FM: P'boro Utd. Year 2, Righting the Ship

[Chas in Cinti]

Your team seems to be playing better. I think you really need to "force" yourself to stick with a tactic and give your players time to "learn" it. Further, I know I've heard others say that switching to a defensive mentality yields too many goals. I know this was an issue in older versions as well. Don't switch towards the end of games unless you can afford to give up a goal.

Regards,
Chas

[Butter]

We're just ripping through the league right now... what a terrific season we've had. Only 7 more matches to keep it up, and then hopefully it'll be on to the Championship to try and earn our way forward yet again.

Our away form was just terrible there for a while, losing 3 straight to questionable competition, but since we've junked the defensive road tactics, we've been playing just as well on the road as at home. We've lost just 2 home games in league all year, and Valois is far and away the class of the league... the only player averaging over an 8 performance rating in league games, and he's smashing that with an 8.22.

Arsenal, Leeds, Southampton, and Crystal Palace are on to the FA Cup Semifinals.... Arsenal is the clear favorite.

Plymouth Argyle's manager decides to take the same job at Championship side Derby County. Which is curious, considering that Plymouth are on the verge of promotion in League 1, and Derby are just 3 points clear of relegation in the Championship. I'll have to keep an eye out and see if this hurts Argyle's chances.

Next up, we take on Barnsley, our final game against a team with promotion hopes until our final match at Argyle. Barnsley play a 3-5-2, which may hurt our wing based attack, considering that 2 of the 5 are defensive wingers. Tobias Eriksson is away on international duty for the Sweden U-21's, so Paul Shaw replaces him on the bench. Lineup:
GK: Kruse
Def: Garry, Pritchard, Plummer, Dakinah
DM: Nicolas
Mid: Valois, Devlin
AM: Monkhouse
Str: Ferdinand, Hammond

March 27, Match 40
22-8-9, 1st pl., 74 pts.
@ Barnsley (18-12-9, 6th pl., 66 pts.)
Series: Posh lead 2-1-0
Fav: Reds, 6:4

Looking at the pre-game screen, Barnsley elects to attack us with a 3-4-3 instead of their usual 3-5-2. So that should help our attack.

1'- Off the kickoff, it's played back to Nicolas. Nicolas ahead to Devlin, who finds a streaking Valois unmarked charging into the box... Valois draws out the keeper, then plays it across to a streaking Andy Monkhouse, who has an open goal and taps it in! 18 seconds in, and we lead 1-0!

14'- Barnsley with a corner... it's crossed in from the left and headed onto the crossbar, but Pritchard is able to clear.

15'- Ferdinand is injured on a rough challenge, and has to be subbed out. Mika Aaritalo on for him.

26'- A free kick on the edge of the area for Barnsley, and it's passed around the wall to a striker who has a clear shot from 10 yards, and puts it past Kruse. 1-1.

38'- Devlin finds Aaritalo in space outside the 18 yard box. Aaritalo enters the box, then chips ahead for Hammond, who heads it at the keeper. But he can't hold it and the rebound falls perfectly for Aaritalo to tap it in! 2-1, Posh!

41'- Nicolas with a free kick from 45 yards... he plays it down the left to Valois... Valois approaches the end line, then puts the ball into the six for Monkhouse, who volleys it past the stunned keeper! 3-1, Posh!

No changes at the break... we're destroying Barnsley's 3 man back line.

49'- Kruse plays the ball several yards out of the box... and fires a precision pass across midfield to Valois near the touch line. Valois plays it to Hammond, who fires it back to Valois... Jean-Louis with lots of space, and he spots Aaritalo wide open at the edge of the area. The cross is perfect, and Aaritalo settles, takes a dribble and shoots it with power past the diving keeper! 4-1, Peterborough United! What an offensive display we're turning in today!

53'- A Barnsley striker is cautioned for diving... and he protests a bit too vigorously and is sent off! So, in addition to already picking apart the Barnsley offense, now we get a man advantage for the final 40 minutes.

67'- Navarro in for Valois, and Shaw in for Monkhouse. NO INJURIES PLEASE!

Barnsley can't manage any more chances, while we continue to pelt the keeper with shots, but we score no more.

Another big time victory. Valois with his league-leading 12th man of the match award, picking up a 9. He won all 7 tackles he attempted, and had 3 assists. Plummer also had a 9, and only Lukas Kruse finished with a 6, with most other players rating an 8.

Win, 1-4, lead increases to 3 points
Shots/on target: Reds 6/2, Posh 12/8
Poss: 53-47, Reds
A: 13,065

Rushden can only manage a road draw with promotion battlers Bristol City, so our lead grows by 2 points. We're now 5 points clear of 3rd place Plymouth, so our hold is tightening on an automatic promotion spot.

