Sunday, 15th May, 2005

FDL final day
Phil claims his first FDL title by a record 167 points from second-placed Thomas. Olly caps a fine campaign by finishing third and claiming the May Manager of the Month award (with 58 points) to add to his cup success last weekend. I held Josh off to end up fourth, while Andy took sixth place back from Joe. Harriet, Chris and Daniel make up the bottom trio, with Daniel becoming the first former champion to finish last.

Honours

Football Dreams League: Phil Steventon (Runner-up: Thomas Abbs)
Football Dreams Cup: Olly Greef (Runner-up: Phil Steventon)
FDL Cup: William Abbs (Runner-up: Phil Steventon)
Football Dreams Association Shield: The Elders (William Abbs, Chris Ferry, Olly Greef, Andy Mower, Phil Steventon)
El Torneo del Mejor: Phil Steventon (Runner-up: Andy Mower)
Football Dreams Super Cup: Thomas Abbs (Runner-up: Phil Steventon)

Prize money

Phil Steventon: £19.50 (FDL champion = £7; FD Cup runner-up = £2.50; FDL Cup runner-up = £2.50; Association Shield winner = £1; El Torneo winner = £3; 7 x Manager of the Month = £3.50)
Olly Greef: £10.00 (FDL third place = £2; FD Cup winner = £6; Association Shield winner = £1; 2 x Manager of the Month = £1)
William Abbs: £7.00 (FDL fourth place = £1; FDL Cup winner = £5; Association Shield winner = £1)
Thomas Abbs: £4.00 (FDL runner-up = £4)
Andy Mower: £3.00 (FD Cup semi-finalist = £1; Association Shield winner = £1; El Torneo runner-up = £1)
Josh Cadwallader: £1.50 (FDL fifth place = 50p; FDL Cup semi-finalist = £1)
Joe Hemmings: £1.50 (FDL Cup semi-finalist = £1; 1 x Manager of the Month = 50p)
Harriet Yeomans: £1.50 (FD Cup semi-finalist = £1.50)
Chris Ferry: £1.00 (Association Shield winner = £1)
Daniel Swift-Gibbs: £0.00

Wednesday, 11th May, 2005

FDL update
Josh and I have swapped places for the umpteenth time and Joe has retaken sixth from Andy. Robert Pires joined the 100 points club tonight, but William Gallas lost his status last night when he got booked. Going into the final day of the FDL season on Sunday, Phil will be looking to score six goals to reach the century mark and the battle between me and Josh for fourth place will at last be decided. Joe and Andy are also jostling for sixth place, although there is no prize money at stake there.

Sunday, 8th May, 2005

Football Dreams Cup Final: The Anoraky Iraqi 7-13 Yoda's Pants
Olly has denied Phil the Treble and deservedly claimed his first silverware in four years. He did it the hard way, having to enter at the 1st Round stage because of his league position last year. Phil, the league champion elect, also lost the FDL Cup Final to me back in March and will have to be content with the European crown being his only other reward for such a dominant season. The Anoraky Iraqi is unquestionably the greatest Football Dreams side ever, setting new points and goals records, but the fickle beast that is cup football has favoured the underdog in both cup finals this season.

FDL update
Josh is fourth yet again and his centre half William Gallas becomes the first ever defender to reach 100 points.

Monday, 2nd May, 2005

Association Shield Round 5
The Elders have secured victory in the competition with a 3-2 win from the weekend's ties and an overall 15-10 success. Josh dashed my hopes of a clean sweep, with Harriet claiming the other Junior win over Chris. For the Elders, Olly, Andy and Phil beat, respectively, Thomas, Joe and Daniel.

FDL update
Fourth place is mine once more and Andy has taken sixth from Joe.

Saturday, 30th April, 2005

FDL update
Josh and I continue to tussle for fourth place, with the Welshman currently holding the advantage. For the fifth time in a row the Manager of the Month is Phil, this time with 97 points. Frank Lampard has become the second player to pass 100 points.

Monday, 25th April, 2005

FDL update
After the weekend's games, I am back above Josh into fourth.

Wednesday, 20th April, 2005

FDL update
The table is unchanged but two Football Dreams records have fallen. Goals from Luis Garcia and Morten-Gamst Pedersen have taken Phil's tally for the season to 88, one more than the previous best set by both Daniel and Thomas, and The Anoraky Iraqi's points total now stands at 762, one more than Daniel's final total from 2001/2002.

Saturday, 16th April, 2005

FDL update
Josh has reclaimed fourth spot from me.

Sunday, 10th April, 2005

Football Dreams Cup Semi-Finals
The Quadruple is off for Phil but Olly is now all that stands between him and a domestic double. Phil saw off Harriet 32-0 in one semi and Olly edged past Andy 25-19 in the other. Olly is the longest-serving non-Abbs Football Dreams manager but has only a 2001 FDL Cup success to his name, while Phil will be defending the trophy he won last year against me.

FDL update
The table is unchanged.

Sunday, 3rd April, 2005

Association Shield Round 4
Four wins out of five for the Elders means that they have an overall lead over the Juniors of 12 points to 8. However, Thomas did manage to beat Andy so the Juniors can still will win the competition if they win all five ties in four weeks' time. The Elders, though, need just one win to scupper that hope. If the two age groups finish level on points (which can only happen if the Juniors win four games and the other is drawn) then there will be a play-off.

FDL update
The only change in league position was Josh losing fourth place to me. The top four managers in the FDL will qualify for El Torneo next season.

Thursday, 24th March, 2005

Transfer deadline day
Thomas took advantage of today's amnesty on previously-owned players by buying Peter Crouch to replace Joseph-Desire Job. I doubt that selling Crouch earlier on in the season causes Phil to lose much sleep, though. The other transfer saw Chris draft in Sylvain Distin because Dean Richards has retired. Only compulsory changes like this may now be made by managers until the end of the season.

