August 2011 - A Good Start

No, I haven't succeeded in putting a bunch of lawyers, bankers, estate agents, or other currently hated group of people at the bottom of the sea. That would have made the wait for this post all the better, but I'll keep trying to achieve this. Enough frivolity, and on with the real post.

The start of the season is going to be a busy one for the club with our appearance in the Community Shield, four league fixtures and two matches in the Champions Cup Playoffs. Hopefully the new signings will integrate quickly and give us a solid start to the season.

Man City (N) Community Shield

Our first competitive match of the season sees us return to Wembley to play in the Community Shield against Manchester City. We arrive as underdogs, but I feel we have a good chance in this match.

The match started as a fairly even affair with both sides showing some good touches. Roque Santa Cruz was causing us a few scares, but some excellent defending stopped him creating anything. In the 30th minute we got lucky with Lung jr making a save he knew little about from a point blank header by Tevez. The deadlock was finally broken in the 35th minute from a free kick just inside our own half. Puygrenier chipped the ball just beyond the City defence, which Scocco ran onto it and scored to claim a goal on his debut, and give us the lead. It was immediately apparent that City upped their tempo in response to going down a goal. In the 42nd minute we got even more luck with a cross by Ephraim forcing the City keeper to make a desperate save which he could only deflect the ball to the feet of Slory, who smashed the ball back past the keeper from close range. I was delighted that we held this 2 goal lead until half time, having put in a fine perfjavascript:void(0)ormance and deserve our lead.

I was happy with what I'd seen and I sent the side back out hoping they could keep this level of performance going. It was no great surprise to me that City came out pushing hard to find a way back into the match. Early in the 2nd half we rode our luck a bit, with some more excellent defending denying Tevez again, and was beginning to look like it would be only a matter of time before City pulled a goal back. It was therefore a surprise when Fatih Yucel scored from an excellent Balanta cross, to extend the lead to 3 goals. In the 77th minute though Tevez scored a thunderbolt from just outside the area which was disappointing, and seemed to spur City on even more. In the 89th minute we were caught on the break after an attacking corner, which allowed Adebeyour to get clear and give City their 2nd goal, and reduce our lead to a single goal. This made the last few minutes rather nervy, with City pushing even harder, and was greatly relieved when the final whistle blew giving us an excellent win.

I was delighted with this result, to lift the Community Shield giving us our 2nd trophy since I became manager of the club. The performance had been excellent too, with Slory picking up the man of the match award.

Result: 3-2

In the days following this victory, Athletico Madrid have come asking the price to buy Fatih Yucel, which seems to be a move he is keen on making, which is annoying. I have decided to set the asking price at £20 million, which means if they do decide to take him, I will have a substantial sum of money with which to replace him. I would rather he stayed, even if he does become unhappy about not being allowed to leave the club..

Liverpool (A) Premier League

A trip to Anfield for the start of the season was not what I'd consider the ideal way to start the season. Liverpool are favourites for this fixture, and given the trouble they gave us last season even to gain a draw looks to be a daunting prospect. After our excellent result against Man City though, anything is possible, so tell the players that they can win this game.

The match started as a fairly even contest, largely as a midfield battle, with both sides struggling to find a way to create chances. In the 17th minute from a free kick conceded by Liverpool just outside their area, Fatih Yucel stepped up and thundered his shot into the post. Fortunately Ephraim was the fastest to react and slotted home an easy opportunity to break the deadlock. It was no surprise that Liverpool really started to come at us hard. If our defence can hold out, this will give us opportunities to mount counter attacks. In the 23rd a great save by Reina denied Fatih Yucel adding to the score from an excellently struck free kick. Liverpool's discipline was letting them down at this point, making it easier for us to clear our lines. Sadly in the 34th minute our resistance was broken down when Babel was allowed too much time on the ball and curled a great shot in the net to level the scores. I rather feared that having got this goal they would go on to score more, as they started to take long shots with regularity, which fortunately for us were off target. I was pleased that we held out till half time to still be level at 1-1.

I sent the players back out for the 2nd half largely pleased with what I'd seen, although a little concerned about how many shots the Reds had fired off in the latter stages of the 1st half. The 2nd half was a fairly even affair, with Babel nearly added a second goal from a long range shot, which fortunately rebounded off the post to safety in the 58th minute. Ephraim was consistently causing the Liverpool defence problems everytime he got the ball, in much the same way that Babel was doing to our defence. In the 73rd minute he produced an excellent cross which Fatih Yucel got a head to, only to see the ball go just the wrong side of the post. In the 76th minute it looked like Gerrard had scored, but this was disallowed for a foul he committed on the keeper while challenging for the ball, and I breathed a sigh of relief. In the 82nd minute Scocco got clear of the defence only to fire the ball straight at the keeper. From the resulting corner Nasuti headed the ball just wide, and I got the feeling we just weren't destined to score any more goals. A few minutes later Nasuti was involved again, this time putting in an excellent tackle in our penalty area to deny Babel the opportunity to shoot.

