In this episode we play Rennes in the Champions League round of 16 second leg and West Brom in the FA Cup Quarter-Final.
This is the 94th episode of my long running series bottoms up where the goal is to go from the bottom tier in English football to the very top. Can I do it before the end of this game cycle and the release of FM25?
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By the end of this episode we could be into the next round of both the champions league and the FA Cup while also sitting in the top four of the Premier League or we might only have the Premier League left to concentrate on let’s go and have a Look welcome to episode 28 of bottoms up here with Crystal Palace let’s have a look at what’s happened since you last here not many games have been played in the last episode we had ipswitch toown in the league where we won one nil thanks to guy no zurri and then we had
Atletico Madrid in the second leg where we won 2-1 just like we did in the first leg with Antonio szn and Sergio Pacini getting the goals for us in that game since then we had an FA Cup fifth round game against Arsenal comfortably winning that 3-0 Martin Fernandez getting the
First goal for us Eric Ora and Thomas akaz vatne with the goal there as you can see by the stats shots wise we dominated shots on target they had slightly more possession slightly better XG I’m not sure how they had a better XG when they’ve only had one shot on target
Compared to our seven but somehow they did manage it but I think we were good value for that win anyway then after that we played Everton away from home 5-1 win against Everton guy know zahori Kent mahara escalada dezn and a second goal from mahara a really comfortable
Win this one you can see by the stats as well 62% possession 2.82 XG yes slightly inflate because of the penalty but 10 shots on target compared to their four we were again the much better team in that game they did have a goal dis allow before getting pretty much consolation
In the 86th minute after that we moved on to Rens in the first leg of the round of 16 and a 3-0 win against Rens mahara with another penalty I mean this guy rarely misses from the spot this season has been awesome dezn and zahori with
The other goals again you look at the stats we were Superior in pretty much every way shape or form if the second league is as comfortable as that I’ll be very happy then we played Chelsea who at the time were fourth in the league I think they were and we were one place
Behind him in fifth and we went and won the game as you can see 2-1 Ora and Pacini with the goals XG were XG the stats were pretty similar and you could probably put an argument across that Chelsea deserved to get something from the game but I’m not
Going to complain that they didn’t so in terms of the Premier League we currently sit fourth in the table so no we we was just ahead of them by one point I think it was and then obviously the win has extended that Gap to Four Points we’re
10 points behind Manchester City we do have a game in hand over all of the teams above us which wouldn’t move us up any further in the table but it would close the gap at the very least if we have a look here as well uh goals Bruce
Leasy of Everton is a top goal scorer 15 goals there’s no earling Highland in this league now remember he’s out at um Barcelona I think it is Kent mahara is second in that list now Bruce leasy isn’t out and out I mean to be fair look
At him he looks pretty decent doesn’t he um Bruce he arrived at Aston Villa for 18.75 Million last season 14 goals in 33 games and if you if you look at him now you’re going to be spending 10000 million pound to get him just two seasons later that is what you call
Signing someone and then selling them for a massive profit later on so let’s get into today’s first game of the episode which is the Champions League game against Rens please leave a like on the video subscribe to the Channel all that sort of stuff 3-0 up from the first
Leg we do expect to go through is it dangerous to say that looking at our looking at I mean I don’t even know why we’re having a Subs benion this time we got four players that we can’t put on a Subs bench obviously we’ve got sham who’s out injured and Kent mahara who’s
Out injured lison is out in he’s not registered anyway but Martin Fernandez he’s out for three weeks with sprained ankle ligaments and Kent mahara is out for a couple of days it’s a blow not to have him for today but again like I said with being 3-0 up we should have enough
In the bank the subs bench is quite interesting because Rivier Stanford is on the bench he’s not overly fit I think he’s just played for the under 18s he can play either in the attacking Midfield role or out wide on the right he’s someone that I’m potentially
