The Cherries on top: Episode 40
There’s good and bad news to start the festive period. First the good news. After an impressive month Hadzi is named the young player of the month. Now the bad news. Firstly Tonetto suffers a stubbed toe injury in training and will miss the next two weeks. Might as well just take the leg off at the knee at this rate!
Following on from the boards message regarding finances, they’ve injected £2.1 million to help with the running costs due to my financial (mis) management.
Having not featured this season Victor Boyle-Renner’s contract is expiring in the summer. I’m happy to keep him, but at the contract page he tells me that he doesn’t want to negotiate at this time. He probably won’t renew now, but I submit an offer anyway.
Sheffield United are the visitors for our first game of the festive season. They came up via the playoff final despite finishing 5th.
We beat them at home last season, but more importantly we weren’t beaten by them. They are currently down in the relegation zone and luckily for us, Sylvain Legwinski is out. Scally is on 4 yellows so Pestrin gets a run out and a few other players are rotated.
Despite (again!) begin on top for 90% of the game, Whittaker scores from absolutely nowhere. Great. Having gone on the attack second half The Blades score with their first shot on target in the second half.
Pestrin saves our blushes and grabs the equaliser dead on 90 minutes. But it’s 2 points dropped at home and leaves us unable to capitalise on Villa beating United. Skalidis picked up a knock early doors and is out for a week
The contract offer from Boyle-Renner comes back with flat refusal. Fair play Victor. I will see what the Bosman market is looking like and if I can get more quality in as I’m happy to let him go.
With no midweek game this week, everyone comes through training unscathed. With Tonetto and Skalidis out it’s still a strong side for our visit to Upton Park. The Hammers are currently 15th.
The home side come out of the blocks flying and score with the first shot on goal. Having never scored for West Ham in real life, Titi Camara volleys past Dei – who according to the match report never saw it!
We are now chasing the game and after going on the attack, Duff scores from a corner on the half hour mark. Toni then hits the crossbar early second half and chance after chance go begging.
Having played a blinder against us last season while at Forest, John Karelse puts in another great performance being pipped to man of the match by Michael Carrick. To give me a further kick in the nuts, Scally picks up another yellow and will face a 1 match ban now.
The FA cup 3rd round draw is made, and despite there being 79 other teams in the draw we get Liverpool again in a cup competition. Luckily it’s at home, but still a very tough draw.
Alan Irvine and Ian Cameron’s contract are up in the summer. So I think it’s time to look elsewhere. Despite them being good servants to the club we need to look for every advantage.
After a positive start to English football, David Dei has come in for praise. Hopefully my acknowledgement will also push up some of the hidden attributes.
Despite being out for just a week there are worrying times. Despite resuming training Skalidis hasn’t returned to full fitness, not even close at 67%. He’s removed from training in order for us to get him back to 100% for the Christmas fixtures.
We thankfully have a run of three home fixtures, starting with Blackburn. They are having a good season having been fired up the league by Cole and Yorke.
We drummed them 5–0 before the season started but friendlies count for very little. Selakovic replacing Barsom is the only change for us as we look to get back to winning ways.
Rovers are the better side first half. Dei is forced into a fantastic double save and Johansson’s header hits the crossbar.
After weathering the storm. Moukoko scores a second half hat-trick inside 14 minutes to seal all three points. Yorke getting a consolation goal for the visitors after the second went in.
We move into the busy Christmas period now and face Palace midweek. After a positive start, they have slowly fallen to mid-table.
Skalidis still not fully fit despite not training, he’s at 87% but goes on the bench just in case as Samba is in need of a rest. We do have Tonetto is back from suspension however.
It’s not the most attacking game. Palace had 0 shots on target in the first half. Hadzi is able to break the deadlock after 20 minutes to give us a half time lead.
Inevitability Palace score with their first shot on target as Clark scores from distance. Thankfully Moukoko’s purple patch continues and he scores the winner just 9 minutes later.
The Press are touting us as outsiders. We are holding our own currently but we are far from contenders, but I can’t show weakness. I tell them we are confident of a challenge and that delights the supporters and Chairmen with my ambition.
Fulham decide they want an early Christmas present as they put in a £5 million bid for Mike Duff. Their advances are rejected as we make our own signing. Richie Wellens will join in the summer he currently has 8 goals and 6 assists for the season.
Our Boxing Day fixture is our final home game of our nice run. Having recently rebuffed their advances for Mike Duff we welcome Fulham.
They are currently hovering around the relegation spots at present and earlier in the season we nicked a 3–2 at Craven Cottage.
With 4 goals in his last 2 games I can’t drop Moukoko, even though he’s in need of a rest and not 100%. Thankfully Skalidis is up to 95% fitness and is a welcome name of the team sheet.
We have a horrendous start which we never really recovered from. Tonetto two foots Agelidis and is given a straight red. We then concede two minutes later, 10 minutes later it’s 2 as Klompe scores from a corner before Skalidis gives us a lifeline from long range before half-time.
We start OK in the second half with Fulham not quite on the front foot as much against 10 men. I flick to attacking as we have nothing to lose and just as we look to be getting on top, Sikora scores his first goal for Fulham to inflict another home defeat.
With dismal performances from both Dei and Tonetto, they are both handed warnings with both having the character to accept them. Tonetto is subsequently handed a 4 match suspension following his second red card of the season
Following the game Sunderland come in with a massive bid for Duff, it’s the biggest offer yet at £7.75million. It’s obviously rejected as I assess the squad for our trip to White Hart Lane just two days after our defeat at Fulham.
Our changes are mainly the forwards and in midfield and we are no doubt in for a tough game as Spurs are only a point behind us.
After his disciplinary from our Boxing Day game, Dei has a solid day between the sticks. Paul Robinson in the opposite goal also does and it’s a solitary goal from Luca Toni that gives us the three points as we end the year with a win.
Newcastle are top as we end the year, we are only 3 points behind them. It’s United though who have the advantage with 2 games in hand to play.
If you have enjoyed reading this episode, a clap would really help and if you’re really enjoying it a comment too.
