Inspired by Iain Macintosh’s journey with Everton on CM01/02, I’ve decided to boot up Football Manager 2017 and take Aston Villa back to the glory days of the 1980s.
Previous episodes: Episode One, Episode Two, Episode Three, Episode Four, Episode Five, Episode Six, Episode Seven, Episode Eight, Episode Nine, Episode Ten, Episode 11, Episode 12, Epsiode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15
It recently dawned on me that this is taking a long time to do. It feels like I’ve been manager of Aston Villa for a decade or two but it’s only been a year and a bit since I threw myself into the deep end and set myself the mother of all tasks.
I’ll be old and grey before my job is done here, at least that’s what it feels like. If it’s not the time it’s taking me to do it that’ll turn me grey, it’s the stress.
So I’ve decided to change the way I do things. Not on the football front, that can stay as it is until I revert back to being clueless, but instead in the way I deliver this arguably tedious story of ineptitude and guess work. Instead of a month per episode, it’ll now be three months.
That gives you more to enjoy (?) in one sitting as well as it fast tracking my journey somewhat.
So here goes episode 16, taking you all the way up to the end of 2017.
OCTOBER 2017
The international break gives me the perfect time to reflect on what has so far been a successful start to my second season in charge. We’ve only lost once in all competitions and lead the way in the Championship.
It’s the kind of progress I had in mind when, just 12 months earlier, I was being thumped 7-1 at home to Huddersfield and clinging desperately to my job.
It’s still early days though and a run of poor results is all it takes to bring us back down to earth. October certainly has the ability to do just that, with recently relegated Swansea City and Middlesbrough coming up in the league, as well as play-off chasing Wolves. Crystal Palace offer a difficult test in the EFL Cup but I’m confident we can cause yet another upset.
Typically, a run of poor results is what I get as we begin the month with a relatively credible 2-2 draw away at Middlesbrough. We pegged them back twice through a Kodjia brace to earn the point but it also came at a price – Kodjia was forced off in the dying stages with broken ribs and Conor Hourihane picked up his 10th booking of the season, leading to a two game suspension.
The loss of both is worrying, particularly Kodjia who had netted eight in 11 outings before that game.
What followed was expected without my two key men.
A home game against a strong looking Swansea side would be daunting enough, but without your top goalscorer and midfield general? What could possibly go wrong?
I had to watch us getting absolutely annihilated by a team of Premier League stars – managed by Andre Villas-Boas – in front of our own fans and it was torture. Four goals from Wilfried Bony sent the Swans on their way, while I had to comfort an embarrassed looking Neil Taylor after the game after Nathan Dyer had him on his backside more than once over the 90 minutes.
But the result wasn’t the worst part; Westwood was sent off for a two footed challenge and both Bacuna and Taylor picked up their fifth and tenth yellows respectively, leading to bans.
Such awful luck means I have to face Brentford without four of my best players, and it shows. Another game without finding the back of the net – proof we rely too much on Kodjia – and we get beaten 1-0 at Villa Park. We couldn’t score in 29 attempts on goal so, quite frankly, we deserved to lose. It also gets worse: Rob Holding picks up his fifth yellow of the season and is forced to sit out our EFL Cup 4th round trip to Crystal Palace.
It’s at this stage that I realise we’ve slipped to ninth in the league and the team are low on morale.
A meeting is called by Leandro Bacuna and Conor Hourihane, who think my poor management skills have led to a run of poor results…
The irony is not lost on me here. Two players whose discipline have led to them being suspending during this poor run of form have the cheek to have a pop at me?
I tell them they need to stick with me and help us get out of this rut. They all agree, except Bacuna who won’t let it drop. I’ve had enough of him. The rest of the squad agree, especially Hourihane who seems like the penny has dropped a little.
After facing tough questions from the media about Bacuna’s outburst and me going all Nigel Pearson on MailOnline reporter Jacob Smyth, I prepare for Palace.
The performance was much more promising and gives me the confidence that we’ll turn it around. We’re out of the cup but there’s no shame in that now, promotion is my ultimate aim.
Before the trip to Wolves I’m linked with the vacant Nottingham Forest job. The chance take another fallen giant back to the big time is tempting, but it doesn’t take long to remember I’m struggling to do just that at Villa. I tell the media I’m not interested and Tony Xia is buzzing about that for some reason.
We finally get ourselves back on track with a 1-0 win at Wolves thanks to a Cerny winner. It means we end October in 6th but having played a game more than everyone else. We’re five points off leaders Huddersfield and four points off the automatic spots.
So after a strong and promising start, all my enthusiasm and positivity is brought crashing down with a nightmare month. The fact we rely too heavily on Kodjia for goals is not lost on me so I immediately turn to my scouts who are tasked with finding me some strong additions so I can overspend on panic buys in January.
They’re off to keep an eye on Leeds’ Stuart Dallas, Sheffield Wednesday’s Gary Hooper and, due to our defence leaking goals all of a sudden, Brighton’s Lewis Dunk.
NOVEMBER 2017
We have just the three games in November, which is just as well because we have key players injured and important ones suspended. The fewer games they miss the better.
