Rob is here to start your week with the start of a new season in the CM World League. Sao Paulo have made it to the top league but can they continue their red hot form?
It’s the beginning of season four, our time in the lower divisions seems to have reduced our reputation as a number of the more high profile players are not interested in joining. Despite the millions in the bank I hunt out a number of bargains to provide some strength and depth to the squad. Matthew Tinnion is the regen of Ian Wright.
Asmunder Eyjolfsson is none other than this guy, he wouldn’t join me last season, I couldn’t activate his big club release clause, fortunately now we’ve made it to the top division that isn’t a problem anymore. I’m hoping that year with Viking has helped him develop, my plan is to play him in the centre midfield role, rotating him and Doni.
Finally some old faces leave the club, Alexandersson didn’t play a single game, Molnar was good but had Denilson, Fowler, Christer and Nevland ahead of him and Margas had to make way for Onopko who has been solid since taking over the captaincy.
We may have made it to the top tier of English International football but we still have to start in the first round of the League Cup, despite being defending champions. Our opponents are old enemies Velez Sarsfield. Under Steve Bruce’s guidance they have made it from Division 3 to Division 1, Chilavert is still in goal, Kieron Dyer is the captain and Steve McManaman’s move to Old Trafford didn’t work out so he is providing the assists for Leon McKenzie. Having said all that we get a solid 2-0 victory thanks to da Costa and Fowler.
Our first game in the Premier League is a tough one, Monaco were one of the three teams who finished tied on points at the top of the table last year. The young Icelandic superman loses his head after eight minutes and we can’t cope with their star studded line up. A disappointing start to the year.
The second leg of our League Cup tie ends goalless, Chilavert saves everything that is thrown at him and despite being two goals down Velez only have two shots, one of which is on target so we are into the second round.
Our next league match is against Stuttgart, under the guidance of Rot Hodgson they managed to get promoted through the playoffs last season, it’s a game we should win easily based on last year but despite dominating the match it looks to be heading for a draw until Denilson pops up in the 88th minute.
Three days later we made the short trip from Germany to Spain to face last season’s FA Cup winner Athletic Bilbao. We get off to a flying start and are 2-0 up after 5 minutes. Despite our dominance we can’t score another goal and Javi Gonzalez makes the last 10 minutes a nail biter, but we hang on for the three points.
From Spain we head north to Norway and a third away match in a row. Niclas Alexandersson is getting some game time after leaving us in the summer but we finally move out of second gear with a dominant display. Three wins on the bounce, a little bit of a run is developing.
After a week and a half on the road we are back at the Morumbi hosting Fiorentina. They boast an impressive attacking line of, Edmundo, Batigol and Ortega. Despite an early setback Fowler is on fire and we go into the half up 3-1. Marcio handballs and gets a straight red and despite Batigol’s 65th minute strike we hold on for another win.
Our next match is away to Ajax, they have an issue both their keepers are injured so they have to draft in a computer generated youth player and guess what young Phil Boothroyd has the game of his short one match life as we lose the most even of matches thanks to his MOM performance. Bloody Phil Boothroyd.
League Cup round two is against Lens. I’ve been struggling to get Bobby Pires game time but with Pirri being injured this seems like an ideal opportunity. He repays me with a MOM performance and a hattrick, we take a 5-2 lead into leg two.
It’s another top team in the league, Boca Juniors. This is another really frustrating game, we go behind to an 8th minute strike by Stian Neset. Jorge Campos then proceeds to save every shot we have and the near 150,000 fans go home dejected as we drop another three points.
Bryan Robson had worked wonders at Corinthians with three promotions in three seasons, following us every step of the way but they are now propping up the rest of the Premier League and it’s too much for him to bear so he jumps before he is pushed.
It’s another home game, Newcastle are the visitors and the score makes the game look a lot closer than it was. Fowler scored the first penalty before missing the retake and had another goal disallowed. Fortunately he finally got on the score sheet and with Joao’s 21st minute strike we win 2-1.
Sporting Lisbon are our next opponents, they are captained by Kevin Muscat and Leandro is still up top. It’s another close game and the difference between the sides ends up being 38 year old DMC Oceano.
I do a little bit of squad rotation for the second leg of the League Cup, it’s a game where I feel like we concede every shot Lens take, fortunately their keeper doesn’t play any better. Eyjolfsson finally gets a goal after his slow start.
French side Guingamp are the next team to come to Brazil. Again we concede an early goal and are 0-1 down after 10 minutes, however by the 20 minute mark we are back ahead thanks to Fowler and Onopko. Denilson seals the win with his second half strike.
Real Sociedad have Robert Page and Gareth Southgate at centre back and for the first half of the match they dominate as we go in at half time 0-1 down. The second half is a different story through, Fowler gets going and Doni seems to be just as consistent this year as last year.
As we head towards the end of October Fenerbahce are our next opponents. Two legendary CM keepers are on display in this match, we have Richard Wright and they have Anthony Betterton. Both keepers get a rating of 9, so you might think that this match ended up as a dull affair.
Our final two matches of this update are both at Old Trafford. Match one is the League Cup third round. It’s a close game as the stats show.
So the result is obvious, we won’t be defending that trophy.
The League Cup result has made me fearful of what will happen in the league three days later but I needn’t have been worried. Despite Buffon’s MOM performance they clearly used up all their scoring magic in the last game and super sub Christer gets the vital goal 14 minutes before the end. In truth I would have taken a win in the league over a League Cup victory.
After 13 league games we have won nine and lost four. That final win against Man Utd meant that we leapfrogged them into top spot. It’s super close though with only seven points difference between us at the top and Boca in 12th place.
As we bring the first part of season four to a close we are in a strong position. It’s a shame about the League Cup but there is still the FA Cup to play for and my main goal of winning the League looks possible too.