sherm

My effort for this week

Despite the season having only just kicked off, there was already an international break, and with only five of his squad in action for their country, he used the spare time to allow his players a bit of recuperation time, aswell as allowing himself time with Charlotte. It was while they were together that he brought up the issue of his new contract, or at least his pending new contract “I’ve got something to run by you?” Charlotte raised her eyebrows between a mouthful of spaghetti. She put her fork down and leaned across the table “What’s wrong?” “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been thinking about my new contract” She put her hands inside his “What about it?” “I’m thinking about only extending it by a year. If at all” She looked flabbergasted “What? Why? I thought you loved it here?” “Oh I do, and I’m proud of what the team have achieved while I’ve been here. I just feel like four years is a decent time at one club, and even if there’s nothing opening up after this season, we’re comfortable and I can take some time out” “If that’s what you want then of course I’ll always be behind you, whatever decision you make. But honestly, you need to think long and hard about it. Maybe even speak to Keith?” Peter clasped her hands, stroking her thumb with his “I know. I’ll think about it over the next few weeks, I realise it’s a big decision for both of us” -- Derby were their next opponents in the Premier League, and they sat rock bottom after four defeats and a draw in their opening five games. Granted, they had played Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea in those games, but that didn’t matter. Peter had been pleased with his sides defensive solidity, keeping four clean sheets in their first five league games, but they had not been as clinical as he would have liked, so while here were positive signs, he had also noticed negatives they needed to work on. The team was somewhat changed from their last league game, with Rooney coming in for Vassell, Lawrence replacing Moukoko who had a slight niggle after international duty, and Klausen slotting into the midfield The game started at a steady pace, Rooney curling a shot just wide and Klausen rasping the post with a low drive, but it was a simple move that led to the opening goal in the 11th minute, Corneliusson firing a long diagonal pass over the top into the path of the marauding Rooney, who took it beautifully on his chest and sliding it underneath Marc Goodlad to give his side the lead, with his first goal for the club. The home side never really got their teeth into the game, trying as best they could but the midfield duo of Klausen and Rusk were superb, denying every opportunity they created. Rusk could have scored himself, forcing a save from Goodlad, while Lawrence fired wide after a jinking run in to the box, but it was just before the interval that they doubled their advantage, a nice little interchange of passing allowing Rusk to slip in Rooney, who feigned to shoot, rounding Goodlad and slotting into the empty goal. The second half was a pretty poor showing, Derby unable to get any momentum and Peter watching his side control the game, easing to a 2-0 win – September 2004 Results [Premier Division unless stated otherwise] Nottingham Forest 0-1 Mansfield [Kos 41] Mansfield 0-0 Newcastle League Cup Round Two Norwich 4-2 Mansfield [Jensen 37, Dunwell 40 ; Cawley 11, O’Brien 33, Hayles 53, Thomas 62] Derby 0-2 Mansfield [Rooney 11,45+1]

My attempt for this week. Found it tougher than previous weeks I must say

Mine for the week..doing it on my phone, hence the quote style. Definitely need a better week than last week!

