Part 91: Chapter the Third: If we live, we live to tread on kings.
Chapter the Third: If we live, we live to tread on kings.September 16, 2019-October 28, 2019
I think it's only fitting that I quote the original Hotspur, or at least Shakespeare's rendition of him, when we're going to face them in little over a month. They're the toughest team we'll face in that span, with games against fellow relegation bait Watford and Derby we should look to pick up six points over the course of the next five games.
I've become a legend. I guess that's what happens when you lead a club to the promised land for the first time. Stewart Lewis has made it onto the favored player list, while Justin Bailey remains an icon of the club. What's interesting are the players who aren't there. I'd have expected Harrison, Mujkic, Coulson, and Simpson to all have become favored players given their tenures and success with the club.
Ah, good. Now I can actually have the players focus on specific areas of the game prior to each match rather than spending the whole time focusing solely on tactical familiarity.
Dan Troelsen goes down with a back strain. It's not as bad as the headline indicates, Petts can fill in at defensive midfielder along with Mair and Simpson, and our youth squad is stocked with emergency options.
My scouts report that there's one excellent player who's come up with County Cork, but he'd be expensive to sign and we've already got plenty of future strikers at the moment.
I wish there were something like the Cascadia Cup between us, Cardiff, and Swansea. For those who don't follow MLS at all, the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps compete for the Cascadia Cup. They happen to be three of the teams with the best supporters in MLS, Seattle draws 40,000 per game while the Timbers and Whitecaps both sell out their 20,000 seat stadiums. The games are played during the MLS season, and the team with the best record in matches against the other two wins the cup. It's a fun regional rivalry between some of the more passionate supporters in the US.
I'm going to keep track of our version to see who gets bragging rights as the Best Team in Wales, and I want suggestions from you on what we should call the competition. The John Charles Shield? The Glyndŵr Cup? The Boudicca Trophy?
vs. Newcastle United, September 21, 2019
Premier League
Our Capital One Cup match against Norwich is in just three days, so I want to keep several of our best players fresh for that match in order to maximize our chances of moving on in that competition. Newcastle has stumbled out of the gate, losing three and drawing one, but they're a competent team and I suspect that they're hungry for a win.
Starting Formation: 4-4-1-1 Counter.
Starting 11: Higgs, Hurst, Lewis, Todd, Durand, Djurovic, Mair, Petts, Thompson, Shirra, Harrison (c).
Subs: Love, Youssouf, Johansen, Simpson, Bailey, Walley, Bastable.
The first half is dead even, if any team has an edge it goes to us. The second half is much the same, and it looks as if we're headed for a nil-nil draw as the match draws near its end. But there will be a victor this day, when we go ahead in 80th minute on a goal by Thompson when Newcastle can't clear the ball from the penalty area after a corner. They have a chance to equalize on a breakaway with five minutes remaining in regulation, but the effort goes microns to the left of the post. We take the three points, and Newcastle remains mired in a rut.
Man of the Match: Lewis Thompson
Wrexham 1-0 Newcastle
Credit to our advance scout Boulding for sussing out their weakness. I had us prep Attacking Set Pieces on his advice, and our goal came from the aftermath of one.
We were a little lucky to win, rather than draw, but not that lucky. Eyre's just feeling the heat after having now gotten one point out of his team's first five matches.
I'm cautiously optimistic as well. As I've said, I'd like to make deep cup runs this season.
vs. Norwich City, September 21, 2019
Capital One Cup, Third Round
I've been waiting for you, Norwich City. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I met you I was but the learner. Now, I am the master.
Starting Formation: 4-4-1-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Youssouf, Lewis, Todd, Mejasic, Matko, Simpson (c), Djurovic, Mujkic, Shirra, Bastable.
Subs: Love, Vaillant, Johansen, Mair, Petts, Thompson, Harrison.
Norwich presses us from the opening whistle, but after a fruitless half hour where they can't create any good opportunities they begin to slacken their pace. Bastable has a great chance then to put us ahead, but his attempt is limp and directly at the keeper. When he gets another chance a few minutes later, though, he converts.
The lead is short lived, just two minutes later the Norwich striker loses Lewis and rounds Higgs for an easy tap in. That doesn't mean it stays level for long, however, as it seems to be a day where our players atone for their mistakes in short order. Stewart Lewis plants himself in front of the keeper on a corner kick and flicks the ball into the net, restoring our lead.
The second half starts out with more strong play from our squad, but as it continues Norwich catch their second wind. Nothing comes of it, though, and at the end of the game we reassert control, capping our victory with another set piece goal, this time from an indirect free kick. That goal should have been called off, Todd was offsides, but it makes no difference as moments later the final whistle blows and we're through to the fourth round.
Man of the Match: Stewart Lewis
Wrexham 3-1 Norwich
That's ashtray money, bruv.
