We was the better of the teams today as the stats show, it's a tough one to swallow when Everton get one against the run of play. I told the lads they played very well but our second just wouldn't come. I just hope we don't fall into a slump and revert back to our old ways.
Out of our youth recruitment, Hoof looks like an excellent talent who will be a player who will play for our first team in the future. I'm excited by this lad and It's given me real hope of using our facilities to accommodate for him and give him the best possible chance of succeeding with us.
Into the Semi-Finals!!!!!!! We are really starting to believe now, we looked so lacklustre in the first 45 minutes of the game seeming to take wave after wave of Southampton attacks and providing nothing ourselves. We grouped together at half-time being 1-0 down I told the lads we need to be more creative and bring ourselves further up the pitch. I introduced Callum Wilson in the 60th minute which he just turned the game on his head and scored two in 5 minutes. He was our match winner today and has booked us a place at Wembley in the Semi-Final
What a draw for us. I fully expect us to go to Charlton expecting to win but not being over-confident. There is a place for a final at Wembley up for grabs and we want it more than anything. I've showed the lads the history of the competition and how great would it be to win a trophy during our first year as a club? We still need to win yet though and will take each game as it comes.
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'Walking in a Wilson Wonderland'
He's been sensational of late and you can see why, another goal to add to his tally. Aston Villa was never really a threat and I can see why they are where they are in the table, Gabby Agbonlahor has single-handedly carried the team this season but won't be able to keep that up forever. After the game I was greeted with this news which is never nice to see to any manager.
Another magical performance today from the lads. Again we are winning games by outscoring opponents, I do like keeping clean sheets but if it means winning then so be it. Callum carried on his impressive form into the game putting us in the lead before I called upon Gary to do the business again by netting us the winner. This match means we've reached a certain milestone which I was hoping we was going to do this season.
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The 40 point barrier!!!! This should ensure us keeping our heads in the division for this season. But I have much more expectation after we've kicked on since January. I want to finish as far away from the relegation zone as we can.
Pretty much a perfect month which we would have wanted. The Everton result is a blip but I'm delighted with how we are performing and how we have revitalized our season after a massive slump in form. We have a Semi Final of an FA Cup to look forward to and I hope we can end strong.
15 points off the drop. I think we can say we've avoided it this season and achieved our objectives comfortably; I don't want this to stagnate though. Just because we are neither at the top or bottom it doesn't mean that we have completed our objectives for the season.
All three strikers have had their rich vain of form (thankfully for us at different times) and now its Callum Wilson who was fantastic winning us some games single handedly at times. Still being young I see him being with us for many more years to come and will only improve us.
April
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I don't want to put a points total for this month as I want us to just go out there and do what we have been doing. My priority is the FA Cup and reaching the final, winning silverware in our first season would be incredible and almost unbelievable.
Fair play to Norwich they was great today and Mbokani especially as he scored a brace to put our defence to the sword. He is a striker of real quality and can see why he has scored 20 goals this season for Norwich. We will let the game go and start again against Chelsea.
Another magnificent individual performance was enough to put us to the sword today with it being English champions Chelsea.
I thought we was in for the luck of the draw when they was reduced to 10 men so early in the game but they had other ideas. When we managed to get it back for 2-2 I pushed the lads to go for the winner which was probably the reasoning behind conceding the 3rd so I hold my hands up for that.
Wow! To say I didn't expect a performance like that is an understatement. It's the best i've ever seen us play and we could have had another 3 if we was clinical. I'm delighted especially on the back of two defeats to bounce back like this and the lads deserve all the credit for an incredible display at White Hart Lane today.
We pile more misery on Watford who are rock bottom of the table and now 7 points from safety. They played admirably but now we have found that extra gear in terms of performances and Watford look like a team more condemned for the Championship. We carry on a fantastic run in the second half of the season.
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A mad five minutes today was enough for Southampton to take all three points. I think that the distraction of the FA Cup is toiling with all of our minds and I'm glad we are safe this season or it could have had major consequences. Callum McManaman didn't help himself today with a two-footed lunge which rules him out of the Semi Final
We was one down within a couple of minutes and if not for our fantastic keeper Marcus Bettinelli we would have been two down. Charlton was clearly the better team in the first half an hour and could have been out of sight before we had even woke up. I rallied the lads together at half-time and told them a final is at stake and we are the better team. It's fair to say we came out with a totally different mentality and pinned Charlton back all half and we eventually got our two goals from our prolific strikers to send us to the final.
A very smash and grab game but we are not here to play beautiful football against the champions. It's just another impressive result in this second half of the season run. Gary Hooper popped up with the winner proving his worth since his arrival he has 11 goals in 18 games for us.
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Can't complain at the month, we've managed to steer ourselves clear of relegation, reach an FA Cup final and be ever-improving. The wins against Tottenham and City really made the month for me especially as we recorded our biggest win of the season and may have spoiled Tottenhams title hopes.
Commiserations for Watford who are already relegated and look to be joined by Stoke if they don't win their next game, whoever takes the third spot will be determined on Aston Villa's form in the next three games. As for us it's amazing to be in the top half of the table and a cup final despite where we was in January.
He's managed to reach the 20 goal mark and he's been a ever present performer for us this season even when we was in the dumps under-performing. I can see Charlie being at the club for a very long time in the future.