Wednesday, 23rd March, 2005

Football Dreams Cup Semi-Final draw
The two survivors from the 1st Round avoided each other; Harriet meets Phil, Olly plays Andy. The ties will be played over the weekend commencing 9th April.

Sunday, 20th March, 2005

Football Dreams Cup 2nd Round
Harriet, Andy, Phil and Olly have disposed of, respectively, me, Josh, Thomas and Daniel. Therefore, Thomas will go without a major trophy for the first time since 2002.

FDL update
Olly has taken third from Josh and Harriet has drawn level with Andy. Phil now has a 125-point lead and is Manager of the Month yet again, this time with 70 points from March's rather stunted Premiership fixture list. With the title's destination a certainty, the main point of interest in the FDL is European qualification. Realistically, it is two from Olly, Josh and me to join Phil and Thomas in El Torneo.

Wednesday, 16th March, 2005

FDL update
The midweek Premiership games have not affected league positions. Phil leads Thomas by 96 points.

Monday, 7th March, 2005

Association Shield Round 3
Another 3-2 result, this time in favour of the Elders, puts them back in front of the Juniors by 8 points to 7 overall. Chris, Phil, Harriet, Daniel and me were the victorious managers in our respective ties.

FDL update
No changes in position but it was a topsy-turvy weekend because the bottom three were the best-performing managers.

Sunday, 6th March, 2005

FDL Cup Final: The Anoraky Iraqi 0-1 Dial M for Murderousness
With the tie decided early because neither of us have players involved tomorrow night, Ricardo Carvalho's headed goal for Chelsea is going to be enough to give me a shock win over Phil. His team has scored almost twice as many goals as mine in the league but all of Phil's big guns put in misfiring performances to allow a floppy-haired Portuguese who looks like the female sailor from 'Charlie Chalk' to dash any hopes of the Quadruple for the runaway FDL leader. I last won the League Cup in 2003 and it's my first silverware since that campaign.

Monday, 28th February, 2005

FDL update
The third weekend without a full Premiership programme during February did not result in any changes in league position. Phil leads Thomas by a whopping 99 points, his first title now looking a certainty, and collects his fifth Manager of the Month award of the season with 98 points. Part two of Phil's quest for the Quadruple is next weekend, when he faces me in the FDL Cup Final.

Monday, 14th February, 2005

FDL update
I have overtaken Joe to go fifth. Thierry Henry has once again reached the 100-points mark first, his two goals tonight leaving him on a tally of 107 for Chris' team this season.

Sunday, 6th February, 2005

Association Shield Round 2
Wins for Thomas, Josh and Harriet gave the Juniors a 3-2 win over the Elders, with Phil and I being victorious in our ties. Both age groups now have five points each in total.

FDL update
The table is unchanged.

Wednesday, 2nd February, 2005

FDL Cup Semi-Final Replay
I will play Phil in the final next month after beating Josh 3-1. All the goals came on Tuesday, with Ryan Giggs, Yakubu Ayegbeni and Robert Earnshaw netting for me and Fernando Morientes grabbing a consolation for Josh. Robbie Fowler again had a goal ruled out as he is cup-tied.

FDL update
He may have exited the FDL Cup tonight but Josh has climbed two places in the table to third, with Olly and Joe falling back. I have taken sixth place from Andy.

Tuesday, 1st February, 2005

Transfer window closes
The winter transfer window has shut and for the rest of the season no players may be bought who have already been in someone's Football Dreams team, denoted by a red cross next to their name on the Player List. However, there will be an amnesty on transfer deadline day, which should be some time in March, when for 24 hours such players will be available.

Late transfer window moves

Andy - Henri Camara (*SOT*) for Carlton Cole (*AV*)
William - Andy Reid (TOT) for Barry Ferguson (BLA)
William - Mikel Arteta (*EVE*) for Muzzy Izzet (BIR)
William - David Thompson (BLA) for Diomansy Kamara (POR)
Thomas - Walter Pandiani (*BIR*) for Jon Stead (BLA)

Sunday, 30th January, 2005

FDL Cup Final rearranged
Blame the midweek England friendly. The first cup final of the season was scheduled for the weekend commencing 12th February but I've had to put it back until 5th March. This is because FA Cup 4th Round Replays will affect the Premiership programme on the original date, while the next two weekends feature the FA Cup 5th Round and then the Carling Cup Final. Match Day 3 of the Association Shield will go ahead as planned still over 5th-7th March.

Monday, 24th January, 2005

FDL Cup Semi-Final 2nd Legs
I did tempt fate last week by suggesting that Phil's chances of a clean sweep were over, so blame me for his extraordinary 6-2 win against Joe in the second leg of their semi-final that gives him a 7-6 aggregate success. Phil's team had scored four goals by a quarter to four on Saturday to turn around Joe's advantage. He's the Deportivo la Coruna of Football Dreams. Josh and I must replay our tie to decide who meets Phil in the FDL Cup Final. Leon McKenzie's goal for Norwich equalised my effort from Damien Francis earlier in the same match.

FDL update
The table is as it was. Phil leads Thomas by 71 points and is Manager of the Month with 119 points.

Sunday, 16th January, 2005

FDL Cup Semi-Final 1st Legs
Just as I began to think Phil might do the Quadruple, Joe trounces him 4-1 to leave the league leader with a big task in the return leg next weekend. The tie between Josh and I is still goalless. A Robbie Fowler goal for Josh was chalked off because the Manchester City player is cup-tied.

FDL update
No position changes. Thomas has slightly cut Phil's lead to 53 points.

Saturday, 15th January, 2005

Football Dreams Cup 2nd Round draw
We'll have to wait until 19th March, but the Phil-Thomas match is the tie of the round. It looks like one of those 'balance of power' games since Thomas, undeniably the greatest Football Dreams manager in history, is being overshadowed by Phil's all-conquering performance this season. The other ties are between Harriet and me, Josh and Andy, and Daniel and Olly.

