We had the perfect opportunity to grab that point right from the first match, at home with 14th placed Wigan. Our last game with them was a high scoring draw, it finished 3-3 in December. We seemed to do better this time, we dominated the first 45 minutes and Wigan barely came out of their own half. But when they did, they scored! It was 1-1 at the break and we continued to push forward in the second half. Wigan were creating a few chances for themselves on quick counter attacks but we were missing huge chances, huge. Pavlyuchenko finally banged one in in the 76th minute and it looked like we were going to give our fans a nice victory. In the last minute our keeper probably has some other thoughts on his mind, he passed the ball straight to an opponent. He scored and didn’t even say thanks… It finished 2-2 but we should have won it.

But it was quite enough, the 6th place was ours!

After that game I received the first big job offer from a Premier League club, Aston Villa. I was shocked by their wage budget, almost 60 million euro per year while I have only 6 million at Blyth! Obviously, I declined the offer, I want to take the Spartans through Europe

The last game of the season didn’t matter anymore, Newcastle looked determined and willing to win it and we didn’t do much to stop them.

Here’s the final league table, Manchester City won the title and my Blyth Spartans qualified for the UEFA Europa League! West Bromwich will go straight back to Championship along with Hull and Birmingham. I checked your comments and guess what, Ben E predicted at the end of our Championship season that we would finish 6th in the Premier League! He might have been joking though, he also said that we would win the Carling Cup

Vagner Love was the top goalscorer and my Roman Pavlyuchenko was right behind him with 20 goals! Nicao almost won the most assists award but Vagner Love won that one too.

Here are the squad statistics for this season, centre back Cristian Suarez had the highest average rating at the end of it, 7.35 from 36 appearances.

But the revelation was central midfielder Mickey Wordsworth, he had an average rating just above seven and made 10 assists for the team. The good performances earned him the first international cap for England and I can say that he’s getting better every day. Several clubs want him badly and now he wants to move to a bigger club… Hopefully I’ll be able to persuade him to stick around, I guess we’ll be a big club soon

And now the other important results. Liverpool won the FA Cup after a tense final game with Arsenal. This result means that 7th placed Manchester United qualify for the Europa League…

The UEFA Europa League was won by Ajax Amsterdam, they defeated Shakhtar Donetsk with a last minute goal.

And finally, an English team won the UEFA Champions League, Chelsea won against Barcelona to lift the trophy. And that means that even 8th placed Crystal Palace will get to play in the Europa League!

We were given 17 million euro for finishing 6th and with around 30 million euro in the bank my board decided to invest in a new stadium expansion. Not too much though, only 400 seats!

There you go, that was my first season with the Blyth Spartans in the Premier League, a great season for the club. We have a new board now and some money to spend, hopefully they’ll give me a decent transfer budget that would allow me to get some better players. After a quick look at the squad I’d say that I’ll need a keeper, a right back, maybe even a left back, a centre back, a central midfielder, a pair of left/right wingers and a striker. Not too much…

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

The first game was at home with 3rd placed Aston Villa, a very good team that defeated us quite convincingly in November, 2-0. This time the game was quite even and I was hoping for the best when Pavlyuchenko scored after picking up a superb through ball from Nicao. Rodrigo Palacio made it all square with a terrific strike before the break and although we created some chances in the second half we looked a bit nervy and couldn’t score. Aston Villa tried to control the last minutes of the game and they did that very well.

Next up, mission impossible away at Arsenal. They were just above us in the table, we were 6th and they were 5th. We caused a major upset in November by beating them 2-1 at home, but now Arsenal were in great form. They were incredibly confident and they started the game with a very attacking 4-2-4 formation! The bad thing was that we just couldn’t get the ball back from them, they were passing it around with enormous ability. The first half ended all square but we never looked like being capable of getting something out of the match. Arsenal got a well deserved revenge.

And things were getting even more rough as we had to play our next game away at the leaders, Manchester City. They badly needed a win to stay on top of the table, Liverpool were just two points behind them. I would have been happy with a draw and Pavluychenko hit the target again just before half time to give us the lead! But Manchester City were simply unstoppable in the second half and we were not able to resist. We were down in 6th place and the Europa League place that we were dreaming to achieve was in great danger.

