EvilDave

What was particularly fun was to change the system mid-game, maintaining the exact same shape but suddenly instructing one or two of Hartwig, Casavecchi, Vincent-Roux and Larousse to adopt the role of a conventional number nine. The panic in the face of opposing defenders was often immediate, and there were games when we would switch them in and out of the attacking spearhead in a strange hokey-cokey that seemed to create space and opportunities almost without fail. As we added new steps to the Annecy dance, so we added more points to our collection. While our defence remained a little too porous to truly threaten the sides at the very top of Ligue 1 - the likes of PSG, Monaco and a resurgent Lyon dropping very few points as they battled for the title - our prolific attack fired us into unlikely contenders for European football. As the likes of Rennes, Strasbourg and Nantes all succumbed to the balletic majesty of our forwards, so we climbed the table, reaching the giddying heights of 8th place as the Christmas festivities approached. As they hit full swing, so the transfer window opened just days later, with the performances of my men failing to go unnoticed across the continent. Pinault and Fabbrini both attracted offers from the Premier League which were swiftly dismissed, but there was a third man who had his head turned by interest from afar. Kevin Vincent-Roux, the striker who had joined us just weeks after we were promoted from the third tier and in many ways had been our main man until Roger’s arrival, was subject of a bid from German giants Borussia Dortmund. What’s more, in a heart-to-heart conversation after training, he made it clear to me that he dearly wanted to leave for the chance to play Champions League football. Off he went, leaving his manager heartbroken. In some ways, Kevin’s departure hurt more than Roger’s. The latter had been with us for a single year, and was never realistically going to stay given our relative obscurity and his astronomic talent. But Vincent-Roux was a player rescued by my troupe, transformed from unwanted outcast at Lille into the focal point of a wonderful footballing tapestry in Annecy. We had made him a star, and now he wanted to shine in a bigger, Germanic sky. We were a victim of our success, and it had cost us one of our own. But we could not be deterred, and we moved quickly to procure a replacement talent in our attacking unit. Nsikak Solomon cost just a fraction of Kevin’s transfer fee to prise away from South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, but the Nigerian youth international looked to have the potential to go even further than our departing hero. His first appearances would be from the bench and it took him just three to make his mark, reading Roger’s pass perfectly to tuck in the winning goal against Nice in just his 55th minute of Annecy action. But just as we looked to ascend to new heights, our defensive frailties reared their heads to knock us down a peg. Struggling Montpellier benefitted from two penalties to grab a win that did their survival chances the world of good, and while we bounced back with a home win over Reims, we then proceeded to give up a three-goal lead at Lens, allowing another prolific side back into the game in just 20 minutes following an unnecessary red card for Passereau. No sooner had we hit the top five and a slim chance of the Champions League than we lost our footing and slid back to 7th, sitting on the outside looking in. Of course, whatever we did now would break new ground for the club - we could lose all four of our remaining games and still record an all-time high finish for Annecy. Even with Roger’s imminent departure and Vincent-Roux settling in at Dortmund, I would be leaving a squad more than capable of continuing their poetic patterns of play in future seasons. As a football club, Annecy should be absolutely fine. But under a new manager - a man who would almost certainly be more pragmatic than myself and may indeed make dramatic changes to both style and squad - they would no longer be my responsibility, and after seven seasons it would take some time to come to terms with that fact. In the meantime, all I could do was ensure that those final four matches were played out in the right manner. To say I didn’t care about the results would be unfair, but whether we reached Europe or not no longer depended on us. As the music started for my last dance with Annecy, I simply wanted to make it a memorable one.

Less than a week after my men returned from their summer break, Rousseaux came to see me. Real Madrid wanted Roger, and all the indications were that they were prepared to meet his €25m release clause. Naturally, I sounded his agent out about a new deal that would remove the fee, but his demands exceeded the budgets I had been given. When I went back to Rousseaux asking for more room to manoeuvre, I was given short shrift. Business jargon about financial responsibility, promises about reinvesting in the team, but a denial. I was stunned. I had been brought in with the goal of attracting a little more attention to a provincial club in the third tier, and after not only doing that but earning promotions in the process, I was to be denied the chance to keep the one player who epitomised the soul of the club more than any other. Roger was a born entertainer, an artist on the field, the star of the show. He played with a freedom that brought joy to teammates and fans alike. We could go on without him - there are always other players - but we could never truly replace him. But Rousseaux was not for budging, and the only consolation I received was that when Roger was announced by the Spanish giants just days later, it was with the caveat that he’d be returning to us on loan for the coming season. Our talisman could still delight us, even if we could no longer call him our own. It was the moment I decided this season would be my last - seven years and out, a beautiful journey ended by a simple lack of appreciation. I would see out the season in Annecy, and then cast my gaze elsewhere. Of course, my impending departure did not mean the club would stand still, and while internally I felt a deep sadness over Roger, to the outside world it was very much business as usual in the Alps. Alberto Casavecchi signed from Roma to join our forward rotation, Nimes’ Antoine Passereau gave us a new starter at left back while Holm signed permanently for the right side, and to fill the gap that Roger would eventually leave, I broke the club’s transfer record for the signature of Sascha Hartwig from Bayer Leverkusen. Capable of playing as a 9 or 10 to great effect and with a flair belying his Teutonic heritage, he would provide a perfect foil for our samba star before eventually taking his place. His versatility also allowed us to experiment with a version of the system we had been preparing for some time in training. The shape remained the same as last year, but with a crucial difference - rather than sitting two central men behind the lone striker, we now had the option to forego the conventional number nine entirely. Instead, we could utilise a fluid front five, with wingers either side of effectively three 10s, all tasked with shadowing a striker who no longer existed in addition to their creative remit. There was the risk they would get in each other’s way and crowd the space, but it gave us a valuable option in difficult games. Given that both Vincent-Roux and Larousse could drop back and provide as well as finish, it gave us an excellent attacking rotation that we hoped could cause real problems to our opponents. On the opening night against Monaco, we put it to the test. With the score level at 1-1 heading into the final 20 minutes, Vincent-Roux was withdrawn for Hartwig to make his debut, and we transitioned instantly into what the analysts would christen our 4-1-5 system. In reality, when we had possession it looked a lot more like a 2-2-6 with one full back joining the attack and the other stepping into midfield, but we didn’t care what anybody called it. We were more concerned with what it could do. What it did in this particular instance was cause chaos. The Monegasque defence seemed confused by the lack of an obvious focal point, and struggled to decide who to mark in the face of a six-man attack. Every run created space for a teammate, every interception seemed to lead to a threat. After just six minutes in the new shape, Hartwig fed Roger breaking into the area, he found Peltier coming in off the right, and his cutback from the byline found an unmarked Fabbrini who rifled home. Moments later, Hartwig drew his man out of position by dropping deeper, and our new signing chipped a pass in behind for Roger to bend a third beyond the visiting keeper. We had three valuable points, and our new weapon looked to be highly effective.

You're very welcome, and I'm glad you found it in the end - one to add to my reading list too!

So this intrigued me @reerdo, and I've just gone looking back over the years - largely because I seem to remember enjoying this one too! I think, and hope, that you're looking for Carlos de la Fuente's 'You're not fit to cut the grass!,' which had its first post in 2009. That's my best guess, please do let me know if that's the one!