Friday, 14th January, 2005

J-Unit win chase for Morientes
After fevered bidding from several managers, I decided to take the unprecedented step of holding a lottery to decide who signed Fernando Morientes. Josh's name came out of the hat in the presence of the independent adjudicator, Cliff Thorburn, leaving Olly, Phil, Thomas and me disappointed.

Wednesday, 5th January, 2005

Football Dreams Cup 1st Round
Olly has followed up his defeat of Joe in the Association Shield with a convincing win in the Cup. Joe was unbeaten in cup competition until Boxing Day, when Andy beat him 3-0 in the FDL Cup to begin this run of three defeats. Harriet also books her place in the 2nd Round, where the other six managers enter the competition, with victory over Chris.

FDL update
Phil scored six times over the midweek games and leads Thomas by a whopping 68 points. As with Chelsea, it now looks like it's Phil's title to lose. Josh has regained fifth from Andy but it's tight in mid-table.

Saturday, 1st January, 2005

Football Association Shield Round 1
The Elders have the early lead despite Thomas and Daniel winning crunch ties against, respectively, Phil and Chris. Wins for me, Andy and Olly in our matches give us a 3-2 advantage over the Juniors.

FDL update
Olly has retaken third from Joe and Andy's good run of form has been rewarded by him going fifth above Josh.

Happy New Year!
The transfer window opened at midnight and so players with red crosses beside their names on the Player List are allowed to be bought throughout this month. Today's ten Premiership matches will also determine Round 1 of our Ryder Cup, the Football Dreams Association Shield. The fixtures have been decided by each manager being allocated a number based on their relative placing within their age group in the FDL table as it stood this morning. Therefore: Phil is Elder 1, Thomas is Junior 1, Joe is Junior 2, Olly is Elder 2, Josh is Junior 3, Andy is Elder 3, I am Elder 4, Harriet is Junior 4, Chris is Elder 5, and Daniel is Junior 5.

Wednesday, 29th December, 2004

FDL update
With 2004's Premiership programme at an end, Phil leads Thomas by 37 points and Joe has overtaken Olly to go third. Phil is Manager of the Month with 147 points, the third highest monthly tally ever in Football Dreams, although Andy's haul of 133 points during December was the fifth greatest in history too. 

Sunday, 26th December, 2004

League Cup Group Stage conclusion
A storming afternoon of cup action that would have deserved a live update league table if I hadn't been at my grandparents' house all day. As the games kicked off, Thomas was in the driving seat until Thierry Henry gave Chris the lead in their tie, a win being enough for either manager to guarantee their passage to the semis. However, an equaliser for Thomas from Marcus Bent later in the afternoon threw qualification wide open again since Andy was beating Joe 2-0 and so it was he who was now occupying fourth spot in the table because Phil was losing 2-1 against Olly. A Robbie Keane goal for Spurs levelled matters for Phil but it was still Andy in fourth spot when the evening game kicked off. Two goals for John Arne Riise and one from Luis Garcia completed Phil's comeback, though, and despite Andy securing a comfortable 3-0 win over Joe to become the first manager to beat him, Phil took advantage of the draw between Chris and Thomas to leapfrog both with a 5-2 win and pip Andy into the semis by virtue of beating him in their group match.

In the two dead rubbers, I defeated Harriet 2-1 and Josh drew 0-0 with Daniel. Josh and I meet in the semis, along with Joe and Phil.

FDL update
Phil got five late Christmas presents as the goals rained in for his team and helped to stretch his lead to 41 points. Thomas now heads the chasing pack from Olly, with Joe dropping to fourth and Josh currently fifth.

Wednesday, 22nd December, 2004

Football Dreams Cup 1st Round draw
Olly will play Joe and Harriet faces Chris in the opening round, the winner of the ties being the manager who earns the most points from the Premiership matches between 3rd and 5th January. These four are entering the competition early because of their league position last season.

Monday, 20th December, 2004

FDL update
Phil will be top at Christmas but only 19 points separate first and fifth places in what is shaping up to be an intriguing title fight. Thomas is now third after overtaking Josh and Harriet has moved above Chris into eighth.

Wednesday, 15th December, 2004

FDL Cup qualification summary
Just one spot is vacant for the semis and Thomas, Chris, Phil and Andy are all hoping to fill it. Intriguingly, Thomas and Chris will play each other on Boxing Day and whoever wins will go through. A draw complicates matters. Chris would definitely be eliminated because Thomas has scored more goals. A win for Phil against Olly to capitalise on the draw would see him qualify, while Andy can take advantage of a draw and go through if he manages to beat Joe and Phil does not win his game. It is worth me repeating that managers level on points are separated by the result of their group match and then goals scored (not goal difference). Unfortunately, I won't be able to provide a live league table on Boxing Day but I hope this clears the process up to some extent.

Tuesday, 14th December, 2004

FDL update
Tonight's rearranged Premiership match did not alter any league positions.

Monday, 13th December, 2004

FDL Cup Match Day 9
Holding Joe to a 1-1 draw has secured my qualification and it is more or less certain that I will face Josh in the semis. Joe will play whoever can clinch fourth spot on Boxing Day. Thomas is currently in pole position after defeating Harriet 2-0 in a heated encounter, with Chris level on points with him after beating Phil 2-0. Phil can still qualify, though, as can Andy, who did not have a fixture this weekend. It was one defeat too many for Harriet, however, who is now out of the competition, and Olly's 1-1 draw with Daniel has cost him any hope of qualification too.

FDL update
Andy's fine weekend has been rewarded with a move above me into sixth place. Joe has taken third from Josh.

