Vauxhall Motors Story — December 2015

Hello friends and welcome to the latest episode of the Vauxhall Motors Football Manager 2011 story! As you remember we were in 9th position at the end of November 2015 in our very first Premier League season. Things were going fairly well but we had to prepare for a massive challenge as we had to play no less than eight matches in December, seven in the Premier League and one in the Carling Cup. Let’s see how things went, did we manage to survive such a packed schedule?

Chelsea vs Vauxhall (Carling Cup quarter final)

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Attendance: 40,132

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Julian Marino, Cameron Lindsay, Mervin Simon, Jelle Van Damme — Wayne Routledge, Radek Vecera, Mark Brown, Roni Porokara — Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

Not the best way to start a month, a tough trip to Stamford Bridge for the Carling Cup quarter final. However, we did manage to clinch a 1-1 draw against Chelsea last month and I was hoping for a similar battling display from my lads. We grabbed that point thanks to a great defensive display but this time things looked much different during the early stages of the game, we were looking to attack and so were the Blues. The game was quite spectacular and it was Chelsea who had the first good chance as Dean Bouzanis denied them with a good save. We had our own opportunity minutes later but Mervin Simon‘s corner kick header struck the post. Right back Marino got injured 10 minutes before the break and I sent in Kaka to replace him but unfortunately the Brazilian full back handed Chelsea the opening goal after a mix-up with centre back Cameron Lindsay. Chelsea were leading 1-0 at half time but I was proud of my lads, they had a very good first half.

Half time score: 1-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Grant Baddeley for Van Damme, Inigo Perez for Brown

Our efforts were rewarded five minutes after the break when Mervin Simon nodded home from a corner kick, we suddenly were back in with a chance! The lads continued to play very well and we even came close to taking the lead on the hour mark when a crashing long range drive from substitute Inigo Perez rattled the crossbar. We were the better team out there and our attacking approach paid off 12 minutes from time when Roni Porokara slotted home on the rebound after Ibrahima MBow had an effort denied by the goalkeeper! Chelsea switched to a 4-2-4 setup immediately after the goal and we pulled back to weather the storm. And we did! We pulled off a great upset but we’ll have to clinch another surprise if we want to reach the final as we are going to meet Manchester City in the last four.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Roni Porokara

Flop of the match: Mark Brown

Match Stats

Video Highlights

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Middlesbrough vs Vauxhall (Premier League)

Venue: The Riverside Stadium

Attendance: 16,277

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Kaka, Cameron Lindsay, Mervin Simon, Jelle Van Damme — Thorsten Schon, Radek Vecera, Mark Brown, Nathan Dyer — Connor Wickham, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

Back to the league, we were meeting fellow newly-promoted side Middlesbrough away from home. Boro were not doing too well, they were down in 19th place, so I was hoping for a win. The game was fairly even during the early stages, the two sides had one clear cut chance apiece before we were handed the best opportunity as the referee pointed to the spot after Mark Brown was brought down inside the penalty area. Ibrahima MBow stepped up to convert it but he failed, the keeper saved his shot! That moment surely had an impact on our confidence as we dominated the remainder of the first half but were unable to create any decent chances.

Half time score: 0-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Bryan Purdrue for Lindsay, Wayne Routledge for Schon, Inigo Perez for Vecera

The second half was much worse, most of my lads were looking tired and Middlesbrough took control of the game. They scored twice but the worst thing was that there was no reply from our part, we were beaten quite clearly.

Full time team talk: Sympathise.

Man of the match: Kaka

Flop of the match: Ibrahima MBow

Match Stats

Video Highlights

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Vauxhall vs Wolves (Premier League)

Venue: Halton Stadium

Attendance: 12,308

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Kaka, Cameron Lindsay, Mervin Simon, Jelle Van Damme — Radek Vecera, Shyamdew Weibolt, Mark Brown, Roni Porokara — Connor Wickham, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

The game against Wolves was an important mid-table battle as they were in 10th place before the match. There was an interesting guest in the stands, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho took a trip to England to watch this game and I was quite curious to find out why. This time we got off to a great start, a quick exchange between Connor Wickham and Andrés left the Spanish striker in a good position and his effort was pushed over the line by a defender who was desperately trying to avoid the goal. We continued to push forward but we were punished on the half hour mark when Daniel Sturridge scored a fabulous goal after a sizzling run that began inside their own half!

Half time score: 1-1

Half time team talk: You can win today!

Half time substitutions: Inigo Perez for Weibolt

The second half was a boring affair, we had better possession but there was no punch in our attacks so Wolves easily held out for a share of the spoils. After the game the media revealed the reason behind Jose Mourinho‘s visit: he wanted to see midfielder Radek Vecera in action! Hands off Jose, he’s not for sale! :)

Full time team talk: Sympathise.

