if you follow these instructions. If you don't get an emphatic win, you know you're on the verge of being sacked.
Maybe slightly overkill. And in reality, I could have kept going back in time and delivering the envelope until the result went the way I wanted it too. But have I mentioned I'm in absolute agony, and any steps towards righting the timestream and therefore me being able to eat solid foods on a semi regular basis. Would be appreciated.
The note went in an unsealed brown envelope which I placed on my dads office chair at his home the night before the game. The cube reminded me that was the site of my dads "inspiration" in the story he always told of how he turned his career around and went from being a journeyman manager who had been tossed around the conference almost one time too many. To getting his first dominating win and never looking back.
How Darth knew that, I was in too much pain to ask.
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(So turns out I'm continuing this while at work!)
Just like his Israeli counterpart, Dahlberg wastes no time distributing the ball. Its rolled out and passed around our back line, into midfield a time or two but all inside our own half. Then a whipped long ball into the right channel in search of Roony Bardghji. He controls it and is on the verge of exploding into the space behind the defence, when a last ditch sliding tackle from their fullback steals the ball off his foot. Then its Israel's turn to play the ball around for a few passes. Before they try thread Dabbur in behind. Lindelof extends every inch of his frame to cut the pass out with his head. Before we once again target Bardghji down the right. This time on the outside, but the ball is too long and it skips off the grass and out for a throw in. Our 16 year old inside forward gives a thumbs up for the intent. And I catch my breath after a fabulous but frenetic first four minutes.
There's a few minutes rest bite as both teams pressure the other during throw ins on the far touchline. Neither side allowing space for the team throwing the ball in to have time to distribute it effectively. Finally, Bardghji nips the ball off the toes of Zahavi on the halfway line and darts in field with it. He bends his run as he launches into the opposition half. He gets about a third of the way into their half, nothing but open space on his outside as Forsberg has made a darting run inside. The ball ends up at the feet of our left winger, who hits it without hesitation. It dips gloriously and smashes into the bar. Cannoning back into play.
Israel scramble it away and we recycle the ball. Once again to Forsberg out on the left touchline, he beats his man and comes in to the edge of the area. Playing a ball along the floor to Andersson. The big man has his back to goal, in a flurry of movement he turns and shoots. Proving he's in the team for his height and hold up capability. As his shot is wild and is closer to the corner flag than the far post from six yards.
The game descends into a bit of a lull for 10 or more minutes. Both teams trade possession and fouls. Neither getting a grip on the game. Just after the 15 minute mark, Bardghji makes a carbon copy of the cross field run he made earlier. The field seems to open up for him and he just keeps driving forward. Forsberg has stayed wide of the box this time and a neat pass inside their fullback teases Dan Glazer to slide in and cut out the ball. He misses it and Forsberg is free to control it and take his time picking out a pass. He once again finds Andersson in almost exactly the same position with his back to goal. The big man once again tries shoot, but luckily for everyone involved the shot is blocked and bounces back out of the area. Svanberg heads it back into the box. Forsberg is unmarked in the left side of their box. The prone Glazer, slow to get up, is playing him onside. A tidy touch to control it and an even tidier finish sees the veteran winger double our money. 2 - 0 with 18 minutes played!
Israel try get back in the game with a period of high tempo play. The manage to force a number of back to back corners. Finally, one clearance makes it out almost to the halfway line where Andersson can get on the ball and hold up play. For a second there is a chance of a counter, but our target man calmly rolls the ball back to Ohlsson and we pass the ball short for a few moments. Andersson drifts the other side of the halfway line, and is the target of a chip pass a few seconds later. He shields the ball away from Dor Peretz and turns beyond him in the process. He trundles forward moving towards the right channel. Again he has the option to play in a surging Roony Bardghji on the overlap. But he refrains, turns back inside and plays a ball back into midfield to Svanberg. Who then first time puts in Alexander Isak through the centre with a perfect ball. Pretty much straight through our strikers legs as he's running into the box. The Israeli defence have no chance and Isak doesn't even need to take a controlling touch before he sweeps it into the net off the bottom of the right hand post. 3 - 0 after 25 minutes played and I'm in dreamland!
From the restart Israel work it down the left for Solomon, he's been their brightest player so far. And its his turn to jink inside and drive with the ball at his feet. He gets into the centre circle and cuts upfield. A step over takes him past Svanberg with ease. Then he accelerates, angling towards the far corner of our box so that our defenders can't cut him off. He gets into the area and shots hard and low. Dahlberg is at full stretch as he manages to palm the ball out for a corner. Doesn't look like we can rest on our laurels.
They work the resulting corner better, in that they don't let us clear it, come down the pitch and score, but ultimately the ball goes out of play for a goal kick to us. We bring it out, and a few minutes of keeping the ball later and we are playing the game in the opposition half. Only Dahlberg and Nilsson for us are even in our own half. After some short controlled passing, there is almost an air of inevitability when the ball goes in the air towards the right side of their box. Bardghji chests the high ball down, turning towards the touchline to control it fully, before delivering it low into the box. Andersson controls it, but once again our target man is well off target. But the Israeli defender doesn't know its going wide and throws a foot at it. He diverts the ball back out towards the touchline and a very thankful Roony Bardghji. This time the low cross goes beyond Andersson to the left hand side of the box. Forsberg has come in from the wing and meets the low cross mid stride. He lashes the ball with the inside of his right foot and it rasps into the bottom right corner for our fourth! 4 - 0 after 27 minutes and two goals in two minutes!
Israel are all over the place, don't seem to be able to string two passes together. Even less when we engage a press and force them to try play the ball into a confined space. Only three minutes after our fourth goal and we are coming down the right again. This time Ohlsson has it inside their half with tons of grass ahead of him. Both of their wide players are marking Bardghji until one of them reluctantly comes forward to engage the ball. Bardghji makes a run inside along their backline. While Ohlsson plays the ball outside towards the corner flag. It looks like a miscommunication between the two, until the young inside forward curls his run and with a burst of pace makes it to the outside pass. He crosses it low and their defence hacks it clear off the boots of Andersson.
But its coming straight back, this time on the left with Forsberg, he holds it up, gives it Svanberg inside, who finds Andersson with his back to goal about 10 yards outside their area. Andersson slides a ball into the box for Isak, who is on the shoulder of the last defender and accelerates onto the pass. He lifts this one over an already diving Marciano who gambled it would go where most of our shots have gone, bottom right corner. No dice, straight down the middle over his prone form. 5 - 0!
Bit late now but Israel suddenly begin playing without any fear. They ping the ball around with reckless abandon, stringing together their longest set of passes of the game. Solomon drives down the left before they work the ball across the field. It comes back towards halfway before it gets looped in behind on the right. Dan Glazer their wingback on the overlap is in behind in the area. He shapes to shoot, but Augustinsson (not for the first time) blocks it out for a corner.
The corner doesn't beat the first man, but Israel keep the ball. They certainly don't have a problem passing it around now. They try work exactly the same passage of play to get Glazer in again. But Augustinsson is alive to the threat once more, this time he cuts out the pass with a simple headed back pass.
Almost disaster! A simple long punt upfield from a goal kick sees Zahavi in behind. Lindelof and Svanberg both leave the ball to each other. And when it bounces the Israeli fox is away. Luckily our defenders crowd him out wide. But he gets a cross off into the box which sees Cohen strike it from just beyond the penalty spot. Lindelof hacks it away on the volley before it can threaten Dahlberg.
They recycle the hacked clearance, and now the game is being played in our half. Dabbur and Cohen are sitting just on the D outside our box and slipping into pockets of space to receive the ball. Zahavi makes a run behind and they find him with the ball. He is 1 v 1 with Dahlberg but his shot is tame and straight at our keeper. Easy catch down to his left.