Wednesday, 8th December, 2004

Phil wraps up El Torneo del Mejor
This year's revamped Football Dreams European competition has been won by Phil, beating Andy 67-31 in the Final. Under the old rules Andy would have emerged victorious because he amassed more points over the six match days, so the incorporation of a new group stage format proved crucial. 

Monday, 6th December, 2004

FDL update
A poor November, caused by injuries and loss of form, cost Phil a lot of ground in the title race but five goals this weekend have helped to propel him back to the top four weeks after losing the lead. Thomas also scored five times and lies second. Josh is now third, so Joe has dropped from first to fourth.

Sunday, 28th November, 2004

League Cup Match Day 8
Phil condemned Josh to his second successive group match defeat to take the fourth qualification spot from Harriet, who was beaten by Andy to make it three straight defeats for her. Andy joins Phil on 10 points but has to settle for fifth place because he lost their group match. Despite losing, though, Josh qualifies anyway for the semi-finals because only Harriet can at most draw level with him on points and, because he beat her 1-0 on Match Day 3, Josh has the advantage. Olly and Thomas drew their crunch tie 1-1, a result neither manager will be particularly happy with, while Chris and I played out a goalless draw. Therefore, with Joe and Josh already through, me and Phil currently occupy the other two spots.

FDL update
A fortnight ago Joe became the first manager to qualify for the FDL Cup knockout stage and now he's gone top of the league for the first time this season and is Manager of the Month with 85 points (talk about an early birthday present!). Five goals this weekend have taken his goals scored column to 40, with Phil the next most prolific on 29, and while Joe's leaky defence should cause him concern it does not stop his goal difference from being vastly superior to everyone else's, and it is this that separates him from Josh on 265 points. Phil is now third so Thomas has dropped two places to fourth, and Olly has regained fifth from me. Daniel, the 2002 FDL champion, is last and 39 points behind ninth-placed Harriet.

Wednesday, 24th November, 2004

El Torneo del Mejor Final update
Phil has extended his lead by two to 30 points, meaning that Andy will have to go some on the final match day if his sensational group stage form is not to count for nothing.

Monday, 22nd November, 2004

FDL update
After the weekend's games, Phil lies fourth after being displaced by Thomas and Joe. Another former FDL leader, Olly, continues his slide by losing fifth place to me. Josh leads Thomas by eight points at the summit.

Wednesday, 17th November, 2004

International Friendly: Spain 1-0 England
Ashley Cole is no favourite of mine (in fact, to my shame, I felt rather proud of Ruud for that challenge). Cole dives, cheats fellow professionals and can tackle dangerously himself. Tonight's crowd in Madrid, however, chose to barrack him and the other black and mixed-race England players not for any football-related 'crimes', but because their skin is a darker colour. Of course, the abscess of racism in football is highlighted whenever England play in eastern Europe, but for fans in a developed nation such as Spain, who cheer on a significant number of South Americans for their clubs each week, to behave like this, and for the Spanish authorities to react so lackadaisically to it, is absolutely shocking. No matter how much vitriol we may feel towards players, the moment our chants turn from matters of football - which is irrelevant in the greater scheme of things - to personal issues like race, religion and sexuality then a line is most unquestionably crossed.

Sunday, 14th November, 2004

League Cup Match Day 7
Joe has sealed his qualification for the semis with a 5-2 mauling of Harriet. Josh could have done likewise but crashed 4-2 to Thomas, losing the lead in the group to Joe too. I beat Olly by the odd goal in seven to consolidate my third position in the table, Andy squeezed past Chris 2-1 and Phil was held to a 1-1 draw by Daniel. Andy, Chris, Phil and Thomas are all tied on seven points, just two adrift of Harriet in fourth, although Andy has played a game more than the others. 

FDL update
Surprisingly, despite the abundance of Premiership goals this weekend (39 in total, with 25 being scored by Football Dreams players) the table is unchanged. Josh leads Phil by six points while Thomas and Joe continue to chase. Olly is in danger of being sucked into the mid-table bog that Andy and I are trying to escape. Daniel is twenty points adrift at the foot of the table.

Sunday, 7th November, 2004

FDL update
Three of Fulham's four goals this afternoon were scored by Josh's players and this was enough for him to knock Phil off the top of the FDL. Olly's slide in form continues as Thomas and Joe relegate him to fifth, only three weeks after he had headed the table. My three goals this weekend have helped me take sixth from Andy.

Thursday, 4th November, 2004

Mutu banned for seven months
Banning a player who fails a drugs test for seven months after another was ruled out for eight months for not failing one obviously raises questions about consistency. However, while the Ferdinand ban was harsh, I feel that the FA have got this one spot on. The issue at stake here is that there are many players earning phenomenal amounts of money without being required to earn it on a football pitch. Mutu has a history of indiscipline and so it is no surprise that he fell into recreational drug use as he looked for ways to spend money and fill his time. However, recreational drug use should not be grouped with taking performance-enhancing drugs. Taking cocaine, as he was alleged to have done, would not have helped him get into the Chelsea first eleven, and the fact that he chose to take drugs that would probably only hamper his performances tells us how isolated and disillusioned with his life he was feeling. For Chelsea to wash their hands of him is indicative of what a cold club they are, because this is a player who needs counselling to turn himself around and to feel needed by his team. He will have no problems finding such a club in May.

Wednesday, 3rd November, 2004

El Torneo del Mejor Final gets under way
The second half of the Champions League group stage will decide if Andy or Phil will take Football Dreams' European crown. Having Ruud van Nistelrooy in your team helps, as Phil has found by scorching into a 28-point lead.

Monday, 1st November, 2004

League Cup Match Day 6
Josh may have lost to Joe on Match Day 4 but that is the only time he has dropped points, and after beating me 2-1 he has gone top of the group as Joe drew 1-1 with Chris. Thomas gained his first win of the competition, 2-1 against Daniel, while Olly and Andy's tie finished level at 1-1. Josh, Joe, myself and Harriet occupy the qualification spots at present.