Man of the match: Jelle Van Damme

Flop of the match: Andrés

Match Stats

Video Highlights

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West Brom vs Vauxhall (Premier League)

Venue: The Hawthorns

Attendance: 25,871

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Julian Marino, Cameron Lindsay, Mervin Simon, Jelle Van Damme — Radek Vecera, Mark Brown, Shyamdew Weibolt, Roni Porokara — Connor Wickham, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

West Brom were in 8th place, just above us, but that wasn’t the only reason that made this game special. It was my 300th game in charge of the Motormen so I was hoping to celebrate with an overdue win. Radek Vecera came close to handing us a flying start, he had a great chance just two minutes into the game but he was denied by the goalkeeper. Then the game cooled off and dragged on towards half time, the crowd must have been quite bored.

Half time score: 0-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Kaka for Marino, Nathan Dyer for Porokara, Ibrahima MBow for Andres

The game remained fairly even after the break but we finally managed to break the deadlock courtesy of two substitutes: Ibrahima MBow rounded off a good move with a perfect assist for Nathan Dyer and the winger slotted home. West Brom made a desperate push looking for an equalizer but we held firm and snatched our first league win of the month, a very important one for the league table.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Nathan Dyer

Flop of the match: Connor Wickham

Match Stats

Video Highlights

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Vauxhall vs Liverpool (Premier League)

Venue: Halton Stadium

Attendance: 13,500

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Julian Marino, Cameron Lindsay, Mervin Simon, Jelle Van Damme — Wayne Routledge, Radek Vecera, Mark Brown, Roni Porokara — Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

Liverpool were in 6th place before the game so it was an important test for our hypothetical Europa League ambitions. The lads appeared to be quite determined and we managed to create quite a few dangerous opportunities early on. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina was called into action a few times before we deservedly took the lead three minutes before the break. It was Mervin Simon who scored but it wasn’t one of his usual corner kick headers. This time it was all about a free kick that got deflected off the wall, the ball fell to Wayne Routledge who crossed into the box, Simon connected with a header that hit the crossbar but fell back into the box and my young centre back was quick to react and fire home. Liverpool had their very first chance of the game moments later and we were quite lucky to be saved by the crossbar.

Half time score: 1-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Kaka for Marino, Inigo Perez for Vecera

We continued to play well after the break and we came close to doubling the lead minutes after the re-start but a great 25-yard strike from Andrés hit the post and bounced out of danger. We kept on dominating the game and Liverpool were unable to create any pressure, I think this was our best display of the season or at least one of the best. However, I was a bit worried about my strikers as they were constantly failing to get on the score sheet.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Mervin Simon

Flop of the match: Mark Brown

Match Stats

Video Highlights

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Sunderland vs Vauxhall (Premier League)

Venue: The Stadium of Light

Attendance: 37,006

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Julian Marino, Cameron Lindsay, Mervin Simon, Jelle Van Damme — Thorsten Schon, Radek Vecera, Shyamdew Weibolt, Nathan Dyer — Connor Wickham, Pavol Vesely

Team Talk: You can win today!

We managed to move up into 7th place after beating Liverpool so we had another mid-table derby ahead of us as Sunderland were just behind us in 8th position. The opening 15 minutes saw us playing pretty well but then Sunderland took over and we only managed to keep the score even thanks to Dean Bouzanis and the crossbar. We could have taken the lead on the half hour mark when Connor Wickham squandered a very good counter attack chance but it was Sunderland who broke the deadlock during injury time courtesy of some poor defending from my lads.

Half time score: 1-0

Half time team talk: Sympathise.

Half time substitutions: Kaka for Marino, Lionel Riehl for Vecera, Andrés for Vesely

We came out of the dressing room with a bit more determination and Wickham came close again on 55 minutes but his close range header was saved by the goalkeeper. We did manage to make it all square just three minutes later, Thorsten Schon played a good low cross into the box and Andrés ended his 11-hour goal drought with a sliding finish. The draw was a good result at that point because Sunderland were looking far more dangerous in attack but we took the lead against the run of play courtesy of yet another corner kick header from our hero Mervin Simon. The last 20 minutes of the game saw our defense being under siege, shots were flying from all over the place but Dean Bouzanis was heroic between the sticks. Unfortunately he was beaten seven minutes from time and Sunderland grabbed a well-deserved share of the spoils.

Full time team talk: Good result!

Man of the match: Dean Bouzanis

Flop of the match: Pavol Vesely

Match Stats

Video Highlights

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That was the Boxing Day fixture but we had two more games to play before the end of 2015, check the next page to see how we did.

Go to the next page to read the rest of the story.

Blackburn vs Vauxhall (Premier League)

Venue: Ewood Park

Attendance: 20,153

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Julian Marino, Bryan Purdrue, Osman Chavez, Grant Baddeley — Wayne Routledge, Radek Vecera, Mark Brown, Roni Porokara — Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: For the fans!

Blackburn were in 11th place before the game but that’s not what made it special, I was keen on beating them since they handed us a 1-0 defeat on our Premier League debut. My hopes nearly took a big blow just a few seconds into the match as Blackburn wasted a very good chance but then my players recovered and took control of the pitch. We created a few decent chances before half time but our finishing was not as good as I would have wanted it to be.

