Part 49: Chapter the Fifth: On the march to Wembley.

Chapter the Fifth: On the march to Wembley.
November 2, 2016-November 25, 2016

This update was originally going to run to Christmas, but we ended up playing twelve games in that period so I decided to split it in twain.



I demand that they make Hay a key player to ensure maximal playing time and Luton refuses. He'll be coming home in a few weeks.



Who's giving Tierney interviews? He's an unemployed old lower league player. Not exactly a big “get.” Bloggers are ruining the media!

At Rochdale, November 5, 2016
League Two


Rochdale has improved some since last year, so I'm not sure what the result will be. I'd really like to not lose, just because the last thing I need is the board getting pissed off at me again.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Al-Beloushi, Tench, Todd, Poole, Smissen, Simpson (c), Cobb, Bailey, Franks, Mujkic, Spilsbury.
Subs: Higgs, Thomas, Reid, Kadhim, Jenkins, Netala, Price.

Al-Beloushi puts us in a hole early when he can't handle a shot and the rebound bounces directly to a Rochdale player. We keep them from scoring the rest of the game, but we can't score ourselves. Spilsbury and Mujkic both spoil good opportunities, and we take a deserved loss.




Rochdale 1-0 Wrexham



He'll probably want a raise now, dangit.



I get all excited about this potential signing when I see the scout report until I look at the estimated wages he'd demand. Who do you think we are, Mr. Scout, Tackleford?



They're optimistic? We're playing away to an OK League One side. I'd be pretty psyched with a draw, personally.

At Oldham Athletic, November 8, 2016
Johnstone's Paint Trophy, North Quarterfinals


As I said, Oldham Athletic is a League One side, and they're at home. We're going to be playing defensively from the start, I don't think we're a strong enough team yet to impose our will on an opponent when we're playing away. We're also forced to use a weaker lineup due to international callups and fatigue, which makes it even more imperative to keep things tight at the back.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Thomas, Reid, Poole, Ashton, Kadhim, Jenkins, Cobb, Price, Netala, Harrison (c).
Subs: Smissen, Lewis, Bailey, Franks, Spilsbury.

We survive a couple of scares at the dawn of the match, and then cause some of our own. After Harrison can't get a narrow angle shot on target Yohan Netala finds himself with the ball and all the room in the world to run. As he enters the box and the Oldham defense begins to collapse about him he passes it to a trailing Harrison, who has the easiest shot in the world to put us up 1-0. We don't keep that lead for even five minutes, as we allow an incredibly easy goal from a corner. We cause repeated problems for Oldham in the second half, until they finally concede a penalty in the 66th minute. Price converts, and we carry a 2-1 victory out of Oldham.

Man of the Match: William Harrison




Oldham 1-2 Wrexham



Bury is in the midtable of League Two right now, so this will be a toss-up as to who advances.



Wales is atop their qualifying group with four wins in four games over Sweden, Estonia, the Danes, and Belgium. Wales has somehow become a pocket powerhouse in this game, lead by all world winger Shaun Davies.



Let's hope it's Scunthorpe, I'd rather not have to play a third League One team in a row.

vs. Port Vale, November 12, 2016
League Two


We've got four goddamned players away on International Duty. That's only going to get worse over the course of the month. Adrian Read is our first youth player called up, he'll be backing up our winger position. Port Vale is doing well, and in contention to make a quick return to League One after their relegation last season, so our home field advantage is going to be much needed.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Tench, Reid, Poole, Smissen, Simpson (c), Cobb, Bailey, Franks, Netala, Spilsbury.
Subs: McFadden, Thomas, Lewis, Kadhim, Jenkins, Read, Price.

The game is a defensive struggle where all of four chances are created between the two sides. We're scoreless after the seventy minute mark, and I'm starting to get concerned that we'll give up a late goal and drop the points. Instead it's us who sends Port Vale to a late defeat, when Netala plays a beautiful through ball to Spilsbury, who had with perfect timing gotten behind the Port Vale defense and who turns Netala's ball into a glorious three points.

