[Izulde]

Transfer In - MC/MR Chris Dickman (31)
Able to play the AP role well enough that we can move Nicky Greene to the BBM spot and Justin Cooper to the BWM slot, though Justin's played the BBM role his entire time with us. Fact is, Justin has only been okay there, so maybe moving him inside will make him better.

9th vs Elton Vale (11th)
G: Jamie Evans
D: Luke Williams/Jamie Hopkins/Ian Penney/Ryan Leggett
DM: Paul Nisbet
M: Nicky Greene/Justin Cooper/Chris Dickman
ST: Dave Chitty/Gaz Wilson

63 - Carter for Wilson; Mbeleck for Leggett.

67 - Oh look, a bullshit PK call against us. 0-1

Our offense has been awful, so I need to look at how to fix that.

I've decided to put Paul Nisbet in his more comfortable BWM role at DM, and change from Shoot On Sight to Work The Ball In The Box.

13th @ Uppermill (12th)
G: Jamie Evans
D: Luke Williams/Jamie Hopkins/Ian Penney/Ryan Leggett
DM: Paul Nisbet
M: Nicky Greene/Justin Cooper/Chris Dickman
ST: Dave Chitty/Gaz Wilson

[b]1[/b[ - Welp. 0-1

It sets the tone for the rest of the game, and we get destroyed 0-4.

Transfer In - MC/AMC/ST/DM Vernon Francis (32)
We're going to experiment with an instructionless 4-1-2-1-2 that's Counter and Rigid, and Francis will be the Engache in that role.

Transfer In - MC/AMC Sam Mitchell (21)
Francis' backup.

14th vs Long Sutton Athletic (5th)
G: Jamie Evans
D: Luke Williams/Jamie Hopkins/Ian Penney/Ryan Leggett
DM: Paul Nisbet
M: Justin Cooper/Chris Dickman
AM: Vernon Francis
ST: Dave Chitty/Gaz Wilson

17 - Williams is knocked out; in comes Bryant.

19 - Leggett on the wing passes to Dickman on the box boundary. In to Francis, who holds up before centering back to Chitty for the open score! 1-0

24 - Nisbet has IDFK in the box and he short passes to Hopkins. Defense converges and the layoff to Penney nets the sweet, sweet insurance. 2-0

31 - The counter works to perfection as Francis cuts through the midfield and laterals to Cooper for the beautiful forward ball in the box. Chitty beats everyone and slams in his second goal! 3-0

59 - Francis to Wilson, who plays the perfect ball for Chitty to get 1 v 1, and he's so on fire HE GETS THE HAT TRICK!!!! 4-0

78 - Carter for Wilson; Mitchell for Francis.

87 - Oh well. They got one back 4-1

How dominant were we? Every healthy starter had 7.1 or better except Jamie Evans (6.8). Highlights: Ian Penney with 8.2, Paul Nisbet with 7.9, Gaz Wilson with 8.4 and PotM Dave Chitty with 9.6. The weirdest part? Chitty is 5 silver stars and Wilson is 1 gold star at the formation's AF and DLP, left over from the default 4-4-2.

Fluke, or sign of things to come? Who knows? But we climb out of the drop zone, which is the important thing. We also beat the team that gave us fits both games last season, so that's a feather in the cap, too.

Incidentally, two managers were in the stands to watch Kevin Parker, last year's Reading Premier League goal scorer, and if he's poached, that's going to be a disappointment for them.