Half time score: 0-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Kaka for Marino, Inigo Perez for Vecera, Keith Higgs for Porokara

Blackburn had another good chance minutes after the re-start but the second half followed a similar scenario, we were dominating but unable to break through. Our best chance was in the 75th minute but it went begging so the game ended goalless.

Full time team talk: Good result!

Man of the match: Grant Baddeley

Flop of the match: Ibrahima MBow

Match Stats

Vauxhall vs Manchester United (Premier League)

Venue: Halton Stadium

Attendance: 13,500

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis — Julian Marino, Cameron Lindsay, Mervin Simon, Jelle Van Damme — Thorsten Schon, Radek Vecera, Shyamdew Weibolt, Roni Porokara — Connor Wickham, Pavol Vesely

Team Talk: You can win today!

The last game of the year was our chance to get some sort of revenge after getting beaten 4-1 by Manchester United in August. We were fighting against the odds but the first half was quite pleasing, Manchester United didn’t look like a better team as they failed to create any clear chances. We didn’t have any opportunities to score either but I was pleased with the fairly confident display.

Half time score: 0-0

Half time team talk: You can win today!

Half time substitutions: Nathan Dyer for Schon, Inigo Perez for Vecera, Andrés for Vesely

Things got a lot better for us five minutes after the re-start, the crowd went wild as Roni Porokara volleyed home a pinpoint cross from Nathan Dyer! We were leading 1-0 and we managed to keep the game reasonably quiet as the Red Devils didn’t create any clear chances before the final 10 minutes. Unfortunately they did find the equalizer five minutes from time, Wayne Rooney scored with a sensational diving header to ruin our celebrations. The result was good enough but we were so close to an upset…

Full time team talk: Good result!

Man of the match: Roni Porokara

Flop of the match: Thorsten Schon

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the highlights.

So, we kicked off the month with a great upset at Stamford Bridge and came close to ending it with another surprising result against Manchester United. What happened in between those two big fixtures was a bit disappointing at times (losing at Boro and the home draw against Wolves) but we did manage to grab some good results against West Brom, Liverpool and Sunderland.

The league table is almost unchanged as far as we are concerned, we held on to the 9th spot. I guess we shouldn’t worry about relegation anymore but we should still be careful as a poor run might push us down the table very fast. We are five points behind Liverpool who are in 6th place (probably the last Europa League spot) and we might be in with an outside chance there.

It’s time to analyze my players and see who was up to the expectations and who wasn’t. It’s quite obvious that Mervin Simon was our best player, he is our top goalscorer and also did very well in defense throughout the season. A centre back being the top goalscorer is not a flattering fact for our strikers though. Connor Wickham, Andrés and Ibrahima MBow scored five goals apiece but I was expecting much more from them. Dean Bouzanis did a solid job between the sticks and so did Cameron Lindsay in defense, no complaints there. The biggest and most pleasant surprise is veteran Finnish winger Roni Porokara, he scored no less than five goals and most of them were decisive. There are two big disappointments: right winger Thorsten Schon and striker Pavol Vesely. Schon has played much worse than I would have expected him to while Vesely was hampered by an injury that kept him on the sideline for around a month.

Pavol Vesely will probably be loaned out because, as you might remember, we have a hot Brazilian striker joining us on January 1st. We have already paid 3.8 million pounds for Parana and I hope that he will make an instant impact in the Premier League, he surely has enough talent for that.

There will be another Brazilian transfer on January 1st, a free transfer. His name is Thiago and he’s a powerful 17-year old centre back. He might not break into the first team right away because he is a bit slow for our standards but I hope to correct that through training.

The best news is that the club is in a good financial situation and, as a consequence, the board have offered me the opportunity to get more transfer money. I promised them a top-half finish and I’ll get 12.25 million pounds to spend on new players and also a good increase of the wage budget. I am planning to bring in three new players: a right winger, a left winger and a central midfielder. I am considering a few targets for the two flanks but my target for the central midfielder position is quite clear: Graham Howson (you might remember him from the League 1 season when he was on loan at Vauxhall from Manchester United).

The board also agreed to spend some money on improving the training facilities and I also hope to persuade them to invest in the youth facilities as well, they do have some money in the bank ;)

January will start with an easy FA Cup fixture against Leyton Orient but then we’ll have a tough trip to White Hart Lane. The remaining three league games will be very important, I hope to get at least two wins out of those three. And last but not least, I hope to get a good result against Manchester City in the first leg and go for the miracle in the second.

That’s how it was folks, I’m quite happy with how things went so far and even more happy to have a good transfer budget to spend in January. I think that a top-half finish is a reasonable expectation at this point and we also have a chance of going to Wembley for the Carling Cup final, a slim chance to be honest but we’ll surely fight for it. Thanks a lot for reading and please check out our forum stories as well, there are quite a few great ones in there.