Sunday, 31st October, 2004

FDL update
Thomas has gone fourth at the expense of Joe. Phil has made it back-to-back Manager of the Month awards after scoring 80 points during October and he leads the FDL by 12 points from Josh.

Saturday, 30th October, 2004

FDL update
Josh has retaken second from Olly.

Sunday, 24th October, 2004

FDL update
Josh drops another place as Olly takes second, Joe goes above Thomas into fourth, and I have overtaken Chris to go seventh.

Arsenal: 49 and out
I'm not going to analyse the game. Words really are not enough to describe how much this means to me. Ruud tucking that penalty away was totally and utterly beautiful, and the way he celebrated it is up there with Tardelli in 1982. On a day when the fans fought against the club falling into the hands of a leprechaun, the players have backed them up with one of the great United results. Two final points: firstly, if Rooney had been wearing an England shirt he would have been praised, just like Owen against Argentina, for going down even if the contact was minimal (and contact there was); secondly, don't you just love listening to indignant Frenchmen?

Saturday, 23rd October, 2004

FDL update
Josh was top for just one week because Phil's five goals today have seen him climb from third to first. Andy has also regained sixth from Chris.

Wednesday, 20th October, 2004

El Torneo del Mejor Group Stage Match Day 3
With Andy and Phil already having sealed qualification, the last two group matches were reduced to matters of pride. Thomas was victorious in the European Ab derby and Andy defeated Phil to complete his emphatic 100% record in the group stage. The winner of the competition will be whoever racks up the most points in total over the remaining three Champions League programmes. 

Monday, 18th October, 2004

United-Arsenal preview
This match will not end as a draw. With 11 points separating the two teams after just nine matches, the issue is whether the gap is down to a misleading early league table (I mean, Everton are third!) or if these 11 points could become 33 by the end of the season. Both teams know just how much significance the game has other than the matter of three points.

A United win puts them 8 points behind Arsenal, which is nothing at this stage, but, more importantly, destroys the notion of invincibility about Arsenal that most Premiership teams have bought into. More dropped points would then follow for the Gunners. However, an Arsenal win makes it 50 Premiership matches unbeaten and, I do not say this lightly, kills off United's title challenge and commits to the past their era of pre-eminence. Yes, United have won just one of the past three titles but nobody disputes that Liverpool dominated English football for two decades despite their successes being disrupted by the likes of Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Arsenal themselves. For this reason, until another team's collection of silverware overshadows that of United for a sustained period then no shifting of power has occurred. With a victory at Old Trafford putting them 14 points clear of their rivals, though, and taking into account the two teams' contrasting league form since January, only a fool would bet on United winning the league. Forget mathematics, the teams would obviously be of vastly differing quality and heading in opposite directions. United's image as a team in transition would be confirmed and Arsenal will push on in Europe and the Premiership with the prospect of a lucrative new home ground to come. The most gracious thing to do, as a United fan, should they lose on Sunday is to accept this and not cling on too long like Liverpool did.

Of course, though, the beauty of football is the hope it offers. I relish the big games and believe that United will score a glorious 2-0 victory before rolling on to the title. Arsenal hold no fear for me as a fan; after events last September, my contempt towards them is unshakeable. However, hope in football is double-edged and the confidence I feel now would make defeat even more crushing.

League Cup Match Day 5
Josh has moved to just one point behind Joe at the top as the former thrashed Andy 5-0 while Joe was held to a 2-2 draw by Olly. My 1-0 defeat of Daniel, thanks to a Yakubu header, allows me to take third spot from Harriet. She was beaten 2-0 by Chris, with Andrew O'Brien's own goal doubling the winning margin. Phil bounced back from losing to one Abbs by beating another, as he saw off Thomas 3-2.

FDL update
Olly's seven-week spell at the top has been ended by Josh, whose fine weekend was enough for him to go five points clear. The only other change in league position sees Chris take sixth from Andy.

Wednesday, 13th October, 2004

World Cup round-up
Six points from two games and the qualification group is under England's control. Our passage to Germany looks smoother now that all the long away trips are out of the way. Unfortunately, I missed tonight's antics in Baku due to a ludicrously scheduled job interview. Wales' renaissance peaked two years ago when they humbled the Italians, and their steady regression continued with a limp performance at Old Trafford and tonight's collapse against Poland. England's cause was further assisted by Northern Ireland's late equaliser against Austria.

Monday, 4th October, 2004

League Cup Match Day 4
Joe beat Josh 2-0 to go three points clear at the top of the group and keep up his 100% record. Surprising wins for Harriet and me against Olly and Phil, respectively, kept us both in the qualification spots, beneath which there is now a four-point gap to a gaggle of managers on three points. Daniel joins this bunch with a shock 1-0 victory over Andy, and Thomas, who did not play this weekend, replaces him at the foot of the table.

FDL update
Olly stays top as we go into the international break but Josh is now second after overtaking Phil. There were no other position changes, with all managers' weekend scores being in a nine-point range. Phil was September's Manager of the Month with 73 points.

Thursday, 30th September, 2004

A correction
I'm sure you spotted my glaring error in the latest FDL Cup report. I am indeed unbeaten but, despite alluding to Joe and Josh's 100% records, still asserted I was unique in that respect. Obviously, the two Js have zeros in the lost column too, but that could change this weekend when they play each other.

Wednesday, 29th September, 2004

El Torneo del Mejor Group Stage Match Day 2
For three years Andy has been lying deep in Football Dreams with little reward. However, this season he has created an exceptional European team which has now scored 12 goals and amassed 82 points so far. Andy has twice equalled the Football Dreams record for six goals during one full match programme, despite having no substitutes to call upon as in the league. Another easy win, this time against Thomas, has seen Acne Glasnost through to the final, where they will play Ronnie Biggs & The Kakakas, who join them on six points following the defeat of my team. Therefore, the two final group games will have nothing riding on them except pride.

