SupernovaDragon started the Man Utd B experiment to see how the youth team would get on in Division 2. Unfortunately that also involves the Windscreen Shield. Catch up with part 2 here.

Back to the experiment and carrying on from where we left off. We had just been beaten by Brentford and Johnny boy Curtis had just gone back to the Premier League to sign for Leeds.

This is starting to get difficult for defenders:

God damn that pulled hamstring, looks like Duncan will be starting. I have been on the parent club’s page and noticed David May has not been playing (can’t say I blame them.) I did go to make a bid but he is “unavailable” currently and current Manchester United manager Solskjaer is unhappy at not being in the first team. I will be keeping an eye on that situation. Eric Cantona still does not have a club. That is a possibility.

In managerial news, John Gregory got sacked by Aston Villa (I forgot to mention in the last update) and has now become manager of Kilmarnock.

Our first game of the update is away to 8th placed Bristol Rovers. With Curtis sold and Brown and Casper being injured, this is a makeshift defence:

At half time it is 1-1. Notman put us ahead after a through ball from Nevland put him through. 11 minutes later and Morgan’s shot was saved by Pilkington only for it to run free and put into the empty net by Skinner.

This match was petering out to a dull 1-1 until Duncan brought down Morgan and was sent of for a professional foul. I then had to move Appleton to centre back and brought the Tree on for Cooke but all that did was open up the space for the Bennett and finally Cureton to finish us off. This does not bode well for the the rest of the month.

Some good news on the injury front:

Chances are he’ll at least be on the bench next match.

Meanwhile, Gerry Francis is new manager of Aston Villa, surprising appointment I thought.

Our next match is at home to 6th place Gillingham, I am very much hoping for a good response here. However, due to McGibbon again being away on international duty Appleton is in defence with Casper only fit for the bench and will only be used if he is truly needed. My Tree has dropped back as defensive midfielder.

Half-time and 1-0 down through Akinbiyi and it’s already not looking good. I send them back out hoping for better.

Second half was a rather full affair if truth be told, until an effort from Cooke was parried by the keeper and Nevland pounced on the loose ball. Then it looked like it was heading to a 1-1 draw until Notman got put through by Nevland to score the win in the last 2 minutes. Back to winning ways.

Our parent club have been in the transfer market again:

In some ways, you could almost suggest that our B team is helping them create a bit of an amazing team.

Our next match is away to Hull in the Windowscreen pointless cup. Just before this match, Pilkington who was going to be dropped anyway picked up a gashed head injury, looks like Culkin will definitely be starting. I have decided to bring in the likes of Brebner as he has never played for us.

Just as I thought, we got beat and barely created anything. The entire team was poor and I was surprised Hull didn’t score more to be honest.

West Ham then come in with a bid but for Clegge but as he hasn’t handed in a transfer request, he isn’t leaving.

West Ham are trying to decimate our squad:

Again, refused!

Next match is away to Northampton, so I have named a full strength side but Pilkington is still injured.

Half-time and we are are 2-0 up thanks to Nevland in the first minute after Tomlinson put him through. Then later in the half, Nevland got put through by Tomlinson again but this time Nevland tried the lob, it was parried and Tomlinson followed it up.

In the end we blew the lead, for some reason our team just seemed to stop playing from the hour mark onwards and Northampton deserved the point. The goal that brought them back into it was after a mix-up between captain for the day Clegg and Culkin that resulted in the ball hitting the post and bouncing out to the grateful Brightwell who put it in an empty net. I have serious doubts about Culkin and look forward to the day our parent club sells Van Der Gouw.

Next up is the trip to play Preston, who of course now no longer have Macken and Appleton which is quite possibly why they are 20th but then they usually struggle when I play on this game.

Pilkington is straight back into the team after injury, Duncan is suspended so into the centre comes Casper with Clegg going left back with O’Kane right back. The rest of the team is unchanged.

Well, Pilkington lasted long. 2 minutes in fact until he got himself sent off for bringing down Nogan when he was through. Nogan scored the penalty and then a McGibbon foul, which got him a yellow card, resulted in a free-kick that Culkin dropped and put into the net by Cissoko. Then as the half went out we slowly came back into it. McKenna then went off on a stretcher and 11 minutes later Tomlinson put Nevland through to score. Just before half-time Eyres elbowed Clegg in the face, for some reason, which led to his sending off. Still 2-1 down but now we have a chance.

