Part 208: Chapter the Tenth: A bad draw, a bad day.
Chapter the Tenth: A bad draw, a bad day.February 10, 2027-March 7, 2027
We better obliterate all comers over the next month, or I'm going to go Bobby Knight on one of our players.
At Reading, February 13, 2027
FA Cup, Fifth Round
Sorry, AJ_Impy, you're playing us at the wrong time. I want to wipe Reading from the face of the earth.
Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Minami, Reed, Hammatt, Laux, Loseille, Bailey, Shirra, Mercado, Stringel, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Kocsis, Quiboulaz, Tounkara, Maloney, Allan, Pickee, Moctezuma.
We get off to a much better start than we did against Crystal Palace, and Meteor decides to show me that he doesn't need to provide balls to our strikers to change the game. Our sloppiness allows Reading to climb back into the game with an equalizer in the 18th minute, though. But Matias Mercado restores our lead after Isaac Stringel botches an easy chance. Thiago scores shortly before the half, and we've earned a comfortable advantage.
Our defense isn't spectacular when play resumes, but Stringel and Mercado add two more goals to our line and we're moving on to the round of eight. The players are expecting me to pat them on the head when they come into the lockers after the game, but the memories of the Crystal Palace catastrophe are still fresh in my mind.
Man of the Match: Matias Mercado
Reading 1-5 Wrexham
Our path to the final went from being a smooth slope to being a jagged peak.
We're never going to play Southampton, because there's a good chance this will get moved yet again if we advance in the Champions League.
At Valencia, February 17, 2027
Champions Leauge, Knockout Round Away Tie
I have a bad habit of over-prounouncing Valencia using what I imagine to be a strong Spanish accent so that it comes out “Balenthia.” I'm sure that would get on people's nerves if I ever actually talked to anyone about the club or the city. As is, it's just a weird quirk of mine that only shows up when I'm talking to myself as I play Football Manager.
Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Minami, Reed, Hammatt, Laux, Loseille, Maloney, Shirra, Mercado, Stringel, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Kocsis, Quiboulaz, Tounkata, Bailey, Allan, Pickee, Moctezuma.
Valencia's left back, Braulio, picks up a card in the first two minutes of play. That could prove important. What follows is a clinic of control, where we dominate possession and only give up one dangerous chance right before the break.
The problem is that we just can't score. Multiple chances go begging as both Mercado and Thiago can't find the target. Then we get a break when Braulio picks up his second yellow in the 59th minute. Yet we still can't push through an away goal. The final ten minutes of the game sees a steady decline in the number of players on the pitch as first Matthias Laux gets sent off when he makes an idiotic tackle as the last man between Valencia's player and the goal, and then the home team has to play the final five minutes with only nine men on the pitch after a late injury to their right midfielder. Our inability to score an away goal could haunt us, we now need to win outright in Wales to advance to the next round.
Man of the Match: James Loseille
Valencia 0-0 Wrexham
Laux gets fined two weeks salary for getting sent off.
But even without the red card he'd miss the next two weeks anyways due to a tweaked knee.
Perhaps I'm expecting too much of Thiago, but I don't care. He needs to get back to his old ways and quick.
USMNT duties pop up for the first time since last fall. Here's a job I'm going to be foisting onto Paul Williams.
But I'll be taking command in the Gold Cup in an attempt to win a three-peat. A win will make us CONCACAF's representative in the 2029 Confederations Cup, a trophy I mean to make my own.
vs Chelsea, February 21, 2027
Premier League
A good win, and then a bad draw. That's not what I wanted to see coming off our loss to Crystal Palace.
Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Minami, Reed, Hammatt, Quiboulaz, Loseille, Zouaghi, Shirra, Pickee, Stringel, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Kocsis, Cirjak, Tounkara, Bailey, Allan, Damgaard, Moctezuma.
We play positive football from the outset, and it pays dividends when Stringel nutmegs a defender to get Mujkic the ball, with Mujkic scoring on a shot from a tight angle. Chelsea are looking dangerous on the counter, though, and forcing Minami to make good saves. They continue to threaten in the second half, while Thiago continues to scuffle.
Chelsea's counter-attack pulls them level in the 61st minute, but then they screw up quickly by giving away a penalty on a corner just four minutes later. Shirra may no longer be automatic, but he scores this time and restores our back the lead. Chelsea keep pressuring us for the rest of the match, and Minami has to play out of his mind to keep our awful defense from conceding another equalizer. We walk away with a two goal margin when Pickee nabs a goal in the third minute of stoppage time, but truth be told the scoreline flatters us greatly.
Man of the Match: Meteor Mujkic
Wrexham 3-1 Chelsea
At West Ham United, February 24, 2027
Premier League
This is my one chance to rest some of the first team before the League Cup final against Arsenal. With our perfect season shot and gigantic lead on the table, I'm OK with running out a highly rotated squad.
Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kocsis, Cirjak, Tounkara, Quiboulaz, Loseille, Maloney, Bailey (c), Mercado, Allan, Damgaard, Thiago.
Subs: Minami, Reed, Hammatt, Zouaghi, Pickee, Stringel, Moctezuma.
Two thirds of the way through the first half Thiago finally finds net in what seems like the first time in forever, then Allan scores two minutes later. Our offense makes it three goals in eight minutes with a Thiago free kick, and we waltz into the lockers with a giant lead. Throughout the second half Thiago guns for his hat trick. He can't nail it down, sending balls off the woodwork and just wide on more than one occasion.
