It looks good but I still don’t know if the Boro are into Europe or not. Maybe I need Liverpool to beat Bolton in The FA Cup Final.
Now I can see why Delev was let go by Villa when he spits his dummy out and wants first team football, which I don’t agree with since his last 4 games have an average of 6.1 and his morale has been very poor for ages. Get in the reserves son and get lost. And good riddance to the moaner who goes to Galatasaray £3.5m (actually I thinks it’s a shame because at the start of the season he was on fire). Still £1.5m profit.
Wolves away, and they go down to 10 men after two minutes then they outclass us and go 2-0 up. Under this time I had tried control and standard. After half time and a rollocking, I changed to counter and we turned it around to 3-2 AND then let them score 3-3. Rollercoaster ride.
Liverpool win the FA Cup and the double but the table says that Bolton are in Europe next year. Are we in Europe or not ?
We have 63 points with a game to go and therefore beat last years’ points tally.
Arsenal at home is the last game of the season and maybe Arsenal weren’t bothered but at last we win against a big gun.
I don’t believe it ! I thought the FA had changed the rules and only the winners of the cup competitions went into Europe. Bolton are in and we got 6th and don’t get a place. Time for the Irish drinking song.Irish drinking song - ****** off - YouTube
JULY 2015
Matthew Bates, Cameron Park and Elias Hernández leave the club as their contracts run out. Jan Lecjaks leaves for Reading for £2.2m (I was fed up of waiting for him to turn good plus Dave Parnaby said he wasn’t good enough) and Steve ‘Mick’ McManus leaves for Aberdeen for £500k. Emnes looks like he is on his way, either on loan or sold.
AUGUST 2015
Valencia is the last of the friendly fixtures and they prove too hard to crack. The first match of the new season is Newcastle at The Riverside. Come on Boro !
Just before the match I sign Christian Stauni from Cardiff for £2.1m
This will probably be the last signing this year. There might be a few more outgoings mind you.
The north east derby game starts slowly and at half time, even though we have been the better side, I need to tell most of the players that they need to do better. Niang then springs into life. I might have difficulties keeping him at The Riverside, the big guns are already showing an interest.
We follow that up with a defeat at Man City, mind you the match looked slightly better and we only lost 2-1. Huddersfield away in the League Cup is the next match.
Although I’ve not made Middlesbrough into Champions League place contenders, I’ve managed to make the club go from -£5M to +£25M in the bank in 4 years. Keeping a club ticking over and in profit is also something that needs to be seen as an achievement, I believe.
In true Boro fashion we beat Huddersfield but only after equalizing late on to 2-2 and winning in extra time 4-3. Cardiff are the next hurdle in the 3rd round.
A good win against Everton but look at the attendance, 23,500 at home isn’t good enough.
Cardiff in the League Cup and a very comfortable 4-0 win. The board want me to get to the 5th round (quarters) so we shall see who we get in the 4th round draw.
Reading away.
Stoke City away and SI have managed to get Stoke down to a tee, 23-3 fouls committed. Boro win but only just 1-0.
OCTOBER 2015
The month starts with Arsenal visiting the north east, now it’s time to see how good we are and try a standard approach from the start. Probably get whopped.
Here’s something funny, Mark Venus seems to be losing it slightly, here comes to me and says
I had to have a chat with Jerson and tell him to buck his ideas up. Maybe I should tell Mark Venus to watch the players a bit more!
Well, what a game against Arsenal, no attempts on goal by either team for 23 minutes. Arsenal start to get on top so I switch to cautious. With 89 minutes on the clock, Arsenal are winning 1-0 (Chamakh 53), Boro have their first shot on target. Roughly 30 seconds later we have our second shot on target which flies into the net. Totally outclassed and outplayed and somehow got 1-1.
As usual I forgot to mention my partial points goal for the lads. Since we don’t seem to be relegation candidates anymore, I feel an initial goal of 15 points is easily achievable. Boro have after 7 games played, 6th spot and 13 points.
Blackburn are the visitors next and their right back with the charming name of Oh *** Soek (Oh *** suck). Say no more. This must be one of the best games we’ve played.
West Brom away and I throw a wobbly, we were in control of the game and through it away, defeat 2-1. SBC.
Reading aren’t at the races and Boro are in the Quarter finals after a 4-1 win away. Norwich at Carrow Road are the next team in our way.
NOVEMBER 2015
Sunderland at The Stadium of the ***** and Boro take the lead but Sunderland take over the game and take the lead 2-1. Niang goes off and Sanogo replaces him. Yaya hits the post, misses a golden chance and then in the last minute of extra time slams in 2-2. GET IN THERE YA ****** !
