cerud Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Tough about Madine being all whiney. But if he's not good enough for the league, then he's of no use Good riddance! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 Yeah, he was no superstar in League One so I'm not worried about not having him in the Championship, especially with the strikers I've brought in. Plus, it's months since his sending-off and the fine that I gave him, and yet he's still bleating about being treated unfairly. I'm sure he'll be far happier warming Forest's bench than playing in our reserves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcidBurn Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Vokes and Church should do well I have managed both and they both performed for my Wales side, I think they could score quite a few goals for you. Good luck dude. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaUlHuNtInGtOnLuFcBoY Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Just been reading this over the weekend in-between revising for my A levels and I can quite honestly say it is what has kept me going. So thanks on that part lol and keep up the good work mate! Brilliant career so far and I hope it goes well in the Championship for you! Two tasty looking forwards to be fair so ! P.s. Could you possibly tell me how Leeds are doing please !? Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 Vokes and Church should do well I have managed both and they both performed for my Wales side, I think they could score quite a few goals for you. Good luck dude. As Championship strikeforces go, it does look pretty good on paper. Just been reading this over the weekend in-between revising for my A levels and I can quite honestly say it is what has kept me going. So thanks on that part lol and keep up the good work mate! Brilliant career so far and I hope it goes well in the Championship for you!Two tasty looking forwards to be fair so ! P.s. Could you possibly tell me how Leeds are doing please !? Cheers! Thank you for such enthusiastic praise! There's plenty more to come. This save should see me through till FM13, and possibly beyond that. As for Leeds, they've been unremarkable. They've gone 13th-12th-17th since I started the save. My first match in the Championship is at Elland Road. Talk about a baptism of fire! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 Season 2014/2015 AUGUST This Month's Fixtures There will be no easy games in the Championship, but we start off with a couple of especially tough-looking ones. Our first is a trip to face Leeds Utd, arguably the biggest club in the division and a side with whom we retain a not insignificant rivalry. After that, our first home game is against Bolton, who've just dropped out of the Premier League. If we can live with these two sides, I feel there are points to be had later in the month and I'll be able to believe that we can handle life at this level. We also face Walsall (newly-promoted to League One) in the League Cup and, if we win, will face another League Cup game this month. Let's get it started... This Month's Results Saturday August 9th, 2014 npower Championship Elland Road, Leeds Leeds Utd 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday If you'd have offered me a point beforehand, I'd have taken it with glee. In the end, it feels like such a disappointment because we've thrown away a 3-1 lead. It was end to end stuff and a really frenetic start to the season. In the cold light of day, it would be wrong to be too downhearted. We've gone to Leeds and come away with a decent result which means we shouldn't fear this division. It was a story of two strikers in great form as both Sam Vokes and Luciano Becchio scored twice. Vokes had a sensational debut, while Becchio's performance for Leeds impressed me greatly. A satisfactory start. MOTM: Sam Vokes - A stirring debut from the Welshman who scored twice and put himself about well. Tuesday August 12th, 2014 Carling Cup: 1st Round Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Walsall - after extra time A few changes were made to the starting lineup, as you'd expect, and the players that came in made hard work of overcoming League One side Walsall. We beat them in last season's Johnstone's Paint Trophy and it seemed as if they fancied a bit of revenge because, although we controlled the match, they defended well and threatened occasionally on the break. In the end, Simon Church's finishing got us across the line, but this was a bit of a wake-up call. I'll be looking for much better than this in the next few games. MOTM: Simon Church - Came off the bench on 19 minutes to replace the injured Andreas Laudrup, and bagged himself a brace. Saturday August 16th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Bolton Wanderers Bolton scored before we'd even touched the ball, working their way from kick-off into our penalty area and scoring without a challenge coming in. Naturally, given the fact that Bolton were in the top flight last season and have some good players, I was unsure how to get us back into the match. For the rest of the first half, Bolton outclassed and out-passed us and I really had no answer. But I moved a few things around at half-time and told the players they could still win and, although that didn't quite happen, we improved markedly and deserved the point we got. MOTM: Chris Eagles - It had to be Eagles. Rejected by Bolton, he pops up with his best performance yet in an Owls' shirt and also scores the equaliser. Tuesday August 19th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Derby County Our first win in the Championship, but it shouldn't have been so tense at the end. We controlled this