I am in a position now where I can change a few things knowing we are stuck mid-table in the league and have a chance to look at a few different things. Goalkeeper Ben Garratt was given his first taste as a English Lions player and he impressed keeping a clean sheet in the process. Also we gave our youth product Michael Hoof 25 minutes of Premiership football to have a little look at him and he impressed in the limited time he had.
A Byram brace secures us 3 points for our last game of the season. It's been such a crazy year with up's and downs and twists and falls. I didn't know I would be in for such a journey only being a year into the job, but I've enjoyed every minute of it. We was again magnificent today and both the previous duo from last game got a start today and Garratt kept another clean sheet while Hoof managed to get himself an assist on his full debut for us! I see him as a future superstar in the mould of Roy Keane as he can attack aswell as defend.. Lets just hope he develops the way we want him to.
Tottenham are the Champions this year, Poch has led them to their first ever Premier League crown (still didn't stop us being them 4-0 haha). Everton was suprise packages in 3rd place, being consistent all throughout the season and picking up a spot for next years Champions League whilst the two Manchester clubs will slum it out in the Europa League. A very disappointing campaign for Liverpool who I'm sure will agree with me despite the media predicting them to finish 5th, a 14th place finish isn't what the redmen would have wished for. Last but not least the unlucky trio who had to be relegated, Watford, Stoke and Aston Villa. Stoke are the suprise package for me as they have undoubted quality in their team with Shaqiri, Arnautovic and many more.
But it's our season to cherish. Predicted 20th, finished 8th. A surge of form in the second half of the season after we managed to bring reinforcements onboard and strengthen the squad as a unit really helped us. We've managed to make a Semi-Final and are still currently in a shot with winning a domestic cup to top off our fairytale season. I'm always looking to improve the team but the amount of effort which the lads have put in to help eachother here is unbelievable and they have themselves to credit.
Q.P.R, Middlesbrough and Burnley. I was pricing up a bid for Burnley's Andre Gray and it seemed likely to materialize should Burnley not be promoted but the task will be made all that harder now they have been promoted and he was their key talisman with 28 goals this season.
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We got here on our big day and Arsenal managed to spoil the party, one player in particular. Mesut Ozil was unplayable today and even though we lost a final I'm glad we have managed to get here and I'm sure the supporters are too, it's capped off a brilliant season which we have built upon and Arsenal was deserving winners today and making it 3 FA Cups in a row for them. I am not ashamed at all and it would have been a massive bonus if we could lift the cup but we didn't. I'm ready to improve the squad and have another crack next year.
Callum Wilson takes about just all of the plaudits but it could have been anyone for seperate reasons. I'll go through each player below and a review on how their season went, signing of the season Kieran Trippier came in and was fantastic for us, I'll be enquiring to Tottenham if they want to sell him I'd happily have him back here next season.
Marcus Bettinelli - Fantastic between the sticks, was named as a #2 at the start of the season but eventually ended up as our #1 and was brilliant in some games alone, especially against the big guns when he has won us points on his own.
Brendan Galloway - Utility player who can be used as a centre-back or a left-back. Came into his own when given any duty, was excellent and reminds me of a young Micah Richards but one who can stay fit. Just recently signed a 4-year deal to keep him here.
Kortney Hause - Fought his way into the team in the latter half of the season and pushed Michael Dawson for the spot alongside Ryan. Kortney is a huge powerhouse and as the season grew on so did he, with this progress under his belt I can see him becoming a beast next year.
Ryan Shawcross - Always need a leader at the back and by far our best defender, can organise a team and also lead one, in the absence of Gerrard he has become the captain of the team and a very, very good one at that.
Sam Byram - Although mostly deployed as a right-midfielder Sam has probably been unlucky to lose out to Callum Wilson to Player of the Year. When he arrived I expected him to play a massive bit-part role this season but with 10 goals and lots of match-winning ones he's an integral part of our team.
Patrick Roberts - Strange one as I felt Patrick was the only player to fizzle off in the second half of the season, he's still young so has plenty of time to adapt but I think next year, a loan would do all parties the best.
Joshua Onomah - After late substitute cameo appearances he eventually earned himself some starts and he took them, dominating games with his passing and dribbling he's had a great debut season and another we will be calling on next year after he pipped Ruben Loftus-Cheek to a place in this years Team of the Year.
Ross Barkley - Can turn a boring game on it's head in a matter of seconds, our gamble this year and it's massively paid off for us. A player of undoubted strength and quality and who players can look up to being on his level.
Nathan Redmond - Better as the season went on, scored more goals and provided more assists for us. Was crucial at times and unlucky to not have had more of a crucial meaning goal in the FA Cup final. A England call-up beckoning I think.
Charlie Austin - 21 goals in all competitions speaks volumes, a finisher which in a top four team would be banging 30+ goals a season and pundits would be raving about him, important figure for us this year.
Callum Wilson - Player of the Year and I would go for most improved! He was living in Charlies shadow for the first few months here and despite not matching his goal return, Callum provided 18 assists just to show how crucial he has been to us this season. I know next year more goals will come but I'm happy and delighted with his performances this year.
Whilst we've had an amazing season, the board did this behind my back!! I'm ecstatic and it's just another brilliant part of this football club. Chairman Jeff Mostyn and I have an excellent relationship and he wants a new revitalized stadium to help us progress and attract the best talent in the country here to develop. We double the size of our current stadium to 19,985 with room to grow with a growing fanbase. Also tied in with this after the accounts for the year was announced the Chairman also is upgrading our facilities for training and youth products this year has been a total success and have lots to look forward to in the future.
