Topic: FM10 SPL World Domination Simulation Draft 1 - 2009-10 - Season finish report!

[Linudden]

So, as soon as the derby is done I'll open up the gaming computer and get this going!

My reporting will be once per month year-round during the seven simulated seasons, with each season probably taking about a day to simulate properly if I'm to write regular reports.

I've made a final decision on the points system:

Tiebreaker: Most points over seven seasons and if those are equal, most trophies win and if those are equal, the final years' league finish is the tiebreaker.

Winning the CL: 5 points
Winning the SPL: 5 points
Winning the SFA: 4 points
Winning the EL: 4 points
Winning the SLC: 3 points
2nd in SPL: 3 points
CL final loss: 3 points
3rd in SPL: 2 points
SFA final loss: 1 point
EL final loss: 1 point
SLC final loss: 1 point
CL semi loss: 1 point
Upper half in SPL: 1 point
Winning the ESC: 1 point
Winning the CWC: 1 point
Being relegated from the SPL: -1 point

I also intend to give each team 12-1 points for their league finish before bonus points are applied.

Since qualification for the European spots are pre-set from the 2009 season, I will award 3 points to a CL winner, 2 points for an EL winner and 1 point for a CL final loss the first season courtesy of fairness for all teams, even those that start without European football.

That way, consistency is key: if a team starts well but drops off, they net minus points too 

Anyway, I'll try and get the July presentation (Europa qualifiers) in tonight provided everything seems to work as it should.

[Linudden]

Pre-season report:

The first game played by a Scottish club with these players was the Europa League qualifier between Xäzär and Motherwell, a game won by the away team by 3-0 thanks to two goals by Fernando Torres and one by Everton loanee Lukas Jutkiewicz.

European qualifiers prior to league start:

Champions League

Celtic

3rd round:
Sivasspor (A) 2-0: McGeady (2)
Sivasspor (H) 2-0: Pirlo, Lavezzi


Europa League

Aberdeen

3rd round:

Siroki Brijeg (A) 3-0: Pato, Carlos Eduardo (2)
Siroki Brijeg (H) 5-0: Hamsík, Kaká (2), Agüero (2)

Falkirk

2nd round:

Zimbru (H) 8-0: Ibrahimovic (4), Sneijder (2), Huntelaar, Walcott
Zimbru (A) 4-0: Huntelaar (2), Alex, Ibrahimovic

3rd round:

Pacos de Ferreira (H) 2-0: Müller, Huntelaar
Pacos de Ferreira (A) 4-0: van Persie (2), Huntelaar, Müller

Motherwell

(EL)

1st round:

Xäzär (A) 3-0: Torres (2), Jutkiewicz
Xäzär (H) 5-1: Torres (3), Navas (2)

2nd round:

Metalurgs (H) 3-0: Torres (3)
Metalurgs (A) 4-1: Torres (2), Fàbregas, Criscito

3rd round:

Krylja Sovetov (H) 2-0: Torres, Jutkiewicz
Krylja Sovetov (A) 1-1: Murphy

So far all good for the Scottish teams then, with wins against Turkish, Portuguese and Russian opposition to further advance the league's UEFA ranking.

The round for the respective playoffs look as following:

CL

Stuttgart-Celtic

EL

CSKA Sofia-Hearts
Basel-Aberdeen
Motherwell-AEK Athens
Falkirk-Litex

Rangers are automatically qualified for the Champions League group stages 

Four crucial playoff encounters coming up tomorrow and of course the league opening round which will be headlined by Aberdeen vs Celtic and a Dundee United vs Hearts clash on the Monday evening!

Stay tuned as Scotland's finest have gotten off to a winning start in Europe!

[Max_powers]

Thanks for doing this Linudden, really appreciate all the work. These are some of my favorite drafts.


As for start of the season, good to see Torres scoring for fun (11 goals in July  ). I don't have many goal threats besides him and Hulk in first few seasons. In 2-3 seasons I think Wilshire and Kakuta will also be able to contribute more.

However, my creative players should be feeding Torres plenty of ammo.

[Red Viper]

I think a few teams are going to tear up the Europa League based on those early results

[stoa]

Great job Linudden and big thanks...
Very good start for my team with the biggest win of all the teams and a shitload of goals scored in total. Add to that the number of different goal scorers I'm confident...

[Gerry Attrick]

Excellent work, Linudden

[Linudden]

Alright, August has been played!

