Please no jokes in here like you a crap manager but I was Liverpool finished 2nd 2pts off the top which wasnt too bad. The 2nd season I got knocked out the league cup by Arseanl away in the 4th round. I got knocked out the fa cup in the 3rd round to Man utd. I then lost to Barca in the quaters of the champs league and I was 3rd in the league. No notice bang I was sacked.

The same happened with Southport in my first season. This is without the patch btw.

Install the patch.

Two things.

Like FranzT says - install the patch, solves alot of problems.

Secondly, be careful when responding to your board's expectations at the start of the season. If you say that you are going to win the league and don't, having spent the additional budget they give you, they are obviously not going to be happy.

I usually find it's best respond that you will "challenge" or similar. Non-committal seems to work well as when you do in fact win the league, you're everybody's best friend.