Playing exclusively in our opponents’ half proved easier against some sides than others. Against the sides who found themselves joining us in the fight for survival - Lorient, Grenoble, Bastia and their ilk - we dominated games, especially at home. The Corsicans in particular left the Alps with their tails between their legs, Roger the conductor as our orchestral manoeuvres on the park thrilled the audience, the 4-0 final score a fair reflection of our brilliance. But against the top sides, those concerned with European qualification rather than simple survival, that was trickier. Perennial champions PSG swatted us aside with their legion of international stars, while Monaco put us to the sword with a 4-1 win in the principality. We put up more of a fight against Lille but succumbed to late goals in a 3-0 home defeat, and somehow escaped our home tie with Nice with a point, Kone’s curling effort at the death clinching a 2-2 draw. At the midway point of the season, as players and fans alike put their footballing fascination briefly to one side for the Christmas celebrations, we found ourselves in 15th place in Ligue 1. Midtable sat tantalisingly above us, while we retained just a four point gap to the relegation playoff berth, a further two points ahead of surprise strugglers Toulouse in the final automatic spot. Our aggressive defending ensured we had conceded a full 12 goals more than anybody else in the league, but our entertainment-first philosophy also placed us as the fourth-highest scorers behind only PSG, Monaco and Lens. If we were to change our style, focus more on defence and pack our own box, the constant flow of goals conceded would undoubtedly dry up. But to do so would blunt our significant attacking threat, compromise our values, and remove our advantage over the sides beneath us. Besides which, we were having far too much fun to change things now. Instead we looked to add quality to the defence, loaning in Liverpool squad player Anders Holm to act as our inverting right back, and paying a nominal fee to take over the contract of Juventus’ centre back Fabrice Dutoit six months early. We were briefly scared by rumours of interest from Spain in our new talisman Roger, but no bids were received and we proceeded into the second half of the campaign with our key men still with us. In our first game of the second half of the season, we travelled to Marseille determined to hold our own. Larousse opened the scoring with a glancing near-post header, the hosts equalised shortly after the interval, and we were giving as good as we got. With five minutes to go, Benoit Pinault found himself in space to the left side of the penalty area, and he bent a cool finish into the top corner to secure an unlikely victory. There was still time for the hosts to pick up a petulant red card, and for their supporters to attack our team coach on the way out of the Stade Velodrome, but we had our win. A famous win. We suffered a slight upset as second tier Bordeaux bundled our second string out of the cup, but in the league we continued to provide the highlights. Lille were beaten 3-1, Reims stole the points from us with a late penalty, and against Rennes we shared a thriller. With Vincent-Roux injured it was left to Larousse to prove his former employers wrong, and he delivered with a well-taken brace to add to Roger’s 30 yard free kick. Unfortunately our defensive game was not at its best, and we shipped a third equaliser of the match in second half stoppage time to split the points. Still, we were doing better than expected. There was still time for a run of one point across five games to sound the alarm bells in the media, but we were not worried. We were still scoring, still threatening, still entertaining - we were simply not getting the bounce of the ball. In the sixth game, at home to Montpellier, Vincent-Roux and Peltier each grabbed a goal in the first five minutes, and a penalty from Roger made it three before the break. At the final whistle we had doubled our tally, confirmed our clean sheet, and put an emphatic stop to our slide. Safety was almost secured, and in some style. Our big win was followed by defeat in Lyon, but the following week we brushed Saint-Étienne aside with a 2-0 win away from home, and the three points mathematically confirmed our place in Ligue 1 for the following season. The final handful of games we enjoyed with absolutely no pressure whatsoever, picking up around half the points available and blooding a few of our more promising youngsters in the process. Roger netted one of the goals of the season with a ridiculous 35 yard lob from near the right touchline against Strasbourg in a 2-2 draw, and we concluded the campaign in a comfortable 14th place - boasting the third-best attack in France and, by just four goals, the worst defence. Rousseaux was thrilled with our survival, and we began to plot for the coming year. We were having fun.

Thank you both for your kind words, I hope you continue to enjoy! --- Rousseaux was happy to open his chequebook for our Ligue 1 debut - as he accurately surmised, it was well worth gambling on survival. If we stayed up, the club would be well set to establish itself in the top tier. If we went down, particularly in style, we’d recoup plenty in transfer fees anyway. So we made our moves. As ever, the priority was to entertain. In some countries, it is possible for a player to forge an entire career out of being a relegation battler, and not even necessarily a successful one - merely the reputation of dogged determination, rugged aggression and a tough tackle was enough to make a respectable living. I had no interest in these players. I wanted footballers, technicians, craftsmen. I wanted dansers for my troupe. Thankfully, armed with Rousseaux’s euros and our top tier reputation, I was able to secure the signatures I wanted. Michel Jasseron swapped Paris for Annecy to bolster our defence, and Benoit Pinault was snapped up from Nice to finally replace Darboe in midfield, our long-serving Gambian continuing his career in Frankfurt. Shadow striker Michele Fabbrini came in from Genoa at the end of his contract, and we upgraded in goal as Swiss international Ludovic Allaire chose us over Burnley’s bench. But the two men that got our fans most excited were at the other end of the field. Arriving to challenge Vincent-Roux’s position as chief goalscorer was former Rennes man Justin Larousse, who chose to run down his deal at a club where he had scored more than 50 top flight goals. My main man, and accounting for the bulk of our summer spending, was new record signing Roger. He cost an initial €8m from Gremio, and I believed he would be worth every last cent. At his best in the classic number 10 role but capable of showcasing his talents anywhere in the attacking third, the 20-year-old had all the hallmarks of a textbook samba star. Fleet of foot, quick of thought and eager to try a trick or two, he played the game with a smile on his face and magic in his feet. The lazy pundit would compare him to a young Ronaldinho, but our Roger was very much his own man. Not to mention a little more professionally-minded than the one-time Barcelona man. His signing captured the imaginations of a fanbase who were already thrilled by our rise through the leagues, especially when he scored twice and set up two more in his debut, a friendly against Swiss side Le Mont. We ran out 7-1 winners against our cross-border opponents, but Roger ran the show - his first was a sumptuous free kick from 25 yards, his second a delightful chip over the onrushing goalkeeper, and the second of his assists was a 30-yard pass through the eye of a needle for Vincent-Roux to finish. The opposition had not been the strongest, but his 60 minute masterclass made him the talk of the town. I only hoped the clause allowing him to join clubs in European competition would not be triggered too soon. That game against Le Mont was also notable for being the first showing of our new formation, which I hoped would retain all of our creativity while giving our defence a chance against Ligue 1 opposition. We moved from three to four at the back, our right back inverting into midfield in possession while his counterpart on the left bombed forward as an auxiliary winger. We returned to a one-man defensive screen in midfield, the idea being that he would be helped by the extra man in defence. And behind a lone, roaming striker would be four attacking midfielders - two wingers who would threaten on the inside and out, and two interchanging central players, likely Roger and Kone to begin with Fabbrini waiting in the wings, who would take turns acting as primary creator and secondary striker. When it went wrong, we’d be on the end of some serious thrashings. But in full flow it produced beautiful football and that, after all, was our priority. In our opening game of the season, one of the kinder introductions at home to Troyes, we saw both. Vincent-Roux netted with our first attack of the game, but twice before the break we were caught out upfield and punished by the visitors. They saw a third ruled out for offside after the break, and after relentless pressure we finally earned our point - Roger cushioning a drilled pass between two defenders and into the path of substitute Fabbrini, who slotted calmly under the goalkeeper on his competitive debut. Going forward, our highlights were among the finest in the league. If we could just keep the ball away from our own goal, we would be fine.