Ferdinand will only be out a couple of days with a bruised rib.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Chas in Cinti

Your team seems to be playing better. I think you really need to "force" yourself to stick with a tactic and give your players time to "learn" it. Further, I know I've heard others say that switching to a defensive mentality yields too many goals. I know this was an issue in older versions as well. Don't switch towards the end of games unless you can afford to give up a goal.

Regards,
Chas

Thanks for the tip about the defensive mentality. That seems to be my experience... the team tends to yield more chances while in a defensive stance... but I guess that should be how it is if you're laying back and inviting the opposition onto you and not effectively possessing the ball or counter-attacking.

Keeping this diamond 4-4-2 all year... and installing players that fit into it effectively... has made a world of difference this year. Now whether or not these same players can play effectively in the Championship is another story.

[Butter]

Valois again wins player of the month, his second such award this year. I am also named Manager of the Month for the second time this year, as we earned all 15 available points in March.

I offer a contract extension of one year to both Les Ferdinand and Paul Shaw. I offer Shaw the same money he's making now, $150k for one more season. I drop Ferdinand's salary to $100k from $150k... but looking at his ratings, they're only increasing... very impressive for a 39 year old player.

Our lineup is exactly the same as last match.

April 1, Match 41
23-8-9, 1st pl., 77 pts.
v. Notts Co. (13-9-18, 17th pl., 48 pts.)
Series: Magpies won our first match 4-2.
Fav: Posh, 4:5

A pretty lackluster first half all around, as the Magpies don't even manage one shot, while none of our 7 were at all frightening to the keeper. No changes for the second half.

62'- We are managing some good possession in the Notts County defensive third, but they are defending in numbers, cutting out our through balls and crosses effectively. Valois is slightly injured, so Monkhouse moves to the left wing, and we bring in Shaw in the middle, and replace a tiring Ferdinand with Tobias Eriksson.

70'- A good chance as Ryan Garry slices a ball into the box that Hammond flicks goalwards, but the keeper cuts it out.

92'- Nicolas with a steal, and then he lays a perfect ball onto the run of Elvis Hammond. Hammond into the box, he wrongfoots the keeper, and slots it home inside the near post. We catch the Magpies napping and snatch the winning goal in the final minutes.

The Magpies manage their only shot of the game in the dying seconds, but it sails well over the bar.

Everyone rated a 7, except Valois who earned an 8 in a little more than a half. That's indicative of a decent, but not great effort, which is what the highlights seemed to indicate as well. The Notts Co. keeper wins MoM, which is seemingly well deserved. Notts Co. really earned a point with their defense... but hey, I'm not complaining.

Win, 1-0, remain 3 points in 1st
Shots/on target: Posh 18/7, Magpies 1/0
Poss: 60-40, Posh
A: 7,720

Rushden with a 2-0 home win over a faltering Barnsley to keep pace with us. But we're now 14 points ahead of 7th place Barnsley, which makes us a near lock for at least a top 6 finish... and we're 5 points ahead of 3rd place Sheffield United, who are making a strong run at 2nd place... as Plymouth lose and fall to 4th on 73 points.

Chesterfield clinch relegation from League One with their loss at Sheffield United.

This match is our 6th win in a row, which is a league record.

Both Paul Shaw and Les Ferdinand agree to our contract offers, thus keeping the nucleus of our team together for next season. We offer backup defender Andy Legg a coaching contract, which he rejects. He'll be departing our squad in the offseason.

Valois is named in the Team of the Week yet again.

Champions League, Quarter Final Leg 1
Arsenal 0:0 Real Madrid
Chelsea 1:0 Juventus
Man Utd. 1:3 Inter
Milan 3:1 Roma

[Butter]

EURO Cup, Quarterfinal Leg 1
Dinamo Kiev 1:0 Parma
Dortmund 0:1 Tottenham
Liverpool 1:1 Newcastle
Servette FC (SUI) 0:2 Ajax

Next up for us, it's all but relegated squad Huddersfield coming to London Road. The Terriers are in the midst of an 11 game winless streak.

Our lineup remains the same for a 3rd straight match.

April 8, Match 42
24-8-9, 1st pl., 80 pts.
v. Huddersfield (8-13-20, 23rd pl., 37 pts.)
Series: Posh lead 1-2-0
Fav: Posh, 5:4

18'- While Elvis Hammond is on the sidelines soliciting treatment from the physio, Paul Devlin finds Valois nearly in the center of the box unmarked... Valois jinks around the keeper, and slots it home. 1-0, Posh!

45'- Hammond with a good strike off a corner from 12 yards, but the keeper parries it wide.

Huddersfield possessed the ball well, but had no chances in the first half. No changes for us at the break, as we try and hang on and clinch a top six finish today.

62'- Monkhouse with a good chance as he beats the keeper, but has it tackled away at the last moment.

71'- Huddersfield with a bad pass right at Plummer, but as he turns to dribble it back toward the keeper, it's stolen from him at the top of the box, and the Terrier striker walks in on Kruse and scores. 1-1.