Nothing much else comes from the last 10 minutes of the half. Which I'm thankful for, as we certainly look like we need a wakeup call at the back. Another booming Marciano goal kick in stoppage time isn't dealt with properly. Zahavi gets the better of Lindelof. There is more than a hint of backing in, but at 5 - 0 down I don't think the referee is showing any interest. The Israeli striker drives into the box, this time his shot has much more venom too it. Dahlberg can only parry it and our defence sweeps it out to the left flank and hacks it away.
That brings the first half too a close. Definitely conflicted. I'm elated with the performance for the first 30 minutes. Five goals for no reply and a stranglehold on both the group and promotion to the top tier.
But the last 15 minutes have been bordering complacent and while it is unlikely to have an effect on this tie. I don't want that to be an ok attitude from the players going forward.
Time for my first half time talk of my career.
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After all the sitting around, travelling, staff searching and twiddling of thumbs. Its now time for my debut as an international manager.
Friday 2nd of September: Sweden. UEFA Nations League B Group 2: Sweden vs Israel.
Sweden starting XI: Pontus Dahlberg, Ludwig Augustinsson, Victor Lindelof (c), Joakim Nilsson, Sebastian Ohlsson, Mattias Svanberg, Jens Cajuste, Emil Forsberg, Roony Bardghji, Alexander Isak, Sebastian Andersson.
We line up in a 4 - 2 - 4 formation. Andersson will serve as a target man, Forsberg will stay wide on the left, while Bardghji will come in from the right to try profit from any potential knockdowns.
Israel starting XI: Ofir Marciano, OR Harush, Nir Bitton, Dor Peretz, Dan Glazer, Yonatan Cohen, Ilay Elmkies, Manor Solomon, Eran Zahavi, Liel Abada, Munas Dabbur.
They look to be lining up in a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1. With dangerman Zahavi as a shadow striker behind the lone leader of the line Dabbur.
Before the game I'd held a team meeting, where we talked about the elephant in the room. The number of new faces in the squad. I basically told them that it was their chance to shine, and usher in a new era for Swedish football. The reaction was as you'd expect. The young players loved it. The older players not so much. Bit disappointed in my captain Lindelof who vocalized his worries with a rather sarcastic "It's clear there isn't enough experience in this squad." There were some notable exceptions to the partisan split. Forsberg and Robin Olsen, both card carrying members of the older player camp. Supported the announcement wholeheartedly.
I hoped Lindelof's negativity wouldn't carry out onto the pitch. But I'd laid my stall out. Just have to see now.
It was a warm September evening and the roof on the Friends Arena was retracted back to let the sunshine in. We kicked off, and just like that we were underway in my first game in charge. After a brief exchange between our defence and midfield, the ball came to Bardghji in the right channel just inside their half. No hesitation he turned and pinged a ball in behind their centre backs. Curling to give Isak a chance to run onto it. Unfortunately the length and pace were slightly off. And the Israeli keeper gathered easily. But a show of intent with less than 30 seconds played.
Not wasting any time Marciano lumped the ball upfield. Solomon on their left wing used his body well to get control of the long ball. And he's off, stopping at our touchline. After a few exchanges the ball ends up on the right side of our area, where Abada's low shot is blocked out for a corner by Augustinsson. Corner Israel.
Solomon with the out swinging corner from the left. We clear, but only to outside the box where Israel try some nice neat passes to work it back into our box. Only to have the ball intercepted by Lindelof just as they look to be playing someone in behind. It goes back to our keeper, who spreads it out to our right for Ohlsson. He lays the ball ahead of him for Bardghji on the half way line. A turn inside finds a very deep Andersson. The tall target man turns and plays a ball over the heads of the Israeli back line. Isak is a little flat footed and doesn't appear to be ready to chase it. However he isn't the target. Mattias Svanberg has made a run from deep and is under the high ball and is able to control it on his chest. A further touch with his right foot brings it away from both his body and the chasing defenders. His third touch strikes it up and over the oncoming keeper. It nestles in the net, right hand side, halfway up. We are a goal to the good and we haven't even played two full minutes!
From the restart Israel work it down the left with Harush, who feeds Zahavi in our box, his touch takes him past our defenders and through to our keeper. But that touch was heavy, and his body angle is all wrong. Before he can set himself to shoot, Dahlberg has made it off his line to collect the ball at his feet. Hope its not going to be like this all game!
(will continue this once I've finished getting ready for work!)
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May saw us with our four final league games, and a cherry on top with the FA cup final back at Wembley. Now, when I were a lad, the FA cup final was played after the final day of the season, as basically the curtain fall over the whole job lot. But for some reason. The final isn't our final game of the season. We play Watford in the league eight days after our day out at Wembley.
Now, for a bit of tension, spectacle, and well tradition. I'll be covering the league in this post, and the FA cup will get its own update afterwards. Chronological order be, well damned.
But before we get into all that. We've got a couple of league games to play. Firstly we have struggling Brentford. They are on the cusp of being relegated and shouldn't really pose us much of a threat at all. A position they compound by having Ivan Toney sent off and giving us a penalty. Which you might be forgiven for thinking they were the same incident. But no, Toney is off the pitch on 23 minutes. We have the penalty on 27. As I'm not playing a first string XI Kessie isn't on the pitch. So it falls to Nicholas Pepe, who converts.
That obviously puts Pepe in the mood, as he scores again nine minutes later. And we take our one man and two goal advantage into the half time break. Smith - Rowe makes it 3 - 0 just after the hour. But then we blot our copybook slightly. Stephy Mavididi getting one back for Brentford following one of their sporadic forays forward resulted in a corner.
We shut down the game after that. But when Sanchez came on in the last 10 minutes, to stretch his legs and shake off some cobwebs. He figured he might as well put some effort in. He scored in injury time. 4 - 1 the end result.
Three days later and we played Leicester at the King Power. Wesley Fofana rose highest from a free kick on 27 minutes to give the foxes the lead. And we never did anything to change that. Once again, slightly concerned that is our second 1 - 0 defeat in our last three games. But it likely does enough to rule us out of finishing too high up the table.
Another three days later and Southampton at home are our penultimate Premier league opponents. Martinelli scores for us on eight minutes. A well struck shot from just inside the box, right in the middle after a cut back from Saka. Sanchez makes it two on 88 minutes. A typical surging powerful run in behind seeing him 1 v 1 with the keeper. Normally I'd be a little put out by leaving a team hanging around and in the game for that period of time. But Southampton offered literally nothing between those two events.
Which takes us to the final game of the season. One that in reality, I just wanted done. The highlights of this month had been the spectacle of the FA cup final. And edging ever closer to getting to recall and work with the various first team players who would come back from loan.
Which saw a rather damp May day at Vicarage Road playing Watford run out rather blandly. Josuhua King profited from a flick on after just eight minutes. Beating Holding to the ball and firing first time past Ramsdale. Pepe levelled for us on 32 minutes. And it seemed that each team produced a slightly theatrical shrug of the shoulders. As if suggesting, we've turned up, we've both scored. What more do you want? And 1 - 1 was how it finished.
Which saw us end up in 7th place in the league table. Unfortunately with this being written almost two and a half years posthumously. There isn't a record of the final table. But having been 19th when I took over. I'm rather chuffed. Roll on next season!
Well, after the FA Cup final.
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Which brings us to:
Friday 26th of August 2022: Senior Squad selection deadline for Nations League Group B games against Israel and Finland
When I first took this job, I attended the obligatory press conference. And it was suggested that I would pick my team based on reputation not form. To which I rather moodily replied that the players I selected would be the ones who deserved to play. By that I meant, I would be picking players who were (hopefully) in both condition physically due to playing regular football. But also playing well during that regular football. Now that I look at the first 23 man squad of my career. I think I've stayed true to those aims.
Of the 23 selected:
Only seven of them haven't made an appearance for their clubs so far.
13 of the players have a (green) average rating of 7.00 or higher over their last five games.
Only two of the players in the squad aren't fully match fit.
