Season Nine: December Update
We had finally gotten used to Premier League life and were looking to claim enough points to help us evade relegation. We went in to the final month of the year with rumours flying around the place about our future, possible transfers, etc. However, we had to set our focus on our next set of games and doing the best we can.
Results
We started the month off with a comfortable win over Burnley to put us through to the semi finals of the Capital One Cup. We then got back-to-back draws against Newcastle and Reading, before narrowly losing out to Stoke away from home. We then bounced back with a 2-0 win away to Southampton, before title chasers Chelsea and reigning champions Manchester United both claimed 3 points against us to finish off our calender year on a low. I suppose I have to be content with our results, as for a just-promoted team, any point is a point well earned. At the end of the day, I'm delighted we are in the semi finals of the Capital One Cup, a competition which does hand out a European place.
Player of the Month
Tony Garbutt is my player of the month for December. The midfielder was in incredible form to help us claim five league points and passage to the COC semi finals. He scored four goals during the month, which is fantastic for a midfield player. Ever since signing from Manchester United for £200k last season, he has been a fantastic player for us and his transfer fee was a bargain for a player of his quality and his current value.
Barclays Premier League
We have slipped down to 14th and are just five points away from the relegation zone now. I still think we are doing a tremendous job so far, as we are a lot higher than expected. If we can stay in this position for the rest of the season, I can see us pushing even further next season.
January Fixtures
We have another busy month coming up, with no less than eight fixtures to be played, including League Cup semi finals against Newcastle and an FA Cup tie against Accrington. We also face Tottenham and Liverpool in the league, whom we drew with in previous league encounters. Hopefully we can do well in the league this month, and my focus will be on the cup competitions, as that is where I want to do well in this season.