Looking at bringing into my squad for next season for homegrown rules and all that sort of stuff I did cover that the last episode but the team we go into battle with in France is borans in goal CVO left back Ed right back escalada and Orga in the Middle with Fernandez and
Aazv in Midfield dezn and marit out wide with zahori in behind Pini so let’s get into the game we need to give a squad number to him we can have number he wants number eight he can have 28 I can’t give him number eight it’s should
Been taken so let’s get into going like I say as long as we don’t do anything stupid in this game we should be able to see this for I think that just said that Brendan Rogers is the manager of Ren this gets me with the so all this bit
Here is meant to be fog so does that mean that the black bit behind it there’s no fog there the fog only covers the trees and the stands it always seems a bit strange how Sports interactive show fog because it should just be a glaze but anyway let’s concentrate on the game we
Don’t the players being distracted like I am not many people get distracted by fog I do appreciate that so Rens have the ball with their keeper they roll it out they obviously like to play out from the back interception from aaz vatne the Chesney gives it back to akaz vatne and
They goes back to the chzn it’s in the box and it’s a goal from Sergio Pacini 18 for the season this boy is on form at the moment he’s loving life that’s one n on the night that’s 40 on aggregate now and I don’t want to say this is easy
Street but it really should be I know it’s probably more dramatic if it’s a close fault first leg and all to play for in the second leg hang on they’re through oh they’ hit the post then I can clear it yeah I know it’s probably more entertaining that way but I can’t out
What the result of the first leg is what I might do for the quarterfinals is do both the first leg and the second leg that’s providing we’re in the quarterfinal I’m trying not to get carried away and then the whatever games we play in between just playing them off
Camera and just showing you the two the two legs of the the quarterfinal I don’t know we’ll see how the fictionist works out because today’s episode of course we was meant to play somebody else coming it wasn’t that was meant to play somebody else they’re streaming forward I mean
He’s ran the full length of the field to get that I mean that is some goal from Gerard how we’ve not got a tackle in when we’ve chased him up the whole length of the pitch I mean that’s a poor goal for us to concede but wellplayed to them first
Shot on target they score it they have had a player go off injured so yeah probably show the two legs of the champions league on camera depending on what the games are in between that’s the thing so I don’t know it’s I’m also Keen I don’t want the season to just go on
Forever and obviously today’s Thursday in an I now zahur is injured do I give Stanford a go you know what he don’t like playing there but I’m going to swap him him and marriage round what do he prefer to be do he prefer to be a
Winger let’s put him as a Winger on attack so at least he gets a star and let’s see what what the boys got we’re not going to have many opportunities to do this and I’m hoping I’m not going to live to regret it by them now mounting a
Comeback but to be honest we’ve already got further than what I thought we’d do I thought we’d go out to Atletico Madrid to be honest but 4-2 aggregate win over them we play so well in both of them games but here come Rens and they’re through again and oh
Theyve hit the post again they’ve hit the woodwork twice we’re living life on the edge a little bit here you know they’ve had two clear-cut chances they only got one goal I think we’re going to make another substitute or a couple of substitutions so Chandler can come off
Forer he’s got a yellow card not particularly playing well quu menzo can come off for calvo he’s not playing particularly well either and we want to see this game out I mean a draw away to Ren Ren finished in the top eight of the Champions League they qualified automatically without a need
For Playoff round oh we’ve given a pway the Gap is going to be two goals with 15 minutes to go I am starting to panic I am very much start I mean if bans wants to save this then I will love him forever boom Gartner takes a penalty
I’ll tell you what probably could say the bman should have saved that boom Gartner with his 11th goal of the Season we are hanging on and I don’t like it Pini has the ball gives it to dezn infield to Fernandez Emerson Fernandez akaz vatne now Stanford gives it to ID to marage oh
Pini you could have put the game to bed there I am aware as well we losing our winning run doing this right aaz V can come off for CIS um bit Shabu can come on for escalada 4-2 on AET 2-1 on the night five minutes of added time to be played Ren