Lets take a look at the squad:
Goalkeepers:
Pontus Dahlberg, Andreas Linde, Robin Olsen. They play their club football for Watford, Greuther Furth and Roma respectively. I say play, Olsen hasn't played a game for Roma yet this season. He was however the keeper who played in both our Nations League games so far this campaign. Linde is flying high as Furth sit second of 2.Bundesliga thanks in part to his two clean sheets in five games. Dahlberg on the other hand has one clean sheet in three Premier league appearances. And a highly rated performance in the Carabao cup 2nd round against a highly motivated Oxford side.
Defenders:
Left: Ludwig Augustinsson, Thomas Isherwood. Augustinsson has an assist in five appearances for Sevilla so far this season. He's expected by the press not to get a spot in the squad, which shows how much they know. Isherwood at 24 and with solid but not spectacular stats looks like a solid squad backup for years to come. He also has the ability of playing a convincing centre back. He plays for Darmstadt 98 in the 2.Bundesliga and has an goal and assist to his name in six appearances.
Centre: Riccardo Gagliolo, Filip Helander, Victor Lindelof, Joakim Nilsson. Apart from Gagliolo who plays for Salernitana in the Italian second tier. There an no surprises here. Which might be the problem in and of itself. The youngest of these four is Lindelof and Nilsson at 28. None of them are spring chickens, nor does there seem to be anyone in the next generation that shows much promise.
Right: Emil Holm, Sebastian Ohlsson. This is the opposite, while Ohlsson is the in form player. Holm, who plays for Spezia Calico in the Italian second tier shows promise at only 22.
Midfielders:
Defensive: Jens Cajuste, Eric Smith, Mattias Svanberg. Stepping into midfield and the future is bright. Smith is the oldest at 25. With both himself and Cajuste able to play either in front of the defence, or alongside a more traditional midfield partner. Svanberg is star of the three, a midfielder able to win the ball back and then proceed to do something dangerous with it as well.
Left: Emil Forsberg, Svante Ingelsson. The 30 year old Forsberg provides some much needed experience in the front third. He's also scored the winning goal against Finland in the opening Nations league group game. Plus has scored once for a rather poor Herta Berlin side so far this campaign. Ingelsson can play anywhere across the attacking midfield, that and steady ability is likely to see him on the bench. Compared to the standout talents available who play just one or two positions.
Centre: Dejan Kulusevski, Benjamin Nygren, Amir Sher. Kulusevski plays on the right for Spurs. But that isn't where he will play for me. He seems just as happy in the middle of the pitch and I hope he will add to his three assists so far in this international campaign. Nygren is a promising 21 year old midfielder who I'm hoping can play against Finland if we get the job done against Israel. Same with Sher, a 19 year old talent who I'd like round the international setup to soak up experience to hopefully go alongside his growing talent.
Right: Roony Bardghji. 16 years old, playing for FC Kobenhavn and playing a full 180 minutes in the Champions league. I was very impressed by the 90 minutes I watched and the plan is to start him against Israel.
Strikers:
Sebastian Andersson, Branimir Hrgota, Alexander Isak. Andersson is a tactical choice to play as a supporting target man in the Israel game. To get the ball into their box and down for our young attacking players to make something of it. Hrgota has scored twice more in five games since I saw him play. Isak has scored once in four.
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Taking my post on the 14th of July, its 50 days until my first game. Which is at home against Israel in the Nations league category B, group 2. Which is currently fabulously poised. Unlike almost every other group, which has four teams. Ours has three. The aforementioned Israel, ourselves, and Finland. In the first group of games, we played each of the other teams. And they played each other. Meaning that, not only do we have a game in hand against the rest of the group. We also are the last game of both the other teams.
At the moment we sit second on four points. A win in our first game against Finland, at home in the Friends Arena. The Zlatan somehow managed to get himself sent off in the 15th minute. And then 10 minutes later Emil Forsberg scored the only goal of the game. After that we secured a point at the Bloomfield stadium in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Alexander Isak gave us the lead on 26 minutes. But we couldn't keep it. Eran Zahavi, their 35 year old striker, who at the time plied his trade for PSV, restored parity on 75 minutes.
Zahavi had been on the scoresheet during Israel's group opener against Finland. His 39 minute conversion cancelling out Teemu Pukki's third minute effort. That's currently the only goal the Fins have scored so far. And it wasn't enough for them on that occasion. Ilay Elmkies made sure Israel secured the points with his goal just two minutes after Zahavi had struck.
In the return game, Israel ran out 2 - 0 winners due to a first half brace from their striker Munas Dabbur.
I've had a long time to look at that league table, and imagine winning both of my opening games to take top spot and thus promotion to the Nations League category A. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. First comes the task of picking the squad that's going to represent both their country, and me, in those fixtures.
22nd July 2022: Germany. 2.Bundesliga: SpVgg Greuther Furth vs Erzebirge Aue.
Players to watch: Andreas Linde and Branimir Hrgota
Greuther Furth run out convincing 4 - 1 winners and as much as I'd like to have seen Linde keep a clean sheet, there really wasn't much he could have done for the Erzebirge goal. His defenders allowed the ball to be rolled across the six yard box for what surmounted to a tap in.
More impressive was Hrgota's goal, opening the scoring for Greuther Furth just before the half hour mark. He'd been played into the space between the centre backs just a few minutes before, but blazed over. This time he had more space, able to take a touch and place his shot into the bottom left hand corner.
25th of July 2022: Axel Rietentiet accepts the offered scout position. Its strange that we have no scouting team, and that I'm only allowed to attend one game per week in person. Which means much of the players stats in the national pool are well a mystery to me.
31st of July 2022: Viktor Gyokeres scores his first goal for Coventry in their game against Crystal Palace. He had previous gone 23 games without scoring. At 24 Gyokeres is someone on my radar, I want to bring in the next generation under my tenure and try build a fresh start.
7th August 2022: Spain. La Liga: Real San Sebastian vs Levante.
Players to watch : Alexander Isak and Omar Faraj.
A rather dull game, I wonder how many of those I'm going to have to sit through in my lifetime? Its slightly refreshing not having any particular "skin" in the game. And not fretting the result or how poor the teams are playing. But at the same time, not having an option to just get up and walk out is rather tedious. Especially (though it hasn't happened yet) if the players I've come to watch are substituted.
Isak tried his best, but as a lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 line up, he always had his work cut out for him against Levante's three centre backs in a five man defence. Omar Faraj is currently in the Levante B squad, and as such didn't play. RSS ended up 1 - 0 winners after a rather freak own goal gave them the points in the last few minutes.
8th of August 2022: Building the backroom team continues, Felipe joins as our second scout. Jan Hasenkamp as fitness coach and Sven Brechetsbauer as physio. I've no idea how much these gentlemen are getting paid. What our budget is, or any of that. I just know we don't have these positions filled, so I'm filling them.
10th of August 2022: Germany. Bundesliga: SV Werder vs Herta Berlin.
Players to watch: Emil Forsberg.
Berlin lose 2 - 0 and have a man sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half. None of which is Forsberg's fault. In the first period he is a bit of a ghost. In the second period before the sending off he sees more of the ball and has an attempt on goal saved. After the sending off he is played out of position and really the whole team doesn't overly manage much of anything.
16th August 2022: Turkey. UEFA Champions League Champions Path Playoff First Leg: Fenerbahce vs FC Kobenhavn.
Players to watch: Karl-Johan Johnsson, Jacob Rinne and Roony Bardghji.
Now, seen as both Johnsson and Rinne play in goal for Kobenhavn I don't expect to see both of them. But honestly the real draw in this tie is not only the fact its Champions League football and thus a high tier of quality and pressure. But Roony Bardghji is a 16 year old Swedish sensation. He's got eight U21 caps to his name, and scored six goals in those games. He's also the liveliest player on the pitch for the Danish side. Which unfortunately sees him booked in the first half. But he creates four clear cut chances for his side, and looks a complete menace every time he has the ball. Only a player of the match performance from the Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir stops the visitors from benefitting rom Bardghji's graft.
