Good day, fledglings. You join us at the halfway stage of the season and we are sitting pretty at the top of Conference the table.
It’s Christmas-time (mistletoe and wine) so there are plenty of games to come and a transfer window to navigate. I may have got carried away this week, so there will be more action than usual!
Tuesday 26th December, Conference, Wrexham
Boxing day here in the AI world of Newton Heath. The players a playing their third game in a week, are nursing food-babies, and shaking off sugar highs.. but are up for this one! I have actually got a near full-strength side to pick from, so go strong. Matty Willock and Joe Rothwell are injured, so youngster Barlow plays in midfield.
We play well, and are pressing the ball well. We’ve had a few chances, but are a little off-colour (understandably). Danny Rowe puts us in front on the stroke of halftime, to ease my suffering on the touchline.
DJ Buffonge put us clear on 74 minutes, and I make a treble substitution. Ex-Man Utd midfielder James Weir scores a consolation late-on, as a reminder that he’s on the shortlist. I’ll leave our GM, Jed Woodward, to chat him up in the bar after the game.
Saturday 30th December, Conference, Salford
A short trip to Moor Lane sees us bring up the New Year with a local derby. We are able to name an unchanged side.
Its an even first half, perhaps even edged by Salford, so we are fortunate to go in level at halftime. I send a rocket into the changing room – and the message drives home. We are a different side in the second half, and dominate, seeing out a 4-1 win! YES!
1st January – transfer window opens
Confession time, fledglings. I have been working on strengthening the side through the winter, so am able to bring some more options to the squad as the window opens.
First, we break our transfer record and welcome a player with Premier League experience for both Man Utd and Sunderland. A right back who can play center-back. Cupid is calling… Donald Love!
Donald Love us a former Scottish youth international, who played two senior games for Man Utd under Louis van Gaal. He, with teammate Paddy McNair, made the switch to Sunderland for a combined fee of £5.5m. Love was a part of the Sunderland squad to fall from Premier League to League One, featuring regularly in each season. In real-life, Love was released from Sunderland in July 2019, and joined Shrewsbury Town. I look forward to him providing competition with Marnick Vermijl.
Next, a youth back-up player joins from the Man Utd reserve team. This player impressed our scouts when watching recent games, so comes in for a bargain £6k.
Thomas ‘Tom’ Sang was with the Man Utd youth academy from 2015-2019, without featuring. In 2019 was released, and joined Championship side Cardiff after successful trial. Sang played 10 games of the 2020-21 season on loan at League Two club Cheltenham. In-game Sang plays in the heart of the defense, though in reality he plays in central midfield. Welcome, Tom.
The last arrival is someone we manage to recruit from Switzerland. A youth international forward; I hope this lad can relieve the burden on DJ at the top of our midfield diamond.
Nishan Burkart arrived at Man Utd from FC Zurich in 2016. He spent three seasons progressing through the youth ranks, without making any senior appearances, before being sold to Bundesliga side FC Freiburg in July 2019, still aged 19. At time of writing Burkart has just featured once for the Fieburg first team in the Bundesliga.
As the window opened I pepper agents with loan requests – Mason Greenwood, Angel Gomes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Regan Poole, Axel Tuanzebe and Alex Bruce. All the lads playing in England refuse, but a get a surprise result from Scotland….
In-game Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sold by Crystal Palace to Celtic for £1.2m, and has not featured. His loan move is rubber stamped and he goes into to squad! Maybe I didn’t need to sign Love… nevermind.
This is how the squad looks for the remainder of the season.
Wednesday 3rd January, Conference, York
I don’t shake the team up too much. Rothwell is still injured, so Burkart comes in for Barlow (DJ drops back) and Wan-Bissaka ousts Vermijl. Record signing Donald Love will have to start on the bench, for now.
Nishan Burkart has a dream start, scoring after half an hour following good work from the flying Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Danny Rowe doubles the lead just before halftime. On the hour-mark I replace Richardson, Wan-Bissaka and Rowe for Vermijl, Love and SEB. We see the game out. Aaron Wan-Bissaka gets a perfect 10 – what a start!
Saturday 6th January, FA Cup 3rd Round
League one side Gillingham travel to New Trafford for our FA Cup third round tie. I keep an unchanged side – keen to keep our run or form going.
Kieran Richardson gets a knock to his ankle on 36 minutes, so Donald Love comes on to play in an unfamiliar left-back slot. I think it’s worth a go to get our most expensive player on the pitch!
We defend stoutly, and are able to Rhys Murphy and Pelly Ruddock quiet in the Gillingham front line.
It’s a 0-0 draw. I’ll take that!
Richardson is confirmed out for three weeks.
Jed tells me after the game he read in the Mail that Paul Pogba is stalling on signing a new contract at Man Utd. I try my luck…. Why not?!
Wednesday 10th January, Conference, Barrow
Donald Love makes his first start for the side, and fit-again Matty Willock returns to the first XI. DJ goes back up to the top of the diamond.
We struggle to get going in this match. Perhaps a conference game and coach-ride up the M6 is a come-down from FA cup heroics.
Jacob Blyth scores a second half double, and a goal from DJ isn’t enough to get anything from the game.
SEB hobbled off late, and is out for ten days.
Saturday 13th January, FA Trophy 3rd Round.
Back in cup action, and this time it’s the FA trophy. (Remember that competition I promised to win?) I change up the team, bringing in our ‘cup keeper’ Dean Henderson, and faces short of recent game-time, Ro-Shaun Williams, Andy Kellett and Aiden Barlow.
Once again our young side struggle to get into the game, working up to a lead in the 63rd minute through Danny Rowe. We get a brief scare after Ro-Shaun scores an OG, but Burkart scores a winner and our run continues.
Tuesday 16th January, Vans Trophy Rd 2
This is our fourth competition of this episode alone. We are fighting on all fronts – a place I love to be!
We are in Yorkshire facing League One’s Bradford City. I try to go with a strong side, recalling Wan-Bissaka, Vermijl and Thorpe.
We go behind early – veteran Jon Walters carving us open. I fear the worst are a barrage attacks the goal. On the stroke of halftime – from nothing – Danny Rowe finds half a yard and rifles home an equalizer. The crowd at Valley Parade are silent.
I tell the lads to keep going. One chance is all we need. We ride our luck again, as Billy Clifford goes close but for a finger-tips save from Dean Henderson. On the hour mark Rowe scores again, and it’s been coming. Wan-Bissaka, really showing his class in recent games breaks down the right, pushes for the bye-line and crosses perfectly for Rowe. I header down and in the corner easily beats Richard O’Donnell. 2-1 NEWTON HEATH!
I go Jose again- dropping a sweeper into the team. Donald Love comes on for Rodrigo Possebon.
It may be unpopular, but it works. Our backline keep Bradford out and we win!
Marnick picked up a thigh strain, so is out for two weeks.
With that, fledglings, I’ll leave you! I don’t have a league table to show you, but can confirm we remain top after 25 games. We are 1 point clear of Dagenham, and have now played a game less due to our cup exploits. We’ll have a chance to make a gap!
Until next time, fledglings.
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