SpillBlood

August I reckon we just edged the opening game of the season, Odoffin hit the post and Ben Wilmot was sent off in the 83rd minute but the end result was a draw. We just needed a little bit more class. The Blackburn game hurt, Odoffin did put us up and I thought we were getting the three points until Lewis Travis equalised in the 88th minute and Dominic Hyam charged in to head the ball home in the 94th to give Blackburn all 3 points. It was the Clucas show at The Stadium Of Light. Two goals and an assist, he was the difference in a very close game. Leicester were probably the better side but we did hit the woodwork three times! We were so close to edging the game but a draw at home to Leicester is a big result! We're 15th and I don't mind that, we're keeping it tight, three clean sheets but I do need to figure a way to get more from my strikers. I'm thinking maybe a mezalla instead of an advanced playmaker may help. We'll see. Carabao Cup We managed to get a home win against Stoke after Hugill headed home after our draw earlier in the week. Nombe got his first Rotherham goal and I was really happy with this, we played players for fitness, I had Revan at LWB, Bola at CB, Onyedinma at RWB etc, it wasn't a first 11 or players in their natural position. Hopefully it brings in some money 'cause that's a big ask . End of Transfer Window It's actually bad news, I checked the clauses on my loan players, those I thought we could replace in January will be here for the rest of the season. Some of them are taking up wages I could really spend on better players. Bola stayed as I need him for cover. The squad we started with will be the squad until the end of the season. There may be a couple of changes in January but there would need to be interest first. This shows the battle we have this season. Here's the top half. And then us. Staff We've made good improvements to our coaching team, we've brought in some better scouts but I don't feel the need to bring in recruitment analysts etc. New Record Considering he still makes a good rotation player for us, we'll no doubt see Peltier finish the record at 37 years old. Next Month I'm hoping we can get a Huddersfield win and a Cardiff draw, anything else is a good result. Some tough games but then again this is a very tough league this year.

Pre-season We didn't even play bad against Villa, we had a couple of good chances and they didn't exactly hold back unleashing Moussa Diaby against us but supposedly fans were leaving early and I was to tell my players I wasn't happy with the performance, alright then. I totally messed up against Shrewsbury, cruising, Cafu injured so I brought on another striker, lost our shape and yeah, my bad. The rest I've been messing around between two tactics, both are working, I think I prefer 3 5 2 which will be interesting as I've never played with a formation like that before. I've always prefered 4 - 4 - 2 or 4 - 3 - 3. So I've been working with this formation. It's also the first time if I recall correctly I've had two uptop on attack duty but it's been working so far. I've been liking the match engine and watching the play from our midfield. This isn't our first 11, just who started against Worksop. Clucas has been brilliant as an AP-S, covering for the injured Cafu. We haven't got Cafu or Bramall for the opening game against Stoke so Bola is still at the club and I reckon he'll still be here until January as I plan to have a bit of a rejig in January when it comes to players, returning players, loans etc. At the end of August I will have a staff update, I've sacked my assistant and coaches and have started to bring in much better quality, two of them I just need to wait on work permits. Matches in August I'm hoping to get 4 points out of this, I'd love to go to Stoke and bring back 3 points. I can't see why we can't get a home result against Blackburn and maybe a point against Sunderland. I don't expect to do much against Leicester but we can try our best. It's time for my first competitive game of the save! Will us building morale against lower opposition in friendlies helped? Only one way to find out!

Another thing about Rotherham United, something that is an issue in real life and even more so when we enter the game. The lack of backroom staff! I'm getting suggestions who to bring in! Can I afford anyone? No . This will be on hold until next season unless I can find some very cheap coaches.

After a year break from Football Manager. My "yearly" Rotherham United save is back and my word, it's going to be the biggest job yet! The database. The normal introduction. Is the squad good enough to be stay up? Possibly. We do have squad issues though. We have an amazing GK in Viktor Johansson who'll be key for us this season. Our best right back is out on loan at Peterborough and I'll be bringing him back in January. Peltier is our best fulllback and Dexter Lembikisa, a 19 year old on loan from Wolves is our best WB. I would not like to see him playing at RB for us, he isn't good enough defensively. Blackett is a better CB and should make a brilliant partnership with Humphreys. Bramall has blistering pace at LB but not alot else. Our cover at LB is Seb Revan, a 19 year old from Aston Villa, is he good enough? In real life, he's looked decent enough, on the game? Absolutely not. Our strength should come in the middle of our midfield. The first summer record singing in Christ Tiehi, he's a solid ball winning midfielder, we have Cafu who is more creative and Rathbone who is our box to box. Lindsday when fit can cover the midfield. Odoffin can cover DM/CM and RB and Sam Clucas will be a good sub. Our wide players are interesting. Fred Onyedima has buckets of pace and should be one of our best players, it depends if I can get him firing. Arvin Appiah is still young, has potential and has good pace aswell. They'll be the main players out wide. Andre Green can cover both flanks. Uptop we have our record signing Sam Nombe, Jordan Hugill, Georgie Kelly and Tom Eaves. Grant Hall, Shane Ferguson and Jamie Lindsay are all injured for 3 - 4 months. I need to figure out what formation we want to play. It's either 4 - 3 - 3 or 5 - 3 - 2. Probably both as we don't have enough depth out wide and we actually have some alright bottom championship defenders. I would like to make a Nombe + Kelly/Hugill parternship aswell. We'll see how pre-season goes, if we need to add any depth to our team, I say that when we have no finances to play with. Matt Taylor did bring alot of players in the summer, breaking our record signing twice. An out of favour Rotherham player Tolaji Bola is wanted, he'll only save 2k wages but he can bring in 100k. I don't mind Bola in real life but he isn't even registered in the team so selling him doesn't seem too bad. Maybe we'll look at what free players are out there or what the loan market can bring.

Hahahahahaha.