game and created so many chances, but only had the two goals to show for it. Knowing our weakness, I always worried that if Derby got a set piece they might hurt us with it, and they duly did, halving the deficit direct from a free-kick. Drawing would have been very hard to take because we thoroughly deserved to win. It's very reassuring to see us playing so well against these sides. MOTM: Sammy Clingan - Clingan looks very much at home in this league and he ran the show today. Saturday August 23rd, 2014 npower Championship Portman Road, Ipswich Ipswich Town 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday No, your eyes do not deceive you - that really is the Grant Holt playing and scoring for Ipswich Town! I wonder what Canaries' fans would make of that. He's bloody good, though. He fired Ipswich into an early lead and was a thorn in our side throughout. Ipswich started the brighter, but thankfully, we grew into this game as it went on. By half-time, I felt we were unlucky to go in a goal down, but it didn't last long. Sam Vokes fired in our equaliser and we pressed hard for a winner. Ipswich had the odd chance, as well, but it was to be our day. And what a way to win! Sammy Clingan picked the ball up from 30 yards out in the 93rd minute and drove the ball home via the underside of the bar. Magnificent. MOTM: Sam Vokes - Vokes has begun his time with us in blistering fashion, far outshining Simon Church. He scored again today and played very well throughout. Tuesday August 26th, 2014 Carling Cup: 2nd Round KC Stadium, Kingston-upon-Hull Hull City 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday This all-Championship tie was on a knife-edge until the 87th minute, when Nile Ranger picked the ball up about 40 yards from goal with a clear run into the Tigers' penalty box, sprinted with the ball before smashing it into the top corner. It was a brilliant piece of individual skill and it was a fitting way to win any match. I was pleased simply to be able to compete with another Championship side having weakened the team slightly, so to come away with a win feels fantastic. Either side could have won it and Hull certainly contributed to the occasion, but it's our day once again. MOTM: Jose Semedo - The Portuguese defender shepherded the back four well and made sure Hull had no way through. Saturday August 30th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion I couldn't believe we went in 2-1 down here. We took the lead through and own goal and had a succession of chances to extend that lead, but we just couldn't take them. Brighton then scored from pretty much their first attack, Chris Eagles diverting a cross into his own net. Then Brighton went in front just before half-time, a quite magnificent piece of skill from Craig Mackail-Smith giving us plenty to do. But I felt it wasn't a fair reflection of the half. The second half began with a goal, Jeff Hughes bagging his second of the season to claim a point. We should have won this and missed far too many chances, but I can't criticise the players for effort or for quality at this stage. MOTM: Jeff Hughes - I wasn't sure if he could hack the Championship, but he's been excellent, even when tired. League Table Player of the Month: Sam Vokes - I've been really impressed with Vokes. He was on loan to Sheffield Utd in this division last season and scored 21 goals so I knew I was getting a reliable goalscorer, and he's proven me right in August. Monthly Reflection: Two wins, three draws in the league. I would have taken that at the start of the season, and I certainly would have taken being 3rd. The good news is that the players who've come up with us from League One look like they can handle it at this level and that is very pleasing. I'm a bit disappointed with Simon Church, who's only managed to score in the League Cup, but hopefully he will come good and start finding the net. I also wish we were conceding fewer goals, but we should tighten up eventually. The calibre of striker we're up against seems far higher. It's the biggest transition of all, I feel. Overall, though, a good strong start and plenty to build on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 If the Wednesday fans had any misgivings about him after he played for the Blades last season, he's probably banished those doubts by now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Sam Vokes . Loved him when I was in charge of Blackpool. Cracking player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nottingham Forest Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 You let Jules go . That said though, some good signings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Racing start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcidBurn Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Any updates Mike? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Nice start so far. Still going on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Had a save going before this one that I had sudden pangs for. So I've been playing that one. This isn't dead, though. Just need a break from it, I guess. Hopefully will get an update or two by the weekend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydney FC06 Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 How are your old team Gold Coast getting on?