CM 97/98 The World According to Warnock | Episode 3 No Keeper Experiment

The season might be winding down in real life but we’ve got another full week here on cm9798.co.uk, starting with Zak in Kidderminster…

“It’s hard to replicate the final whistle when you’ve won a game, there’s nothing quite like that in normal life, and you have to realise you’re not going to get that buzz again in that situation.” Neil Warnock, reminding us what it means win a game!

Welcome back to Division 3, Colin fans!

We are midway through the 98/99 Season in our Neil Warnock fanzine. Our Kidderminster side are currently in second after 20 games (an automatic promotion spot). Here’s how the squad looks as we enter November. I may have gone goalkeeper mad after injury to Tony Warner.. Also Martin Lauchlan was a £50k steal from Partick. Randomly, with value set to £1million and ‘available’ Man Utd and Wolves are sniffing…

Last time out our Kidderminster team started to drop points. With first choice goalkeeper Tony Warner on the longterm injury list [three months – torn groin] and our youngsters struggling, is there another solution? By heck there is!

Thanks to the heroics of Deano Emson (or Steve Bruce) in the Cup Winners Cup (winners) Tuesday league, I’ve decided to try to replicate his winning formation here. [Original came from @9798Nikolai – thank you]. Will the lads in Division 3 have the same success?

Did I mention it’s a keeperless formation? 🙂

Scarborough take 1 minute to score against us.. this is going well!

We get a break from the league and take on York City in the FA Cup. The lads put in a second half performance to be proud of. And in front of nearly 8000 fans! 6000 more than our league tie at Scarborough.

Cambridge are next. They still have Tom Youngs in the team, but he’s no match for our new formation!

Jeffers keeps his league scoring run going at Exeter. Could be an inspired loan signing.

We beat Cambridge again, this time in the Windscreen Shield, before returning to FA Cup action against D2 side Chesterfield. It’s an entertaining game, though we bow out despite 19 shots on goal. Warnock was never a cup specialist, so no tears are shed at the cup exit.

Tony Warner is fit again and I decide to push the new formation and force my own hand… It’s a club record fee!

I also sell fullbacks Nigel Winterburn and Jeff Kenna, who don’t fit the system. Will it come back to bite?

We concede three against Mansfield, but manage to score three of our own.

We hit Preston for Six – and against our former goalkeeper, Warner. Still.. three more conceded. It could be a worrying trend if goals dry up. Jeffers scoring three more.

As we roll towards Christmas the goals to dry up, and we lose spectacularly to Hartlepool.

We follow up with a 4-1 win at Bornemouth and 4-2 win at Peterborough (sorry missed the screenshots).

After the Peterborough game I get this post match update from the club secretary. It’s a big blow!

13 goals in 15 games for the 17 y/o. I bet he doesn’t make an Everton appearance and is back on the loan list in 3 weeks….

We concede six more goals at Southend – though this time it’s the Windscreen Shield. (Who cares?!)

And another six go in at Shrewsbury… maybe this formation isn’t for me… Mark Robins is back in the side and demoted from penalty duties once again.

We draw 2-2 with Doncaster Rovers and follow by losing to Lincoln 4-0. THe board declare their unhappiness. Could this be the straw that breaks the camels back?

I cave (sorry, Deano). I sign full back Kenny Cunningham (after previously loaning Paul Heckingbottom from Sunderland), and revert to the narrow 4-2-2-2 formation. I also pick up ex-pineapple Jason Lee from Watford for £150k and another non-league £5k attacker in Ryan Williams. One of my youngsters Darren Haworth is in goal, and I resolve to recruit a new no.1.