76'- We bring on Aaritalo for a tiring Ferdinand.

But it's all for naught as the Terriers hold on to their point. Another MoM for the opposing keeper. Devlin picks up an 8, and everyone else rates 7's. Another uninspiring performance down the stretch.

Draw, 1-1, remain in 1st by 3 pts.
Shots/on target: Posh 11/4, Terriers 6/4
Poss: 50-50
A: 9,098

Sheffield United win again and pass idle Rushden for second place, and close to within 3 points of first. The headlines report that as the Blades' 6th consecutive victory, and their run of good form is coming at the perfect time. Hopefully, Rushden will match our form as they have been doing lately and earn a draw in their game in hand, but we'll see. I'm all of a sudden worried about our position of winning the league outright, despite having a 3 point lead with 4 to go. We have all but clinched a playoff berth, as we're 15 points up on Barnsley, the 7th place club, and they have 5 to play. They'd have to make up +16 in goal difference to pass us, and that's if we lost all 4 of our remaining games outright.

[Butter]

Vans Trophy Final
Barnsley 0:1 Watford

- Watford score in the game's opening quarter-hour with a breakaway striker beating the offside trap and scoring an easy goal. Barnsley should've scored in the 52nd minute, but a strong header caroms back off the crossbar and is cleared. That was their best chance of the match that was played in front of more than 66,000 at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

Champions League, Quarterfinal Leg 2
Inter 3:1 Man Utd. (Inter advance 6-2 on aggregate)
Juventus 0:2 Chelsea (Chelsea advance 3-0 on agg.)
Real Madrid 1:1 Arsenal (Series sends 1-1, Arsenal advance on away goals)
Roma 2:0 AC Milan (Series ends 3-3, Roma advance on away goals)

Good news for us, as Barnsley lose their game in hand on us, and we clinch a playoff spot. Also, Rushden manage only a 0-0 draw at home to Watford, so we remain 3 points up on both Sheffield United and Rushden, with everyone on 42 games played.

EURO Cup, Quarterfinal Leg 2
Ajax 1:1 Servette FC (Ajax advance 3-1 on agg.)
Newcastle 0:2 Liverpool (Liverpool advance 3-1 on agg.)
Parma 3:0 Dinamo Kiev (Parma advance 3-1 on agg.)
Tottenham 2:2 Dortmund (Tottenham advance 3-2 on agg.)

So, Ajax is the only non-English or Italian squad left among the final 8 in the 2 big European competitions.

Next up, we travel to Hartlepool. The Pools are battling against relegation, but are 9 points clear with 4 to play... so they do still need a few points here and there to assure themselves of League One football next year. Our lineup is the same as it's been the last several matches.

April 15, Match 43
24-9-9, 1st pl., 81 pts.
@ Hartlepool (13-9-20, 19th pl., 48 pts.)
Series: Even, 1-1-1
Fav: Posh, Evens

6'- Valois with a cross to... Chris Plummer? Don't know what he's doing, but he gets a point blank shot that the keeper deflects away.

11'- Dangerous play, as a cross is deflected back to Kruse by a defender's foot, so he plays it with his feet to avoid a back pass call... but he almost plays it right to a Pools striker... luckily Plummer hoofs it clear.

31'- Hammond gets a nice pass from Nicolas and beats one defender... then shoots at the far post but misses by inches.

40'- Monkhouse is onside thanks to Valois, and shoots at a very sharp angle from the left of goal... and the keeper tips it all the way across the goalmouth, but no one is there for the tap in and it goes for a corner kick.

We have a number of chances in the first half, but can't convert any of them. Our attack just seems to lack pace in the first half... all of the balls are weakly struck, none of the shots are well hit either. Just not a great effort yet again. No changes in the side for half #2. Both Sheffield United and Rushden are leading their matches at the interval.

50'- Monkhouse finds Hammond at the penalty spot with an open shot after a long series of midfield possession, but he can't convert it, sending the shot just wide of the post again.

59'- Valois with a long ball for Hammond, and he brings it down... the keeper charges at him, but the ball is tackled from behind... right to Les Ferdinand on Hammond's left, and with the keeper out of position, Les has a go at goal and he scores! Ferdinand's 11th of the year comes at a great time and we take the lead!

62'- Good chance for Pools, as a corner falls to a midfielder at the near post, and he turns and shoots... Kruse pushes it away, but right back to the same player who shoots again... this time, Kruse tips it wide, and Pritchard clears it off the line!

75'- Another good chance for Hartlepool, but a header is just tipped away by Kruse, who is playing very well today.

79'- Burton on for Ferdinand as we switch to a 5-4-1, and Eriksson on for Valois, who is struggling for once.

92'- We keep possession for a while, and earn a couple of corners with time winding down. Then, Luke Pritchard gets the ball from 20 yards and holds it for a good 5 seconds, before turning and shooting through a wall of players, and the keeper doesn't react in time to save it! Pritchard with his 1st of the year to clinch it for the Posh!

