Mike..

That's not a bad start, especially if it's your first try like you said :thup:

Will be interesting to see how you do in balancing the books, especially as you seem to be matching departures with arrivals

retired_exoticpanther33

Sat 9th Aug

Today, Chelsea announced the signing of Lilian Thuram at £12m. A spokesman for their supporters stated his delight that their Russian benefactor's millions are going to shore up the team's defence, as well as bolstering it's attack.


Sun 10th Aug

Arsenal today beat Manchester United at the Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, to capture the season's first piece of silverware, the Community Shield. The match ended in a 1-1 (Pires, Ferdinand) draw, and went to a penalty shootout, in which the United players contrived to miss every one of their spot kicks. It was left to Lauren and Edu to tie up the match for the Gunners.


Mon 11th Aug

The Roman Legion at Stamford Bridge today improved their backline even further with the £10.5m signing of Brazilian centre back Lúcio. But with established internationals like Gallas, Desailly and Terry already on the books, how long before somebody gets fed up at the lack of first team action??

Today I also received £2.7m bids from Man City, Middlesborough and Celta Vigo for Tobias Linderoth. While Toby is not in my first XI at the moment, he is an important back up. With that in mind, I informed the respective managers that a deal could only be struck if they were willing to take the player at the end of the season. All agreed, and were granted permission to speak with the player.


Sat 16th Aug

We have been drawn at home to Cardiff City in the 2nd Round of the Carling Cup. The tie will be played on the 23rd Sept. This is an eminently winnable match, and from a financial standpoint, I'm pleased to have been drawn at home.

retired_exoticpanther33

Finally, the big day is here. The opening day of the Premiership season, and my first "proper" game in charge.

FA Barclaycard Premiership

Middlesborough 2 - 2 Everton

Starting XI
Martyn, Hibbert, Unsworth, Stubbs, Yobo
McFadden, Naysmith, Davis, Arteta
Rooney, Maccarone

An exciting contest, and a fair result. Both sides played attacking, attractive football as they went in search of a win on the opening day.

Everton started the better, and took the lead on 13 mins. A great through ball from Rooney to marauding Arteta, who slotted home with precision inside the keeper's right hand post.

However, the travelling fans' jubilation did not last, as the Blues found themselves first level, then a goal behind in a poor 6min spell. First, on 28mins, a mistimed leap for a header from Tony Hibbert allowed Zenden on the Boro right to receive the ball and cross for Job, who nodded the ball into the net. Then, after excellent work from ex-Evertonian Thomas Gravesen, Michael Ricketts got off a first time shot, which was only parried by Martyn, and the rebound was smashed home by Szilard Németh.

The sides emerged for the second half unchanged, with Middlesborough starting well. However, after 64 mins, Rooney received the ball from Maccarone, and set off towards goal. The 17 year old went past Alan Wright and Gareth Southgate with ease, before curling a 20yard strike past Carlo Nash in the Boro goal.

From then on it was all Everton, as the away side battered the Middlesborough goal, but to no avail, and both sides left the Riverside with a point.

"I thought we were a little unlucky not to get the win today," remarked Toffee's manager Jamie Mellor, "but i guess having gone a goal down away from home, we've got to be happy to have come away with anything. We definitely need to start taking our chances better though." When asked about the in-form Gravesen, and whether selling him may have been a mistake, he replied, "Thomas played very well today, and caused us some problems. But you have to remember that his replacement, Mikel Arteta also had a very good game, and in fact scored our first goal of the day."

retired_exoticpanther33

Wed 20th Aug

Defensive midfielder Tobias Linderoth agreed personal terms on a £2.7m deal to join Middlesborough at the end of the current season. I'm a little disappointed to see the player leave, but the additional funds will be important in the coming close season, and Toby will continue to play an important role in this transitional season."


FA Barclaycard Premiership

Everton 1 - 1 Leeds

Starting XI
Martyn, Hibbert, Unsworth, Stubbs, Yobo
McFadden, Naysmith, Davis, Arteta
Rooney, Maccarone

An evenly fought and contested match, which neither side really did enough to win. New Everton boss Mellor was paraded before the crowd prior to kickoff, receiving a good welcome, despite rumblings of discontent aimed at the board.

The afternoon however, started to go downhill for Everton as, in the 27th minute, Leeds winger James Milner stabbed the ball home after Alan Smith's 15 yard shot was parried by Nigel Martyn. After the goal, the Toffees started to put more pressure on United's goal, finally making the breakthrough in the 42nd minute. A Leeds clearance was met by Alan Stubbs, who headed the ball back into United's half. Rooney picked it up, and ran at the defence, going past one before burying a shot low past Robinson from the corner of the box.

Both sides had chances to finish the game late in the second half, but first Smith, then Anatoli Todorov squandered their best openings.

Mellor commented after the match, "Obviously I'm not very happy with the result today, I would have like to have won my first home game in charge, but I can't fault the effort of the players. One or two of the chances maybe should have been finished off, but that's something we'll have to deal with on the training ground."


Fri 22nd Aug

Today i received bids for two of my players. Glasgow Rangers bid 500k plus a 50% sell on clause. The young forward is not in my first team plans, and is even being surpassed in the reserves by Michael Symes, so I accepted.