Unsurprisingly all six Scottish representatives are qualified for one of the European group stages, but the big upset was that Celtic manager Mowbray chose to bench both (!) Hummels and Subotic in favour of Glenn Loovens at Stuttgart, the defence duly collapsed and after two red cards Celtic got beat 3-0. Mounting a return leg fightback at Parkhead, Celtic were 2-0 up before allowing an away goal in the 71st minute, sensationally knocking one of title favourites out of the Champions League before the group stage even began after a comedy of errors.

The passage through the Europa qualifiers went much smoother for the league colleagues, both of the Bulgarian sides got beat by Hearts and Falkirk respectively, whereas Aberdeen cruised past Basel after two clean sheets. The only team that had some issues were Motherwell after giving up an away goal at home to AEK Athens in a 2-1 win, the side rose to the occasion in the Greek summer heat, with two goals from Hulk rendering AEK's goal well and truly null and void.

The biggest story of the final qualification rounds came in the injury department, with both Iker Casillas (Falkirk) and Fernando Torres (Motherwell) suffering two-month injuries. Casillas hurt his hip in a nasty fall, whereas Torres cracked a tiny bit of his back bones in a scary landing. This was a huge setback for both teams #1 draft picks after a very successful start to the season. Stoa's compatriot Robert Olejnik will now be the first choice for two months.

In the league, Celtic continued its tricky start, going down 2-0 to Aberdeen in the first high-profile match of the season. They also went down to Hibs at the end of the month, with the sole consolation being a narrow 3-2 win over St. Johnstone thanks to two from loanee Robbie Keane and one Xavi goal.

Hibs are sitting atop the league after two matches, being the only side not to drop any points. Dundee United currently sit last in spite of wildcard pick Diego Forlán scoring in every game.

SPL (games played and points):

1. Hibernian 2/6
2. Rangers 3/6
3. Hearts 3/6
4. Aberdeen 2/4
5. St. Johnstone 3/4
6. Kilmarnock 3/4
7. Hamilton 2/3
8. Falkirk 2/3
9. Celtic 3/3
10. Motherwell 3/2
11. St. Mirren 3/2
12. Dundee Utd 3/1

Top scorers:

Benzema (St. Johnstone) 4
Falcao (Hearts) 3
Higuaín (Rangers) 3
Forlán (Dundee Utd) 3
11 players on two goals

European results:

CL

Celtic

Playoff round:
Stuttgart (A) 0-3
Stuttgart (H) 3-1: Ronaldinho, Tévez (2)

Eliminated 3-4 on aggregate.

EL

Playoff round:

Aberdeen

Basel (A) 2-0: Agüero (2)
Basel (H) 2-0: Carlos Eduardo, Young

Falkirk

Litex (H) 4-0: van Persie (2), Alaba, Ibrahimovic
Litex (A) 5-0: Huntelaar, Ibrahimovic (4)

Hearts

CSKA Sofia (A) 4-0: Falcao (2), Cavani, Di Natale
CSKA Sofia (H) 2-0: Di Natale, Falcao

Motherwell

AEK Athens (H) 2-1: Hulk, Fàbregas
AEK Athens (A) 2-1: Hulk (2)

CL group stage draw

Panathinaikos
Rangers
Liverpool
Rubin Kazan

EL group stage draw

Zenit
Hearts
Heerenveen
Metalist

Aberdeen
Hamburg
Athletic
FC København

Anderlecht
Fulham
Motherwell
Werder Bremen

Valencia
Odense
Celtic
Rosenborg

Falkirk
Atlético
Benfica
Genoa

Some manageable and some rather tough groups! More coming up in September report rather shortly 

The League Cup was also played for those who didn't contest European qualifiers.

Raith-St. Johnstone 1-2
St. Mirren-Ayr 7-0
Clyde-Hamilton 1-3 (ET)
Brechin-Kilmarnock 2-1
East Fife-Hibernian 0-3
Arbroath-Dundee Utd 1-2

That means Kilmarnock are knocked out of the League Cup even before the last 16, which definitely is going to be an awkward experience for them.

The last 16 draw is as follows:

Inverness-Dundee Utd
Hearts-Morton
Queen of Sth-Aberdeen
Ross County-Celtic
Rangers-Brechin
Hibernian-St. Johnstone
Motherwell-St. Mirren
Hamilton-Falkirk

The six European teams and the two highest others are seeded and thus can't face one another before the quarters!

I'll go ahead and simulate September now, hopefully this report was a good one.

[Trendisnotdestiny]

This is fantastic!  Well out Linudden. 