The final whistle goes, and we take a vital 3 points! Lukas Kruse with a terrific match, earning a 9 along with his 20th clean sheet in 43 league starts. The entire back line also rates an 8, along with Alexis Nicolas. Our attackers don't rate any higher than 7's, disappointingly.

Win, 0-2, remain in 1st by 3 pts.
Shots/on target: Pools 15/7, Posh 18/8
Poss: 50-50
A: 4,196

Rushden hold on to their road win, 2-1 over relegated Grimsby, while Sheffield United roll on with a 2-1 win over mid-table Stockport.

Huddersfield have now officially been relegated as well.

Kofi Dakinah will miss about a week with a strained neck... which means Sagi Burton will likely start our next match on the right.

[Butter]

FA Cup Semifinals
Arsenal 3:0 Southampton

Next up for us, yet another road game at Stockport, a team that Sheffield United just beat. The Blades have to visit Plymouth Argyle, who have dropped to 5th, but can re-enter the race for the top 2 with a win. Meanwhile, Rushden should have an easy time at Huddersfield.

Our lineup for this match:
GK: Kruse
Def: Garry, Pritchard, Plummer, Burton
DM: Nicolas
Mid: Valois, Devlin
AM: Monkhouse
Str: Ferdinand, Hammond

I check through the roster before the game, and note 2 new items... Alexis Nicolas has some interest being shown in him by Swindon and Stockport. His value is $1 million, way out of my league... but he's only a loaner for us, so we'll let him go if necessary. Also, Luke Pritchard shows up as unhappy... he's a starter, so I'm not sure what the problem is, but he says he is "feeling the pressure of public expectation". He IS only 19, but he is a big reason our defense has been so good this year. Don't know what to do for the kid. Hopefully he won't crap out on me all of a sudden.

April 22, Match 44
25-9-9, 1st pl., 84 pts.
@ Stockport (15-12-16, 13th pl., 57 pts.)
Series: Even, 0-3-0
Fav: Posh, 4:5

9'- Good cross from Valois to Devlin near the back post, but his header isn't close.

11'- Valois with another good ball, this time to Ferdinand who crosses into the six for Hammond... Elvis puts his header off the crossbar! Rebound falls to Devlin, but the half volley is well wide.

16'- Long header by Stockport gives Kruse no trouble.

19'- Pacey cross by Ferdinand finds Monkhouse who fires it in on the half volley, but it's saved.

37'- Good ball from Nicolas to Hammond down the right... Hammond with a cross to the middle but no one's home... Valois chases it down on the left and sends it back across the six... the keeper gets a finger to it, but doesn't stop the ball from meeting the head of Elvis Hammond who nods it in! 1-0, Posh!

45'+- In the final minute of 1st half stoppage time, Hammond swings a pass to Valois, who is charging up the left of the box unmarked. Jean-Louis with a swerving shot off his left foot and he tucks it inside the far post! Valois' 10th goal of the year puts us up 2 at the break!

Great news, as Sheffield United are down 1-0 at the break to Argyle, while Rushden are scoreless with Huddersfield. No lineup changes for us as we start the second 45.

51'- Good ball from Hammond to Valois... Valois with a swinging ball across the goalmouth, and Devlin gets it just before it goes out on the other side. He sends it back in to Monkhouse at the near post, and Andy is unmarked and scores! 3-0!

74'- Monkhouse is brought down on a challenge and gets up limping. He, Valois, and Ferdinand come out, Shaw, Aaritalo, and Eriksson in.

81'- Plummer also takes a knock, but he recovers quickly.

The rest of the time goes off the clock, and we win. Sagi Burton earns a 9 in defense and wins MoM, attempting to win back his job at right fullback. Burton was very active, winning 5 key headers and making 7 interceptions from his spot. Valois also picks up a 9, and nearly everyone else earns an 8.

Win, 0-3, remain in 1st
Shots/on target: Hatters 5/3, Posh 19/9
Poss: 51-49, Hatters
A: 6,179

More good news as our lead bulges to 5 points. Both Rushden and Sheffield draw to their competition, so we're at 87 points, and both R&D and the Blades are on 82 points with 2 games to play. Argyle and Tranmere also clinch playoff spots today, so there's only one spot left that will likely go to Watford, who lead 7th place Barnsley by 6 points.

Wigan have been relegated from the Premiership with Saturday's results. Brentford will also be going down, they to League Two.

[Butter]

Pretty much if we can get 1 point out of the last 2 games, we'll be the league champion. Considering how this season started, I'm surprised and thrilled that we're in a position to win the league. I just hope it doesn't come down to getting one from Argyle, because I imagine they're going to be pretty excited to play us if it means the difference between 1st place and 3rd for us.

Burton and Valois are picked in the Team of the Week.

Uh-oh, Elvis Hammond strains a wrist in practice and will miss a week. That means he'll be out for the upcoming penultimate league fixture, our final home game against relegated Chesterfield.

