Beam me up, Scotty - Rangers & Scotland CM Story

Good bounce back win against Brøndby, huge match coming up with PSG. A win and the group is still in your control to win. 

The league is yours already. Hearts or Celtic catching up does not seem likely despite how many games are left.

Random question- who has been your favorite player to use in this career?

Much needed win in Europe keeps things very open within the group especially when you play PSG. 1 point from 6 for Celtic is good for you too. Hearts jump ahead, but a gap has opened up for you. 

Ally McCoist, now that was an Underrated Player and one hell of a finisher. Also full of Scottish humour. I'm also sure he wouldn't be too bothered with his record being broken if it meant success for the club

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@Stlducks4 wrote:

Good bounce back win against Brøndby, huge match coming up with PSG. A win and the group is still in your control to win. 

The league is yours already. Hearts or Celtic catching up does not seem likely despite how many games are left.

Random question- who has been your favorite player to use in this career?

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Thanks. Oh, that's a hard question. Lewis Ferguson has to be a candidate here, also in the story perspective being a Scotland international. His goals and assists from midfield have come pretty regularly, and he's had this habit to perform in the big games too. Ferguson was very much in my plans, when I started the save though.

And I do appreciate it, when I pick up someone along the way, whom I hadn't planned for initially. Someone like the Italian Samuele Vignato. He just appeared as a loan option from Juventus at the time, and I decided to bring him in on a loan deal. He was so good to play with, that I eventually made it a permanent move in stead, also running out of contract at Juventus at the time. A versatile player too, I think (at least in my save he is), so he may in fact be my number one favourite in this save. 

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@thurlow885 wrote:

Much needed win in Europe keeps things very open within the group especially when you play PSG. 1 point from 6 for Celtic is good for you too. Hearts jump ahead, but a gap has opened up for you. 

Ally McCoist, now that was an Underrated Player and one hell of a finisher. Also full of Scottish humour. I'm also sure he wouldn't be too bothered with his record being broken if it meant success for the club

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I suppose he wouldn't. I remember him from the 1996 Euros and the UEFA Euro 96 game I played at the time. I must have played that tournament 1000 times...

Yes, Celtic has slipped a little bit, and the league seems to be a walk in the park now.

Unfortunate in Europe, considering how the group started it's gone full circle for positions so unlucky it Bronby also. However, considering the group 3rd place is not the end of the world for Rangers so hopefully a good run in Europa League for them instead. League form going well 11 straight wins impressive no matter what league your in. Celtic still keeping similar pace, but with your form the 5 point gap remains

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@thurlow885 wrote:

Unfortunate in Europe, considering how the group started it's gone full circle for positions so unlucky it Bronby also. However, considering the group 3rd place is not the end of the world for Rangers so hopefully a good run in Europa League for them instead. League form going well 11 straight wins impressive no matter what league your in. Celtic still keeping similar pace, but with your form the 5 point gap remains

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Yes, this group was really a rollercoaster ride if I ever saw one. PSG a step above everyone else in the end though, and with only 1 win in 6 games I can't say I deserved more than Europa League. I had hoped for more against PSG and Dortmund. Losing three of those games 1-0 also suggests that I could have hurt them, if I'd just been a bit more clinical. Well, I agree that a good Europa League run can still save the European season, and perhaps it's even preferable in terms of title hopes. It is a tough competition though, with Tottenham, Man City, Newcastle, Napoli, Roma, RB Leipzig, Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, FC Porto and of course Europa League veterans Sevilla. If I can avoid the toughest of them, Man City for instance, then I might have a chance to go far.

At least the ref was consistent with the yellow cards but losing two games in a row by a goal is hard to take. The attack has been so good this season but went missing the last two games in Europe. 

The league is yours so the focus can be on Europa. You have to be one of the favorites left. 

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@Stlducks4 wrote:

At least the ref was consistent with the yellow cards but losing two games in a row by a goal is hard to take. The attack has been so good this season but went missing the last two games in Europe. 

The league is yours so the focus can be on Europa. You have to be one of the favorites left. 

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Haha, yes that was quite fun actually, a little moment in the game. I knew it was lost at the time, and they just kept the ball, passing it around with no intention of going forward and taking any chances. And then I saw a chance for a payback on Hakimi, and I did expect a red card for that vengeful act from behind. But as you said, the ref was certainly consistent.

I agree that Europe needs to be the priority now. Here I'd probably want to avoid the English and Italian sides (the latter also due to the licensing issues). But apart from that I feel I've got a good shot at it. Need to win more than just 1 out of 6 games though.

A surprise draw to Aberdeen but more great transfer business. Bringing in a replacement for £30m less is great business. 

Are you running the same formation and tactics as last season?

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@Stlducks4 wrote:

A surprise draw to Aberdeen but more great transfer business. Bringing in a replacement for £30m less is great business. 

Are you running the same formation and tactics as last season?

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Thanks, yes I haven't made any changes at all. For some time I've really enjoyed having a crooked front three with the right flank as a traditional winger, but the left flank being a LF, often posing as a second striker. And whoever plays that position just often seems to be my best performing offensive player. Rutter played there most of the time, and that is also the case for Marquinhos and lately it's also been the case for Roko Brajkovic.

Furthermore, it seems I've broken Celtic's record for most consecutive league games without defeat. 62 was the old record, as far as I can tell, and now I've got all the games this season plus the 38 of the undefeated season before that. And with the final 13 games from the season before, I suppose we're now at 74 league games without defeat. So I see no reason to change things at the moment....

The owner has gotta be happy, your making them a fortune with these transfers fees with 7 out of 10 being within your era, maybe they'll keep some aside for a potential future statue outside they ground.

Despite dropping points I suspect your still clear of Celtic and another win over rivals in the Cup 

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@thurlow885 wrote:

The owner has gotta be happy, your making them a fortune with these transfers fees with 7 out of 10 being within your era, maybe they'll keep some aside for a potential future statue outside they ground.

Despite dropping points I suspect your still clear of Celtic and another win over rivals in the Cup 

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Yes, "as usual" I could almost say, I'm keeping a pretty strict line in terms of the business of players coming and going. Usually buying them below their market values and selling them with fees that exceed them. I do appreciate getting the results so much more if I've done it on the back of a sustainable business model rather than just spending big. And with a Scottish club I also don't want to keep a star player hostage, when someone like Real Madrid comes asking for him.

That is a stacked Europa League, hopefully some of those big names get drawn against each other along the way , no such thing as an easy game in Europe, but there are always preferences. 

They league is a much better position, Celtic have dropped off plus beating them as well has opened up a good gap at this stage. Definitely yours to lose. If can continue to pick up wins and Celtic drop.points then maybe can turn attentions more towards Europe but without getting too complacent.

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@thurlow885 wrote:

That is a stacked Europa League, hopefully some of those big names get drawn against each other along the way , no such thing as an easy game in Europe, but there are always preferences. 

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Yes it is. Quite a contrast to my Conference League run in my Man United save, where I'm a huge favourite at this point. Jumping a bit back and forth these days. But yes, this group of teams will in deed be a huge challenge.

Great results again especially in Marseille after losing at Ibrox and falling behind in the 2nd leg. It seems some of those big names have been Eliminated with Roma, Newcastle and Ajax out. Still some tough ones left and getting Drawn against Sevilla maybe not the most favourable tie, none of the remaining teams would necessarily be easy, but it's very realistic that Man City gets the most favourable 😂