Happy Monday and indeed happy November. Here’s Matt to kick the month off…
November. Where has this year gone? Talking of time flying, we’re into season 15 of AFC United’s adventures. We’re league champions but lost out in Europe to Gerry Francis and his AC Milan team last season.
The boys are getting old and the regens are coming to the fore, so there’s only a few seasons left in the legs of Hall, Brown, Notman and co…so whilst we’ll rattle through Season 15 today, we’ll revert to the 3 part format for next season (if that’s ok Dave?).
Anyway, not much transfer action. Despite our trophy haul over the years, a stadium that still only holds just over 25,000 and our perilous bank balance, there’s not much money flying around anyway.
15 years into this save, the biggest thing I’ve noticed is no-one scores a lot of goals anymore, not even David Brown…
Case in point, a narrow season opener in the Charity Shield
Another trophy though. Everything Counts.
Brown is off the mark against Blackburn. His goal scoring has dropped off in recent seasons, and Michael Owen isn’t getting any younger
Curiously Notman has never got into double figures goal wise, maybe he’s 20% there this time out though
Could have been 30% if he’s got his act together against Man City
SEPTEMBER
Goals seem to flow more freely on our European travels. Blanc/Badiane with a very rare hat trick. Andrew Cole Jnr mops up.
European glory nights always seem to be followed by domestic dirge. Here Arsenal kick the Smits out of us.
Stockport were league runners up last season, and get drawn in our Champions League group. Notman sends them packing though and he’s 50% of the way to that magical 10 goal target I set him.
OCTOBER
Its the spookiest of months, nothing more spooky though than Gary Neville’s regen getting the winner at The Hudd
Not only do we have Stockport in the League and Europe, we get them in the league cup too. They make more of a fist of this meeting though and forgotten man Owen is off the bench to nab the winner
NOVEMBER
Back into European action and I’m slightly disappointed Notman didn’t score on the 40th minute. Still, can’t get snobby about these things.
Nicky Butt is in the hotseat at Old Trafford, proving that old players can thrive in the job
Liverpool are our next opponents in the League Cup and Michael Owen, who else, gets the winner. Notman has a dizzingly 6 goals!
DECEMBER
Dwight Yorke/Guitierrez left us for european glory with Dortmund, but he’s since been back for Wolves but he’s no match for our Welshman Parrish
There’s been a distinct lack of Brown action lately, but here at Watford he opts to put that right with a goal and a red card, the fool.
Oh yeah, we qualified for the knock out stages of Europe. Stockport didn’t.
In a slight change in tradition, the 3rd round of the FA Cup takes place on New Years Eve. We have our own Neville brothers now in Tim ‘Tomlinson’ Sampson and Brian ‘Beckham’ Sampson. They may be regens but People are People after all.
JANUARY
David Beckham’s regen scores against Sheff Utd, managed by David Beckham, master and servant in action here..
Wat(ford) you talking about Willis?! We’re out of the league cup…..
We’re fairing better in the FA Cup though, Scholesy jnr and David ‘The Stats Don’t Lie’ Brown with the goals
Liverpool have the best of us in the league. Getting to that stage where original players are few and far between.
FEBRUARY
Our FA Cup run comes to an abrupt end against Villa. Scoring goals has really become a problem this season
Sometimes though we dish out a walloping. The crowd have a new terrace chant doing the rounds ‘And through it all, you’re my van der Wal’ reverberate around Broadhurst.
I’m starting to rely more and more on Michael Owen to see us through and he doesn’t disappoint against Celtic
MARCH
Rotation of the strikers seems to be the only way forward. I have the worrying feeling it might retire David Brown though.
Celtic try to overturn our first leg quarter final lead, but our defence stands strong while our strikers go missing
Another European hangover to favour Ross Bell’s men
APRIL
Andy Cole’s regen makes difference against Verona
Nicky Butt’s boys come to Broadhurst and an own goal and a Notman header ensure they don’t do the double over us and keep our title challenge on track
Watford knocked us out of the League Cup and find their way past Beckham’s Sheffield United in the final
My, my, my, my Verona!
In the league, we’re in the hunt with Middlesbrough and Liverpool, so we need to make sure we win our games to retain the title. It goes to plan against Darlo.
But not against Derby on Easter Monday
Or away to Wolves. Creaser is Gazza’s regen, for those wondering. Never been capped by England. Probably injured too much.
MAY
No end of season fixture congestion for us this May, our final game is against Watford. We’re two points behind leaders Boro going into this game, so need a win and hope things go our way elsewhere. Beckham Sampson bends it like, er, Beckham, in the final minute but is it enough?
Boro draw with Wolves, so….
Damian Teale is Steve Bruce in disguise, just to show how intertwined our lives are in this save. Still no England cap though.
Bruce’s MOTM performance is enough to give Boro the title
In any other season conceding 28 goals would be good, but when you only score 48 and lose the title on goal difference it sucks!
At the bottom, Stockport exit the league having finished 2nd last season….
Leeds pick up the FA Cup
Seth Johnson’s Inter Milan overcome Real Madrid in the CWC
Watford almost cap a remarkable season, but Willis isn’t talking about anything anymore. Enjoy the silence.
European Cup final time and time to see if we can add to the Charity Shield….
Barely.
Scoring goals so much the problem now. Notman into double figures though….
Performance wise, we’re dropping off too
I’m going to percivere for one more season with these guys, because,
A – I want to get Danny Hall to 800 games before he retires
B – get David Brown to 450 club goals – I think A is more realistic than B to be honest!
In truth though, these past few seasons have been hard work. We’re picking up trophies but the lack of goals across the board is bizarre. Still, I can’t let go of these guys, it’s a Strangelove.