Wilkommen back to Leipzig! Where Nick’s RB side are enjoying a much happier second crack at the Bundesliga after an embarrassing first attempt a couple of years ago, but can they last the distance?
We’re currently sixth, and have your typical 2-3-1-2-2 figures, with almost as many goals conceded as scored, but our position isn’t to be sniffed at, I just hope we can stay there.
We begin at home to Kaiserslautern, where it’s a quiet first half, but the Iceman gives us the lead early in the second, and we add three more right at the end for good measure.
Lieftink (Danny Blind) is attracting interest, but I’m having none of it.
We’re champed at Nürnburg, having the lion’s share of everything, but getting thumped. As Tony Green would say, “That’s the gamble of the 2-3-1-2-2”.
Ziegner has made the right-back spot his own, so I decide to let Kläsener leave, and he’s the last of my original four players to go, which brings a small tear to my eye…
Well… this is a turn up for the books. Leónidas had his heart set on a move to a bigger club, but has had a change of heart and signed a new deal with no big club release clause. Yes!
We’re fortunate in Stuttgart, as our keeper gives away a penalty, which they balloon, and Penksa gets the winner. We’ve lost a few that we should have won though, so I don’t care.
Eichin goes out for some experience…
Gravesen has become the number one DM, and with Matthaus Jr as backup, I decide to cash in on Billy Mac. The nurse is gutted…
We’re caught napping at the start against Karlsruhe, but our devastating duo help us battle back and turn it around. Lieftink’s injury is a rather big blow though.
Two shots on target out of thirteen in the whole match means we get what we deserve at Werder Bremen, I have no complaints.
This is just typical after I’ve just let my backup right-back leave…
Gazza Jr returns home in search of some regular action, and Scunny will be his home until the end of the season…
My entire back four are either injured or suspended against Bochum, and we’re so bad that I make three subs at half time. It doesn’t help, even with their keeper getting sent off.
After a long head vs heart battle, I decide to let Micker Jr leave. He scored some important goals at crucial times, which I’ll never forget, but £400k was too good an offer to turn down.
Duisburg are our first game back after the winter break. It’s an even start to the match, but we get going in the end, with Ezquerro assisting two of our goals in a 5-1 hammering.
Wrighty Jr returns from a lengthy lay-off. Hopefully someone will want to loan him for the rest of the season.
Due to some fixture rearrangement, we now play Bayern twice in three games. Three times we lead, and three times they equalise. It’s looking like a draw, but Sritong-In is closing in!
I’m sure my good friend @kingoftherooks wouldn’t agree…
We follow up one great win with another, with all three of our strikers on target against Borussia MGB. Andrily tries to spoil the party again, but this time he fails…
Bayern almost get their revenge, but the Thai-phoon rains on their parade once again, which means we’ve taken four points off them this season, which I’m more than happy with.
We take the lead against Bielefeld, but then start playing like Kuntz. It’s heading for a draw, but in a late inspired switch around, I put Penksa up front and he scores the winner!
Scunny seem to like a legendary English regen, and they come back for Wrighty Jr to keep Gazza MkII company…
It’s a slow start at Uerdingen, and not for the first time we fall behind early, but eventually climb up through the gears to see them off.
This is nasty, but the only relief is that he’s my sub keeper, and not one of my regulars…
We play Hamburg off the park, with twenty shots at goal, and they have their keeper to thank for it not being double figures. Our board call it a superb result, and apparently we’ve caused another shock defeat…
I lose both my first-choice centre backs on the eve of a massive game with Schalke. Lieftink is only a week, but Duncan is a month…
Nat King Goal strikes early again, and Schalke have two goals disallowed on 16, and 20 minutes. They try and nick a late draw again, but we stand firm, even with a makeshift centre back pairing, and although we’re lucky, it’s another superb result and shock defeat…
We end this week at home to Leverkusen, who are not far below us in the table. We lead at the end of a low-key first half, but they grab an equalise on the hour, and it ends all-square. Not the best result at home, but we’re now unbeaten in nine games and playing well.
So here’s how things are looking with five games to go. My aim this season was to avoid relegation, but we’ve well and truly smashed that target out of the park, and it looks like I may have underestimated my team, who still mathematically have an outside chance of winning the title!
So there we go, after starting the season hoping to stay in the division, we somehow find ourselves in the title race! Tune in next week for the season finale, and to see whether we just might be able to do the unthinkable. Tschüss!