retired_bbcarr

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Oh I do like to be beside the sea

Oh I do like to stroll along the prom prom prom

Where the brass bands play tiddley on pom pom

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Oh I do like to be beside the sea

When I’m down beside the sea I’m beside myself with glee

Beside the seaside

Beside the sea

retired_bbcarr

Down at an english fair
One evening I was there
When I heard a showman shouting
Underneath the flair

I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts
There they are all standing in a row
Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head
Give them a twist a flick of the wrist
That’s what the showman said

I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts
Every ball you throw will make me rich
There stands my wife, the idol of me life
Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch

Roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch
Roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch
Roll a bowl a ball
Roll a bowl a ball
Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch

retired_hern1001

Cannes – Cont.

We took a break from the league with an away game in the League Cup. We hopped across to Corsica to face Ajaccio. They came out all guns blazing in the first half, utterly dominating the play, but it wasn’t until injury time that they scored their only goal of the game. Braizat pegged one back with twenty minutes to go, heading in Halfredsson’s cross. And then we pulled their own trick on them, just as extra time seemed imminent. Braizat found Lanteri with his cross and the on loan striker made no mistake. The home side weren’t too thrilled with the way we scored our goals, disputing both of them, but it didn’t matter as the ref let them stand. 2-1 and we would meet Lorient in the second round.

I was struck down with a mysterious illness just before our game with Istres, but even without me, the side managed to extend their unbeaten record. So it was only a 1-1 draw, but we did score two goals in the match. Jerome Bonnissel scored his 2nd of the season and the second at the wrong end, but a Lanteri free kick that took a deflection off the wall salvaged a point for us.

I had recovered enough for our away game vs Creteil, but almost wished I stayed at home after they took the lead just two minutes in. We got back on 21 minutes when Braizat converted a penalty after Perrin had been fouled and Lanteri gave us a shock lead just after the restart. We continued to dominate the home side throughout the match, giving away just one chance for the remainder. Naturally, they scored and the game finished 2-2, rather than granting us our first (much deserved) victory. Still, the result lifted us out of the bottom three by start of September

retired_hern1001

September/October – Cannes

My mysterious illness struck again at the start of September just before our home game against Laval. We vanquished the guests though, with a 1-0 win. Lanteri got yet another goal to add to his collection, but we ended the game with ten men when defender Martin was sent off for a professional foul.

Thanks to the international break (which saw Emil Halfredsson add two caps to his tally for Iceland) I had enough time to recover for our next match away at Tours. And I was treated to a rousing welcome back gift from my team as we trounced them 3-0. Part of that could be blamed on the home side for playing a dubious 3-5-2 formation with five flat across the midfield. It left space to roam for our forwards, though it was attacking midfielder Gavin Rothery who took the most of it. Just 40 seconds into the match, he swooped to dispense Bonnissel’s cross into the net. Darchy added a second, only to be flagged offside on nineteen minutes. But he got his revenge twenty minutes later scoring from Rothery’s corner. He finished off the half with a brilliant 30-yard finish (that would end 2nd in the goal of the month competition) to seal the match. The second half was pretty much a non-affair after that and no changes were made to the score.

I made some reinforcements to the backroom staff, adding a physio and two scouts to our roster as well as turning al part-time contracts into full-time ones for members already on our books.

Those changes weren’t reflected in the League Cup match against Lorient as we went down 3-1. It wasn’t that we didn’t try, but the home side simply were too strong for us and ran out deserved winners in the end. As always, Lanteri got our goal and things could’ve been a lot different if his 9th minute effort hadn’t hit the post, but such is life.

The team who we beat to get into the second round of the league cup visited us next, but this time Ajaccio played a lot better and again we found ourselves on the receiving end of a 3-1 loss. Darchy got our goal, but by the time he did the game was already done and dusted.

Our game against bottom side Niort was just what the doctor ordered then, but we certainly made it hard for ourselves. Lanteri got us an early lead, but it was all the home side after that, Van Driel making a couple of outstanding saves to deny them. Lanteri finally sealed the result in the last twenty minutes with his second goal and even a late consolation couldn’t get Niort any closer to a point.

The win took us up to 13th in the table at the start of October with a pleased board, probably helped by a whopping £475,000 profit over the month September.