6 Points from 3 games --- wondering who pipped us (was it Mikey and Hibs or did Messi have worldie with Claus)?
European qualification --- three scorers, 6 goals and a reasonable group (Zenit, Heereveen and Metalist)
Scottish League --------- Mortons - Salt of the Earth match - Rocketman rises?

Cheers

[mikey_LFC]

Hibernian top of the league, Hibernian, Hibernian top of the league!

Super Mario doing the business!

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Great stuff, thanks for doing all the hard work but what a fraud of a manager I got

[stoa]

This game fucking hates me. Goalkeepers NEVER get injured...

[JSteve]

This is some great write-up. Keep it up.

[Trendisnotdestiny]

I feel for Stoa and deFacto --- tough starts.

Stoa's 3rd or 4th pick Casillas --- out for months and deFacto's team already laying siege to their manager.  Sad that.

How about this?

Linudden, I know its right in the middle of the sims which makes it difficult -- but what about an award of 1 point to the team who experiences the most adversity through injury, referee injustices and overall misfortune.  Badge of honor kind of thing?

We would be responsible for the write ups - the adversity and inspired pity on our poor ole wee team misfortune.  Call it Pity training if you like as my 3 year needs some inspiration pooping.

We could call this ---- Annual Mentality Monsters Award (1 pt per year) ---->  because winning is never as easy as it looks

Thoughts?

[deFacto please, you bastards]

What dummy benches Subotic and Hummels ffs

[Linudden]

September was a wild month that saw the league table flip on its head and the absence of Iker Casillas stick out like a sore thumb for Falkirk.

Hibernian started the month atop the charts, but plummeted to the bottom ranks after three consecutive league defeats and also got knocked out of the League Cup by St. Johnstone on penalties. Although the month on paper was a massive success for Aberdeen, they also suffered the humiliation of being booted by Queen of the South from the SLC, in spite of playing with a top-drawer team. This indignity was also suffered by Dundee United as Franck Ribéry missed a penalty in the shootout away from home at Inverness.

In the league, however, Aberdeen won three consecutive games with the odd goal, including the months' highest-profile game, versus Rangers at Ibrox by 2-1. Hearts and Dundee United also had perfect league records to establish themselves in the top three, as the Old Firm continued to struggle, leaving the 4 October fixture with even higher stakes than usual.

In spite of this, Rangers really set the Champions League alight this month, with five goals from Gonzalo Higuaín rendering a 6-0 crushing of Panathinaikos at Ibrox, before a 2-1 win at Rubin ensued as Rangers head Liverpool on goal difference and the knockout by six points before the two top sides face each other in two games during late October and early November.

As for the Europa League, each side has only played one game, they all avoided defeat, yet only Celtic and Motherwell won theirs.

SPL
1. Aberdeen 5/13
2. Hearts 5/12
3. Dundee Utd 6/10
4. Motherwell 6/8
5. Kilmarnock 6/8
6. Hamilton 5/7
7. Rangers 6/7
8. St. Johnstone 6/7
9. Celtic 5/6
10. Hibernian 5/6
11. St. Mirren 6/5
12. Falkirk 5/4

Top scorers:

Forlán (Dundee Utd) 6
Benzema (St. Johnstone) 5
Eto'o (Dundee Utd) 5
Milito (St. Mirren) 4
Agüero (Aberdeen) 4
Rooney (Hamilton) 4

Most assists:

Wallace (Hearts) 3
Ribéry (Dundee Utd) 3
Wilson (Motherwell) 3
Gourcuff (St. Johnstone) 3
Lampard (St. Mirren) 3

CL

Rangers

Panathinaikos (H) 6-0: Higuaín (5), Pepe
Rubin Kazan (A) 2-1: Villa, Di María

1. Rangers 6
2. Liverpool 6
3. Rubin Kazan 0
4. Panathinaikos 0

EL

Aberdeen

Hamburg (A) 1-1 (Kaká)

1. Athletic 3
2. Aberdeen 1
3. Hamburg 1
4. FC København 0

Celtic

Rosenborg (H) 2-0: Ki Sung, Ronaldinho

1. Celtic 3
2. Valencia 3
3. Odense 0
4. Rosenborg 0

Falkirk

Benfica (A) 1-1: Sneijder

1. Falkirk 1
2. Benfica 1
3. Atlético 1
4. Genoa 1

Hearts

Metalist (A) 2-2: Falcao, D Silva

1. Zenit 3
2. Hearts 1
3. Metalist 1
4. Heerenveen 0

Motherwell

Anderlecht (H) 2-1: Fàbregas (2)

1. Fulham 3
2. Motherwell 3
3. Anderlecht 0
4. Werder Bremen 0

League Cup

Last 16:

