Part 151: Chapter the Third: The Welsh steamroller.

Chapter the Third: The Welsh steamroller.
September 1, 2023-October 1, 2023

We've got a chance to win our second trophy of the year in the Super Cup. We've also got a tricky match against Chelsea right after the international break. During that international break we'll be playing against Germany in Germany, which will be the sternest test yet faced by the USMNT under my leadership. Beyond that, though, things look downright easy.



Maybe I spoke too soon. We haven't beaten Norwich in over two years, and we've only won one of our last six matches against them. While I shouldn't be dreading a trip to the Canaries at this point in our development as a club the same was true each of the last three years when they repeatedly took four points from us in the EPL.

vs Internazionale, September 1, 2023
Super Cup


We're at the Olimpico in Turin, putting this match essentially in our Milanese opponent's back yard. Inter has one shining star in midfielder Mate Rados, but beyond him don't have anyone who would realistically get a lot of playing time on our squad. Thus I promulgate a single commandment. Bring me that trophy!

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Reed, Laux, Hammatt, Loseille, Morvan, Bailey (c), Parr, Shirra, Taborda, Thiago.
Subs: Fitzgerald, Quiboulaz, Vidal, Mair, Petts, Argenti, Stringel.

We take advantage of our ability to recycle possession after corner kicks when Hammatt redirects a flick on from Parr in the eighth minute. It's a pretty piece of interplay from our squad, and we continue our fine form in every aspect of play but our finishing throughout the half. Just before it ends, however, we're caught napping by Rados and it's all even after forty-five. His name comes up over and over again in the second half, we can't prevent him from getting free and he harries our defense until I finally assign Bailey to stick by his side for the remainder of the match.

That leads to more chances from other Inter players, but they aren't half the players that Rados is and those go for naught. So when Shahed Parr scores an all time golazo in the 68th minute it restores the lead. It's a monstrous drive hit from roughly 70 yards away, and it's the longest range goal I've ever seen in Football Manager.

We're on the offensive again two minutes later. Parr cracks the woodwork from range and Thiago shows great instinct to pounce on the rebound to give us an insurmountable advantage heading into the final 20 minutes. Inter slump, defeated, and we leave Italy with the Super Cup.

Man of the Match: Ed Hammatt




Wrexham 3-1 Inter



Sure it's just about the mildest double you can do, but it does keep us on track to win every competition we enter. Next up, the League Cup and the Club World Cup! Let's do the Septuple!



We've hit the point where we have too many players to register our entire senior team in the Champions League. Loanee Vidal, free transfer Gabbianelli, and youngster Ikeda all are left off the squad that will travel the continent.



This isn't because he's buried on our bench. I've been giving him chances to prove himself, he's played in three of our five matches thus far, but he's returned mediocre performances.



Not the way I'd advise trying to get yourself more playing time, kid.



O'Hanlon has me at the top of his “Favored Personnel” list, and I don't especially want to upset a guy who's been with us for five years and can fill a “home grown player” spot in the Champions League. I'll terminate the Vidal loan as he's surplus to requirements and I don't want to develop a player for one of our continental rivals. O'Hanlon is more concerned about Quiboulaz taking his playing time, as he should be, but with four centerbacks there's enough playing time for everyone.



This does free up some more wages, and hopefully will make the players happier. The media are going to have a field day with it, though, and I'm sure PSG isn't happy with my change of plans.



They reopened the Wrexham Taco Bell, and made it a combination Taco Bell/Pizza Hut/KFC. I foresee further gastrointestinal problems.



I'm trying to think of where the most appropriate place to stay would be given that we're playing in in Düsseldorf and Athens. While I'm equivocating over Geneva or Vienna, US Soccer books us at a Holiday Inn.



Dangit Erlic, you're already in my first team, and you're my captain to boot. You're supposed to tell all the kids to kick on, not freak out the other fullbacks.