We started October with a rollercoaster 3-3 draw against Amiens. Darchy got us an early goal just three minutes in, but the guests never looked out of it and drew level again quickly. Just past the half hour, our lead was restored through Darchy converting a penalty after being fouled by Sumi. A poor defensive effort let Amiens straight back into the game though and at half time the score was level at two a piece. We got another penalty in the 71st minute and this time substitute Braizat converted. Having given us two, the ref found it prudent to award a spot kick to the guests as well. Our Dutch goalie wasn’t fazed though and kept out the effort from twelve yards. But five minutes from the end, Amiens earned their draw through Baldé.

My seemingly monthly illness (I must be turning into a woman) struck again before the Strasbourg match, but my team didn’t let me down and gained an excellent 3-0 win with goals from Darchy and Halfredsson as well as an own goal.

We followed up with another away win, this time against Sete. It was Laurent Lanteri’s match. He opened the score 11 minutes in from Valdivia’s pass and finally gave us the win in the 79th converting Braizat’s cross. In between, he missed a few too, but with Sete’s only goal coming through Descamps, we still nicked a 2-1 win to send us up to 9th.

We kept travelling, this time all the way north to Brest where we fought out a hard-earned 2-2 draw. The home side had a goal disallowed early on, but then took the lead through a deflected free kick after 15 minutes. Darchy levelled things up, but the home side went into the dressing rooms with a lead, having scored in the 36th. It seemed we weren’t going to get level, but when I sent Paul Alo’o Efoulou on in the 59th minute, he rewarded my confidence by scoring an excellent goal two minutes later. Both sides could’ve gone on to win it from there and so it was probably fair that neither did.

shannon2007

Vannes Olympique Club

The win over Angers had left us feeling that somehow, perhaps, we could actually challenge for promotion this season.

What a stupid idea.

1-0 losses at Mulhouse and Clermont, intercepted by a 1-0 win over Beauvais and the bubble had surely burst. Alan la Borgne though was on hot form as he hammered a hattrick against Toulon in a great 3-1 win, but as the injuries mounted so the confidence skydived. Nine matches followed without a win - seven losses, two draws and suddenly were once more back down with the basements clubs. Fortunately, Terk had just been appointed to Louhans-Cuiseaux and that guaranteed us three points. Even if the players did make it tough for themselves before running out 2-1 winners.

Successive 0-0 draws with Reims and Chatellerault at least had stopped the rot a bit, before the French FA Cup gave us a home match with amateur side Thaon-les-Voges and a chance to build a bit of morale. Laurent Leroy finally found his level here with a brace, Alexandre Baudrier also bagged a brace and Alexandre Da Silva scored a fifth and the win was as easy as we might have expected. A visit from Martigues, formerly managed on-holidays by Bob and now managed on-holidays by HD gave us a chance to score two consecutive wins - which we did, running out 3-1 winners and suddenly things were looking good again.

A pathetic showing away to Angers, in which we collapsed to a 3-1 loss and I started to realise that this job was impossible. As Corte came to visit in the Cup, so I had feelers out at three clubs in a desperate attempt to get away from here. Laurent Leroy grabbed a hattrick in a 7-0 win - a match that would be my last for club. I had been offered a job in the Scottish First Division and it did not take me too much time to accept.

Au Revoir Vannes - you guys really do suck.

BarryLFC

Par...erm...Mart...erm...hm.

After leaving Paris for Martigues, returning to league football, I spotted an opportunity to further my career at Stirling Albion. Or Basta. Or possibly Vannes. I applied for these positions, but sadly all three boards said "no".

Even sadder was the decision of the Martigues board to show me the door. Apparently I lacked "loyalty". Much waiting ensued.

retired_bbcarr

Louhans-Cuiseaux

It’d never work, despite my excellent false beard and big hat disguise, the board would clearly see me as the useless twat who got Pau relegated. Wouldn’t they? It seemed not, I got the job, though given the quality of the squad and the precarious position near the drop zone, I wasn’t sure I wanted it.

Vannes were up first, and despite their wonderful start to the season, they were now just a couple of places above us. Of course, I couldn’t beat Peacemaker’s team, it’s written in the stars that I’ll never get the better of the old git, but he had to rely on his suuper keeper this time and Julien Goiset’s first goal of the season had pulled us back to just 2-1 down.