Monday, 27th September, 2004

League Cup Match Day 3
Joe and Josh made it three wins out of three with narrow victories over, respectively, Daniel and Harriet. Joe takes top spot due to his superior goals scored column. The FDL leader, Olly, is off the mark following a 1-0 defeat of Chris, while Phil broke his duck with a 5-1 trouncing of Andy. As Harriet lost, I am now the only unbeaten manager after a 1-1 draw with Thomas in the Ab derby, who gets his first point. Harriet and I join Joe and Josh in the qualification berths.

FDL update
Phil's five goals have risen him five places to second, 10 points behind Olly. Thomas is also up one to fourth, meaning that, with Josh remaining third, Joe has dropped three to fifth and Andy slips from fourth to sixth. Chris, Harriet and Daniel all drop one place to go seventh, ninth and tenth, and I move up two to eighth.

Tuesday, 21st September, 2004

El Torneo results
UEFA have finally decided to award Dynamo Kiev a 3-0 victory in their abandoned match with Roma. Therefore, the winning margins for Andy and Phil in their respective matches against me and Thomas are 49-16 and 34-15, so Andy tops the group.

Monday, 20th September, 2004

FDL update
Tonight's match did not result in any position changes but Olly has extended his lead to 18 points thanks to those two glorious Mickael Silvestre headers.

Brian Clough, 1935-2004
Not since Joe Strummer died in December 2002 has a piece of sad news such as this taken me aback so much. Cloughie's health problems were well documented but, judging by his monthly columns in FourFourTwo magazine, he seemed to still be in top form. Perhaps the greatest tribute I can pay him is that, like Strummer, he was one of that rare breed of people with such charisma that, even if you disagreed with some of their opinions, you could have nothing but respect for the conviction with which they believed in them.

Sunday, 19th September, 2004

FDL update
Josh has moved above Andy to go third and Phil has taken seventh place from Harriet.

Saturday, 18th September, 2004

FDL update
Joe has cut Olly's lead to 3 points but the latter has become the first manager this season to pass the 100 mark. Andy, Josh and Thomas remain third, fourth and fifth. Chris is up four places to sixth, with Harriet falling one to seventh, Phil down one to eighth, and me down two to last (the shame). Daniel stays put in ninth.

Wednesday, 15th September, 2004

El Torneo del Mejor Group Stage Match Day 1
Due to the abandonment of Roma's game with Kiev tonight, the first results of the Football Dreams European season will be delayed until UEFA have ruled on the outcome of the match.

Monday, 13th September, 2004

League Cup Match Day 2
Joe, Josh and Harriet lead the way in the group by maintaining 100% records in their respective matches against Phil, Chris and Daniel. Conversely, Thomas (beaten by Andy), Phil and Daniel have all played two, lost two. Olly and I did not have a fixture this weekend.

FDL update
After the first programme of games for two weeks, Olly remains top and leads Joe, who is up from sixth, by five points. The other risers are Andy (eighth to third), Harriet (ninth to sixth) and Daniel (tenth to ninth). I have tumbled five places to eighth, with Josh (second to fourth), Thomas (fourth to fifth), Phil (fifth to seventh) and Chris (seventh to tenth) also falling.

Wednesday, 8th September, 2004

World Cup Qualifying Group 6: Poland 1-2 England
One of my pet hates is when people find reasons to complain even when their teams win, so I'm not going to pick holes in this performance too much. Suffice to say, it wasn't convincing, but the job was done and we got three points. Jermain Defoe should stay in the team, and I'd partner him with Wayne Rooney if it was up to me. The new goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, had very little to do but will keep his place, although I'm not 100% sure he's a long-term solution. I expect to see Robert Green in an Arsenal shirt next season, so he could be the way forward. With two trips to Eastern Europe out of the way already, and Wales in disarray on and off the pitch, qualification is ours for the taking.

Saturday, 4th September, 2004

World Cup Qualifying Group 6: Austria 2-2 England
With just over an hour gone, Steven Gerrard's glorious goal put England two up against a poor Austrian outfit who should have been down to ten men following Alex Manninger's rush of blood to the head just before half-time. I was impressed with England's movement down the flanks and our passing had been crisper than normal. As less than a third of the game remained, it should have been a case of playing out time in preparation for the Poles on Wednesday. When the final whistle blew, though, my mood could best be described as combustible.

Just as against France, we self-destructed through cataclysmic losses of concentration. A sloppily-conceded free-kick was brilliantly despatched over a defensive wall that mystifyingly refused to jump. Surely that's on page one of the 'How to defend direct free-kicks' manual? Seconds later, and David James made the worst mistake I have ever seen an England number 1 make, and, as you can imagine, that's up against some pretty stiff competition. All goalkeepers, just like their outfield colleagues, make errors, but theirs are usually punished by the loss of goals. In my opinion, since what distinguishes football of varying levels is the likelihood that mistakes lead to goals, a formidable goalkeeper is the foundation of any successful international side. James was, at best, a stopgap after the demise of David Seaman, and with Paul Robinson, Chris Kirkland and Robert Green all showing promise, his place is untenable now. Aside from the disgraceful howler that cost us two points, James let a ball slip through his hands with only his heels preventing it from rolling into the net, and he also needlessly charged out of his goal during the second half but was saved by John Terry's goal line clearance.