Man of the Match: Sam Smissen




Wrexham 1-0 Port Vale



We've got four matches coming up where at least four of our players will be on international duty. I decide not to ask for a delay, as that would cut into our recovery time in mid-December before yet another thick run of games. I will rue this seriously if Higgs gets hurt, but we should be deep enough to get through.



When they fire the US manager, which will almost certainly happen if they miss the World Cup, I'm throwing my hat in the ring to manage the USMNT. Don't worry, I can do both that and manage Wrexham at the same time.




Jeez, one rough month and everyone's still panicking six weeks later.

vs Colchester, November 19, 2016
League Two


Colchester is in the promotion playoffs right now, which is better than I expected. Still, even with a lot of players missing we should be able to make something of this, another three points would do us a world of good in recovering from our September swoon.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Tench, Todd, Pooles, Smissen, Simpson (c), Cobb, Bailey, Coulson, Mujkic, Harrison.
Subs: McFadden, Thomas, Lewis, Jenkins, Price, Netala, Spilsbury.

We can't do anything for the first half of the match. In stoppage time Harrison is clear of the defenders but goes down at a touch behind by a Colchester defender. The defender earns a red card, and we're up a man for 45 minutes. Later replays show that the red card was entirely uncalled for, but we take full advantage of Colchester's bad fortune and the ref's indebtedness to a Singaporean bookie.



I throw us onto the attack and we unleash a barrage in the opening minutes of the second half. By the end of the 50th minute we've scored three times, with two goals from Coulson and another from Harrison. We stay on the attack for the rest of the game, but that five minute barrage gives us the final score.

Man of the Match: Michael Coulson




Wrexham 3-0 Colchester



Uh-oh.



The Premier League clubs seem to have realized what type of talent Todd is. He's still just 17, so I can't extend his contract beyond the end of next season, but we won't have to worry about having to sell him yet. I've set our asking price at five million pounds, which should also scare teams away from making an offer for him.

At Carlisle, November 22, 2016
League Two


Carlisle (which I found incredibly easy to pronounce until I had to spell it and confused myself as to where the syllables stopped and ended) is another League One squad fallen on hard times. We're on a good run, so I tell the players that I'm expecting to keep our good run going. Several of them look like they're going to wet themselves, and I have to spend the rest of the pep talk rebuilding their self-esteem.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Tench, Reid, Lewis, Ashton, Simpson (c), Cobb, Bailey, Franks, Netala, Harrison.
Subs: McFadden, Thomas, Todd, Jenkins, Price, Mujkic, Spilsbury.

My efforts to make them believe in themselves clearly didn't work. After the first half we're down two goals. That would be bad enough, the first goal came on a shot from outside of the penalty area that would have left a soccer ball sized hole in Higgs had he been able to interpose himself between it and the net, but Higgs makes an error that he himself is entirely responsible for, scoring for the opponents with an own goal. Despite having as many, and better, looks at the goal than we can only push one in ourselves after I scream myself hoarse during halftime, and we're back to playing inconsistently.




Carlisle 2-1 Wrexham



He hasn't gotten a lot of playing time, but he's done nothing with what he's gotten. We might have been better off not signing him and using a youth side player as our fourth CB. Luckily he's cheap and his contract only lasts until the end of the season, so the worst we have to worry about is him moping about the training facilities when it becomes clear he's not going to get into many games.



I didn't get the league table screenshot, so here's our past positions in League Two. As you can see we bounced around a lot, until recently settling in. We need to improve our league position, but the difference between our place and the promotion playoffs is only four points. Still, winning two and losing two is not the way to do that. The bright side is that we've now beaten three higher division teams this season in cup play, and we're into the North bracket semi-finals for the Football League Trophy. One more win in that competition and we'll play in the semi-finals at Wembley.