Roy of the Rovers A New Beginning Week 16 Melchester Rovers were flying high, up to fourth place in the league

e following four straight wins all without conceding a goal. The defence was transformed, from the poor showings in the first weeks of the season, they now had eight clean-sheets from their twelve Premier League matches. The manager, Vernon Eliot, was delighted, he had been right to stick with Daley and Jones as his centreback pairing. Roy Race and Gerry Holloway had both suggested changes, Race rated David Clegg and Gerry really liked the look of the young Irish defender Mike Burgess. This was the fourth season that Steve Daley and Danny Jones had been together at the heart of the Rovers defence, they were real Melchester players. Daley had been with the club since he was twelve (he was now thirty-one) and had been captain for the six previous years. Big Danny Jones was a British record signing for a defender when he joined from Burndean for 14.5 million in 2009. While the centre-back pairing was back to its best, Vernon knew that the big difference and the real in-form defender was Wesley King. When Miguel Piedra returned injured from international duty with Spain, Vernon had been really worried. Then when the automatic choice to replace Piedra at right-back, Ronnie Carpenter, was injured by a horrific challenge in the win against Oldfield, King had to play. King was thought of as a utility defender, since joining from Stambridge City he had never been first-choice in any of the back four positions. Vernon was unsure of his best position as was King himself. But he had played superbly at right-back keeping a succession of quality wingers quiet, before marking young gun Regis Martin so well it brought Roy Race to call it the best man-marking display he had seen in years. So Melchester Rovers were solid at the back, with the second best defensive record in Europe. The midfield had the creativity and vision of Drew Powell and Jake Cheetham, combined with the grit and determination of Nick Batty. But what pleased Vernon so much was the form of his wingers. Fabrice NDiaye and Harry Jacobs had been told to play like old-fashioned wide men, as Vernon had been himself, outside forwards. They were to run at the full-back and cross early and often. They were to attack crosses themselves and were to consider themselves forwards not midfielders. The return of four goals each and nine assists between them was exactly what the manager wanted. What surprised him most about the season, however, was the goals of Richie Lyons. Lyons was highly rated but had never had a chance. He had been on loan at Deans Park, in the Championship, as an eighteen year-old but only started four games, although he made sixteen substitute appearances he failed to score. That was the 2011/12 season, for the 2012/13 season Lyons was sent back to the reserves and under-21 teams to work on his game. Richie made only half a dozen first-team appearances, all as substitute, again with no goals. Rovers had a poor season, finishing sixteenth, but the front three of Van Den Broeck, NDiaye and top-scorer Ollie Morrison, were almost ever-present. Vernon sat in the media suite of the Melchester Rovers training ground with his assistant Gerry Holloway. They had planned to go through their reports on Rovers next opponents, Everpool. The Blues were really playing well, top of the league with thirty points, three clear of the 2012/13 champions, Melboro. Although finishing a disappointing seventh last season, Vernon was not surprised with Everpools current position, but he did doubt that they could sustain their current form.

Makes good reading doesnt it Gerry? Melchester sat top of the form league, Everpool in second place, their last defeat coming away at Danefield United. The match this Sunday would be the sternest test Melchester had faced this season. What are Everpools biggest threats then Gerry? The assistant manager loaded page one of his dossier, This is their probable line-up. Like most of the Premier League teams they play 4-3-3/4-5-1, but their strength is in the fluidity of their attacking system. Aron Uras is the centre-forward but he interchanges with Vidakovic, allowing Cronje to dart forward into the space. But thats only half their strength; Mustapha is their best player. Hes tall, strong and brilliant in the air, from either set-pieces or timing his runs into the area, the big man needs some stopping. As long as Jones and Daley communicate well and one takes responsibility for the runner, while the other takes either Vidakovic or Uras, whoevers in the middle, we should be alright. Mostin should work on that in training this week. As usual Gerry Holloway had an amazing amount of data on the opposition, The left-back Liam Roberts

is probably their most influential player. He takes a brilliant free-kick either direct or playing one into the area and his crossing from the wing is second to none in this league. Vernon replied, So we need to get Fabrice NDiaye to keep him deep, or maybe let him go and we can counter into the vacant space. Thats a battle I think we can win, either way, as long as Wesley King keeps up his good form. Gerry continued, You can see from Roberts heat map against Weston Villa last week, that he has more touches in the opposition half than his own. The small circle is where we exploit him. Hes either attacking or defending, most of the time attacking, there he does neither. We need NDiaye to get a lot of the ball in that zone. Its Fabs strength, now Cheetham and Powell must feed it. If Roberts is attacking, Fab has space or we keep Roberts defending. Either way we neutralise his threat. *** Geoff Miles folded his umbrella and shook off the excess rain water before he entered the Melchester Hilton through the revolving doors. Trevor Brinsden would be in the Lounge Bar upstairs, as usual, awaiting his latest report. Miles was now working undercover in Brinsdens laundry firm. He was an average worker, employed at three of the top hotels in the Midlands, always scheduled to work alongside Javier Acosta, the same shift pattern in the same hotels. They had become friends, it was easy for Miles, Acosta was young and lonely, Miles spoke good Spanish, so it was quite natural they would connect. Good evening Mr Brinsden. Ive some good news, the private investigator joined Trevor at their usual window table, the city-view obscured by the driving rain lashing the windows. He passed a green plastic folder to the co-chairman of Melchester Rovers, Acosta has been digging, but come up with nothing. He trusts me and he believes my story and background. He thinks Ive been with the firm since the beginning. We just need to agree on what to feed him. We need him to report something back to Lucas, if he doesnt Lucas will look elsewhere. This way were in control of the situation, we know exactly what Lucas knows, about your business at least. Trevor was not overly concerned with what John Lucas would discover about his business activities though, it was certain aspects of his private life, that if exposed would bring him down. Do you know if Lucas has a detective yet, one like you, I mean? Miles shook his head, No-one yet. If he has hes got someone really good. Theres been no external hack attempts on any of your systems yet, business or private. Your phones are all clean, no bugs. I think Lucas is relying on Acosta to get a good story. Thats why weve got to give him something to print, something that he thinks will do some damage, but something that doesnt do much harm. While he thinks hes on the way to a good story, he wont go hunting for the other stuff. Trevor was not happy with the idea, I understand the reasoning, but this is my business, I worked so hard to get it to where it is today. Maybe if I forewarn the hotels theyll keep us on, not cancel the contracts. I cant afford to lose even one chain, not in this economic climate. Perhaps I can even use the big chains to present a united front, even shift the blame to an agency of something. Yeah! Thats it; illegal workers, low wages, no insurance, we can pin it on a dodgy agency! That sounds feasible. Do some research, check it over with David Roth, see what he thinks. If its all good, then we can drip feed Acosta over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas. If we can eek it out, I doubt The Daily Gazette would print a story like that over Christmas and the New Year.

Storky Knight Next Week: A sixth win in a row for Melchester?