{"id":793,"date":"2021-06-08T11:24:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T11:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/?p=793"},"modified":"2021-06-08T11:24:42","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T11:24:42","slug":"premier-managers-3-the-big-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/?p=793","title":{"rendered":"Premier Managers #3: The big push"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome back to the dugout. Part 1 is here<\/a>, part 2 is here<\/a>. A quick reminder of where we\u2019re at in the league with 14 games to go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s a trip to Villa Park to get us underway. We\u2019re still trying to find a way to cope without star CB Slaven Bilic. Bruce has the 2nd<\/sup> best average of all my CBs, but I\u2019m concerned his 37-year-old legs might be starting to slow a bit. Unfortunately, the alternatives are all even older (Bielsa, Allardyce, Hodgson) or not quite Premier League standard (Moyes, Smith). Actually, Klopp is there, but he hasn\u2019t set the world alight when he\u2019s played. We\u2019ll stick with Cribbins for now with a view to phasing in Klopp if we start leaking goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We\u2019re on top throughout. Lampard wasn\u2019t playing well so subbed him off for Jose and put him behind the strikers with Arteta moving to MC, and the special one does the business. Bruce gets a 9 and Villa have 1 shot in the whole game. Good work, Steve, never doubted you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Away to Newcastle. Wor Alan is back from his torn knee ligaments and has got 2 in 2. They\u2019re 1 point behind us with a game in hand so this is a bit of a crunch game. We\u2019ll stick with the same team that saw off Villa, and hope that Newcastle are bit tired from the League Cup semi-final in the midweek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not our day at all. Nuno is struggling with an arm injury after 5 minutes. Newcastle create lots of chances but only get 3 on target, so I think leaving Nuno on with his bad arm was the wrong call. Given clatters Mourinho after 82 minutes but no penalty. \u201cUnbelievable\u201d indeed. Where\u2019s VAR when you need it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Someone must have told him what I said about him not being good enough earlier. Ok Dave, if you must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolton up next. Pegguy Arphexad makes his debut as Nuno\u2019s still out feeling a bit wristy. Lampard\u2019s in poor form so he drops to the bench. Jose comes in behind the strikers and Arteta plays centre mid. Vialli\u2019s form has been slightly patchy so we\u2019ll go back to OGS and Handsome Ralph up front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Good stuff. Bolton score with their only shot on target, but OGS is back in form, and had a 3rd<\/sup> ruled out for offside. Handsome Ralph seals the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next to visit The Dugout are Wimbledon. Nuno\u2019s back from his injury, so that\u2019ll be the only change from the win against Bolton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Very nice. Jose never seems to play well (avg 6.91), but that\u2019s his 9th<\/sup> goal of the season. Looks like him and OGS have put aside their differences for the benefit of the team, and it\u2019s really clicking for us at the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just a reminder of the team & tactics ahead of our trip to Everton. We\u2019ll keep the same team that\u2019s won the last 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Manager train keeps rollin\u2019. It\u2019s a fairly dull, fairly even affair, but we do enough to get the win. Jose scores again and Pep bags his 3rd<\/sup> of the season. Newcastle and Derby both don\u2019t play this weekend, so we\u2019re up 3rd<\/sup> in the table in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up we\u2019re home to Spurs. No changes. Feel the rhythm. Feel the ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Handsome Ralph\u2019s early goal is the difference, but it should have been 3 or 4. Ian Walker getting MOM in a losing performance tells you all you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blackburn next. Wildcard G\u2019s out for 2 weeks with a back strain, so Ryan Mason is our most attacking bench option. Starting XI remains the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s not pretty, but it\u2019ll do. We limited Blackburn to a single shot all game. Brucey was MOM. Solid. Liverpool lose and we go 2nd<\/sup>, but all the lads immediately below have crucial games in hand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Home to Derby. They beat us 2-1 earlier in the season, and having won their game in hand, they\u2019re above us again in 3rd<\/sup>. Liverpool beat Newcastle in their game in hand so we\u2019re back in 4th<\/sup>, and it feels like a crucial game if we\u2019re to harbour (dare I say it) Champions League hopes. Derby played in the week so I\u2019m hoping we can take advantage of their slightly tired legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bah. Frustrating as anything. We don\u2019t manage a shot on target until just before Handsome Ralph\u2019s goal, but it\u2019s not enough. We throw the kitchen sink at them but all the chances seem to fall to Steve Bruce and it\u2019s a poor result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Away to Leicester. We lost to these last