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
Click here to watch the highlights.
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
Click here to watch the highlights.
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
Click here to watch the highlights.
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
Click here to watch the highlights.
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
Click here to watch the highlights.
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
Click here to watch the highlights.
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.
CsAtlantis
13 апреля, 2011 at 13:20
A pretty solid December, and the extra transfer kitty should help out a lot in keeping a top half position in the league
Going unbeaten in the last six matches is an impressive feat, considering that you played Liverpool and Man Utd in those matches
Hopefully you can get the players to help out your strikers to score more goals, keep up the good work!
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:27
Thanks mate, we could have been better off with a pair of wins instead of those draws against Wolves and Blackburn but I guess it’s satisfying for now.
Alex
13 апреля, 2011 at 13:32
A decent month, you can only seem to get good points from the big teams ;)
Wolves and Boro should be 6 points but complacency took over for you unfortunately.
I think Parana will really improve your goalscoring and this could be a turning point for improvement. Your defence is pretty good for the Premier League so the addition of a potential world class striker (I’m sure when he joins you he will be classed as a wonderkid) and your other signing looks great for a free transfer. Guod luck for the next month, I think you can win 4 games.
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:28
Thanks Alex, I guess winning four games next month would be more than OK. Parana might need some time to adapt but he surely has the talent to succeed.
vaibhavc
13 апреля, 2011 at 14:00
Hey Johnny
Good month there. It was great to pull off an upset against Chelsea and Liverpool, and to draw against Manchester United. The loss against Middlesbrough was disappointing though. Parana should get you more goals.
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:29
Thanks Vaibhav, I was quite disappointed to lose that game at Boro. I have high hopes for Parana, we’ll see if he’ll live up to the expectations.
Excessive
13 апреля, 2011 at 14:17
Very good results against the top sides in the league there Johnny. Really happy that you have cement 9th spot though, you should be there or there abouts come the end of the season.
The signings you have got in look to be class. Obviously we know about Parana but Thiago looks great. Has the technical abilities there, just need to work on his pace. His mentality will improve with age I’m sure.
Good luck for next month mate :)
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:30
Thanks Jake, the two Brazilians should do well considering their abilities but I’ll have to be patient while they adapt to life in Europe.
Sears
13 апреля, 2011 at 15:30
I can’t wait to see Parana in action, he looks amazing! Hopefully you can buy some talent with the extra £12 million, I’m sure if you purchase the right players you can defo finish in the top half. Great month btw, good luck!
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:31
Thanks Sears, I’m quite eager to see Parana in action myself :)
Ana Garcia
13 апреля, 2011 at 16:02
Decent month Johnny,
Parana looks amazing for being only 18 and hopefully he can score the goals that you need.
Your new defender looks very promising to for a 17 year old, Brazil always churn out amazing young players.
Good luck in the cup its seem you will need it!
:)
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:32
Thanks Ana, Brazil always was and always will be a fantastic reservoir of football talent. I have found out that 2% of the country’s GDP comes from selling footballers, that’s quite remarkable!
Sayam Khan
13 апреля, 2011 at 17:58
Pretty good month Johnny, I think you have a chance of getting europe, especially now that Parana will be joining you! He looks an absolute beast! Good Luck!
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:32
Thanks Sayam. I don’t know about Europe, Parana might need some time to settle before banging them in but I’m sure that he’ll do well eventually.
hils
13 апреля, 2011 at 18:59
Hi Johnny,another good month there!!!!!!!!!! Parana looks amazing!!!!!!!!! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:33
Thanks Hils, he does look wonderful.
Darren Smith
13 апреля, 2011 at 19:15
Another great instalment mate, some good form and better than you should expect in my opinion. The new Brazilian should be your source for goals now, as you lack a real presence upfront to bang em’ home. Whether that’s down to a lack of service I’m not sure but we’ll find out. :) I’m thinking top 8 is achievable but top 10 would be an outstanding season. :)
Johnny Karp
13 апреля, 2011 at 20:35
Thanks mate. The major problem with my current strikers seemed to be that they were constantly unable to get past their opponents, we lost lots of balls upfront until now. Hopefully Parana will change that aspect of our game, his attributes tell me that he should be able to hold on to the ball and skip past one or two defenders when needed.
Jack
13 апреля, 2011 at 23:18
That was a great month Johnny! You and your cup runs are just fantastic! I’m looking forward to seeing parana in action, hopefully you can get a few more signings in as well :) Good luck for next month! Keep the posts coming :)
Johnny Karp
14 апреля, 2011 at 07:44
Thanks Jack, I’ll be posting as often as I can :)
Kevin
14 апреля, 2011 at 00:31
Hi Johnny
You really «book-ended» your month with solid performances against top teams especially that Carling Cup win over Chelsea which must have been a delight to watch. I got a chuckle out of your finances as it looks like someone had just «flat-lined» on the operating table only to be suddenly revived!!
I’m looking forward to seeing how your Brazilian players perfrom especially Parana whose attributes look incredible. Throw him an Thiago in against Orient and see how they do. Good luck to you!!
Johnny Karp
14 апреля, 2011 at 07:46
Thanks Kevin, our Carling Cup run was a bit miraculous after knocking out both Arsenal and Chelsea but we’ll be needing a bigger miracle against Man City.
Erick Wolf
14 апреля, 2011 at 08:00
I agree with Kevin about having Parana and Thiago against Orient.
I’m really excited for the team, and I swear, I am a Vauxhall fan now thanks to this story.
I hope we see some talented, experienced players during January!
Good luck!
Johnny Karp
14 апреля, 2011 at 08:16
Haha, it’s great to have a new Motormen fan! Parana and Thiago will probably play against Orient but it will depend on their fitness.
Lye
14 апреля, 2011 at 11:36
Hi Johnny,
Despite a difficult schedule but you have done pretty well. What a great win over Chelsea in the cup competition. Well done and looking forward to another great month. Good luck.