Góðan Day my Heathen followers. Velkomin back to 870 for the second installment of season 6. Last time out we had a slow start in the league but managed to find some form and finish top on goal difference.

This time out we’ll be looking to maintain our league form whilst cruising through our champions league group and then making our push for the domestic cups, which of course is this year’s priority.

Without further ado, we begin this week with a trip to the homelands as we take on what I presume to be our toughest opposition in the group, Stromsgodset.

Fuglestad shows us why he’s got the F in his positional status by opening the scoring in the 14th minute. Molnar doubles it in the 18th and we’re looking good. The home side come out much stronger in the second half and fully deserve their goal in the 67th and make it a nervy last twenty minutes or so. Rieper defies his age putting in a MoM performance at the back to keep them out.

Back in league action and we travel over the Pennines to take on Blacheborne. Literally nothing happens until the 43rd min when Haaland takes a knock and has to go off. Hopefully it’s nothing serious as he’s been immense since signing for us. CBA scores with the last kick of the half in what was the only shot of the half. Unfortunately the quality is lacking throughout and we finish with a narrow win.

What’s “Bollocks” in Old Norse?

Oh come on….you’re taking the mick now! Both my defensive Stalwarts out for the foreseeable!

Loidis make the short journey North Eastward to try and take advantage of our defensive misfortune. Molnar gives us the lead in the 14th minute and we’re all over them. We score again in the 38th minute but it gets chalked off as the ref “saw something”! Leeds come at us at the beginning of the second half with a couple of chances of their own. Martin equalises in the 55th min which fires us up no end. Unfortunately we can’t get the ball in the back of the net, despite all our chances and we have to settle for a draw.

We actually battered them too….

Having been beaten handsomely off both Stromsgodset and Wacker Moedling, I name a strong side in the hope we get our goal difference nice and high, giving me the option to rest players for the return fixtures. We score 4 in the first half hour thanks to a brace from Molnar, a header from Rieper and a neat finish from CBA. That’s how it finishes though, even making a couple of subs at half time doesn’t seem the break the new found resistance of the Tallinn defence.

Cofantreo have been a tough opposition in the last couple of seasons, especially when they’ve had Kahn in net. This time they’re fielding Shooter McGavin between the sticks and my hopes rise. Obviously he puts in a MoM shift to keep Coventry in it but he can’t keep out Brandal’s strike just 4 mins after coming on as a second half sub.

We face more Mercian opposition next as Beorma’s Ham (currently 4th) make their way to Jorvik for our opening round in this year’s league cup. Molnar again opens the scoring in the 9th min but Birmingham peg us back just 3 mins later through Bjornebye. I cant believe I’ve missed that transfer! Molnar just loves doing it on a cold Wednesday night in York and bags himself another brace by scoring what turns out to be the winner in the 38th min.

Time to find out our opposition for the 4th round, could it be div 2 teams Marshwall or Brun lea? Of course not, we draw another prem team in Liuerpul. At least we’re at home and it could’ve been worse, we could’ve drawn Estone for the 6th millionth time!

Speak of the devils…or should I say Villains? Yorke and Dudlaaay do it to me again. It honestly feels like they score with every shot on target. Yorke gets Villa off to a flier in the 5th minute. CBA gets us level in the 26th but Dudley give the away side the lead again shortly before half time. Molnar equalises again in the 52nd min but up pops Yorkie in the 77th to give Villa the win.

They literally did score with every shot on target!

Off to Austria it what turns out to be a tough fixture against Wacker. After demolishing them in the home tie I make a few changes to give players a bit of game time. It almost backfires as the home side threaten to come back from 2-0 and 3-1 but its Molnar who takes the plaudits again with 2 goals on another Weds night.

Back to the league and we’re away against Eofor. Gorgeous George finally finds the net for the first time this update to give us the lead in the 16th minute. It’s a tight game with nothing between the 2 teams Bye Andersen has a goal ruled out, this time the linesman decided that it shouldn’t stand after the referee gave it. Grant equalises for Everton in the 64th minute but CBA is on hand to score the winner just 4 mins later.