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 Season 2014/2015 SEPTEMBER This Month's Fixtures September involves games against some teams in good form. Peterborough and Southampton are right up at the top, while Crystal Palace have made a healthy start to their season. We're undefeated so I have every reason to believe we can have a good month. Several of the sides we face have real quality in the forward areas, so it could well prove important to defend well. At the same time, I back my own forwards to hurt any opposition. We also face a trip up to Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup 3rd Round, a match I imagine will have to involve the resting of some key players. This Month's Results Tuesday September 9th, 2014 npower Championship Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield Huddersfield Town 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday Another draw, this time away to one of our bitter rivals. It was one of those games where, as a neutral observer or even as a supporter of either team, you'd be crying out for something exciting to happen, while as a manager, you feel quietly satisfied with a hard point earned at a difficult place to go, without any real drama. It was evenly matches throughout and neither side ever really looked like doing enough to win the game. If you can't bag a goal yourselves, you need to at least keep a clean sheet and today we did that. I will certainly take this point. Sammy Clingan's red card right at the death was annoying, though. MOTM: Mark Beevers - When Huddersfield were able to get forward, they couldn't find a way past our man mountain at the back. Saturday September 13th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Leicester City This result lifts us to the giddy heights of third, although it's very early days. True, Leicester haven't made a great start, but we went into this match without the suspended Sammy Clingan or the injured Mark Beevers, two players I rely on. But the Foxes asked few questions of us and a really eyecatching display from Chris Eagles, who looks far more at home in the Championship than he did in League One, eased us to victory, and with another clean sheet to boot. We also saw Simon Church's first league goal for the club. Lovely stuff. MOTM: Chris Eagles - The winger has started the season in good form and ran Leicester ragged. Saturday September 20th, 2014 npower Championship St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton Southampton 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday This was a blistering tie against the league leaders. I was rubbing my hands together after we raced into a two-goal lead thanks to a Simon Church brace, but we allowed the Saints back into it through two goal that, from our perspective, we very much preventable. It was disappointing to see us defend so poorly, but to score three at Southampton shows what we may well be capable of this season. It was end-to-end stuff and, after battling so hard to regain the lead, it's a shame it took an own goal to earn them a point. I don't really blame Graeme Shinnie for it. There was little the young left-back could do. The biggest blow today was losing Chris Eagles to a seven-week injury lay-off. But I'll take a point at St. Mary's, that's for sure. MOTM: Simon Church - A very clinical display from the Welsh striker who looks to be hitting his stride at last. Tuesday September 23rd, 2014 Carling Cup: 3rd Round Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough Middlesbrough 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday It was a case of shuffling the pack for this one. The players who came in did okay and we probably can feel a tad disappointed not to register a goal. Middlesbrough opened strongly and deserved their lead, but once they scored, they sat back and we probed for much of the rest of the game. On this occasion, we couldn't find that goal that might have given us a chance. Still, I'm not too bothered. Part of me genuinely wanted to get knocked out tonight, for obvious reasons. MOTM: José Semedo - The Portuguese centre-back was one of the first-teamers to keep his place for this one, and he defended well throughout. Saturday September 27th, 2014 npower Championship London Road, Peterborough Peterborough Utd 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday For the second time this month, we face the side who are top of the league. It's no surprise to see them up there - they have a squad that is packed with quality including some players I would say are Premier League standard. It was a false dawn when we took the lead because, although we had the lion's share of possession, we allowed Peterborough to break too easily and they had far too many shots on our goal. Eventually they broke through, twice in quick succession. I have no complaints. The better side won today. MOTM: Jeff Hughes - The winger scored a superb diving header and was probably our sharpest performer on a difficult day. Tuesday September 30th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Crystal Palace After the disappointment of our first defeat, I got a superb response here. Even at Gold Coast, it was rare for my team not to respond well to defeat. This game was won by Sammy Clingan's 3rd minute screamer of a volley from 25 yards. It was a peach of a strike, fit to win any game, but we should have put Palace to the sword. We've hit the woodwork three times and missed a succession of great chances. In the end, we took the three points, Palace hardly threatening to find an equaliser. Very positive stuff. MOTM: Sammy Clingan - He's played well since returning from suspension and ran the midfield here. His goal was just sublime. League Table Player of the Month: Chris Eagles - The good performances have been spread around the squad this month, but Eagles really caught my eye. He may have missed the last two games, but he still deserves this for how good he was beforehand. It's taken him a while to find this kind of form. I always thought he'd fire eventually. Monthly Reflection: Although we only won twice, we also only lost one league game, the other defeat being a League Cup defeat that I can live with. We've kept ourselves in the early play-off mix, which I think represents a really good start for a newly-promoted club. My strikers look dangerous every time they play and, aside from the Southampton match, we've defended pretty well. It's hard not to feel positive about how things are going so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 How are your old team Gold Coast getting on?? Finished a very disappointing 8th last season. All my good work undone. The new A-League season hasn't started yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcidBurn Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Sitting in a very good position if only you could have turned one of those draws into a win. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Solid start . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CityAndColour Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Glad to see this one back on track. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Good to see you back A good start so far too. A real contender. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Pike Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I'm sure you're keen to seen Wednesday further up the table, especially considering that United are in 2nd place. KUTGW Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 Season 2014/2015 OCTOBER This Month's Fixtures Only four games this month, but what a run of games it is! Every team we face in October is in the top six at the moment, and we round things off with my first ever Steel City Derby at Bramall Lane. It couldn't look much tougher. If we're still on the fringes of the playoffs come the end of this month, I'll know we stand a chance of a surprise promotion push. We've drawn at Southampton and lost at Peterborough in games against sides near the top, so hopefully we can improve on that record a little. This Month's Results Saturday October 4th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Bristol City It looks like a piece of inspired management, but it didn't happen the way I meant it to. I brought Lewis Buxton, a full back, on for Sammy Clingan, a central midfielder, to allow me to push my regular left-back Graeme Shinnie further forward and hopefully create something for the forwards. In the end, it was Buxton himself, from left-back, who scored the late late winner. He didn't mean it, though! His deep, swinging cross flew over everybody, including Dean Gerken in the Bristol City goal, and landed over the line. We deserved that stroke of luck, though. There was only one team playing to win. City appeared to be playing for a point and it looked like they might get it until Buxton's bizarre late intervention. This win sends us back into the play-offs. MOTM: Jose Semedo - Strange that a centre-back should be our best player in a game we dominated, but the forward players were out of sorts. Semedo dealt well with the Robins' occasional forays forward. Saturday October 18th, 2014 npower Championship Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough Middlesbrough 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday Our second visit to the Riverside in two months, and with a much happier outcome this time. But we needed vast reserves of character to grind this one out. Middlesbrough were the better side and always looked like they could score when they came forward. It's a shame from their point of view that our equaliser came via an own goal by the player who'd put them a goal up, but we'll take it. A brilliant cross from Jeff Hughes early in the second half was converted by George Boyd, operating on the right wing in Chris Eagles' absence, and we were 2-1 up, probably against the run of play. From then on, we had to defend and have come away with a superb three points. MOTM: Mark Beevers - The other half of my excellent centre-half pairing was an immovable object today. Tuesday October 21st, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Blackburn Rovers If I thought Middlesbrough were good, they have nothing on Blackburn! Relegated from the Premier League last season, they've held their squad together and the spent 90 minutes passing us off the park. I really feel they're a class above the Championship and, even though we were the home side, I am delighted with a point from this one. We didn't play badly ourselves and looked dangerous going forward, but our problem was when Blackburn had the ball. We just didn't have an answer to it and if their finishing was better, we'd have been well beaten. Ruben Rochina has started the season on fire and has 13 goals in 12 games. MOTM: George Boyd - Two goals in as many games for Boyd, operating in Chris Eagles' right-wing position. He's been largely disappointing since I signed him but perhaps he is finding a bit of form. Saturday October 25th, 2014 npower Championship Bramall Lane, Sheffield Sheffield Utd 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday By any measure except the scoreline, this was an evenly-matched contest and we easily did enough to deserve a point. My strikers are right out of form at the moment and we paid for that today because United were far more clinical. I don't feel let down and I don't feel disappointed in our performance level. United are right up there and we lived well with them on their own patch and honestly should have scored more than once. In the end, it went their way, which hurts, but we can move on and keep playing the way we're playing and we'll be okay. MOTM: Glen Moss - The 'keeper was called on several times to make key saves, and he did so. Couldn't have done much about the two goals. League Table Player of the Month: George Boyd - I was convinced when I signed Boyd to help us get out of League One that I was signing a Championship quality player. He hasn't really ever shone and I can't find his best position, but he had a good October. Monthly Reflection: I'm worried about Sam Vokes and Simon Church. Neither player scored during the month, although Church at least played well otherwise. But my misfiring strikers aside, this was a reasonably pleasing month. We were faced with a really tough run of fixtures against sides near the top and came away with seven points. Not bad. Obviously the Sheff Utd game hurts, but we gave everything on the day and will win plenty of games playing the way we did. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 You've moved into a playoff spot, which is good. Hope your strikers start firing soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 Sitting in a very good position if only you could have turned one of those draws into a win. Yeah, but I'm not too disappointed. Main aim is to get established as a Championship club again so I'm happy enough. Glad to see this one back on track. Thanks. Good to see you back A good start so far too. A real contender. Thank you. Glad to be back! I have two saves going and fancied focusing on my other one for a while but I'm back on this one again for the time being. I'm sure you're keen to seen Wednesday further up the table, especially considering that United are in 2nd place. KUTGW Mike. We were 7th when you said this and we have managed to move up one place now, which is good. Newly-promoted so I'm actually very happy with our position. Not worrying too much about what United do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 You've moved into a playoff spot, which is good. Hope your strikers start firing soon. Thought I'd signed two strikers of real quality for this level. Still believe I have, but they need to get their acts together. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Halfway through November and I decided that I needed to get some new midfielders in to ease the burden on my current batch. My squad is small and injury crisis is never far away, but fortunately there were a couple of experienced midfielders available on a free who've I've been able to sign. Both players have Premier League experience and are good options when those in the team need a rest. Henry is rated very highly indeed by my scouts. Once they're fit, I'm sure they'll have a role to play. At the moment, they're only signed up to the end of the season but their might be the offer of an extension if they do well enough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Season 2014/2015 NOVEMBER This Month's Fixtures You can never really predict how things will go and it's surprising how often you fail to win a game you thought should be straightforward, but with last month's batch of challenging fixtures out of the way, November looks a little less daunting. Blackpool and Burnley are good sides, but Colchester, Reading and MK Dons are well down the table, so I am expecting our unexpected play-off push to still be intact afterwards. This Month's Results Saturday November 1st, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Colchester Utd It started well, with two goals in the opening 20 minutes, but in the end I was left frustrated, both at picking up injuries to Jeff Hughes and Sammy Clingan, and in how we failed to maintain control on the match. I'm always pleased to take three points, but we should have put Colchester to the sword and we didn't. Following our second goal, we proceeded to sit back and allow Colchester lots of possession. A better side might have punished us. I tried a few tweaks to see if I could get us back on top, but nothing worked. Still, a win is a win. MOTM: George Boyd - Another goal and another first class display from a much improved player. Could be key in our unlikely quest for promotion. Tuesday November 4th, 2014 npower Championship Bloomfield Road, Blackpool Blackpool 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday Wow... I have no idea how we lost this 3-0. Well, to some degree I do. Sloppy defending cost us three times. The statistics show that possession, shots on target and clear cut chances were all even, yet it looks like we've been battered. Blackpool are another side who impressed me with their passing, but not so much that I felt we deserved a drubbing. MOTM: Ryan Tunnicliffe - The Man Utd loanee gave Blackpool plenty of problems and provided some good balls into the box. It's a shame nobody could capitalise on them. Saturday November 8th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Reading It's nice to see my strikers are back among the goals this month. It's also nice to see that our form is holding up nicely and that we yet again show our ability to bounce back after a poor result. Reading have made a poor start and recently appointed Oldham's Paul Dickov as manager, but he hasn't made an instant impact. The Royals passed it around nicely but they were fortunate to still be in it at half-time and, by the end, nobody could doubt that we deserved our win. MOTM: Sam Vokes - A brilliant display from Vokes. He missed a tonne of chances but bagged himself a brace. Reading struggled to contain him. Saturday November 22nd, 2014 npower Championship stadium:mk, Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Dons 1-4 Sheffield Wednesday MK Dons went into this game on just four points. Their situation already looks desperate. They did create chances against us but there was only going to be one winner. Every time we went forward we found an opposition