The first team had pretty much all been given the midweek off, as a trip to Norwich for the League Cup was next, and with survival in the Premier League the absolute top priority for Peter, he had taken the decision to rest several (well, most) of his regular starters. This meant that the likes of Claus Jensen, Michael Dunwell, Izzy Iriekpen, David, Fredrik Klausen, Wouter Kos and Mark Arber all came in to the team for the game, while the home side went pretty much full strength. That said, Peter always expected his side to perform, but they started very slowly, struggling to distribute the ball between each other, and after 11 minutes they found themselves behind, Karl Hawley breaking free of the defence to run in behind and slide the ball underneath Tony Warner easily. This seemed to spark something, and they came back into the game, Dunwell and then Kos both having good efforts and forcing saves from Rob Green, while a corner saw a header from Iriekpen go just over the bar. They paid for these misses just after the half hour mark, Hawley turning provider when he flicked the ball on from a clearance, allowing Burton O’Brien to bomb through and dink the ball over Warner. This was a blow as they were starting to come back into the game, but they did find themselves pulling a goal back just four minutes later, Kos and David combining to slip in Claus Jensen, who feigned to shoot and cleverly rounded the ‘keeper, before sliding it into the goal. This saw them lift their heads, and three minutes later, they were level, Dunwell finding himself free on the edge of the box after a corner and drilling a low shot into the bottom corner. This saw the game level at the break, but as in the first half, they started poorly, and were behind again on 53 minutes, Barry Hayles scoring his first goal for the club since joining in the summer when he rose to head home a cross from the right hand side. Jerome Thomas sealed the game just after the hour mark, stroking home a fourth goal after a mistake from Iriekpen, and despite a couple of chances in the final ten minutes for his side, Peter was disappointed with his side’s performance, more so than the defeat – “Boss, you got five?” Damien Matthew popped his head into his office “Come on in Damien. What can I do for you?” His assistant sat down opposite him, sliding a piece of paper across the desk as he did so “First things, I had Marcus Heikkenen’s agent on the phone. He’ll join the end of next month when his contract ends” “Perfect. Anything else?” A solemn look “Well, I’ve heard whispers that Llorente isn’t happy. Home sick, wants to move out of England” Peter looked incredulous “You’re joking? He’s only been here three months!” Matthew shrugged “Only what I’ve heard. Might need to have a word with him when the lads come in for training” – Almost an hour later, the knock came at his door and Llorente entered his office “You wanted to see me gaffer?” Peter motioned to the chair “Joseba, sit down son” He returned to his side of the desk “I’ve heard you’re unhappy and want to leave?” The midfielder looked down “I’m sorry boss. It’s nothing to do with the club, you, or the lads. My wife is unhappy and she’s pregnant with our first child. It’s a lot of pressure and I have to consider her and the baby” Peter hadn’t expected that, and after a twenty minute conversation with the Spaniard, it was agreed that he would be placed on the transfer list and if the right offer came in, both for the club and the player, then he was free to leave

Your keeper has the one of the best names I've ever seen for a regen player! Spike Brits sounds like he should be a monty python character!

Cheers WLKRAS. All is good at the moment, few scares along the way but back to normal now --- Another away trip was next on the agenda, but this was a short one as they travelled to meet their rivals Nottingham Forest. Midfield injuries meant Wouter Kos came in for his first Premier League appearance, while Sebastian Svard partnered John O’Shea at the heart of the defence. Greenacre was fit enough to take a place on the bench and after his double in the win over Fulham, Vassell kept his place. The home side had won their opening game but only picked up a point from the previous two, so they were cautious at the start of the game, making it difficult for Peter’s side and stifling them with their five man midfield. It took 20 minutes before Peter decided to change it up, moving O’Shea forward into the midfield as a holding player and allowing Kos more freedom, and this worked a treat, as they created a couple of good chances, Moukoko and Vassell forcing saves from Carlo Nash, but it was four minutes from the half time whistle that they finally found the breakthrough, Moukoko linking with Jervis down the left, the fullback pulling the ball back into the path of Kos and the little Dutchman side footing the ball into the bottom corner The second half was a similar path, Forest trying to get back into the game, but they were leaving themselves open as they did so, which allowed Mansfield several opportunities. Greenacre headed wide from a Liam Lawrence cross, Moukoko hit the post and Nash made saves from Kos and Talberg, but the score remained static at 1-0 and Peter saw his side claim a third win of the season – The League Cup had thrown out the draw for the second round, with an away trip to Norwich the result for Peter’s side. However, despite their brilliant run to the final the previous season, and the joy it brought everyone at the club, he had decided from the start of the season that it had moved to the bottom of the list of priorities, and he would play several fringe players for that game. He had already discussed it with his coaching team, and while he hadn’t mentioned it to Haslam, he knew that he would have his support as he always had. He also had other things on his mind, as Charlotte had been very disheartened over the adoption thing, so he felt he needed to do something to try and cheer her up Fortunately, their next league game was at home, as Bobby Robson brought his Newcastle side to Field Mill. Peter was familiar with the jovial manager, having encountered him several times as a player in the 80’s, so he made the effort to seek him out before the game. As he approached Robson, he turned round and greeted him with a smile “Peter, good to see you” Peter stuck his hand but found himself in a sudden embrace “You too Bobby. How are you?” “Oh not too bad. Tired these days but think that’s due to old age” A grin spread across both men's faces “Oh I’m sure you have plenty of life left yet” A shrug “Between me and you, my contract is up at the end of the season and I don’t know if I’ll be renewing it” They caught up for another five minutes before going their separate ways to prepare their teams for the game It was a slow start to the match, both sides feeling each other out in the early stages, and the only real chance of note came in the 21st minute, Greenacre collecting a pass from Llorente and firing wide of the goal. The atmosphere was good, despite the new stand not due to be ready for another week, and when the half time whistle went, a roar went up to encourage the home side. These seemed to work, as they came out after the break and started like a house on fire. Greenacre headed over, Moukoko tested Shay Given twice in a five minute spell, and Wouter Kos dragging a shot wide. It was frustrating to see so many chances missed, and they nearly paid for it when Kieron Dyer rasped a shot against the crossbar, before the midfielder fed the ball through to Gianni Comandini, and the Italian should have scored, but Asper did his job and kept the ball out, ensuring the game ended in a stalemate. Peter walked over to the dugout, hand extended ready to shake hands with Robson “Thanks for the game Bobby” “Thankyou Pete. Good luck for the rest of the season, but if you play like that you’ll be just fine” They smiled and shook hands before turning to their own players

