The Christmas season is upon us. The Champs-Elysees has been transformed into a Christmas market, the streets are decked with Christmas lights, and our red and green badge feels decidedly festive. The players are on a high from the win against Paris FC, and we went through the whole of December with not only a 100% record, but also with no goals conceded. And we’re top of the league. So far, so good.

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To add to our good feeling, Josue Homawoo is fully fit again in time for our trip to Chambly. They’ve only won one game all season, and have real trouble finding the back of the net; they are the lowest scorers in the division. We have the second best defence in the division, and by a distance the best attack. We all know what we should be doing in this one . Younes Ghabaoui comes in for the suspended Aniss El Hriti.

And it’s been suspended because of heavy snow. Way to kill the momentum, weather gods. My PA seems to think we are Chambly though. I suspect Steve has planted him to sabotage me.

My early Christmas present is our youth intake preview, which apparently promises number of talented youngsters. I’ve been waiting for a youth team since Steve lied in our first meeting, and expect to lean on our young players heavily as we progress. Assuming they were born in Paris, that is.

Orleans are up next, and they are a different prospect to Chambly. They are in the hunt for the playoff place, although they are a long way off of Chateauroux and ourselves. They are solid defensively, as a result of their defensive 4141 formation, which could be a real test for our misfiring strikers. We’ll try Nilor over Tokpa again, but we’re really missing Meissa Ba. He’s fit enough for the bench, so maybe he can have in impact. Josue Homawoo comes in as well.

It’s not a vintage performance by any means, but a win is a win. With Chateauroux still unbeaten we’ll take them any way we can get them. The first half passes without much incident, and I get into the boys at half time. We come out for the second half much better, stretching the Orleans defence and setting Durand down the left where their right back can’t cope with him. He hits the bar and the post, before opening a space for Cadiou to move into. He fires across the box, and Mayoro Ndoye steals in to fire home. Meissa Ba gets half an hour into his legs, and has a goal disallowed in injury time, but Orleans never really threaten.

The game against Sedan has been moved to the Tuesday to make way for our cup run, so we’re back at it pretty quickly. They are bottom of the league, and have the worst defence in the division. Meissa Ba comes back in for his first start, and we’re delighted to have him back so soon, so we’re hopeful of a good result. Nathanael Dieng comes into central defence, and I take the risky decision to rest Damien Durand with one eye on Auxerre at the weekend.

It’s a bad tempered match, but we are so dominant that Sedan spend 88 minutes trapped in their box, and the other two crafting a half chance from distance. Just before the half hour a roaming run by El Hriti forces their defence back, and a quick passing move finds Mayoro N’Doye, who curls into to top corner from 30 yards. It’s a sublime goal, and if it had been scored by PSG the press would be falling over themselves. On 55 minutes Borgnet gets sent off, and Vialla curls home the free kick. Vincent Pires also gets a red card in injury time.

If anything, the buzz around the club for the visit of Auxerre is even bigger than before Paris came to the Stade Bauer. Worse than that, there’s a sense of expectation. Auxerre haven’t been as good as Paris, and having beat them all eyes are on us for another upset. The board reassures me that it’s not the case, but Steve adds a little to the pressure by reminding me how “disappointing” it would be to lose at home. I hate Steve.

Auxerre are strong all over the park, and have leaders everywhere. Regardless of what Steve is trying to say, it’ll require another exceptional performance if we are to make it through. I want the big Ligue 1 away tie, and they are standing in our way. It’s our strongest team, with Ndoye Squared in the middle of the park for stability, Damien Durand causing problems down the left, and Meissa Ba looking to add to his tally. We’re as ready as we’ll ever be.

We start disastrously, and Remy Dugimont punishes us. He finds space to drive between Sparagna and Homawoo, and drills past Butelle with ease. I am worried that they will run riot, and they spend 20 minutes moving the ball so well that we can’t get near them. But then we start to play our game. We get on the ball, we pass it about, we cause them some problems. At half time I encourage the players, and they respond, pushing Auxerre deeper and deeper. On the hour I bring on Michael Nilor to partner Meissa Ba up top, and he draws the centre backs out of position for Hacene Benali to slip in and find the equaliser. We push, but no luck, so its penalties.

Auxerre score their first, and then Michael Nilor stretches my nerves to their limit, his penalty cannoning straight down off the bar, before hitting it again and bouncing over the line. And then its penalty perfection. Top corner, bottom corner, neither goalkeeper can get near them. Sudden death brings more of the same, until Alexis Trouillet puts on slightly too close to Butelle, who gobbles it up like a half-starved rottweiler. It’s a chance for Benali to make himself a hero, and he fires into the top corner. We’re into the next round. It’s a perfect Christmas present.

There are no more games this side of Christmas, so we await the draw for the next round with anticipation. Marseille come out of the hat, and then Lille. Nice, and then PSG. And then it’s our turn. We are at home again, and the Stade Bauer is going to be rocking. Our opponents, whoever they are, will be intimidated. We’re going to show them what they’re about. The ball comes out, and it’s… Orleans. Bloody Orleans. What an anti-climax.

The Christmas party starts after the draw. Patrice doles out little gifts he’s got for everyone – mine is a miniature Jules Rimet Trophy, a nod to the club’s founder. David has brought some of the local kids for a poetry reading, one of the Red Star LABS in action. Steve stands, scowling in the corner. Michael Nilor takes me to one side to give me some difficult information. He isn’t annoyed not to be playing, but he would like to play more. He shows enormous self-awareness and explains that he doesn’t think he’s cut out at our level. I’m impressed, and promise to let him go when I’ve found a replacement. We eat, we drink, we be merry. It’s the festive season, we have our game in hand to go top, and we are 15 points clear of fourth. We head off on our Christmas break in high spirits.

This is Paris: January 2022

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