I had been turned down by Orléans before resorting to my disguise, and so facing them gave my the opportunity for revenge. A Jonathan De Nardi own goal gave us the lead, as did second half goals from Goisert and Julien Vellas. Unfortunately, each time we went in front, Orléans found an equaliser, the last in the ninety-third minute thanks to Vellas’ own goal, and we had to settle for a point.

Against Sannois we took an early blow, Vellas keeping his name in the headlines by getting himself sent off on just twelve minutes. Never mind, Loïc Chavériat put us in front, and despite Faed Arsène’s equaliser, a double from Goiset put us in command. Laurent Agouazi added a fourth for us, and Gaël Maïa’s consolation was not enough for the visitors. Three points to us. Out of the relegation zone. Happy days.

Whilst Vannes and Cannes landed easy meat in the French Cup 7th round, we had to play high-flying National side Angers. We put up a fight in the first half, but were overrun in the second, the 1-0 scoreline to Angers flattered us considerably. Still, at least we could focus on the league now.

Not that focusing would particularly help us. We were, after all, still ****. Dijon proved that point with an easy victory – both goals coming after the break, but the equal shitness of those around us meant that we stayed clear of the dreaded drop zone.

One of those teams threatened with a drop to the CFA were Boulogne-sur-Mer, and finally we managed to teach someone a lesson. Julien Goiset bagged another double, Michaël Ménétrier chipped in for us with an own goal and Alexis Allart added a fourth before being carted off injured. All Boulogne could muster was a fifty-sixth minute Maurice Sankará goal in reply, and we reached the heady heights of fifteenth.

It was at this juncture that Peacemaker left Vannes for greener pastures – or Airdrie, and I fancied stepping into his shoes and showing him how it should be done. I’d also applied for the Bastia and Stirling jobs, and for some reason the board at Louhans thought this disloyal, and sacked me. Turns out I would have quit anyway, Stirling offered me a job.

The first thing I noticed about Stirling was that the squad was even worse than the one I had left behind at Louhans. They were even worse than Pau. But I was assured the teams around us would be of a similar level, and not to worry. As we went into the game against Dundee at Dens Park, only Ayr separated us from the foot of the table, but that would soon change. And just to rub it in, Dundee, were not on the same level as us. Indeed, we did well – very well some might say – to limit them to only a 2-1 victory. Nuance is lost on the Dutch though, and our friendly Cannes manager expressed disbelief at my lack of talent in the Football Manager arena.

We’d show him. But not yet. First we had to lose to Cowdenbeath. At home. The 1-0 loss let Ayr above us, and that saved their manager’s job. Well, we couldn’t have HD finding gainful employment. Not just yet anyway.

I have to say, I wasn’t hugely confident going into our final game of 2007. A trip to face Berwick at Shielfield Park might not strike fear into the heart of many, but I was convinced we could lose to anyone. I was wrong. Michael Moore – yes, him off the telly – grabbed himself a hat-trick, and goals from Ross Chisholm and Mark Allison secured a 5-0 win. Maybe I’m not completely ***** at this managing thing.

retired_hern1001

November/December – Cannes

We stared November with a 0-0 draw at home versus Gueungon. It was the dullest game I’d see any side play out in ages. There were some chances, most of them to us, but none of them really worth mentioning. If I’d had to pick one, I’d say Laurent Lanteri’s 36th minute effort could and maybe should have been a goal, but it wasn’t to be. The draw did extend our unbeaten run to 6 league games, so it was happy days at Cannes.

We had a fairly long break up to our next match, due to international call ups (Halfredsson, Harnik and Connell). When it finally was there, Grenoble were our opponents. The game was very open, with plenty of chances for either side in the first half, but only Zoko’s effort for Grenoble was on target, but easily saved by van Driel. In injury time of the first half, we were given an early Christmas present though, when the guests’ left back tried to play a pass back to the keeper. Samuel Darchy was on hand to cut out the pass and put us 1-0 up on the stroke of half time. The visitors hadn’t lost their morale though and came out strongly in the second half, forcing saves from van Driel and putting efforts just wide or over. We hung on by our fingernails clearing ball after ball as they desperately sought to equalise. Finally, in the 91st minute, they got what they deserved, Ben Idir scoring after the ball bounced around from player to player in our eighteen yard area without being cleared properly. It was disappointing to lose a goal so late in the game, but Grenoble had deserved a point for their efforts.