Just caught up with all of this 10-3 Magnificent as always from you sir KUTGW!

Liking this start Dave. Always intrigued to see what you come up with so will be following with interest

“Peter, do you have five minutes to catch up?” Keith Haslam had popped his head around the door on the Monday morning “Come on in Keith. It feels like we don’t see each other as much anymore these days” A chuckle from the chairman “I don’t feel the need to be around as much. You have things under control and I have other business aspects to control” Peter nodded in agreement “Fair point. So what can I do for you?” “Nothing specific. Just wanted to congratulate you on the win at weekend. Two wins from the opening three games is a great start” Peter folded his arms and nodded “I agree but plenty of games left to play yet. Let's not get carried away” Both men spent the next fifteen minutes catching up, before Haslam left to go about his business and Peter headed to training, his mood good after the result at the weekend. However, the session dampened his mood slightly, as a couple of injuries hampered their progression. Simon Rusk pulled a hamstring chasing down a ball, and while it wasn’t a serious tear, it was enough to keep him out for a little while. Mark Arber also picked up a knock but his was more serious, a poor landing after going up for a header seeing the captain going off holding his shoulder, an injury that looked pretty bad – Peter arrived home later that day to see Charlotte at in the kitchen dabbing at her face with a tissue. He dropped his briefcase and headed over to her “Hey. What’s wrong?” She wiped some stray tears away “Hannah has picked somebody else” He embraced her as she said it “That’s OK, don’t worry. We’re on the list and we’ll get another chance” She looked up, a hint of a smile creeping across her face “You reckon?” “Of course. Now don’t be downhearted and wipe those tears away” With that he kissed the top of her head