Unfortunately the same can't be said for Karl-Johan Johnsson. He makes enough routine saves and does his job efficiently for the majority of the game. But the damage has already been done. He rather poorly let Enner Valencia beat him from a tight angle at his near post. From a 1 v 1 in just the third minute. Which marks him as the first player I've seen who I've not been impressed with.
18th August 2022: The Swedish Football Daily post an article suggesting that Bologna's Mattias Svanberg's club form means he should get a call up to the Sweden squad. He's played seven games in Serie A so far this season. Scoring once and averaging a 7.19 rating. He's certainly not the worst midfield prospect on my list.
20th August 2022: Sweden U18s are drawn against Poland, Romania and Serbia in the European U19 Championship Preliminary Qualifying round. They make up group A, and are the highest ranked team in their group.
22nd August 2022: The Zlatan accepts my offer to be a coach for the national side. Seen as he's hung up his boots as a player.
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April sees us playing five league games, and an FA cup semi final. We didn't have to wait long to see who our Wembley opponent would be.
We got Chelsea, meaning Brighton would try make it two Manchester clubs in two rounds, in order for them to get to the final.
Speaking of Brighton, they were our first opponent in the league this month. It had been two weeks since our FA cup quarter final game. And the rust definitely showed in the match at the American Express Community Stadium. Brighton didn't seem capable of putting us under too much pressure. But at the same time we lacked the energy or quality to make a breakthrough. It seemed the game would run out a rather boring draw. Until a rather hopeful cleared ball saw Gabriel Martinelli surge onto it and get in behind their defence. A deft finish low past the keeper gave us the lead with just nine minutes left in the tie.
Four minutes later, with Brighton scrambling to try salvage something from the game. We scored again, with almost a carbon copy of the first goal. Martinelli doubling up and putting us 2 - 0 up with just four minutes left of the 90. We would hold on and take all three points home with us.
When I talked about the Southampton FA cup tie last month. I said that we brushed them aside. And that, such circumstances didn't happen very often. But this month, it seemed we were building towards that more regularly. Our next league game, against Norwich. Was less a brushing aside and more a demolition. 7-0 it finished, four of the goals before the half. Six different scorers with only Mika Biereth doubling up. Odegaard, Perisic, Kessie (from the spot), Martinelli and Pepe were the others.
We continued that form into our next home game just four days later. Crystal Palace were the visitors. Alexis Sanchez bagged himself a brace either side of a Liam Delap goal. The promising English forward had come to us on loan from Man City. A speculative deal as I looked to see about raiding them for him if he showed appropriate promise. Long story short, he didn't and would be going back at the end of his deal.
That 3 - 0 result against Palace saw us score 12 goals without reply over a 10 day period. The circumstances of the beginning of my tenure appeared to be vanishing in the rear view mirror.
West Ham were next, away, just three days after our Palace game, and a further three days before the semi final. I once again wanted to show our strength at Wembley and felt we could get a result against the Hammers regardless. Actually, I wasn't exactly bothered about the league games and just didn't want a result which would jeopardise morale before the FA cup game.
With Alexis Sanchez still performing on program (playing the first 45 - 60 minutes of games and scoring more often than not) we took a 1 - 0 lead into the half time interval. West Ham kept chipping away, and a rather rash Rob Holding challenge saw us concede a penalty. Jarrod Bowen converted and we were all square again with just 22 minutes left to play.
I was annoyed, that we hadn't put this result to bed, and that anger obviously filtered through to the players. My expressive sign language might have helped. As Martinelli restored our advantage just three minutes later with a blistering long range effort. But the Hammers weren't done. And it seemed that anything we could do, Bowen could do. He produced his own long range "worldie" on 89 minutes, ensuring that the hosts retained a share of the points. Not the momentum builder we could have used going into the FA cup semi final.
Which might be why Chelsea took first blood in the tie. A slowly bubbling affair, it took an Antonio Rudiger header from a deep corner to give them the lead after 24 minutes. Both teams created, but nothing frequent or definitive. And it looked like the half would end that way until Saka cut inside on his left foot and sent a low teasing cross into the box. It curled away from Sanchez who was trying to get on the end of it, but it ended up curling so much it snuck into the bottom corner of the net. Much to the chagrin of Mendy the Chelsea keeper.
38 minutes played and its 1 - 1
40 minutes played and we lead 2 - 1. Sanchez bullying and harassing the Chelsea backline and forcing them into a very poorly planned back pass. He gets onto the loose ball before Mendy and flicks it over him as the keeper desperately slides to try clear the ball.
Possibly the luckiest two minutes of my managerial career. And it ended up seeing us in the FA cup final. The second half played out to a dead heat. We had no interest in trying to get anything more from the game. And Chelsea couldn't break us down.
Man City saw off Brighton the day after 2 - 0. To set up our fourth meeting with Man City this season, the second at Wembley.
Though seven days later when we played Newcastle at home in the league. I was too conflicted to be thinking about the FA cup final. We lost 1 - 0 to a Callum Wilson finish on 75 minutes. A completely uninspiring toothless display. Which was not the kind of football I wanted to see. However, it did halt our league momentum and reduce the chances of us finishing inside the top six. Which I was desperate to avoid!
With that, we go into the last month of my first season.
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Seems I'm not completely immune to the draw of international football with the current tournament underway. So I started what I believe to be my first ever international managers save.
Though, due to my objections to the tournament (which I put in the community thread.) I didn't want to take part in the virtual version of the tournament. Thus I created a manager (Ryan Ayre, seen as he's always going on holiday). And vacationed until the World cup playoffs had been decided.
I wanted to pick a team that hadn't made it to the tournament (either in real life or in the game). I had my eyes set on Italy or Norway. But the former had managed to qualify for the virtual version of the tournament. I was on the verge of picking the Lions. When Sweden actually came in with a job off for Ryan.
I took a look, they aren't in Qatar, and they haven't made it into the tournament on my save. So they are fair game.
So I loaded up my actual manager, took over the Sweden position (replacing Guus Hiddink)
Lets see what happens.
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The Carabao cup was at the end of February. 27th to be exact. Meaning that our first game in March was all of three days away. I think so far in this story I've made it perfectly clear, that for this season at least. The league can kiss my arse. In favour of more short term success in the cup competitions.
What would have been perfect after our first lifting of silverware, a throw away league game I didn't care about.
Instead what had the fixture gods delivered to us?
An FA Cup fifth round tie away to Spurs. Fantastic.
Looking back now, the shift in my mentality when it came to the cup must have been evident to the players. We had the dubious fortune of playing Spurs in both our cup runs that year. Both of them at their place. The Carabao quarter final we held firm and went through on penalties. Conversely, the two league games we lost 2 - 1, both home and away.
I didn't know this at the time, probably should have paid more attention. But Spurs had lost 5 - 1 to Everton at Goodison Park on the 19th of February, and then battled Man City to a 2 - 2 draw just three days before the Carabao final (maybe a contributor to why City were not at their best when they played us at Wembley).
I know why we played poorly in that FA cup tie, we were knackered, and coming down from the high of lifting a trophy. Now I've got an inkling of why Spurs were equally bereft of ideas. I think if it had been anyone else but a rival London club, we'd have come away from that game with nothing. But we dug deep due to the opponent, stretching to make blocks and tackles in the rare moments they showed a glimpse of quality. While with the ball, we did what we could to neutralise the game. I was getting a building reputation in the press as a manager who "hung on for penalties". Which, while we hadn't lost a shoot out so far this season. More accurately, I hung on to not lose. Penalties was just the end result of that process. I'd have loved to not need them in this particular game. Especially as (unlike the Carabao cup) we would have to endure 30 minutes of extra time to get to them.
Martin Odegaard's unceremonious toe poke from just inside the box. Past a shattered and badly sighted Hugo Lloris gave us the lead after 114 minutes of deadlock. We didn't so much as march but crawl on to the next round.