The next game was absolutely crucial, at home with 7th placed Crystal Palace. We had to win this to stay in 6th but it was going to be tough, Crystal Palace defeated us 2-0 back in December with great determination. They were looking very aggressive again and the first half ended with a well deserved 1-0 for them. They were looking unbeatable, we had to react after the break, otherwise… We played better after half time and when everybody expected us to score the equalizer, disaster struck… Cristian Suarez picked up a second yellow card and was sent to the showers. I decided to gamble and played the last 20 minutes of the game with a 3-4-2 formation, without a right back! Right winger Mario Garay had to do a lot of work on that flank at that point but he looked very happy to do it. Even more, he dribbled past everybody on that right wing and whipped in a perfect cross… Roman Pavlyuchenko was there and hit a perfect powerful header, 1-1! Crystal Palace were trying to take advantage of the big hole in our right flank but Christos Karakatsanis, the right back that I moved to the center of the defense after the sending off was absolutely heroic. Crystal Palace wanted to win this and they were pushing forward and leaving gaps at the back. We intercepted a pass and sent in the long ball forward… Nicao reached it before their keeper, fast dribble past him… Get in! Sorry for any heart attacks we might have caused among our older fans, we won it!

The last game of the month was away at the weakest team in the league, Hull. We demolished them 4-0 back in December and I expected a nice win this time too. Our performance was disappointing though, my lads were looking tired after the very tough battles that they had to face this month. It looked like we were in for a 0-0 draw but a bit of inspiration saved our day. I sent in substitute left winger Martin Panik in the second half, I hoped that his pace could make the difference. And it did, right in the last minute of the game, a great run o the left flank and a perfectly placed far post shot! We were lucky to win it, but I guess it doesn’t matter too much at this point.

I checked out the other results after the end of the game and I was shocked! Crystal Palace lost at home with Fulham, 1-0. Chelsea lost 1-0 at Portsmouth! Manchester United were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa! We were back in 5th place and our European dream was closer than ever! We have another two games to play and we need at least a draw to make sure of the 6th place.

Or we could climb up to 3rd place with a bit of luck… Anyway, the last two games will be at home with Wigan and away at our local rivals from Newcastle. Manchester United will have two very difficult games, with Arsenal and Liverpool!

We’re getting close, we have to get at least a draw in those two games, we just can’t afford to throw away all the good work that we did all season long in the last games, that won’t happen! Now please excuse me but I’m going to prepare and play those last two games, expect a new post later today

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

Everybody expected the decision to be made public after the away game at Middlesbrough and I had to focus on the game and think about my job after the final whistle. We defeated Middlesbrough 2-0 in October and they have been quite disappointing this season. Last season they qualified for the Europa League, now they were fighting to avoid relegation in 16th place. The first half was quite even but Middlesbrough were 1-0 up at the break thanks to a goal by Stewart Downing. We dominated the second half and Roman Pavlyuchenko ended his goal drought in style with a great double! A solid away win and now I could wait for the new chairman’s decision in peace…

And that decision came a few days later, it was the normal decision that everybody expected: I was allowed to continue my career at Blyth!

I was happy and relieved, now I could concentrate on my football. In the meantime Arsenal won the Carling Cup after a thrilling extra time victory over Chelsea.

We had a difficult game coming up, a home clash with our local rivals, Sunderland. They were performing well in the Premier League, safely in 9th place. We won the away game 2-1 in November and I expected a tight game this time too. We dominated the first half but we had huge problems with their quick counter attacks. And one of these counter attacks produced a penalty kick for Sunderland, they were leading 1-0 despite the fact that we played pretty well. Midfielder Mickey Wordsworth finally found the moment to score his first goal for the club, a perfectly placed shot just before the break! We continued to push forward in the second half and Sunderland were threatening us on counter attacks. Dejan Stankovic stepped up again and scored another decisive goal for us, a great shot from outside the penalty area. It was a great result but it came at a pretty steep price: Nicao and Stankovic were injured during the game and we had to play without them for 3 weeks!

And we had very tough games coming up… Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool! Chelsea were in 5th place and showing good form lately. We snatched a 2-2 draw at home in October and Chelsea were probably seeking revenge for that. The game began perfectly for us, Chelsea were not producing much and we were playing quite well. Pavlyuchenko headed home a perfect cross from the right wing and we were 1-0 up in the 27th minute! Chelsea reacted furiously and we were under siege until half time. John Terry scored one from a corner kick and 5 minutes later they were awarded a penalty kick! Frank Lampard stepped up, he usually doesn’t miss, but this time the keeper parried it! It was 1-1 at the break, not bad! We played better in the second half, Chelsea were not creating as much pressure as they did in the first 45 minutes. It seemed that we could hold on to the draw but guess what, reserve Portuguese midfielder Leandro Pimenta decided to prove himself in the 81st minute and banged in a shot from 20 yards out! Michael Essien replied immediately with a powerful shot, it was 2-2. We stood firm in the last minutes of the game and walked away with a precious point! I guess a win would have been similar to a highway robbery

We received great news after the game, our next match, away at Arsenal, was moved to the 9th of April due to international call-ups. I was quite happy with that, it gave us some space to breathe in a very difficult period of time with many injuries in my squad. So, the last game of the month now, at home with 2nd placed Liverpool. They won the previous game with ease, 3-1 back in November.