Champions League, Semifinals Leg 1
Arsenal 1:2 Roma
Inter 1:1 Chelsea
-Arsenal's attempt at the treble take a big hit, now needing to win by 2 goals at Roma, or win by one goal with a winning goal count of 3 or more.

FA Cup Semifinal
Leeds 1:2 Crystal Palace
-It'll be Palace v. Arsenal for the FA Cup.

EURO Cup, Semifinals Leg 1
Ajax 0:0 Parma
Liverpool 1:1 Tottenham

Arsenal celebrate winning their 3rd consecutive English Premier Division title.
- A 2-1 win over Newcastle clinches the title for the Gunners.

Lineup for our final home fixture of the season:
GK: Kruse
Def: Garry, Pritchard, Plummer, Burton
DM: Nicolas
Mid: Valois, Devlin
AM: Monkhouse
Str: Aaritalo, Ferdinand

April 29, Match 45
26-9-9, 1st pl., 85 pts.
v. Chesterfield (10-7-27, 24th pl., 37 pts.)
Series: Even, 1-1-1
Fav: Posh, 4:7

A moderate crowd files into London Road hoping to celebrate a league title. All we need is a point and Sheffield United to NOT make up an 11 goal differential on us to win it. An outright win would definitely decide things. Only the bottom place team stands between us and the first rung in the ladder to Premiership glory.

The crowd of 7,000 watches a pretty lackluster first half, as we don't generate any shots on target, and Chesterfield only manage 1 shot in the vicinity of goal. We dominate possession in Chesterfield's half, but can't break through.

We begin the 2nd half with a bit more purpose, as we learn that the Blades are leading Tranmere 3-0 to close the current gap to 3 points and keep their championship dreams alive.

51'- A seemingly innocent clearance down the wing turns into a nightmare, as the Spireite midfielder tracks the ball down just short of the end line, then launches a VERY long cross to the near post, where Lukas Kruse misplays the ball and the C'field striker pokes it in. 1-0, Chesterfield?!?!? Uh-oh.

Eriksson on for a tiring Aaritalo.

54'- A throw in by Devlin finds Nicolas, who slides a ball to Ferdinand on the right of the box... Ferdinand with a ground pass to Eriksson, who one-times it goalward and past the keeper's hands! 1-1!

67'- Paul Devlin has to leave with an injury midway through the second half, thanks to an errant boot by a Spireite defender. Paul Shaw is on for him, and Monkhouse moves to the right wing.

73'- Pinpoint cross from Monkhouse to Nicolas at the back post off a broken set piece, but Nicolas heads it wide of the far post.

86'- Paul Shaw with a 35 yard free kick... it deflects off the wall and we earn the corner... Valois with the outswinger, but it's cleared.

The final minutes tick away and we fail to secure the title in front of the home crowd. Poor effort as only Valois earns an 8... but does manage yet another MoM award. Everyone else on the club picks up a 7.

Draw, 1-1, remain in 1st
Shots/on target: Posh 12/1, Spireites 3/2
Poss: 57-43, Posh
A: 6,836

Not the exclamation point on the season I was hoping for, but this point should be enough for us to clinch the title, as Sheffield hold their 3 goal win over Tranmere, but still trail us by 3 points and 8 goals in goal difference.

Devlin has a broken shoulder, and will be out for a month... which translates for me as missing our final match.

Fulham has been relegated from the Premiership, while Wolves and Leicester have been promoted there from the Championship. Grimsby have been relegated to League Two.

I also learn, officially, that Peterborough United have won promotion from League One to the Championship!

[Butter]

I am the third pick for April Manager of the Month, while Valois earns yet another Team of the Week mention.

Champions League, Semifinals Leg 2
Chelsea 2:2 Inter (Series ends 3-3, Inter advance on away goals)
Roma 2:3 Arsenal (Series ends 4-4, Arsenal advance on away goals)

-Arsenal earned just what they needed, as they pick up a 90th minute goal from Mikael Forssell that was an absolute scorcher... struck from 30 yards, and the keeper could do nothing but watch it bend in the top corner. Chelsea were behind the whole way, but had a number of late chances, the latest coming as Eidur Gudjohnsen headed a terrific corner wide of goal in the 88th minute.

EURO Cup, Semifinals Leg 2
Parma 2:0 Ajax (Parma advance 2-0 on agg.)
Tottenham 2:1 Liverpool (Spurs advance 3-2 on agg.)

One more match, against Argyle, in a tussle that looked for a time that it might determine the league champion. Argyle has had to deal with the departure of their head man to Derby County, while we have been dealing with a spate of minor injuries. Paul Devlin will be out today, but Elvis Hammond returns for our final League One fixture. Lineup:
GK: Kruse
Def: Garry, Pritchard, Plummer, Dakinah
DM: Nicolas
Mid: Valois, Monkhouse
AM: Shaw
Str: Ferdinand, Hammond

We have young striker Jim Johansen on the bench today to possibly see some time if we can manage it, along with reserve defender Chris Carr, who is capable, but is getting antsy on the reserve squad.

