The View From Up Here

By: Daryl | May 4th, 2009

Managing: Newcastle
Date: December 21st, 2011
Progress: Top of the league!

We are top of the league, say we are top of the league.

In case you haven’t gathered, my boys are top of the league. If we’re honest, Man City have a game in hand and could overtake us with a win. But I’m not interested in that. Because right now, I’m top of the league.

This is how my last two games went:

vs Anderlecht (away)

Champions League Group D Matchday 6

This game didn’t matter. Inter had already won the group, I was going to finish second and Anderlecht were going to finish third. Nothing could change that, so I decided to do a bit of squad rotating. Still, I wanted a win and a good performance. And the £475k win money.

Despite that I experimented with 4-4-2 again (I know, I know, a very exotic formation) and the only players to start this game who would normally start a game were Marquinhos and Christian Maggio. Marquinhos because I wanted to give him more time as a striker, and Maggio because I wanted to give him a run at right wing – his favoured position, but I usually make him play right back. Don’t feel bad, he earns £46,000 per week.

Everyone else was second string. Especially young Rodney Sneijder (yep, Wesley’s little bro) who had an amazing game at left mid. Sort of. He scored two goals and got an 8.7 rating. However, both goals were easy tap-ins and seems they were the main reason for his high rating. So the goals actually made it harder to judge his performance.

Shay Given was his reliable self and Lewandowski banged in our third. Only disappointments were Diego (started but subbed at HT) and Camacho and Wijnaldum (who both came off the bench and did nothing).

Result: W 3-0

vs Leeds United (away)

Poor poor Leeds. Bottom of the league and numero uno candidates for relegation. I decided to risk a little squad rotation by sticking with a few of they guys who impressed vs Anderlecht:

Sneijder did nothing wrong, apart from clearly being too slow to get down a Premier League flank. He came off at half-time and selling him might be an option in January. I’ve decided a lack of pace makes him almost worthless, no matter what else he’s capable of.

Lewandowski took his chance by, well, taking his chances. One far post header and one 12 yard striker after a dreamy passing move and all of a sudden Lewandowski looks like a first team player again. Now I have a front four of Laurito, Lewandowski, Marquinhos and Pogrebnyak to choose from. Which leaves me wishing I’d signed strikers that were easier to spell. Unfortunately Fan Bo is still injured.

Result: W 2-0

Not a pretty win, but – as you may have read earlier – it puts me top of the Prem:

Man City have a game in hand because they’ve been busy with the Carling Cup and Europa League. They could still catch me, but they haven’t yet. So I’m just going to enjoy the view from up here for a while.