Having beaten Arsenal, then losing to Birmingham, it was clear to Peter that this season would present more challenges than he, or his players, were used to over the last few seasons. Training for the build up to the next game involved mainly shape, keeping focus on the positioning and their work off the ball, and with his side due to travel to London on the Friday evening, he gave them clear instructions to have the Thursday with their families, and he did the same with Charlotte, spending the evening cooking and talking with his wife “So what have you made of the first two games?” Peter shrugged between mouthfuls of Spaghetti “We were great in the first game, and while we did OK in the second game, it was a poor defeat. We’ve got to improve as the season goes on, but I’m confident we’ll stay up” She reached over and stroked his hand “You’ll do just fine. I have every faith in you” Peter smiled “You always have belief in me. I appreciate that” He leant across the table to kiss her, which she returned in kind – The coach trip had been without incident, and the players had been allowed two drinks at the hotel bar before heading to bed to relax before they left in the morning. Arriving at the ground just after midday, Peter was shocked to see fans milling around outside already. Fulham had lost their opening two games, albeit to Liverpool and Manchester United, so they would be looking to bounce back, but their fans were showing early discontent, their manager Graham Rix having spent over £12 million in the summer to bring in several new players. Peter had decided to play Darius Vassell from the start in this game, his pace looking likely to cause problems for the Fulham defence, while David Jervis and Karl Corneliusson started as the full backs. Talberg kept his place in midfield alongside Simon Rusk, while Tony Warner started his first ever Premier League game. The ‘keeper was to thank for the scores being level after a quarter of an hour, pulling off two good saves, and a slight tweak in the tactics saw his side take back control of the game, and it was Scottish midfielder Rusk who set up the opener, sliding a lovely ball through for Vassell, and the striker rounded the ‘keeper to slide the ball into the empty net. That goal was enough for them to go into the half time break ahead, but Peter demanded more from his side in the second half and he got just that, his players beginning the half at a relentless pace, and within a quarter of an hour they had doubled their lead, Vassell again with the goal but this time it came from a lovely little cut back from Moukoko, feeding the ball into the strikers path and a deft little finish guiding it into the bottom corner. They were never in danger of losing after that, and despite chances for Moukoko, Rusk and Lawrence, 2-0 was how it remained and they had bounced back after the previous defeat -- August 2004 Results [Premier Division unless stated otherwise] Arsenal 0-2 Mansfield [Davidson 16, Rusk pen 33] Mansfield 0-2 Birmingham [Primus 20, Sturridge 72] Fulham 0-2 Mansfield [Vassell 33,59]

My predictions for the opening week Don't know why I've done it as a quote but that's them done anyway

Hakuna Mateta claimed

Writers note ; Apologies to all for the fairly long delay in posting for this. My partner was in hospital for a few weeks so there's been plenty going on and I just haven't had the opportunity to write or post. However, I'm back and things are back to some semblance of normality so I'm looking to get back in to the flow of things as quickly as possible --- The news regarding the adoption had been positive. Somebody had seen their file and decided they wanted to meet them to ask a few questions and gauge their reactions, so come Wednesday morning, Peter put his suit on, Charlotte picked out an outfit that, frankly, made her look stunning, and they headed to the adoption agency They were there for a good couple of hours, meeting the young girl who wanted her baby adopted, a seven month pregnant girl by the name of Hannah. She was 18, and wanted to make a future for herself and go to college while she had an opportunity, and while her pregnancy wasn’t planned, she had admitted she wasn’t ready for being a mother. They had got along really well, and despite her having a couple of other people to meet, Peter and Charlotte left feeling confident about their chances He had dropped Charlotte back off at home, before heading to training, and as he walked in, Damien Matthew raised his eyebrows at his choice of attire “Nice suit gaffer” The smile on his face was lopsided, and Peter playfully cuffed his shoulder “Shush you. Adoption agency this morning. Had to scrub up well didn’t I?” “Fair point. Bad news unfortunately though, Chrissy has picked up a knock” “What? How?” Matthew scratched his head and sheepishly smiled “He fell over walking the dog” Peter was incredulous “Are you taking the ****?” Matthew hadn’t been, and they began the training session without their record scoring striker. Vassell and Rooney sensed this, both men showing why they deserved the starting spot, and when they went off to get changed, Peter knew he had a tough decision to make – Fellow promoted side Birmingham provided the opposition for their first Premier League home game, and while on paper, they were a stronger side than their visitors, they had to be careful about complacency. Rooney had won the battle for the starting spot up front, while Klausen, Iriekpen and Talberg all came in for their debuts. The crowd was optimistic as the game kicked off, and they saw their side start well, Rooney testing the ‘keeper early on, before Moukoko fired a low effort just wide, both in the first ten minutes. Rusk curled a free kick just over the bar after 16 minutes, and it wasn’t until 19 minutes in that the visitors had their first effort on goal, a shot from Dean Sturridge deflecting off O’Shea for a corner. However, from the corner, Linvoy Primus rose above everyone and thundered a header into the goal, stunning the home crowd into silence. It was a shock but Peter saw his side respond as they knew how, taking control of the game and creating several openings before half time. Davidson fizzed a low cross in that Rooney just couldn’t get to, while Liam Lawrence fired wide across the goal, but Llorente missed the most guilt edged chance of them all, the ball falling into his path just six yards out, and he somehow contrived to fire it over the bar The second half was a little more reserved, the Midlands outfit changing to five at the back and defending more resolutely, meaning it was a lot more difficult to create anything and they had to work a hell of a lot harder to do so. Vassell used his pace to get in behind a couple of times, being denied by the post and the ‘keeper on separate occasions, before Moukoko forced a terrific save. However, they were caught on the counter while going for the equaliser, a long ball over the top catching out Lee Collins, Dean Sturridge latching on to it and lifting it over Asper to seal the win and a disappointing start to their home debut in the Premier League