Have that’s going to be a goal there you go that short that free kick there to the middle always ends up going surely we’re not going to mess this up they they get another goal in the next few minutes no thank God for that I mean
That was far closer than it should have been we’ve lost 3-1 on the night that Gerard he looks pretty decent doesn’t let’s have a look at him I mean yeah he is quite decent we give him a scout he look at that 4 and a half Stars four
Stars four so either Wing he’s four and a half stars and he’s a four and a half Star Striker as well he is decent only eight goals in 20 Champions League games if he’s playing out white that’s not a bad return at all so we give him a scout see if he’s worth
Bringing in CU we could do with him imagine him on the left and mahara on the right that would be an awesome I mean I want to get rid of dzne don’t get me wrong but right so we’re through we’re into the next round when’s the draw take place not sure when it
Takes place if it takes place before West Brom I’ll bring you back for it if it doesn’t then I’ll see you for West Brom Chelion game day against West Brom we are away from home West Brom are in the championship they’re fifth in the championship if we have a look at the calendar at moment the champions league is say semi-final draw but I think that’s when they do the quarterfinal and
A semi-final draw at the same time that takes place after the next game against Manchester United so you’ll find out in tomorrow’s episode who we’re going to be playing in the quarterfinals of the champions league if we actually look at the Champions League the teams that are through is Porto have gone through
Against Bayern Munich that’s got to be class as a surprise surely man United have beaten Chelsea Paris sgain have beaten brussa Dortmund Liverpool put Man City out Real Madrid comfortably dispatched of Villa Royale we obviously put Ren out Barcelona put Benfica out and Inter put Bay lusen out so I think
Out of that you’d say probably Porto or inter would be the preferred options there’d be no fear about playing either of the two remaining English clubs in Liverpool and Manchester United probably want to avoid PSG Real Madrid and Barcelona though I think that’s a safe safe assumption to make
Man united are the holders of the competition and in terms of the FA Cup if we go and have a look at our competitions we obviously play West Bron Watford have gone through against Swansea there’s Everton against noton forest and Man United against Manchester City so again them two teams are the big
Teams left in the competition if we get drawn against either Watford or one of those two then I think again we’ve got fancier chances of getting into the FA Cup Final a win in this game against West Brom would take us to Wembley of course for an FA Cup semi-final and I
Thought I’d picked the team but clearly I haven’t because finle eyed is not fit enough Kent mahara I’m going to leave him out as well I’m going to bring in Jackson Mada actually so we have got even more injuries so Fernandez is still out he’s out for another three weeks
Zahori is out for three weeks he picked up the injury in the last game muhamad sham is back tomorrow in game and lar Allison is still out for another four weeks so we are running a bit light I could have put marage out here and DTE in the middle but I thought i’
Give Jackson mcoo a chance he is a 19yearold I mean he was a Wonder kid at some point yeah still a Wonder kid now five star potential we really do want to see if we can get something out of him even though he can’t ever stay fit so
The team to go against West Brom is borman’s in goal calvo left back Mena right back escalada and Orga in the Middle with Fernandez and akaz vatne in the center of Midfield dezn and Mada out wide with marriage in behind Pini so let’s get into it and hopefully
We can pick up a win after a first loss in nine games I think it was or first loss in 10 games against Reigns it was in a game that didn’t really matter a great deal we’d already done the work in the first first leg and
With the opening goal of the second leg so we’ put ourselves into a pretty comfortable position we managed to give one of our under 18s a little bit of a run out as well but you know we we like the FA Cup on on this channel but you know it’s
It’s an important comp competition especially when you’re in the lower leagues and you get the prize money and the gate receipts and all that sort of stuff so we do like an FA Cup marit is through oh keeper made a really good save there could argue M should have done better with
That it was a shot on target although it’s not registered on there as a shot on target but West Brom You could argue have had slightly the better of the opening 25 minutes here we’re not doing a great deal and but there is a highlight but it’s with West