May 6, Match 46
26-10-9, 1st pl., 88 pts.
@ Plymouth Argyle (22-11-12, 5th pl., 77 pts.)
Series: Posh won the first matchup, 3-0 at London Road.
Fav: Posh, 4:5

5'- Monkhouse is played down the right by Dakinah, and has beaten his man... he attacks the keeper up the right side, but his shot is just into the side netting, almost squeezing inside the post.

23'- Valois with a cross in to Ferdinand, but his half volley is saved well by the Argyle goalie.

32'- Short cross by Argyle finds a head, and Kruse is lucky that he didn't have to move because it hit the crossbar, and Pritchard clears it.

We're playing alright, just having trouble finding operating space against Argyle's defensive formation, a 5-3-2. Sheffield United leads Bournemouth at the half, 1-0... so we're still 7 goals clear for the title, but one point would give us the crown outright. We decide to throw Johansen in for the second half, Ferdinand comes out.

65'- An Argyle throw in is stolen by Hammond, who finds Johansen... Johansen lays it back to Dakinah, who finds a wide open Valois... Valois just throws a garbage cross into the box, but Hammond gets a head to it among 5 defenders and it bounces past the keeper and in! 1-0, Posh!

71'- Argyle with a good counter-attack off a Valois corner, but they spend too much time passing when they had at least 2 good open shots on Kruse, and eventually the ball just goes out for a goal kick.

85'- Johansen on a breakaway, but a mis-touch finds the ball at the Argyle keeper's feet.

94'- Argyle with a clean breakaway through the middle... the striker comes at Kruse... the shot is hit but Kruse deflects it wide, and Dakinah clears it for a corner! The corner comes in dangerously, but Plummer clears it... we're now a good minute over the scheduled stoppage time, but the whistle goes and that's it! WE WIN THE LEAGUE!

Jean-Louis Valois fittingly ends the match as man of the match, earning an 8, and providing our lone assist. Nearly everyone else picks up 8's as well.

Win, 0-2, end in 1st
Shots/on target: Argyle 11/5, Posh 7/1
Poss: 54-46, Argyle
A: 17,826

Bristol City make an impressive run at the playoff zone, but Watford win their final game, and actually pass Argyle for 5th, so it'll be Rushden, Tranmere, Plymouth Argyle, and Watford battling for the final promotion spot, as both us and Sheffield United will be moving on automatically to the Championship.

[Butter]

BUTTER BRINGS GLORY TO PETERBOROUGH

Peterborough fans are in a jubilant mood after Butter led them to the incredible feat of winning the English League One.

A fans' spokesperson announced that Butter was undoubtedly one of the best managers around.

A prominent member of the Peterborough board could not contain his delight following the team's triumph.

[Butter]

Competition wrap-up

League One Playoffs
Leg 1
Watford 1:1 Tranmere
Plymouth 2:0 Rushden

Leg 2
Tranmere 1:1 Watford (Tranmere advance 3-2 on PK's)
Rushden 0:1 Plymouth (Argyle advance 3-0 on aggregate)

Premiership News
Charlton Athletic have been relegated from the Premiership, joining Fulham, Wigan, and us in the Championship next season.

EURO Cup Final, from Brondby Stadion, Denmark
Parma 0:1 Tottenham
-A 44th minute Jermain Defoe goal was made to stand up before a crowd of nearly 32,000 in Denmark. Spurs controlled most of play, but a 86th minute save off a Daniele Degano header was needed before the result was clinched.

UEFA Champions League Final, from Stade Olimpico, Rome
Arsenal 1:0 Roma
-Arsenal were dominant in this match, allowing Roma just 2 peeks at goal, and neither one really troubled the Gunners' keeper, Jens Lehmann. Thierry Henry scored a goal off a 22nd minute counter-attack, and the brilliant defense of Arsenal made the goal last the rest of the way. The FA Cup Final is still to come for Arsenal to earn triple hardware, but it looks very likely.

League One Playoffs - Final, from Wembley Stadium, London
Plymouth 3:3 Tranmere
-Yup, it's the new Wembley Stadium in action for this match-up to determine the final winner of promotion to the Championship. Both teams matched each other in regular time, finishing 2-2. Then, in the added 30 minutes, Plymouth with a deliberate handball to prevent an easy header gets a defender sent off and goes down a goal on the PK. But off the ensuing kickoff, a storming run down field by substitute Argyle striker Stewart Yetton netted them the equalizer. The final minutes ticked away, and this match went to PK's. Tranmere went first, but missed 2 of their first 3 while Argyle converted all 3 of theirs. Then, in an odd move, Rovers keeper John Achterberg was sent to take the deciding PK, but it was saved easily to allow Plymouth Argyle to move on to the Championship, 3-1 on penalties.

