Good morning and welcome to the sticky middle of season 4 with my all African Leeds United team. We’re playing our first season in Europe and despite a tough group, we’re still in with a chance of qualifying. In the league however, midweek Champions League hangovers are a very real thing, stunting our progress

Lets get the party started with Leicester at home. Kasey Keller finally gives it up after 50 minutes of us peppering the goal mouth. Once he conceded the first goal he even let two in within 60 seconds…

Alternatively, Liverpool only need one shot on target to steal away three points from Elland Road

Game Day 5 in the Champions League and we don’t have to travel far to take on Man United. Big Al with the opener but Bakayoko salvages a point, but will it be enough?

Well, it’s not quite in our own hands and looks like we’ll need a favour from Man United

The hangover is real

Former Mickey Thomas playground/future Ryan Reynolds plaything will be our opponents after xmas as we set out to defend the FA Cup.

A really decent performance against WBA warms us up for our final Champions League showdown match with Real Madrid

We’re on our way out of the competition due to a Hierro lob over Bruce Grobelaars DNA until Adrian Mole pitches up at the back stick at the end of the game to prod home and give the Leeds faithful that the enemy over the Pennines might do them a favour

Back of the net!

It could not have been tighter. I can’t see Monaco getting through on 8 points but that won’t be confirmed until February when Dortmund and Bayern have played their final group games.

Back to league action though, and yes, you guessed it – we lost

To add insult to injury, we let Wimbledon do it too

And then Norwich

And then the bloody Portuguese Wolves – damn your eyes @NTR9798

To be fair to Nick, we capitulated after we had a man advantage.

Salvation, of sorts, comes against lower league opposition. Roger Milla’s DNA this time showing up with two finely taken goals

We seem back on a winning track against Huddersfield a week later which makes me think my boys can’t stand the Sat/Weds/Sat routine

I’ve been playing Godwin Okpara, a DM/L in the holding midfielder role and while it was effective last season, I think we need something, or someone more suited to the role:

No post new signing dip in morale here. Have that Kasey Keller!

Plymouth in the FA Cup is a bit tougher though and we’ll have to take it back to Home Park for a replay

We only had 4 shots on target against the Pilgrims but no such issue against where we are early and effective

Arsenal hold on for 81 minutes but we have the last laugh, needless to say. I’ve altered the formation after that spate of losses, inspired by Deano but I can’t show it, as he’s probably got it lined up for the CM Cup

Finally we learn our fate in Europe – there are no easy draws now

% goals in the fifth round against West Ham, and Victor grabs four of them!

Just when you think you’ve turned the corner, Man Utd are lurking behind it

After all that frustration and redemption, we’ve moved up one place

We’re 12 points off the top two, and even the most optimistic fan isn’t betting on our defensive solidity for the remaining league games. So, to get back into Europe for Season 5, it’s either climb the table, win the FA Cup again, or conquer Europe. Join me next week to find out which, if any, it turns out to be!