Chelsea at home and Boro are starting to give the top teams a run for the money, a tight 1-0 defeat. Next game is Man Utd at the Riverside. Scraped a 0-0 draw but God knows how, United were all over us.
The games are coming thick and fast and the lads are just too strong for Wolves at Molineux
Norwich in the quarters of the League Cup View attachment 233726
Middlesbrough get Villa or Spurs in the semis.
The FA Cup 3rd Round Draw, and Boro get a home tie against Portsmouth. We have Reading (away) in the league and if we want to keep up with the top teams we need to win.
Villa will be our opponents in the League Cup, after a resounding 5-0 win over Spurs.
Derby next and boy did we play them off the park and as you can see from the picture below, we have 30 points and are contending for a place in Europe.
Well I should have known, just when I think we might have a successful season, we play a good team and they use us as a mop to clean the floor with. Spurs are yet again far superior (regardless of which approach I use) and I’m starting to get peed off with this game.
Boxing Day and Aston Villa are the next team on the league fixture list and we shall see if the lads can bounce back after the disappointing 2-1 defeat at Spurs. It’s a rollercoaster ride when you support the Boro in real life and it seems to be the same here as well.
Man City at home and again, somehow, we scrape a 0-0 draw after being outclassed. Villa in the semis, and we must play one of our worst games defensively.
Still in the tie but all to do in the return fixture. Wimbledon (away) are the opponents in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Everton (away) and the Boro are totally outplayed, I try standard and cautious but don’t get a shot on goal. Just before half time I switch to counter and go ahead 1-0. God knows how we won this game !
Off to Wembley again, for the third year in a row, but the opponents will be Man City - a team I’ve never beaten W0-D2-L6 4-14.
The final match in January is against AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup. Unsurprisingly the 4th Division side don’t have the stamina to close us down in the second half and we win 4-1. In the next round we get to travel down to Bristol and Ashton Gate.
FEBRUARY 2016
The transfer window closes and we manage to keep hold of everybody. Niang, Sanogo and Cabral are all being monitored by big clubs and a few players including Rhys Williams, Sanogo and Stauni are wanting more first team appearances.
Brighton (away) and it takes until the 85th minute to break them down and then we go on to win 2-0. The lads have now amassed 47 points from 24 games and are lying in 3rd place. Next initial goal is 60 points.
A disappointing 2-2 draw at home against Stoke leaves the table looking like this…..
….and now we have to travel down to the Emirates to meet Arsenal. Time to see if we are a top 5 side or not. I know I may sound a little impatient but this is my 4th season in the Premiership and we are still nowhere near beating the big guns. I got a 1-1 draw but quite honestly Arsenal should have won by 2 or 3 goals.
FA Cup time again and Bristol City away. Might sound like an easy game but they beat Man Utd in the 3rd round at Ashton Gate.
It’s not only me who thinks it’s time for more success as both Jason Steele and Rhys Williams want to move on to a better team. I’ve managed to persuade them to stay but for how long, that is the question.
West Brom win 1-0 (Mutch o.g), very, very, very disappointing.
Two minutes into the match and Joe Bennett find Deulofeu in the penalty area, he plays across the six yard box, where Niang slots it cooly away. 1-0. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TdXaJ8TQ5c
Well we are under the cosh, Man City throw everything at us besides the kitchen sink (it was too heavy apparently) and in the 32nd minute it’s 1-1 after a corner. Doumbia the scorer.
HALF TIME 1-1
49th minute and a double substitution for Boro. Falqué got a knock in the first half and Arron Lennon comes on for him. Joe Bennett is playing awful (5.5) and leaves the field, Jakobsen replaces him. Still it’s Man City who are running the game but as long as it’s 1-1 we have a chance.
Somehow we manage to take into extra time but some of the lads seem to be in need of oxygen already.
MARCH 2016
Blackburn away and Boro can’t seem to win a one ticket raffle right now. Dreams of Europe seem a long way away as Boro slump to a 3-2 defeat which actually could have been 4 or 5-2.
On a more positive note, the Youth team have won their group again.
The next three games will decide if we can challenge for a European place in the league. Man Utd (away), Liverpool (home) and Chelsea (away).
Well, now I’m going to have a rant, this is the same old same old, Man Utd are all over us, all approaches make no difference, just look at the stats. Why bother ?
After umpteen attempts of replaying the sodding Liverpool match, I just gave up and I’m getting well cheesed off now. Liverpool thrash us 3-1. CAN’T WAIT for Chelsea !
