Jay Mann - Journeyman (FM21)

Season Twenty Two (Part Four) - 2040/41 - Wins aplenty and some New Year shopping

The 11 game streak of wins that Liverpool embarked upon throughout December and into January featured 8 Premier League wins (the most notable being home wins over Manchester City (3-1) and Tottenham Hotspur (2-1), plus wins in the final Europa League group game, a Carabao Cup Quarter Final and, lastly, the FA Cup Third Round.

The Europa League game saw the Reds win the group, defeating Shamrock Rovers 3-0 at Anfield, which meant that they therefore would have a bye in the First Knockout Round. In the Carabao Cup Quarter Final they overcame Championship promotion chasers Derby County (featuring Mann target Rory Lakeland in their lineup) 2-1 at Pride Park. Liverpool came from behind to reach the Semi Finals, scoring in the 79th (Briand) and 97th (Hernandez) minutes to do so.  The final game of the winning run came in the FA Cup, with a 1-0 win at League One Bradford City. A much rotated Reds side struggled to break down the team from two divisions below them, and were indebted to reserve striker Warren Jones' 78th minute winner to send them through. 

Warren Jones had started out at Manchester United, but had failed to break through with them. After two very good seasons out on loan at Burnley however, he was then sold to German side Borussia Monchengladbach for a fee of £62million. Four years later, in August 2035, Liverpool paid £73million to bring the now England international back to home shores, but in the six seasons that followed his arrival he never became a regular starter, and never reached double figures for goals in any season either. Jones was now the wrong side of 30, and Jay Mann was formulating a plan to replace the Guildford born striker. The January transfer window had just opened and the rumour mill had spun into action…

First off, Mann knew that he needed to sell before he could buy, and for the buying part he knew exactly who he wanted. Sigurbergur Hafsteinsson was the striker that Mann had set his heart on and, having signed the player for his previous club FC Porto, he knew that the player had a release clause for non-domestic clubs of £44.5million. The money to be able to swing that deal was secured by selling squad player and central midfielder Amara Toure to Barcelona for £53million, the bid for the Icelander going in the same day. By way of signing off with Porto, Hafsteinsson, or Siggy H as the Liverpool fans immediately dubbed him, scored all 4 goals for his side in a cup win, and he duly arrived on Merseyside three days later.

Mann's New Year shopping wasn't quite finished however. With Barcelona also sniffing around Liverpool's Spanish centre-back Mario Hernandez, Mann and his scouts identified a young Brazilian, currently plying his trade in Belgium, as an ideal replacement. With Barcelona then stumping up £47.5million for Hernandez, thus re-signing a player whose career had started with them, Liverpool now had the funds to sign that Brazilian. 21 year old ‘Vilson’ Santos Cunha was, at the time, playing for the reigning Belgian champions Club Brugge but, like Siggy H, had a release clause in his contract for, strangely, the same amount, £44.5million. Vilson duly arrived on the 28th January, and would almost immediately forge a superb partnership in the centre of defence with Lee Ganley-Wedderburn.

Whilst all this transfer wheeling and dealing was going on though, matches were coming thick and fast in a month that would see Liverpool play 8 times. Having just seen off Bradford in the FA Cup, the Reds then presented themselves at Burnley's Turf Moor stadium for the First Leg of the Carabao Cup Semi Final (the Uniteds of Leeds and Manchester would contest the other tie). Armoo Briand scored for Liverpool after 30 minutes, but a Burnley equaliser early in the second half meant that the teams would face off in the second leg at Anfield in three weeks' time deadlocked at 1-1. Four days after that Burnley cup-tie Liverpool suffered a first defeat since the end of November, depressingly losing a 2-1 lead to go down 2-3 in the Merseyside derby. Obviously the fans weren't happy with that turn of events, despite all that had gone before it, but incredibly that defeat to Everton would itself be over-shadoed by a perhaps worse experience to begin March (more of which later).

Following their loss in the Merseyside derby, Liverpool then went on a run of 8 games that saw them win 7 and draw the other. That run began with two visits to Elland Road in the space of a week with both games, in the Premier League and then the FA Cup Fourth Round, being won 2-0 by the Reds. Those games sandwiched a 3-1 home win over Cardiff City in the league, a game that featured Siggy H's debut from the bench, before Damian Marshall's 76th minute strike proved to be the only goal of the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg game against Burnley which saw Liverpool through to Wembley, 2-1 on aggregate. No prizes of course for who was waiting for them there, Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having seen off Leeds 4-2 on aggregate in their tie.