We followed up with our first loss in eight games, away at Le Mans. The entire team looked like they’d been to the pub the evening before and we were never in the game. The two-nil scoreline to the hosts was therefore entirely justified. A difficult cup game against fellow Ligue 2 side Istres was up next. I rested some players for the match, but truth to be told, it was one of the dullest cup games I’ve ever seen. Both sides fired three shots and only one each made it onto the target. It was our luck that goalkeeper van Driel saved theirs, while Samuel Darchy scored ours, converting from a Lanteri free kick. We’d drawn Caen in the next round.

As well as playing Caen in the cup, we’d have a league match against the blue-red side. We got off to a fantastic start when just 26 seconds into the match, Lanteri found Darchy and the captain put us ahead. He had another effort saved moments later and while van Driel was called upon to make a couple of saves, we seemed in control. We reinforced that notion just past the half hour when Laurent Lanteri scored from Marino Promes’ cross. But the home side hit back straight away, throught Quellier to make it 2-1. But in first half injury time, Lanteri returned the favour to Promes and we went in with a 3-1 lead on the board and the match was ours to lose now. And that we nearly did. Quellier and Gouffran both scored before the hour mark was reached and suddenly it was anyone’s game. Lanteri hit back straight away, but his effort was ruled out for off-side and nerves were starting to jangle on the Cannes’ bench. Thankfully though, Lanteri got his goal after all, scoring from a Martin corner. There were some scares late on, but van Driel was equal to anything thrown at him and we escaped with a 4-3 win.

The final game of the month saw us travel to Bastia. We took the lead just past the 30-minute mark when Lanteri thundered a free kick off the bar, only for the rebound to fall at the feet of Marino Promes to tap in. Seven minutes later, Lanteri himself scored from an impossible angle, nearly on the goal line to make it 2-0 and once again, we looked in control.
In the second half, Darchy had an effort cleared off the line as we continued our domination. But Bastia suddenly shifted gears and with goals from Andre, Bral and finally Conombo they grabbed a shock win in the final half hour.

December started with a 171k profit, but we also lost Paulle and Halfredsson, two key players, to injury. And with those two missing, we’d have to take on Toulouse, a team that had trashed us 5-0 at the start of the season. But we were keen for revenge and the guests seemed shell shocked in the first few minutes as Darchy and Rothery forced saves from their keeper. But Toulouse came to terms with our attacks and started to grow into the game, culminating into a 34th minute goal from a corner. That pretty much killed off the game and when Elmander doubled their lead on 61 and Maculuso was sent off in the 73rd, we were dead and buried. Kevaughn Connell, making a rare appearance grabbed a consolation goal, but it wasn’t enough.

Having fought out a goal bonanza last month against Caen, I wasn’t too keen on facing them in the cup. And my fears were confirmed as just twelve minutes in, we were looking at a 2-0 deficit. But we managed to rally, led by Monaco loanee Laurent Lanteri. He forced two smart saves from their keeper, before setting up Valdivia for a scorcher from twenty-five yards to cut the score back to 1-2. Caen had evidently seen the trouble Lanteri was causing them and with a well aimed tackle at his ankles took him out of the game just before the break. It only spurred us on to make them pay. It was all Cannes in the second half, but it wasn’t until the 84th minute that we finally got a leveller we so desperately deserved. Sorbon was sent off for a foul on Connell and Anthony Braizat converted from the spot to send us into extra time against ten men. As you’d expect, extra time was a haphazard affair with the tired players piling on mistakes at both ends. Finally it was one by Jiminez that cost us as Compan swooped in the 119th minute to score the winner for the guests and put us out of the cup.

Two games remained in the month and in both matches we’d give away a good position. First against Lorient, we went 2-0 up, despite having Martin sent off, through goals by Connell and a Valdivia free kick. With less than half an hour to play, we looked in control, despite being a man down, but Barrietos and Merlin had other ideas and pulled it back to 2-2. Paul Alo’o Efoulou then looked to have won it for us with a splendid goal, but Cérielo scored in his own net to give Lorient a share of the spoils at 3-3.

