Welcome, fledglings. You join us on transfer deadline day as General Manager Jed Woodward and I are camped out in our usual Lymm Serives hide-away. We have coffee, croissants and WiFi connection – and are ready to attack the deadline.
I ring around a few agents and make ridiculously low offers for a number of stars including free agents Bastian Schweinsteiger and Nishan Burkart, Hull’s James Weir and Barnsley’s Zeki Fryers. The agents are all playing hard-ball and we are not confident. There isn’t a particular position we are looking to fill – just improve what we have.
I get a text from Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray which simply reads, “PERMANENT?”. I show it to Jed who nods. I make a couple of phone calls, and our secretary draws up the paperwork.
I’m delighted to get our boy wonder on a permanent deal. He’s yet to hit the same heights as he debut season, but it’s a sign of progress for us. Rothwell has an ambitious buy-out clause of £2.5m.
We keep the coffee pot filled as time ticks down.
First Weir turns us down. Then we read on the Sky Sports News reel that Fryers has signed a new contract. He used our interest to negotiate a better deal. Bugger.
Late into the night we get messages that both Schweinsteiger and Burkart have rejected our offers. I hastily put together offers for short-term deals, but we can’t get the deal-sheet to the league in time. We’ll have to wait until January for further reinforcements.
We also get news that our injured striker Danny(-boy) Rowe received August’s player of the month. Not bad for someone who only played three games!
Saturday 2nd September, Conference, Tranmere
Dean Henderson hasn’t done a lot wrong, but 1 clean sheet in 6 games means I want to give Luke Daniels a run-out. If you remember, Daniels kept a full house of clean-sheets during pre-season.
Danny Rowe is 90% fit, so will got into the side. I can’t really leave him out? I change up the formation to accommodate our strikers. It means that Possebon/Fox will make way in the centre of the park.
It’s a nightmare start, with Tranmere two-up in only 13 minutes. I keep my head, and keep faith, as we battle into the game.
Danny-boy scores again on 32 minutes, halving the deficit.
Second half SEB equalizes. It’s definitely deserved as we are back in it in Merseyside. We can’t get the win, and draw again.
Despite the result, I’m pleased we’ve come from behind to draw.
Right, I’m keen to get my teeth into the season, so how about another quick-fire session? I’ll rotate out the squad and any major deviations to main team, I’ll shout.
Tuesday 5th September, Conference AFC Fylde
It’s a return to Fylde for Danny Rowe and he doesn’t show any mercy. We go down early, and I fear the worst. SEB hauls us level on 31 minutes, and Danny-boy converts twice in four minutes to put us in control. DJ puts the game to bed late on, and we are back to winning ways.
Saturday 9th September, Conference, Eastleigh
Eastleigh are bottom of the league, and it’s a chance for us to work back up the table. Matty Willock scores to put us in front before Danny Rowe goes off injured. It’s a blow. The Kid goes up front with SEB.
Eastleigh striker Tom Peers gives them hope on 51 minutes, before we suffer another injury, this time to our goal-scoring playmaker DJ Buffonge. I bring on Kieran Richardson to the AMC role, and it’s in inspired decision, as Richardson makes the breakthrough. We win 2-1, surviving injury and avoiding banana skin!
Danny Rowe’s thigh strain is back. I’ll have to give him longer to recover next time.
It’s worse news for DJ who needs to sit out a month.
Worse news still for ZZ, who really couldn’t cut it on a cold-dark night in Stoke… At least we now know.
Saturday 16th September, Conference, Halifax
With Rowe and DJ out I revert to one up-front and our former ‘Christmas tree’ formation. I stick with Kieran Richardson in the AMC role, with SEB up front. Andy Kellett slots in a left back.
We concede first, as is our recent habit. SEB scores his third and fourth of the season to put us clear. Its pleasing to see our blip is over.
Saturday 23rd September, Conference, Gateshead
We have a rare seven day rest and are able to name an unchanged side for the visit of Gateshead. I’ve had to put up with constant taunting all week from Andrew @KingoftheRooks Chapman – so put the tweets up around the changing room as motivation.
It does little to rile the players up, as we play out a 0-0 draw. Kellett limps off to be replaced by transfer-listed Adam Eckersley. I guess niche’ 90’s ChampMan references are not key motivators.
Saturday 30th September, Conference, Sutton United
It’s a trip around the M25 to London-based Sutton United, next. I put Eckersley in for Kellett, and within 10 minutes I have to change another full back. This time Marnick goes down after a strong challenge from Kieran Cadogan. Tom Thorpe comes on and Ro-Shaun moves to wing-back.
Kieran Richardson scores from his advanced role after 17 minutes, and SEB doubles our lead two mins later. Ro-Shaun heads a corner into our own goal on 74 minutes to add some pressure. As Sutton press, substitute Bughail-Mellor puts the game to bed.
Saturday 7th October, Conference, Havant
The big pre-match news is that Danny Rowe is fit again.
It’s a quandary. Our formation with two-up-front enabled us to play both SEB and Rowe in the same team, though form was patchy. Our form is better with the ‘Christmas tree’ formation – but which striker to go with?
I pick Rowe, who scored 8 in 6 games, and it’s tough on SEB. He takes it with good grace.
Danny-, however only takes 4 minutes to put us in front – decision vindicated! By halftime we are 3-1 up with Rothwell scoring his first goal since his return and Rowe doubling his tally.
I substitute Rowe at halftime to give SEB his run-out. I don’t want Rowe getting injured again, so it’s an opportunity to get some rest. Willock got a kick to the shin, so was replaced by Aiden Barlow.
SEB scores on the hour mark and we see out the game with a comfortable 4-1 win.
Matty Willock is now out for 10 days. Maybe I need a better physio? One to add to the whiteboard.
With that, our season is a third-complete and we are well positioned, 1 point behind leaders Dagenham and Redbridge, with a three-point cushion to fourth-placed Grimsby.
Join us next week as our FA Cup campaign gets underway. Until next time, fledglings.
CM01/02 Blogs 