With our squad expanded and improved over the summer - teenager winger Jerome Peltier promoted from the academy, promising centre back Antoine Darche brought in for free from Lille and attacking playmaker Mamadou Kone snapped up from Spanish side Elche - we began the new season in typically unpredictable fashion. A home defeat by relegated Angers on the first weekend was followed up by a 6-3 victory in Boulogne, 2-2 draw at Grenoble and a 4-0 thumping of Caen back on home soil. With Kone hitting the ground running and Vincent-Roux continuing his excellent form, we were a force to be reckoned with in the early weeks. Two weeks before Christmas, we hosted Troyes in a game which would live long in the memory, special even by our own high standards. Within five minutes we had gifted our visitors the opening goals, yet led 3-1 at the break after a spectacular spell of passing football. However, with a quarter of an hour remaining we were locked at 3-3, with Troyes looking the more likely side to find the winner. But we are not a side that pays much attention to the odds. Beginning with our goalkeeper, we put together a move totalling 38 passes in which every single one of our players touched the ball at least once, most of them twice. Striding forward from defence, Coulibaly found himself on the edge of the Troyes penalty area, calmly finding Darboe in space behind him. He found Peltier with his first touch, the teenager rolled it into the path of Castillo, and his flick found Vincent-Roux double-marked inside the arc of the box. His first touch brought the ball under control, his second lofted it over a defender with the outside of his foot, and racing onto it to lash home the volley was Peltier bursting in from the wing. There was still time for Vincent-Roux to grab his second of the game and seal a 5-3 victory, to the delight of the enraptured crowd in the Parc des Sports. The explosion of elation at the final whistle was exactly why we play the way we do - it was perfect. Nobody would remember how many we conceded when we scored goals like that. But the wonderful thing about those moments of magic, about passages of play which feel as if they have been granted by the footballing gods themselves, is that they breed confidence. For every flick that finds its target, every spin that baffles a defender, every shot that curls perfectly into the top corner, there is an intangible boost to both player and team. They become emboldened, convinced of their abilities, more likely to commit to a similar attempt in future. And as we become better versed in the sublime, so the results improve. It is a virtuous circle, and it is wonderful to behold. After losing a four-goal thriller on penalties to Marseille in the Coupe de France, a 3-1 revenge win over Angers lifted us to 6th in the table. An injury to Peltier forced us to shuffle our attacking deck, but even so the points continued to roll in, and at the end of February we sat in 7th place. A month later, we handed Dijon a 3-2 defeat and moved into 5th, the final place in the promotion play-offs. We would lose just once more - a heavy 4-0 defeat at Valenciennes - and finished in 4th place, giving us a spot on the start line of the play-off gauntlet. 4th (Annecy) would host 5th (Caen) at home for the right to travel to 3rd (Ajaccio), with the winner then going home and away against the third-bottom side in Ligue 1 (Clermont) for a place in the top flight. We had beaten Caen at home by four unanswered goals in the regular season, and given our late season form had been made favourites to go through. So of course it took just three minutes before Samson Levroy was picking the ball out of our net, our Martiniquais keeper beaten from the edge of the area. Undeterred, Vincent-Roux fired us level before the interval, and then rattled in a second five minutes after the break. Caen battled back hard and tied things up just after the hour mark, but we continued to push forward and were eventually rewarded, Kone’s corner crashed in by Coulibaly for the winning goal. We had cleared the first hurdle, and we were off to Corsica. There we encountered a hostile welcome from the stands, but little resistance on the pitch. A red card inside half an hour gave us a numerical advantage we took full advantage of, playing the space and toying with our rivals as we ran out 3-0 winners. That meant spirits were high as an out-of-sorts Clermont arrived in Annecy for the first leg of the play-off final, but the visitors had other ideas. Despite their poor season they had undoubted quality, and they utilised it to stifle our attack for the full 90 minutes, barely threatening our goal but grinding us down to a 0-0 draw, the rarest scoreline of all in these parts. It meant we needed to win at the Stade Gabriel Montpied against a home side determined not to concede. Les Lanciers were not living up to their attacking moniker, and while they held almost no threat of their own, the closer we inched towards a penalty shootout the more their confidence grew and our frustration built - another goalless draw meant extra time, and we were close to our future being determined by a lottery. But in a clash of such contrasting styles, it was only fitting that Clermont’s anti-football tactics proved to be decisive. Within four minutes left of the 120, Argentine forward Alejandro Villa fired in a shot from the corner of the crowded penalty area which ricocheted off the thigh of one Clermont defender, bounced off the shin of another, and rolled slowly into the bottom corner of the net with the goalkeeper completely wrong-footed. Had they not insisted on defending so deep, Villa’s effort would most likely have sailed wide. As it was, it secured Annecy’s first ever season in the French top flight.

Thanks Sizeman, it's an interesting league for sure - especially when you choose to take a more 'relaxed' approach to defending! Thanks for reading, glad to have you aboard! -- Once again there was a churn in the squad over the summer ahead of our second tier campaign, with some of our stars in demand and my scouts eagerly eyeing those who could add to the tapestry of chaos we were determined to weave. Abou Coulibaly was our most expensive and important signing, a titan of a defender with a delightful left foot, while Kevin Vincent-Roux came with the intention of taking one of our striking spots. We would barely register on the transfer radar given some of the moves taking place, but we were pleased with our business. But if we were hoping to stroll into a higher division and swashbuckle our way through, we were sorely disappointed. Valenciennes handed us a 4-1 home defeat on opening night and after half a dozen games we found ourselves firmly in the relegation zone and threatening records for goals conceded. We would not abandon our plans, but had to adapt them - the six became a cinq as we withdrew a central striker to allow us to field Darboe and Castillo together, and their combination of defensive steel and passing silk at least stemmed the tide. Our first win came in Concarneau, and was rapidly followed by a 5-2 thrashing of Sedan at home. A 3-3 draw at high-flying Saint-Étienne was the shot in the arm we needed, and as we built towards the midpoint of the season we gradually fought our way out of the drop zone. Vincent-Roux netted four goals in a single game against Rodez, and once more we were being flagged as the team to watch. In January, as the newspapers began to preview the second half of the campaign, one particular journalist gave my Annecy the best write-up I could possibly have hoped for. I doubt they did so on purpose, or knew how much I would enjoy their imagery, but I kept their paragraph pinned to my office wall: Annecy currently sit 15th, but are equally as likely to launch a push for promotion as they are to completely collapse to the foot of the table. They score and concede without ever sacrificing their style, and their games simply cannot be predicted. Most teams hope for home to be a fortress, but the Parc des Sports is far too penetrable for that label. Nor is it a theatre or a stage, for that would imply detailed planning and choreography. No, their alpine home is more akin to a child’s playground - a canvas for imagination, chaos, and unbridled joy. There is never a dull moment in Annecy. Guingamp and Amiens were dispatched with some style as we briefly threatened to punch our way into the top half, but a rare blank at Ajaccio and heavy defeat to title-chasing Lorient kept us firmly in no man’s land, comfortably safe from the drop but with little prospect of pushing higher. But our philosophy meant we never had nothing to play for - we played for fun, for enjoyment, for the gasp in the throat of the young fan at their first game. Vincent-Roux topped the Ligue 2 scoring charts as we netted 93 goals over the course of the season, while at the other end we conceded the exact same number. On a purely statistical level, we were a wholly neutral team, practically pointless. Nobody who watched us would countenance such a claim. That summer we were in a strong enough financial position to ward off bidders for our stars, the most coveted of course being top scorer Vincent-Roux. The man himself understood that our system and vision allowed him to score so many, and that he would be stifled in a more rigid, conventional set-up. Moreover, he was enjoying himself in Annecy. Sometimes, there are things a man values more than cold, hard cash - Kevin had found one such thing in our artistry, and was not about to let it go for a pay rise. Similarly, I had no hesitation in swatting aside offers of interviews for teams ostensibly bigger than Annecy. Top flight Nantes and Rennes both expressed an interest in my services, as did English side Watford. But all three were focused from the first word on results and outcomes, goals and targets. I listened with disappointment to their pitches, and quickly surmised that I would not be a good fit. As long as Rousseaux was happy to let me be the custodian of his playground, I was happy to stay.