At Germany, September 8, 2023
International Friendly


When we beat Mexico we were playing on our own home turf. We're facing die Mannschaft in Germany, and the advantage will be all theirs. I've also left some of our better players home because they needed rest, and of course Bobby Padilla is exiled from the squad. Even a draw here will be something we can take pride in and that USMNT supporters can gush about while fans from other nations mutter about how it's only a friendly.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Brown, Latham, Erlic (c), Woods, Hartman, Ramos, Burman, Lenz, Carroll.
Subs: Gomez, Solis, Bruno, Needham, Romaneiro, Lang, Barrett, Hughes, Enriquez, Perez, Mancini.

A swarming counterattack and overlapping runs by Parsons and Burman put us ahead after 4 minutes, and the packed stadium makes their disappointment known. That same combination helps create a second goal five minutes later and silences the German crowd. Germany pressure us steadily for the next 30 minutes, but we get two more good chances. One of them goes off the crossbar, and I hope we won't regret it.

We enter the locker room with a 2-0 lead, and it could easily be 4-0. Germany play much better after the break, no surprise there, but it's still 2-0 after 70 minutes and an exquisite Toninho save. They don't threaten again thanks to disciplined defending, and we've just beaten Germany in Germany. Start writing our names on the 2026 World Cup.

Man of the Match: Brian Burman




Germany 0-2 USMNT



He just keeps impressing.



Ganbatte, Ryuta!



Paul Williams also led them to victory over South Africa a day before the Germany match. We've got several teen prospects with the senior team right now, making these wins even more impressive.

At Greece, September 12, 2023
International Friendly


I haven't fully come to terms with the fact that we shocked Germany. It doesn't matter what happens in this game, this European trip was a huge success.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Brown, Needham, Bruno, Romaneiro, Woods (c), Ramos, Burman, Lenz, Carroll.
Subs: Solis, Gomez, Erlic, Latham, Lang, Hartman, Hughes, Barrett, Enriquez, Perez, Mancini.

Well, that's soccer for you. We thoroughly outplayed Greece, and they're the ones taking a 1-0 victory. It's the national team's first loss in 11 months, and given that we also beat the Germans on this tour I'm perfectly willing to commiserate with them over some bad luck that kept us from a deserved win.




Greece 1-0 USMNT



Next up are Mexico and Costa Rica. Our status as World Cup hosts means we won't be involved in CONCACAF qualification over the next couple years, so I'm going to continue to try and schedule one difficult and one midlevel opponent during our international periods.



We might not have budged in the rankings, but we sure caused Germany a tumble. They go from 6th to 13th.




I love wingbacks. I'm tempted to start playing three at the back and push Reed and Loseille up to a more advanced position. That's filed away for now, but one day I might run out a 3-4-3 where we have Aarts, Stringel, and Thiago on the pitch at once and Loseille/Mujkic and Reed as the poor bastards who have to run 10+ miles and give us width.




From literally unknown to being signed by a favorite to lift the Champions League trophy and getting his first national cap and goal, Thiago has had a busy couple months. Also, I'm seeing shades of Diego Costa in a brilliant 25 year old striker deciding to play for the country where his professional club was rather than Brazil.



Two of the clubs with the four best odds of winning the tournament are in the same group stage along with better than average third and fourth seeds. Why does this seem like the fix is in? If anyone sees Gazprom execs talking with sheiks at the other matches call Interpol.



We've started a batch of clones for Mujkic so we can harvest a fresh spinal cord, but with current 2023 technology we've still got to wait for them to reach at least 18 years old before we can use them. We can put a man on the moon, but we can't replace vital bodily systems with illegally harvested clone duplicates... what is this world coming to?

vs Chelsea, September 16, 2023
Premier League


Chelsea are decidedly on the outside looking in at the moment. They've suffered some defections and the lack of Champions League play means that they aren't able to make big signings the way they used to. They still have some great players, though, and one of those is our former centerback Chris Todd.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Quiboulaz, Laux, Hammatt, Taffarel, Morvan, Bailey (c), Collett, Stringel, Gabbianelli, Thiago.
Subs: Fitzgerald, Reed, O'Hanlon, Petts, Allan, Ikeda, Argenti.