We were among the last half dozen teams drawn. The other five included Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man United. We are lucky to get Everton, a team we might have a chance of beating even if we're playing in Liverpool. At least the trip won't be long, it's less than an hour drive from the Racecourse Grounds to Goodison Park.
Fair enough, he is the odd one out in our midfield. I'll see what I can do for him.
vs. Swansea, September 29, 2019
Premier League
It's time to go face one of our southern rivals for the throne of Welsh football. As I said, I'll be keeping track of the matches between the three Welsh teams in the Premier League and giving our little intra-national competition a name once someone can come up with a title befitting it. That means that I'm going to care about winning these matches a lot more than I do beating, say, Reading.
Starting Formation: 4-4-1-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Hurst, Lewis, Todd, Durand, Thompson, Mair, Petts, Mujkic (c), Shirra, Bastable.
Subs: Love, Youssouf, Johansen, Simpson, Bailey, Matko, Harrison.
We threaten early, Shirra cracks the woodwork with a shot before everyone has yet taken their seats. Shortly thereafter Bastable sidles away from his marker, allowing Shirra to feed him, and he fires a shot that eats up the keeper, bounces up, and arcs into the back of the net. We keep at Swansea hammer and tongs, with Mujkic being the next player to thunder off the woodwork. We'll regret those missed chances.
After 20 minutes the Swans tire of our fun, equalizing on an excellent long range shot. We keep it even though the half, but the wheels come off after the restart. Swansea goes ahead at 52 minutes, then scores twice more at 70 and 81 minutes. It's a disappointing result considering our performance in the first half, and will make it tough for us in the Welsh regional hullabaloo/hoedown.
Swansea 4-1 Wrexham
Mair's off to a good start with the club, he's exactly what I wanted in a defensive midfielder even if he picks up more than the occasional yellow. I'm very glad that we brought him back into the fold. He's not the best of our signings, however. Rocky Bastable has been fantastic, with four goals in five games. If he can be a top striker in the Premier League our probability of staying up is very high.
Meanwhile Wayne Hurst has been downright bad, with the most recent game being his worst. He's only 19, and he's put in good work on the training field, so he's going to get every opportunity to show that he belongs at this level, but the early returns are unimpressive.
vs. Derby, October 5, 2019
Premier League
This is another relegation six pointer, we're at home against a team that's expected to have trouble staying up this year. Derby spent most of their windfall from selling Shahed Parr to Manchester United on three players, bringing in a 22 year old Turkish fullback for 6.5m, a very quick striker from Blackburn for 4m, and a versatile right winger/wingback from Basel, Switzerland for 7m. It makes them a better team in the short run, but none of the new players are as good as the departed one, nor do they have his potential for growth. Thus far it's paid off, they're sitting in 12th place, and could move into the top half of the table if they beat us.
Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Attack
Starting 11: Higgs, Youssouf, Johansen, Lewis, Mejasic, Mair, Shirra, Bailey, Thompson, Mujkic (c), Bastable.
Subs: Love, Durand, Todd, Simpson, Djurovic, Petts, Harrison.
It's only six minutes into the game when Thompson finds the back of the net. It's called off, and replays show that he was clearly offsides. Derby plays a hard tackling game, and in the 31st minute Derby's left back tackles Thompson from behind, sending him down to the turf. He doesn't get up, and needs to be stretchered off. I have to bring on William Harrison to play his spot, we have no other player who looks even competent at right wing.
Bastable makes Derby pay just minutes after the assault on Thompson, which didn't even draw a card from the blind referee, and puts a Harrison pass into the back of the net for the lead. We can't hold it, Lewis gets skinned by a Derby player for the equalizer and then Derby claims victory when Johansen positions himself poorly and allows a cross to find it's target right in front of the goal.
Wrexham 1-2 Derby
We're boned. Thompson was one of our most versatile players, and was one of the three players we could rely upon to handle a winger position. Losing him eaves us with just Mujkic and Matko on the flanks. We're going to be relying on guys playing out of position if either of them has to miss a game.
You're not supposed to come away from the Karate Kid thinking that the Cobra Kai are role models, jerks!
At least we're a surprisingly popular pick for televised games thus far, our home fixture with Tottenham will let the UK observe how we stack up against a team with a payroll that's literally an order of magnitude greater than our own.
Maybe England just likes watching us get crushed, I'm not looking forward to that trip to Anfield.
We might do worse than that if we're in a relegation fight as the spring approaches and the weather is awful.
He's getting playing time, which is the important thing.
Woah. Arsenal is one of the very richest clubs in the world, valued at £1.22 billion. The only teams worth more are Real Madrid and Manchester United. Who could possibly afford to purchase the team?
Oh, by the by, we're now 99th on the list of most valuable European teams at £40m.