Thank you sherm, great to have you along for the ride! -- Tactically, I am widely regarded as a ‘maverick.’ All that means, of course, is that they are unable to easily define my style, or put my team in a box that says 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or similar. This is something I am proud of - after all, most of the game’s great managers and coaches have been equally derided at various points for their disregard of the orthodox and willingness to invent. Without experimentation, how does anyone hope to grow? My philosophy is a simple one - keep the ball, move it quickly, use the space. I am a proponent of deploying more attackers than is usual, and of expecting my players to occupy multiple positions over the course of a match. It is not the Dutch Total Football, but it is related - beautiful possession, the ball doing the work, as few touches as possible. The modern game is too reliant on strength, pace and power. In my mind, technique is king. Of course, in the French third tier there are few players capable of playing a system straight away, and precious little money with which to sign them. But to sacrifice my principles from the outset would be unthinkable, and so my squad took shape. Luis Silva, a playmaker from Portugal, signed to be our right back. Our most gifted central defender stepped into midfield. When our striker dropped deep for the ball, he would have at least three, maybe six runners going past him. We caused chaos, beautiful chaos. I place little value on statistics, but some from the first season told a good story. We topped the Championnat’s tables for possession, passes and shots, not to mention goals scored and conceded - and by no small margin. In our 34 matches, we scored 86 times and conceded 72, fans of my dansers witnessing an average of just under five goals per game. We were France’s great entertainers, a dash of joyous colour in a sea of grey conservatism. Our focus on attack meant we finished just 7th, far from the promotion battle, but already Rousseaux’s stadium was beginning to fill. That summer, with our reputation as entertainers preceding us, it was apparent we were a more attractive prospect for potential recruits. We welcomed our first South Americans - a playmaking striker and lightning winger - while upgrading our goalkeeper with a free signing all the way from the Caribbean. Unfortunately, while our forwards performed admirably and broke even the previous year’s goalscoring record, key injuries at the other end of the pitch meant that we surpassed 80 goals conceded, dropping two spots to 9th position. However, Rousseaux was happy with the approach I was taking, and not only handed me a new contract, but announced additional investment in the club’s youth system. As long as I had his faith, I would not compromise on style. In fact, as we embarked on my third season in the Annecy dugout, I evolved it further. Rather than starting with a conventional back four, two deeper midfielders and an interchangeable front four, I committed further. We would now play three defenders, the middle man given licence to push forward and carry the ball, while the other two were to drift wider and provide cover on the flanks. Ahead of them was the man who made the change possible - Gambian starlet Lamin Darboe, whose reading of the game and speed across the ground made him a one-man defensive screen. Then my six de résistance - two wingers inverting and switching sides at will, and four men centrally who moved between the 9 and 10 positions freely, charged with creating, scoring and providing those magic moments I so craved. On paper it was madness and indeed in practice it proved to be at times - after conceding 13 goals in our first three games, our fans would have been forgiven for having their doubts. But then, at home to Villefranche, everything clicked. Five of my six found the target, and we ran out 6-2 winners. Our next few results looked like something out of a video game rather than a professional league - 5-0, 7-3, 4-2, 6-4 - but on each occasion we came out on top, and the confidence and belief began to flow. We travelled to table-topping Orléans, returned with four goals and a rare clean sheet, and we had well and truly found our form. When you witness your vision coming to life before your eyes, it is a wonderful feeling. Some people take joy in a football team working as a well-oiled machine, with each player making pre-prepared movements and resetting when possession is lost. In my eyes, there is no wonder in such a style. My Annecy thrived in a whirlwind of unpredictability, leaving opponents unable to tell where the next thrust would come from. We ran not just rings around them but triangles, rhomboids and hexagons, and they could not keep us at bay. By Christmas we were eight points clear. Such success at a lower level will always attract the attention of those with greater resources looking for a quick fix, and so two of our front six found themselves snapped up by sides fighting for their Ligue 1 lives. However, Rousseaux allowed me the luxury of a transfer budget, and for the first time we had real money to play with. Jerome Robinet came in as a replacement on the wing, a couple of loan signings provided depth, and Hector Castillo provided much-needed competition for the overworked Darboe. Despite our losses, we emerged stronger. And so it proved, as we finished the season 11 points clear of Bastia atop the pile to earn a coveted place in Ligue 2. We broke past a century of league goals, averaging more than three per game, while improving our defensive record despite committing fewer men to the task. I turned down the offer of a job from Sochaux to prepare Annecy for the second tier, and was looking forward to displaying our footballing artistry at a higher level.

I never was a results person. Football, for me, was always about entertainment, about happiness, about creating little moments of joy and magic that would be recalled years into the future. Everyone remembers the best goal they scored on the playground, however meaningless. Nobody recalls the details of the goalless draw that clinched a title. Of course, most people subscribe to the same belief in theory, but the reality is often very different. You only have to watch most games between elite teams to realise that the fear of losing is a form of paralysis, and so the finest players in the world play well within their capabilities, encouraged by their coaches to keep it safe and avoid embarrassment. Conversely, it is not difficult to recall the carnival atmosphere of the final day of a season with the outcome already secure. Eager youngsters are paraded with reckless abandon, goals are scored and conceded in abundance, and joy is evident in the stands. They are the moments to savour, the memories seared in the minds of young fans. These are the moments I wanted my teams to create in every game, not just once or twice a year. But of course, to play in such a way is to take risks, and there is too much money in football for owners and chairmen to be happy for their employers to gamble it on anything other than guaranteed success. Perhaps my flamboyant playing style was destined to make life difficult as a manager, perhaps I was naïve in expecting to be measured by anything other than results, perhaps I was simply unfortunate. However, after three jobs in five years left me without a club after spells in Portugal, Israel and Greece, I was unsure of where my next move would be. But a respectable playing career and a little charisma can open plenty of doors, and so it was that I found myself invited to interview for the manager’s job at FC Annecy, a side floating around the midtable spots in France’s third tier Championnat National. As soon as I stepped off the train from Paris, I knew it was going to work. It was love at first sight. Annecy lies in the foothills of the Alps, an hour or so west of Chamonix and the Mont Blanc massif, on the northern tip of Lac D’Annecy, and less than 40km from the Swiss city of Geneva. Classically French and perfectly Alpine, the ‘Venice of Alps’ could not have been a more perfect home. I successfully convinced Michel Rousseaux of that same truth, and the job was mine. Crucially for me, he was less concerned with the club’s finishing position than with getting fans back into the Parc des Sports. Supporters had been deserting the team, seeking their thrills somewhere other than a third tier team playing less than inspiring football. Success would undoubtedly bring the crowds back, but so would style - and my ‘cavalier’ approach to the sport was Rousseaux’s latest attempt to get the townsfolk talking. That was seven years ago now, and months ago I decided that this season will be my last in this Alpine paradise. I could stay here forever and be quite happy, choreographing my dansers rouges against the glorious mountain backdrop and enjoying the acclaim their performances bring. But I do not want to become too comfortable - there are other colours and other canvases, and after rejecting the idea out of hand on numerous occasions, now is the time to move on. And this, dear friend, is the story of how we got here.

