Ha, just got Kranevitter myself, though I got him a tad cheaper
Interested to see how he does for you!
The rise of Fulham
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Ha, just got Kranevitter myself, though I got him a tad cheaper
Interested to see how he does for you!
Ha, just got Kranevitter myself, though I got him a tad cheaper
Interested to see how he does for you!
He came highly recommended by my scout who spent bulk of last season in South America. I'm hoping he lives up to his price tag.
Pre-Season friendlies, Season preview and more...
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES:
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Best set of pre-season results in my time at Fulham yet. As like in the past, most of the hot prospects in the U21 and U18 squad got a chance in these games. The performance was promising from the players. Wins over Bremen, Marseille and Juventus were delightful.
There were no injuries during the pre-season, which is terrific news. I do have a rather limited squad with a bunch of reserve players making up for the lack in depth and an injury free squad will be crucial to my ambitions this season.
As for the Premier league, it'll be a tough start for us. We kick-off the League with a trip to Manchester to face Man City. Not the best fixture to start with. We then face Everton at home and then travel to Anfield to face Liverpool. So, away games against Man City and Liverpool in our first three. Hmm, that's not the best way to kick-off.
We face Arsenal not too late as well. But atleast it's at home.
There were no injuries during the pre-season, which is terrific news. I do have a rather limited squad with a bunch of reserve players making up for the lack in depth and an injury free squad will be crucial to my ambitions this season.
2017-18 SEASON: PREVIEW
We start the season with the Community Shield game against Chelsea at Wembley. Will this be my first victory against Mourinho? I'm not very confident but let's see.
As for the Premier league, it'll be a tough start for us. We kick-off the League with a trip to Manchester to face Man City. Not the best fixture to start with. We then face Everton at home and then travel to Anfield to face Liverpool. So, away games against Man City and Liverpool in our first three. Hmm, that's not the best way to kick-off.
We face Arsenal not too late as well. But atleast it's at home.
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A final foray into the transfer market:
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A final foray into the transfer market:
Alen Halilovic, a bright young prospect has been put on the loan list by Barcelona. Gwyn Williams, our scout who is currently in Spain let me know of this development and I put in a bid. According to Gwyn, Halilovic is a good player for the squad at the moment and has the potential to be a key player. Given my limited options on the right wing (Roberts is natural while Williams is accomplished), I thought he would add some depth to the squad. Unlike Pat Roberts who is bad at crossing, Halilovic is better at it and can add more variety when needed.
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I am also thinking of buying a goalkeeper, mainly as a back-up to Bettinelli. Bettinelli has been prone to injury a few times in the past and my U21 and U18 goalies are rather inexperienced to play in the Premier League. I don't exactly need a top class keeper, just some one who is experienced enough to cover for Bettinelli when needed.
FA COMMUNITY SHIELD 2017-18
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Yes. Yes. Yes. Finally got one over Mourinho and Chelsea. It was last season's midfield maestro Daniele Baselli who set-up our first goal. He played Finnbogason through on goal, who calmly slotted it into the bottom corner past a helpless Thibaut Courtois. Chelsea didn't give up and kept pushing forward after going down and to their credit, Costa scored for them. It was getting a bit dangerous for us with Chelsea starting to look more dangerous by the minute but we got lucky. Chelsea right back Sebastian Corchia who was already booked performed a trip on Roberts from behind after the latter had dribbled past him. Red card and he was out! Just the whiff of luck we needed.View attachment 284778
When Gary Cahill tripped Finnbogason, the referee deemed it as a foul and pointed to the spot. It was a call that could have gone either way to be honest. Mourinho was going berserk at the touchline and so were the Chelsea players as they thought it wasn't a penalty. But Woodrow didn't seem bothered by the commotion and took the spotkick with confidence. 2-1 up and with a player advantage, we had a fantastic chance of beating Chelsea.
Chelsea tried their best to get back into the game but our defense stayed determined to deny them an equalizer. And we won the Community Shield. We beat Chelsea for the first time in six games under me. Great start to the season! And for the fourth season in a row, I won silverware for the club in a competition.
Mourinho received a one-match suspension for his comments about the penalty. When the press asked me what I thought of it, I gave a simple reply. "I only focus on my team and don't focus on other teams and their managers."
And the season is underway....
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[TD]And we get our first win of the season, our first game at Craven Cottage. It was a pleasing performance, despite winning it late. Woodrow got us off to a good start with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box in his trademark fashion.
