Life in Football Manager

After the poor form away from home, January saw a pick up in fortunes. I added to the squad bringing some more English talent into the team. James Vaughan was the first, not a favourite with the fans being that he only came from over the Stanley Park to sign his new contact. James was never staying at Everton and I was just waiting for his contract to expire before picking him up, but West Ham were impatient putting in a £2.2 million bid in for him. I matched the bid and with the financial power of a big club I was able to give him an offer he couldn’t refuse to keep him in Merseyside. The other English talent that I put in a bid for was Jamie Mole the Hearts forward had a bid accepted by another club, but because of my links with Heart I was able to match the bid and have it accepted. Jamie Mole seems to be an under rated player in Footaball Managing circles, on FM 07 he was amazing, scoring for fun in whatever league he played. People though I was made when I brought him into the England camp, but he turned out great for me and any sides I was managing. I don’t know what he is like in the new game but at Hearts of the course of the game he has been playing well so I may as well take a chance on him. It’s nice to see that I have actually got some English players in the team this season and I hope to add to that with Giles Barnes and Michael Johnson in the future. That latter’s contract is soon to expire and is unsettled at City so he looks like a sure bet to have him sign, £3 million compensation will be paid to the Citizens.

Arsenal who started the season looking as a team that could have been in a relegation battle, started climbing up the league and after our victory in the Premiership bout 3-1 Walcott and company were able then to get their revenge by knocking me out of all the cup competitions I was involved in. The League Cup quarter finals first, then at the same stage in the Champions League I was unlucky not to take it to extra time at home having the better chances all game. But The Gunners talent and flair was just to much for my team to handle.

But in the league I was in blistering form, after the League Cup defeat I went 18 games without being beaten pushing Manchester United for the league and clawed up to one point behind. But United were too good and were not to drop many points to allow me to get a decent gap between us. I was able to leap frog them by 2 points at one stage but come Mid-March I had to meet Arsenal at Anfield, again The Gunners were all over me Walcott again was there to deliever the killer blow in what was a tight game. But it seemed to rock my players so much that from that point we were unable to put a string of wins together, a draw at City and defeats to Chelsea and Blackpool just gave United a chance to clinch the league before the last game of the season. Which was Derby who have had an outstanding season fighting for a Champions League place, which has been helped by Henok Goitom’s 39 goals who would later go on to win Europe best player. I used this game to rest all my first team for the FA cup final clash.

I think what contributed to the failure to retain the league was the amount of injuries to key players. Sergio Aguero wasn’t able to play half the season with a hip injury which meant I had lost about 10-15 goals already, Kuyt was also in and out with niggling injuries. Banega hardly seen any action because of his recurring injuries, every game that he came into after an injury he would be carried staright off on his back. Ryan Babel, Dos Santos were other casualties throughout the season. Conditions were hindered when Gerrard set one record not to be proud of, he was able to pick up the most cards then any other player whose played in a red jersey and it wasn’t because he was nice to the refrees before the Christmas period, Mascherano and Micah Richards were other players suspended at crucial parts of the season.

But there was always the FA cup to save the season, but it wasn’t such an easy ride, Russotto did have a wonderful cup run in the side, where he was only unable to score in the final. But before getting their, Southampton pushed us all the way setting the record for my highest scoring game 10 goals hit the net before it was taken to penalties were the score line was reversed and Russotto who scored a hatrick in playing time was the only one able to convert a spot kick. The final was against The Gunners and just like the four games previous Aresnal were just unstoppable I tried everything and they still were able to slice through us like butter a 3-1 results, the score flattering a poor Liverpool performance.

I did promise the board at the start of the season that I would bring home the league once again, I was confident, I had my team sorted and balanced the books by getting rid of a few players but we were still stronger then the previous season. But because I had made my promises and the board had put up that extra bit of cash they thought that it wasn’t worth renewing my contract and let me leave on the 30th June 2011, even though I had constantly finished in the top 2 and reached the final stages of all competitions, fulfilling the long term goal to win the Premiership title. I don’t think things were helped when I applied for vacant jobs at Milan and Arsenal, but what can you do? The next stage was to look for a new club, not many jobs came about that I was interested in, West Ham offered me a role at the start of their season as well as a few German sides, but I rejected and waited for that big job. After the majority of the season gone I seen and opportunity to come back, it was a bottom of the table side Birmingham who offered me the managerial job at St Andrews, my brief was simple to try my best to keep them up with 7 games to go. The reason I took the job was not for the long term goal of staying there but as a challenge and excitement of a relegation battle.

The first 3 games were must win games, against teams around me at the bottom of the Premiership, Bolton and Reading as well as a game against Spurs. My first game in charge was to Bolton, a good display by the Brummies but up front is were I feel we lack something and as a result 0-0 it finished, not too bad for my first game and something to build on. Spurs was next, a tough game and one that I just had my fingers crossed all way through. It was a tight game that for most of the match was 0-0 it wasn’t until the new appointed vice captain Ridgewell in the 88th minute was for some reason on the edge of the box, but who cares when he can volley like he did to put us 1-0 up. As Tottenham went forward in search for an equaliser we hit them on the counter to finish the game comfortable 2-0 another victory at Reading thrashing them 2-1 in a good position 3 points away from being safe until Chelsea beat us, we didn’t expect anything else, but we lost still fighting hitting more shots then Chelsea, Cech keeping them all from hitting the net but the former Newcastle giant and currently Birmingham’s top goalscorer Andy Carroll was laid off for the rest of the season, but fingers crossed injuries won’t catch up on me again. A 2-2 draw from a much improved Derby at Pride Park continued my good form.

Two games to go and Bolton were still 3 points a drift, but with a far better goal difference nothing but two wins against Portsmouth and Sunderland would do for us and we needed to prey that Bolton dropped points at both Newcastle and Blackburn although it would still be possible for me to finish 13th if all results went my way and it is Newcastle and Blackburn that are the the two teams above Bolton so an interesting two games to come. But a losing to Portsmouth at home more or less put an end to our Premiership survival. Unless we were able to beat Sunderland 5-0 and Bolton would lose by the same score. Again it was a good performance coming back from 2-0 down to 2-2 which with Newcastle winning comfortably at Bolton meant that I had a shot of survival until Craig Gardner finished the game off. We had a series of shots to make the game equal but we just couldn’t find the net for the third time. Therefore we tried in vain to beat Sunderland, but a late goal in a tight game by Kevin Doyle who was miles offside, although it wouldn’t have made much of a difference to the table even if the ref ruled it correctly. Bolton lost but it was also a tight affair in their game, a good effort from the lads and it was an enjoyable relegation battle, it definitely got the blood flowing at times and a few things thrown. But it was too little too late, I think that is the end of my career unless a big club wants to come for me in the summer. Otherwise I think I will have too look for another story to write about, maybe a move to the continent might be in order, I do fancy Italy at the moment.