We’ve reached the end of the 2010/11 season and my Liverpool side are close to World Domination. But will there be an unwelcome visit from an old friend to spoil it all? Well, let’s find out.
League Cup
This is just about the only thing I’m not involved in, but Martin O’Neill has something to celebrate.
No doubt he’ll have been jumping about on the touchline like a tramp as usual even though it was against the club he played for for a good portion of his career. Anyway, well done etc.
FA Cup
Best get this in the bag ahead of what’s to come. White hot semi finals see one goal over 2 games, but Spurs book their place in the final.
We manage to join them at the second attempt
The final is a tight affair but despite Blades taking an early knock, Steffansson comes off the bench and scores twice in Extra Time
That’s 3 trophies for the season!
Premier League
As seems to be our trademark, we come into form in the business end of the season and it helps that we beat the teams around us. It’s looking good with a game to go
Our last game of the season sees us host relegation threatened Coventry
With Leicester hosting 4th placed Birmingham, it should be in the bag
It’s actually even easier than I could have hoped. Coventry manage no shots and are relegated with a whimper.
Leicester and Sunderland, who could both have won the title, manage draws but it’s nowhere near enough – we’ve won it 3 times in a row!
Leicester take the 2nd Champions League place, whilst the midlands are having a great time. Look at Man Utd down in 9th!
Watford were long gone, Bolton sacking Colin Todd and then David Beckham has made no difference, and Bryan Robson battled hard for Coventry but for no reward. Oh, speaking of sacking Colin Todd…
As ever Colin bounces straight back and over to Spain for a bit of sun to cheer him up
It is with great sadness I report that Wimbledon, my first club, have been relegated out of the league. Chris Perry, my former centre half, was their manager who took them out of division 3 and into the abyss.
Anyway, it’s not going well for English clubs across Europe. Here’s what got Colin the sack
Cup Winners Cup
And Roy Evans has a pair of silver medals
Champions League
Sadly, we miss out on a 5th trophy of the season as my old pal Franco Tannai, a star of my World Cup winning team, scores twice in De Kuip for Ivan De La Pena’s Barcelona.
Bugger! Barcelona finish a lowly 6th in La Liga so they needed this badly – Real Madrid win the league and cup double. Auxerre win the Ligue 1 which is a popular victory in these parts.
The managerial merry-go-round is in full swing
McManaman shows that famous loyalty to go and ruin another club. Gillespie, who has won Division 1 with Boro (Everton 2nd) moves on to a bigger club and Lee Jarman rounds it off. No, I don’t know who Lee Jarman is.
Awards time!
Freeman retains young player of the year and has an England cap so I’m proud of him. Brian Little win Division 1 manager of the year despite losing in the play off semi finals, though he did enjoy a Cup Winners Cup run so that’ll have helped his points. Stan Llewellyn, England’s keeper, has been relegated under the guidance of Lee Hendrie but is an obvious choice for player of the year…
Some retirements
Whatever.
Barry Fry calls it a day having taken City up to Division 2 via the playoffs.
Wenger retires in 2011 – Fergie is still going.
So what now? I think it might be time to move on, but where to? Join us next time and remember to vote in the Community XI poll
The 2010/11 season has rattled through to March and remarkably, Liverpool are on for the Quintuple, if that’s a word, though retaining the Premier League is looking fairly unlikely.
First things first and I’ve won the one everybody wants – the World Club Cup!!!
In all seriousness I’m happy to have to won it but I’ve already forgotten about it. To try and arrest my slide down the league I’ve decided the best course of action is to raid Man Utd for two if their best players
Big bucks but I have plenty in the bank and needs must. Marco & Bakayoko are getting on and Keane isn’t really good enough at the very top level. I’m pretty sure Steffansson is actually Henrik Larsson but who knows. Haeldermans is a goalkeeper and will be the long term replacement for Landreau.
It’s fair to say we didn’t struggle in the Champions League
And we carry that good form into the Quarter Finals
I have no idea why Banik Ostrava are so good, but I’ll find out just how good in the Semi finals
Meanwhile there’s some managerial switches going down. Scholes has failed again…
And been given another chance…
Shearer’s been given a second chance after his Notts County disaster
And this jerk is in his second job post England
Sheare, rather wisely given that he is 40, has restricted himself to a handful of games and Preston sit 2nd in Division 2.