Realistically, of course, this match has not seriously dented our chances of reaching the World Cup and topping the group is still the most probable outcome. For an hour we played rather well, certainly well enough to win the game, and Jermain Defoe was denied a winner by the post during the chaotic final portion of the match. However, there are serious issues about the team and the coaching staff to be resolved. David Beckham and Michael Owen still seemed hung over from Portugal, and Defoe and SWP are perfect replacements. Frank Lampard could be suffering from Second Season Syndrome. Sven's substitutions, just as in Portugal, were not astute. Withdrawing Gerrard instead of the injured Wayne Bridge was a farcical breakdown in communication between players and bench, and Jamie Carragher was not going to find us a winner. Bringing on Defoe would have been more effective if he had been partnered with Alan Smith, who put himself about well, and not Owen. Furthermore, I was livid to see Joe Cole come on instead of SWP. Cole is a cretin, the playground hogger who does nothing productive with the ball, and he lost us possession three of four times at least in his five minutes of action. SWP has the directness, the verve and the humility that Cole so sorely lacks. Even though he plays in light blue and scores with chips in derby games, the child-like delight that SWP plays with, and the grin he had on his face after his England debut, have made me a massive admirer.

To conclude this tirade, let me reiterate that for the Poland game James should be dropped and Beckham and Owen given a last chance to redeem themselves. As for Sven, replacing him would be too expensive and disruptive to be even considered, but my estimation of him is nearer to the 'if-not-him-then-who-else?' opinion than it has ever been.

Tuesday, 31st August, 2004

Transfer window shuts
After midnight tonight, no player on the Player List with a red cross next to their name may be bought by a manager until 1st January. These players have already represented other managers this season. Please let me stress that players without red crosses beside their names may be bought between now and the opening of the winter transfer window.

Monday, 30th August, 2004

League Cup gets under way
In keeping with the frantic jostling for league position that has characterised the first month of Football Dreams VII, the first ties in the FDL Cup have produced a few surprises. Josh, who was ninth at the beginning of the weekend, overcame the league leader, Olly, by the odd goal in seven, Yakubu's hat trick gave me a 3-1 over Andy, while Harriet also beat Phil by the same score. The other two matches saw Chris and Joe defeat, respectively, Daniel and Thomas by two goals to one.

FDL update
Yakubu Ayegbeni's sensational hat trick in tonight's thrilling game at Fratton Park has elevated me from last to third. Thomas, Phil and Joe all drop one place as a result. Chris is up one to seventh, but Andy and Harriet both drop two places to eighth and ninth, respectively, and Daniel is now last. Olly leads Josh by 15 points and is the Manager of the Month for the first time with 77 points.

Rule alteration
Transfers may now be made over weekends involving cup ties, but they will not go through until the last relevant match has finished.

Newcastle sack Robson
Ever since it was announced that Sir Bobby would not been receiving a new deal after his current one runs out in the summer, Newcastle have been in disarray. They might have got a good fee for Jonathan Woodgate, but he was their only decent defender and is still to be replaced. Kieron Dyer's petulant refusal to play on the wing against Middlesbrough was the latest act of indiscipline by that player and others including Craig Bellamy, Titus Bramble, Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer. Yes, he may be Sir Alan to some, but there's a dark side to him - ask Neil Lennon.  It's obvious that he and Robson loathe each other and, when Shearer was dropped at the weekend as Newcastle lost again, such is the power that the player has at the club that Robson looked doomed. Newcastle have not won anything since 1969 and were facing a relegation battle when Robson took over. He gave them Champions League football, a UEFA Cup semi-final, and genuine title challenges in 2002 and 2003. I admit that Newcastle now look to be going backwards, but Sir Bobby deserved the unequivocal backing of the club in order to correct that. Instead he was sacked, and does anyone see Newcastle's fortunes improving as a result?

Sunday, 29th August, 2004

FDL update
Olly has extended his lead to 16 points but the big story is Josh shooting up to second from ninth. Harriet is the only other manager to go up the table, moving off the bottom and up to seventh. Thomas has dropped one place to third, Andy has fallen three to sixth, Chris is down two in eighth, Daniel is also down two in ninth, and I am back at the foot of the table after having been eighth. However, the gap between me and second place is only one point more than Olly's lead over Josh. 

Thursday, 26th August, 2004

Champions League draw
Following this afternoon's draw for the Group Stage, Thomas, Phil, Andy and me may pick our European teams in preparation for the start of El Torneo del Mejor on 14th September.

Wednesday, 25th August, 2004

FDL update
We have a new leader following the midweek programme. Olly has knocked Andy off the top (the first time he's been at the summit of the Football Dreams League since August 1998, I think), with the former leader also falling below a resurgent Thomas to now sit third. Phil is up a massive five places to fourth, with Joe up one to fifth and me moving off the bottom and into eighth place. The fallers, then, are Chris (third to sixth), Daniel (fifth to seventh), Josh (eighth to ninth) and Harriet (seventh to tenth). 

Tuesday, 24th August, 2004

FDL Cup Match Day 1
Please note that, in accordance with the rules of the competition, the lunchtime match on Monday 30th August between Manchester United and Everton will not affect the result of this coming weekend's cup ties. This is because both will have already played on the Saturday, with these games counting instead. However, the evening game at Fratton Park is 'on the coupon' because it will be Portsmouth's and Fulham's first game of the weekend.

Sunday, 22nd August, 2004

FDL update
Top spot still belongs to Andy but Olly and Chris are now just a point behind, the pair having climbed two and five places today respectively. Daniel is also up from eighth to fifth. This means that Thomas drops two to fourth and Joe is down three to sixth, while Harriet is down one to seventh and Josh falls back three places to eighth. Phil and I have swapped round at the foot of the table.

Saturday, 21st August, 2004

FDL update
Andy extends his lead over Thomas to seven points. Olly and Chris remain fourth and seventh too, but it's all change for everyone else. Joe climbs two places to third, Josh is up five to fifth, Harriet is down from third to sixth, Daniel is down two to eighth, while I drop to ninth and Phil goes bottom as a result of Josh's good day.