Brom oh the three kicks hit the crossbar thankfully gone over and bans didn’t get near that it wasn’t a Save Right Next highlights we’ve up escalada has the ball to Emerson Fernandez he’s underdone the pass here we go th this is what I’m fearful of when we when we just
Go giving the ball away and this is why this is a concern I when we lost against Rens is it’s going to interfere in the way we’ve been playing because we’ve been playing some really nice football but in this game we’ve we look disjointed and it’s not been a
Particularly good first half for us to be honest I need to give him a bit of a telling off fres arms absolutely unacceptable get out there and do do the job properly the end day I’m paying you a handsome sum of money each week the
Least you can do is play football to a good standard here’s Melo to Aller is on a yellow card need to bear that in mind for when we make substitutions calvo now on the left hand side gives it to marage back to calvo Emerson Fernandez to the chzn escalada
Cross to orga we’re going to switch sides from left to right but they win it back again and this is what I’m saying we partially clear it and there’s the goal Richard Tipple I think they’re going to have a Tipple after this game if they put us out the
FA Cup I am going to be really annoyed if we lose this because again it’s careless sloppy passing that’s costing us here none of our attackers are doing anything near what I need them to do West Brom have the throw in that’s headed over and it’s going to be a goal
Kick Ban’s with the goal kick to escalada we’re going to try and build from the back it’s what we like to do marit with the ball now on the left hand side can he get the ball into the box he can it’s not quite reached its
Target and now West Brom can break this guy’s dangerous this guy’s got a bit about him when no one’s going anywhere near him come on Jesus right I’m not waiting any longer making s situ right M’s coming OB he’s been rubbish we bring I’m going to bring mahara
On marage can come off for DTE as well and see if we can just start doing something because we’ve been awful in this whole game so far West Brom haven’t been great either but where are the chances where’s the highlights come on right Fernandez off for Solace Barco can come on for
Dezn I don’t usually make these substitutions this early these days right mener with the throw in akaz vatne the boy the top mahara to Pacini and it’s in it’s 1-1 Sergio Pini scores again I think that was an assist for mahara as well so I totally take credit for the
Inspired substitution I really don’t want a replay to be honest a replay is not what we want right let’s see what else can we do substitution wise orer can come out for bit Shabu I think he’s on that yellow card got 10 minutes to try and get a winner in this
Game right with the free kick oh is it the crossbar oh it could didn’t quite come back to one of our own players but Barco has it gets across into the box towards mahara comes out to Mena but then the highlights over seven minutes have added on time we could get
Something in these seven minutes but I don’t think we’re going to and it’s extra times we don’t of course yeah be in the quarterfinal we don’t play a replay so I’m getting my own way in that respect right can we do anything in extra time it’s not looking particularly
Hopeful I do think in like real life with the FA Cup there shouldn’t be extra time just go straight to penalties right here come West Brom now with the Highlight right at the end of the first period of extra time they go all the way back to their goalkeeper
There’s one minute to be added on they put the ball over the top and they look like they’re through here but bans makes the save and they’re going to end the first half why is the I very confused I don’t recall there being the end of the first period right do we get
To make another substitution because if we do I think I might want to bring on barcola for calvo we do get to make one swap him and Barco over it’s an attack-minded substitution did I just miss it say it was the end of the first period of extra
Time nothing’s happening it looks like we’re going to get penalties folks and here we go right I’ll just let them decide themselves who’s going to take it stay calm and back yourselves please don’t let this be like a 19 18 penalty shootout here’s mahara with their first penalty beautiful comfortably sends the
The wrong way Miranda steps up for West Brom wasn’t that comedy Miranda nothing funny about that penalty though nice and comfortable in the corner Balkans didn’t get to it Solace turns up or steps up for us and scores it’s 2-1 to the palace on penalties he’s
Guo and he puts it in I mean bamans has gone the right way on both the penalties right Valentin Barco steps up for Crystal Palace oh he’s put it wide the oh you absolute waste of space ganf for West Brom Come on B he’s gone