Inverness-Dundee Utd 3-3 (Inverness win on pens)
Hearts-Morton 4-1
Queen of Sth-Aberdeen 1-0
Ross County-Celtic 0-5
Rangers-Brechin 5-0
Hibernian-St. Johnstone 2-2 (St. Johnstone win on pens)
Motherwell-St. Mirren 3-2
Hamilton-Falkirk 2-1 (aet)

The quarters were set up like this:

Inverness-St. Johnstone
Hearts-Motherwell
Queen of Sth-Hamilton
Rangers-Celtic

So, in other words, two Old Firms at Ibrox coming up. Really critical games for both managers unless they'll have to worry about getting caught in a sack soon.

October will be coming in a couple of hours or so 

[Linudden]

What dummy benches Subotic and Hummels ffs

Don't worry, Celtic will probably sack him shortly! That being said, neither of the two start the game as superstars, it was the season before their true breakouts but I've seen both become solid 3-star defenders and I think they'll definitely hold their own versus the ageing bunch at the other teams towards the end of this in seven years' time.

[Trendisnotdestiny]

Don't worry, Celtic will probably sack him shortly! That being said, neither of the two start the game as superstars, it was the season before their true breakouts but I've seen both become solid 3-star defenders and I think they'll definitely hold their own versus the ageing bunch at the other teams towards the end of this in seven years' time.

Linudden, how does it work with the sack... Does deFacto get to recommend someone like Rafa or Ancelotti to come in or are they randomly assigned?

[mikey_LFC]

You don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you're doing.

Fucking sell the lot of them. Especially that knobhead, Mario Gomez. Can't hit a barn door with a lederhosen.

[Trendisnotdestiny]

You don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you're doing.

Fucking sell the lot of them. Especially that knobhead, Mario Gomez. Can't hit a barn door with a lederhosen.

Rumors at Hearts that Gomez wants a change of Edinburgh colors - crossing swords so to speak

[Linudden]

Linudden, how does it work with the sack... Does deFacto get to recommend someone like Rafa or Ancelotti to come in or are they randomly assigned?

Randomly assigned by the club's in-game status at the time. Celtic will probably get a quite high-profile name but definitely none of those two.

I've simulated October now by the way, cliffhanger awaiting you guys as I go out for a ride  Let's just say, it's a third plot twist report in a row.

[Something Worse]

OH WHEN THE SAINTS

GO KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF MIKEY'S BALDERDASH CHANCERS

OH WHEN THE SAINTS GO ok I'm bored of this

[Linudden]

12 miles in 45 minutes in the strong wind and cold later, I'm back!

October saw Messi and Ronaldo enter the building. After both had quiet starts to the season, both really burst into life. Messi now has the highest average rating in the league at 8.15 as Derek McInnes and St. Johnstone have managed to turn him into a flawless wide midfielder, while Ronaldo has now scored in six consecutive games from right midfield to top the scoring charts of the SPL!

St. Johnstone have also supplanted Aberdeen as the leaders of the league, although they're tied for points with Aberdeen having one game in hand. Aberdeen went 2-0-2 during the month and suffered long-term injuries on Maicon and Chiellini, although Pato is soon to return from a broken ankle.

If there's one thing October will be remembered for is that stretchers were used seemingly as often as goals flew in. Júlio César picked up a long-term injury for Hearts, rendering disaster for Jim Jefferies' men, losing all four league games in the month with the backup keeper Paul Smith enduring a clownshow in goal, with his average (!) rating being low enough to give the manager an option of a fine after a game.

To empathize the crisis at Falkirk, panic set in to such a degree that Casillas stood the last game of the month while still recovering from his hip injury! Although Falkirk had won the game before, the decision to put Casillas back in prematurely didn't bear fruit, Falkirk losing 2-1 and remaining locked in the fight to avoid relegation.

Hibernian also went straight down until a miracle happened and Mario Gómez banged in a hat trick at Ibrox to end the month with a 3-1 win away from home.

The first Old Firm of the season resulted in a 2-2 draw. Neither Rangers nor Celtic burst into life this month either, although the Gers got the upper hand in the League Cup and now have a great chance at collecting the first trophy of the season.

Queen of the South continued to prove slippery in the League Cup, knocking out Hamilton Academial in the quarters this time! Facing league leaders St. Johnstone on neutral Hampden turf in the semis might prove a challenge too big though? Hamilton's bad month got accentuated by falling into the relegation zone.