in disarray and it's no surprised we manage to bag four goals, two of them Mark Beevers headers from free-kicks. Both strikers again looked sharp and managed to get on the scoresheet. A very satisfying day. MOTM: Mark Beevers - Defended well, but his brace made all the difference. Such a reliable performer. Saturday November 29th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 Burnley Not for the first time this season, we found ourselves involved in a very exciting match. As a manager, it was a bit of a nightmare. We blew the lead twice before Simon Church popped up right at the end to seal the win that means we've won three in a row. This game was end to end, with both sides looking like they could score at will. Burnley responded well after each of our first two goals, and I honestly think that if the game had gone on for another five minutes, it would have finished 3-3. But this is a big three points. MOTM: Chris Eagles - Glad to have him back to full fitness. He's still playing very well and his goal just stunning. League Table Player of the Month: Simon Church - Unusually, Church was never Man of the Match, and yet is my Player of the Month. He was consistent, scored goals and his late winner against Burnley was a great moment. Monthly Reflection: The defeat at Blackpool was a heavy one and certainly no fun. But we've come out of the month with four wins from five and I don't think you can dispute that we look like play-off contenders. I'm not getting ahead of myself because I know a dip in form would see us fall away pretty quickly, but we never look like going too long without a win. I'm glad to see my strikers looking sharp again and pleased to have added a couple of extra midfielders to the squad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Good couple of free's, and not looking too bad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 A good month. A playoff spot is looking more like a reality. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackJCFC Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Very close at the top, keep this up and you can get promotied/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CityAndColour Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Tight at the top. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Yes, very tight at the top. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Halfway through December, this job offer is made: Interesting one, this. Loaded Israel specifically because I fancied managing there. I'm not sure it feels like a bigger job than Sheff Wed, and I said I wanted at least five years at Hillsborough. But I'm giving this some thought before decided whether to dismiss it or not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I'd probably see this campaign through at least. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 If you what 5 years with Sheff Wed, then stay You may regret moving too early. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Yeah, I turned it down. I haven't done anything with Wednesday yet. Would be strange to walk away so soon to manage in Israel. Onwards and upwards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Yeah, I turned it down. I haven't done anything with Wednesday yet. Would be strange to walk away so soon to manage in Israel. Onwards and upwards. Good decision Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Season 2014/2015 DECEMBER This Month's Fixtures The usual healthy dose of December fixtures. Looking at the teams we face, I think we could have a good month. Obviously you want to respect everyone, but given how well we're doing, I don't see why we can't take a good number of points from these games. Most of the sides we face are well off the pace, so why not be optimistic? Whatever happens, I will probably know by the end of the month how realistic our push for a play-off place is. This Month's Results Tuesday December 2nd, 2014 npower Championship City Ground, Nottingham Nottingham Forest 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday Despite Forest being in the bottom three, I expected a tough test at the City Ground, and we certainly got one. We got off to a good start by taking an early lead, but our struggling opponents played very well. I would have taken a point at the start and I'll settle for one now. It was an entertaining game and I think a draw is the only fair result. From our point of view, it is frustrating that Forest's goals came from individual errors. First, Graham Shinnie, failed to deal with a ball in the box, allowing Chris Basham to score. In the second half, Glen Moss failed to claim a ball across the front of goal, resulting in a tap-in for Jack Hunt. But putting those mistakes aside, we did okay. MOTM: Michael Tonge - A rare goal for my midfield anchor, whose place is under threat from the new arrivals. He commanded the midfield today. Saturday December 6th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Watford Yes, Watford are a midtable side, but this is a better result than it seems. Watford are the league's top scorers and went into this game having scored in 23 games in a row. The second-placed team was on 9 prior to their fixture. So it was always likely we would concede. We found their pacey Kuwaiti striker al-Mutawa hard to handle and he scored two good goals, but we've got a good striker of our own in Simon Church, who bagged a brace today. It was end-to-end stuff, with both sides creating chances. I obviously hoped we could win, but a draw will do against dangerous opposition. MOTM: Simon Church - Two tidy goals and an all-round strong display from a very good striker. Saturday December 13th, 2014 npower Championship KC