We conceded in the 30th minute as we failed to deal with a cross, and more importantly let their striker into our box without marking. Bad defending there.
We kept pushing forward and kept going for the winning goal in the hour remaining. We finally got the win when substitute Alen Halilovic made a good run into the box to get on the end of Woodrow's pass and the 21 yr old showed excellent composure to slot it home.
We soon got our third from a set-piece. Halilovic's free kick into the box wasn't well dealt with by the Everton defense and when it fell to Woodrow, he attempted a first time shot. The shot looked off-target but it took a deflection off Klaassen and ended up inside the goal.
3-1 up with 5 mins to go. Ya, we weren't gonna screw that up! First points this season.[/TD]
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[TD="align: left"]Looking at the Man City player ratings, it's obvious why we lost. We had better possession, created more chances and had more shots on target (despite 2 fewer total shots), but we came up against a determined Joe Hart who simply wouldn't let a goal in.
Man City took the lead in the 27th minute from a corner which we miserably failed to clear. Three players had the chance to put the ball into the stands or just kick it long but their first touch and composure let them down.
Most of our goal scoring chances were denied by Hart but we did miss a few sitters. Burn headed wide from 4 yards and Woodrow hit it wide from 6 yards in either half. Not the best start to the season. I expressed my unhappiness to the players but wasn't too harsh.[/TD]
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[TD="align: left"]Looking at the Man City player ratings, it's obvious why we lost. We had better possession, created more chances and had more shots on target (despite 2 fewer total shots), but we came up against a determined Joe Hart who simply wouldn't let a goal in.
Man City took the lead in the 27th minute from a corner which we miserably failed to clear. Three players had the chance to put the ball into the stands or just kick it long but their first touch and composure let them down.
Most of our goal scoring chances were denied by Hart but we did miss a few sitters. Burn headed wide from 4 yards and Woodrow hit it wide from 6 yards in either half. Not the best start to the season. I expressed my unhappiness to the players but wasn't too harsh.[/TD]
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[TD]And we get our first win of the season, our first game at Craven Cottage. It was a pleasing performance, despite winning it late. Woodrow got us off to a good start with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box in his trademark fashion.
We conceded in the 30th minute as we failed to deal with a cross, and more importantly let their striker into our box without marking. Bad defending there.
We kept pushing forward and kept going for the winning goal in the hour remaining. We finally got the win when substitute Alen Halilovic made a good run into the box to get on the end of Woodrow's pass and the 21 yr old showed excellent composure to slot it home.
We soon got our third from a set-piece. Halilovic's free kick into the box wasn't well dealt with by the Everton defense and when it fell to Woodrow, he attempted a first time shot. The shot looked off-target but it took a deflection off Klaassen and ended up inside the goal.
3-1 up with 5 mins to go. Ya, we weren't gonna screw that up! First points this season.[/TD]
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A call, a bid and a new signing
It was the last day of the transfer window. I was in a meeting with Mike Rigg, the Director of Football and had my mobile set to silent. After the meeting, my mobile read, "6 missed calls".
I was surprised. My chief scout Malcolm Elias called me 6 times in the space of 30 minutes. I immediately called him and asked him what all the urgency was about.
"Heard of de Vilhena?", he questioned.
I thought for a while and said, "Ya, I do. He plays for that Dutch club...what was it....Feyenoord, was it?"
"Exactly. He's available. We can bring him to The Cottage. I spoke with his agent and we can make a last minute bid for him. What do you think?"
"How much?", I asked trying to calm down the excited Elias.
"About 6 mill pounds. It'd be a bargain, trust me T. He is valued at over 10 mill."
"Odd. Then why are we getting him for so cheap? Sounds fishy." I was puzzled.
"Well, he's unhappy at his manager for not letting him hold talks with some La Liga teams. And when the teams withdrew their bids, he lashed out at his manager for unfair treatment and wants out. I have seen him in action. He's good. And it's just 6 mill. Let me know." And he ended the conversation knowing that I'd need some time to think.
I looked at my team sheet. de Vilhena plays as an attacking midfielder or midfielder, either on the right, left or center. He's that versatile. Presently, Bryan Ruiz is the only attacking mid. in my side and he's getting a bit older. he's 32 and his attributes are slowly declining. de Vilhena's just 22 and has a bright future.
Oh what the ****. Might as well strengthen the midfield. "Go for it," I told Elias and Rigg over a conference call. "I'm willing to offer 6 mill for this lad, and he'll be my last signing for the summer. And while you're at it, try to sell Chris David and loan out Foday Nabay.'