The month of February 2041 saw Liverpool play just 4 games, quite a welcome calming down after the fixture madness of the previous two months that had seen them play no less then 17 matches. Those February games began with a 4-0 thumping of Sheffield United at Anfield on the 2nd, before a week later the points were shared with Chelsea in a 1-1 Stamford Bridge draw notable for Siggy H opening his Reds account with an excellent run and finish. He was on target again in each of the months' other games, 3-2 away wins at West Ham in the league and then at Championship side Brighton in the FA Cup Fifth Round. Form had gotten back on track quite nicely then following that Everton defeat, handy really given that March would begin with the Carabao Cup Final against Manchesetr United being immediately followed by the resumption of European action, Liverpool travelling to Germany to take on RB Leipzig in the Second Knock-Out Round, First Leg, of the Europa League.

Season Twenty Two (Part Five) - 2040/41 - Wembley Again (Twice), a Title Challenge, and progress in Europe

Sunday, 3rd March, 2041 arrived and with it the next chapter in the growing Mann versus Solskjaer rivalry. The Carabao Cup Final was played out in heavy rain, and the conditions helped to provide an entertaining game. Entertaining if you weren't a Liverpool fan that is…

Just as they had in the Community Shield, right back at the start of the season, Manchester United took the lead early against Liverpool at Wembley. The goal came in the 6th minute, United's Italian right-winger Paolo Tamagnini driving home low from the edge of the box after Liverpool's young left-winger, Damian Marshall, had played a disastrous square ball across the face of the penalty area, straight into Tamagnini's path. A generally end to end affair followed, with both teams creating and missing several chances, before Liverpool's January signing from FC Porto, Siggy H, equalised in the 40th minute with a delightful dink over the keeper from the edge of the six yard box. Then, in the second minute of first half stoppage time, United re-took the lead. A quite magnificent through ball from Russian playmaker Vladimir Ponomarev caught the Liverpool defence pushing out to try and play an offside trap, and Spanish international Jorge Ranero, cutting into the area from the left wing, hit a superb right footed half volley past the exposed Liverpool keeper, Leandro Gonzalez. Half time then, Liverpool 1 v Manchester United 2.

The second half followed much the same pattern as the first, with both sides attacking but failing to make anything count. After 67 minutes however, another piece of sheer class from Ranero saw United extend their lead. The Spaniard took a corner on Liverpool's left which was cleared straight back out to him, whereupon he cut sideways into the Liverpool area and, left footed this time, curled a shot past Gonzalez and just inside the far post. From that point on it was virtually all Liverpool as Mann urged his men forward, in vain as it turned out. Yes, Solskjaer had got the better of him again and, following United's 3-1 win, Mann could only watch on as his jubilant opposite number paraded the trophy with his victorious team.

It was perhaps fortuitous for Liverpool that there was no real time to dwell on such a potentially demoralising defeat, as they immediately faced a mid-week trip to Eastern Germany to take on RB Leipzig in the Europa League. Mann was heartened by his sides' reaction to that Cup Final defeat, coming out at Leipzig with a real sense of intent and, indeed, taking an early lead. Armoo Briand finished well from just inside the area in only the second minute, and it seemed that the floodgates were about to open. They would have done too, but for a man of the match performance from Sven Sieger, RB's German international goalkeeper, who denied Mann's men time and time again. Leipzig equalised in the first minute of the second half, and so Liverpool returned to Anfield with a potentially important away goal following a 1-1 draw.

On the following Sunday, Siggy H scored the only goal of the game as Norwich City were eventually overcome at Anfield before, the following Thursday, Leipzig presented themselves there for the Second Leg of the Europa League Round of 16 tie. Sven Sieger was up to his old tricks again that night, foiling Liverpool goal attempts at every turn. The Reds' David Steurer did beat his fellow German international in the 88th minute, but his calm finish from a tight angle was ruled out for offside following a VAR check. And so Liverpool were indeed indebted to Armoo Briand's first leg away goal as the Anfield game finished 0-0, and Mann's team advanced on the away goals rule, 1-1 being the aggregate score. The Swiss side BSC Young Boys would provide the Quarter Final opposition, having knocked out Torino 2-0 on aggregate in their Round of 16 tie, winning both legs 1-0.

