Part 138: Chapter the Sixth: Getting our second wind.

Chapter the Sixth: Getting our second wind.
December 5, 2022-January 1, 2023

My contract has been negotiated. I'm on £100k/wk (£5,200,000 yearly) through the end of the 2026-2027 season, with the following incentives:
Winning the FA Cup: £2,000/wk increase in base salary. (£104,000 raise)
Winning the Premier League: £5,000/wk increase in base salary. (£260,000 raise)
Winning the Champions League: £7,000/wk increase in base salary. (£364,000 raise)
Failing to qualify for the Champions League: £35,000/wk decrease in base salary (£1,820,000 pay cut)

We're approaching the midseason mark. Let's be in first when we ring in the new year.



Gosh is that ever pretty.

At Club Brugge, December 5, 2022
Champions League, Group B


If we win this match and Real Madrid can't beat PSV we'll finish atop the group. Cirjak and Reed are still getting their fitness back after their injuries, each will play one half of the match.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Reed, Laux, Todd, Suslov, Morvan, Bailey (c), Collett, Shirra, Cardozo, Bastable.
Subs: El Sayed, Cirjak, Hammatt, Mair, Julio, Argenti, Aarts.

Todd puts us off on a flyer in the 4th minute after a set piece scrum, but it's not an easy match as Brugge equalize 29th minute and then take the lead before the break. They've been playing us off the pitch since the first 10 minutes, but they can't keep it up in the second half. El Juez immediately knots it after the restart, and then Collett is fouled on the very edge of the box to set up Shirra's free kick go ahead goal at the hour mark. Matty Collett then seals the game and his Man of the Match award with a 86th minute effort that strikes paydirt to give us the solid win. PSV can't hold up their end of the bargain, though, and lose 2-0 to Real Madrid. We qualify second out of our group.

Man of the Match: Matty Collett




Brugge 2-4 Wrexham



It's fair to say that I lit a fire under their ass.



There's some interesting results in here, for example Celtic advancing to the knockout rounds over Benfica. Last year's quarterfinalists PSG were in a group of death, and are knocked out by Dortmund and Roma, while the same is true for semifinalists Barcelona. And former European Champions Atletico Madrid is entirely out of continental competition, finishing fourth in their group.

At Reading, December 10, 2022
Premier League


Our match against Arsenal was rescheduled for January, so after this match we're going to have a full week off. It's going to be so nice to sim a whole week at once!

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Attack
Starting 11: El Sayed, Reed, Hammatt, Todd, Suslov, Mair, Bailey (c), Argenti, Shirra, Taborda, Aarts.
Subs: Kovacevic, Cirjak, Feruga, Julio, Collett, Cardozo, Bastable.

When Shirra scores the first goal of the game just after the half, I'm starting to think I've unlocked the secret of the perfect pep talk hissy fit. Ardent Argenti makes it 2-0 in the 72nd minute, and the goal breaks him out of a slight slump. For the second game in a row we close much better than we open. More importantly, the win moves us to the top of the table.

Man of the Match: Scott Shirra




Reading 0-2 Wrexham




Given the week off, I'm sending players my physio tabs as tired on a brief holiday. One is Oleg Suslov, who's racked up a lot of minutes. Given how I order our fullbacks to charge up and down the field all game, it's no shock he's tuckered. More surprising is Petts being knackered, but I'm not going to argue with my staff.



Looks like we'll need a new goalkeeper coach for the national team setup. I should really get around to filling out the entire staff, except I'm not entirely sure how many coaches I'm allowed to hire.



Not interested.



What? Why?!



So what you're telling me is that you want to be sold to a team that finished third in their Champions League group and got knocked down to the Europa League, and who finished lower on the table than we did last year in a significantly weaker league, all because they have a bigger name? This is because of the Australian accent thing, isn't it?

He's not alienated, so his morale will recover and he won't be a problem in the clubhouse. But doesn't like me very much right now.



I guess that could be worse, but not by much. Juve are the reigning champions of Europe, and are going to be trying to repeat. I was really hoping to get Celtic or Ajax. Making the quarterfinals will be an impressive feat.



Christmas came a week early! He'll still be out for a week or so as he recovers his fitness.

vs. Watford, December 17, 2022
Premier League


Time for some revenge against relegation risking Watford. We've got to do better than we did against them in the League Cup.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Cirjak, Hammatt, Laux, Loseille, Morvan, Bailey (c), Collett, Shirra, Cardozo, Bastable.
Subs: El Sayed, Reed, O'Hanlon, Mair, Julio, Taborda, Argenti.

