59. Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole! Charlotte, Charlotte...

   It was yet another hot, sunny day in Cambodia, but this time the birds were singing and there was a big rainbow in the sky. The air seemed fresher and... well enough of that. I was happy today. Training had just finished, the players had gone home, or to start their shift at the Electricity company. I was seeing Charlotte tonight and I couldn't wait! I just had the little matter of a humdrum scouting meeting to get through, before racing back home to get ready to meet her. She was coming to my apartment and I seriously needed to give it a clean and tidy round before she arrived. I felt like just assigning my entire recruitment team to some far flung province near the Laotian border, just so I could get away a bit early. Anyway needs must and football must come first.

I welcomed my recruitment team, assistant manager, Nen Borey and my head of Youth Development, Chan Vannak who was to update me on some young wonderkid prospects he may or may not have discovered. My scouting team, Chea Makara and Pom Makara (no relation), player-scout and club legend, Sok Chanraksmy, plus my Director of Football, Khim Ravy, Technical Director Mao Samnang and Performance Analyst Keo Sambo were all in attendance. 

I was not a big fan of scouting meetings at the best of times, as they all threw up practically the same questions. 1. Is he good enough, 2. Is it in a position where we need cover- or yet another striker in which we have plenty of..3 Is he OK with just appearance fee money or does he want a pro contract, if so were wasting our time... I was notoriously miserable in these meetings as I found them rather tedious. Today was different though I felt alive, happy and excited.

We began.

"Well chaps, thanks for coming today, now let's get down to business." I said cheerfully.

"We need to strengthen central defence as we still have a big Daravon shaped hole in the middle of it and Yaty is only a loan player who could be recalled at any time by the casino."

"You sound extra chirpy today boss," piped up head scout, Chea Makara."

"Well you know, just excited for the season.."

"Ahh your never this happy in scout meetings boss."

"Well yknow well I am happy about something."

"Rumour has it, some of the lads saw you out with a lady the other week boss." piped up Chan Vannak.

"Well yes I was..

"What's her name boss?"

"Well err let's look at some defensive options fellas.."

"Ahh come on spill. We've not seen you this happy in ages."

I rolled my eyes. "Her name is Charlotte, we've only seen eachother a couple of times.. and well.."

"Charlotte.. Charolotte Lay?" enquired Nen Borey.

"Hahah Lay by name Lay by nature.." joked Chan Vannak.

I stood up and leaned towards my stupid idiot of a head of youth development. "Oi show some respect sunshine,"

"OK calm down." intervened Borey.

"What do you mean by that, Chan?" I reacted angrily.

"She's errm been around a bit."

"What do you mean?"

"She's an easy l.."

"Oi! you" I lurched towards him, but Nen Borey, Chanraksmy and the two Makaras managed to break us up."

"What do you mean she's an easy lay?"

"She's been with half the team, Jonathan. Now she's on you and she'll move on to someone else." informed my head of youth development.

I was angry and heartbroken. 

"Why do you think Daravon left, and Rattanak and Math Fasal and Keo Udom.. Veasna as well.. piped up Sok Chanraksmy. Either they fell for her and she dropped them like  stone, or their partners forced them to move clubs to get away from her clutches."

"Math Fasal wanted to play as an inverted winger.." ... Udom wanted regular first team football.. Veasna.. not sure why he left more money I think... Daravon wanted to serve his country in the police force. Rattanak.. was a stupid one because we helped him through his spinal injury... and so did she!" 

I immediately thought of the conversation we had on our first date... She helped Min Rattanak through his spinal injury.. then he suddenly left for no reason.... There was no apparent reason for Daravon to suddenly leave.. Fasal had made up some nonsense about me not playing him as an inverted winger even though I had and Veasna, my talisman, wanted more money elsewhere... apparently...

"Jonathan we don't want you to get hurt." reasoned Nen Borey. Charlotte Lay, she has a bit of a reputation round these parts. She is nothing but a distraction and I urge you to tread very carefully. She will break your heart and we need you to fully focus on managing the club and winning the C-League..

My heart was in bits.. I put my head in my hands.

"I'm sorry if this has come as a shock." comforted my assistant Manager.

"Mrs Daravon urged Maol to move clubs, otherwise their marriage was over. That's what happened. said Chanraksmy. Min Rattanak was besotted with her, but she rejected him after they had a one night stand."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" 

"I think we should call this meeting to an end." I ordered. We can talk about promising Cambodian wonderkid right backs another time."

The meeting was adjourned and I drove home, wondering what on earth I was going to do... Charlotte was due in just over an hour's time...

I decided to cancel and made up an excuse about something had come up at the club and had to have an urgent meeting with the chairman to sort out something or other I needed time to think..

Meanwhile to the football..

Match 4 EDC v Build Bright United

We move straight to to our next game, a seemingly winnable home game against the builders from Build Bright. They lie in 11^th after just two games, while we are third on goal difference. The formation and performance of Soun Bath has given me food for thought after the turnaround in the last game. Pelap Taboula is also back, but is lacking match fitness Meanwhile in the back four, Ratana will start at centre back alongside Gbayoro and Bairaing comes in at left back.

