Football Manager Diary – S2 – October – Stuck in a Rut

We’re stuck in a rut, I dont know what to do

September fixtures look like this

6 points there surely? None from United of course but the other two are winnable

4th October 2014 – West Ham (7th) vs Everton (10th)
Odds – West Ham 4-5 (fav) – Draw 2-1 – Everton 3-1
Past results – Drew 2-2 at home and lost 2-1 away.

Giving my defensive formation a run out for the next two matches (well 1 if it all goes tits up)

21 seconds in and Carroll has a good shot tipped round the post, then Tomkins heads wide from the corner. Just two minutes later a neat move sees Vydra slip in Carrol who smashes in for his 8th in 7 games. Its all West Ham, with Vydra having a shot well saved. Everton start to pressure, but Coleman steals the ball, plays in Vydra who spins and plays it to Coleman who has continued his run and he powers in!

At half time its 2-0. I tell the lads to keep it up. We’ve had 8 shots to their 7 but only 35% possession.

Vydra gets the chance to get the goal his performance deserves but the ball gets saved. Apart from that theres no highlights, despite the stats showing Everton getting a lot of shots.

West Ham 2-0 Everton
Carroll (3), Coleman (21)
League Position – 4th

Match thoughts – Cant complain about that, if we could step up possession then we’d be rolling in it. Everton seemed to get a ton of possession and a lot of shots but none of them were highlights. Vydra won MOTM and hes keeping Crouchy out right now.

Vydra and Hangeland make TOTW

Before the next match against Man United I manage to bring in a player on a free, its Victor Valdes. Negotiations are made a pain by the fact Im still having the glitch where all my budget is in wages, and nothing is in transfer budget, so I havent been able to sign him because of it

Even tho hes a free, all his fees for signing and agent come through the transfer budget, so I couldnt get him. Howeve, a long negotiation led us to managing to get him for the below, down from 81k a week, 2.7 million signing bonus, 1 million agents fee, and a match high earner clause.

The 50% of any future fee helped, even tho I dont plan on selling him for any significant amount of money.

Heres his stats

And he’s got a massive 1st game

18th October 2014 – Man United (1st) vs West Ham (6th)
Odds – Man United 4-7 – Draw 5-2 – West Ham 4-1
Past meetings – Lost all 3 games.

United have won 6 and drawn 1 of their first 7 league matches. Theyve won their last 5 on the trot.

Pastore scores from a ridiculous angle in the 11th minute.  Van Persie doubles the lead after United break from a corner and catch us.

At half time United have had 7 shots to our 2.

United have a good early chance but Hangeland clears off the line. Nani scores a third on 67 minutes from another break.

Man United 3- West Ham
Pastore (11) Van Persie (20) Nani (67)
League Position – 6th
Match Thoughts – Maybe in a year or two I can compete with United. They are light years ahead of us right now.

25th October 2014 – Wigan (11th) vs West Ham (6th)
Odds – Wigan 6-4 (fav) – Draw 2-1 – West Ham 13-8
Past meetings – Never played

Jesus they are favourites???

Chadli heads at the keeper from a Rat free kick. Rat then hits an amazing deep far post cross that Zaha slides into the net! 1-0.  Carroll evades his man, and has a shot put its tipped over. Wigan hit the post after Dicko breaks.

At half time I bring Crouchy on for Vydra whos having a quiet game. We’ve had 3 shots to their 5

Wigan are pressing but not getting any highlights. I bring on Juanmi and Ledley for Carroll and Schneiderlin with 20 minutes to go, but instantly Wigan equalise, from a corner. Valdes saves from Vellios as they flood forward but the game dies

Wigan 1-1 West Ham
Vellios (73) – Zaha (16)
League Position – 6th

Match thoughts – Kill me now

League looks like this

Fixtures are like this

WHY ISNT CARROLL SCORING ANYMORE

Maybe its time to reunite Crouchy and Carroll…..