Former Red Dragon Tom Pym is starting for Watford, and is unable to keep himself onside. It costs him and his team a chance at an early lead. Meanwhile, Matty Collett has come alive after initially disappointing early in the season. In his first six matches he had zero goals and only one assist, when he scores in the 12th minute it gives him his fourth goal in the last ten matches to go with four assists.



Bailey looks like he's still feeling the side effects of those medical treatments. We get a Golden Boy goal midway through the second half, assisted by Loseille. It gives us a professional win, if not an exciting one, and was a much better result than our last match against Watford.

Man of the Match: James Loseille




Wrexham 2-0 Watford



They should now stay fresh until April.

At Blackburn Rovers, December 21, 2022
Premier League


Blackburn's playing well, so we'll have to be on our guard. This is the first match with Mujkic back in the lineup.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Cirjak, Laux, Todd, Suslov, Bailey, Petts, Taborda, Mujkic (c), Bastable.
Subs: El Sayed, Reed, Hammatt, Morvan, Julio, Argenti, Cardozo

We're keeping Blackburn from getting into our third, but they're keeping us from creating shots.
Collett goes off the crossbar on our first half chance, and then Bastable misses an easy opportunity. He's been awful the last five games, perhaps I should reconsider selling him to PSG for a bajillion dollars. Blackburn hits us on the break, scoring on their second shot of the day. We equalize thanks to a well placed shot through traffic by Collett, but don't get a second goal. Despite allowing just two shots we only get one point.




Blackburn 1-1 Wrexham



There's nothing we can do about losing Mujkic and Bastable to the Asian Cup, unlike the ASEAN championship it's an important tournament. It's still better for us than the Africa Cup of Nations, as it only happens once every four years instead of every other year.

vs. Derby County, December 26, 2022
Premier League


If we were closer to them and had a rivalry this would be called the Derby derby.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Hammatt, Todd, Suslov, Bailey, Morvan, Collett, Shirra, Mujkic, Bastable.
Subs: El Sayed, Loseille, Feruga, Mair, Julio, Taborda, Cardozo

Oleg Suslov gets another first minute card, and I'm pacing the technical area with my fingers crossed that he doesn't pick up another before the half. A great through ball from Bailey and the convincing Collett finish gives us the lead very early, and then a minute later Meteor is downed in the box. Shirra converts from the penalty spot, and we're up two-nil at the 4th minute. Then Suslov earns his second yellow in the 6th minute, leaving us a man down for the rest of the match. He's got a fine coming to him, forcing us to play a man down for nearly the entire game is wildly unprofessional.

Derby gets one back from our former youth prospect Michael Upson, who's been an acceptable if not special player thus far in his career. It doesn't matter, as Bastable restores our lead right back to two. Even a man down we're still bossing Derby around. Collett finishes the humiliation with a goal in the 87th minute. We beat Derby 2-1 despite playing 10 v 11.

Man of the Match: Rocky Bastable




Wrexham 4-1 Derby




Stop committing stupid fouls!




Why did he think I fined him? Petulance?

At Chelsea, December 31, 2022
Premier League


Suslov's suspension means that Loseille is back with the senior squad. Suslov might have to go, he's an excellent player but his lack of discipline makes him a risky player to rely upon.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Cirjak, Laux, Todd, Loseille, Bailey (c), Petts, Argenti, Shirra, Taborda, Cardozo.
Subs: El Sayed, Reed, Feruga, Morvan, Julio, Collett, Aarts.

It's even through the first half, with both sides making a small number of chances. With Cardozo not doing much up front I bring in Aarts. He also doesn't do much up front. Laux saves our bacon on several occasions, winning the ball in the air and on the ground and repeatedly frustrating the Chelsea attack. They finally put it into the back of the net after 83 minutes have elapsed, but the flag is up and they don't bother complaining. At the end of the match we've outplayed them, but couldn't find a way to score. Still, a draw on a megabastards home turf is always a good result.

Man of the Match: Matthias Laux




Chelsea 0-0 Wrexham



Things are looking good, but I'm thinking that Suslov might have to go. I doubt I'll be too active on the transfer market, but there's a lot of teams circling our players right now and if the right deals come up I might be interested. Likewise, if a player I've had my eye on is subject to a transfer bid I might get involved as well. I forgot to get a screenshot of the table, but we're sitting just behind Manchester City, which had a slightly better month than we did.