Mandy42

Now on the other hand. 19th place Newcastle over two legs in the semi final does sound like a Christmas present. Or rather the mother of all January sale bargains. I am intent not to make the same mistake we made against Leeds. I want this game over without a glimmer of hope for the visitors. We've hit the bar and had the ball cleared off the line in the first five minutes. But its not until a throw in during the 6th minute that we strike. Throw down to the by-line for Mount, he returns the ball to the taker. Cezar whips in a cross, deep , beyond the back post. The keeper is caught under the ball and Timo Werner jumps higher than the defender to prod it into the unprotected net. Its from a similar throw in and cross some six minutes later. That Thiago Silva is bundled over in the box for a penalty. Saul steps up and dispatches it. Straight down the middle, after making the keeper blink first and dive to his right. Saul doubles his tally on the half hour mark. A simple Asensio corner and Saul is somehow towering above everyone. Like a flung player at a rugby union line out. From the six yard line his header is like a bullet. Straight through the keeper and into the net. 3-0 at halftime. Hope successfully extinguished. We take our foot off in the second half. Slow the pace down. Keep the ball. With just over 10 minutes to play. The crowd cheering every touch of the ball. We string together a 16 pass move which sees Kovacic slide an inch perfect through ball past five Newcastle players for Kai Havertz to round the keeper and score. Only after Timo Werner's run created the space for the German shadow striker to ghost into. Absolutely sublime play! I might still be riding high off the performance and specifically that goal as I'm questioned during the press conference at the end of the game. Job done! I indicate emphatically. I can play our U18 team at St James Park and still get into the final!

Not sure how much of a Christmas present Leeds at home in the carabao cup is on the 21st of December. Especially as just three days earlier we were playing in Japan as part of the FIFA Club world cup. Our jet lag showed as Leeds took the lead only four minutes into the tie. Similar to the Crystal Palace goal. A throw in opposite our box allowed them to work the ball into space just outside it. Rodrigo took a touch and hit a low left footed strike. It curled late and found its way in to the bottom right hand corner. Still inside the first 10 minutes. And we managed to get down the left. Put the ball in the box. Timo Werner managed to drag two defenders to the near post. So when he turned them in the box I expected him to pull the trigger. But he slid a lateral ball to Mason Mount. He had all the right hand side of the goal to aim for. But fooled the keeper by placing it back towards the left. The goalie couldn't get down in time and the ball trickled under him. But it struck the foot of the post and bounced harmlessly wide! And that was it or the first half. Safe to say I was less than happy at halftime. I refrained from abusing any water bottles. But I did tell the players they were a disappointment. Also told them there would be no chance of a Prime or Netflix series if they didn't book their ideas up! Well. It was as simple as a near post Mason Mount corner. Christian Pulisic flicked the ball on and Timo Werner headed down beyond the back post to put the ball in the net. Four minutes of the second half played. And we were level. Leeds weren't done though. Rodrigo flashed the ball wide of the post after a nice dink over our defence found him in the left channel. But we were definitely seeing more of the ball. And just five minutes later we were ahead. Leeds seemed to have been struggling with balls into the box all day. And when Mason Mount got down the right to the by-line and whipped the ball in. Timo Werner ducked ahead of the keeper and defender at the near post. Not sure whether it was his chest or his head. But he diverted the flight of the ball past the stricken keeper and doubled his tally. Putting us ahead. Leeds were frustrated and struggling to find a way back into the match. Which is probably why Stuart Dallas lunged in as Pulisic backed him into the box. Clear penalty. On a hat trick it was no doubt that Werner was going to take it. Placed beyond the keeper in the bottom right corner to make it 3-1 The final nail in the coffin was placed just a minute later. From the kick off. Leeds went long down the left looking to catch us off guard after just scoring. But we recycled the ball back to Mendy. Who delivered it forward along the ground to our defenders. Through midfield to Mount. Back to Silva in defence. Who then played a long ball of his own down our left for Pulisic to chase on to. The American winger carried the ball to the by-line before pausing and waiting for support to arrive. Mount had ghosted into the box between its edge and the penalty spot. Pulisic delivered the ball and Mount struck a picture perfect thunderous full volley into the roof of the net. 4-1 on 70 minutes. Just six minutes after we had first taken the lead. And only a minute since the penalty went in. Carbao cup semi finals are played over two legs. I have the potential of playing Newcastle, Norwich or Wolves.

Fourth round draw in the Carabao cup saw us at home against Crystal Palace. Looking back at the line up I'm not sure why I played such a strong team. But then I remember that October was basically whoever wasn't injured was likely on the pitch. Which might be why we were ahead after just five minutes. We've already had the ball in their box a few times. But haven't been able to connect. This time Callum Hudson-Odoi gets to the by-line and drills the ball along the floor. It looks like its going out. Which is probably why the Palace keeper doesn't react. Its unclear from my angle in the dugout whether he responds at the last moment and pushes the ball onto the post. Or it simply strikes the post anyway. But it slams into the upright before richocheting out into the six yard box for Romelu Lukaku to tap into the opposite corner. Its always frustrating to surrender a lead. However, both due to our slightly fortuitous first goal. And the nature of Luka Milivojevic's screamer on 20 minutes. I can't really complain. From a throw in opposite our box on the left. They work it to Milivojevic in a pocket of space on the edge of the box. He takes one touch. Then hits it with his right foot. Straight into the far top corner! Luckily for the players. It doesn't take us long to respond to me prowling the touchline and getting annoyed at us conceding. From a throw in of our own seven minutes later. We pass the ball around until Kovacic gets into the right hand corner of the box. Schlupp makes a challenge and goes down awkwardly. Kovacic manages to keep control of the ball. He plays it to Lukaku on the penalty spot. Who, with his back to goal, rolls it into the path of Marco Asensio. A deft flick of his right foot sees the ball nestle in the bottom left corner. The Palace keeper. Unsighted by Lukaku and the defenders sheparding him away from goal. Is rooted to the spot. After the break we are much better, and take control of the game. Possibly our best goal of the tie comes from a corner on 53 minutes. The initial ball is cleared. But we recycle possession and give it back to Marco Asensio, the initial corner taker. He plays a deft chip into the box. It lands perfectly in a pocket of space near the penalty spot. Or it would, if Callum Hudson-Odoi doesn't cushion it past the onrushing keeper on the volley. We get a fourth in stoppage time at the end of the game. Palace are tired. Its another throw in. Taken short, close to the corner flag on the right. Its simply cushioned back to the taker. Who crosses it to the far post. Kai Havertz meets the ball and heads it in off the back post. 4-1. Comfortably through to the next round. With the potential of facing one of the following: Brighton, Leeds, Leicester, Millwall, Newcastle, Norwich or Wolves. With the greatest respect to those teams. We have an excellent chance of winning the competition