I was pleased to get a draw at Anfield, but left feeling that with some of the excellent opportunities we'd had, we could have come away with all the points. Despite lacking the final finishing touch to grab a winner, I'm very encouraged with the display, as it shows we can compete with a team like Liverpool.

Result: 1-1

Following the match Ahtletico Madrid pulled out of trying to buy Fatih Yucel. This whole affair is very annoying as he is now unhappy that he has not been allowed to leave the club.

Werder Bremen (A) Champions Cup Best Placed Playoff Leg 1

We arrive at the Weserstadion, with Bremen as marginal favourites for this match. My biggest concern with this match when I see the line ups is that they are playing 2 DMC's, 2 MC's and two strikers. This means breaking down their defence will probably be hard work, although I feel we have a great chance of stopping them from scoring. My hope is that because their full backs are likely to come forward we will get opportunities of getting them on the break down the wings.

It became pretty clear from the start that Bremen were intent on attacking us, so I quickly dropped to a counter attacking strategy. I was pleased to see I was right that the full backs were advancing forward, which may open up an opportunity for us. After 13 minutes Lung jr was called into action making a marvellous diving save to keep a well struck long shot from going in the net. I was concerned at this point because we'd not even looked like making an opportunity to even shoot, but was encouraged a minute later when we were only denied due to Jiminez's first touch letting him down in the six yard box. If he'd managed to control the ball, this would have been the best chance so far. After that we started to look a bit more dangerous when going forward, getting crosses into the box, but failing to get that final touch. In the 20th minute one of these crosses to paid dividends, with a poor clearance dropping to the feet of Sunny just outside the box. He controlled the ball and hit a most delightful shot which hit the inside of the post before going into the net, to give him his first goal for the club. In the 26th minute we were denied a 2nd when Balanta's shot from inside the penalty area was deflected just wide. Curri was denied a goal just 3 minutes later from a header when it hit the crossbar. At this point we were looking increasingly confident producing some excellent passing. Although Bremen came back into the match a bit more later in the half, we managed to get to half time with the one goal lead still intact. This was a pretty good performance in which we could have scored more goals.

I sent the players back out pleased with what I'd seen, hoping we could push on and consolidate our good position. Bremen came out for the second half looking to have more fight in them, but we looked to be holding firm despite the increased pressure. In the 60th minute luck was with us, when a Werder Bremen shot hit the post and bounced to safety. The Werder Bremen pressure was making it hard for us to get forward, which was a bit worrying. This worry was eased a bit in the 72nd minute when Werder Bremen had Mesut Ozil sent off for a second yellow card. We were still being put under some pressure, but now managing to make some headway upfield, though still struggling to create any further chances. In the last 10 minutes of the matches we started to use the extra space well with Sunny going close again with a long shot, and Jiminez having a shot saved by the keeper. I was pleased with this hard fought win, having shown a very good defensive display in a match that we could easily have lost another day. Gaining a victory like this away from home gives me great hope that we can advance to the group stages of the tournament.

Result: 1-0

Sunderland (H) Premier League

Our first home fixture of the season sees the Black Cats travel to Loftus Road. We are marginal favourites for this match, and after our 4-0 demolition over them near the end of last season I'm hopeful that we can win this game.

It very soon clear that Sunderland had come to try and avenge the heavy defeat we'd inflicted upon them. Early in the match both sides seemed to be struggling to find the right pass or cross to create a good chance. The pace of some Sunderland players was causing me concern after we conceded a couple of free kicks just outside the penalty area, but fortunately the kicks were poor. It wasn't until 15 minutes into the game that we had our first real shot, with Balanta attempting a long range shot which was easy for the keeper to save. After this the match seemed to open up a bit more, with us looking a lot more dangerous going forward, and looking solid at the back, although that pace was still a constant threat. In the 28th minute Buzsaky hit a superb shot from about 35 yards out, only to see it rebound off the post to safety. This was soon forgotten a minute later when Sunderland gave away a free kick on the edge of the area, from which Buzsaky produced a superb shot to blast the ball into the net. After this goal we were looking increasingly dangerous and still doiing an excellent job at the back to restrict Sunderland to long shots. In the 1st minute of added time, Rafa produced a superb throughball which bisected the two central defenders, and saw Balanta run clear with the ball and slot it home to give us a 2 goal lead at the end of the first half. I was pleased with this performance, as we not only deserved our lead, but had restricted the opportunities that Sunderland had.