The following match at home vs Le Havre was even worse. Darchy scored after just eighteen seconds and Connell doubled our leading margin by robbing the ball off the goalkeeper on six minutes, but then some horror defending let the guests score THREE goals in eight minutes while we stood by and admired their efforts. Braizat put us back in the game with a goal on 33 minutes and things were level again. When our guests missed a penalty late in the match, I thought we could escape with a point, but more horror defending let Wernbloom in for his second of the match on 89 minutes to condemn us to a 3-4 loss, a result that saw us drop to 12th in the league

shannon2007

Airdrie United

And so I arrived at the home of the scummiest club in the world. Lets get one thing clear from the outset - I hate this club. I would be quite happy if they collapsed into the cesspit they belong, and were never seen again. So from that point of view I am in a win, win situation here. Success can only enhance my reputation and get me a job at a real football club - failure will hopefully see this club plummet to where the surely belong, with a huge debt hanging over their heads once more.

Perhaps it is fate, trying to prove that although you can buy over another club and pretend that it's yours, when fate kills you you're supposed to stay dead. When arrived here, this pathetic excuse for a football club was already close on half a million pounds in debt, with a further bank loan of a quarter of a million to pay. And to think Bradford Park Avenue went to the wall for one hundredth of that amount.

Nevertheless, I am here and I will do the best I can. These scum don't deserve me, they don't deserve success. And lets face it, they probably won't get it. With a massive debt, there is of course no money to spend and by the time I arrived of course the transfer deadline was passed anyway. Before the window re-opened in January of 2008, I did bring in one player - 18 year old former St Mirren youth keeper Danny McColgan on a free transfer.

Considering the club was sitting adrift at the foot of the table when I arrived, everything from here was only uphill and a first match 0-0 draw away to Hamilton was a decent enough result. My first home match in charge was a crucial one, the visitors being fellow relegation strugglers Morton. A Grant Smith goal four minutes from halftime was enough to secure the points and things were not looking quite so bad after all when Brian Prunty sent us ahead after 55 minutes of a match away to Clyde. A late collapse though saw us come away with nothing.

As the January transfer window opened, so we lost our key player, Zander Diamond who had been on a short term loan from Aberdeen. There was no money to spend, so any players signed would have to be out of contract or a deal reached with the selling club wherein we would pay them some money when we actually sold the player on. The first player to arrive on such a deal - no cash up front, 50% of any future selling fee - was Senegal international Khalilou Fadiga, who had been languishing in the Aberdeen reserves. Young Rangers left back Steven Cambell was also snapped up, along with Phil O'Donnell from Motherwell and Scott Thomson from Dunfermline. Iain Anderson came in from St Mirren, and Paul Di Giacomo arrived from Kilmarnock. All very decent players for this level I am sure, even if some are well past their sell by date.

France was also raided - goalkeeper Arnaud Brocard comes in from Lens, midfielder Rachid Hamdani from Nancy, left winger Abdelwahed Laaloudj from Troyes and striker Fabien Saive from Brest. Once all these players have settled in, then I am sure we will have little problem staying up.

2008 started with a visit from one of the promotion favourites, Livingston. Paul MacManus sent us ahead on 55 minutes but hopes what would have been a very good win were thwarted by Kevin McBride four minutes later. Still, a decent point against a superior side. The Scottish Cup 3rd round saw the visit of League 2 side Ross county, who stunned the home fans with an excellent first half display to head in with a one goal lead at the interval. Needless to say, I was far from amused and told the player this in no uncertain terms. One minute after the restart, Kevin Bradley levelled, two minutes later Ross Harris sent us ahead and only another three minutes had passed when Bradley added a third. County did grab a very late goal, but we had done enough to secure a 4th round tie at home to Dunfermline.

A hard fought 2-1 win away to Alloa, was followed by a 1-0 home triumph over Queen of the South. Things were looking up, but a 3-1 hammering from Gretna at least reminded us we were far from the finished article. Next up was the cup tie against fellow First Division side Dunfermline. The Pars took the lead on 19 minutes, but goals from Prunty, Marc Smyth and Fabien Saive saw us head in 3-1 up at the interval and looking good. Thirteen minutes from time, Dunfermline did get a goal back, but at that point I was not overly worried. I should have been, as two ridiculously late injury time goals sent us crashing out of the cup. My only consolation being, at these supporters were sent home with tears in their eyes.

At home to Partick Thistle, and you would have thought we were playing a side who were a lot more than fellow relegation strugglers, as Thistle raced to a 4-0 lead after just half an hour. Prunty did get a goal back before the break but what had happened - although funny from a hating point of view - was simply not acceptable. Fadiga and Di Giacomo did salvage some pride in the second half and in the end the 3-4 scoreline does not look anywhere near as bad as it might have been.