Man of the Match: Thiago
West Ham 0-3 Wrexham
vs Arsenal, February 28, 2027
League Cup, Final
If we can't go undefeated we can at least win every damned trophy available. The games are coming thick and fast right now, with little time to do more than rest and study for the next match.
Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Minami, Reed, Hammatt, Tounkara, Loseille, Maloney, Shirra, Pickee, Stringel, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Kocsis, Cirjak, Quiboulaz, Bailey, Allan, Damgaard, Mercado.
First blood comes on what amounts to the soccer version of an off the backboard alley-oop. On a sixth minute corner Thiago smashes a free header at the near post off the crossbar, where it bounces out to a wide open Dramane Tounkara at the far post. A simple finish later and it's one-nil. From there we seize control of the match and stifle the Gunners.
We can't add to our lead, though, with our best chance coming when Mujkic tries to chip the keeper in the 66th minute. The keeper is only able to tip it high into the air, and it looks like it will fall into the net for our second goal, when centerback Miguel Bautista comes flying out of nowhere to clear it off the line. Mujkic has another one on one with the keeper ten minutes later, but once again can't beat the last man. It matters not, our defense is sublime all game and when the whistle blows we've added to our burgeoning collection.
Man of the Match: Dramane Tounkara
Wrexham 1-0 Arsenal
It may not be the finest prize in the land, but it's still one that most clubs would be happy to add to their collection.
That's the mini-treble, but we've still got all three major trophies to lock down.
Maybe he hasn't been struggling as much as I thought?
At Everton, March 3, 2027
Premier League
Another fairly easy match against an Everton squad that's having a dismal year, mired in 18th, which allows us to be fully in shape for our trip to Old Trafford. I have to admit that losing to Palace has made it a lot easier for me to rotate the squad, we've got such a huge lead in the league that we can afford a few losses or draws.
Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kocsis, Cirjak, Hammatt, Quiboulaz, Loseille, Zouaghi, Bailey (c), Mercado, Allan, Damgaard, Moctezuma.
Subs: Minami, Reed, Tounkara, Maloney, Shirra, Pickee, Thiago.
Moctezuma picks up a lingering ding in a challenge, and Everton strikes first all within the first 3 minutes. Mercado pulls us back to even by the 15th minute on a rebound, then adds a second a few minutes later. We never fall behind, although Everton will rue missing their opportunities for an equalizer.
Man of the Match: Matias Mercado
Everton 1-2 Wrexham
Steve Walsh is a schmuck who fails upwards. Since he got League One side Carlisle relegated during his first head coaching job back in 2014 he's held 15 managerial positions and never spent more than a year and a half at any of them. How he keeps getting a job is beyond me, it would be far wiser for teams considering him to just pick a good assistant manager from a well run team and see if they can step into the main role.
He won't be fit enough to start the United match, unfortunately, but at least we're healthy again with the exception of Ünsal.
at Manchester United, March 6, 2027
FA Cup, Quarterfinal
Manchester United have dragged themselves all the way up to 2nd place on the table, but they have no chance of catching us. They do have a very real opportunity to deny us a third FA Cup, though, and we'll need a win at Old Trafford to get by them. A draw would also work, as it would set up a replay at the Racecourse at the expense of even more fitness congestion madness.
This is one of the few clubs in the world that field a team that matches us on talent. Their only “weak link” is Wayne Hurst, a very good right fullback who we had on loan during our first season in the Premier League- and he's still nearly as good as Tonci Cirjak.
Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Minami, Reed, Tounkara, Hammatt, Loseille, Maloney, Shirra, Parr, Stringel, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Kocsis, Quiboulaz, Laux, Bailey, Allan, Damgaard, Pickee.
Thiago gets a look at the goal on a free kick early, but Kovacevic is able to get the tips of his fingers onto the blast and push it up and into the crossbar. Kovacevic then does battle with Thiago again, just beating our man to a lofted Mujkic cross. United's striker Gregorio catches us out to give them the lead in the 14th minute, but then Liad Eliav, United's big winter signing, makes a big mistake in the 20th minute with a blatant foul on Shahed Parr that earns him a yellow card and us a penalty shot.
That's when it all goes wrong. Shirra isn't automatic anymore, and Kovacevic stonewalls the penalty. Then United get another goal in the first half, and it's desperation time early for the visiting side. Despite 59% possession we're down two goals.
There's no comeback to be had in the second half, either, as Zak Tate scores a third goal for the Red Devils. When we finally manage to put the ball in the back of the net it's with the referee's flag raised, and doesn't count. It wouldn't have helped anyways. There will be no triple this year, and the Manchester faithful will savor our capitulation for some time.
Man United 3-0 Wrexham
I'm just as angry as you are, folks. And action is being taken.
They've not only gotten the riot act.
The worst offenders have been duly punished.
From our porous defense.
To our strikers.
To even The Golden Boy.
This is the second update in a row that ends with me in a rage against our players. I don't like the feeling. The league is well under control, we're an astonishing 12 points up over United with two games in hand, but we could quickly be out of the running for the Champions League if we can't beat Valencia in three days. That would be a hell of a thing, to go from being literally invincible for six months to throwing away two trophies over four days.
