Good morning! We’ve got that new season vibe here in Barnsley, which is not something I’ve ever said before in my life and nor will I repeat it. The facts are though that we won the Premier League by 13 points and I plan to retain it. What I really want though is that Champions League trophy back. Let’s get into the market.
Good news straight away as eventually Shaun Newton agrees to sign on after lowering his hideous demands.
Severely reduced pay for everybody!
Leeds really want David Watson. I’m sick of him and have replaced him with Steve Simonsen. They throw in Michael Owen to try and sweeten the deal but that’s really not going to help. No.
For some reason the board are stifling my wage offerings. Freebies Darren Eadie and Clyde Wijhnard go elsewhere due to only being able to offer £20k per week. We have £74m in the bank. SEVENTY-FOUR. Stupid chairman.
It’s Leeds in the Charity Shield and with Ronaldo injured, Digby (Wrighty junior) gets a start and boy does he start quickly. Both centre backs get sent off and we go to a penalty shootout, where Simonsen is magnificent. Charity Shield pocketed.
The Leeds squad is a bit lopsided.
We face them in the league opener too, with Ronaldo back and our centre halves staying on the field it’s a well earned win.
We’re cruising against newly promoted Fulham but Simonsen gets an injury on 55 minutes and I decide not to risk it. Watson is worse than useless and concedes every shot he faces. For goodness sake.
A routine win follows, Charvet is now a France regular.
Oxford are a surprise Premier League side and lead us for quite a while until our dynamic duo sort us out.
It’s a great Champions League group. We will top this group with minimal fuss.
Another ding dong affair and this time I can’t blame Watson. We go 3-2 down but Tricky Trev steals a point.
The crazy gang now have Ravanelli and Big Dunc. And still Joe Kinnear. We win 3-0.
David James denies us many times in a 0-0 draw with Arsenal.
National Bucharest, presumably not as good as Steaua or Rapid Bucharest, can’t handle Ronaldo. Better teams have tried.
This Newcastle team is ridiculous.
We lose 2-0 and manage 1 shot on goal. Hmm.
I’m not relishing meeting Forest, who have form over us. Their goalkeeper Mundee is so good. It looks like being another annoying day but Ronny clinches the winner.
Bodin, the Rush regen, has fallen down the pecking order but after his performance against Forest he retains his place for the visit of Banter FC. He nets a hat-trick, maybe he is the perfect partner?
A big crowd in Greece sees us run wild despite Ra Juhl’s early red card.
Bottom club Norwich are of no danger to us. We’re back in the habit of putting these lesser sides to the sword.
See also Leicester, where we even let Joseph-Desire Job get a consolation goal against his former club who he couldn’t hit a barn door for.
Absolutely devastating performance against Dinamo who probably aren’t even the most famous Moscow. We’ve uncorked Bodin it has to be said.
Looking very good at the half way stage. Should be easy from here.
Another place we hate going is Ewood Park but we do at least lead. Neil Finn is in unreal form and after Nobby slices into his own goal we can’t find another goal and it’s a point.
That leaves us second to Gerry Francis’ Liverpool, the latest team to emerge as a title contender.
It’s an unremarkable squad which somehow sees Jason McAteer still employed. Yes, that is Dean Sturridge. Gerry is always a nuisance on this game, I don’t know why they see him as a Shankly type figure.
Anyway, it’s a solid start to the season and we still have it all to play for. Our next league game is against Gerry and the Pacesetters, so you won’t want to miss that. See you then!