Part 84: Chapter the Tenth: The Gauntlet, part 2
Chapter the Tenth: The Gauntlet, part 2.April 18, 2019-May 5, 2019
Dear video game gods, I'd really like to win the next five matches and earn automatic promotion so that I don't have to make an eleventh chapter titled “The Gauntlet, Part 3.” Thanks.
We're both managers leading newly promoted teams. I'm on the verge of promotion to the Premier League, you're struggling to avoid relegation. I don't think you should be casting such aspersions.
vs. Chesterfield, April 20, 2019
Championship
This is a Saturday afternoon game, and we have a Monday afternoon game in two days. I have no idea who decided that was a good idea, the entire league is playing twice in three days, but it's dumb.
Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Attack
Starting 11: Higgs, Siegrist, Todd, Lewis, Mejasic, Holland, Bailey, Tedesco, Gorman, Mujkic, Harrison (c).
Subs: Love, Vaillant, Poole, Troelsen, Shirra, Coulson, Pym.
Other than one brief moment where Chesterfield won a corner, we're in control until the break. We're only ahead by one, however, due to our constant companion Poor Finishing. It nearly makes us pay yet again in the second half, when Chesterfield are able to find some gumption and put together some nice offensive movement of their own after another Dragon's opportunity goes begging. That it doesn't hurt us is as much luck as skill, and I am not at all pleased when the team tromps back into the lockers after a win that was closer than it had any right to be.
Man of the Match: Stewart Lewis
Wrexham 1-0 Chesterfield
Brentford lose. If QPR doesn't win out and we do, we earn promotion.
Bailey's been a reliable player for us, he's getting re-signed after the season regardless of whether we get promoted. We'll miss him during the four final fixtures.
vs. Sheffield United, April 22, 2019
Championship
Everyone is exhausted, on both teams. That should advantage us, I've built a deep enough team that I can change out every single starter from the last game without a huge dropoff in ability, but we won't know until we play the game.
Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Attack.
Starting 11: Higgs, Peters, Vaillant, Poole (c), Garuti, Troelsen, Shirra, Djurovic, Rainey, Coulson, Pym.
Subs: Love, Siegrist, Todd, Holland, Gorman, Mujkic, Harrison.
The game starts exactly as you'd hope if you were introducing someone to the sport. Both teams fly up and down the field, exchanging shots and making the crowd shout. It's almost enough to make me ignore the awful, awful green on yellow text that describes Sheffield's actions on the field in the game engine. Shirra opens the scoring at the half hour mark with his second goal this month, and it's a beauty. Coulson doubles that advantage thirty minutes later when he's well positioned for a rebound. That second goal reduces the rate at which I'm shoveling antacids into my mouth on the sideline until Sheffield gives me acute arrhythmia when they get back within a shout with twelve minutes still on the clock. Yet again there's a stoppage time goal, but this time it's ours as Pym nails down the three points.
Man of the Match: Tom Pym.
Wrexham 3-1 Sheffield United
We still don't have our fate in our own hands, QPR is a point up and has as many games left to play as we do. More intriguingly, Sunderland have forced their way up to fourth place. Our final game might become a de facto playoff if Sunderland wins their next match while Brentford and QPR falter.
A whole four days before our next match? Wow! Whatever will my players do with themselves? Yoga, massage, and stints in the hot tub if I have anything to say about it. This season ain't over yet, and I need them limber and rested for the grand finale.
At Birmingham City, April 27, 2019
Championship
Eleven of the last fifteen assists from Birmingham's opponents have come against their right back. That, coincidentally, is who has to deal with Mujkic. I think we have a comparative advantage. Meanwhile, Sunderland is at home against QPR. I'll be keeping close track of that score.
Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Attack.
Starting 11: Higgs, Siegrist, Todd, Lewis, Mejasic, Simpson (c), Shirra, Djurovic, Gorman, Mujkic, Harrison.
Subs: Love, Garuti, Vaillant, Holland, Tedesco, Coulson, Pym.
We waste chance after chance until Gorman tires of watching would be assists carom off the crossbar and scores his own damned self in first half stoppage time. It saves the players from an epic tongue lashing at the break, but I still make my disappointment known despite our lead. It doesn't prevent Birmingham from equalizing with a well struck effort from distance for which I can only fault our defense moderately.