I sent the players out content, but expecting Sunderland to take the game to us, and sure enough they were dominating the game early on, but we were still looking very solid at the back, but the pressure was worrying, as we seemed to be under almost constant attack. When we did get the ball forward we were struggling to keep the ball for any length of time. Midway through the half we finally started to look a bit more settled going forward, but still under severe pressure. Eventually this pressure was to bring a free kick just outside the area, from which Cattermole scored in an almost identical fashion to Buzsaky's goal in the first half. I was disappointed, and Sunderland switched to a 4-2-4 formation trying to chase an equaliser. Fortunately for us every attack ended either with an interception or a player offisde, allowing us to hold on for the win.

I was happy to get the win and our first half performance. The second half we were outplayed, but defensively we were strong, but I was a little disappointed with how quickly Sunderland were able to close us down and gain back possession with such ease. Balanta's strike late in the first half was enough to give him the man of the match award.

Result: 2-1

Werder Bremen (H) Champions Cup Best Placed Playoff Leg 2

Werder Bremen arrive at Loftus Road for the second leg as marginal underdogs, and trailing by a single goal in the tie. Given our performance in the first leg I am fairly confident that we can achieve the desired result and advance through to the group stage of the competition, as Werder Bremen would need at least 2 goals if they were to proceed.

The match started in almost unbelievable fashion, with Fatih Yucel providing a pass for Balanta to run onto in the penalty area and open the scoring with just 16 seconds of the match gone. This was an outstanding start to the match, and gave me more confidence about our chances, although Werder Bremen would still need only 2 goals to knock us out. In the early stages of the match we looked very dominant, with Slory missing out on a excellent chance to score in the 16th minute. In the 30th minute I thought Fatih Yucel had extended our lead with a marvellous chip over the keeper, but unfortunately he'd been just offside when the ball was delivered through to him. Any disappointment over that was shortlived, with Routledge producing a perfect cross from the right for Fatih Yucel to head the ball home, to extend our lead. Werder Bremen managed only a few chances of shooting during the first half, and the handful of shots on target were easy for Lung jr to save, and thus we reached half time with the score at 2-0, holding a 3 goal lead on aggregate. This half had been an excellent display of football with the opposition looking incapable of stopping us creating chances, in particular down the wings.

I sent the players back out pleased with what I'd seen, and hoping we didn't become complacent and let our excellent position slip. The half time break had done Werder Bremen a lot of good, and was not surprised in how they now looked to have more purpose about their play, with a long shot whistling just wide of our post early in the half. In the 61st minute we were caught out with our backline playing far too high up the pitch, allowing Almeida to run through and grab a goal back. I was disappointed as this might give them the belief that they could get back into this match, with them starting to get a worryingly large amount of time and space on the ball. Our accuracy of passing when going forward wasn't looking as good as it had been, so shots at this stage by us were long range efforts, but as the match headed into the last 15 minutes we started to pick up again, showing just how well we can move the ball about. As the match headed to the 90th minute I was pleased to note that there was only 3 minutes of time to be added on, although a knock taken by Varrault at this point would probably see more time added.

With the match just entering a 4th minute of added time, Fatih Yucel got clear on the left after we cleared our lines, and saw him produce a brilliant cross for Balanta to volley home his second of the match, and cement our passage through to the group stages. This was bound to add even more time to the clock, which was quickly followed by a knock being taken by a Werder Bremen player, as a result of committing a foul. At this rate I was beginning to wonder just how long the match was going to last. In the 8th minute of added time, the ball was passed to Jiminez on the right after an attacking corner was cleared and he crossed the ball back into the box, to a completely unmarked Slory, who proceeded to move around the keeper and slam the ball home from about a yard to score our fourth goal. This astonishing sequence of events resulted in 8 and half minutes of added time.

I was delighted with this result with us fully deserving the win. Apart from a 15 minute period after we'd conceded, our performance had been excellent. This result sees us entered into the draw for the group stages of the tournament, which is very important for increasing the club finances, and our reputation. These will be important factors in determining the quality of the players we can attract to the club and the level of wages that can be paid. There was one bad piece of news from this match, which is that Sunny was injured during the match suffering a gashed head and is expected to be out for between 7 to 10 days.

Result: 4-1 (5-1 aggregate)

Wigan (H) Premier League

The arrival of Wigan at Loftus Road sees us as favourites for the match. Having beaten them in the two matches last season I have confidence that we will be able to pull off another victory if we continue to play with the confidence shown in the last match.