Three days later and we had another London rival to play. Chelsea in the Premier league, at home. So that's Man City at Wembley, Spurs away and Chelsea at home in the space of nine days.
I fully expected us to struggle. And a Trevor Chalobah headed goal from a corner just eight minutes into the tie signalled just how tired and lacking focus we really were. I think they sensed that we weren't at the races. And with three competitions to play for this month, they took the pragmatic option and looked to hold what they had. We generated pretty much nothing from open play. A curling Gabriel Martinelli free kick into the bottom left corner from just outside the box. Restored parity with 24 minutes of the game played.
After that Chelsea never seemed able to shift their mentality, and we didn't have the energy to do anything but trundle along and hope for the best. It ended a rather drab draw. Which suited me fine.
An eight day gap for the return of continental football was just what we needed. Though it gave me cold sweats about what might befall us next season. We had been steadily climbing the table, which when you start at 19th is the only way you want it to go. We already had a locked in European place due to winning the Carabao. But there was an outside chance of us finishing in the top six. Which would be a level of competition I didn't really want. In my opinion the squad was nowhere near ready to have to battle on multiple fronts. But that's what happens when you have the audacity to win trophies.
Our return to action on the 13th was away to Everton. A rather horrible tackle in their box led to Frank Kessie putting us ahead from the spot. The fact it was only two minutes into the game the only probably reason why the hosts weren't reduced to 10 men.
Everton were flying that season, they ended up finishing 6th. Mainly due to Dominic Calvert - Lewin's 25 goals over the season. And it was he who restored parity. A slashing drive from the edge of the box after a knock down from a corner. 1 - 1 after 30 minutes of the game played.
Once again, that looked like it would be that. At least from our side of the equation. Don't get me wrong, Everton threw the kitchen sink at us and looked like scoring every time they came forward with the ball. They left us hanging around, unable to finish us off. And in that football tale as old as time. Paid the price. Ivan Perisic ghosting into the area on the shoulder of the last defender. To dive in front of him and toe poke a low driven cross into the net. 2 - 1 to us with 94 minutes on the clock. Of the 96 to be played.
Final game of the month was back to the FA cup. Quarter Final. We'd drawn Southampton at home, avoiding Chelsea and both Manchester clubs in the process. Like us they had been strongest in the cup this season. Their league form hadn't been great to start with. And had tailed off considerably. Taking only 12 points from their last 10 games. That had finally seemed to affect their cup run. Only beating Championship side Luton by a single goal in the fifth round. We brushed them aside 3 - 0. Something I can't say we did to many teams over the course of that season. Just happened to play them at the right time.
That left us with the prospect of Brighton (who had knocked out Man Utd), Chelsea or Man City in the semi final.
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is this the FMS version of the Ronaldo saga at Utd?
You're back for your second stint. Only to have your contract terminated at some point next year?
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Think I posted in other threads when I reached this point. That this is my first cup final BUT its only the Carabao Cup final.
None of that this year. Any success is what this team needs. Build belief, and start the culture of winning early with these young generation of players. The only thing standing in our way is a pretty impressive Man City side.
That said, we haven't lost to them under my stewardship. Arsenal lost to them in their woeful run before I took over. But we are played one drawn one against the mighty Manchester machine. Just need to go one better than that at Wembley.
Plus that draw was with our "second string XI" or rather I rested as many of our big hitters as I felt I could. With the cup final being very much the priority. (Have I mentioned I need to win four of them for the challenge!)
It was one of those big hitters who saw us off to a great start just five minutes into the game. Ivan Perisic, brought in to provide a season or two of experience and mentor the plethora of young talent. Plus, in reality he needed to carry some of the workload on the left for Emile Smith - Rowe. Its a strange one. Smith - Rowe is my go too, first choice attacking midfielder, either for the left or centre of the pitch. But he just can't handle a consistent high turnover of minutes. Bukayo Saka on the right wing is both first choice and can play almost every game if I needed him to!
But back to Wembley. Perisic comes in from the left, shifts the ball and smashes it with his right foot. Low along the ground the entire way and in the back of the net!
There was no sitting back from City, like they had a week ago. They flung themselves at us in a ferocious display of clinical passing and off the ball movement. Within six minutes of going behind. They were level. Phil Foden, the villain of the piece from the league game. Strikes again here. This time, ghosting into the penalty area to stroke home from basically the penalty spot. After a cut back from De Bruyne bypassed three of our defenders to find him.
And that, was that. Maybe City were paying the price for fielding the same team as they did for the league game, compared to our fresher XI. Maybe our early goal in this tie, and the fact we had led in both fixtures, had them doubting whether they could exert their dominance.
Whatever the reason, neither side forged a chance of real quality for the rest of the game. That's not to say it wasn't worth watching. It was tactically fascinating to be involved in. The constant mental pressure coming from walking the tight rope between being too defensive, or risking opening up and trying to win the game.
Every time we went forward I hoped this would be the chance we would convert to win the game. Then every time we gave the ball away I crossed my fingers that this wouldn't be the opportunity they needed to play through us.
Other than some numbness in my overly crossed fingers, we escaped the 90 minutes unscathed. That's two full games of football and nothing to separate us from Man City. Though unlike the league game a week ago. Today a victor had to be declared. So we would go straight to penalties.
Ilkay Gundogan would be Cities first spot kick taker, after they won the toss and elected to go first. He strode up confidently, and buried it in the bottom right corner.
After his success in the league game. Nicholas Pepe would take our first penalty. Carbon copy of the Gundogan effort, and the opposite of the way he went a week before. Same result though. 1 - 1
Riyad Mahrez next for City, his runup seemed more at home in the triple jump than on the Wembley pitch. But he scored, waiting for Ramsdale to move before placing it down the centre. 2 - 1
Gabriel Martinelli for us. Short run up, lots of power, top left corner. 2 - 2
Kevin De Bruyne, all the calm, and smoothness you'd expect from such an experienced player. Whips the ball with the inside of his right foot, looks from the shape of his body when he hits it like its going to go right. But spins round and into the bottom left corner. 3 - 2
Emile Smith - Rowe, on at the pointy end for a flagging Perisic. Bottom left corner, Ederson looked like he might get a hand on it, but it wriggles past him into the net. I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. 3 - 3
John Stones, my first eyebrow raise and thought, we might have a chance of stopping this one. No such luck, power and placement, top right corner. 4 - 3.
Albert Sambi Lokonga, ironically our fourth taker was the first I had doubts about as well. Sheer power, no placement, cannons off the underside of the bar and somehow drops the net side of the line. 4 - 4. I can't take much more of this!
Otavio for City, no messing. Head down, impossible to get over the ball. No disguise, long run up and bang. Bottom left corner, Ramsdale is going that way but its past him. Might have broken his hand if he'd have gotten too it! 5 - 4
Thomas Partey is our fifth. He takes his time, making sure the ball is exactly where he wants it on the spot. Turns his back on the ball and walks calmly to just outside the area. Rushes into the box at pace, shapes to hit it, the side foots it with complete coolness into the bottom right corner. 5 - 5 and we go to sudden death. Which at this rate, might be mine!
Joao Cancelo is the first sudden death taker for City. He doesn't seem to relish the opportunity and his shot isn't the best. Ramsdale gets a hand too it and pushes it away. But he hasn't got the angle right and his push only manages to send it into the net. 6 - 5 by the skin of their teeth!
Bukayo Saka is our first sudden death taker. The reason I didn't put him in the original five was because he didn't look up for it in the pre penalty team huddle. A luxury I cannot afford now. To his credit he sends Ederson the wrong way and puts it in the top half of the net on the right hand side of the goal. Not great, but good enough. 6 - 6.
Alfonso Pedraza is the next City kicker, the Spanish winger looks less than comfortable. He does however send Ramsdale the wrong way. And I'm looking down at my notes to see who our seventh taker is when I hear the crack. The ball hits the outside of the post and ricochets wide. Still 6 - 6!
