Within 60 seconds, Linderoth has levelled the score and we batter them for the rest of the half. Wayne Rooney’s training has given him the capability of playing off the left flank, so he comes on at half-time to make his senior debut, along with Kevin Campbell on the right. We tear it all up at half time and return to 4-3-3 in an effort to regain control of the midfield. Jon Harley causes all kinds of issues down the left and Sylvain Legwinski gives Jean Tigana’s side a deserved lead.
We’ve also used the midfield four to man-mark Fulham’s midfielders, leaving the full backs free to push up. Young Steven Schumacher’s performances have dropped and his morale is rock bottom, so there’s a recall for Thomas Linderoth. Up next are Fulham, matching us stride for stride and exchanging confused looks with us in the top half of the table. But we’ve played better than this and lost. We have reached the 40-point mark and we’ve won three games on the spin. Sunderland didn’t recover and Thomas Gravesen added another midway through the second half. The Canadian hotshot stepped up and converted his 13th goal of the season and that, pretty much, was the ball game. Judicious use of man marking had kept Sunderland quiet, but we didn’t carve out a chance of note until Thomas Sorensen wiped out Tomas Radzinski in the penalty area and earned himself a red card. But we chanced upon a diamond formation in January that secured six points from six and there’s no point changing a winning side, is there?Ī useful and yet strangely unfulfilling win.
On the right flank, Matthew Piper is making a strong case for Young Player of the Year with 13 assists and an average of 7.67. Between them, Kevin Phillips and Tore Andre Flo have scored 28 goals. Financially secure and settled in fourth place under the calm stewardship of Howard Wilkinson. But we march on because that’s all that we can do. Our financial situation means that we’re still in complete limbo, unable to sign players, unable to prevent players from leaving and, more pertinently, unable to formulate a strategy for next season. MORE EPISODES: Pre-season pt.1 Pre-season pt.2 August September October November December January February March April MayĪnd so we march into the final third of the season knowing full well that we won’t get relegated, that we won’t win the title and that, with our disciplinary record, we’re unlikely to win any fair play awards. THE CATCH: Everton are in financial trouble. THE MISSION: Return to Championship Manager 01/02 and win silverware with Everton