We seize advantage after fifteen minutes when Stringel catches the Chelsea centerback not named Todd leaning the wrong way on the attack and is able to slip a ball to Thiago. Stringel does it again seven minutes later, this time to Todd who watches the ball whir past on it's way to the waiting boot of Collett. Hammatt shows that our defenders too can make boneheaded mistakes by giving Chelsea an easy goal when he misplays a throw in deep in our own area.

Not to worry, wonderkid Stringel slips past the Chelsea back line and latches onto a Bailey through ball in the second half to reclaim the two goal lead. We need it. Chelsea's Antonio Vicini is proving you should never go in against a Sicilian when the game is on the line, and is singlehandedly responsible for all Chelsea offense on the day, making it 3-2 in the 73rd minute. It's enough to win him man of the match, but not to win Chelsea any points.




Wrexham 3-2 Chelsea




These are minor injuries, but given that we play twice a week Morvan and Stringel could each miss four matches.



The Racecourse Ground can't be expanded beyond it's current 28,000 seats. That makes it the fifth smallest venue in the Premier League, and less than 1/3rd the number that Manchester United can pack into New Old Trafford. We're going to have to be a very expensive ticket to make up the difference between us and the big clubs when it comes to gate earnings.

vs Rubin Kazan, September 19, 2023
Champions League, Group D


Rubin Kazan have won five of the last ten Russian Prem'er Liga seasons, but never advanced out of the group stage of the Champions League. They do have a couple players who could find some playing time in our squad, the best of which is a defensive midfielder named Garrinchinha, a naturalized Russian citizen. As for the crowd, there's 1,047 unsold tickets. I'm blaming this on the Russian fans, because I'm sure the Wrexham faithful wouldn't leave seats open for Champions League matches.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Reed (c), O'Hanlon, Hammatt, Loseille, Mair, Shirra, Argenti, Rouissi, Taborda, Aarts.
Subs: Fitzgerald, Cirjak, Laux, Bailey, Petts, Parr, Thiago.

I grow frustrated as the clock ticks on and we remain unable to work the ball into dangerous areas. That frustration turns to outrage when O'Hanlon puts in an own goal after a rocket off the post by Rubin and then gets himself carded minutes later. He looks on the brink of meltdown, which forces me to take him out for the cooler headed Laux at halftime.

Things thankfully improve, starting with Aarts getting free and equalizing in the 54th minute. He scores the go ahead goal 15 minutes later. The Ruskies get a shot away in the 85th minute that flies over Kovacevic's outstretched hands and judders the crossbar, making it very clear that the game is not over. At least, not until Aarts tires of toying with his opposition and drops the insurance goal in by posterizing the Rubin keeper and thwacking the ball downwards and across the goal line. It was a harder match than I'd have liked, but the cliché doesn't lie- a win is a win. I'm especially happy to see Aarts score when it matters, if he and Stringel continue their early season form it won't matter whether Thiago is a bust.

Man of the Match: Bram Aarts




Wrexham 3-1 Rubin



Hey Taff and Damgaard, you see how the rest of the team loves me? My pep talks are the stuff of legend. Perhaps you should have waited a couple months before piping up to the media about how I didn't know what I was doing.



Phew. He picked that up in the first half of the match and I would have subbed him out but for having to remove O'Hanlon after the own goal and carding.



Can't have everything, I suppose. Cirjak's Marking is pretty good, but not world class. I put up with it due to his other talents.

