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Post by Sonic on May 16, 2006 0:12:10 GMT
Nice update, especially the Quarters win against Werder. You do seem to be shifting a few goals though which is a little unusual compared to the rest of the season.
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Post by coffers on May 16, 2006 8:00:17 GMT
Back to the league and a home game against Charlton provided us with no problems as we ran out easy 2-0 winners, Charisteas on 32 and De Guzman on 73 provided t he highlights, but we dominated the entire match. The return leg of the Champions Cup Quarter Final proved a different game to the first, Werder Bremman opened the scoring on 16 from Diego and played the game with a higher tempo than the first, but on 30 De Guzman equalised from a Roger cut back. The game ended 1-1 so we progressed to the Semi Final 6-3 on aggregate, were we will meet Arsenal. Manchester United play Barcelona (who beat Rangers on penalties) in the other Semi Final. Lee Croft was sent off on 71 for a second bookable offence. Croft was fined for his idiocy and thought I was harsh. An away trip to Birmingham quickly followed and another 3 points went into the bag. Roger on 28 and Charisteas on 42 were our scorers. Agger was sent off on 90 for hacking down a player in the area (last man), Birmingham dispatched the penalty with ease. The game ended 2-1 in our favour and Agger was fined for his stupid mistake, he wasn't happy about it. A dreadful home game against Fulham ended 0-0 and Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 to pull within 7 points of us, but we have a game in hand and only need 4 points to clinch the title for the third year running. So we traveled down the road to Old Trafford for an encounter with our rivals Manchester United, a dour first half ended goal-less and showed nothing to indicate the final score. Charisteas opened on 52, Roger doubled on 55 with a delightful chip over the keeper. Landon Donovan missed a penalty on 66 for United and suffered for it on 78 when Roger tapped in at the back post following a break and cross by Vassell. The rout was completed in injury time when Vertonghen blasted in from the corner of the penalty area. Won 4-0 and everybody was ecstatic, as not only had we beaten United in an emphatic manner but Chelsea had drawn at Liverpool, we had won the title for the third year running and still had 4 games left to play. The title win propelled me into the top 3 English Managers in the Nationality Hall of Fame and to 10th in the English League managers Hall of Fame. Of the English managers only Sir Alf and Paul Jewell are better placed, both having won World Cups for England helped them enormously. With the League out of the way and settled, I could now concentrate on retaining the Champions Cup, though Arsenal obviously wanted it for themselves, they came to the City Of Manchester Stadium hell bent on getting a result, fortunately for us we held firm against their constant pressure and managed to scrape a 1-0 first leg lead in the Semi Final. Guarin from the spot on 51 minutes. Hagman for Arsenal was sent off on 66 and they played even better after that.
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Post by Moo on May 16, 2006 8:20:45 GMT
Nice work on the league, Coffers. Only the Big Cup now and then you can resign and take up your ideal job. As manager of Grays Athletic. :cab:
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Post by coffers on May 16, 2006 8:36:03 GMT
Next up a home game against Liverpool, I sent out all the whingers and unhappy people and we witnessed a dreadful match parade before our eyes, having said that they did quite well to keep Liverpool at bay. It was only when I sent on a couple of regular players that things livened up. One of these, Roger was hacked down in the area on 87 and Monteiro converted from the spot. Then with 15 seconds of normal time remaining Roger cut a ball back to the edge of the area and Monteiro blasted it home to kill the game. Won 2-0. After the game one of the whingers, Ekin, still moans to the press taht he wants first team football. He's made 13 starts this season plus 16 from the bench and has only scored 5 times, he's lucky he is still at he club with a record like that for a striker. Moron.
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Post by Sonic on May 16, 2006 8:36:20 GMT
Congrats on your winning of the league again.
I hate it when teams play better after having a player sent off. I usually get thumped if this happens.
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Post by coffers on May 16, 2006 12:21:04 GMT
I nervously approach the second leg of the Champions Cup Semi Final with a defensive outlook, but despite this we pin Arsenal back in their own half for long periods. It isn't long before they start to crumble. On 11 Guarin smacks in a trademark free-kick from 22 yards. On 24 Croft gets on the end of a De Guzman cross and volleys home from 8 yards. Guarin finishes the first half with a goal from the spot 2 minutes into injury time. I'm delighted with the 3-0 half time lead and ask the players to keep up the standard. Obviously they weren't listening as on 50, Defoe pulls a goal back and on 58 Fabregas puts another in the onion bag. We are self destructing so the tictacs are jiggled a bit and some control is restored. On the hour mark, De Guzman breaks down the left, centres and Roger steals in at the near post to give us a 2 goal cushion on the night. n pulls it back to 4-3 on 72 and we're losing it again, time for time-wasting and a lower tempo. On 75 Vassell breaks through the middle but is tackled on the edge of the area, the ball breaks and Guarin smacks in from 22 yards for his hat-trick. Arsenal slump and Guarin finishes them off on 88 with 30 yard curler. A fantastic 6-3 win has the directors dancing in the aisles, and us winning 7-3 on aggregate.
Barcelona are our opponents in the final, they beat Manchester United 3-2 on aggregate.
Ekin spoils the party mood by demanding 1st team football again in the press, he's told to feck off and ask for a transfer if he doesn't like the situation. He backs down and apologises.
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Post by Sonic on May 17, 2006 0:28:46 GMT
:cab: Can that game be the final for the upcoming Barcelona v Arsenal match please? Gurain scored 4 in that last match too, or are my eyes just tired?
