The Man Utd B experiment is not going as well as hoped for SupernovaDragon. Can he inspire the youth team to greater things this week? Catch up with part 3 here.

Hello and welcome back to the Manchester B’s, the blog all about the youngsters of Manchester United coming together and forming a B team. We pick up where we left off, It’s now December and we are currently in a mixed run of results and conceding goals left and right.

First bit of news comes in the way of the FA Cup 3rd round draw:

Crystal Palace? If we can get past Chesterfield, I like to think we could beat them.

Oh please stop it with the bids, I am not selling.

It’s a good job we have a lot of left sided midfielders, saying that he is a key player.

We get to the first game of this update, at home to Wycombe. We play on the Sunday after everyone else, we have now fallen to 3rd due to goal difference. I decided to keep David Brown up front for his first league match. At half-time we are 1-0 up thanks to Brown playing Tomlinson through to lob the keeper. The second half and Tomlinson repaid the the favour to set up David Brown to make it 2-0 on 47 minutes. 3 minutes later and Tomlinson put Notman through who hit the wood work and Tomlinson finished the to an empty net for his second. Then after Twiss came on for Brown, Tomlinson put him through, he tried a lob of his own, only to hit the post and Tomlinson again to put it into the empty net to complete a rather easy hat-trick.

Tomlinson deserved man of the match and David Brown impressed me a lot today to be honest.

So not what I needed, stay on your feet more Pat:

Anything for time off over Christmas.

Looks like the Totti love affair with Roma is over a bit early:

No, just go away Coventry

At home to Chesterfield for the return in the FA Cup. Nevland is back from injury but isn’t 100% yet so I am putting him on the bench I want to get to the 3rd round. There’s just 1 forced changed, Clegg is with the England U21’s so O’Kane is back starting.

At half-time we are 2-0 up and pretty much dominating this match. David Brown has even missed about 5 chances. Then Tomlinson played Notman through to finish with ease and Cooke’s corner was headed in by Thornley of all players. I can feel the 3rd round of the cup coming to us. Bring on Palace.

2nd half, we continue how we finished the first half and win 3-1.

Thornley played Tomlinson through and he easily finished past their keeper. A minute later and Curtis chipped the ball over Pilkington and made it a little nervy but if truth be told, I think the players could sense the 3rd round and the chance to prove to our parent club they should be playing for them.

Our next league match is home to Watford, who by the way had dispensed with Graham Taylor’s services earlier in the season after they were towards the bottom of the table and he’s now manager of Oldham. Their new manager, Ray Wilkins, has got them out the relegation zone but they are still close.

Our previous meeting with Watford ended 2-1 to us. Can we do the double over them?

I decided to make the surprise decision of keeping Brown up front as he has impressed me recently with Nevland on the bench for Twiss.

At half-time my decision has been proven to be a correct one as David Brown has scored the only goal after Tomlinson chipped it through and Brown scored the 1-on-1. Though, it does have to be said, it takes him 5 chances to score 1 goal, bit worrying.

I needn’t have worried about Brown:

Tomlinson scored within 2 minutes of the restart only for Watford to go straight back up the other end and have Thomas instantly pull one back. It then stayed that way until the 83rd minute when Nevland put Brown through to net his hat-trick. I just cannot drop him now can I?

Up next is away to Bristol City, I don’t really want to make any changes due to David Brown banging in the goals last match.

In the very first minute, one of their defenders missed the ball, DB ran through and lobbed the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper. He really is on fire at the moment this lad. Just as it was looking up, Terry Cooke done the unthinkable and went in late with a tackle and got himself sent off. 86 minutes is a long time to hold on for. 1-0 at half-time.

Second half went as well as I could have hoped, 1-1 in the end and I know that I’m going to miss Cooke when he is suspended.

I will miss Cooke now he is suspended, which I forgot to screenshot. He’s out for 3 matches starting beginning of January. Added to that, McGibboon is now suspended which isn’t that bad seeing how I haven’t brought him back into the starting line-up yet.

I’m still not selling Hammers:

Or to you Palace:

Besides which, Mulryne has JUST returned from injury the exact same day.

We then all have our Christmas dinners and I let them have their lemonade and coke and only the very eldest of the squad can have something a little stronger, a shandy, as we then prepare for our home game reverse fixture against locals Oldham.

Half-time and I think my players are still feeling the after effects of the Christmas dinner yesterday as we are 1-0 down and we are nowhere near the same as we have been for the past few matches.

Full-time and we done nothing all match, I knew I should have made them come in yesterday.

We deserved nothing from that match and how Notman got an 8 I just do not know.

Thank you for saying that, I thought I should be top but if you’re happy with 2nd. Suppose our team is made up of kids.

Well, Keegan has left England:

Please, leave me alone. Stop trying to sign my kids:

My first match of the new year, home in the FA Cup to Crystal Palace. Without 2 players who always start usually, Cooke and Casper. I have made several changes as we prepare for this FA Cup and I really could do with Cooke, Casper and McGibbon, all 3 are suspended.