At Blackburn Rovers, September 23, 2023
Premier League


I'm torn about who to play in this match. We have the League Cup in two days and I'll be damned if we're losing to Norwich again. But we're also off to a hot start in the Premier League and I don't want to risk that either. On the third hand, our squad is filled with players of roughly the same level of ability but different strengths and weaknesses... our starting 11 features so much flux because I'm both trying to maintain everyone's fitness and because the choice of Morvan or Petts is apples to oranges and Collett, Argenti, or Parr is apples to apples.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Fitzgerald, Cirjak, Laux, Quiboulaz, Taffarel, Bailey, Petts, Parr, Allan, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Kovacevic, Reed, O'Hanlon, Mair, Shirra, Collett, Gabbianelli.

I'm getting used to hearing “Great play until the finish by Thiago!” from the announcers. We don't need him to take all three points, though. Petts volleys home a pass from Cirjak for the lead. Mujkic scores his fiftieth league goal for the Red Dragons two minutes later on a trademark run up the flank that leaves his marker in the dust and gasping for breath. Blackburn makes it interesting with a goal early in the second half, and there's yellow cards galore for both sides with 10 minutes left, but our defense doesn't allow anything more.

Man of the Match: Tonci Cirjak.




Blackburn 1-2 Wrexham



I don't expect us to set the all time record for consecutive wins for football as a whole, but Arsenal's modern day Premier League record of 14 is in sight.



We also haven't lost since the FA Cup semi last April. This run is fantastic, and I'm happy with the outcomes, but complacency will become an issue. We're a club with a professional mindset across our squad, but even the most professional clubs can fall victim to overconfidence.



Bailey has been heavily featured in our squad both because I have a great deal of affinity for him and because he's got a certain mix of talents that make him our best choice as a box to box midfielder. Also, getting hulked out means that he's got the stamina to play the position in a way that Morvan and Petts do not.



Tosh has a new job already?! You'd think that his massive underperformance at Southampton would earn him more than a couple weeks on the unemployment line. But nope, he's already head coach of Norwich.

Tactical Segue




I was asked to go into a little more detail about our tactics. The first thing to know is that the club has been built to utilize the 4-2-3-1 formation. That means lots of players suited to playing on the wing, lots of attacking midfielders who are comfortable in creative roles, and strikers who can lead the line and draw in defenders to open room for the wingers and attacking midfielders to operate in.



The primary change recently is that I've tried to make our base formation even more offensive-minded by setting our fullbacks to operate as Complete Wingbacks. Complete Wingbacks can only be set to an attacking role, they'll seek to charge upfield at the first opportunity and overlap with the wingers to cause havoc deep in the opposition's third. That means that they're prone to getting caught upfield when the other team wins possession and counter attacks, and our primary Centerback pairing of Hammatt and Laux are not yet quick or experienced enough to defend the huge amount of space those wingbacks leave open. Ideally the centerbacks will get quicker and we'll find a Neuer-esque sweeper keeper, which will allow us to press a higher line and dominate play even more. As is we impose our will on any club other than the six or seven best in the league, and the sacrifice we make in order to do that is giving them a couple breakaway chances a match.



I've also set up a 4-2-3-1 variant for counter-attacking play. There aren't many occasions where I want to use it, but being prepared to play a counter style when we have tough away games allows us to both show a slightly different look and actually be practiced at the counter when we need to use it. Along with having the fullbacks stay at home on defense, the central midfield pairing is more defensive with the left one set as a ball winning midfield destroyer and the deep-lying playmaker moved from a defensive to support role. The players are also ordered to not stray from their assignments in order to keep us from overreaching.



The 4-4-1-1 is boring, so while writing this tactical section I scrapped it for the new hotness. We've barely used this in the last two years, and it's too defensive a formation for me to feel like a genius for using. Win pretty or don't win at all.



That new hotness is the 3-4-3. It's more than a little offensively minded, and a stark contrast to our base 4-2-3-1. Rather than seeking to suffocate the opponent by maintaining possession and moving the ball along the outside of the penalty area in order to pull the defense out of shape it's designed to get the ball upfield quick to three forwards, using the wingbacks to create width and overwhelming the defense with five players attacking. Three centerbacks and a ball winning midfielder are assigned to win back possession as soon as possible so we can return to unleashing broadsides against the opposition. Note: I haven't had a chance to use it yet. It could turn out be a complete failure, but if so it will be an entertaining one.