Stadium, Kingston-upon-Hull Hull City 2-3 Sheffield Wednesday It's goals galore at the moment where we're concerned. I was getting ready to settle for another hard-earned draw when Sam Vokes blasted home with three minutes to go. For the second game this month, though, I was let down by poor goalkeeping from Glen Moss, who cost us a goal. I've not been convinced by him since we got promoted. He was rock solid in my Gold Coast side and again for Wednesday during our League One promotion campaign last season. But perhaps he's not good enough for this level. Another mistake in upcoming games and I will have to drop him. As for the game as a whole, it was dramatic and exciting and nervewracking, and I wish we hadn't forgotten how to defend, but it's a great win and keeps in touch not just with the play-offs but, whisper it quietly, automatic promotion. MOTM: Sam Vokes - Following Church's lead, it was Vokes's turn for a brace this week. Saturday December 20th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 Oldham Athletic With the players still buzzing from their late winner over rivals Hull City, and Oldham just one place above the relegation zone, I was treated to our most complete performance of the season so far. If anything, it should have been more than just the four we managed to score. We were less clinical in the second half, but this still represents a superb display and a superb result. Our movement was excellent and Oldham just had no answer. MOTM: Sammy Clingan - The Northern Irish midfielder was in complete control of this game throughout. Friday December 26th, 2014 npower Championship Hillsborough, Sheffield Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Leeds Utd This was a crucial game. With two games in three days, I decided to make sweeping changes to the starting line-up, even though the fans would never stand for a defeat here. In the end, the game was won by a wonderful goal from George Boyd. I don't make a habit of comparing Championship players to Dutch internationals, but this was a goal right our of the Arjen Robben copybook of cutting in from the touchline and drilling it into the far corner. It was a truly beautiful goal, a fitting way to win any football match. We deserved the win and could have won by more. It's no surprise to see such an abject Leeds side struggling so much. MOTM: George Boyd - Deserves it for his stunning goal alone, but he was also on form throughout. Sunday December 28th, 2014 npower Championship Reebok Stadium, Bolton Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday So my resting of players for the Leeds game didn't quite get us the victory here, and our good run comes to an end. I could hardly complain, though. Although we did okay on the ball, we couldn't live with Bolton when they were in possession and, when Simon Church gaves us a 77th minute lead, it looked like an injustice might occur. I blame myself for deciding to go to a more defensive outlook and inviting even heavier pressure, but I suppose you have to lose eventually. The result doesn't do too much damage to our surprise promotion push. MOTM: Simon Church - Nobody was at their best today, but at least Church got himself on the scoresheet. If the defence do their bit, he's a matchwinner today instead of a footnote. League Table Player of the Month: Simon Church - This guy looks like the player I thought I was signing. He's clearly full of goals and he links well with the midfield. He had a very good month, as did Sam Vokes. Monthly Reflection: I said that we'd know how good our play-off push was looking when this month was through. Well, it looks damn healthy. I think this was a superb month, results-wise. It was a shame to go down to defeat at Bolton, but as a newly-promoted side, we have no right to be winning at such places. I now know that I can rotate my players and still name strong sides, and I know we've got goals in us, from predatory strikers to mercurial midfielders. It's all going very well indeed. Glen Moss will need a steadier January to win my trust back, but after his two mistakes, he did improve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 George Boyd's Arjen Robben-esque winner against Leeds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Nice to see Church finally stepping up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 If I played one up front instead of two, whoever that striker was between Church or Vokes, would score loads I reckon. Two up-front seems to mean goals shared. They're both doing well, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Definitely made the right decision to stay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Haven't posted an update in ages but thought one or two might like to know the save is still going. Might put another update together at some point soon. It's not that far advanced from where it was last time I updated, really. Getting towards the end of season four (season two with Sheff Wed). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crouchaldinho Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Will you be getting FM13 Mike? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike7077 Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 I got FM13 at the beta stage. Haven't been impressed so far. Nevertheless, it looks like I may have accidentally deleted this save, which is a shame. I'd just finished 3rd in my first season in the Championship with Sheff Wed and lost the playoff final. Was looking forward to next season. But nevermind. I'll be starting an FM13 career soon, I think. So watch this space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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