Takehiro Tomiyasu is our would be hero. I pump my fists at him as he begins the long walk to the penalty spot. I've no clue whether he saw me. Nor whether it would make any difference! Ederson is hopping up and down on his line, attempting to put him off. Tomi takes as little notice as possible and smashes a bullet straight at the bottom corner. Ederson goes the right way, but.... he can't get there and its in the net! 6 - 7!!
A wall of red and white noise explodes from around Wembley stadium. In quiet moments I can still hear it to this day. 19th in the league when I took over and still fighting to get back to where we are expected to be. But today we are the victors! My first, I mean our first silverware. May it be the first of many!
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That four game loosing stretch looks like a right killer. Especially to bounce back and score 6 in win that ended that streak.
What would be worse? Losing to the Tiger on the final day when you had the chance to win the title?
Or beating them on the final day and unwittingly handing the championship to Nagaworld?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the more unlikely but amazing achievement that you overhaul both of them!
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7 hours ago, BenArsenal said:
Anyway, the World Cup is almost upon us, at a rather bizarre period of November.
Anybody watching? Anybody boycotting?
I'm boycotting, and also wondering whether I'll ever watch another England international game ever again.
I'd long since decided that I wouldn't be having anything to do with Qatar when the first reports of worker deaths were covered in the news years ago. The recent Netflix documentary regarding FIFA corruption has solidified that resolve just in time for the tournament to begin.
I've always had a love, dislike relationship with international football. The mixing of footballing cultures (namely the ones where deceiving the referee is seen as an acceptable side of the sport.) There's only so much "Italian dark art" football I can cope with.
But while I might not have always enjoyed what I saw on the pitch, the drama and spectacle was still beautiful in its own right.
But there is nothing left of the beautiful game about the Qatar tournament. The corruption, the worker deaths. Death threats for whistle blowers.
Which brings me to England in the future, whose only response I've heard to the question "are you going to the world cup" was a rather cowardly "Its too late to do anything about it now." Which is utter crap, I've not turned up to plenty of things I was expected to go to. And those decisions have always been last minute.
They're willing to stand up to FIFA over having poppies on their team kits every year in November, as a show of respect to the war dead. But people who've actually died in their life time? Who died making the actual stadiums they're going to kick a ball about in. Nope, not interested.
Its just pathetic.
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February, the shortest month of the year. Has the potential to be very sweet indeed. As it brings us to the first cup final of my tenure. Even the Carabao cup seemed a world away when I took over with the club languishing 19th in the league. But no chickens can be counted. As we play none other than run away league favourites Man City in the final.
And no getting ahead of ourselves. As there are four games in the month before the final.
First up is Leeds at home in the FA cup fourth round. I think I said when we played them in the league. That I didn't want them to feel like they would be getting an easy game. They obviously got the message and took their ball and shooting boots home with them.
We ain't half been involved in some crap games this season. While results are going our way, and the board are upgrading the laughable "avoid relegation" to a "mid table finish" expectation. I'm still not winning many fans due to the fact I'm failing on the desired club vision. We just aren't entertaining. And this latest game against Leeds was just another example. We are hard to break down, very difficult to take the ball off. But we don't actually do anything of substance with it the vast majority of the time.
Saka scored the only goal of the cup tie in a breakaway effort on 19 minutes. Other than that we barely created a sniff. The story remained the same four days later when we welcomed Aston Villa in the league. This time it took 88 minutes for Saka to escape the Villa defence and blast past the keeper. But the 1 - 0 score line in our favour was eventually the same.
No such luck at Anfield on the 12th of the month. We staggered and clung to the ropes like a punch drunk prize fighter. But somehow escaped with a point.
Which left two games in the month, the cup final at the end against Man City, and a home game in the league a week before. Against... Man City. In true FM fashion the first time I would face the likely league winners, would be the game before I played them in a final.
I will admit to a level of gamesmanship in these two games. To me, the bigger game of the two was without a doubt the cup game, for many reasons. Firstly our league campaign was non-existent. To the point that I didn't want to finish as high as possible, seventh or eighth would do fine. IF we won the Carabao cup. Because our squad is that young, and that thin on the ground. That I didn't really fancy the added problems that come with competitive continental football. Give me the Europa conference league, in which to blood the youth, and no fan really gives much of a rats scrotum about and I'd be happy. Dump us in the Europa league proper and we might get teams we'd be expected to field a competitive side against. Or even worse, try and use it as a route to the Champions league.
Plus, in order to complete the SAF challenge. I needed to win at least four league cups.
So that's the long way round of saying I fielded a weaker side in the league game. And with only two minutes played it looked like I was glad I did. A ridiculously soft touch in our box and City have a penalty. Dispatched by Kevin De Bruyne to give them a very early lead.
Whether they had an eye on the cup final as well. But they didn't push their advantage as much as they probably could. And we seemed content to let them run rings around us, as long as we didn't give them an easy route into our area.
Two minutes left into the half and some smart work from a throw in just outside their box. Saw Smith Rowe work some room for a speculative shot. His effort looked like it was wide from the start. But curled, curled some more. It became the little ball that could, curling just enough to sneak in the bottom corner and send us in at the break all level!
Now while I was over the moon at the score being 1 - 1. 20 minutes into the second half when Rowe was bundled over in the box. I was both ecstatic and cursing. We had a chance to go ahead. But playing most of a second string XI. I had Pepe taking the penalty. Someone who I hadn't seen take one all season long.
He had more confidence than me and sent the keeper the wrong way before stroking home. 2 - 1!
We reverted to our now typical second half home performance. Frustrate, try keep the ball, sit in and settle for what we have. And by George it was working! Time seemed to slow to a standstill. But even at 10% of normal speed, time kept ticking forward. Inch by inch until we were into stoppage time at the end of the game.
Credit to City, they carried themselves like the champions elect they were. Never giving in, relentlessly chasing anything that could get them back into the game. As we played out the three minutes of added time. We looked absolutely battered. We'd long since given up any hope of touching or keeping the ball. Any time an Arsenal player so much as made contact with the ball, our fans would cheer as if we'd won the league.
In the final minute of the game, Phil Foden tapped in one of those trademark back post Man City goals. Where the ball just seems to slide across the box on a wire and someone is there at the end to finish it. They just wouldn't stop coming, and in the end they had one more quality ball than we had the energy to defend.
2 - 2 it finished. I refuse to consider it more a defeat and two points lost than one point gained. Despite there only being 10 seconds played after their goal went it. We played the best team in the league and we hung in their as long as we could.
See you again in seven days for a riveting cup final!
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Back end of January and having navigated progress in two domestic cup competitions. I've now got the daily grind of the Premier league until the end of the month.
Leeds at the Emirates on the 15th is our first of four games left in the month. We are nowhere near as purposeful or energetic going forward as we usually are at home. And not surprisingly, after Leeds weather our initial luke warm advances. They find themselves ahead on the half hour mark. A Patrick Bamford header from a wide free kick.
Not happy! Which I manage to translate to the players in the form of harsh language and interpretive dance from the touchline. Four minutes later and we are level, thanks to one of those seemingly time defying teasing crosses that looks so simple for any number of players to get a touch on it as it comes across the box. But in reality its angled just right for Saka to hit it in stride at the back post and steer it into the net.
Which is doubly infuriating. Where was that cut and thrust before we were a goal down! Especially as we almost instantly devolve into the same lacklustre rubbish as soon as we are level.
We are playing Leeds again in just a few scant weeks in the fourth round of the FA cup. And I don't want them thinking they are going to have an easy game. So I keep the heavy hitters on for longer into the second half. It pays off as Alexis Sanchez turns in a Saka cutback right on the hour mark. And while we still aren't setting any houses on fire in the remaining 30 minutes. Leeds seem to have run out of juice as well and the game whimpers to a 2-1 finish in our favour.
Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is next. Sanchez looks on his last legs as he starts. Having played the second half of the Newcastle second leg. 75 minutes against Leeds just three days ago, and now he's leading the line here. He might look sluggish, but he still has the ball in the net after just four minutes. A back post bundle across the line after Chelsea couldn't clear from a corner.
When you score in the fourth minute, you don't expect to be equalising. But we are. Romelu Lukaku had scored from a Chelsea corner just two minutes into the game. Being a real life Chelsea supporter I was already conflicted enough about this game. If its going to be this back and forth for the full 90 I don't know if I will cope!
We are hanging on for the majority of the first half, Chelsea have the better chunk of possession, the better chances, and deserve to go ahead with a Mason Mount placed effort from just outside the box, just before the end of the first period. I can't fault the players. They are trying, but our lack of experience and depth is really showing through in these protracted runs of fixtures.
What we lack in experience and consistency we make up for in youthful exuberance and flashes of brilliance. After a player of the game performance against Leeds, Saka is at it again. This time he takes the game by the scruff of the neck, charging past multiple Chelsea defenders as he cuts in from the right. Finishing low across the keeper to bring us back into the game. 2 - 2.
Decision time, well not really. I have to bring players on who I'm not certain I can count on to see us over the line and get a result. Are they young, yes, are they talented, without question. Are they reliable, not sure. Especially as top goal scorer Sanchez has to come off as a substitute before I'm going to be bringing him off on a stretcher.
Martinelli is on up top, and Perisic replaces Smith Rowe on the left. While he isn't at all young. He is still finding his feet and gelling with the rest of the squad. So I doubt he is going to be the difference today.
While the lack of chemistry at the sharp end means we are unlikely to add to our tally. As the game drags on, it doesn't seem we are going to concede either. I'll take a point with bells on! But then the fourth official holds up the board for six minutes of stoppage time. No idea where that number came from. But it stirs the home supporters out of their apathy as they roar for their players to see us off in the additional time. That galvanises the Chelsea team and the atmosphere shifts to suddenly feeling like this isn't over.
Chelsea spend the majority of the stoppage time camped in our half, with multiple back to back corners. Somehow we don't concede and I'm beginning to think we will take the point with us. When Tierney unceremoniously lumps the ball clear out towards the left hand side of the halfway line. Perisic is there, he gets on to the ball and pushes it on into the wide open space of the Chelsea half. Reece James comes across to try cut off the angle. He likely could have tracked our aging winger all the way down the line. But for some reason he goes to ground, sliding to try win the ball, put it into touch and end the threat right there. He misses, leaving Perisic unchallenged as he continues into the Chelsea half.
He cuts in from the left into the penalty area. The angle is tight, one of those where the keeper knows he has to go across him to the far post, but he can't leave too much of the near post open. Because Mendy knows that Perisic knows, he knows the higher percentage chance is curling it to the far post.
Which is why Perisic tries lift it in at the near post, picking a tiny triangle of space between Mendy's right shoulder and the angle of bar and post. The Chelsea keeper gets a hand too it, pushing it up, onto the bar, via the post, it bounces down and out into the box. Where it evades two backtracking Chelsea defenders, and falls to Gabriel Martinelli just shy of the penalty spot. He calmly side foots it into the roof of the net, in such a way that neither defender has a hope of stopping it. We are winning 3 - 2 with 90 + 5 minutes played.
I don't believe it. When the final whistle goes and we have won the game. Nobody expected it, and I guess that is a big part of why it happened. Sometimes it seems its better to be lucky than good.
Three days later on the 22nd and we weren't either of those things. We were just exhausted and terrible. That might not be fair. The team was very very heavily rotated and there was little to no chemistry in the starting XI. Wolves it seems hadn't brought their shooting boots with them. And the game ended in a completely forgettable 0 - 0.
Which brought us limping and heavy breathing to Old Trafford on the 26th of the month. For our third away game on the bounce. It seemed as though it was going to go the same way as the Wolves game. I was in full contain and frustrate mode. A midfield duo of Franck Kessie and Albert Sambi Lokonga camped in front of our back four.
Man Utd for their part seemed just as strung out as we were. Lacking in the enthusiasm or vision required to break us down. As though they looked at our formation and tactics and just shrugged. "If they can't be bothered to turn up and play football, then neither can we" kind of attitude.
That frustration boiled over just three minutes before the end of the first half and resulted in Mika Biereth being shoved from behind at a corner and us winning a penalty. Emile Smith Rowe converted from the spot. Resulting in me doubling down on our rear guard approach for the second half. If the Man Utd players had been capable of harnessing the howls of derision their fans flung at us they would have blown us away in the second half. But they just couldn't break us down. Mika Biereth's goal on 90 minutes from a long through ball by Kessie. Was probably our only time in the Man Utd half during the second period. 2 - 0 flattered us. But I wasn't going to complain.
So played eight, won six, lost one, drawn one. I should have been happy with January. And I suppose in one regard I was. I think my main concern was the unplanned, haphazard manner of it all. The only consistent part of it all for me was the lacklustre periods of play. We had them in every game. Sometimes, like the Wolves game, it would be for the whole 90. Others we would have flashes of brilliance and quality. But I had no real idea of what the catalyst for such moments was. Or how to nurture more of those moments going forward
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It appears Wilson should have retired years ago to focus on his fantasy football team!
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12 hours ago, oche balboa said:
Not a bad story. Keep it going
Thanks for reading and thanks for the feedback!
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In December we'd played seven games, won five and drawn two. Scored 15 and conceded four. So while the prospect of playing eight games across three competitions in January was a daunting one. I felt we were in pretty good shape to start the new year.
One of those December draws had been in the Carabao quarter final, against Spurs. Which we went on to win on penalties. So a new years day trip back to the Spurs stadium didn't seem like that bad a place to pick back up again.
Unfortunately, we played like we'd been partying into the night long after the fireworks had died down. A Martin Odegaard free kick in the 84th minute gave us a touch of respectability on the score sheet. But two goals from who else but Harry Kane had seen us dead and buried a long time ago.
Three days later and its Carabao cup semi final time. Its still over two legs, which might not be the case next year due to the Qatar dog and pony show. We play Newcastle, and have the first leg at home. I tend to be more aggressive at home in the first place. But even more so in this situation. I want this game over and done with as a contest before the second leg.
A goal from Emile Smith Rowe on 15 minutes, and a brace from Mika Biereth before the end of the half had us well on our way. Though now I was stuck between two conflicting mindsets. Usually I would shut up shop and protect the hard work done in the first half. But in reality, the whole 90 minutes here were the first half, so I should keep going and put this game to bed.
I kept the foot on the gas, while at the same time Newcastle came out with nothing to lose. On another day, we could have had six or seven. If not for tight offside calls, and being denied by the frame of the goal. Biereth got his hat trick on 63 minutes. The only problem being Callum Wilson scored for Newcastle either side of our fourth goal. So by 70 minutes it was 4-2.
It was a cracking game, even more so for the neutral. Even I felt suckered in and wanting more. With every end to end swing it felt like we could put the ball in the net and increase our advantage. So I never called the dogs off. The game finished 4-2, whether we would have come away in a better position if I'd parked the bus. Guess we will never know.
First week of the new year, third game, third competition. As we welcomed Championship side Fulham to the Emirates for the third round of the FA cup. They were going strong in the Championship and looked like they would be in the mix at the end of the season. So I approached it like any other home game. Hit them hard early on and get too far ahead before they even have chance to think about recovery. Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe scored in the first half. Rowe's goal hurt, coming just before the stroke of halftime. When Fulham might have been feeling optimistic at only going in a goal down.
After the Newcastle game I reverted to type and cooled the lads down in the second half. A Martinelli back post tap in from a corner, on the hour. Was the only real chance we fashioned in the second period. But at 3-0 the tie was over and we didn't need to do anymore.