At Norwich City, September 26, 2023
League Cup, Fourth Round


If we have a bogey team, this is it. I'm running out a competitive squad, if this were our first team all season in the Prem I'd expect us to finish between 4th and 6th.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Fitzgerald, Reed (c), O'Hanlon, Quiboulaz, Loseille, Mair, Shirra, Argenti, Rouissi, Taborda, Aarts.
Subs: Kovacevic, Taffarel, Laux, Bailey, Collett, Ikeda, Gabbianelli.

We score from a Taborda free kick in the sixth minute. That's followed by sustained pressure, but we tack on nothing more before Taborda has to go off injured in the 28th minute. Bram Aarts is getting into dangerous places, but not finishing the job, and has also been caught offside more than once. The two goal advantage is finally earned courtesy Loseille late in the second half, so naturally he's injured minutes later. Norwich are not pleased to be going down to us.

Regardless of their mood, they can't do anything to stop us from thumping them. In the 90th minute Taffarel makes an overlapping run, passes to Gabbianelli in the area, Gabbi waits until the keeper has to come off his line to protect against the shot and pokes it over to Kais Rouissi, who finishes the exorcism. Norwich had one breakaway early, but that was their only shot on goal and they spent a piddling 6% of the game with possession in our third.

Man of the Match: James Loseille




Norwich 0-3 Wrexham




We'll get by ok without them, I was worried that Taborda in particular would be a much worse injury given how early he went down.



Maybe after another 5 games where your players keep injuring mine.




What, £4k/wk isn't enough for someone who had 16 goals and 8 assists for the club last year? Argenti will probably cost more at the end of the season, but I don't like negotiating midyear and I want to make sure he can play consistently well after his boom and bust campaign a year back.



Perhaps I should stop leaving him off the USMNT.



They'll probably be playing a weakened squad, but considering there were still League One teams in the draw this has to be considered the worst possible matchup we could have gotten. Imagine Pattison's face if we win, though.

vs West Bromwich Albion, September 30, 2023
Premier League


We've got a relegation contender vs. a club on a five month unbeaten streak. I wonder which way the odds are going. Fitzgerald is getting a third start in a row because Kovacevic stubbed a finger during practice.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Fitzgerald, Cirjak, Laux, Hammatt, Taffarel, Bailey, Petts, Parr, Shirra, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Kovacevic, Quiboulaz, O'Hanlon, Morvan, Allan, Collett, Aarts.

It's ugly for West Brom at the start, and they're lucky we don't take the lead until the third minute when Shahed Parr scores after Bailey coolly intercepts an Albion pass and finds him breaking for the goal. They recover from going down early by hitting us on the break before a half hour is up, but Thiago poaches a goal to take us into the half up one. We reassert control in the second half, taking a two goal lead after Mujkic and Petts combine to set up a Shirra tap in. West Brom doesn't threaten again, and the capacity crowd of 28,000 goes home happy.

Man of the Match: Scott Shirra




Wrexham 3-1 West Brom



Not true. As I mentioned earlier the actual record is 14 straight by Arsenal. We've got them in our sights, though, with the potential record setter coming at home against Manchester City next month.

USMNT


We beat Germany! Sure we lost to Greece, but who cares? We beat Germany!

Wrexham


Counting our friendlies we're 18-1-0 on the season. Ignoring them we're 10-0-0. We're scoring goals, we're defending reasonably well, and we're pasting all comers. The next month will be harder as we have back to back to back matches with PSG in the Champions League and then Manchester City in the EPL and League Cup, but this team has done everything we could have asked of it so far. My biggest problem has been finding playing time for all of our stars. That means that we're due for a collapse, or at the very least a dip in form that leads to draws and gnashing of teeth.