The month of March was rounded off with two consecutive Premier League goalless draws, away at Manchester United (for a moral victory at least) and at home to Crystal Palace, before Mann's side recovered from going behind early again to win 2-1 at West Ham United in the FA Cup Quarter Final. Second half goals from Kevin MacIver and Siggy H saw the Reds book a trip to Wembley for a third time that season, Manchester City to provide the opposition in the Semi Final in mid April.

April would be an important month in terms of shaping Liverpool's run-in to the end of the season, featuring as it did 7 games across all 3 competitions that the Reds were still competing in. The month began with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to relegation candidates Leicester City (with Liverpool two up inside 8 minutes) before, the following Thursday, Jay Mann took his team to Bern in Switzerland for the next step of their Europa League campaign. Raiffeisen Super League leaders (and eventual champions) BSC Young Boys were the opposition in their Stadion Wankdorf (yes, really!) for the First Leg of the Quarter Final.  A largely even game was settled in Liverpool's favour by a goal from Uruguayan midfielder Osvaldo Busto in the 47th minute. Liverpool would therefore hold a 1-0 aggregate advantage for the home leg in just a week's time.

Sandwiched between the two Young Boys games was a Premier League trip to another relegation haunted team, Reading. Trailing at half-time, Liverpool were indebted to Josh Wiles' goal in the first minute of the second half to rescue a point in a disappointing 1-1 draw. Wiles was on target twice more in the midweek Anfield second leg against Young Boys, keying a 4-2 win for the home side that saw them through to the Semi Finals, 5-2 on aggregate. In those Semi Finals, Mann's Reds were drawn to play another team that would go on to win their National championship that season, Serbia's FK Crvena Zvezda (formerly known as Red Star Belgrade) whilst, in the other tie, Germany's Hertha Berlin would play the Italian side AS Roma.

Just three days after seeing off Young Boys, Liverpool returned to Wembley Stadium, for a third time that season, for an FA Cup Semi Final against Manchester City. Solskjaer's United had eased past Wolves, 1-0, in their Semi Final the previous day, so whoever could win out of Liverpool and City knew that they would then take part in a massive game in the Final. The two Premier League games between the two of them had each been won by the home side, so the Semi Final was likely to be a close game, and a difficult one to call.

Call it a hoo-doo or whatever you will, but there was something about Liverpool and going behind early at Wembley Stadium that season. This game was no exception, City's Ibrahim Chukwudi heading home at the far post in only the 6th minute. In a torrid opening half an hour from City, Liverpool were indebted to the linesman's flag leading to a disallowed goal from City's Samuel Ravoncoli not once, but twice. In both the 11th and 28th minutes the Italian had the ball in the net, only to be denied by the flag and a confirming VAR check. Then, just past the half hour mark, Josh Wiles contimued his rich vein of recent goalscoring, netting a quite superb left footed cross shot that gave the City keeper absolutely no chance. 1-1 at the break then, and all still to play for. 

An even half ensued after the break, with both teams creating chances. None found the net however until, in stoppage time, and with everyone mentally preparing for extra-time, that man Ravoncoli finally got himself on the scoresheet. A deep cross from the left found Ravoncoli, whose clever movement had created himself some space from his marker, and his header from eight yards out looped beyond Gonzalez in the Liverpool goal to secure City a berth in an all Manchester final. That was a Final that City would ultimately win too, with goals in the 85th and 90th minutes giving them a come from behind 2-1 win. 

There was no time for Liverpool to moan or sulk about that result though as, only three days later, Arsenal were due at Anfield for a potentially pivotal game in the Premier League title race. Liverpool were the current league leaders, with Manchester United in second place and Arsenal a close third. The previous weekend however, Arsenal had suffered a morale sapping late loss at Leicester, going down 2-3 to a 95th minute winner. There was to be no Wembley hangover for Liverpool here though, as two second half goals from Siggy H saw Arsenal's title hopes all but ended as Mann's Reds ran out 2-0 winners. Three days later and bottom side Burnley arrived at Anfield, Siggy H on target twice more as Liverpool pushed their visitors closer to the relegation trapdoor with a dominant 4-0 victory.

Going in to May then and Liverpool were very much alive still on two fronts, leading the way in the Premier League and preparing for a Europa League Semi Final. However, some quite ridiculous fixture scheduling gave the Reds games on the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th of the month, meaning that the full depth of the squad would be needed to navigate this hellish run.

Work in progress. More to follow as Liverpool take on 5 games in 10 days!

Apologies to anyone waiting with baited breath for the conclusion of Jay Mann's first season at Liverpool, but I can't find any time to update it at the moment. I hope to get back on it next month sometime.