In the end we gained the point we probably could have lost in this match. Tomlinson played Mulryne in who slotted home nicely to earn us the point. To be honest, after Pilkington was sent off, which means we’ll be missing him and having to rely on Culkin again, I’d have taken the point.

I don’t think so somehow Middlesbrough. Not just 1 player, not just 2 players but 3? You are bloody dreaming!

Back home for our next match at home to Blackpool. Again it was the only match of the day on the Sunday, I think I have figured out why and I think I have been stupid. It’s because it’s at Old Trafford.

Anyway, I have tweaked the formation a little bit, I have moved Cooke and Mulryne out wide. Problem is, it may leave us exposed in the middle. We will soon see.

At half-time we are 2-0 up thanks to Notman suddenly turning on the style for us. First he got put through by Tomlinson and he finished with ease. Then Philpot climbed all over Appleton from a Mulryne corner and Notman converted the penalty easily. This then actually led to Philpot being taken off. All in all, a good first half by us for the first time in a while.

Second half and we almost threw the game away again. Quinn pulled one back to put them back into the game. Then I brought Twiss on for Tomlinson and within 3 minutes of that sub, got put through by Notman and scored by taking it round the keeper. Then in the last 5 minutes, Quinn scored again. We won but we almost didn’t. Also, I am not surprised their keeper was man of the match. I just thought Notman deserved it also, he was really good today.

We haven’t been the same in defence since Johnny boy left. On the plus side, I think, Brown is back from injury.

Oh please, leave my kids alone:

Also, what is it with the same club coming in for several players at the same time?

Thank you for the kind words and also, that profit is mainly through Johnny boy.

Not now Nevland:

I think he’ll be back in time for Christmas. Though, it has to be said, the injury could not have come at a worse time. Our next match is against top of the table Walsall away. Brown is starting for Duncan and with Nevland injured, Twiss is starting with Macken on the bench.

At half-time it’s 0-0 and we have barely threatened them. In fact, Walsall have been over us quite a bit if truth be told.

At full-time we had lost and had surrendered top spot for sure now. Beckford with the only goal on 50 minutes after slotting it past Pilkington. I did think we equalised when Twiss but Tomlinson through 9 minutes later and Tomlinson slotted it home but the flag was up for offside.

We deserved nothing from this match if truth be told.

Meanwhile in Scotland, it’s a good day to be a Dumbarton fan:

Meanwhile, I have brought through motions to bring Dennis Irwin (wants first team football), David May (I need a centre back) and Solskjaer (transfer listed by request) down to the B team. I am hoping to get at least 2 of the 3. Especially the defenders.

Next up is at home in the Windowscreen Pointless Cup to Wrexham. Luckily this is the one game Pilkington is suspended for so it won’t make a difference as he wouldn’t have played anyway. I will be making several changes and to add to it, Twiss is out for a few days so he couldn’t play anyway.

At half-time we are 2-1 up, Notman played Macken through who put it in the net with such ease. Then in the 40th minute, Macken had a shot, it bounced off the keeper and Notman slotted it home. Then on the restart, Wrexham went straight down the other end, Clegg miskicked and Connelly put them back in it.

By full-time we scored a 3rd after Macken’s shot was parried by the keeper and David Brown scored his first goal for us. Somehow, his rating jumped from an average 6 to being man of the match with that 1 goal.

Just 1 addition to this, how many people come to watch this pointless match?

God damnit, what I didn’t want to see.

I’m expecting a fixture pile-up soon.

Blackpool it is then.

Both Solskjaer and Irwin rejected me. Just May to go. I will bide my time and hopefully I will be able to tempt Dennis soon. Solskjaer is on his way to Italy.

Next match is away in the FA Cup first round to Farnbrough. I am expecting us to net a lot of goals in this match. I am going for the FA Cup. I want the 3rd round and I want us to draw our parent club.

This is not a fair match, this is shooting practice:

Thornley’s goal was a shimmy and then finished with ease, Brown scored his from a Thronley corner after he threw himself at the ball and Notman’s 2 goals came from rebounds.

