retired_acivin

My injury problems
It was the end of October, and it had been almost 4 months since I officially joined Dons. However, of almost 15 games that they had played, I was only part of 2. I knew the reason, it was my frequent injuries. It was a concern I was dealing with, however, there wasn’t much I could do with it, in practical terms.

When I was 8, I had fell down and broken my arm. Rosa and Giuseppina took me to the doctors and he managed to fix it. Since then, they both teased me, calling me ‘Mr. Brittle bones’. It was funny, but now I was dreading it. Short term injuries are ok I guess, but I was worried if I would have to stay out for longer. I had to meet the manager to discuss this.

I went straight to his office. He was quite nice about seeing players and staff members on short notice, and welcomed and offered me some coffee. A conversation ensued:

“How can I help Marco?”

“Hi Mr. Sachdeva. Well, I was a bit concerned about my injury status. As you may know, I have been getting injured a fair bit recently.”

“Yes, I know, I have been keeping a close tab on your progress”, the manager replied.

“Well, so I was wondering if it would affect my first team chances”. I was quite concerned and so I was forthright about this issue.

“Marco, you are a very talented youngster. As long as you train properly and maintain discipline, I will make sure it doesn’t affect your 1st team chances. We are all counting on you.”

“Well, thanks Mr. Sachdeva, I am glad to hear that. Also, I was wondering if I could see a specialist right away, in order to see if there is something inherently wrong with me?”

“Sure Marco, I will arrange a meeting for tomorrow.”

“Thanks Chief!”


So after meeting with the specialist, my training schedule was altered, and I felt much better, aiming to concentrating on my technical skills for now. Hopefully, with age, I will be better at adapting myself to games.


P.S: I am going somewhere for a few days, so there won't be updates for the next 4-odd days. But I promise to get back on the story as soon as I can

retired_acivin

London’s charm
Well, I was now on my way to become a regular for AFC Wimbledon. Moreover, the London lifestyle was suiting me well.

Now-a-days, London had become a hub of the world. When I was born in 2004; London was just another metropolitan city, people flocking here to work, to raise a family, to take refuge. But its development in the past 15 odd-years had been simply immense. People did not talk about New York, New Delhi, or Paris any more. Whenever the topic of a ‘world capital’ came up, London was the first word on everyone lips.

In short, coupled with the lifestyle, I was really enjoying staying in London. My own house would have been a better option, but living with Rosa and her family was not bad after all. Her kids were great, and the whole family used to have many fun-filled evenings during my stay. In fact, even Giuseppina came to London a few times, and it was like old times again.

As for London, it had grown up to be a major city. The night-life was one of the best in the world. The society was very tolerant, and everyone lived in peace. Pretty much a Utopian world , something everyone dreamed about back in 2007. The buildings were tall and beautiful. It was simply stunning.

Moreover, I was enjoying my football, it had its ups and down. However, it was imperative that at 19, I enjoy the game and take the best out of it. Although in the back of my mind, I did miss home.

retired_kmarie1058

Enjoying this thread plaease update soon Capri

retired_acivin

Thanks for the kind words Craig. Real life has taken over and I am trying to keep up. Shall try harder! And thanks for reading.

The ups and downs of football
My form in the EPL had been like a roller coaster. While at one point, I played an awful game against Stoke, I improved my performance to play 3 consecutive games for the club. However, the game against Anderlecht was the once where I gave a performance worth forgetting.

We were traveling to Stade Constant Vanden Stock in Brussels. We had already qualified for the next round of Champions league; still, the manager demanded a good performance from all of us, and we promised to deliver. However, that was not to be the case. I was playing in the central midfield, with Dominguez to my left. Stevens and Piraccini were playing just in front of us, and by all means, it was a very young and hard working midfield.

We managed to score first, with Dominguez assisting Carvajal. So far, I had barely made a foray into the game, and it was the 17th minute. I was hoping to make a breakthrough, give a decent performance and hence stake a claim for a regular place. I had a chance to score in the 32nd minute, when I charged down the opposition goal with the ball. Unfortunately, the shot was wayward, and I could not convert it.

So far so good, as we were winning 1-0 at the half time. However, my performance in the second half deteriorated significantly as I started missing interceptions. Personally, I blame the manager’s half time team talk. He was expecting too much from us. Understandably, we were supposed to win, but the winning margin that was expected from us was just too much. Baudry somehow though, managed to score another goal to send us up 2-0. Dominguez was again the architect, but I had made the crucial pass to Dominguez.

Beyond this crucial pass, my assistance in the game was very much limited. The crowd booed me as I was replaced by Vieira, who patted on my shoulder, so as to tell me that these things happen. At the end of the game, which we drew 2-2, the manager was not happy. Understandably, it was not just my fault; still, I had failed to make myself count. The media gave me a rating of 4! To top it up, I was injured (which I noticed after the match), and it meant that I would be out of the game for another 4 weeks. “Just as well”, Fabbrini told me. I needed a cooling off period after this performance.