Well hello there! Welcome back to my latest short story challenge, inventively named “Win the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers” which is exactly what we’re trying to do. Nobody can get near Man Utd in season 1, usually, and if anybody does it certainly isn’t Blackburn Rovers. Here we are though, top of the pile after 8 games. 30 to go…

You can catch up with part 1 here.

Also, CM9798 turned 27 on Thursday. You can take our anniversary quiz here if you so desire.

We resume our task without Bakayoko. A minor injury forced him off 4 days ago and he hasn’t recovered. We have Old Trafford in 3 days so I’m glad to rest him but I really hope he recovers. This wasn’t vintage, we had 23 shots but everybody, including Leon, were quite profligate.

It’s time for 2nd vs 1st. Here’s 2nd:

Our forwards have a pace advantage over their back 4. Will that matter? We’ll have to make sure it does.

You know last week when I said Andy Cole was crap? Yeah. Shouldn’t have said that. 3-2 does make it a bit more reasonable in stoppage time but we are soundly beaten really.

We won on shots.

First blood: Ferguson.

Hartlepool have given us quite a scare over two legs but eventually they are killed off.

Of course we do. What were the chances? I mean I could work that out actually but it’s a rhetorical question.

Sheff Wed are going well and frustrate us for a long period of their visit to Ewood. It looks like Ritchie Humphreys’ goal will serve us another defeat but Leon pops up late on to save our blushes.

Another two points dropped at Villa Park though. Sherwood of all people gives us the lead but Yorke equalises and neither side can find the winner.

Order is restored – just – at home to Palace. We are indebted to substitute Kevin Gallen for two late goals that hopefully gets us back on track.

We are back and better than ever, just not from the penalty spot.

That pointless League Cup trip to Old Trafford gives us nothing except a two week injury for Bakayoko. Could do without it really.

Frustrations are taken out on Southampton, five different scorers is always quite satisfying.

Just the four at home to Leicester but an important win.

Leeds are the next to give us problems for a bit but Robert Molenaar’s red card opens the door for Freddy Leon to fire us to three points.

A tricky afternoon in the Midlands turns sour on the hour mark. No sooner has Boland equalised but Bakayoko picks up a second yellow and we end up hanging on for a point.

Oh, HELLO. That is a shocker in every sense.

Another narrow victory, this time at Wimbledon with 10 men.

Billy McKinlay has been on about moving to a bigger club for a while now. Our of principle, I say no.

Chelsea are third and as you’d expect give us a tough going over. Fettis, who I’ve been playing instead of Flowers, justifies his selection by saving Vialli’s spot kick before Leon gets the winner. Colin Hendry sees red late on but it doesn’t derail us today, but it does mean he’ll be missing in a few weeks.

Fettis is out of this one and Flowers comes in. I’ll explain this, every game Flowers plays he gets a 5 (for example, Palace at home) and we seem worse off for his appearance. I don’t know why that would be, but we draw 2-2 at home to Liverpool in a typical ding dong battle.

Man Utd lose again! Are the wheels loose?

Through we go in the FA Cup, again coming from behind.

Who do we get? Ah yes, of course.

Another impressive away day, this time at Goodison.

ANOTHER ONE. Steve Claridge gets the vital goal and what it means is…well I’ll show you.

We are back at the top! By 5 goals but still, a leads a lead.

Typically we now have a centre half crisis. Curtis and young Coughlan are paired for the visit of…Arsenal.

What a win. We are distinctly second best but the introduction of Emmers at half time brings immediate dividends and we go on to win through the Colombian hitman.

We’ll leave it here. 15 games to go and it’s in our hands.

Let’s get this out of the way to finish with. The third trip of the season to Old Trafford ends our participation in the FA Cup. Probably bad for board spirit but ultimately not what we’re aiming for in this challenge. They are starting to annoy me though, in the words of Jimmy White.

They are due at Ewood Park in March and I hope we are ready for them. Leon is two yellows away from a ban and knowing our luck, he’ll pick that up in the middle of February. 31 goals in 28 games has somehow only yielded four man of the match awards.

Join us next week for the final part of this season. If we can see this through, it will of course be the final part full stop. If Man Utd do what they usually do, there’s mileage in this yet. See you next week!