The League Cup finalists have been decided
Stuart Pearce and Martin O’Neill will go head to head for that title. Speaking of titles, I’ve got another in the bag
Again, you can hold the parade as we ease past 1st Division Aston Villa. Villa are involved in a 4 horse race with Everton, Stoke and Keith Gillespie’s Middlesbrough for promotion.
Meanwhile the FA Cup Semi final lineup is shaping up.
Forest have gone on to win their replay but West Ham and Spurs are yet to meet again, so the screenshot will have to wait. Stuart Pearce is on for a double of his own if he can win the League Cup and perhaps knock me out on the way to retaining the FA Cup.
I decided to indule myself with this legend
One of my favourite ever players, I couldn’t not sign him. Blackburn bring an England international back from Spain
Whilst Leicester are also raiding Spain
Why Leicester you might ask? Well…
Roy Evans is at it again, a healthy 4 point lead plus a game in hand – though Sunderland will probably emerge as their nearest challengers should they win the games in hand. I would say it’s a three horse race but after the Leeds’ debacle a few seasons ago, don’t rule anything out. Meanwhile, at the bottom…
Watford are all but relegated, but it’s sad to see Bolton’s demise. Coventry, under Bryan Robson, have every chance of relegating Newcastle. John Hartson’s Leeds have nothing to shout about.
On a final Liverpool note, this was nice to see
Followed up by a convincing win for LVG with 2 of my lads on the scoresheet
One way or another, I am having a positive impact on the national team even if I may never get to manage them.
So we’ve reached the end of this update, but with all the Domestic trophies up for grabs in the final update of this season, you wouldn’t want to miss it.
We’re underway in 2010/11, and whilst some players are taking their first steps into management, others are wishing they hadn’t bothered.
Middlesbrough’s relegation leads to their star player being released, which is Juventus’ gain
Meanwhile, this guy is French!?
I decide to get in on the act and sign the current footballer of the year
The traditional season opener is the Charity Shield, but it’s a very mundane start for me
My 10th and final taker plays up front for goodness sake, what a fool. Anyway, it’s a kind Champions League group draw so that should help. Forest lose in the Prelims to Fenerbahce so I’m flying the Champions League flag solo
Gary Neville, who has just retired with 100 caps to his name, decides to take up management in the warmer climbs of Tenerife
But it’s bad news for his best friend
Can you sack David Beckham? Anyway Beckham gets over it by joining Gary in Spain, taking over as Albacete manager. How is this for a replacement!?
Another England legend under fire is Alan Shearer, player manager of Notts County
Things to note here, one, he is 40, and still plays himself every game. Secondly, he took over with Notts County near the bottom of division 1 – they now reside in division 3. It’s fair to say it hasn’t gone well.
That is no surprise. But when you’ve sacked big Al, where can you turn? Ah yes
My old pal Carl Cort from my very first job in this game, I’d love to say he’ll do a great job but I would be lying.
Radomir Antic is removed from his role, leaving Alex Ferguson & Nigel Spackman as the only managers who are still in the same jobs they were on 16th July 1997.
Meanwhile at Liverpool, it’s been easy in the Champions League with 4 wins out of 4 but the league form hasn’t been as good. Here’s the squad
It’s a good squad, really, but with Marco out injured it exposes the lack of depth in the quality. Wiltord, picked up on a free from Villa after their relegation released him, isn’t all that good. Keane has always been hit and miss whilst Bakayoko is an old man now. Ramasut, or the reincarnation of Ryan Giggs, is used sparingly mainly because he’s not a forward and I don’t play wingers, so it’s tricky. Junior Brookes has just been capped by LVG, which is tremendous.
The main man is still Austin Blades though, a starter for England now
Unfortunately he hasn’t looked like getting near the 25 goals he got last season. Here’s the table
Roy Evans, you old fox. Keegan’s Birmingham in second too, whilst you can’t underestimate the job Mark Hateley is doing at WBA. Meanwhile, at the bottom:
Bryan Robson’s Coventry look set for an early return to Division 1, likewise for Gerry Wilson (who?) and his Watford team. The aforementioned Spackman completes the bottom 3. McManaman’s clubs new and old are also in deep trouble, but there’s a long way to go.
Can I make it 3 titles on the trot? Will I win the coveted Super Cup? All big questions that will be hopefully be answered in the next update
