Part 107: Chapter the Fifth: Tempered and quenched.
Chapter the Fifth: Tempered and quenched.December 20, 2020-January 6, 2020
We're playing Arsenal, Derby, and Manchester City in the league, and Chelsea in the FA Cup. It's not a welcoming schedule, especially as all four games take place across ten days. The most likely outcome is that we take 3-4 of 9 possible points in the league while getting knocked out of the FA Cup early. The transfer window is also going to be opening shortly, and the club election is on January 5th, so at the end of this update I'll need to take stock of where the team is at and what we should do going forward.
His contract is up at the end of the year, 2.2m is a good haul, and I want to replenish my transfer budget before the window opens.
Turns out he can't do everything. Shirra is an extreme right footed player, meaning that a skilled defender who can show him onto his left foot can shut him down. Not many defenders can do that though, as Shirra is very technically adept (Dribbling 17, Technique 16), has a high game IQ (Anticipation 15, Off the Ball 15), and has a devastating first step to go with solid speed and agility (19 Acceleration, 16 Agility, 15 Pace). Did I mention he still can't buy beer in the United States until next season?
Bastable is back in form. With him looking as good as he did last season we've got a chance to be in first place for goals scored at some point this season.
vs. Arsenal, December 22, 2020
Premier League
Arsenal are in first place. They're led by one of the five best players in England, and probably one of the ten best in the world, Lee Nash. Nash is the AU Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been beloved by FM in every game I've ever played.
Starting Formation: 4-4-1-1 Counter
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Cirjak, Boumsong (c), Todd, Feruga, Djurovic, Mair, Petts, Mujkic, Shirra, Bastable.
Subs: Novotny, Mejasic, Lewis, Morvan, Bailey, Nieddu, Di Martino.
The good news is that we're not getting blasted off the field, the bad news is that we're not playing up to Arsenal's level. Thirty minutes in I breathe a sigh of relief when their striker, Bartoli, is called offside and we remain at 0-0. That just means my blood pressure spikes two minutes later when Lee Nash abuses Mair on his way to scoring two minutes later. Fortunately for the players Bastable evens up the score with a header in first half stoppage time, and I don't have to pitch a fit when we chat between the halves.
We squander a good chance because Meteor doesn't have his finishing touch today, and then fall behind from a set piece after subbing off Mair and Petts. With ten minutes left I switch to the 4-4-2 Diamond in an effort to salvage a point. Time ticks down and after three minutes of stoppage time we can least take a moral victory thanks to our decent performance. We also take a point, thanks to Rocky Bastable scoring the equalizer at 92 minutes and 47 seconds.
Man of the Match: That Bastard, Rocky Bastable
Wrexham 2-2 Arsenal
Oh hey, Montreal didn't win the MLS championship this season. DC United gets to relive their glory days of the late 1990s, except now in front of a much larger crowd. For all the snobbery directed at MLS they still put more asses in the seats than all but eight other association football leagues around the globe.
At Derby, December 26, 2020
Premier League
Derby are the one non-megabastard team we're playing this update. They're on a bad losing streak, so we're playing them at just the right time. Their poor form is our gain, if we lose or even draw here we'll have a harder time sticking in the rarefied air of the table top.
Starting Formation: 4-4-2 Diamond Attack
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Cirjak, Boumsong (c), Lewis, Mejasic, Mair, Nieddu, Mujkic, Shirra, Aarts, Bastable.
Subs: Novotny, Richards, Todd, Morvan, Djurovic, Bailey, Di Martino.
Ever since getting back to scoring goals Bastable has been going bonkers. This time he thwacks one in at 8 minutes. Shirra gets in on the action and on scoresheet two minutes later. After making us wait another fifteen minutes Bastable belts in another to make it 3-0. Despite the mollywhopping they took in the first twenty-five minutes Derby are only mostly dead, they get one back before the half. I spend the pep talk hammering home how the game isn't over and to not lose our edge. The warning proves prescient, for the final twenty minutes of the match Derby take the game to us, and we come close to coughing up a three goal advantage. I shake my head and tut after the game, I want them to feel suitably chagrined about that Jekyll and Hyde performance. They are, with the exception of Bastable, who seems confused at what more I want from him after yet another two goal performance.
Man of the Match: Rocky Bastable
Derby 1-3 Wrexham
Stewart Lewis makes his return to the league Team of the Week. He's still a useful player, but he's been surpassed at this point by others on our squad. This is his last year with the team after having been with us since we were in League 2.
Bailey's contract is getting renewed, obviously. I'll have to think about Mejasic, though. As I found out to my dismay this summer, fullbacks are hard to find.
At Manchester City, December 30, 2020
Premier League
This isn't going to be fun. I'm holding out Mujkic, Shirra, Boumsong, and Cirjak for the FA Cup match in three days. We're a much deeper team than we've been in years past, the only players I'm not comfortable starting at their positions are Richards, Dos Santos, and Mejasic, but it's not our best eleven. We're going to need a miracle to win this, but we could luck into a draw.
Starting Formation: 4-4-1-1
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Dos Santos, Feruga, Todd, Richards, Djurovic, Morvan, Petts, Mejasic, Nieddu, Bastable.
Subs: Novotny, Boumsong, Lewis, Mair, Mujkic, Bailey, Aarts.