:thumb:
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Post by coffers on May 17, 2006 7:23:59 GMT
No Guarin scored 4 of our 6. If you add his penalty on the first leg, he scored 5 out of our 7 goals against Arsenal in teh LAC Semi Final.
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Post by coffers on May 17, 2006 15:44:28 GMT
Then the whingers get another game away to Spurs and spoil the party even more by losing 1-0, going down to an injury time penalty after Monteiro had missed from the spot on 75. It was an awful non-entity game but we didn't deserve to lose it. Heads will role in the summer. In fact the Over-priced left back I bought from Valencia earlier in the season is on his way to Norwich for a vastly reduced sum in the summer.
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Post by coffers on May 17, 2006 16:28:08 GMT
The pen-ultimate league game of the season is away to Arsenal, and I give the regulars run out in probably their last game of the season before the LAC final. They don't disappoint, Roger opens the scoring with a far post tap in on 10, from a Vassell cross and Vassell adds a second from 18 yards on 25. Then Arsenal storm back scoring on 39 and 45, Guarin losing possession twice. Thankfully Vassell restores the lead 1 minute into first half injury time pouncing on a parry from the keeper. Guarin is rollocked at the break and it makes not one iota of difference to his performance in the second half. Our performance however is fantastic as we lay siege to the Arsenal goal. How no more goals were scored in the game is anybodies guess. Won 3-2 and restored out 10 point lead at the top as this was our game in hand.
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Post by coffers on May 17, 2006 20:36:57 GMT
The final league game of the season proves that the whingers just are not up to it as a home game against Preston ends in a dull 0-0 draw. Final Premier League Table 2011/2012:Only the Champions League Final left now.
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Post by coffers on May 17, 2006 21:28:05 GMT
In the PLayers Player awards, Croft was 3rd in the PLayers Player of the Year, and teh following were named in starting positions for the Players Team of the Year: Taylor & Agger in defence and Croft, Vertonghen and Guarin in midfield. I was named Manager of the Year but that was automatic as we won the League. Betis beat Liverpool on penalties in the UEFA Cup Final, the game finished 0-0 after extra time. The reserves finished 8th of 16 in the Reserves Group 1 league. The U18's won the U18's Cup Final 3-0 against Colchester and were champions of their league: The U18's drew their last game against Preston 1-1 which isn't reflected in the table above.
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Post by coffers on May 17, 2006 22:44:35 GMT
And so to the Champions League Final we cITEH were made favourites which was a pity as it meant I stood to make less money than expected on any bet I made with the local bookies. We started well and a push by Puyol on Belluschi enabled Guarin to give us the lead after 10 minutes from the penalty spot. On 30 a poor back pass by Christiano Ronaldo put Roger in the clear and we were 2-0 up and flying. A minute later and it was 2-1, Agger lost the ball in our area and D'Eto'o pounced. Barca put is under the cosh up to the break but we held out. Slight adjustments to the tactics enabled us to hold steady in the second period and we went 3-1 up on 51, a deep cross from Vertonghen was met by Vassell and dispatched neatly. Barca upped their tempo but never really threatened after that. As they piled forward looking to get back in the game Papadopoulos rose to meet a Monteiro corner on 90 and killed the game stone dead. Won 4-1, Vertonghen was named MOM, we received large sums of dosh as a result of the win and the board and fans seemed pretty happy. Freddie Guarin won the European Champions Cup Best Player Award, he also came second in the Golden Boot award, Thierry Henry was first. In the dream team Guarin was named as a starter and Bonera was on the bench.
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Post by Sonic on May 18, 2006 1:46:20 GMT
A good finish to a great season. There's nothing left for you now to achieve at Citeh, what's the next step? A Beach Boy's lyric or something else?
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Post by coffers on May 18, 2006 7:25:33 GMT
A good finish to a great season. There's nothing left for you now to achieve at Citeh, what's the next step? A Beach Boy's lyric or something else? Probably the wheelbarrow position. Which could be the title of my next adventure, in the Conference North as suggested in Martyr topic. Not quite California Girls I know, but it's on the English West Coast.
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Post by Moo on May 18, 2006 8:21:40 GMT
Stop showing off!
KUTGW!
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Post by coffers on May 18, 2006 9:33:48 GMT
That's it I'm calling it a day on this one now, the interest is waning and new challenges await.
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Post by coffers on May 18, 2006 9:34:05 GMT
The End.
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Post by Moo on May 18, 2006 10:41:19 GMT
i wish I hadn't said that now, I feel bad.
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Post by coffers on May 18, 2006 10:52:38 GMT
i wish I hadn't said that now, I feel bad. I couldn't work out whether you were talking about the tin pot wins or the mention of wheelbarrow positions.
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Post by coffers on May 18, 2006 10:57:45 GMT
As it was I would only have done one more season and it had got to the point where a squad refresh was probably needed, certainly the strike force needed a clearout, and some of the defence were getting long in the tooth. Then I wanted to weed out the whingers, there are too many on the books who are too quick to moan. It's not a task to look forward to when the interest is declining.
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Post by Moo on May 18, 2006 11:01:23 GMT
I understand that completely, which was why I stopped the Hungary game.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on May 18, 2006 14:28:27 GMT
Well, well done Coffers... winning it all is a suitable time to bugger off into the sun. In Grays. err.
This means I have to win the world cup with Bongo now, I guess.
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Post by coffers on May 18, 2006 16:12:16 GMT
That would do for starters, but I was Shoite on the International scene, then again I only managed Venezuala and Egypt.
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