"Chris wants out?", Rigg asked.
"Not really but I can't see him getting into the first team with Baselli and Hyndman around. And de Vilhena's signing makes it even tougher. It'll be better for his footballing career to move to a club where he can get more opportunities."
"Will do," said Rigg as the call ended.
Here's a final look at our transfer dealings and a closer look at Tonny Trindade de Vilhena.
It was the last day of the transfer window. I was in a meeting with Mike Rigg, the Director of Football and had my mobile set to silent. After the meeting, my mobile read, "6 missed calls".
I was surprised. My chief scout Malcolm Elias called me 6 times in the space of 30 minutes. I immediately called him and asked him what all the urgency was about.
"Heard of de Vilhena?", he questioned.
I thought for a while and said, "Ya, I do. He plays for that Dutch club...what was it....Feyenoord, was it?"
"Exactly. He's available. We can bring him to The Cottage. I spoke with his agent and we can make a last minute bid for him. What do you think?"
"How much?", I asked trying to calm down the excited Elias.
"About 6 mill pounds. It'd be a bargain, trust me T. He is valued at over 10 mill."
"Odd. Then why are we getting him for so cheap? Sounds fishy." I was puzzled.
"Well, he's unhappy at his manager for not letting him hold talks with some La Liga teams. And when the teams withdrew their bids, he lashed out at his manager for unfair treatment and wants out. I have seen him in action. He's good. And it's just 6 mill. Let me know." And he ended the conversation knowing that I'd need some time to think.
I looked at my team sheet. de Vilhena plays as an attacking midfielder or midfielder, either on the right, left or center. He's that versatile. Presently, Bryan Ruiz is the only attacking mid. in my side and he's getting a bit older. he's 32 and his attributes are slowly declining. de Vilhena's just 22 and has a bright future.
Oh what the ****. Might as well strengthen the midfield. "Go for it," I told Elias and Rigg over a conference call. "I'm willing to offer 6 mill for this lad, and he'll be my last signing for the summer. And while you're at it, try to sell Chris David and loan out Foday Nabay.'
"Chris wants out?", Rigg asked.
"Not really but I can't see him getting into the first team with Baselli and Hyndman around. And de Vilhena's signing makes it even tougher. It'll be better for his footballing career to move to a club where he can get more opportunities."
"Will do," said Rigg as the call ended.
Here's a final look at our transfer dealings and a closer look at Tonny Trindade de Vilhena.
An early trip to Anfield
I don't like playing the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea early in the season. From what I noticed in the past seasons, my players take time to get settled into a good rhythm. But I don't have the power to change the fixtures.
Liverpool are getting stronger year by year. Sturridge, Coutinho, Moreno, Sterling have become world-class players now with maxed attributes. We have a huge task ahead of us.
Disastrous performance. Liverpool dominated from the kick-off and ran circles around our players. They took an early lead but Woodrow equalized totally against the run of play 15 mins later. That was the only good chance we had the entire game.
Liverpool put together move after move and were finding so much space inside our box that our players might as well have taken a holiday. During my half time team talk, I told the players to sort their **** out and put on a much better performance in the second half.
Nothing changed. Liverpool were rampant and our defense was dormant. At one point with the score at 1-1, I just wanted it to be over so that I can stop watching this nightmare. Kranevitter put on a fantastic performance in the defensive midfield role but the rest of the defense did the exact opposite. Liverpool deservedly took the lead in the 78th minute through Sturridge. They deserved it, and more importantly we didn't deserve a single point from that game.
Coutinho finished the rout with a stoppage time goal. Despite conceding 3 goals, Bettinelli put on a masterclass. He made several reflex saves to deny Liverpool from scoring 5 or 6. It pains me to say this but I was so relieved to hear the final whistle.
That was dreadful. Absolutely dreadful.
Just look at those stats - makes my eyes bleed. We need to sort things out. I know it's early in the season but that's not the performance I expect from a team that finished second last season.
I don't like playing the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea early in the season. From what I noticed in the past seasons, my players take time to get settled into a good rhythm. But I don't have the power to change the fixtures.
Liverpool are getting stronger year by year. Sturridge, Coutinho, Moreno, Sterling have become world-class players now with maxed attributes. We have a huge task ahead of us.
Disastrous performance. Liverpool dominated from the kick-off and ran circles around our players. They took an early lead but Woodrow equalized totally against the run of play 15 mins later. That was the only good chance we had the entire game.