My last match for this report saw us head to East End Park to take on Dunfermline once more. No dramatic late goals this time - because there were no goals at all. It was an excellent point, but when all is said and done, with 25 matches played we still still firmly in 10th spot. Morton are a point ahead of us, Alloa a point ahead of them and Hamilton a point ahead of Alloa. So all is not yet lost........

retired_hern1001

January – Cannes

After two morale crushing games at the end of last month, giving away a 2-0 lead twice, it was no surprise that we started off the new year poorly. We started with a 3-0 loss away at Istres, where frankly we were never in the game. It took them half an hour to take the lead, but apart from a pinball effort which was finally put wide by Braizat, we didn’t create anything. It was easy for the hosts to round it up in the second half and we helped them by giving away a penalty for the final goal. We ended the game with ten men after Promes limped off in the 73rd minute, just as I’d used all my substitutes.

We followed up with a home defeat against Creteil, where once again, we helped our opponents on their way. This time, an own goal by Paulle gave them their second of the match and killed of any ambitions we had. Even a late consolation goal by Verdier to make it a more bearable 1-3, wasn’t enough. We were quickly slipping down the table and our morale was shot.

On my own part, I was surrounded by speculation as well. The media had linked me as hot favourite to take over the Sedan job, who were bottom of the Ligue 1, with a big gap to safety. Not exactly my first choice if I was to part company with Cannes. But with our current slump, a change of surroundings might be good. For both sides. So when I was offered the job halfway through January, I was happy to take it. I signed a contract for 1,5 years, that would keep me at the club until the next summer at a wage of 2,4k a week.

January – Sedan

I had little time to familiarise myself with the players and my new surroundings as the game against surprise league leaders Troyes was just around the corner. Now, if Cannes had been in a poor run of form, Sedan was even worse. They were bottom of the Ligue 1 with a massive 11 points separating them from safety. But I liked the challenge. Quite how big a challenge it was quickly became clear in the match against Troyes.

Just five minutes in, they took the lead through Kronaveter. I was left shaking my head at our defensive incompetence, but much to my surprise the team rallied and top scorer Pujol fired in a shot that took a wicked deflection off Pequis and went in. It was credited an own goal, which was probably fair as the keeper would probably have held it otherwise. We nearly took the lead on twenty minutes, but Henaini’s effort was ruled out for offside. Troyes then showed why there are top of the table, dominating the remainder of the half and their star man Kronaveter grabbed two more goals to put them comfortably ahead at 3-1.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned at Cannes it’s that no lead is ever comfortable and in a mad fifteen minutes after the break, the complexion of the game changed completely. First a Bouansaid own goal narrowed the margin to 2-3 in the 51st minute and then substitute Osswald, who had been lingering in the reserves before my arrival made it 3-3 in the 55th. Two minutes later, the home side was back in front, Sagnowski scoring from close range, but before the celebrating Troyes’ fans had managed to sit down again, left winger Rondón made it 4-4. Four goals in fifteen minutes and everything was possible again in the game. The game settled down somewhat, the goalscoring energy seemingly spent, until eleven minutes from the end, Osswald generated an explosion of joy from the visiting supporters as Sedan took the lead for the first time, 5-4 now. Four minutes later, Nivet hit the post for Troyes from a free kick and it seemed this would be our day. Alas, it wasn’t to be as deep into injury time, the league leaders salvaged a point through Audel.

Well, if anything the fans can’t complain about dull matches now. I was struck down ill just hours before my home debut and missed as the team lost narrowly to Rennes by a 3-4 scoreline, the goals coming from Bardon (twice) and Noro.

I recovered in time for our final league match of the month, a must win game against Guincamp, but in hindsight I wish I hadn’t. We played poorly and three goals from Caggiano gave the home side a comfortable win, our only reply coming from right winger Marin. 3-1 the final score and we were still bottom with the gap ahead only growing.

I managed to secure some reinforcements at the closing of the transfer window, signing Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac from AC Milan and Brazilian defender Rodrigo Defendi from Spurs for a combined fee of just under £400k. Also joining were two veterans Christian Vieri and Milan Rapaic, both on free transfer.