Right through him he got a hole in his stomach or something that just went through right escalada he steps up I would have put him down as a penalty taker but to be fair he seem keep it the wrong way that’s a good penalty he was
Quite happy with it as well right Tipple he’s already scored one goal against us we really need to save a penalty and he sends borans the wrong way so we have to score this goal to keep us in the FA Cup who’s stepping up to take it please
Be someone I trust Pacini okay at least is a striker watch him go miss it now no lovely penalty that was straight in the top corner right B we need you show us why you’re a better keeper than McKenna Thomas steps up for West Brom Thomas versus borans and the winner is
Borans get in he save the penalty we’re back on level terms it’s sudden death Anderson Duarte steps up for us buries it sends the keeper the wrong way what a penalty 5 four at the moment ban steps up again looks like he’s got his sleeves rolled up I like that about a goalkeeper
They mean business like that asamara for West Brom asamara versus borans and the winner is asamar unfortunately I went for that again because it worked last time so I thought I go for right Bradley barola we bought you in as an attacking substitution and that’s a good penalty
Sends the keeper the wrong way I am getting a bit fearful that this is going to turn out to be a really long penalty in this video is going to end up being like an hour long or something stupid right towns end steps up for West
Brom against bans come on Liam come on bans I I don’t know what he was doing then but should have stayed where he was he would have saved it right akaz vatne steps up for us Thomas akaz vatne the Wonder kid what a penalty that was incredible he just leathered that and it
Was beautifully placed as well I mean that penalty deserves to win a match oh the goalkeeper taking the penalty they down to 10 men or something Hayes the goalkeeper with the penalty to be fair it was a pretty good penalty I mean straight down the middle bit
Shabu I mean I dread to think who they got Tak in the next penalty if we score this one we’ll find out bit Shu buries it we are going to find out cuz this player must be terrible if the goalkeeper’s been rated better it’s 8-7 at the moment kosi
Kochi kyoki something like that he steps up against B and it’s been saved I think but it’s a win for us we’ve gone through on penalties you can probably say we pushed their luck against Championship opposition but I’ll tell you what we’ve gone through we’re into the semi-final
Of the FA Cup it will be a day out at Wembley and stick around because I’m about to do the FA Cup draw and let’s see who we’ve got in the semi-finals hopefully it’s not man united or Manchester City FA Cup semi-final draw here we go Manchester city did put
Manchester United out and Forest went through against Everton so the possible options are Man City forest or Watford I think out of the more I mean Watford are ninth in the championship Forest are sixth in the championship I mean to be fair Forest draw Watford then we’re
Going to have a championship team in the final of the FA Cup we will take either forest or Watford we don’t particularly want Man City we don’t have a particularly good record against them we are first out of the Hat Bernardo Silva the ceremony host Crystal Palace manager Damen Hills
Is a captivating character and his team are drawn at this point I’m a captivating character I don’t think anyone’s ever called me a captivating character before right who do we get drawn against forest or Watford is what we want and we get drawn against Forest okay and what offer get
Manchester City so Forest our sixth in the championship we will absolutely take that we’ve got a day out at Wembley coming up folks let’s have a look at the schedule to see when we’re going to come back next I mean I’m quite tempted to do the same as what we’ve done here and
Come back for the semi-final the semi-final the quarterfinal second leg of the champions league and they’re not in them Forest so I think that’s what we’ll do for tomorrow episode which is obviously Friday’s episode then depending on how the season finishes if we get an FA Cup Final Champions League semi-final we’ll also
To come back for the Champions League semi-final if we go out of both competitions then we’ll come back for Fulham and Manchester City as the final two games of the Season although you know to be fair if we get through to the FA Cup Final and
We play Manchester City it could be a double header against man for tomorrow’s potential final episode So yeah thank you very much for watching leave a like on the video subscribe to the channel and I’ll see you tomorrow for episode 29 Bye-bye