Liverpool put together move after move and were finding so much space inside our box that our players might as well have taken a holiday. During my half time team talk, I told the players to sort their **** out and put on a much better performance in the second half.
Nothing changed. Liverpool were rampant and our defense was dormant. At one point with the score at 1-1, I just wanted it to be over so that I can stop watching this nightmare. Kranevitter put on a fantastic performance in the defensive midfield role but the rest of the defense did the exact opposite. Liverpool deservedly took the lead in the 78th minute through Sturridge. They deserved it, and more importantly we didn't deserve a single point from that game.
Coutinho finished the rout with a stoppage time goal. Despite conceding 3 goals, Bettinelli put on a masterclass. He made several reflex saves to deny Liverpool from scoring 5 or 6. It pains me to say this but I was so relieved to hear the final whistle.
That was dreadful. Absolutely dreadful.
Just look at those stats - makes my eyes bleed. We need to sort things out. I know it's early in the season but that's not the performance I expect from a team that finished second last season.
It was time for a 14 day international break. A perfect time for a break after that disheartening loss to Liverpool.
Some of the players will represent their countries and it will help them take their mind off the League for a week or so.
The rest will train as per usual. However, I made sure that the training wasn't very intense. I relaxed the training a bit and told the players to focus solely on ball control. It was one of the main reasons why we lost our last game.
Off late, I've been getting calls from Bettinelli and Woodrow's agents asking for a better contract for their clients. Both the players had slightly more than a year left. Bettinelli definitely deserved an improved contract. He has become a key player in our squad and I thought his pay should reflect that. I offered him a contract.
I wasn't too sure about Woodrow though. He still has 2 years left on his contract but some of my backroom staff told me that it'd be better to offer him one so as to keep him happy. I thought about it a lot and finally gave him a new contract.
Both of them accepted the contracts and committed their future to Fulham, for now.
Some of the players will represent their countries and it will help them take their mind off the League for a week or so.
The rest will train as per usual. However, I made sure that the training wasn't very intense. I relaxed the training a bit and told the players to focus solely on ball control. It was one of the main reasons why we lost our last game.
Off late, I've been getting calls from Bettinelli and Woodrow's agents asking for a better contract for their clients. Both the players had slightly more than a year left. Bettinelli definitely deserved an improved contract. He has become a key player in our squad and I thought his pay should reflect that. I offered him a contract.
I wasn't too sure about Woodrow though. He still has 2 years left on his contract but some of my backroom staff told me that it'd be better to offer him one so as to keep him happy. I thought about it a lot and finally gave him a new contract.
Both of them accepted the contracts and committed their future to Fulham, for now.
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We needed that victory after the loss at Anfield. The game started off in a rather dodgy manner with both teams struggling to keep possession. We had a trio of chances at around the 30 minute mark but Krul pulled off good saves to deny us the lead.
After an hour long of a rather balanced game, the game turned on its head in 15 minutes. Woodrow scored from the penalty spot in the 61st minute after Kostas Manolas conceded a cheap penalty. 5 minutes later, Patrick Roberts scored our second after making an intelligent run behind the Magpies' defense before slotting one past Krul.
Roberts tripled our lead in the 74th minute with a tap-in from a Kacaniklic's cross. That sealed the victory for us. We were solid defensively through out the game restricting Newcastle to long range shots.
[/TD]After an hour long of a rather balanced game, the game turned on its head in 15 minutes. Woodrow scored from the penalty spot in the 61st minute after Kostas Manolas conceded a cheap penalty. 5 minutes later, Patrick Roberts scored our second after making an intelligent run behind the Magpies' defense before slotting one past Krul.
Roberts tripled our lead in the 74th minute with a tap-in from a Kacaniklic's cross. That sealed the victory for us. We were solid defensively through out the game restricting Newcastle to long range shots.
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Chelsea got off to a fantastic start in the league with 4 wins out of 4. Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool all have one loss in their first 4 games. Meanwhile, Manchester City and ourselves got off to a relatively rocky start.
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xJamieWilliams
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Loving this mate, hopefully you can do well in the Champions League!
UEFA Champions League 2017-18: Group Stage Preview
A decent draw for us. I'm glad to have avoided the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern. Groups C and G have the best clashes - Real vs. Man Utd and Bayern vs. Milan, respectively.
As for us, we have to face PSG, Real Sociedad and CSKA Moscow. A tough draw despite missing the obviously big names like Real, Barca, Bayern and Milan. PSG are going to be tough with the liked of Ibra, Cavani and Pastore in their line-up. We'll have to go for wins over CSKA Moscow and Sociedad, and may be PSG if we have to progress.