In Europe, the results were a mixed bag. Rangers lost at Anfield, whereas the other injury-plagued teams limped on in the Europa. With Scottish clubs expected to dominate, perhaps the teams just aren't gelled enough already?

The biggest surprise in the league so far is Kilmarnock, with the squad with the lowest market value in the league, nipping at the heels of the title leaders in spite of a rather young and inexperienced squad? Surely this can't last or can it?

The draft picks all seem to have been close enough since the goal difference in the league ranges from +6 to -5 at the end of October!

SPL

1. St. Johnstone 10/19
2. Aberdeen 9/19
3. Dundee Utd 10/17
4. Kilmarnock 10/17
5. Hearts 10/15
6. St. Mirren 10/14
7. Celtic 10/14
8. Motherwell 10/12
9. Rangers 10/11
10. Hibernian 9/10
11. Falkirk 10/9
12. Hamilton 10/9

Points in October:
St. Johnstone 4/12
Aberdeen 4/6
Dundee Utd 4/7
Kilmarnock 4/9
Hearts 5/3
St. Mirren 4/9
Celtic 5/8
Motherwell 4/4
Rangers 4/4
Hibernian 4/4
Falkirk 5/5
Hamilton 5/2

Top scorers:

Agüero (Aberdeen) 7
C Ronaldo (St. Mirren) 7
Forlán (Dundee Utd) 7
Eto'o (Dundee Utd) 6
Nine players 5

Most assists:

Messi (St. Johnstone) 5
Gourcuff (St. Johnstone) 5
Lampard (St. Mirren) 5
Schweinsteiger (Hibernian) 4
Dani Alves (Dundee Utd) 4
Veloso (Dundee Utd) 4

CL

Rangers

Liverpool (A) 1-2: Villa

1. Liverpool 9
2. Rangers 6
3. Rubin Kazan 3
4. Panathinaikos 0

EL

Aberdeen

Athletic (H) 4-1: Young, Hamsík (2), Kaká
FC København (H) 0-0

1. Athletic 6
2. Aberdeen 5
3. Hamburg 4
4. FC København 1

Celtic

Valencia (A) 1-1: Tévez
Odense (A) 1-0: Lavezzi

1. Celtic 7
2. Rosenborg 4
3. Valencia 4
4. Odense 1

Falkirk

Atlético (H) 0-1
Genoa (H) 5-2: Huntelaar (4), van Persie

1. Falkirk 4
2. Genoa 4
3. Atlético 4
4. Benfica 4

Hearts

Heereveen (H) 2-1: Di Natale, Ramires
Zenit (A) 1-3: Cavani

1. Zenit 9
2. Hearts 4
3. Heerenveen 3
4. Metalist 1

Motherwell

Werder Bremen (A) 1-0: Fàbregas
Fulham (A) 1-1: Hulk

1. Motherwell 7
2. Anderlecht 4
3. Fulham 4
4. Werder Bremen

LC

Quarter finals:

Inverness-St. Johnstone 0-3
Hearts-Motherwell 1-2
Queen of Sth-Hamilton 1-0
Rangers-Celtic 4-3 (aet)

The semis will be set up like:

Queen of Sth-St. Johnstone
Rangers-Motherwell

Both will be played on neutral turf at Hampden Park! Now I'm off to simulate November 

[Linudden]

OH WHEN THE SAINTS

GO KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF MIKEY'S BALDERDASH CHANCERS

OH WHEN THE SAINTS GO ok I'm bored of this

Top of the league mate 

[Something Worse]

Top of the league mate 

Way ahead of the three year plan!

[mikey_LFC]

Surely the Super Mario hat trick should have him in that top scorers list, 3 in August and a hat trick in the last game puts him on at least 6!

Schweinsteiger and Mario forming a good relationship.

“Ya Herr-o, give the ball to Mario and it’s a goal”

“And it’s Bastian Schweinsteiger, and away we go now baby!
I see the sun is shining, ball to super Mario!”

[Linudden]

Surely the Super Mario hat trick should have him in that top scorers list, 3 in August and a hat trick in the last game puts him on at least 6!

I made a mistake back then, actually he was on two!

[mikey_LFC]

I made a mistake back then, actually he was on two!

No wonder he’s off the boil. Gave him too much praise.

[Linudden]

November was another of those crazy months. Aberdeen went top of the league in spite of being ninth in the form table and we're not even halfway yet!

All in all, the month was rather eventful but saw a tilt towards home teams winning. With Fernando Torres back to full fitness after his spinal problem, he and Motherwell started firing at home and won their three home games out of the four they played to move into title contention. One of the wins was a memorable defeat of Aberdeen.