They were having injury problems too, Fernando Torres and Jamie Carragher were out. We played an almost perfect first half, Liverpool only had a few shots from distance. The most important thing is their defense looked weak and we took advantage of that. Linas Urbsys scored the first goal and two minutes later left winger Tom Chapple pushed in a far post cross from the right wing. We were perfectly in control in the second half too, we even created a few more chances to score. The game was beginning to look peaceful but suddenly there were another four goals in the last 15 minutes, two for each team. Cristian Suarez scored from a corner kick and young English right winger Farai Chilufya scored his first goal for the club. Liverpool‘s goals were scored by Serbian attacking midfielder Miralem Sulejmani, he practically scored both of them on his own, by dribbling through my defense. Anyway, it was a great win over one of the main title contenders!

We were still in 5th place but the table was pretty tight at the top, anything can happen in there… We have 7 more games to play, I guess that with 4 wins out of seven we could hang on to an Europa League place…

Sounds easy, but if you look at the fixtures it might not seem that easy anymore. The first four games in April will be extremely tough, all of them with teams placed in the first seven. The good thing is that the ones with Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, our main contenders for the Europe place, will be at home. The last game will be easier, away at already relegated Hull. Then there will be two more games in May, with Wigan and Newcastle…

Well, what do you say? Can we make it?

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

I was forced to rest a few first team players for the difficult away game at Everton, they were very tired and I just had to give them a break. Everton were in 10th place and had a very good team, with van Persie and Arteta on the wings. We won the home game 2-1 in September but this time they didn’t give us too many chances. It was an even game but somehow they scored three goals, the first by taking advantage of a huge defensive error and the other two from corner kicks

We had to recover from that painful defeat but there were rough times ahead, we had Manchester United coming up at The Stadium of Light. We snatched an upset draw at Old Trafford back in September but upsets don’t happen too often, so I expected Manchester United to try to win this one without too many problems. And it seemed done after 10 minutes, they were 2-0 up before we knew it, with a bit of help from the referee. My team reacted well, we dominated the rest of the game but my strikers, Nicao and Pavlyuchenko, were not showing the great form that they had in the first half of the season. Centre back Cristian Suarez headed home a corner kick in the 80th minute but it seemed to be too late. Wes Brown was finally sent off in the 83rd minute… Him and Vidic roughed up Nicao from the first second of they game, they should have been sent off in the first half if you ask me, both of them! When it seemed to be almost over left winger Martin Panik invented a fabulous volley from out wide and it went in, the goal of the season so far! A good result that could have been even better…

Next up, a tough away game at 17th placed Portsmouth. We won the home game convincingly in October, 3-0, but Pompey were very strong at home. They dominated the game but never looked like having what it takes to prevail. It looked like we were heading for a 0-0 draw but Peter Crouch decided to score one for each team in the last 20 minutes, so it ended 1-1 We didn’t play particularly well, things could have gone worse than a draw.

A few days after the Portsmouth game the news finally came, the takeover was completed. The new chairman told me that they were going to invest in the training facilities and that he will probably bring a new manager. He told me that he will let me know soon about his decision.

I thought that if this man is a wise businessman than he will not bring a new manager because he already has a great one at the club. Anyway, I decided to play the next match and wait for his decision, whatever that decision would be.

The expansion at our Croft Park stadium was finally completed, so the next game was the first one of the season at our own stadium. West Bromwich Albion were coming to visit, they were the last placed team in the league table. It was a great opportunity to welcome our fans back home with a win but West Brom scored an early goal out of nowhere and it seemed like it was going to be tougher than we expected. Cristian Suarez got us back on level terms right before the break but my strikers were still missing important chances. Nicao finally scored in the 63rd minute, that was one he just couldn’t miss, he just had to push the ball into the empty net. Cristian Suarez scored again in the 80th minute to polish a great performance, both in defense and attack. He is becoming a true leader of the team.

Arsenal and Chelsea were showing great form, so we stepped down in 5th place. I expected that, I didn’t even dream about finishing 3rd… We’re still in with a chance to fight for an Europa League place but it’s going to be very, very tough.

