I did not expect to be in this position so early into the new season.
Just one month to turn things around or I get the sack.
Over a million pounds spent on new signings and we find ourselves bottom of the league on October 1st.
My best mate Lilian Nalis, as always has my back.
Well I did promise I would hire him as soon as I can so he’s obviously concerned about that agreement.
These are the games we need results from, else it’s all over.
Here we go then.
Scunthorpe at home.
Surprise start for Jamie Ness against his former team.
It takes just 16 minutes for Scunthorpe to take the lead.
A long ball over the top and the striker is one on one with Macey.
He hits the post, but bounces straight back to him for a tap in.
You could call it luck. But they were all over us, and if it were not for Macey in goal things could be worse.
We can pass the ball around at the back and play good tiki-taka all we want but we weren’t threatening their goal. Mason can’t keep the ball up top and we need an answer.
On comes Ladapo, we go to a 442 diamond. We use our excellent wing-backs to get forward, we stick Ruben in the hole and go more direct.
Oh my word Jamie Ness, you may have just saved my job.
The 80th minute strike is only our second shot on target.
Derek’s signings continue to bail out my new boys.
The pressure is mounting and we need a win against Carlisle.
We are starting with the diamond.
Ness and Ladapo have to start. Mason is dropped for Shankland.
1
2
3
4
What a performance.
Everyone stepped up.
The diamond works a treat.
Shankland missed a penalty to claim a hat-trick, but who cares. We’ve got a big win under our belt.
But the press still think it’s not enough and the sack is imminent.
And suddenly for the first time in this series, I actually care about a Checkatrade Trophy game.
Rafa Paez is suspended, a couple more players are rested, but otherwise, it’s a full strength side in the Checkatrade for the first time.
We largely dominated against the League Two side, but worryingly it went to penalties.
We won the shootout, but will it be enough to satisfy the board.
Back to the important games and we still sit in the relegation zone. Up next though, fellow strugglers Doncaster.
We have to stick with the diamond and off we go.
A wet and miserable first half ends with no real chances for either side.
But Doncaster take the lead in the 61st minute and things get even more miserable.
But 10 minutes later and it’s another wonderful strike to equalise.
Jamie Ness is on fire.
Minutes later we win a penalty and Shankland makes up for his miss last week and slots home to take the lead.
Grimes makes it 3-1 with a lovely free-kick and we look comfortably set to see out the game.
But Marquis scores for Donny on the 91st minute to make it a nervous last few minutes.
We are moving up the table. Still lots of football to play.
Halfway through October and Simon Hallett is happy.
For now.
The Mpenza brother can now speak fluent English.
I don’t know how that changes anything, but maybe our foreign scout reports will be easier to understand and I won’t end up signing players who have only played one career game.
High flying Nottingham Forest, recently relegated and our toughest test this month.
And we didn’t get smashed! Lawrence Shankland with the Argyle goal to keep the unbeaten October going.
A winnable FA Cup first round tie. Gives us a chance to play some fringe players who don’t fit in to our current system.
Ah but Ruben is out with an injury. Luckily enough for us, Carey is back and ready to play again.
And captain Carey is back in style.
Should have won though.
Daniel Harvie has been one of the most important players in our new system. He stays wide and pumps in the crosses all game. Only a minor injury for him fortunatley.
The last game of October away to Oxford.
Jamie Ness scores an early goal, this time it was less extravagant, a simple header from 2 yards out.
A 75th minute Oxford goal cut it back to 1-1 and it looked like we had threw away another 3 points but then in the 89th minute …
Macey plays the goal kick out from the back. Ball comes out to Matt Grimes who is playing left back today who dribbles all the way to the edge of the penalty box where he slips in Joe Mason to finish.
2-1!
We are a different team this month.
We are still the next manager who is predicted to lose their job despite our upturn in form.
But it’s the board opinion that matters.
We did it!
From four straight defeats in November to a 5 match unbeaten run to save our job.
For now.
We only move up to 19th.
The pressure isn’t off yet.
The Stuart O’Keefe award for Surprise Starman of the Season is with Jamie Ness currently.
Don’t worry media, if we lose to East Thurrock I’ll resign on the spot anyway.
No cupsets today.
They had no shots until we gifted them a goal with a terrible back-pass.
Can I get a bloody break please???
This season’s real life FA Cup 2nd round draw repeats itself.
David Goodwillie leads the Forest Green line.
Despite this game being pointless, I want to win and play a fairly strong side.
1-0 we win and we still haven’t lost.
The winning tactic.
SHUT UP
Ryan Taylor set to start for Peterborough.
The Taylor and Toney strike partnership has a ring to it, and is actually terrifying.
We got done.
We had to lose at some point, and Peterborough are decent.
I saw that Southgate had quit and so I click to find out more and I find out we are 3rd favourite behind Eddie Howe and Jorge Jesus to be the next England manager.
Wtf.
What is this game?
( Jorge Jesus got the job).
And there was a job interview from Dundee straight after.
Perhaps a little closer to my level than the England job…
Mick McCarthy doesn’t care if i get the sack or not.
Classic
Carey.
See you later Mick.
Not enough to keep my job, okay Mick.
An annoying loss. The jobs not safe yet.
We concede two late goals to take the 2nd round of the FA Cup to a replay.
Are the wheels falling off again?
The chairman calls a meeting.
This could be it.
Phew.
I talk myself out of the sack.
Moyes isn’t as lucky.
All that hard work and we haven’t really pushed that high up the table.
December is busy.
December looks tough.
Merry Christmas everyone.
But will I still be managing come 2020?