Sorry I couldn't be around last night, but thank you Mark for making this happen and for all your work on the forums - it's a brilliant corner of the internet and I'm really grateful you keep it going! Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you too for anointing me Writer of the Year. It's an honour to be recognised by a great group of writers and all-round excellent people. Here's to another successful year for FMS!

I'm away this weekend so unlikely to be around (although may try and sneak in a visit!), but I'm a big fan of Wrexham and Sancho suggestions. Looking forward to catching up on what I' sure will be a great show!

Sent and claimed - as sherm has said, some very tough decisions to be made there! Great to see these up and running Mark, thanks again for all you do for us.

Sent and claimed, thanks Mark for getting this going!

A typically rubbish performance from me in this one, although I feel being sacked by Verona on the back of Roma, Milan and Juventus one after the other is a bit harsh! Some trigger-happy chairmen out there in Italy, I don't see this lasting as long as some of the past editions...

Grimsby in the top flight is a stroke of FM genius, let alone getting there alongside Crewe and Torquay. Free fish and chips for life for all involved! This is a brilliant read as ever, Chris, and I don't see it being long before you make it up as well. Sort that Fulham defence out and it looks like you've got the makings of a promotion campaign ready to go!

From theasiangame.net Asian Cup: Winners and Losers After Emirati Ecstacy The 2027 Asian Cup is now over, the showpiece final providing excitement until the final moments of the competition as Ali Saleh’s late strike gave the United Arab Emirates their first continental triumph with a 2-1 victory over previous champions South Korea. The UAE’s win was a surprise, not only for those present in Melbourne but for regular watchers of the Asian game, with Abdullah Al-Shehhi’s side not usually considered among the continent’s primary forces. But beyond the immediate headlines and aftermath of the Emirati win, we’ve taken a moment to reflect on the tournament as a whole to pass our verdict on Australia 2027. Starting with… The hosts Ever since Australia joined the AFC in 2006, they have been seen as a safe pair of hands when it comes to hosting tournaments. It only took nine years before they were given hosting rights for the 2015 Asian Cup, and only 12 more before their second turn in charge. Geographically, there may be some question marks over whether an Australian presence in Asia is really fair, but there is no doubt they put on an excellent show. The Australians were almost defiant in their selection of stadiums for the games, bringing out the big guns - the MCG, Stadium Australia, Adelaide Oval - and daring fans to stay away, rather than attempting to compromise by utilising smaller grounds. There were undoubtedly matches when the offer on the field did not match the splendour of the surroundings, but even with empty seats in the stands the tournament never felt lacking compared to some editions elsewhere on the continent. Things ran smoothly, there were no controversies or complaints - from a fan, footballer and AFC perspective, it is hard to fault the Aussies as hosts. The winners We’re not just talking about the champions here, although the UAE definitely qualify as one of the sides to have come out of the competition with more credit than they went in with. Joining them here are some of their West Asian compatriots - Iraq after a surprise run to the final four, Saudi Arabia after turning round a tournament that appeared in crisis to reach the quarters, and a Syria side who reached the knockout rounds against all odds. All can be pleased with their performances. As can the hosts, who could have ended up in the final had their semi against the Koreans gone the other way, an Uzbek team who looked very good until coming across the eventual runners-up, and North Korea, who were surprise qualifiers from their group and took Iraq to extra time in the last 16. The losers It would be cruel to place South Korea here despite failing to live up to their favourites tag, so we won’t. Instead the biggest two disappointments of the competitions were China, who were beaten by Uzbekistan in the opener and then blown away by the hosts without threatening in the last 16, and 2019 champions Qatar - who won just one of their three group games and then got aside by the Uzbeks in the knockout round. Not exactly the performance of would-be contenders. Hopes for the future We’re focusing here on those teams for whom this competition probably came one cycle too soon, but who we would expect to be back with a bang in four years’ time - the ones to watch, as it were. There are two teams we’re keeping an eye on, and the first is Uzbekistan. It’s almost a running joke that the Central Asians are a dark horse for every tournament, but this time they looked very good until running into the South Koreans in the quarters. With a relatively young squad, another few years of experience will do them the world of good. Alongside them are Thailand, who have been on the up for a number of years now and were unfortunate to find Saudi Arabia in top form in their last 16 clash. Some of those players will be gone by 2031, but there’s a good crop coming through and they’ll be primed for a stronger push next time. Thanks for the memories This is the section in which we bid farewell to some of our AFC heroes who have called time on their international career. We wave a fond farewell to the likes of Takuma Asano of Japan, Iraq’s Mustafa Nadhim, and Yasser Al-Shahrani of Saudi Arabia. But the main man is of course Iran’s Sardar Azmoun, who has carried the hopes of his nation for many a year. Team Melli’s talisman could not lead his nation to a fairytale ending, but his ailing body still put up a great fight for his nation. After 117 appearances and 78 goals for his country, we say thank you and goodbye to a titan of the Asian game. The ones that stay with you Finally, a chance to look back and recall those moments that will find their way onto future highlight reels, YouTube compilations and promotional clips. Not necessarily from the big games, but we don’t rule those out. We came up with four: First up, Ali Awana’s free kick in the final. It’s not often you see such a clean, pure strike of a dead ball, and you’ll be seeing this one over and over again. The fact that it was in the final, for the underdogs - it’s too good to leave out. Second, a tie between Azmoun’s 93rd-minute winner for Iran against Jordan in the last 16 - his second of the game and his last ever international goal - and Mat Ryan saving Shogo Aoki’s penalty in the quarter final. Two pivotal moments in crucial games that we haven’t seen the last of. And finally, our choice for the moment of the tournament goes to Mohanad Ali’s quarter final hat-trick for Iraq against the Saudis, with goals two and three coming in the 89th and 92nd minutes to turn the tie around. It stunned the favourite, continued a fairytale run, and was unexpected coming from a man in his first start of the competition. It doesn’t get much better than that. And that, as they say, is that. Congratulations once again to the United Arab Emirates on their Asian Cup trophy, Australia on hosting a fine tournament, and Sardar Azmoun on a marvellous international career. We’re already looking forward to India in four years’ time. --- That's all for this story - a surprise winner at the end of a long and entertaining tournament. Thank you for joining me on the journey, and hopefully see you soon in another one!

Thanks for the kind words sherm, glad you've enjoyed it so far! -- From BBC Sport Emirates Stun South Korea to Lift Asian Cup United Arab Emirates 2-1 South Korea An 86th-minute winner from Ali Saleh secured a first Asian Cup title for the United Arab Emirates, shocking defending champions South Korea at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. Saleh snuck beyond the Korean defence to latch on to Mohamed Al-Nahyan’s pass and net the winning goal, just minutes after Lee Kang-In had equalised for the holders following a poorly cleared corner. UAE midfielder Ali Awana had given the underdogs the lead in the first half with a superb free kick, curling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards out. The final whistle sparked jubilation for the victorious players and staff, with manager Abdullah Al-Shehhi hoisted into the air during the celebrations. The 47-year-old becomes the first man to lift a trophy for his nation in just their second Asian Cup final, this triumph coming more than 30 years after they were beaten by Saudi Arabia in the 1996 final. South Korea enjoyed more possession than their opponents, but were unable to find their way past an organised and disciplined Emirati defence, registering just four shots on target over the course of the 90 minutes. The UAE started the game more cautiously, but led at the interval thanks to Awana’s textbook free kick. After Korean captain Kim Min-Jae brought down Abdullah Ramadan with a clumsy challenge, Awana bent his strike beyond the dive of Song Bum-Keun to give his side the advantage. The second half saw the three-time champions apply more pressure and play a more direct style of football, which was rewarded when Napoli midfielder Lee pounced on a loose ball from a corner to level the scores with 10 minutes to play. But their hopes of a late turnaround were quickly dashed when a late counter-attack saw Al-Nahyan’s ball work its way to Saleh, who finished clinically beyond Song to earn his country’s first major international honours. United Arab Emirates captain Khalifa Al-Hammadi: “It’s a dream, a dream come true. To lift this trophy with my brothers, to win for my people, it’s an amazing feeling. We knew we would have to fight hard, we knew it would be difficult, but we have a great spirit and we kept fighting. We are so proud right now, it is incredible.” South Korea manager Hwang Sun-Hong: “Of course we are very disappointed, but we have to congratulate the opponents - they played a good match, a great tournament, and now they have the trophy. Today we were not brave enough to win, we made some mistakes at key moments, and they took advantage. We are very disappointed, but we will come back stronger.”