A draw wouldn't be so bad, and would still leave us with a chance at promotion based upon how the other matches around the league are playing out, but the run of improbable drama continues. In the final minute Siegrist attempts two short passes that bounce off of a Birmingham player not five yards from him, and it's sheer luck that both come right back to him. When the ball comes back a second time Siegrist, apparently frustrated with the materiality of the defender he was trying to pass through, just hoofs it across the entire field to a waiting Mujkic. Mujkic acts as if he knew Siegrist was always going to pass to him, and sidles the ball to a steaming Djurovic, the man of the hour. Djurovic rockets the ball into the net, and we win a vital game in the 93rd minute of a 90 minute game.
I may have been wroth at the players for not taking firm control of the lead the last time I entered the locker room, but I'm ecstatic as I relay news of QPR's loss to Sunderland. Once again the season boils down to win, and we're in.
Birmingham 1-2 Wrexham
If we're going to make it to the top of the pyramid we're going to have to do it without our two most constant contributors.
This was coming for a long while. They've lead the league since January.
No matter what happens, we'll have the playoffs to look forward to. At this point, though, I want more. I want promotion. I want it so bad I can taste it.
At Burnley, April 30, 2019
Championship
A victory here makes our lives so much easier. QPR is playing as well and can still pass us if they win and we draw or lose. They're at home against Wolves, who are just above the relegation line and will be playing their hardest to stay up but still won't be that tough to beat. A loss would also leave us tied with Sunderland and needing to win at the Stadium of Light to pass them on the table due to their superior goal differential. We can't afford to pull any punches at mid-table Burnley.
Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Attack
Starting 11: Higgs, Peters, Todd, Lewis, Garuti, Troelsen, Holland, Tedesco, Coulson, Mujkic (c), Pym.
Subs: Love, Mejasic, Vaillant, Poole, Djurovic, Gorman, Harrison.
It's apparent from the start that a Wrexham triumph is not the most likely outcome of the match, as Burnley come at us with a purpose. I spend most of the match trying to keep our defense from conceding and hoping for a lucky strike. Every minute or two Burnley looks dangerous again, and I'm fretting on the sideline. They finally break through in the 69th minute. There are no last minute miracles today, our last ray of hope extinguished when Coulson misses a wide open net in stoppage time. Nothing is ever easy.
Burnley 1-0 Wrexham
Mujkic deserves this reaction. He was poor and showed no leadership when we needed him most. We're fortunate that QPR lost as well, it means that with a win at Sunderland we still earn promotion.
My stockpiling of central midfielders is paying off. He's the third to go down during the final stretch.
No surprise there, this game will decide who gets promoted. If we win, it's us. If we lose, it's Sunderland. If we draw, and Brentford wins, it's Brentford. If we draw and Brentford doesn't win, it's Sunderland. Brentford is the other televised game, so I'm sure supporters will have eyes on both games at the pub.
I must have been in Wales for too long to be wanting a sheepskin jacket. Or I'm becoming middle-aged. Quick, how do I feel about motorcycles?
At Sunderland, May 4, 2019
Championship
All we have to do is win.
Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Siegrist, Todd, Lewis, Mejasic, Troelsen, Shirra, Djurovic, Gorman, Mujkic, Harrison (c).
Subs: Love, Garuti, Vaillant, Poole, Holland, Coulson, Pym.
The first half is is extraordinarily even, we have a slight edge but Harrison takes a nagging injury early and isn't able to get in position when Shirra makes a great solo effort early on. Shirra's not done, though, showing pure inspiration with a shot made while backpeddling away from the goal from 20 yards out after a clearance gone awry by Sunderland just before the half. We're ahead, and all we need to do is see out this game to get to the promised land.
Sunderland realizes what's at stake as well, using all three of substitutions early in an effort to fight their way back into the match. I pull the ailing Harrison for Pym in the 64th minute, but beyond that show faith in my players to win us the game. They don't let me down, Meteor finds our target man in the 71st minute on a counter attack, and we're up two-nil with twenty minutes remaining to destiny. Sunderland know it, and seal their own fate by getting a player sent off short minutes after Pym's goal. We've earned promotion. We're going to be playing in the Premier League. And these goals are now treasured by every supporter in Wrexham.
Man of the Match: Scott Shirra
Sunderland 0-2 Wrexham
I told you Scott Shirra would be worth every penny of his transfer fee!
We're going to the hot damned diggity Premier League! YEE-HAW!
This is a complete lie. I'm shocked by this outcome. Going into this month I figured we would make the playoffs, and then lose there.
I did not expect this at all. It might be my single greatest accomplishment as a Football Manager. Our best player missed a third of the season. Our best striker was inconsistent, as was his backup. Our captain wasn't suited for this level of play. Our fullbacks were mediocre to terrible. We had four or five players who didn't even speak English. And yet somehow we finished second. I'm not even going to worry about what comes next, I'm just going to submit to this glorious wave of dopamine.