Back at home and we entertain Monkceaster, who boast the likes of Denilson, Giggs and Zidane in their starting lineup. They’re no match for us as we take full advantage of a suspended Barthez as George and Molnar put us 2 up at half time. Newcastle barley threaten us and when they do, Jung is up to the task for a rare clean sheet.

It seems clean sheets are like buses? It’s a 60’s show for the return tie with Stromsgodset as CBA and Nilsen score in the 60th & 66th mins respectively to give us the win and ensure we progress to the next round.

Pity they don’t come in 3’s…. With 3 games in 5 days I have to decide what takes precedence. The league cup on Weds is a must win, so Mon night in the world club cup is to be sacrificed, therefore I’ll name my better team for the league game with Cynsigestun and rest them all on Monday.

A shouldn’t have bothered as it seems the lads have their eyes on the other games! QPR score in both nets at either end of the game as an OG by Milosevic gives us the lead in the 8th min and Dinning getting the leveller in the 82nd. We were awful!

Once again we sail half way round the world in just 2 days to take on Nacional in the land of the rising sun. The second string (with the exception of Jung and George) pull off a miracle and run out 2-0 winners thanks to George and Ivar. We retain our status as Kings of the World!!!

Just for confirmation purposes….

Our must win tie with Liuerpul in the league cup 4th round tie is just 2 days later. Half the team are still AWOL from their world club cup exploits…I’ll deal with them later. Now to the task at hand, we couldn’t ask for any better as CBA scores in the first minute. We control the first half completely and when Djorkaeff puts through his own new in the 43rd minute, I can’t help but smile. It’s soon wiped from my face when Colkin scores in the 56th min and Liverpool start exerting pressure of their own. Thankfully Molnr restores our 2-goal cushion in the 79th minute. Gudjonsson does make it a nervy last 10 mins when he gets one back in the 83rd but we hold out and we’re in the hat for the quarters.

After this last week’s exploits we’ve a half knackered squad. Luckily for us we’re playing bottom of the league Aldehulme. I ring the changes once again and after a dull and lifeless first half I begin to rue that lack of quality in our second string. Luckily they just needed a half to get back up to speed and 3 goals in 16 second half minutes does the trick. Jimmy Floyd with a late consolation goal for Oldham.

Off to the land of Mart Poom as we head to Estonia for our final group game against Tallinn. Liisberg and Molnar fire us into a 3-0 lead in the first 20 mins. Ivanov catches us unawares just a minute after our third giving the homeside a brief lifeline. It’s snuffed out ad Molnar completes his hat-trick in the 36th min and Ivar and Brandal both score in the second half to make it 6. We’re once again caught napping (or celebrating) as Nesterov sacores straight from kick off.

Confirmation of our 100% record…..

It’s a tough draw in the Quarters but hopefully we’ve enough quality about us to get past them.

We sail up the Wear to take on Monkwearmouth in the league. It’s a routine win as CBA and Molnar score in the 13th and 41st mins to put us 2-0 up at half time. George scores 4 mins into the second half and a clean sheet means we take all 3 points home with us.

Once again, that last result has put us back on top on goal difference.

It’s tight at the top with only 6 points separating the top 6. A couple of bad results can see you slip down quickly.

Join us next week when we continue our battle to do the Sextuple….although our main emphasis will still be those domestic cups.

Until then, Morna!

Góðan dag my fellow heathen friends and velkomin back to the year 870. Last season we completed part of our objective by becoming champions of England, however we failed in our quest for the domestic cups. Our victory coincided with the Great Heathen Army conquering East Anglia and killing King Edmund back in November 869.

We’ve had word that a ‘Great Summer Army’ is due to arrive at the end of the season and as such have sent some scouts in the way of early reinforcements. In comes in Swedish number one Bengt Andersson and Norwegian centre half Steinar Nilsen. Existing centre halves Andersen goes to Prittleuuile and Karlsen to Snotta Inga Ham Forest and striker Lund joins Mydilsburgh.

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