“Great ball from Lee between the defenders, finds Hwang cutting in off the left. He’s got space behind the defence now, Al-Shamsi comes to meet him… Just wide! Hwang tried to lift it over the goalkeeper and it drops just wide of the near post, big chance for South Korea there.” “It was, but all credit to the goalkeeper for sensing the danger. He came over quickly, didn’t go to ground too soon, and by the time Hwang took the shot the angle was too tight for him. Good goalkeeping.” “The Koreans have got in behind on a couple of occasions in this second half but haven’t managed to find the finishing touch, 65 minutes gone and still 1-0 to the UAE.” “They’ve definitely been a bit more direct and that’s brought chances, but not just at this end. Saleh and the substitute Al-Nahyan have both gone close at the other end, it’s becoming a more open game.” … “Corner now for the Koreans, and it’ll be Song to take. Gives the signal, then delivers an outswinger into the box.” “Headed up but not really away there, this could cause problems here.” “Al-Shamsi decides to stay on his line, Hwang gets a head on it but it’s blocked, oh it’s fallen to Lee! The champions are level!” “The UAE will be wondering how they’ve conceded there. It’s a simple corner but the header goes up rather than out, nobody really knows what to do when the ball drops back down and in the scramble it’s popped out for Lee to fire home.” “It’s a simple finish from the midfielder, right on the edge of the six yard box, but some serious questions to be asked of the defending.” “You need someone to take responsibility for the situation. Sometimes that’s the goalkeeper, but I don’t think he did anything wrong - you can’t go charging through that many players unless you’re very confident, because if you don’t get a good punch you’re in no man’s land. As soon as the ball hits the ground they’re in trouble, and Lee can’t believe his luck.” “Just 11 minutes of normal time remaining, and it’s now South Korea 1, United Arab Emirates 1. If it stays like this of course, we’ve still got extra time and potentially penalties still to come. What a finish we have on our hands here.” … “Still one apiece here at the MCG, just five minutes to go between South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. It’s the defending champions on the ball now, goalscorer Lee goes back to Kim in defence, and he switches it quickly left to Hwang Hee-Chan on the halfway line. “He finds Oh further forward, back to Hwang In-Beom in midfield, this is a good move from the South Koreans and he’s got runners if he can pick them out.” “That’s an awful ball, and there could be a break on here.” “Al-Bloushi brings it away down the Emirati left, breaking into Korean territory, it’s four on four here all of a sudden. Gives it to Awana inside, he’s got Al-Nahyan to his right.” “Awana is wide open if he can find the reverse ball.” “Drives the pass back to Awana, but it’s not accurate enough… Saleh! 2-1! Ali Saleh might just have won the Asian Cup for his country!” “He’s the only one moving, the only one switched on. The ball was intended for Awana but he’s gambled on it and it’s paid off.” “Al-Nahyan meant that for Awana and it just went past him, but Ali Saleh continued his run behind the Korean defence, no question of offside, and it’s a simple finish from 10 yards out. No chance for Song in goal, and the UAE lead again with four minutes left to play.” “Hwang Sun-Hong is furious on the sideline, his defenders practically stopped once the pass missed its target, nobody went with Saleh and he was under no pressure whatsoever. He did well to keep his composure, but you can’t fall asleep like that with so much on the line.” “He’s got his work cut out for him now, that’s for sure - if his side are to retain their title, they’ll have to do it the hard way. 86 minutes played here in Melbourne, and it’s South Korea 1, United Arab Emirates 2.”

“So half time here in the Asian Cup final, and thanks to that incredible free kick from Ali Awana it’s the United Arab Emirates who lead South Korea by a goal to nil. Ange Postocoglou, have you been surprised at how the two teams have approached the game?” “Not really, I think apart from the goal it’s gone pretty much as we expected. We knew South Korea were going to come out and look to dominate possession, to take the sting out of the Emirati pressure, and for the most part they’ve done just that. We thought the UAE would set up to contain their opponents and look for the break, and maybe they’ve been a bit more proactive than we gave them credit for but that’s been the pattern of it. It’s just the scoreline that’s a surprise.” “You’ve obviously been in these positions many times as a manager, what do you do in these situations. Let’s start with Abdullah Al-Shehhi - you’re a goal to a good against a team everyone is expecting to beat you, presumably you’re expecting a backlash of some sort?” “Absolutely - you won’t get it here at the MCG because it’s so big, but at some grounds you can go quiet and listen to the other bloke ranting and raving. Al-Shehhi’s set his team up well, they’re obviously executing the plan he’s given them, and they’ve got the lead. I don’t think you need to change anything just yet - tell them to stay switched on and focused, especially for the first 10 or 15 minutes, because that’s when the storm will come. If they can ride that out, you’ll see the Koreans getting desperate and maybe making mistakes. If I’m in Al-Shehhi’s shoes, I’ve got them right where I want ‘em.” “And what about from a Korean perspective, what can Hwang Sun-Hong do to get his side back in this game?” “Well they’re far from out of it, but I think they’ve got to look for more angles of attack. Everything in the first half has been very steady, very central, all in front of the defence, which isn’t always a bad thing but it means the opposition know what they need to do. You saw early on when Oh ran at the defence they struggled to cope - I want to see the wingers more involved, a bit more urgency, balls in behind for runners. I don’t think they need to change the players just yet, but they can’t just hope to pass the other side to death.” “Let’s have a look at the opening goal again, is it a foul for you?” “Definitely. I think Kim is unlucky because he’s trying to turn, but he gets his legs all tangled and he brings the man down. The referee has to give it.” “And then the strike itself, is there anything Song could have done to stop that?” “The only way he’s stopping that is if he’s two or three steps further over, and if that’s his starting position then Awana can stick it in the other side. It’s great technique, head over the ball, gets it up and down, curling right into the top corner. If you look at the replay, the goalkeeper couldn’t be reaching any further, it’s a full stretch dive. Sometimes you just get beaten by a great strike.” “Before we go back to the commentary team Ange, how does this one end for you? Do you think South Korea can turn this one around?” “They’ve got the talent to do it, but they won’t do it with their current approach. The Emiratis are a good side, they’ve got a plan and they’ve got the lead. Korea have got to force the issue now, otherwise they’ll end up with silver medals.”