The first half was on the whole a pretty dire affair, with the only incident of note coming in the 32nd minute, when Balanta squared the ball to Buzsaky just outside the area, with his shot deflecting in off the inside of the post to give us the lead. Without the goal, it would have been a half to completely forget.

I sent the players back out for the 2nd half giving them encouragement, in the hope that the match would improve, as the crowd were looking rather sleepy. Things improved slightly, with Fatih Yucel hitting the post from a free kick 5 minutes into the half, and Wigan were showing more purpose in their play. To be honest though it wasn't much of an improvement with us riding our luck at a couple of corners with Wigan completely missing the target from a couple of close range headers. I was pleased when this rather dull match came to an end with us winning by the single strike.

I am pleased that we have managed to get a win, but this is probably our worst performance in gaining a win, and probably the least exciting match I've seen, with opportunities few and far between.

Result: 1-0

Chelsea (A) Premier League

Our final match of the month sees us travel to our closest rivals at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are clear favourites to win this match, with us given little chance of even coming away with a draw. I do however remain optimistic that a draw is up for grabs, and if we get really lucky then a win is an outside chance.

Chelsea came out looking to get revenge for the defeat we inflicted on them in the FA Cup Final. It was clear though that this would give us opportunities to counter attack, and the first 5 minutes of this match were more exciting than our previous match with Wigan. This was looking like being an end to end match, with each defence looking very strong. In the 24th minute Lampard smashed a long shot, which was kept out only by a great save by Lung jr. In the 34th minute Slory dribbled by the Chelsea left back with ease, and produced a superb cross which Fatih Yucel met with his head to give us the lead. In the 42nd minute Slory again produced an excellent cross for Fatih Yucel to meet with his head, but unfortunately this time the ball went just over the bar. The match reached half time with us leading by the one goal, having played better than Chelsea, with was very pleasing.

I sent the players back out hoping they could continue with this level of performance, with an unlikely win quite possible. It was no surprise that Chelsea came out looking to push forward and attempting to dominate the match. In the 64th minute Chelsea's Cassano went down as Lung jr came out for the ball in the penalty area. Fortunately this was a clear dive and he received a well deserved yellow card for this act of simulation. In the 81st minute Daeseleire conceded an extremely dubious penalty, with Malouda going to ground after being touched by him, but it looks like he was already falling over from where he'd dived to get his head to the ball. I'm angry with this decision, as it looks very dodgy, but nothing I can do about it, with Lampard hammering the penalty home to equalise. In the 89th minute Lung jr had to produce an excellent save to stop Chelsea from finding a winner. This would have rubbed salted into the wound of what I feel was an undeserved equaliser given the player was offside when the ball was played through. Seems Blind Pugh was the assistant on the touchline. An excellent block by Kjær denied Chelsea again, from the corner they should not have had, if the offside call had been given correctly.

Before the game I would have been delighted with a draw, but after the match I'm angry that a poor decision has cost us the win, and another very nearly lost us the match. I was very pleased with the display the players put in, and feel a bit cheated. With some excellent saves Lung jr fully deserved to be named man of the match.

Result: 1-1

Monthly Summary

This was very good month which has seen us go undefeated, and winning our second trophy in the shape of the Community Shield. We have managed to overcome a tricky opponent in the European Champions Cup, which was very pleasing, and sees us advance into the group stages of the tournament. Our group though looks to be pretty tough, with us being drawn against, Panathinaikos, Fiorentina and Paris Saint-Germain. These results mean we have exceeded the European expectations which were set at the start of the season, which was oddly to only make the playoffs, which was something we couldn't fail to do.

Our two wins and pair of draws in the league mean we have managed to finish the month in 5th place, which is a solid start. To gain draws at both Anfield and Stamford Bridge are excellent results. These results give us one more point than we gained from the same fixtures last season, which is greatly encouraging. The surprise so far is how well Leeds have started the season, even though they did win promotion from the Championship as champions last season.

Our entry into a European competition has seen us not entered into the League Cup until September, which is now confirmed as a home tie against the Championship side Barnsley, which we would expect to win.

Fatih Yucel has again won the Premiership Young Player of the Month award, with Angelo Balanta taking second place. I would say they were the best two players of this month for the club, both having scored 3 goals, with Fatih Yucel only narrowly coming ahead of Balanta, providing 3 and 2 assists respectively.

September will be another busy month as we will have 6 matches in the last 3 weeks of the month. I am also pleased that we have ended the month with all our first team players injury free as we head into a break for international matches.