It ended 5-1. I am very disappointed that we even conceded a goal. Appleton’s goal was a header from a corner.

Our next round opponents are Chesterfield:

Bye bye Ole Gunnar

Our next match, as we try to get back to winning ways is Plymouth away. Just the one change as Twiss comes in for David Brown.

First half was a damp squib with not a lot happening, Plymouth did have a goal ruled out for offside but that’s it. The second half though:

As you can see, I brought the completely ineffective Twiss off for Tomlinson and the same minute Hamilton scored from 25 yards from nothing. 6 minutes later, Thornley put Tomlinson through to score a simple finish. A minute later and Perkins handballed when Tomlinson was through on goal and was sent off. With 6 minutes to go, Tomlinson got brought down in the box, Notman blasted wide and 2 minutes later Tomlinson was put through by Macken to win the game for us. We barely deserved much from this match but a wins a win.

David May refused the drop down to the B team.

Our next match is home to York, Twiss is definitely out for Tomlinson but that’s the only change. At half-time we are 2 to the good thanks to Tomlinson pouncing on a loose ball after Thornley struck the post and then Thornley being put through by Macken to score with ease. However, what seemed like it may become a plain simple win:

We went to 3-1 up thanks to Cooke’s cross and Macken putting the ball in the net, only for Toulson to jump on a mistake by Pilkington. We then got a 4th through Twiss jumping on a loose ball from Tomlinson’s shot that hit the woodwork. Then we proceeded to almost throw away the win as both Bull and Tolson again got behind our defence to put it to 4-3. At least we won this. Something I did notice is their number 3:

Jon ‘Jonathan’ Greening used to actually play for Man United but didn’t sign him until after 1998 to which he was more of a left sided midfielder than defender. My question though is this. Can I sign him? Unfortunately I don’t think I can as he isn’t at Man United now, which is a shame as I need all the defenders I can get.

Meanwhile in the World Cup qualifiers:

England are out on penalties to Bulgaria and Scotland are at the World cup along with the Republic of Ireland. Which has led to one hell of a group:

Our next match is away to Milwall. Will we be able to keep this back to winning ways going?

At half-time it’s 1-0 to us as Macken put Tomlinson through to finish on the half hour mark. In the end it ended 1-1 which I feel was a fair result.

Meanwhile in Scotland, Dumbarton couldn’t quite make it a double:

Next match is home in the Windowscreen Pointless Cup to Blackpool. This fixture feels in the way for me. A totally changed side, or at least as changed as I can make it.

At half-time it seems my players care more about this thing than I do as Macken has got himself 2 and even my lovely Tree scoring 1 to put us 3-0 up. Looks like this change around has worked unless Blackpool care less for this than what I personally do.

In the end we won 3-2 as the defence did seem to want to throw away the match. The problem is though, we finished the match with 2 injures:

The Macken injury is the worst of the two in terms of the team but it won’t be the same without a Tree hanging around the training pitch for a couple of weeks.

Interesting signing for Chelsea:

Oh joy, another game in the Window Screen:

At least it’s over until January.

Final game of this big update of a couple of months is away to Chesterfield in the FA Cup 2nd round. Back to as full strength as I can get.

At half-time it’s 2-2 as we went 1-0 up thanks to Tomlinson, conceded 2 to Reeves, who I swear scored against me last time and David Brown equalised in the 40th minute after pouncing on a loose ball after Tomlinson’s shot hit the woodwork.

It’s a replay for us then. We went 3-2 down on 55 minutes thanks to Reeves shot hitting the woodwork and Howard putting the ball into the empty net. Then the longer it went on, the more I thought we were going out. Until Cooke got put through 1-on-1 and slotted the ball under the keeper in the last 4 minutes. Tomlinson then hit the woodwork in the 90th minute.

I’m still making that profit:

Before I leave you, here’s the current table:

As you can see, we have played a game more and 4 points behind and since Johnny boy left, our goals against as really shot up. We just haven’t been the same since he left. Talking of which:

He’s had a decent enough start for Leeds.

Where is our parent club in the Premier League?

With the squad they have assembled, did you expect them to be anywhere else?

With that, it’s goodbye from the B’s for this part. Join us next time to see if we can progress to round 3 and see who we could play and see if we can get back to the top of the table over Christmas.