“And we’re underway in the 2027 Asian Cup final! Hwang Hee-Chan knocks the ball back to Lee Kang-In, and South Korea will have the early possession. What an occasion this promises to be.” “It certainly does, both teams will be right up for this for different reasons. Obviously South Korea are looking to retain the title they won in Qatar four years ago, with the UAE hoping to claim the trophy for the very first time. It should be a great game.” “As the ball rolls out of play on the far side for a throw-in to the UAE, there have been some commenters this week suggesting that the two routes to the final haven’t been particularly balanced - is that something that plays into a day like today?” “Not at all, and I think it’s a load of nonsense to be honest. You can only beat the teams in front of you, and if the UAE haven’t knocked out many of the big guns it’s because those sides have lost games elsewhere. Korea’s path to the final probably has been harder, but that’ll just mean they’re used to the big occasion.” “A reminder to our viewers that the holders came through a group featuring Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Indonesia, defeated Syria in the last 16 before beating Uzbekistan and hosts Australia in the quarter and semi finals. The UAE topped a group with North Korea, Jordan and Malaysia before beating Kuwait on penalties, Iran and Iraq to get here.” “Korea have had tougher games, yes, but it’s the luck of the draw. They’ve been favourites for all their matches, whereas you could argue the UAE were underdogs against Iran and Iraq.” “Here is Ahmed Al-Bloushi, the man whose goal saw them past Iran in the quarter final. Tries to find Ramadan further forward but it’s well cut out by Hwang In-Beom and the Koreans get a foot on the ball.” “It’s interesting listening to the fan reaction here - there’s a big Korean contingent in the stands, but the locals seem to have thrown their support behind the underdogs here. Lots of Emirati flags painted on Australian cheeks, it would appear.” “Oh Hyong-Gue coming forward now, he’s running at the Emirati defence and they’re having to backpedal here. Let’s fly from the edge of the box, but it’s partially blocked and that’ll trickle through to Al-Shamsi in goal. Good intent from Oh there.” “Yes, he got up to speed quickly and it looked like the defenders were scared to put a foot in on him. A good block in the end to take the sting out of the shot, but the Koreans will be happy with that start.” “Hwang Sun-Hong on the touchline applauds his players for the attack, he’s one of those managers who always seems to be on the move, but he’ll be hoping for more of the same from his side.” “The two managers couldn’t be more different in their demeanour. Hwang is pushing the limits of the technical area already, and Al-Shehhi in the opposite dugout is still sat down, looking quite pensive, no sign of any particular emotion. It’s going to be a fascinating battle. Between these two as well as the players on the pitch.” … “This could be a chance here for the UAE, free kick in a good position, slightly left of centre about 25 yards from goal. Three or four players over the ball as the Korean wall is forced back by the referee.” “This is a dangerous position, it looks like it’s going to be either Awana or Hamad to take it.” “Hamad runs in, steps over the ball, it’s going to be Awana!” “My word!” “What a strike! Ali Awana gives his side the lead with a stunning free kick!” “25 yards out, bends it perfectly over the wall, Song in goal is at full stretch but he can’t do anything about that, right in the top corner. He couldn’t have picked his spot any better.” “The Emirati supporters in the MCG are going absolutely wild, and you can’t blame them, that is a goal right out of the top drawer. And despite having the lion’s share of possession in this first half, with 10 minutes to go before the break the Koreans find themselves behind.” “They won’t have expected that at all, they’ve looked reasonably comfortable and now they’re 1-0 down. We’ll see what they’re made of now.” “That’s only the second goal they’ve conceded all tournament, and the first time they’ve fallen behind. The United Arab Emirates are not reading from the South Korean script today, that’s for sure.”

“Welcome back to BT Sport, I’m Neil Taylor and with me once again to look ahead to this weekend’s Asian Cup final are two former Premier League stars who know all about this competition - Tim Cahill and Park Ji-Sung. For your sake Tim we aren’t going to dwell on the semi final between your two nations, but it’s still a cracking final we’ve got to look forward to isn’t it?” TC: “It should be, two top teams with very different expectations coming into the tournament. South Korea, as I’m sure Park here will tell you, will have expected to come here and defend their title - and they’ve done a brilliant job of it so far, much as it pains me. On the other hand you’ve got the UAE, who nobody thought would be playing for the trophy, and are chasing their own history. It’s a great prospect.” PJS: “My country has a long history with this tournament. We are always among the favourites and won the first two, but that was 1960. After that we got to the final four times and lost all four before winning number five, so last time was a big celebration, a big relief. But now we expect to win, and that can create pressure too for the players.” NT: “The United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, made it to the final in 1996 when they hosted the competition, but this is the first time they’ve got there since then, and they haven’t been favourites for a game probably since they took on Kuwait in the last 16. Does the lack of pressure help them do you think?” PJS: “Yes, I think with less pressure you play more relaxed, and most players play better when they are relaxed. For Korea, there is the pressure of the title, plus the pressure of the record. It is a lot to deal with.” TC: “I think there’s pressure on both sides, if I’m honest - the Koreans are going for their fourth title to tie Japan, but if you’re in the Emirati team and you know you can create history by being the first side to win a trophy, that’s massive. It’s nice to be the underdog, but as soon as you get into a final you just want to win the thing. Everything else sort of disappeared for me.” NT: “What is South Korea’s plan likely to be, Park? So far we’ve seen them come through most of their games quite comfortably, will they change anything for the final?” PJS: “No, I think there is one main plan and the team will keep it, because it works. We have only let in one goal, and that’s because the team is calm, organised, no panic. When we attack there is no space for a counter, and that is important when you are a favourite.” NT: “Tim, can you see any way the UAE can break them down? What do they have to do to win on Sunday?” TC: “It’s definitely possible, but they have to be perfect - only Qatar have scored against Korea and they were already 3-0 down at that point. I think they have to do a few things - they have to use the emotion of the occasion to their advantage, be careful not to get too excited when they do get chance to attack, and be clinical when the opportunity comes. Against a team like South Korea, you don’t get many chances, so they’ve got to make the most of them.” NT: “What do you mean by using the emotion?” TC: “It’s a big game and there’s a lot riding on it, so they’ve got to use that to raise their level rather than getting overwhelmed. Both teams will be well supported but I think a lot of the neutrals will be on their side as well as any Aussies in the stadium, and you can feed off that too. But you’ve got to be alive to the game too - if they sense their opponents are getting frustrated, you can exploit that.” PJS: “An Ik-Soo is a very disciplined manager, and his players have to be too. There will be emotional moments, but I think the team can control themselves in the match. For me, the one weakness is the set-piece. We have some tall defenders but are not a big team, and have to be careful.” NT: “Before we look back at the two sides’ journeys to the final, a quick prediction from you both. How do you think this will play out?” PSJ: “It will be hard, but I think my country can do it, 2-0.” TC: “I really want to go with the underdog, but I just can’t see it. 2-1 South Korea for me.” NT: “Both in favour of the holders then - it really does look like the UAE have a big job on their hands to lift the trophy. But they’ve made it this far, and after the break we’ll be looking back at their tournament so far and the key moments along the way.”