This must be the closest I’ve been to rage quitting. Who reads this thread anyway ? Have SI programmed the game so only the established teams win the title and places in Europe ? Or am I just **** at this game ? I think we all know the answer to that don’t we ?
The only that is stopping me is that we are in the FA Cup semi final.
APRIL 2016
After a few minutes of contemplation, maybe I’m too impatient……Duh! Never had guessed ! I have brought in players whom are going to be leading stars but are right now just good players. I need to wait perhaps ?
Mind you it’s not just me with a lack of patience, Rhys Williams thinks he has achieved everything he can with the club and wants to move on.
Chelsea away, and according to plan Chelsea take the lead through Lukaku. In the second half Niang cracks the ball on the cross bar, it comes down hits Cech on the ***, rebounds on to the post and is cleared just in front of Lennon for a corner. P*** Off.
Another defeat, but this time no rant. If you look at the stats then you’ll see that we were the better side. Just unlucky.
Next game is the semi-final in the FA Cup at Wembley against Birmingham. The best chance I’ve had to get to THE Cup Final. A really close game but at last we are in the FA Cup Final.
Reading in mid-week and the Boro are cruising at 2-0 at half-time and click on the wrong team talk, say that I’m not pleased (which was wrong) and we scrape a 3-2 win.
Derby (away) and a 0-0 draw and the Boro were through against the keeper on several occasions but missed the target every time. Spurs at home is the last game in April, I don’t hold out much hope since Spurs are a top 5 team and we always get beat by them.
MAY 2016
Aston Villa (away) in the league and then it’s the cup final. Funny that, I always thought that the cup final was the last game of the season but we play Bolton at home the week after.
Villa 0-0 Boro. Boro finally get to 60 points but it seems that everybody is thinking about the cup final.
And we’re off. 9 minutes in and Boros Jason Steele makes a great save to deny Wolves’ Jay Rodriguez.
18 minutes in and Wolves have 61% possession, time to change from standard to counter or cautious ?
39 minutes and after changing to counter, and against the run of play, Niang slams the ball into the top corner. BORO V Chelsea Viduka's Goal Celebrations - YouTube
Right on half-time Wolves finally get the goal their play deserves 1-1.
HALF TIME 1-1
51st minute and Niang is through but the Wolves keeper makes the save.
54th minute and Boro make a double substitution. Joe Bennett (6.1) off for Michael Jakobsen and McCann (74% condition) off for Ross Barkley.
67 minutes and Cabral (6.1) off for Lalkovic.
77th minute and Zubar gets his second yellow. Time to go to control.
OFF SEASON
Well it’s time to look at the players who want out :-
Gasolin (Gai Asaulin)
Justin Hoyte - contract runs out in June
Richie Smallwood
Flemming Krohm - sold to Fulham for £1M
Christian Stauni
Luke Williams.
All the above besides Stauni are surplus to requirements. I have a couple of promising starlets from the U18s, so I may use them instead of bringing in a player like Stauni who gets cheesed off about playing time.
Then we have the players who are mumbling a little about leaving - Jason Steele, Rhys Williams and Yaya Sanogo. I don’t want to lose any of them but I must be prepared to replace them.
The initial budgets are set View attachment 234591
Then I have to look at the registration for the Premier league and Europe. View attachment 234581
Boro made a healthy profit of £6.6M last season.
Now it’s time for contract negotiations for players whose contracts finish at the end of the season. Aaron Lennon suddenly thinks he’s playing for the richest club in the world and it looks like I’ll have to sell him.
Lukman Haruna is another fella who has failed to live up to expectations and quite frankly I’m sick of him shooting from 75 yards out all of the time.
First signing of the season is Peter Michalik on a free transfer.
I get offered the England job but decline. Still don’t think I know what I’m doing, so why would I want the England job? Mancini leaves Man City and I’m being linked with them as well.
Lukman Haruna leaves for Lille for £3M. And finally I don’t have to react to ‘Ole ***-suck’ anymore
AUGUST 2016
The Europa League draw 4th qualifying round is about to take place and Boro have been seeded. Not that that helps, Genoa the opponents, first leg away. Thank you very much!
Christian Stauni is off on loan to Vitesse for the rest of the season.
Xerez away and a comfortable 3-0 win and now for the season start-off, The Community Shield.
Well who would have believed it ? But we shall see if this was a one off since the season opener in the league is Man City at The Riverside.
I don’t want to get carried away but now it’s two matches in a row against Man City where the Boro have equaled them.
The goals for the season, by the way, is top half finish, quarter finals of the domestic cups and the 1st knockout round of the Europa League. The Europa League Groups are about to be drawn and we are seeded 3rd. The League Cup 3rd round is also drawn.