FA Cup Final, from Wembley, London
Crystal Palace 1:2 Arsenal
-Andrew Johnson with a goal in the 40th minute put Palace ahead at the break 1-0. But it was short-lived, as Cesare Bovo tallied a goal in the 57th, then Patrick Vieira with the dagger in the heart of Palace fans in the 82nd minute, as Arsenal win this, the ultimate London Derby, and the treble with their 2-1 victory in front of nearly 90,000 spectators.

2006/07 European qualifiers from England
Champions League: Arsenal, Man Utd., Chelsea, Tottenham
EURO Cup: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (cup holder)
EURO Vase: West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City

The Euro Vase is what I believe was formerly called the Inter-Toto Cup, running in mid-August. The winner gets a EURO Cup spot.

Championship Playoff Final, from Wembley, London
Blackburn R. 1:2 QPR
-QPR with an extra time goal to win it, as the Rangers move on, and the Rovers will be back with us next season.

[Butter]

Peterborough Team News

The board gives us a whopping $70k transfer budget entering the busy summer signing period. On a good note, our wage budget has been increased by an entire million, as we're now $400k UNDER the wage budget of $3.6 million. Our finances are still good, but wages have eaten into our surplus. We're still in the black, but only about $350,000 right now.

Our reserve club was just 4 points away from winning their group championship, quite a step up from last year when we were lucky to score most games. They had the best offense in the group of 21 teams, scoring 84 times in 40 matches, and allowing just 44 goals in those matches as well.

-Paul Devlin and Jean-Louis Valois were named in the English League One Players' Select Squad.

-Butter has won the Manager of the Year Award.

-Elvis Hammond was third in the goal scoring race, 7 behind Jack Lester of Sheffield United who wins the race with 27 league goals.

Other important stats from the season:
-Average League Attendance: 7,504 (14th/24)
-Goals for/against: 86 (2nd)/ 46 (2nd)
Players in League's Top 25
-Form (average rating) (we had 7 of the top 24 players, best in the league by 3 players):
1. Jean-Louis Valois, 8.15
5. Andy Monkhouse, 7.61
7. Kofi Dakinah, 7.55
10t. Ryan Garry, 7.46
10t. Paul Devlin, 7.46
23. Alexis Nicolas, 7.40
24. Lukas Kruse, 7.39
-Assists:
2. Jean-Louis Valois, 15
4. Les Ferdinand, 13
14t. Paul Devlin, 10
21t. Elvis Hammond, 9
-Goals:
3. Elvis Hammond, 20
17. Andy Monkhouse, 13
-Man of Match:
1. Jean-Louis Valois, 14
15. Lukas Kruse, 5
-Appearances:
1. Lukas Kruse, 46 (tied with 6 others)


Squad Recap
Goalkeepers
-Lukas Kruse is pretty much it for us, he started every league match. He looked shaky in the middle of the season, but I guess facing down 10 shots a game will do that. Kruse stepped up late in the season, playing very well in games where our offense struggled. He will likely start for us in goal in our first Championship season.

-Jon Masalin played in 3 games overall, starting 2 cup matches, and playing serviceably well.

-We have 2 18 year old Swedish keepers on the reserve squad, Marcus Eskilsson and Zlatan Azinovic. They both split time on the reserves this year, both yielding fewer than 1 goal a match, and both costing us less than $10k a year in salary. The future at this position is bright for us.

What I especially love is this is one of the cheapest units on our squad, with all of these players costing us less than $125k total. Kruse and Azinovic are signed for 2 more seasons, Eskilsson and Masalin for 3 more.


Defenders
-DLC Ryan Garry departs our squad for Arsenal. Hopefully, I can loan him back again next year, he is clearly not ready for the Arsenal big club. But he was our most consistent defender, starting in the left for us after Luke Pritchard's injury in mid-season.

-Speaking of DLC Luke Pritchard, he had a solid year for us. I was quite worried about the strength of this position going into the season, but he, D/DMRC Kofi Dakinah, DC Sagi Burton, and DC Chris Plummer all played very well on the back 4. Burton has been terrific on the right playing out of position, then switching to the middle when Dakinah claimed the right fullback spot.

-I'm quite pleased with the state of my defense, especially if we can manage to get our new signing, DRC Sarr through the work permit process in August. I also have signed a player from Anderlecht in Belgium, DC Lamine Traore, who is a Burkina Faso international and is a superb player. He has 36 caps for BF, and is only 23 so hopefully he'll be approved for a permit. Sarr has 6 caps for Senegal, so he'll be a bit of a tougher sell, I imagine.

-Steve Yates and Craig Ireland seemed to struggle during the season. Both are out of contract and will not be re-signed.

-D/DMR David Hunt has been improving, but is still not a player we can rely on in defense. He has some good ratings, but we can't unload the guy. He is due another $48k for this next season.