My first ever Champions League game involves a trip to Moscow to take on CSKA Moscow. We then face Sociedad at home, followed by a trip to the exquisite city of Paris to take on the financially rich PSG. Then, we square off with PSG and CSKA Moscow at Craven Cottage before going to Spain for our final group game against Real Sociedad.
I'm excited to take part in the competition. It'll be nice to see how far we can go.
As for us, we have to face PSG, Real Sociedad and CSKA Moscow. A tough draw despite missing the obviously big names like Real, Barca, Bayern and Milan. PSG are going to be tough with the liked of Ibra, Cavani and Pastore in their line-up. We'll have to go for wins over CSKA Moscow and Sociedad, and may be PSG if we have to progress.
My first ever Champions League game involves a trip to Moscow to take on CSKA Moscow. We then face Sociedad at home, followed by a trip to the exquisite city of Paris to take on the financially rich PSG. Then, we square off with PSG and CSKA Moscow at Craven Cottage before going to Spain for our final group game against Real Sociedad.
I'm excited to take part in the competition. It'll be nice to see how far we can go.
Decent group mate, here's hoping you can progress! Is Moyes still at Sociedad?
He just got sacked in my save after the mighty Deportivo beat them to the final Euro spot!
Moyes is at Valencia now in my save. Sociedad sacked him at the end of 2015/16 season.
Roberto Martinez is in charge of Sociedad.
Champions League Group Stage 2017/18
Two words - Alfred Finnbogason! Five star performance from the striker. CSKA Moscow had two chances in the first 20 minutes and they took them both. They scored two on either side of Finnbogason's goal to give them a 2-1 lead.
Following that, Finnbogason stepped up a gear and turned on the style. His movement off the ball was absolutely fantastic through out the game. Woodrow set-up the first two goals for Finnbogason with beautiful long balls over the heads of the Moscow defense. Finnbogason's hat-trick came just before half time from a corner.
Finny added his fourth seconds after the restart latching onto de Vilhena's through ball and slipping one past a helpless Akinfeev. His fifth was a carbon copy of the fourth goal, and came just before the hour mark. A very similar through ball once again by de Vilhena found Finny clear of the Moscow defense and he thumped the ball into the net.
de Vilhena, who came on as a half time sub for the injured Woodrow was magnificent through out the second half and scored a goal to complete the rout. de Vilhena deserved that goal. What a way to kick start the Champions League.
Two words - Alfred Finnbogason! Five star performance from the striker. CSKA Moscow had two chances in the first 20 minutes and they took them both. They scored two on either side of Finnbogason's goal to give them a 2-1 lead.
Following that, Finnbogason stepped up a gear and turned on the style. His movement off the ball was absolutely fantastic through out the game. Woodrow set-up the first two goals for Finnbogason with beautiful long balls over the heads of the Moscow defense. Finnbogason's hat-trick came just before half time from a corner.
Finny added his fourth seconds after the restart latching onto de Vilhena's through ball and slipping one past a helpless Akinfeev. His fifth was a carbon copy of the fourth goal, and came just before the hour mark. A very similar through ball once again by de Vilhena found Finny clear of the Moscow defense and he thumped the ball into the net.
de Vilhena, who came on as a half time sub for the injured Woodrow was magnificent through out the second half and scored a goal to complete the rout. de Vilhena deserved that goal. What a way to kick start the Champions League.
xJamieWilliams
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Lovely champions league result!
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We continued from where we left off in Moscow. Finnbogason who was in red hot form gave us the lead in the first minute with a nicely placed shot from the edge of the area. We were dominant for the first time away from home this season.
We soon doubled the lead via Baselli who made a run forward into the box to head home a Kacaniklic's cross. With a healthy 2-0 lead, we were looking confident by the minute. Just before half time when we won a free kick 25 yards from goal, Baselli tried his luck to curl one in. It was well saved by Pantilimon but the ball fell to Pat Roberts who scored our third. 3-0 up by half time and we were in commanding position.
The evening got worse for the home team as Santiago Vergini tripped Kacaniklic inside the box after the left winger dribbled past him. Woodrow, who came on as a substitute just a minute before stepped up and calmly took the penalty. That was Woodrow's 15 successful penalty for us in 15 attempts. He has never missed from the spot - that's incredible composure from a 22 year old. That was his 103rd goal for us.