Team: Som, Sihavong, Ratana, Gbayoro, Bairaing, Makara, Samnang, Pidor, Nhem, Chitra, Bath

Match Action

We start well and hit the post early on when Nhem latched onto Soun Bath’s flick on, but couldn’t quite squeeze it in on the angle. Then, the same player has a stinging shot well saved. It is Build Bright though who take the lead. Savy Soksana smartly lashed the ball into the corner after Gbayoro was unnecessarily attracted to the ball which allowed the striker the freedom of the penalty area. We respond well. Chitra forces a flying save with a flick header after good work from Soun Bath and then has a shot tipped round the post after being sent through by Ratana. He then contrives to miss a sitter with the goal at his mercy after a mistake from their defender allowed him in. Moment later and Chea Samnang bursts forward and lays it into the feet of Chitra, who is tripped. Penalty! Given. Ratana does the rest. 1-1. We dominate the second half but do anything but score. Chitra has one disallowed for offside, while sub Taboula has a fierce shot well saved.

Gbayoro has another goal disallowed, while Taboula misses a sitter. In a breakaway, the builders restore their lead, when Ros Sambath cottons onto a mistake from Gbayoro and he slots home confidently past Som. Just my luck..

We equalise though when Chea Samnang sweeps the ball to the left where Bairaing provides a first time cross, which is diverted in first time by Mat Noron. Desmond 2-2. Two points dropped against a team we should be beating... My mind though was elsewhere throughout most of the game, although I managed to avoid Charlotte.. for now...

Final Score EDC 2-2 Build Bright United

Ratana 37 (pen)               Soksana 18

Noron 83                        Sambath 75

Match 5 National Police v EDC

We visit the Old Bill in decent shape and on a long 11 match unbeaten run in the league, stretching back to the end of last season. I have plenty of options to choose from. Taboula isn’t quite fit enough to play a full 90 minutes, so Chey Chitra starts against his former club. Ratana retains his place at centre back. We could go near the top with a win. The Police have recruited Maol Daravon (Judas in more ways than one) and the dangerous Timothy Okereke.

Team: Som, Sihavong, Ratana, Gbayoro, Bairaing, Makara, Sam Chea, Pidor, Nhem, Noron, Chitra

Match Action

Three minutes in and we haven’t touched the ball. Dina lets fly and it hits the inside of the post and straight into Som’s waiting arms. It’s end to end. We finally get the ball and Nhem has a snapshot just wide. Then Noron fires one a whisker past the post after ball fell to him in the penalty box. We start to dominate but cannot find a way through. Then Dina has the ball on the left, but is upended by Sihavong.. he’s on a yellow... the ref wants a word... He’s sent off for two innocuous tackles. Off comes Chitra to be replaced by Yaty. Ratana moves to right back. How annoying! We still dominate, but cannot break them down. Judas has been immense. Nhem fails to capitalise after a throw in goes astray and ends up with Noron crossing for him. No goals at the break. Second half and its end to end stuff. They seem to win a lot of free kicks, while we break with pace. Sub Taboula thwacks the outside of the post. Makara injures himself when making a tackle and has to go off, so we are down to nine men, as we had used all our subs. I try to contain them and hit on the break, but they find a way through. The ever dangerous Okereke gets down the right and slides in a low ball which my old foe Long Pheng latches onto a slot home into the corner...  We try to get an equaliser and look dangerous on the break, but to no avail. We slide to a rather annoying 1-0 defeat to Judas and the bloody Police...not happy...

Final Score: National Police 1-0 EDC

Long Pheng 75

Warobay leaves EDC

In a disappointing move, our big pre-season signing, Warobay has signed for PSDS in his native Indonesia. The central defender made just one competitive appearance for team Electric in the 4-1 opening day win against Chhlam Samuth, registering a rating of 6.70 and lasted about 44 days at the club, making it about as long as Liz Truss spent at 10 Downing Street. I am fuming!.. and wondering whether a certain Miss Lay may also have been involved.....

Not him as well!

I'm Done with EDC

That's it I've had enough of this team, EDC, we just are not as good this season, after coming so close last year. Maybe I have taken this team as far as I can. Furthermore, I want a professional team where I can tie players down on proper contracts, none of this 'appearance fee" nonsense. That's no way to run a successful football club. This is the end. I want a new challenge in a different country, with a better team and prospects.... and I think I'd found just the place., just over the Gulf of Thailand in Malaysia. There's a team called Melaka and they have just sacked their manager and lie bottom of the Malaysian Super League but play in a futuristic 40,000 capacity stadium and have a decent squad. Looking at the job advert they want a safe mid-table position. This looks like the perfect opportunity to move on with my managerial career and get away from the goldfish bowl of Phnom Penh and a certain lady, who I could not stop thinking about... Maybe this is the escape I need. I applied for the job and waited for a response and began to slowly pack non-essentials into boxes... 

Is this the end for Rudd at EDC? Is there any way back for Charlotte Lay? Find out next time on The Ultimate World Football Manager Game!

Read a thrilling next part here!