Half-time we are 1-0 down and we didn’t do too bad. To be fair we should be 1-1 after a scramble in the box saw Wes Brown hit the post, Tomlinson hit the bar and Nevland blasted home. It got ruled out because the referee saw something.

1 minute into the second half and Tomlinson got injured so Twiss come in. Later in the half and Twiss then scored after being put through by Nevland. Palace then scored again and to make matters worse, just back from injury Mulryne got stretchered off also.

We are out at the 3rd round, I can’t help but feel if I could have had a full strength side but anyway. Let’s just concentrate on the league.

So am I.

Injury news from the FA Cup:

Next up is at home to Darlington in the Windowscreen Cup. This is now our only chance of silverware and I truly do not care about this thing. I will be making changes again, if I actually can.

At half-time we are 3-0 up thanks 2 goals from Twiss and 1 from Thornley. Off to the 2nd half. The 2nd half just petered out and it ended 3-0.

Seriously Burnley, you can knock us out the cup now but saying that. Maybe we should go for it?

Our parent club have signed someone again:

Our next match is away to 8th placed Luton. I will be back to my full strength as I have players back from suspension.

At half-time we are 2-0 down and playing so poor, we are creating nothing so far and we our form is so patchy. It has been for a while, what can I do? Change formation I suppose. Not until next match though.

This was such a poor match and, as far as I am concerned, the worst performance since the Burnley defeat. The whole team was just not up for this, we deserved to get beat. Something has to change:

I will be changing formation for the next match.

For the first time in a while we have actually fallen to 3rd place now and Burnley even have points on us.

Our next match, our first with the new formation (taken from Dave’s CM9798 website, I will admit) is away to Carlisle. We need to win this. Our new formation and the starting line-up is:

I am very much hoping Nevland can do the job on his own up front. We will see.

At half-time we are 2-0 up. Nevland getting us off to the best start after 7 minutes, only for Casper to ruin to ruin this new formation by getting himself sent off for a deliberate handball. Meaning Davies coming on for Twiss and Appleton going out of position at right back with Clegg at left back. Still didn’t stop Nevland netting a second before half-time.

2nd half and this was the scene:

Needless to say this formation did work. Even my lovely Tree got on the scoresheet. We will be keeping this formation I think.

You’re telling me it was.

Once again, a player comes back from injury and the same day:

Like I am going to sell Tomlinson!

Bugger off Dundee United, I am not selling anyone.

Next up is Grimsby at home on my birthday and the only present I want is all 3 points. I name the same time and formation for this match.

At half-time we are 2-1 down, Lester netting twice for them with Nevland scoring in between their goals. Though it is a little unfair that after 3 minutes they had an extra player on the pitch. They even had a player sent off so they are back to 11 men.

At the end of the match, we managed to turn things around and win 3-2 thanks to Nevland’s second and Wes Brown’s header from a Thornley corner.

To make things even better, Walsall lost and now we are back to 3 points behind them. It’s getting interesting.

Meanwhile in Scotland:

Our next match is away to bottom of the table Bournemouth. I fancy our chances.

At half-time we are winning 1-0 thanks to Thornley’s goal after being put through by Nevland.

At full time, this match ended 1-1 thanks to us chucking away the 1 goal lead thanks to a poor back pass by Brown. Our defence is still very much a concern.

This was when I realised I missed Ronnie Wallwork from my team. I will be trying to sign him at some point and with Bournemouth looking like being relegated and us going up, hopefully, I should be able to in the summer.

Our only plus point to this is Walsall lost again, but now Bristol Rovers, who just beat Walsall are now 3rd and closing back in on us. It’s very close.

Meanwhile, in the FA Cup:

Another year without a trophy for Liverpool I think.

Erm, no Derby. Stop it:

Barcelona win the Super Cup after a 3-0 aggregate win over Dortmund.

Our next match is the last of the update and it is home to Burnley in the Windowless Cup. I decide I may as well go for this sole remaining cup now. I make 2 changes, 1 is forced on me as Casper is suspended and I rest Nevland.

At half-time we are 1-0 down thanks to O’Kane miskicking in the area and Howey slotted the ball under Pilkington.

At full-time we lost 3-1 with Mulyrne scored with 1 of our few shots at goal. We were totally outplayed and deserved nothing. I have a right go at them in the dressing room afterwards.

We have gained a player from the parent club:

They are still happy, the loss will be the new signing.

This is how the table looks at the end of January:

As you can see, we are just about 2nd still but we are only 7 points ahead of Grimsby.

Meanwhile our parent club:

Looks like they are well on their way to another title.

England’s qualifying group for Euro 2000 has been drawn:

That will be that for this update, we really need to get our form sorted out in the League.
Join us next time where new signing David May will no doubt be playing at some point and it’s nothing but league football. Can the B’s gain promotion? I certainly would like to think so.