When do two yellows not equal a red?
Barry Ferguson is my player so I'm in an awkward position here about how to regulate for today's extraordinary events. However, to demonstrate that Football Dreams is a transparent operation, allow me to state how I've dealt with it. Ferguson was clearly booked twice, even if Teletext and the papers only record one yellow card, and I believe that the hapless Andy D'Urso has put the player down for two bookings in his match report. However, no red card was shown and Ferguson remained on the pitch for the last few minutes, so I have deducted two points from Ferguson's score for the bookings rather than the four he would have lost had D'Urso remembered to send him off.

Relegation predictions
I forgot to forecast who would go down from the Premiership when I made my other predictions last week. Despite Norwich's valiant efforts at Old Trafford yesterday, I see no reason to alter the opinion I've had for months that the three promoted clubs, Norwich, Palace and West Brom, will go down. Goals will be too scarce for all three, although Everton and Portsmouth will also struggle in that area, as will Southampton if they lose Beattie.

Wednesday, 18th August, 2004

International Friendly: England 3-0 Ukraine
What a relief it is for national team matters to move from the bedroom (or kitchen) to the pitch. This was the perfect tonic after our narrow but bitterly disappointing defeat in Lisbon. The English Youth of Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe and SWP were fantastic in the second half. Never mind 'Pass the Dutchie', let's just hope we can pass like them come 2006.

Tuesday, 17th August, 2004

Prize money and competition rules
Daniel was given the option of not contributing to the prize fund because of his team's handicap and he has taken it up. Therefore, I have adjusted the money allocations to allow for this and tried to do so with as little disruption as possible. Money gained from the cups is unchanged but the financial rewards in the Association Shield and for coming third, fourth and fifth in the League have been slightly reduced.

I have also stated in the rules for the Association Shield that the numbers in the draw will correspond to that manager's rank within their age group when the competition begins on 1st January 2005 (rank being based on league position).

Sunday, 15th August, 2004

Super Cup result
Thomas has beaten Phil to win the traditional opening contest between last season's league and cup winners for the sixth time, meaning that he remains the only manager to have ever won the trophy.

FDL update
Andy leads on 22 points after the first set of Premiership matches, closely followed by Thomas and Harriet. Josh is currently bringing up the rear with 5 points.

Saturday, 14th August, 2004

Barclays Premiership kicks-off
Football Dreams VII is underway!

Friday, 13th August, 2004

Auction reaction and season predictions
It's difficult to say with any confidence how well each manager's team will do because their fortunes depend not only on how well individual players perform but also how their clubs fare. However, I reckon that this season has the potential to be as competitive as Football Dreams III, when Phil, Chris Morgan and me had sustained periods at the top before Thomas finally stopped floundering in mid-table to take the lead for the first time in April. Daniel will inevitably struggle because his team is made up of leftovers, but every other team has goals in it and they all possess a decent defence (apart from Mr. Mackay at the back for Chris!). Stopping Thomas from completing his league hat trick has to be the main aim for the campaign, but it would also be good for Andy, Chris, Joe, Josh or Harriet to win their first piece of silverware in any competition.

My predictions for the real life football world, though, are as follows:
Barclays Premiership: Manchester United
European qualifiers: Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool (Champions League); Aston Villa (UEFA Cup)
FA Cup: Arsenal
Carling Cup: Middlesbrough
Champions League: Chelsea
Coca-Cola Championship: Leicester City

Sunday, 8th August, 2004

FA Community Shield: Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United
Ain't so bad, ain't so bad. Not since we beat Newcastle 4-0 in 1996 have the team who win the season's curtain-raiser gone on to claim the Premiership title, so I'll cling to that.

Rule change
Please note that I have decided to revoke the option of playing a 3-5-2 formation this season. This would mean playing without full backs and I would prefer each manager's team to consist of players from each of the five positions.

Tuesday, 3rd August, 2004

Paul Scholes retires from international football
This came from nowhere and must have taken me as much by surprise as everyone else. Leaving aside selfish sentiments about my club now having one less player on international duty to worry about, this is a far more serious setback to English football than any of the pathetic shenanigans at the Football Association. Scholes is, in my opinion, the most technically gifted footballer of his generation. His passing is faultless, he is deadly from long range, and is also a master of the late run into the box. His tackling may occasionally be agricultural but I'll take that every time over someone who shirks a 50-50 ball. He is our Zidane, although, if I'm being brutally honest, even someone who admires Scholes as much as I do has to admit that his best form has been solely in a United shirt for the past few years. His place in the national team was questioned before Euro 2004, something that would have been unthinkable after he scored against Greece in 2001. Maybe this was in his mind as well as his age and family commitments; he didn't want to go the way of David Seaman and gradually fall out of favour. However, while Scholes' absence will cement Frank Lampard's place in the team, it does nothing to solve the perennial left midfield problem. Perhaps he didn't fancy being relegated to the wing for the foreseeable future, but that does him a disservice. The World Cup in Germany really will be the last chance this current England squad has of winning something, and Scholes would only have increased our hopes.

Sunday, 1st August, 2004

Mark Palios resigns as chief executive of the F.A.
Does anybody else share my utter disbelief that this bizarre love triangle has been blown out of all proportion? Neither Palios nor Eriksson are married or have young families, so what business is it of their contemporaries who they sleep with? It's very embarrassing for the F.A. but it should cost neither man their job. When this story broke last week my initial reaction was to burst out laughing because of the image it conjured up. A love triangle hasn't been this ridiculous since the Pat-Frank-Peggy storyline in EastEnders, although the protagonists this time aren't quite as revolting.

Saturday, 31st July, 2004

Football Dreams VII is here
The new Barclays Premiership season starts in two weeks' time and the Web site is back online in preparation for this event. An e-mail has been sent out to managers outlining this season's new features, and the Player List and the rules page are well worth visiting. The Football Dreams VII auction will take place at the usual place from 10:00 on Friday 13th August.