Welcome back to the fourth episode of "The Time Machine" series where we have delved into the parallel universe that is PC football management. The Lads have completed their pre-season training and four pre-season matches so it's now down to the old nitty gritty and the actual season. Can we prove to Uncle Bob Murray that giving us the job was a masterstroke decision and not one that he's going to regret for his time on earth? Let's see how we performed in those three games in the first month of the season.
The season opener was also a bit of pride and bragging rights at stake as we hosted those Smoggies from across the Tees for a Wear-Tees derby encounter. We stuck with our 3-5-2 variant formation with Niall Quinn leading the line up front. Quinny was also captain for us as Bally was out for around 4-6 weeks with a hip injury, so we had to ask Lee Howey to come into defence to deputise. If we can sell someone on then a new central defender is in our sights.
In the game, 'Boro took the lead after 17 minutes when former Juventus striker Fabrizio Ravanelli opened his account for the season with a finish beyond Lionel Perez. However, we equalised in the 33rd minute with the first of two goals inside just three minutes when Howey headed home for the Lads. Yet our celebrations got muted in the 36th when Jan Åge Fjørtoft put the visitors back in front which they held onto to half time.
We had to make a change at half time though, Paul Stewart was feeling a bit concussed so rather than risking further damage we replaced him with young Michael Bridges. Halfway through that second half, the scoreline had changed so we made a second substitution with Paul Bracewell being replaced by Steve Agnew. It only took Agnew five minutes to make an impact, scoring our second equaliser of the game. Neither side could find a winner after that and the local rivals shared a point apiece, four goals and bragging rights equally.
Team: Perez; Kubicki, Melville, Howey, Ord, Scott; Rae, Bracewell (Agnew 65); Stewart (Bridges HT); Quinn [Captain], Russell
Attendance: 22,646
Midweek and the Lads first away trip of the new season, visiting Nottingham and the City Ground. We made just a single change from the side that drew 2-2 with 'Boro on opening day and it was the enforced one as Stewart was ruled with concussion. Bridges replaced him as Craig Russell and Quinny remained up front. This change showed no difference as we created chance after chance.
The game was goalless at half time, but the deadlock was broken after 53 minutes when left winger Ian Woan arrowed a shot beyond Perez. We made an immediate change after the goal, replacing a substandard Daruisz Kubicki with Michael Gray. Gray's introduction was positive, creating more opportunities but with no conversion. Russell was replaced with John Mullin as the Lads pushed for an equaliser. Sadly, that never came and we slipped to our first loss of the campaign.
Team: Perez; Kubicki (Gray 53), Melville, Howey, Ord, Scott; Rae, Bracewell; Bridges, Quinn [Captain], Russell (Mullin 71)
Attendance: 17,787
We finished the opening month with a home encounter at Roker with West Ham United. Stewart had recovered from his concussion, but we opted to leave him on the bench as a precaution. Gray replaced Kubicki in the starting eleven in the only change from the team that started against Forest in midweek. The Hammers took the lead midway through the first half thanks to a header from experienced Northern Irish international Iain Dowie. This was a lead that they kept hold onto until a minute from half time when Quinny found the net for the Lads.
The game remained level until the closing stages, when there were a couple of further goals in the game. Alas for us and the Lads, both goals went into our net to send us to a second successive loss and end the month 17th in the table. After 73 minutes, Ilie Dumitrescu put the Hammers 2-1 ahead forcing us to push on for a second equaliser which did not arrive. They put the game beyond us two minutes from time, when fellow Romanian Florin Raducioiu beat Perez. Reality has arrived - this isn't as easy as we thought.
Team: Perez; Gray, Melville, Howey, Ord, Scott; Rae (Agnew 83), Bracewell; Russell (Stewart 83), Quinn [Captain], Bridges (Kelly 68)
Attendance: 14,515
Post-match the Coca Cola Cup second round draw was made. This pitted us against Second Division Notts County with the first leg to be played at Meadow Lane, Nottingham. County have made a decent start to the season so this will be far from easy for the Lads. But we need to start to winning games in the Premier League too.
Join us next time for Episode Five where we continue our journey,: can we find the winning formula and propel the Lads up that Premier League table? If we don't then our reign might be a short lived one.