From theasiangame.net Asian Cup: Abdulrahman Believes UAE ‘Destined’ to Lift Trophy Former United Arab Emirates star Omar Abdulrahman believes his country will go on to defeat South Korea in Sunday’s Asian Cup final after their dramatic semi final win over Iraq in Melbourne. Mohanad Ali missed a penalty in the dying moments, allowing the UAE to hang on to their 1-0 lead and secure a place in only their second ever Asian Cup final, and first away from their home soil. Abdulrahman, who picked up 73 caps for his country and is now a pundit for Abu Dhabi Sports, believes his countrymen are fated to go and lift the trophy, despite being underdogs against the defending champions. “After watching this tournament so far, I believe we are destined to win the trophy. Every game there have been moments of fate for us, and I think there will be more in the final. South Korea have won three times before, but this time it is our turn to be champions. “Nobody expected us to be in the final, only the manager and the players believed. By the ranking we are maybe number seven or eight in Asia, but the team has shown the spirit you need to be a champion and to beat the strongest teams. I think Korea will expect to win, and they will be surprised.” Abdulrahman, who played in both the 2011 and 2015 editions of the Asian Cup for the UAE, identified Napoli playmaker Lee Kang-In as the man to watch for the opposition, before revealing the difference between the UAE’s current crop and the teams he was a part of. “Lee is such a dangerous player. He floats around the midfield, he always has time for another touch, and his passes always find their target. South Korea can score a lot of goals, but he creates most of them, and I think if you stay close to him you can stop a lot of their chances. “For me the difference between now and then is the difference in experience. I moved to Al-Hilal in 2018 for one year, and I was the first ever Emirati player to go outside the domestic league. Now, there are players in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, even China and one or two in Europe. The experience is bigger, there are different ideas, a lot has changed. In football you have to be open, to learn things, to grow. This is happening now for us, and you can see the difference. “Of course, even watching now I am very proud of the team, but when you have been a player you will always wish you were in the team. If you were 10 years later, or in a different moment - it would be amazing to experience. But I am happy for the team now, and I think it is destiny that they win in the final. I am looking forward to celebrating.” Whether the 2016 Asian Footballer of the Year’s confidence in his countryman is patriotic, fatalistic or both is a curious conundrum, but what is apparent is that those close to the squad do not believe their team is simply going to the final to make up the numbers. South Korea remain strong favourites to retain the title, but they will have to fight hard against a confident, determined opponent.

“The referee points to the spot, penalty to Iraq - Al-Hammadi can’t believe it, he’s pleading with the official, but it’s going to be a penalty!” “It’s the quick feet from Iqbal that have drawn the foul there - he looked like he was going to cut back but he’s pushed it to the outside instead and Al-Hammadi has just left a leg dangling. You could argue he’s exaggerated the contact, but it’s definitely a foul and Iraq have a huge chance to pull level here.” “You don’t like to see this though, the Emirati players are surrounding the referee in protest. He’s trying to send them away, but this is going to be a long delay until they calm down.” “It’s not acceptable. You can see the manager going ballistic to the fourth official as well, it’s not going to do anything. It’s a big moment, everyone is right on the edge, but ultimately the player has made a mistake and they’ve got to accept that.” “Some of the Iraqi players have come over to try and drag the Emiratis away, this isn’t a pleasant sight. But it is clearing up a little, we’ll get to the spot-kick in the end.” “You’d think it’d be in their interests to let Iraq take it quickly, really - there are only three minutes to go, and if they score then they’re wasting time they could spend looking for a winner.” “The only UAE player who hasn’t got involved is the goalkeeper. Mohamed Al-Shamsi hasn’t moved from the middle of his goal since the whistle was blown - he knows this isn’t getting overturned, he’s getting himself ready for this.” “The referee has just about cleared the crowd of players from around him, and they’re taking up their positions on the edge of the box. The ball is in the hands of Mohanad Ali, and this is a huge moment for the striker.” “It was his hat-trick that got Iraq to the semi finals in the first place, and now with two minutes to go he has the chance to send this match to extra time. Ali vs Al-Shamsi with the game on the line.” “Al-Shamsi is making himself big, staring daggers at Ali. AAMI Park falls silent and Ali steps back from the ball.” “The referee is giving his reminder about encroachment - this is ridiculously tense.” “He blows the whistle, Ali hits it… oh, he’s put it over the bar! Al-Shamsi takes the plaudits from his team-mates but Mohanad Ali has smashed his penalty several rows back!” “You don’t know whether that’s the pressure of the moment, the mind games from the keeper, or just a bad decision, but that is a poor penalty from Ali. Generally you go for power or placement, he’s tried to do both and he’s missed the top corner by a long way. Huge let-off for the UAE.” “Football is a cruel game at times - one minute Al-Hammadi looks like costing his team, and the next Ali, the man who dragged his team here almost single-handedly last time, becomes the scapegoat for Iraq.” “Jubilation for the Emirati players, but with little more than a minute on the clock you’d have to assume that’s it for Iraq now. You always expect there to be one chance, and they don’t come much bigger than that.” … “There it is! The final whistle blows, and the United Arab Emirates are through to the Asian Cup final! They face South Korea in their first final since 1996, and it’s Hazza Khalifa’s first half goal that gets them there.” “Massive disappointment for Iraq, who played well and were handed a golden opportunity to level the scores late on, but Mohanad Ali blasted his penalty over the crossbar and that was enough. United Arab Emirates 1, Iraq 0.” “After needing penalties to beat Kuwait in the last 16 and a late goal against Iran in the quarter finals, the UAE are just 90 minutes away from Asian Cup glory. They’ll have to beat the holders and favourites South Korea, but on this run it’d take a brave man to bet against them.”

From the australian.com.au Aloisi Defiant After Semi Final Defeat Socceroos boss John Aloisi has hit back at critics calling for his sacking after the hosts were knocked out of the Asian Cup by South Korea at the semi final stage. Kim Min-Jae’s 58th minute header proved the difference at Stadium Australia and there were boos mixed in with the applause as the home side left the field at full-time, with fans left confused by what looked like a divergence from the tactics that had taken the team so far. But Aloisi insisted his plan had been the right one, and that there had not been much between the two teams. “We’re massively disappointed, obviously it’s gutting to get all the way to the semi finals and then be eliminated, especially in front of your home fans. “But I don’t think the players deserve to be booed off, that’s not right. They’ve played well all tournament, and there wasn’t much in it tonight. On another day we could easily have been the ones celebrating, and you have to give credit to a great Korean team. “We knew this was going to be the biggest test so far, and we couldn’t treat them like we did Turkmenistan or even China - against a team like Korea you’ve got to have more of a balance, and the guys executed the plan well for the most part. It all got a bit mad in the last few minutes and we could have used a bit of composure there, but that’s tournament football for you. I can’t fault the guys out there.” When questioned about his own future, Aloisi was clear - he is the right man to take the Socceroos forward, and is relishing the challenge. “I think it’s a little bit crass if I’m honest with you - this country was coming off the back of a shocking World Cup in the States, and we’ve got our best result here since the last time we won it, playing some great football along the way. If a couple of key moments go the other way tonight, we’re in the final and celebrating. “Look, I’m proud to be managing this group of players, and it’s an honour to be the coach of the Socceroos. We’ve got three years now before the World Cup, and we’ve got to concentrate on making sure we get there without any drama. We’ve got a great bunch here now, plenty of players pushing for places, and we’ll learn our lessons from today as well. I think the future for Australia is pretty bright, and I intend to stick around and be part of that.” So far there has been no word on the manager’s future from the FFA, with a routine statement confirming that there would be the usual post-tournament review in the coming days. Given that this will also have to include the country’s hosting of the competition on this occasion, it seems unlikely that anything will be decided quickly. For our money, Aloisi has earned the right to take Australia to the World Cup. In less than a year in the job he’s got the team playing attacking football and scoring goals, even if the manner of the semi final defeat is a valid concern. A little more match practice against stronger teams, a little more international experience for the manager, and there’s no reason not to think he can get the results. This should come as a warning though - the Socceroos are a world apart from the A-League, and expectations will only get higher.