Leeds United – as a Manchester United follower, they are not a team I generally manage in games. This is mainly due to losing the 1992 championship to them and all my Liverpool supporting school friends laughing at me and my best mate Steve.

1992 turned out to be a bit of a peak for Leeds in the 90’s. By 1996 a dismal showing in the League Cup final put Howard Wilkinson in a strained position and not even the signing of Lee Sharpe could save him the following season. During his time as manager though, he did sign some amazing players from the African continent. Yorkshire pudding loving Lucas Radebe, Thunderbastard Goal of the Month perennial Tony Yeboah and to a lesser extent, the late great Philomen Masinga.

If you followed my Geordie Score save, this format will not surprise you – can I lead Leeds to glory using only players from the African Nations?

Lucas stays, Yeboah and Masinga return and I trawl the database for the best free African transfers available. Plus a recreated, random stat, hip swinging Roger Milla.

I’ve got a 5 year target – European Glory by 2002 and lead Nigeria to a good showing in the World Cup. For this season though, a top half finish for Leeds and the knockout stages of the World Cup for Nigeria.

Here’s what we are starting with – many unfamiliar names amongst the Leeds legends.

Lucas will be my captain of course, but his stats might make this a heart over head decision…

Phil Masinga looks just about how I expected to be honest.

I’ll be relying on Tony to remember where the goal is and knock in a few off the crossbar.

45 year old (allegedly) Roger Milla will hopefully be a useful option off the bench, if nothing else.

With this in mind, I splurge a big chunk of the available budget on a familiar Everton legend and no it’s not Daniel Amokachi…

I also expand our defensive options with this lower league stalwart, once of Palace and Fulham – lets see how he fares farther north.

Overall, I manage to bring in a fair few names – not all familiar to me, so this season may be a steep learning curve.

For the purposes of team bonding, I take the team on a tour of Africa for Pre-season and I’m happy with the lads efforts.

Here’s how we line up for the opening game of the season against Bolton

It’s nit the greatest of first halves to be honest at the Reebok and the lads get a stern (John) talking to in the changing rooms. Thankfully, my passionate words have the desired effect on Roger, Tony and Dom, and the promise of extra Yorkshire puds this Sunday seem to spark us into action – 3 pts ahoy!

It goes from good to gret in our first home game, Roger and Tony are irresistible up front and the crowd are treated to a hips wiggle by the corner flag. Happy days at Ellend Road!

3 days later and too many Yorkshire Puddings for breakfast leave us flat at Ewood Park – Roger goes missing and despite a late claw back from Ghanian winger Barnes, we succumb to our first loss.

Fear not though, as my African Lions roar once again, showing that they only really seem interested in turning it on in the second half. Everything comes together in 3 wonderful second half minutes.

Nebbers showing why he was worth the gamble at the top level

My apparent criticism of the guys first half sluggishness seems to have taken hold, as we rout Southampton 3-0 by half time at The Dell. Unfortunately, they think it’s job done and allow Southampton to almost sneak a draw. Makes you think.

Roger seems to be playing better now that I’m allowing him the full 15 minutes at half time to get a power nap. Robbie Earle cancels out his early strike and we survive a late flurry on Wimbledon shithousery for a share of the points.

I’m going to give this early Championship Manger legend a chance to shine again – his stats look ok and I’m nothing if not nostalgic and sentimental.

Never quite sure how much a mid-season signing affects morale with your players, but this is perhaps evidence that it does! We have no answer for Arsenal’s mix of experience and continental flair.

Where John Barnes once delighted the Watford fans, this time its his Ghanaian namesake putting Leeds one nil ahead, we look good for a draw after rock legend Robert Palmers simply irrestiable equaliser, but Diominic Iorfa forgets that we changed ends at half time and smashing a loose ball into his own net. Hey ho, we’re like a yo-yo.

Well, I have to say this result hurt. No passion, no guile, no fight. Rolling over to Chelsea Pensioners gives me pause for thought thagt some of my own pensioners may not be up for the battle and a long season is in front of us.

This is even worse really – at 5-0 down even a Barnes consolation can’t raise my spirits. A bad day at the office all round.

We seemingy learn nothing from recent games and leave ourselves far too much to do against Newcastle. We sliding down the table at an alarming rate. Everybody blames the signing of Lamptey….

Cup respite against lower division opposition is a welcome distraction, but we only just creep into the next round on away goals. Bakayoko has been playing like he’s turning out for Everton .

Meanwhile, the whole team is playing like current day Everton. That early season spark has left us and no amount of Yorkshire puddings seem to be making any difference.

Season 1 Scholes is always lethal but letting him help himself to a four goal haul is beyond generous. Peter Rufai is obviously a liability and I wonder how much longer I can let my heart rule my head with my captain Lucas.

Three nil away at Coventry says it all really, we don’t even get a chance at a consolation. Bad times.

Well, it’s not a very positive way to end the first part of my new blog. If it wasn’t for those few early season wins, we’d be rooted to the bottom and my head would be on the chopping block

Hopefully things will improve in Part 2, but I’m not holding my breathe for a whole week!

Spotlight on: Gavin Nebbeling

Some of the players in my team are household legends, some are names even I am struggling to recall, so lets have a quick look at Mr Nebbeling.

Hailing from Johannesburg, Nebbeling started his career with Arcadia Sheherds in South Africa before being signed by Crystal Palace in 1991. Stints on loan at Northampton Town, signing for Fulham an spells at Hereford, Preston and finally non-league Kingstonian wrapped up his career in 1998. According to Wiki, he became a photocopier salesman. Something of a entrepreneur, Gavin has been a Director of no less than 8 businesses on Companies House, nice one Gavin.