That was the last goal action in the game and despite several tries in the last minutes, we couldn't find a fifth. An emphatic 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.
We soon doubled the lead via Baselli who made a run forward into the box to head home a Kacaniklic's cross. With a healthy 2-0 lead, we were looking confident by the minute. Just before half time when we won a free kick 25 yards from goal, Baselli tried his luck to curl one in. It was well saved by Pantilimon but the ball fell to Pat Roberts who scored our third. 3-0 up by half time and we were in commanding position.
The evening got worse for the home team as Santiago Vergini tripped Kacaniklic inside the box after the left winger dribbled past him. Woodrow, who came on as a substitute just a minute before stepped up and calmly took the penalty. That was Woodrow's 15 successful penalty for us in 15 attempts. He has never missed from the spot - that's incredible composure from a 22 year old. That was his 103rd goal for us.
That was the last goal action in the game and despite several tries in the last minutes, we couldn't find a fifth. An emphatic 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.
Capital One cup 2017-18: Third Round
We've been handed an away draw against Leeds United for the third round in the League Cup. We are the defending champions and have won the cup last two seasons in a row. A hat-trick would be absolutely phenomenal but I'm not thinking so far ahead at this stage.
As for the game,
We've been handed an away draw against Leeds United for the third round in the League Cup. We are the defending champions and have won the cup last two seasons in a row. A hat-trick would be absolutely phenomenal but I'm not thinking so far ahead at this stage.
As for the game,
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Once again, a narrow win against a team from the lower leagues. This is becoming a very common occurrence in my career - struggling to beat lower league teams convincingly especially after good performances against better teams. Oh well.
The first half was very even between the two teams. I didn't want to pressurize the lads and told them to keep up the tempo and the goal will come. It finally did, in the 77th minute and was scored by Hyndman. And it was a really good goal too. A very good counter-attack by the players. The goal can be viewed in the video to the right.
That lone goal was enough to see off a determined Leeds team, and helps us secure progression to the fourth round.
[/TD]The first half was very even between the two teams. I didn't want to pressurize the lads and told them to keep up the tempo and the goal will come. It finally did, in the 77th minute and was scored by Hyndman. And it was a really good goal too. A very good counter-attack by the players. The goal can be viewed in the video to the right.
That lone goal was enough to see off a determined Leeds team, and helps us secure progression to the fourth round.
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And my first ever victory against The Gunners. I changed my tactics around a little bit for this game and told the lads to press hard and high up the pitch. The rationale was simple - stop Arsenal from doing their thing with the intricate passing in the midfield.
It worked. We dominated proceedings and forced Arsenal to make mistakes in passing. We took the lead through Woodrow in the 14th minute as the striker scored with his signature strike. When he got the ball from de Vilhena at the edge of the box, he made a good turn and smashed it into the top corner. We controlled the rest of the first half in a similar manner with high pressing and forceful tackles.
Arsenal equalized early into the second half as Welbeck found some space behind our defense. Gah! I was a bit disappointed to concede after a good first half. But we took back the lead just 4 mins later. Matias Kranevitter who is not known for his goal scoring prowess went forward for a corner and after a poor clearance by the Gunners' defense, the ball fell to the Italian who scored. It was his first goal for the club!
Baselli doubled our lead by getting onto the end of a Kacaniklic cross just after the hour mark. I really wanted to hold onto this lead and took out de Vilhena for a more defensive minded Jermaine Jones, who played just ahead of the back four. We held onto the 2 goal lead and secured our first victory over Arsenal in the last 4 seasons.
It worked. We dominated proceedings and forced Arsenal to make mistakes in passing. We took the lead through Woodrow in the 14th minute as the striker scored with his signature strike. When he got the ball from de Vilhena at the edge of the box, he made a good turn and smashed it into the top corner. We controlled the rest of the first half in a similar manner with high pressing and forceful tackles.
Arsenal equalized early into the second half as Welbeck found some space behind our defense. Gah! I was a bit disappointed to concede after a good first half. But we took back the lead just 4 mins later. Matias Kranevitter who is not known for his goal scoring prowess went forward for a corner and after a poor clearance by the Gunners' defense, the ball fell to the Italian who scored. It was his first goal for the club!
Baselli doubled our lead by getting onto the end of a Kacaniklic cross just after the hour mark. I really wanted to hold onto this lead and took out de Vilhena for a more defensive minded Jermaine Jones, who played just ahead of the back four. We held onto the 2 goal lead and secured our first victory over Arsenal in the last 4 seasons.
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