If you cast you mind back to the the last Merry-Go-Round a couple of week ago and I didn’t do to well. So I have I tried again, but the main change that I have made is I will be playing the games on full detail which I neglected last time.
August
At the end of August 4 games in Liverpool, West Ham and Bolton occupy the bottom of the table with Newcastle taking top spot. Derby are again overachieving beating everyone in their path but Chelsea, hopefully it was a fluke last time Jewell turned things around. After 4 games though it is nothing to go on just yet, West Ham faced Arsenal and United among the start of the fixtures, which saw them concede 8 goals in total against two top teams, so it is no surprise to see them at the bottom. There is no favourites emerging just yet to lose their job first. Liverpool brough in some talent into the side bringing in Nihat and Pandev to replace the loss of Torres and Gerrard. Arsenal started losing their players this time but spending £32.5 million on Samuel and Kompany for the defense and attacking winger Menez may mean that Arsene may not suffer from loss of players.
September
It’s again not looking good with three teams unbeaten in the Premiership, this time Everton have adopted the three at the back but at the same time everyone else is packed into a 5 man midfield which has proved extremely successful so far, but that has given evidence that a manager will play to his prefered formations opposed to what is favoured by the club. Arsenal and Newcastle are also unbeaten and doing well, I think that this time again it is the forward running defenders winning games for Newcastle. Manchester United sit at the top which is a good sign, because I am hoping his departure is not performance based, Arsenal are the only side to beat United. Reading sit bottom hopefully this time Coppell will see the door and Wigan are still searching for a win after 8 games.
October
With the International break not many more games were played, but it was all change at the bottom in 3 games, Reading beating Aston Villa allowed them to both swap positions and put Martin O’Neill in for the first manager under pressure from the board. West Ham have stormed up the league and once again don’t look like they are going to be a side so full of injuries as they should be. Once again The Hammars signed Nanni in order to fix up any players that are going to struggle with injury. Liverpool are probably the under performers so far of the season not really making any sort of challenge struggling to keep up with mid-table.
November
Aston Villa continue the season at the bottom of the league while there neighbors Birmingham City join them in the bottom 3 along with Wigan while Reading move up the league. But what I have found this season is that the sides are having a more consistent season and not so much change around the league. Arsenal continue unbeaten, Adebayor’s 14 goals helping the cause, he should have been leaving Arsenal this month but somehow has managed to get himself out of the transfer move and unfortunately will be staying with The Gunners. Chelsea and Manchester United are both in their rightful places of 2nd and 3rd respectivley. Derby continue to overachieve and are in a European place still, Paul Jewell now can officially be named a god of Football Manager as well as Mercedes salesman. Manchester City who spent £29.5 million on new players in the summer have still not got much of a side together, but a good signing in David Bentley may save Sven. Portsmouth hover above the relegation zone the two players Harry signed were Skjelbred and Boyce from Wigan both not being the best for Pompey.
December
Decemeber seen Aston Villa get themselves out of the relegation zone wins against all the teams around them did wonders for O’Neill. Sunderland and Fulham finally move down the table while Liverpool have managed to regain some sort of form and although being beaten by Pompey and Everton have managed a string of wins to fire them up to 8th. Wigan, Birmingham and Middlesbrough make up the bottom 3, Southgate could be a sure winner once again.
Janurary
The January transfer window only seen Liverpool sign one player to sure up the team and that was youngster Dalle Valle, who will only make an apparence if desperate this season, Liverpool go back to dropping down the table. Arsenal bring in another defender in Hestinga and goalkeeper Enke from Hannover. Harry decided to pay out a total of £22.75 million on players I have no clue about, Valdivia and Feindouno both look over priced for a Portsmouth team that is lying in 17th. Aston Villa once again join the bottom three, but still have a chance of staying up Sunderland and Portsmouth both very close to the drop zone as Middlesbrough pull back up the Premiership. But with Birmingham 9 points from Villa it looks certain that they are going to go down along with Wigan. Manchester City have done well though taking a small squad to 10th Landon Donovan left the sunshine of LA to join rainy Manchester along with Di Natale. Newcastle look set to take Liverpool’s usual Champions League place as the team are doing well, King Kev brought in some decent strikers to get goals, Javier Saviola and Love join up with Owen in a squad that is beginning to look like a Keegan side.
February
Roy Keane become the first manager to leave post in the new challenge a month earlier than it was before Southgate was given the boot in the first attempt of the challenge. Although Sunderland are doing rather badly and are currently just above the drop zone Keane actually left to go to Spain taking a job at Mallorca before he lost his job at Sunderland. Not much change around any of the other sides in the league, although Paul Jewell has started dropping down the league and coupled with a poor financial record the one dubbed God is now under pressure. At the top it is tight, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea seem to be running away with the top three places and it is still to be determined what way that will go but with Newcastle 16 points behind it is safe to say that Keegan won’t be troubling the top 3.
One Manager Gone: Roy Keane (Sunderland)
March
March has been a very successful month With Liverpool first sacking Rafa Benitez after a poor season at mid table. Although Derby have been safe from relegation, they couldn’t live up to their reputation of reaching 5th ever since I raised their reputation Paul Jewell was the next to go leaving Derby in heavy debt. The gap between Sunderland and Aston Villa is now beginning to widen and looking favourite to go down Aston Villa got rid of Martin in favour of Shaktar manager Mircea Lucescu. No other managers at the moment are looking like they are under pressure even with Wigan and Birmingham looking certain for the drop. But with 4 managers out by March we are definitely going the right way this time.
Four Managers Gone: Roy Keane (Sunderland), Rafa Benitez (Liverpool), Paul Jewell (Derby), Martin O’Neill (Aston Villa)
April
Jose Mourinho took the job at Derby giving the guys a big name to take the club forward. Wigan and Birmingham both confirmed their places in next seasons Championship but yet don’t look like either of the managers are going to be leaving post. Since Arsenal have lost many of their players they have lost any chance of winning the league and Chelsea look to be running away with it. Aston Villa though have finally got themselves out of trouble and been replaced by Sunderland.
Four Managers Gone: Roy Keane (Sunderland), Rafa Benitez (Liverpool), Paul Jewell (Derby), Martin O’Neill (Aston Villa)
May
The season finishing with indeed Chelsea winning the league and Manchester United taking 2nd place, but rumours are that Sir Alex Ferguson could soon be out of the door. Sunderland was the final side to go down finishing just a point below Aston Villa. West Ham once again didn’t have any troubles with injuries and finished 8th in the league. Alex McLeish could be out soon if the papers are to be belived we will see in the next two months whether any other changes will happen.
Four Managers Gone: Roy Keane (Sunderland), Rafa Benitez (Liverpool), Paul Jewell (Derby), Martin O’Neill (Aston Villa)
June
June seen no change to any management position and that seems to bring our challenge to an end. I am glad that I was able to at least double the last results, I am pretty pleased with four, it is always going to be impossible to get rid of 20 managers in one season. One teams failure is another teams success so therefore the balance is going to mean that managers will keep their jobs.