Season Contest
We had a total of seven players come to me with complaints this season: Siegrist, Rainey, Higgs, Todd, Simpson, Mujkic, and Love. CVE, Reveilled, and Sky Shadowing all chose seven. I rolled a die after assigning two numbers to each person, and Reveilled won. Let me know what you want. As a word of caution, the last two winners have seen their favorite club be gifted £50m only to dividend it all to the club owner, and had their favorite club be given a wonderkid prospect who was sold nearly immediately for a paltry £400,000. So bear in mind AI stupidity when making your wish.
BOARD VOTEGood afternoon. It is time to vote on the wage budget and other matters. First, let me present the club financials as per usual, and we will proceed to the vote.
Expenditures were up significantly this year, across all areas. The largest increase was seen in salary costs. Player salaries rose over £2m pounds, while non-soccer staff salaries rose £1.5m. We also saw a drastic increase in match day expenses, and in agent fees. All told, we are on pace to have outflows of £14,000,000 this season, £6,000,000 greater than the previous season.
Income was also up by a great deal this year, although not enough to offset the rise in expenses. The largest increase was from television rights, which were £2.3m greater than last season. Television rights will bring in roughly £20m next season. Regarding this season we are likely to see total income amount to £12.8m, or £5m greater than the previous season.
The end result of a £1m gap in expenditure and income is that we currently sit at a deficit of £550,000. This will be the first year of my tenancy that we will finish a season in debt. When taking into account future Premier League revenue streams, we would make a profit of roughly £25m next year without any changes to our wages or expenses.
VOTE 1: Wage/Transfer Budget
(Smoothly) We won promotion while spending just over £6m on player wages (£117k/wk). That was the third lowest total in the Championship. The two teams below us in wages finished 18th and 21st. Our current wage/transfer cap is set to £6.9m annually, or £133k a week.
The lowest wages belonged to Norwich City at £29m (£558k/wk). I realize such an amount is a huge increase, but I officially request a combined wage/transfer budget of £26m (£500k/wk).
A) We're half a million in the red and you want to plow even more money into the payroll? Harrumph. You can have a limit of £10.4m/yr, so that we can say we have eight figure wages just like everyone but the ultra rich clubs spending over £100m a year. (Budget set at £10,400,000 a year, or £200,000 per week.)
B) It would be disastrous if we raised wages too high and too fast, only to end up getting relegated and become a financial basket case. We agree to somewhat higher wages, £18.2m/yr, but feel that we cannot in good conscience grant your full request. (Budget set at £18,200,000 a year, or £350,000 a per week)
C) We see the point you're making, but want to remind you that even at the end of the season we were drawing fewer than 9,000 people to the stands. We will approve £26m a year. Don't make us regret it. (Budget set at £26,000,000 a year, or £500,000 per week)
VOTE 2: Feeder Club
(Calmly) Now that we've reached the Premier League, it is time to consider whether or not we should find a feeder team with a high level of play that will allow us to send young prospects not yet ready for first team action on loan. We also have the option of finding a club in another European Union nation with lax foreign player rules and short waiting periods before eligibility for citizenship, in order to avoid the draconian work permit requirements in England.
A) We still have those links with semi-pro Welsh clubs, right? Why wouldn't those work for anyone who needs to get playing time? (No new feeder club)
B) Tell me more about subverting English labor law. (Look for a foreign feeder club that would allow us to naturalize non-EU players)
C) Is Norwich available to link with? No? Well, find us a link in the Championship. (Look for a domestic feeder club where we can send young players without a spot in the first team for further development)
VOTE 3: Training Facilities
(Equanimously) Our senior team training facilities have gone from very good to merely above average. As we reach the highest rungs of professional play, it might behoove us to upgrade them. I believe that upgrading would be the right decision, but don't feel strongly on the matter.
A) They're already very good, and would be a huge expense for the club. No. (No improvements)
B) Nothing but the best for our boys. I know just the contractor who'll give us a good price. (Improvements made, price currently unknown but likely around £1m)
VOTE 4: Scouting Range
(Assertively) We're going to be a Premier League club. The Premier League contains the best players from around the world. In order to find our fair share of them we must expand our scouting beyond Europe.
A) You only just started scouting Europe! You don't need to go wasting our money in Buenos Aires hunting for the next Joaquin Morales. (Scouting Range remains the same)
B) I call first dibs on going to scout the Flamenco games during Carnivale! (Scouting Range expanded to Worldwide)
Voting will close March 19 at 5pm EST.