Before I prepare for the visit of Birmingham, Leeds tell me they want £14m for Dallas and Brighton ask for £10.5m plus Albert Adomah for Dunk – what are they smoking over at the AMEX!? I counter that with £5m up front and £3.5m in 12 month instalments.
Meanwhile, Wednesday want over £11m for Hooper. I counter that with a £6m outright offer once I pick myself up off the floor.
I love playing Birmingham. We beat them three times last season and drew a fourth meeting, so it’s fair to say the blue side of Birmingham don’t really like me.
Kodjia’s absence doesn’t impact our ability to score goals for once. Richairo Zivkovic starts the rout and Rob Holding finishes it. Three points takes us up to 3rd and we go in to the international break with back-to-back wins and consecutive clean sheets. This is the Villa I know and love, right?
During the international break Wednesday accept my offer for Hooper but I’m soon stunned by the striker’s wage demands. £25k-a-week plus a million other add-ons that could quite possible bankrupt the club. Nah, you’re alright. A similar situation happens with Lewis Dunk and suddenly I’m back to the drawing board.
With loads of time on my hands before we visit Sunderland I take a wander over to the Premier League table to see how Reading are doing. That play-off final defeat to them still haunts my dreams.
It’s ok though, their current position serves as a kind of small victory to me…
Meanwhile, I offer £7.5m or Dallas. Leeds come back and demand an non-negotiable £21m. Bye.
Jonathan Kodjia returns to the squad that travels to 18th-placed Sunderland but isn’t used as we come away with a comfortable 2-0 victory. Bacuna did get sent off, though, which leads to me putting him on the transfer list. First he tries to get me sacked and then he gets himself sent off for a silly challenge. No need for players like that at this great club.
We end the month with a romping 4-2 victory over Huddersfield in what looked to be the biggest game of our season so far. Huddersfield were 2nd in the league going in to the game but a first-half Zivkovic hat-trick puts an end to that, as we leapfrog them in to the automatic spots.
That’s four league wins in a row now, and I’m unsurprisingly handed the November Manager of the Month award.
DECEMBER 2017
A busy December awaits but I’m encouraged with four consecutive home games to end the year with.
We begin with an edgy 1-0 win away at MK Dons thanks to an 83rd minute Tom Ince winner. It could and should have been more but three points are three points. Leaders Boro drew 0-0 at home to Rotherham, meaning we’ve closed the gap to within two points of top spot.
Before Sheffield United come to town I hand Conor Hourihane a new contract and make a point of including a £12m release clause for domestic clubs in a higher division. He’s going nowhere. We also draw Carlisle at home in the FA Cup 3rd round. Lovely.
Goals from Zivkovic, McCormack, Ince and a Moore own goal lead to wonderful 4-1 victory over Sheffield United, our sixth straight win in the league. Boro lose 1-0 away at Burton and we go top of the league. Just a few games a go we’d dropped out of the play-off spots, now we’re back on top!
Our last away fixture of the calendar year is at 11th placed Norwich and it’s a complete and utter disaster as my decision to bring Kodjia back in to the starting XI in place of the free-scoring Zivkovic backfires massively.
We lose 2-0 and I can’t help but wonder whether that was just a bad day at the office or a stark reminder of how bad we really are…
Thankfully Boro draw 0-0 again and we stay top of the league.
Then something happens that convinces me that this squad of players has the character to go all the way this season. Fourth placed Derby arrive at Villa Park fully intent on exposing the fact we can be pretty bad when we want to be.
They looked to have succeeded in their gameplan as they went into the final 10 minutes 1-0 up. But Ilori’s 82nd minute equaliser gives us belief and Ross McCormack secures all three points with a dramatic 93rd minute winner. Villa Park goes absolutely crazy. Claret and blue flares are on the pitch and the I can just about make out the broken Derby players on their knees through the mist. What a win!
It gives me genuine belief that we can go up now. One defeat in eight games is promotion form, and I’m convinced my players are up for this challenge.
Blackburn are next at Villa Park, and despite Hourihane being sent off in the 76th minute for two yellow cards and McCormack missing a first-half penalty, we show enough character to grind out a 1-0 win.
We’re top at Christmas, thanks to yet another goalless draw for Boro!
A disappointing 2-2 draw at home to 16th placed Bristol City does nothing to effect my belief we’re going up. Boro draw again and we go three points clear at the top with just one game left to play in 2017.
Rob Holding’s second-half header ensures we sneak past 22nd place Charlton with a 1-0 victory, despite a relatively underwhelming performance.
It doesn’t matter though as we end 2017 on top of the Championship, five points clear of third placed Boro, whose loss at home to Ipswich lead to Huddersfield replacing them in the top two.
From top to seventh to top again in three months doesn’t do much for your heart-rate but ending the year strongly means I can go in to 2018 with a clear mind. A few new faces should be brought in to solidify our promotion push.
Here’s how the league table looks at the end of 2017…
Before that, though, I need to remind the club to get that open top bus ready in time for May…
<< Click here for Episode 15