Wales and England both qualify from their group. Elsewhere, Scotland is forced into the playoff after losing 3-1 to France in their final match.
vs. Tottenham Hotspur, October 19, 2019
Premier League
The Spurs are quite famously always the bridesmaids and never the brides of English football, the one year they finished fourth in the Premier League and were finally in a position to make the Champion's League, sixth place Chelsea went and won the Champion's League and earned the fourth spot from England despite their poor league season- knocking Tottenham back into the Europa League. They're still an incredibly rich club, with a worldwide following.
Starting Formation: 4-4-1-1 Counter
Starting 11: Higgs, Hurst, Lewis, Todd, Durand, Matko, Mair, Petts, Mujkic (c), Shirra, Bastable.
Subs: Love, Youssouf, Johansen, Troelsen, Djurovic, Mejasic, Harrison.
Tottenham “Spurs it up” in the 12th minute, allowing us to take the lead when Mujkic sends a smooth as butter cross to an unmarked Shirra. We play just as well as they do for the next hour, but Tottenham equalizes at the 70th minute with a nice shot from Tottenham's late arriving defensive midfielder. Then Mair picks up a card after an obvious flop by a Tottenham player, and less than two minutes later Tottenham gets away with a foul that should have given us a penalty kick. The team jaws at the ref, including Mair. The ref responds by giving him a second yellow card. We're screwed. We have outplayed Tottenham to this point, but now we have to hang on despite being a man down for the next 20 minutes to salvage a draw.
Our ability to play with ten men has not diminished this season, however, and we have a brilliant piece of counter-attacking play in the 79th minute when Hurst launches a perfectly weighted ball and Bastable springs the offsides trap, leaving him one on one with a keeper. He doesn't miss, and we retake the lead on a shorthanded goal! The Spurs get one final chance in stoppage time, but Higgs sees it over with the help of the crossbar. We've beaten Tottenham.
Man of the Match: Mateo Mujkic
Wrexham 2-1 Tottenham
He's got a bad habit of picking up yellows, but he doesn't deserve more than a warning for his actions. The foul that earned him a yellow card was minor, he barely clipped the Tottenham player who took several steps more before flopping to the ground like a fish out of water, and while we probably didn't deserve a penalty kick the ref was a thin-skinned ninny for giving him a second yellow.
Oh come on! With Matko down we don't have any starting quality right wing players for our next match.
I've been getting very good reports from our training staff about most of our new signings. That's good, our ability to avoid relegation this year will largely depend on them performing up to expectations.
At Watford, October 26, 2019
Premier League
Our opponents today are among the teams projected to be in the relegation battle. We're playing at their place, so any points we can earn will be vital in helping us stave off that fate ourselves. Winning against Tottenham was huge, especially after losing to Derby, but this won't be an easy match. That's especially true given that our injuries and the fact that we face Everton in three days in the Capital One Cup are forcing me to change our style of play up.
Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Attack
Starting 11: Higgs, Youssouf, Johansen, Todd, Mejasic, Troelsen, Djurovic, Harrison (c), Mujkic, Bastable.
Subs: Love, Durand, Vaillant, Lewis, Simpson, Bailey, Shirra.
Watford is first out of the gate in the seventh minute. We're not getting anywhere on the attack after 25 minutes, so I change our playing mentality to counter attack but keep us in the 4-5-1 formation. Harrison hits a long shot off the post just afterwards, and it's first sign of life for the team. When we reach the half after a solid fifteen minutes of play I focus on building the players up by telling them that they've been unlucky, they played well after the change in mentality from Attack to Counter, and that I have faith in them. We still can't get anything happening after an hour, though, and I'm forced to get eccentric with the team. I move Harrison from the right wing into the striker role, pulling an ineffective Bastable, while moving Youssouf up to the winger position and bringing on Vaillant to play right back. I also bring on Lewis for Todd, who has also had a poor game. None of these changes work, and Watford seals the game in the 89th minute with a goal from a corner. No points for us, three points for our relegation competition.
Watford 2-0 Wrexham
Youssouf would make a not awful right midfielder, so I'm going to see if he can get comfortable at that position given that we have two other players who can handle right back and very few who can play right mid or right wing.
Soon I'll be able to reduce the amount of match preparation we're doing and focus on regular training.
We're doing about as expected, even if we've reached that success in an unpredicted manner. The Tottenham win is definitely the most impressive victory we've ever had, and it's amazing that we were able to beat one of the big teams despite going a man down. Our lack of depth at winger remains a concern, and I may approach the board hat in hand for funds to fix that problem come the January window. We certainly have the money for it, we've currently got a bank balance of over seven million pounds. Thus far we're clear of relegation, though we'll see how long that lasts when we play Liverpool and Manchester City back to back to start November.
