Alive And Kicking: Season One, Episode Two

Welcome back lads and lasses to Alive And Kicking, our jaunt through English football 30 years ago via the 1992-93 database on Football Manager 2022. If you missed episode one which opened our save as Grimsby Town in the Endsleigh League Division One then you can catch up here. 

With the transfer deadline looming, reinforcements come in the shape of Leicester's central defender Tony James who arrives in a £45,000 deal and he is joined by Everton's right-back/centre half Neil Moore who joins on a season-long loan deal. After at least one of the goals in the Derby County defeat was avoidable, my attempts to bring in a new goalkeeper falls short as a last-ditch attempt to bring Andy Woodman (yes, Town fans that one) in on loan from Crystal Palace was unable to completed before the window slammed shut. 

After our dismal showing against Derby in our last Division One outing, we turn out another one at St. Andrews as we roll over to hosts Birmingham City and concede another four goals. Defensively we were very poor and we only offered anything in attack once the game was very firmly out of reach. Winless in out first four, no points and only two goals. Is it too early to consider ourselves in a relegation battle? 

Thankfully, in our next home outing we manage to get our first win of the season as we send Bristol Rovers back to the Westcountry with nothing as we record a 1-0 victory. Worryingly, our strikers weren't at the races and offered little but fortunately midfield dynamo Jim Dobbin took the bull by the horns and scored the decisive goal. Dust down the open-topped bus, we've got a promotion party to organise! 

Sometimes, Football Manager (just as the real life game does) throws up one of those games where you sit there and just wonder what the hell has just happened. Our visit to the Manor Ground to face Oxford United was one of them. It was despair to joy, to elation as we turned it round and went 3-2 up before sinking back and thinking 'typical Town' as our lead evaporated into going 4-3 down and then ultimately thinking 'a point will do' as we pull it back to 4-4 eventually resulting to complete euphoria when Gary Croft sends an absolute shitsnorter into the top corner in the sixth minute of stoppage time to send us home 5-4 winners. Winning 5-4? We'll never do that again...

It's one of those games that fans will go on to talk about for years. 

Maybe it was my own overconfidence going into the last game of this instalment that ultimately let us down as we finish with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Southend United, who currently occupy the other bottom place in the table. It's a bit 'after the Lord Mayor's show' as we turn out a flat display although we could perhaps count ourselves unlucky not to take all three points as we pile on some second half pressure before we're caught cold on the counter attack (again!) which allows the Shrimpers to take the points. 

Definite signs of improvement from us so I'm holding out a bit of hope that we can kick on and move up the table. That's for the next instalment though. If you're going to Rochdale tomorrow have a good trip, here's hoping Paul and the lads come home with our first three points of the season. 

See you soon and Up The Mariners!