Aberdeen in turn halted St. Johnstone's explosive form by countering an early Messi goal to win 3-1 at Pittodrie. That win in the six-pointer made all the difference in terms of who's topping the league as Christmas draws near.

The month's most-talked about encounter was how an injury-ravaged Hearts came back from the brink to win the first Edinburgh derby of the season 2-0 at home. Hearts then also won their next, before completely collapsing at Rugby Park as a fit-again Cardozo after his hamstring problems banged in a hat-trick to keep Kilmarnock in contention for the European spots.

At the bottom of the table, a long-term injury on Sergio Asenjo (what's wrong with all the keepers?) seemingly has doomed Hamilton, who lost every single fixture in the month in spite of having Wayne Rooney up front and John Terry at the back. With Hamilton's season expectations being rather low from the outset, the sacking of the manager also seems far-fetched right now. Falkirk continue to soldier on just above them, with Rangers being dangerously close to the bottom in spite of their star-filled team and David Villa performing admirably. Having the biggest depths in their squads somehow haven't helped neither Old Firm team yet, the question is, will the inevitable manager sackings breathe new lives into the teams?

In Europe, Celtic are as good as done for the next round, whereas Aberdeen sloppily lost in Copenhagen. Hearts and Motherwell are looking really good to go through, whereas Falkirk are having a probably must-win at home to Benfica after a disappointing loss at Marassi versus Genoa. In spite of this, they retain the tiebreaker over Genoa on goal difference in their two games.

Meanwhile, Rangers salvaged a late draw at home to Liverpool in the Champions League, but won't progress as group winners as the tight-knit core of Rafa's Liverpool somehow got 4-1 in points on them. A credible 3-1 win with a hat trick from high-flying Villa in Athens against Panathinaikos, did land them progression, however.

The League Cup semis are being played in January, so nothing to report there. Next month should see the Scottish Cup draw and several teams qualify for the European knockout stages.

Both Messi and Ronaldo had relatively quiet months in comparison to the last time, Ronaldo going on a goal drought and Messi on an assist one. Instead, Agüero continued to deliver, being the first player to hit double figures in the league. The combination of Mario Gómez and Bastian Schweinsteiger also provided very useful for Hibernian, with the former rapidly advancing in the top scorer charts and the latter being the leader in assists. Another success story is that full backs Criscito and Marcelo have been converted into wide midfielder assist machines.

The league is now in full phase, with all teams having played 13 games.

SPL

1. Aberdeen 13/25
2. St. Johnstone 13/22
3. Dundee Utd 13/21
4. Motherwell 13/21
5. Hearts 13/21
6. Kilmarnock 13/20
7. St. Mirren 13/19
8. Celtic 13/19
9. Hibernian 13/16
10. Rangers 13/15
11. Falkirk 13/12
12. Hamilton 13/9

Points in November:

Aberdeen 4/6
St. Johnstone 3/3
Dundee Utd 3/4
Motherwell 4/9
Hearts 3/6
Kilmarnock 3/3
St. Mirren 3/5
Celtic 3/5
Hibernian 4/6
Rangers 3/4
Falkirk 3/3
Hamilton 4/0

Top scorers:

Agüero (Aberdeen) 10
Forlán (Dundee Utd) 9
Gómez (Hibernian) 8
Hulk (Motherwell) 7
C Ronaldo (St. Mirren) 7
Eight players 6

Most assists:

Schweinsteiger (Hibernian) 7
Messi (St. Johnstone) 6
Gourcuff (St. Johnstone) 6
Lampard (St. Mirren) 5
Criscito (Motherwell) 5
Marcelo (Kilmarnock) 5

CL

Rangers

Liverpool (H) 1-1: Villa
Panathinaikos (A) 3-1: Villa (3)

1. Liverpool 13
2. Rangers 10
3. Rubin Kazan 3
4. Panathinaikos 3

Rangers through to the Round of 16.

EL

Aberdeen

FC København (A) 2-3: Agüero, Kaká

1. Athletic 9
2. Aberdeen 5
3. Hamburg 4
4. FC København 4

Celtic

Odense (H) 3-0: Ronaldinho, Modric, Lavezzi

1. Celtic 10
2. Rosenborg 7
3. Valencia 4
4. Odense 1

Falkirk

Genoa (A) 1-2: Ibrahimovic

1. Genoa 7
2. Atlético 7
3. Falkirk 4
4. Benfica 4

Hearts

Zenit (H) 2-1: Cambiasso, D Silva

1. Zenit 9
2. Hearts 7
3. Metalist 4
4. Heerenveen 3

Motherwell

Fulham (H) 2-0: Hulk (2)

1. Motherwell 10
2. Anderlecht 5
3. Fulham 4
4. Werder Bremen 2

Now I'm off to simulate December and see where the teams stand at the end of the calendar year 

[Gerry Attrick]

Forlan performing like a tank.

