Media Prediction – 10th from 14

Title Odds – 25/1

Well, how I love my Argentinian. Scored 11 league goals, and then I had to sell him.

Unfortunately, his sale wouldn’t go through until December 29th. Before then, my player of the year DC, promising ST, U21 MC, Brazilian DC/DMC, top scorer and wife all called me to let me know that it was either him or me.

Despite the fact I’d already sold the bugger, and was waiting for him to leave.

Still, he toddled off to China and I brought in a replacement. A 17 year old Argentinian striker. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Well, except for the fact he couldn’t sign until May. So I’d have a week of him (trialists can play competitive games), and then 5 months without. Sh*t.

Players In:

20 y/o Malaysian International DC (free)

17 y/o Argentinian ST (free)

Promising WB/MR (season loan, £5k – both my MR picked up injuries before the Malaysia Cup QF)

Players Out:

Argentinian Agitator (£22k)

Young AMR (£500)

Four mediocre squad players (free)

Player of the Year DC (season loan due to sulking about the agitator)

Malaysian Super League

We started with a bang. Our new Argie scored a screamer to provide an opening day win, and then his trial ended. It’d be four months before he’d return. Our next six games couldn’t have been a more mixed bunch.

Three wins and three losses seemed like a poor start to a season, but in a league as varied as Malaysia’s, it was enough to take us into third. We’d need to make up seven points on first place Terengganu though, if we wanted to mount a challenge.

By the time we faced Terengganu we’d begun to haul them back, and a 4-1 win placed us a point behind them. At the half way point of the season, we’d stolen the top spot. And then came Kedah.

Guess which side benefitted from a dodgy penalty? I’ll give you a clue, it wasn’t the side who had a goal wrongly chalked off. Bastards.

As the season entered the final phase, a four horse race had developed. We were top, ahead of Terengganu (who had a game in hand) on goal difference, with Kedah and Selangor a mere two points behind.

In the final 7 games, we’d play all three of the chasing pack.

We visited Selangor first for a 0-0 draw. Terengganu were four points ahead of us by the time we played them. A win for the Turtles would secure the title with two games to spare. A brace from my new Argie put us a point behind them with two games to go. Our penultimate game was winnable – Johor away.

We missed two sitters, and the referee duly awarded Johor a dodgy penalty. 0-1. Going into the final game, we were in 4th. Two points behind Terengganu, and a point behind both Selangor and Kelentan. We’d need a miracle set of results to win the league.

Starting with a first league win over Kedah.

20 minutes gone. My new Argie scored. So did Terengganu. The two points distance had never looked so insurmountable.

40 minutes. Kedah down to ten men! Bad news followed: Selangor scored, shunting us into 3rd.

60 minutes. We score a second through our central midfielder. Terengganu concede an equaliser. Selangor put another one in against PKNS. We’re second.

75 mintues. PKNS pull one back! Could it be

80 minutes. No. Selangor have restored their two goal lead

Full time. We’ve done it! We’ve beaten Kedah in the league! Finally! And it means fuck all, because of a dodgy ref and Johor’s charmed crossbar.

P26 W13 D6 L7 F35 A20 GD+15 Pts45 – 2nd (one solitary point behind Selangor)

We might have missed out, but my squad scooped a few awards:

Combative DMC: Most Promising Player

Brazilian Winger: Midfielder of the Year

FA Cup:

1) POS Malaysia: 5-0 Agg

2) PBDKT: 3-2 Agg

QF) Sabah: 1-2 Agg

Brilliant.

Malaysia Cup:

Before the Malaysia Cup started, I went to the boardroom. I had 4 months left to go on my contract and wanted to enter negotiations. The board felt I’d “not done enough to deserve an early contract offer”. The bastards.

Group Stage: 1st (highlight being a 3-0 hammering of Kedah to secure top spot)

QF: Kelentan 2-3 Agg (as we hit the bar, the post, had goals ruled offside…)

Season Summary

And that, as they say, was that. The board extended my contract, and we get to start over next year.

Top scorer: A three-way tie! Malaysian ST / Argie ST / Brazilian Winger – 10

Unfortunately due to the LLM forums going down we will never know whether Mr603 ever managed to bag that elusive Malaysian league title.

Regardless, it was a pretty epic 6 season ride.

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