We’ll have a tough month ahead of us, with a true inferno in the last three games – Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. We have to get the most out of the Middlesbrough and Sunderland games and then try to cause at least one upset in the last three games…

The month is over now and the new chairman still didn’t make up his mind. I guess I’ll have to play at least another game, the away one at Middlesbrough and wait for the decision. Paul Jewell, the manager that the new board wants, is currently managing Hull and they’re safely in… 19th place with only one win in 27 games! I guess it would be pretty crazy to sack me and bring him but you never know…

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

Our battle began right on the 1st of January, we had an away game at 15th placed West Ham. We defeated them in the previous meeting, 1-0 at home in our debut game in the Premier League back in August. Everything was solved in the first 25 minutes, we took the lead a few minutes after the first whistle, West Ham scored the equalizer immediately and then we pushed them back and scored another two goals before half time. The win was in our bag, West Ham dominated the second half but we looked solid at the back.

Next up, the clash with Newcastle in the FA Cup 3rd round. My players desperately wanted to win this because the fans cared a lot about this game but maybe because of that pressure we were not able to convert our chances. We played very well but it looked like we were watching a “who misses the biggest chance” contest between Nicao and Pavlyuchenko, they missed some unbelievable opportunities. Newcastle were quite lucky to score twice and that was it, we lost a game that we deserved to win…

Anyway, getting knocked out from the FA Cup had also a good part to it, less games for my players and the possibility to focus on the Premier League matches. The transfer window was open and we were getting a lot of offers for my players. There was a bizarre offer for my young midfielder Mickey Wordsworth, 4.7 million euro from Fulham. The weird thing was that we just bought him from… Fulham, last summer!

Maybe it was just a strategy to unsettle the player before the Blyth – Fulham match… They were in 15th place and our last game finished 3-3, highly entertaining. This time we were playing at home and I hoped to win it. We had a good start, midfielder Linas Urbsys scored his first goal of the season with a furious shot from inside the penalty area. Cristian Suarez scored again from a free kick and we were looking great at the break. Fulham dominated the game in the second half but we were looking pretty calm in defense. That was until the 78th minute, a huge defensive error gave Gomis the chance to score and he didn’t miss. They scored again three minutes later and it was all square, all the work that we did until then vanished in only 3 minutes!

We had a good chance to get back to winning in the next game, away at 17th placed Birmingham. They were having a poor run of 8 games without a win and they surely remembered Nicao‘s five goals in their net back in August It looked different this time, Birmingham were very determined and they dominated the first half. We were lucky to be 1-0 up at the break. The last 45 minutes were a different story, we took control over the game and Nicao scored again in the 75th minute to make absolutely sure of the three points.

The last game of the month was a tough home encounter with Tottenham. They have been disappointing this season, they were only in 12th place, but they won the previous game against us 1-0 in September. We played very well this time, we dominated the whole 90 minutes but… it just wouldn’t get in! We created lots of chances, we even hit the crossbar in the 92nd minute… We were lucky in certain games so I guess it all evens out at some point.

Despite the not brilliant month that we had we were still in 3rd place! I guess we have a good chance to grab an Europa League place at the end of it but we have to play well and earn as much points as possible from the home games. The big teams will do their best to see us go down the table, I’m pretty sure about that.

The player that I’d like to single out after this month is young midfielder Mickey Wordsworth. He was very reliable for us in midfield, a constant performer and a hard working lad. He’s working hard in training too, his attributes are constantly growing. The only minus is that so far he didn’t manage to score his first goal for the club but I hope that he’ll do that too before the end of the season.

And now let’s get to the business side. As you know from the December update, there was a consortium that wanted to take over the club. Now the board enforced a transfer embargo until the takeover stuff would be resolved…

The piece of news that concerns me is that the investors seem to have their own favorite for the manager job, Paul Jewell. Rumors say that he will be named as manager of the Blyth Spartans after the takeover and I’ll get sacked Hm, that’s unfair, I brought this club from Blue Square North to the Premier League, didn’t I?

However, my board were obviously pleased with my performances and they were asking me to be patient. Well, I’m a patient guy, so I guess I’ll wait until they decide something about this takeover stuff.

I checked my job status and guess what it says… UNTOUCHABLE. If the new board will bring a new manager I guess they’ll have to face a riot in town!

I don’t know how all this takeover business will end but until then I’ll try to get as many points as possible to grab that Europa League place. If the new board will want to sack me… it will be their loss, I bet I’ll find a new job quickly. I’d feel bad about it though, what the Spartans are today is thanks to my work and it would be unfair to hand it to some other manager… We’ll see, stay tuned to find out!

© www.footballmanagerstory.com