We defang Manchester City's capable attack for the first half, with Woj Feruga making a vital challenge to clear a rebound in the 24th minute. Their defense is getting dissected by our ripostes, but both Nieddu and Feruga bang the ball off the post on our two best chances of the day. Those missed chances come back to bite us, as City pulls a Bastable and sinks us with a goal in the closing minutes. We were unlucky to lose the match, if anything we outplayed Manchester City on their own turf.
Manchester City 1-0 Wrexham
“Finally” getting it right? That praise is so faint that it's nearly invisible.
He should be a little disappointed in his boys, and we should have come away with at least a draw from that match.
Barcelona want Mujkic. I'm not interested in selling for that little, and the board backs me on it. Barca shrug, and the next day make an offer for a Manchester United player at the same price.
Happy New Year! The directors ask if I want to change my goals for the season, offering me up to £8m more in funds. This is a question we'll vote on.
Cardiff were interested in Lewis, he's valued at £900k, so I offered him for £2m. They didn't bite. He's still a useful member of the team and I see no reason to have one of our prospects take his role for the rest of the season when they'd be better served by remaining either on loan or in our youth system. If someone is willing to meet my asking price I'll take their money, but I'm not going to actively shop him.
It's awards season!
Meteor adds a third of these to his cabinet, he greets the news with an insouciant shrug. He'd much rather have won the player of the year award.
Bastable scoops the monthly award after scoring two goals in three straight games towards the end of the month.
Shirra couldn't quite snag the young player award, but one of our loaned players, Stacy Newman, wins the equivalent League 1 award.
Rounding out the award news, I get word that I finished third for Coach of the Month. There are times I feel like I'm never going to win one of these again.
I'm forced to accelerate my decision on Mejasic as top Greek club Olympiacos is interested in him. I offer him a £12,500/wk, two year extension.
vs. Chelsea, January 2, 2020
FA Cup, Third Round
I give us very little chance of winning a replay at Stamford Bridge. That means we need to win today, and it means we can't sit back and try to hit Chelsea on the counter. Fatigue is not a factor in player selection as we've got the next week off before our next match.
Starting Formation: 4-4-2 Diamond Attack
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Cirjak, Boumsong (c), Todd, Mejasic, Mair, Djurovic, Mujkic, Shirra, Di Martino, Bastable.
Subs: Novotny, Dos Santos, Lewis, Morvan, Bailey, Nieddu, Aarts.
The entire first half is for naught. Chelsea's defense frustrates us, helped by a referee who's clearly favoring them when it comes to calling fouls. They can't do anything going forward and so my pep-talk revolves around challenging the players to break down Chelsea and get us the goal we need to win.
I don't have to wait long to see my inspiration take effect. It's Bastable who gets his gorgeous, bulbous noggin on a cross from Djurovic two minutes after play resumes. Djurovic makes it two-nothing five minutes later when he's artfully picked out on a corner by Di Martino. Di Martino had otherwise struggled to this point in the game, but showed a great deal of cunning to find Djurovic out by the edge of the area with a clear shot at the net. Chelsea are more threatening after going down, and their ranging forward earns them several corners and creates some chances, but it also allows us to repeatedly threaten to pile on the goals. When Bastable scores in the 88th minute, the only surprise was that it took so long to get a third.
Man of the Match: El Bastardo Magnifico, Rocky Bastable
Wrexham 3-0 Chelsea
Not a bad draw, not a great draw. Bolton are still a mid-table Championship side, someone we should have no trouble beating.
Is this a joke, Inter? I have his asking price set at £50m, same as Mujkic.
You think this is funny? Am I a clown, Interisti? Do I amuse you?
He's signed through June 2023; we're not negotiating a new deal mid-season.
Had to be done. Mejasic isn't a long term solution at left back, but he's good enough for now and he was on the verge of signing a deal that would take him to Greece at the end of the year.
The king stays the king. For up to two more elections, at least. We're a constitutional monarchy like that.
We're fourth on the table thanks to having scored more goals than Chelsea. We travel to Stamford Bridge on January 13th, though, and they'll surely be looking for revenge after the way we dismantled them in the FA Cup. We're doing as well as I could hope, and we're in good shape to qualify for Europe through the league given our six point advantage over Everton. The fixture list also gets easier for the next six weeks, with no top-half sides on the schedule other than Chelsea until we play Tottenham on February 24. It's time to pile on the points so that we have a cushion when we play our competitors for the top four spots.
Board Vote(pensively) We're losing money. The primary drivers of the red ink are increased tax payments (already £3m more than last year's final sum) and non-soccer costs (already £5m more than last year's final sum). Those two categories account for the entirety of our shrinking cash reserve since the start of the season.
We still have £9,300,000 in cash, and we will finish with a positive balance if no change to our payroll is made. Combined with the league prize money, we'll have something like £20m+ in the bank come the summer. However, given our strong league position and the real chance that we could make the Champion's league, I would like the board to consider freeing up additional funds for improving the team over the winter window.
QUESTION 1: Wage/Transfer Budget Increase
A) (Conservatively) We cannot risk going the way of Portsmouth and QPR, and we feel the team is strong enough as currently composed to compete. (No increase in wage/transfer budget)
B) (Indecisively) Making the Champion's League would mean a huge influx of money. You need to spend money to make money. But at the same time, we want you to keep an eye towards future success as well. (Wage/Transfer budget increased by £5m)
C) (Rand Paulishly) The tax man is stealing our hard earned money! We must spend it before they have a chance to take it and use it to coddle unemployed heroin addicts! (Wage/Transfer budget increased by £10m)
Voting will be open until Monday the 12th at 3pm EST.