Three days later and its Carabao cup semi final time. Wow, talk about deja vu! At St James Park. I wanted to approach the game like the second half of a home tie we dominated. Keep the ball, shut down the game, frustrate the opposition. I figured worse case scenario, if we tried play open attacking football, they would mug us on the break and get themselves back in the game. Then they would only need to steal a second and we'd be out on away goals. What followed was a 90 minute education in frustration. Newcastle had a high frequency of low quality chances which never really threatened. Leading them to commit more and more of their team forward in an attempt to make up for it.
Finally the deadlock was broken, in the only minute of stoppage time at the end of the 90. Alexis Sanchez giving us the win on the night, as he latched onto a clearance from a Newcastle corner. The only player in the Newcastle half beyond their keeper. Who he went round to finish into an unguarded net.
Which meant we would be playing in the final come the end of February.
But for now we were 11 days into the new year, and still had four Premier league games left in the month.
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remember there are midweek games!
So the deadline for the next set of matches is Tuesday afternoon / evening.
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October is finished, and its been a month of nail biting fixtures, fantastic wins, and annoying frustrations.
We set consecutive wins records and unbeaten records for the club. With six wins and seven unbeaten respectively.
We were also on course to beat the league record for consecutive wins as well (sits at seven). But in true FM fashion, that's when we lost to Black Leopards, who at that time sat 15th out of 16 in the league... go figure. It has become a bit of a grind. No blow out wins like the last few months. But important points taken. The penalty win against AmaTuks, (who put four past Stellenbosch the week before) was an absolute clutch game. Then I'd take a draw against Stellenbosch themselves any day of the week.
Six points back to the playoff spots, and seven back to our expected mid table finishing spot. I don't see us being able to continue this form all season. But who knows. I think any over achievement will be a success in terms of making me seem attractive to other clubs. Then its just by what degrees of over achievement. To progress in terms of coaching qualifications I feel I need to be elsewhere. As the club is just bleeding money. Our biggest individual income stream last month was FUND RAISING!
Its the best its been. But the team cohesion could benefit from being much better. We do have a tendency to lose our way when the subs come on and don't mesh as much as the first team regulars do!
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Young Guns
in FM Stories
Posted
Must admit I felt a strange sense of deja vu as I came out of the tunnel at Wembley for the start of the FA cup final. Strange in the fact that we were here again, playing exactly the same opponent. With the stadium set up exactly the same with the supporters blocked in the same seats.
But the emotions around the occasion were starkly different. I'd aimed for the Carabao cup, our previous visit to Wembley against Man City. And maybe because I had been so invested in winning a trophy to get something out of the season. I had been rather nervous. Plus we were playing easily the best team in the division.
Now however, the FA cup final felt like a bonus cherry on the top of the cake. Plus, having played City twice during my fledgling managerial career. We were yet to lose to them. I wouldn't go anywhere near as saying we were favourites. But what had started as a natural fear of being blown away by them. Was slowly turning the corner into a fascinating rivalry between the two sides.
The opening exchanges weren't anything to write home about. Watching the game back later the commentators would call it cagey. Which I'd take as a huge compliment, if I actually valued a single thing they said. We were happy to be there, while City had the end of season lag which comes from only having secured the title the week before, whilst being involved in the business end of the Champions league.
Neither side had managed a shot on target by the time we were given a free kick in a promising position on the edge of the area. Martin Odegaard stood over it. He did Ederson with his eyes, and his body position. Looking for all the world as though he would whip it up and over the wall into the left hand corner. Instead he went for power, opening his foot up and blasting it for the top right corner. Ederson's momentum had carried him too far across his line and he couldn't do much more than watch the ball balloon the net directly above where he had been standing moments before. 1 - 0 after 15 minutes.
I expected an instant reaction, and we got one. City camped in our half for the next 20 minutes, but their end product just wasn't there. As long as we could live without touching the ball, we seemed able to contain them quite easily. Of course I didn't feel that happy on the touchline, I felt a single goal advantage wasn't going to last us the 90 minutes. As while I might be undefeated against them, we hadn't kept a clean sheet in either previous game.
Into the last ten minutes of the half and City had finally began to show signs of running out of steam. We had the ball a few times before that. But not with any regularity or intent. Then Saka got on the end of a long thrown out clearance from Ramsdale. He charged up the right touchline before holding the ball up. He fed Odegaard in a hole just outside the box. Though the hole was quickly filled by a lunging John Stones challenge. The City defender took all of the ball and at least some of the man.
The referee was in the process of bringing his whistle to his lips when Thomas Partey reached the loose ball and smashed it towards goal. It cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and slammed into the net. Ederson hadn't even been able to think about moving! 2 - 0 37 minutes played.
To say I was over the moon was and understatement. But I did my best to contain those feelings in front of the players. They were no strangers to my shut up the shop, park the bus, second half expectations. And this was the bus of all buses that needed to be parked. No need to muddy the waters with me seemingly happy with events at the halfway stage.
If there was any doubt we would be on the back foot in the second half it was quickly dismissed when City kicked off. The game was once again solely in our half. City had introduced Jack Grealish at half time and I waited with baited breath for the inevitable penalty. While the lad had undeniable talent. He falls into the category of player who is frequently touted as "the most fouled player in the Premier league." which translates in my head at least to "the player who throws himself on the floor the most."
Fair play to him though, when he received the ball on the edge of our area just 11 minutes into the second period. He danced past two of our defenders like they were standing still, before finishing smartly under an oncoming Ramsdale. 2 - 1, 56 minutes played.
I rolled the dice a minute or so later. Not only with my personnel choice, but also with a tactical ploy I'd been dying to try out. Neither of which I feel I'd have been in the mindset to try if I hadn't seen this cup final as a reward at the end of a difficult and trying season.
I brought on Alexis Sanchez. Which I can count on one hand the number of times Alexis had come on from the bench, especially in games that I wanted to win. He was my starter, my number one "get the job done in the first half" player. But this was likely his last appearance for the club, as I wasn't going to extend his contract, at least not at the wages he was hinting he wanted. Same with Thomas Partey, he'd been in the side from kick off alongside Franck Kessie, to give us some much needed defensive cohesion. But he was also in the side to get an appearance in the final in likely his final game before I tried sell him during the off season.
Now to the tactical ploy. I gave the necessary hand signals when Sanchez came on, he kinda jogged onto the pitch and showed next to no interest in where the ball was or what was going on. To set the scene appropriately, the ball is on the far touchline, about a third of the way inside the City half, waiting to be thrown in for a City throw.
We hadn't pressed the ball in the City half since the opening 20 minutes of the game. But the hand signalling was to give the go ahead for a blitz like swarm on the ball once it was back in play. Ideally I wanted the ball back at the feet of the throw in taker. With limited time, he'd look up, see a lazy looking Sanchez as the only Arsenal player in the City half (other than those pressing the throw in).
The ball comes infield to Stones, our players who pressed the throw in divert towards him, blocking off his passing lanes up the pitch. While Sanchez stays in Stones blind spot and advances up the pitch, his fake lazy attitude shrugged off.
Stones plays a rather rushed ball to Dias his central defensive partner. Thinking that nobody is anywhere near him and not having the time to make sure this is the case. The problem is, Sanchez is all over Dias by the time the ball gets to him. Takes the ball away from him and charges the short distance into the area. He smashes the ball like a rocket, low across Ederson and finds the bottom left hand corner. 3 - 1 just two minutes after City had scored!
Then we hung on. Sanchez's energy at the top of the pitch helped keep City honest. And we managed to hold firm deep into the second half. Grealish netted a second on 87 minutes. When City had been uncharacteristically reduced to hopeful shots from the edge of the box. This one took a wicked deflection off Gabriel which gave Ramsdale no chance. 3 - 2 with three minutes plus injury time to play.
But in the end. The late goal only provided some cruel hope to the City fans and players. They renewed their fading efforts but couldn't force a third goal over the line. We held on for our first regulation time win against the Champions, and our second trophy of my first season!