[XabiArt]

Ronaldo has entered the building.


SIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Glad Lampard is contributing well for me as well. I’m quietly on the march.

[XabiArt]

And then goes on a goal drought. Bloody knobhead.

[mikey_LFC]

Hearts clearly bought the ref, never gave us any fouls. Signed a deal with the devil have those bastards!

“Purple and white shite, purple and white shite hello hello”

Glad the Germans are doing the business for me.

Need the defence to sure up I reckon as I’m scoring loads.

[XabiArt]

Any thoughts on summer transfers maybe?

You’re allowed to swap one player out of your team for any undrafted player in the world. No obligation to make a transfer.

[KillieRed]

Great stuff, Gaun ra Killie!

Btw, who is my manager?

[Something Worse]

Any thoughts on summer transfers maybe?

You’re allowed to swap one player out of your team for any undrafted player in the world. No obligation to make a transfer.

Not sure you can do that mid-game?

[Linudden]

Not sure you can do that mid-game?

That's ruled by the manager in question and no you can't add players mid-game through the editor.

With regards to Killie, Jimmy Calderwood was the manager at the time.

[XabiArt]

In game editor can do anything I believe. Hence why Ronaldo is happy on 1k a week at St Mirren.

[KillieRed]

That's ruled by the manager in question and no you can't add players mid-game through the editor.

With regards to Killie, Jimmy Calderwood was the manager at the time.

]

Oh dear.

[Something Worse]

In game editor can do anything I believe. Hence why Ronaldo is happy on 1k a week at St Mirren.

Did that exist for FM10? I know the main editor only works pre-game.

[Linudden]

December was a month in which bottom team Falkirk actually got the big headlines, as they did a great escape in the Europa League to complete the Scottish sweepstake in having all six European contestants enter the knockout rounds. Having to win away from home at Vicente Calderón to knock Atlético out, an important goal from the team's first pick Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a heroic defensive display afterwards landed Falkirk a ticket to the Last 32, joining all other four Scottish squads in the tournament at that stage.

UEFA, not being content that a Spanish club got knocked out launched an investigation to the SNP government and first minister Alex Salmond who claimed to "nou nothen aboot any Scottish govermant paemants" to the recently imported players 

Either way, in the league it has emerged into a two-horse race between Aberdeen and St. Johnstone, both of whom have slowly pulled away from the "everyone beats everyone" pack.

At the bottom of the table, Hamilton actually bursted into life by winning their final two games of 2009, cutting Falkirk's lead over them for avoiding the bottom relegation spot down to a solitary point.

In a league where any team can beat any other at any day, it'd perhaps be a bit rash to say that so and so many teams now can't be relegated, but it's shaping up to be a battle between Hibernian and the two aforementioned clubs to stay up. The Hibs started the month in glorious fashion, smashing home five to nothing to cut Motherwell off from the apparent title race, before reverting back to the old indifferent ways. Gómez duly stopped scoring and Schweinsteiger duly stopped assisting. Hibs need to wake the hell up to avoid putting Andrés Iniesta in Scotland's second tier.

Dundee United is this season's most absurd team. They've dominated on the road, but are the worst team in the league at home simultaneously! The Tangerines are sitting in third, having netted 29 points in 18, seven of which at home and 22 away! In fact, United have ten more points away from home than league leaders Aberdeen. If only the boys from Tannadice knew how to use home advantage, the league might already be sealed for them. Now, even a 2nd-place Champions League qualification is going to take a heroic effort.

The Old Firm teams have continued to play lacklustre in the league, in spite of their star-studded teams. Miraculously, both managers are hanging on, but I assume for dear life.

The biggest shipper of goals is actually Hearts in fourth, Jefferies' bunch letting 34 in 18 matches go past the keeper. To add insult to injury, after his return to the team, Júlio César picked up another injury, in what's proving to be groundhog season for keepers. Luckily for Hearts, he'll be back in contention shortly. It took them a long time, but not as long as Spurs in 2018-19 to record a draw, but now it's happened.