The second bid was for £3m from Real Sociedad for Alessandro Pistone. Now, while the player was originally going to be in my first XI, he has been replaced by Unsworth, and a £3m offer for an injury prone defender, could not be turned down, so this too was accepted.

retired_exoticpanther33

Sun 24th Aug

FA Barclaycard Premiership

Portsmouth 1 - 0 Everton

Starting XI
Martyn, Hibbert, Unsworth, Stubbs, Yobo
McFadden, Naysmith, Davis, Arteta
Rooney, Maccarone

Everton's indifferent start to the season continued at Fratton Park today, as they were undone by a 25th minute strike from Yakubu. The ball was chipped forwards by Patrik Berger, and nodded on to the unmarked Yakubu by veteran Teddy Sheringham. The Nigerian striker allowed the ball to drop before firing home. Questions could perhaps be asked of Everton keeper Nigel Martyn, who many feel should have kept the effort out.

Everton were never really at the races in a game which Portsmouth could have won by more than the single goal.

Dejected Toffee's boss Jamie Mellor said, "No excuses, we simply weren't good enough today. We fell well below the level I expect of my players. One or two of them need to look at their level of commitment and effort."


Tues 26th Aug

Today, Alessandro Pistone and Nick Chadwick signed for Real Sociedad and Rangers respectively, relieving some of the financial burden currently weighing down on the club.

In other news, Claudio Pizarro signed for Newcastle United, for an initial fee of £15.25m.


Sat 30th Aug

I was today pleased to hear that several of my players had been called up to represent their countries at international level.

Daniel Braathen (Norway), Linderoth (Sweden), Naysmith (Scotland), Kilbane (Ireland), Yobo (Nigeria), and Rooney and Wright (England)

retired_bbcarr

hehe, good to see the toffee **** with just two points from three games

on the story, been a good start so far (espeically for a first attempt) :thup:

oh, and welcome to CMS

Shermanez

Just started a (non-story) game on 4.1.4 with Everton myself so it'll be interesting to see how you go on!

Good start!

retired_exoticpanther33

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Terk:
hehe, good to see the toffee **** with just two points from three games

on the story, been a good start so far (espeically for a first attempt) :thup:

oh, and welcome to CMS <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
it gets worse before it gets better too

and thanks for the kind words and welcome... any advice also much appreciated (on the story, not the game).

One mistake i've already noticed is that i forgot to take a screenshot of the league table until 10matches in... which is somewhat frustrating... will just have to make do with the progress chart, to figure out where i was after certain matches.

retired_exoticpanther33

Sun 31st Aug

After a poor start to the season, I found myself in the dressing room, talking with my players, with the team 17th in the Premiership after 3 games, having only banked 2 points. As if to make things worse, Wayne Rooney and Alan Stubbs had been ruled out before kickoff with thigh and groin strains respectively. Anatoli Todorov and David Weir took their places. I told the players i needed better performances from all of them tonight, as we were facing our toughest opponents of the season so far.


FA Barclaycard Premiership

Everton 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd

Starting XI
Martyn, Hibbert, Unsworth, Weir, Yobo
McFadden, Naysmith, Davis, Arteta
Todorov, Maccarone

A lacklustre Everton, stripped of Wayne Rooney, slumped to their second defeat in a row, this one infront of their home crowd. It was a match the Toffees never looked like winning, Newcastle having 11 shots on goal to their 3. However, it looked as if They were going to cling on for the draw until the 84th minute, when David Weir, in for the injured Alan Stubbs, brought down Kieron Dyer in the box. Up stepped Jermaine Jenas to confidently guide the ball past Nigel Martyn, and give the Magpies the win.

Everton manager Jamie Mellor was livid after the match. "I can't find anything positive to say about that match. We need to buck our ideas up pretty quickly, and one or two of the lads need to start showing some of the form we see from them on the training ground. The only player I have a good word for at the moment is Nigel Martyn, who stopped us from being even more embarassed today".

Shortly after kickoff, i received further bad news that my deadline day £1m bid for Lionel Morgan of Wimbledon had been rejected, and the transfer window slammed shut without further new faces joining the club.

Elsewhere, Arsenal were able to spend £9.25m to land Turkish forward Tuncay.

Players leave for international duty on Monday. Hopefully the break will catalyse our season.

retired_exoticpanther33

Sat 6th Sept

FYR of Macedonia 0 - 1 England
England ease past FYROM with a 1-0 win in Skopje. Michael Owen's 28th minute winner was set up by a beautiful 30 yard chipped through ball from Everton's Wayne Rooney. In truth the scoreline could have been much worse for Macedonia, whose manager Nikola Ilievski admitted that England had been by far the better side throughout.


Wed 10th Sept

England 7 - 0 Liechenstein
1-33 favourites England thrashed Liechenstein in this Euro 2004 qualifier. Owen (2), Gerrard (2), Bridge, Rooney and Joe Cole were the scorers. It was a superb performance by the home nation, with three of the goals in particular oozing class.

England were already 1-0 up through an Owen goal engineered by Rooney when Wayne Bridge chipped the ball to Steven Gerrard, and the Liverpool midfielder smashed a curling, dipping thunderbolt of a volley home off the post from 25 yards.

Ten minutes later, it was 3-0 as Bridge hit a curling shot off the crossbar, Rooney latched onto it, but his shot was well blocked by the keeper. Jurzik made a hurried clearance, which only found Bridge about 30 yards out, and he didn't even let the ball bounce before lashing it in off the underside of the bar.

Owen set up Rooney for the fourth, before the Everton forward returned the favour for number five.

Number six was another Gerrard special, as, on the left hand corner of the penalty box,he received a chipped ball from Joe Cole, and almost tore the net with his volleyed finish. It was left to Cole himself to finish the rout in the 73rd minute.