-D/DML Andy Legg is 39 years old, but turned down our offer to him to become a coach only.

-DC Chris Carr and DC Phil Cave are most likely to be on our bench next season after playing in the reserves mostly this year. Cave had a couple of appearances with the big club, averaging a 6.67 in 6 league appearances. He is just 19, but is improving well. Carr, meanwhile, is 21 and appears to be a bit disgruntled with his current state of affairs. His ratings are declining, and he may well be headed for another season in the reserves.

-There are several other defenders languishing in the reserves, all who are either too young to help us, or not good enough to help us right now. Chief among them is Andreas Landgren, a 16 year old Swede who is progressing well.


Midfield
-DMC Alexis Nicolas had a slow start, but picked up his game with a 2 goal outing in the FA Cup, then started nearly every game for us the rest of the way. Sadly, Nicolas was a loaner to us from Chelsea and likely won't be back with us next year.

-DMC Alan Navarro started the year as the main man in that position, but he never really played all that well. He saw the field quite a bit as a substitute, which may partially contribute to his low average rating of 6.87, but he didn't really seem to affect games as much as Nicolas did. I am actively searching for another DM to push Navarro next season. Alan is a good player, but doesn't seem to have the eye downfield as well as he could.

-MC John Spicer and AMC Eoin Jess have been listed. Spicer is out of contract and will not be re-signed, Jess is unfortunately due another $220k for next season and no one will touch him. Jess did play a bit last year, but not very well.

-What can I say about ML Jean-Louis Valois? Best signing of the off-season by far. He dominated League One. I can only hope he'll do as well in the Championship. Valois is 32 and signed for 2 more years.

-AMR Paul Devlin and AMRLC Andy Monkhouse were also terrific offseason signings. Monkhouse was our 2nd leading scorer, but is extremely versatile. Even better is his youth, he's only improving at age 25, and he is signed for 3 more years provided no one offers $1.7 million for him. Devlin is 34 and had a slow start, but ended up being picked in the Team of the Year in the league from the right wing. He is signed for 2 more seasons.

-More iffy signings were AM/FLC Tobias Eriksson and AMRC Dean Edward Martin. Eriksson seemed to have a good 2nd half of the year, but was a substitute mostly for us. He is helping the Swedish Under-21's in the U-21 World Championship during the offseason, and playing well. He has a bright future, just 20 years old and is signed through 2009. Martin is more of an enigma. With Paul Shaw's re-emergence late in the year, Martin rarely saw the field. He is aging, but is also cheap at just $48k per year, and will provide depth for us for 2 more years.

-AM/FC Paul Shaw had pretty much been tossed aside during the early part of the season, but came on late and played very well, earning a 1-year contract extension for next season. He ended up scoring 6 goals in the league, and was a good substitute player when needed.

-Unfortunately, midfield is our weakest area on the reserve team, with no one really ready or able to join the big club and help in any capacity in the foreseeable future.


Strikers
-Elvis Hammond will undoubtedly be wanting a new contract before too long. He earns just $48k per year, but was one of the league's leading scorers last year, and our team's leading scorer. He is signed through 2 more seasons and will be starting next year up front.

-Les Ferdinand took a $50k pay cut to come back for one more year at London Road. Ferdinand was 2nd on the team in assists, and 3rd in goals scored. Les had a very good year, but did have fitness issues as the season wore on. Hopefully we can squeeze one more year of magic from that golden right boot of his.

-Faustino Asprilla and Leon Constantine are both out of contract and will not be re-signed. Asprilla's signing was a rare off-season mistake on my part, and he'll go back on the heap in search of work yet again this July.

-Steve Basham and Derek Holmes, such key parts of the attack in '04-'05, just aren't good enough to propel us to the next level. Both are signed through next year, and Holmes may get another look in the pre-season, but I can't imagine them playing much for us next year.

-Mika Aaritalo signed with us from Finland as a hot prospect, but became our top striker sub, scoring 5 times in 26 appearances, including 19 times off the bench. Aaritalo is just 20 and signed for 2 more years. He will see the field again as a sub next year, I imagine.

-Jim Johansen almost left us late in the year, after Cardiff approached us with a bag full of $500,000. We kept him after he scored in his first and only start of the year. He is just 19 and signed through 2009, so hopefully we can improve this kid enough to play with the big club pretty soon... but it's good to know we have an extra player pretty much instantly worth $500k on the open market if we need it.

-Daniel Webb and James Faulkner are both decent strikers, but unlikely to play for us in the next year. Both are young, though, and could well improve rather quickly and make me change my mind. Both scored in double digits in reserve group play this season, and are signed for a couple more years.


In summary
More of the same for the league next year, as all of my key players are back, and hopefully we'll be adding a couple of more players to help us along in our development into a top English club. Can we make the trip to the Championship a short one? There's only one way to find out...

[Butter]

...continue on to Year 3.