time, as well. Time to attack. Arteta moves into an AMC role alongside Jose and Mr Carlo pushes into centre mid. Vialli back on the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Absolutely raging. Raging. Look at this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get in the bloody sea, all of you. Yes, you as well, Martin O\u2019Neill. Especially<\/em> you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CL would be a miracle now. I don\u2019t know if 5th<\/sup> will get us into Europe\u2026maybe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home to Saints next. It\u2019s the Monday after the Saturday before so we need a few fresh legs. Back 3 of Big Sam, Bielsa and Wilder. Brodge-Hodgson connection in DM. Lampard in for Arteta in AM. Vialli in for Ralphy up front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Well, that was nice. OGS was MOM (obvs) but Bielsa also rated 10. Beautiful. Liverpool beat Derby so we\u2019re 6 points off 2nd<\/sup> with 4 to play. Unlikely, but Derby still have to play Arsenal and Man Utd so 3rd<\/sup> is maybe doable, though Newcastle still have that game in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Away to Cov. We got well and truly Champo\u2019d in the first game. They\u2019re 16th<\/sup> but only a point above the drop, so plenty to play for. I\u2019ve got some hard choices here, as it\u2019s difficult to want to change a team that just popped 6 in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ok, here we go\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dour stuff, not helped by Uncle Roy\u2019s red card in the first half. 1 shot on target for each team in the whole game. Newcastle and Derby both lose so it\u2019s a bit of a missed chance, but if we can get past Leeds and Man Utd do us a favour, we\u2019ll be above them on goal difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bielsa makes his Argentina debut aged 42, and it\u2019s an emotional day all round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ok then Australia, showing off a bit with your \u201cwe only need 10 men\u201d, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Sam tears his groin stooping to pick up a pint of wine and will miss the last 3 games. Handsome Ralph and Hodgson are suspended. We switch back to 3-3-1-1-2 because I\u2019m paranoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wildcard G makes the most of his chance. Not our best performance, but good enough. Man Utd oblige us with a 1-0 win over Derby, putting us level on 67 points, but Newcastle are really good and it\u2019s hard to see them not picking up 3 wins against Wimbledon, West Ham and Everton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheff Wed next. They\u2019re 19th<\/sup> but could still escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Damn it. We\u2019re easily the better side, but Kevin \u201cpress gang\u201d Pressman is in good form, keeping out 4 of our 5 shots on target, whereas they score 1 of their 2. As expected, Newcastle win their game in hand, so we need big favours from Barnsley and Everton if we\u2019re to have any chance of sneaking 3rd<\/sup> place. Presuming we can get past Chelsea, who\u2019ve got the CWC final in a few days time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here we go then. Mourinho\u2019s gone off the boil badly in the last few weeks, and I know it\u2019s Chelsea, but tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An infuriatingly terrible end to an otherwise fun season. We ran out of steam in the last few games, and really missed Bilic at the business end of the season where you just need that extra bit of defensive steel. It didn\u2019t matter anyway, because Derby and Newcastle both won. Here\u2019s the final table:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Have to be pleased with that overall, although 8 points from the final 7 games is a pitiful way to end the season. I thought we were going to struggle to make top half at one point, but they seemed to gel nicely around mid-way through, and the fact we were even in the CL conversation would have seemed ludicrous early on. Bloody Leicester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There\u2019s bound to be a slew of retirements in the summer, so we\u2019ll have no choice but to bring in an influx of future\/former managers to replace them. Bielsa\u2019s off to play at France \u201998, after which he\u2019d take over the Argentine national team IRL. He actually plays every game, before going out in flames in the QF against Brazil:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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France end up beating Brazil in the final. Sounds familiar\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Well isn\u2019t that nice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yeah sure, why not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See you next time!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to the dugout. Part 1 is here, part 2 is here. A quick reminder of where we\u2019re at in the league with 14 games to go: It\u2019s a trip to Villa Park to get us underway. We\u2019re still … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[103,116],"tags":[99,117],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=793"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":830,"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793\/revisions\/830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.30yardsniper.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}