As for the big stars, Agüero and Forlán are red hot, sitting at 15 and 14 respectively, whereas Messi remains the highest-performing player in the league. Meanwhile, Andrés Iniesta has quietly moved into second in that category, being the sole Hibernian player to take any pride in December as Gómez' goal drought got further extended as he dislocated his shoulder. Without him up front, Hibs look set to continue their struggle. Meanwhile, both Zlatan and Rooney at each of their relegation rivals are currently fit, so this has to worry Hibs' drafting crew a lot.

SPL

League table:

1. Aberdeen 18/37
2. St. Johnstone 18/34
3. Dundee Utd 18/29
4. Hearts 18/28
5. Motherwell 18/28
6. St. Mirren 18/26
7. Kilmarnock 18/25
8. Celtic 18/25
9. Rangers 18/24
10. Hibernian 18/19
11. Falkirk 18/16
12. Hamilton 18/15

December points:

Aberdeen 5/12
St. Johnstone 5/12
Dundee Utd 5/8
Hearts 5/7
Motherwell 5/7
St. Mirren 5/7
Kilmarnock 5/5
Celtic 5/6
Rangers 5/9
Hibernian 5/3
Falkirk 5/4
Hamilton 5/6

Top scorers:

Agüero (Aberdeen) 15
Forlán (Dundee Utd) 14
Milito (St. Mirren) 10
Hulk (Motherwell) 10
Modric (Celtic) 9

Most assists:

Gourcuff (St. Johnstone) 8
Dani Alves (Dundee Utd) 7
Iniesta (Hibernian) 7
Messi (St. Johnstone) 7
Schweinsteiger (Hibernian) 7
Criscito (Motherwell) 7

Mid-season bonus, avg. rating:

Messi (St. Johnstone) 8.15
Iniesta (Hibernian) 8.06
Agüero (Aberdeen) 7.82
Gourcuff (St. Johnstone) 7.76
Kaká (Aberdeen) 7.76
Dani Alves (Dundee Utd) 7.73
Fàbregas (Motherwell) 7.71
Xavi (Celtic) 7.71
Xabi Alonso (Hamilton) 7.71
Ribéry (Dundee Utd) 7.70

CL

Rangers

Rubin Kazan (H) 1-1: Villa

1. Liverpool 16
2. Rangers 11
3. Rubin Kazan 4
4. Panathinaikos 3

Last 16 draw:

Rangers-Milan

Full draw:

Spoiler

Juventus-Man United
Rangers-Milan
Barcelona-Inter
Beşiktaş-Arsenal
Porto-CSKA Moskva
Stuttgart-Chelsea
Sevilla-Dinamo Kyiv
AZ-Liverpool

[close]

EL

Aberdeen

Hamburg (H) 4-0 (Hamsík, Agüero, Kaká, Young)
Athletic (A) 0-3

1. Athletic 12
2. Aberdeen 8
3. Hamburg 7
4. FC København 7

Aberdeen through to the Round of 32.

Celtic

Rosenborg (A) 2-0: Lavezzi, Xavi
Valencia (H) 2-0: Ronaldinho, Pirlo

1. Celtic 16
2. Rosenborg 10
3. Valencia 5
4. Odense 2

Celtic through to the Round of 32.

Falkirk

Benfica (H) 2-2: Ibrahimovic, Huntelaar
Atlético (A) 1-0: Ibrahimovic

1. Genoa 11
2. Falkirk 8
3. Atlético 7
4. Benfica 6

Falkirk through to the Last 32.

Hearts

Metalist (H) 1-1: Jonsson
Heerenveen (A) 1-0: Ramires

1. Zenit 15
2. Hearts 11
3. Metalist 5
4. Heerenveen 3

Hearts through to the Round of 32.

Motherwell

Anderlecht (A) 0-2
Werder Bremen (H) 3-1: Azpilicueta, Hulk (2)

1. Motherwell 13
2. Anderlecht 11
3. Werder Bremen 5
4. Fulham 4

Overall, that means Scottish clubs have made sure that Atlético, Hamburg, Valencia, Werder Bremen and Fulham are no more in the Europa League's 2010 knockout stages.

Last 32 draw:

Aberdeen-Shakthar
Levski-Celtic
Falkirk-Athletic
Hearts-Roma
Club Brugge-Motherwell

Scottish Cup

The draw for the Last 32 (4th round) was as follows:

Falkirk-Dunfermline
Hearts-Partick Thistle
Celtic-Hibernian
Arbroath-Rangers
Hamilton-St. Mirren
Kilmarnock-Dundee
Motherwell-Stirling
Ayr-Dundee Utd
Inverness-Aberdeen
St. Johnstone-Raith

Anyway, I hope I'm not posting too much too quickly  Enjoy!