He stood on the Highbury pitch, watching his players warm up. With just 45 minutes until their Premier League debut, a tough start at Arsenal, the nerves had reached a fulcrum, and he was sure he could sense it in some of his players in the build up to the game. This had made his team selection a little trickier, as he had been toying all day, but finally he headed into the referees room, arriving a minute before David O'Leary, to hand in his selection, He exchanged a handshake and basic niceties with the Irishman, the irony not lost on him that he could have been on the opposite side if things had played out differently His team talk was easy, his players motivated and up for it, and as they headed out of the narrow tunnel, the crescendo of noise was unlike anything he had ever heard in the previous three years. He took his seat as the game kicked off, and he was delighted with how his side started. Dionisis Chiotis was tested early on, Greenacre firing a low shot and forcing a save from the Greek ‘keeper, and Simon Rusk fired over several minutes later. The home crowd were a little shocked as to how their opponents had started, and despite a Thierry Henry chance after a quarter of an hour going straight into the hands of Jose Ros, it was from this that the opening goal came. The Spaniard rolled the ball out to Corneliusson, who swung a diagonal ball out to Moukoko. The Cameroon international held the ball until Callum Davidson overlapped, before feeding the debutant beautifully. Davidson fired a low shot towards the near post, and while Chiotis got a hand to it, the ball ended up in the goal. The travelling support went ballistic, the noise incredible, and after 16 minutes, Mansfield were ahead. The home side seemed to get angered by this, and for the next 15 minutes or so, they controlled the game. They passed it well, they created openings, and had it not been for three saves from Ros and a magnificent goal saving tackle from Lee Collins, they would have been ahead. However, just after the half hour mark, things changed. A long ball from Davidson found Liam Lawrence, and he played a lovely little give and go with Simon Rusk. He collected the ball just inside the area, and as he skipped past Taribo West, the Nigerian stuck out a foot and brought the winger down. Jeff Winter had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and with no messing about, Simon Rusk stroked his kick into the bottom corner They held on until the break, and with Greenacre picking up a slight niggle, he was replaced by Wayne Rooney, while Wouter Kos was replaced by John O’Shea, who would ensure they were more solid and would sit back in an almost sweeper like role. This went against Peter;s natural instincts, but he was smart enough to realise they couldn’t leave themselves exposed against good sides. As it happened, it proved to be a masterstroke, as their stability and defensive work frustrated Arsenal, with their only real good opportunity falling to Stefan Selakovic, with a weak shot from the edge of the area. Mansfield stayed strong, they were resilient, and when the whistle finally went to signal the end of the game, they had secured a memorable opening day win. Peter greeted his players as they came off the pitch, smiling and hugging them one by one, before a fist pump to the away fans on his way to the tunnel – Following the win, the training session on Monday was buoyant, but as was his way, Peter cautioned his players on getting ahead of themselves. Yes, the win was great, but they needed another 37 points to hit the magic mark, and he knew that. With that in mind, he worked his players hard that particular session, running them hard and using the fitness sessions to keep them in shape, and eventually, they headed off the pitch almost two hours later drenched in sweat The players had eventually filtered out, and as Peter was finishing up in his office, his phone rang. He smiled when he saw Charlotte’s name on the screen “Hey” “...” “Oh that’s brilliant. When do they want us to go and meet them?” “...” “OK. Well I’ll rearrange training to the afternoon and we’ll do the Wednesday morning?” “...” “Perfect. Fancy dinner tonight?” “...” “OK. I’ll see you soon, probably be home in an hour or so"