Good Morning! Matt is here to ease you into the week with the latest from Wales. How are the all Welsh side adapting to life in Division 1?

Hello and welcome back to Wales. We’re rising like the morning sun over Tiger Bay.

Two promotions in two seasons and my Welsh Warriors are now in Division 1. At the end of Part 6, some Welsh internationals hung up their boots so its been a summer of regen-hunting for me.

First in is the clone of Big Nev himself. Roden is Germanic for ‘Red Valley’ apparently. Martyn Margetson is doing fine in goal for now, so young Nathan is one for the future.

Next up is the spirit of Mark Bowen. I don’t think Huggins is Germanic for anything.

And finally versatile David Phillips is remade into his son Scott. Phillips is Dutch for ‘Radio’ – maybe.

I’m also going to take a punt on this yound winger, the stats look good

Hopefully Division 1 is the right blooding ground for these young contenders, but time will tell.

That’s not THE Le Tissier, by the way…

Two red cards and its advantage Wales in the League Cup. Can’t see us not getting through now. Bimson has had a ‘mare there really.

Our bright start to Division 1 continues

League Cup action comes around again and I rest a few key players and its an absolute disaster. Mansfield killed us in extra time.

The defeat runs deep, early season confidence seems to have vanished in the haze.

We turn the tide at home to Ipswich, but even that, we looked to throw away.

This chap on my shortlist has got his big move to Spurs, might be time for Bobby G (Me) to give him a call up to the national side?

We seem to be in a bit of a funk. Division 1 is a hard place to get out of, all these ex-Premiership teams to face every week…

International football resumes for the season and it’s a welcome break from the domestic slog. Carl Griffiths and John Hartson make light work of Russia and it’s putting us in a good position to qualify for Euro 2000 at the end of the season.

As always seems to be the case, when the National team play, Cardiff seem to underperform. We were looking good for a point until John Aloisi popped up to snatch the points.

Nathan Wigg missed all of last season due to injury, but now he’s back and he helps us get a welcome 3 points away at Bury to end our losing streak.

September is a busy month and the games are coming thick and fast at the moment. D&G combine for a share of the points against Charlton and that’ll do at the moment.

Our form is so patchy, we draw a blank against QPR and then draw with Gilingham. I’m not enjoying life so much in Division 1.

I’m really am not enjoying this. This game was over in the first 5 minutes, especially when compatriot Saunders got their second.

I’m at a loss to explain our form. I resort to desperate measures. I invite Shakin’ Stevens down to join in a training session and gee the boys up a bit. As I’m putting the bibs and cones away, I see them scuttling off to the pub together. Something about an old piano behind a green door…

It seems to work, Tranmere are dispatched and we keep a rare clean sheet.

We’re not quite as dominant at Sunderland. Maybe I should invite Katherine Jenkins to take the next training session?

Whilst I’m not having much luck attracting new Welsh blood, I do decide to let one go. Tim was getting frustrated with the odd game here and there and £150k will come in handy I feel.

You might recall in the last part that Bulgaria gave us a whipping in our own back yard? Well, this time it’s our turn to dish out the drubbing away from home.

That result is the win we need to book our place at Euro 2000!

The Welsh FA are now happy with Bobby Gould!

For completeness, here’s the table and we do it with a game to spare

It’ll come as no surprise now to find that while Wales win, Cardiff lose, this time at home to Watford.

That’s 16 league games played now, so where does this all leave us?

5 points for the drop zone and having played a game more is where. Still, being optimistic, we’re only 8 points from the play offs.

I think some tactical reinvention is needed for these guys. Maybe we are punching above our weight in this division, but I’m not giving up just yet, join me next week to see if our fortunes have turned or faded further.