Buffs FC (Scottish Team) - server 112

[Buffs Mad]

Buffs FC today travelled to meet league leaders Fenerbahce. The leaders were undefeated before this tie and remain undefeated afterwards. Buffs went down to a 11 min penalty after Fletcher reacted to provocation. No-one knows exactly what provoked him but as he lunged in he was growling "Strawberry blonde, its strawberry blonde!"

As Buffs Mad was not expecting to make the game he decided to shift the formation to 4-1-3-2. By the looks of the stats the team miss-fired - not creating a great deal and Alan McGregor in goal was the busier of the 2 keepers - but from the looks of the ratings most of the players on both sides had an average game.

Buffs FC now slip back towards the pack and are 5 adrift from the leader.

Additionally, the management team has decided to try some new formations - although we'll only try really experimental ones when the points look safer. It is expected Buffs will look to build a stronger foundation with 4-4-2 as their goal-scoring touch has deserted them recently. But onwards and upwards.

Training News

Dave Mackay, Denis Law and Steve Nicol were all awarded 6* recognition for their efforts in training over the last 2 days.

[Buffs Mad]

The Buffs got a nice 2-0 home win today after the leaders slipped up with a draw. A result was vital after losing 1-0 to the leaders last time out.

Both goals came in the first 15 mins - neither manager was present. Today saw Buffs go out in a 3-5-2 against Aram FCs 4-1-3N-2. Stats and ratings were adequate if not inspiring.

Buffs Mad continues to switch things around after casting doubt on the suitability of the current AMs and given his failure to identify any better in the current market.

Next match is in the Champions League as the Buffs prepare to meet Trollus Trollus Unexpectidae FC aka GalataSaray AS. The Buffs will be out to avenge the freak 1-0 defeat in Turkey in Round 2.

With Round 10 completed in the league it now looks as follows:



Its been a very low scoring league so far with only the abandoned bottom side shipping goals against the top sides - although Barcelona and RedGiant look to be tanking.

Training News

Darren Fletcher impressed in training and achieved 6* recognition.

[Buffs Mad]

Buffs FC's final CL Group game was against GalataSaray A.S. This mob of trolls was responsible for Buffs only defeat in the CL: 1-0 in Round 2. A victory was not important for qualification but it was for revenge. Buffs won 9-0.

Buffs set out in a 3N-3N-2-2 formation - midfielders Paul McStay, Jim Baxter and Jimmy Johnstone were specifically instructed to get forward. Michael Mols scored 3 times in the first 24 minutes, the other goals came from Baxter (2), McStay (2), Johnstone and Law.

In the league Buffs went away to Dream Team but gave them a nightmare when again Buffs won 9-0. With Dream Team set out in a 4-1-2-1-2 ND Buffs Mad opted to push out a familiar 4-5-1V. Defender Alex McLeish got the Buffs off the mark with 2 goals in 25 minutes and Johnstone added a 3rd just before half time. Mols came on for Law at halftime and Buffs upped the intensity. The goals in the second half came from Baxter (2), McStay, McLeish, Gemmell and Souness.

Buffs remain in second place but ofc with an improved goal difference - also aided by having conceded only 2.

[Buffs Mad]

Buffs today welcomed Turkish side mahmet musab FC to Buffs Park on league business. (The abandoned bottom club.) Buffs won 9-1. For a brief time it looked like the previous 2 results were going to be repeated (9-0) because again (like the others) our striker hit the bar in 88 mins......but this suddenly their striker shot from nowhere and scored thus breaking the run.

Can't do a creative report for this, it'd take too long so just to say goals came from:

• Souness driving home a Baxter pass - 3 mins;
• McStay rifling in a shot from distance - 16 mins;
• Law rounding 1on1 with the GK and chiping to Mols to score - 23 mins;
• Johnstone half-volleying a Souness cross - 41 mins;
• Mols returning the favour with a short pass for Law to score - 44 mins;

At half time Fletcher replaced Souness

• Solo effort by Mols rounding the GK to score - 54 mins;
• Bremner shooting after a slip/mistake by defender - 67 mins;
• Another Mols solo effort - 78 mins;
• Baxter heading in a McStay free-kick - 84 mins; and

• Opposition striker with a bulleted shot in 89 mins.

Only other point of note was our friend and league leader supported the abandoned opposition - so we've abandoned the 'friend'.

Next up for the Buffs is an away CL tie at 5am....damnit

[Buffs Mad]

3rd Team Spotlight time.

Overview: Shangalang FC's place in the franchise remains like that of the strange cousin at family parties that people are nice to but don't actively engage with. They are checked on every day prior to matches and tweaks made where necessary. This year they have carried the additional burden of being the experimental team - every match regardless of the opponent has been played Defensively with Counterattacking On.

Quality: They are a 2* side (18.1 ave Q), are ranked 10th in the league by quality and there are 4 teams with greater than +5Q average more than them.

Squad: I don't recall every buying a player for them but I might have. Nevertheless the Squad has remained broadly the same as the starting one - with the addition of token and free academy players. (Nothing else to spend the tokens on ) There are 4x4* players, 6x3 and the rest are split equally between 2 & 1.

Highlights: Currently they top the league (unbeaten), are out of the CL and are in the Cup QF. (In the CL they lost 4 games against 29Q teams (0-1, 2-3, 1-2 & 1-3).

Prospects: Tbh, I don't really expect them to maintain this league form. In the Cup, because they are down with the bottom feeders, they only have lvl 3 opponents and the highest Q is 22 so anything is possible.

Season in pictures:

[Buffs Mad]

Today the Buffs visited the scene of last season's Battle of Reims. Stade de Reims were one of those teams last season that, when it mattered, Buffs could not beat. Reims set up on a 4-1-3N-2 and as Buffs emerged they faced up to them in a 4-3N-2W-1. Buffs started energetically with a couple of early chances but Reims stood firm and were crisp in the tackle. Crisp was not the right word in 20 mins when 2 defenders cleared the ball from Fletcher, then took the man and almdst each other too. No yellow - I suppose the ref couldn't decide which one of the Black and Blues Brothers was the culprit - and McStay squandered the free-kick. Buffs Mad pondered for a few moments (Billy Bremner was already in the hands of the medics) then brought on Hansen to take up a central defensive position and push Dave Mackay into a defensive midfield role. Shortly after Mackay slid a long ball between the Reims defence and as Mols rushed in he was pulled down from the back. McStay tested the keeper with the free-kick but it was turned round the post. McLeish delivered a precision ball from the corner and Mols rose majestically to bullet a header home. Buffs kept up the pressure but the game swung towards the away end as the half drew to a close - the Buffs Barmy Army gasped, to a man, as a blistering strike flew towards McGregor. Not that he knew much about it but he was glad to see it clip the bar.

In the second half they went at each other like 2 2 drunks with a carry-out, wrestling and jostling for possession with increasing vigour and frustration. Mols tried to give a dead leg on the refs blindside but following discussion with the linesman the ref showed a yellow. Over the next 10 minutes Reims introduced fresh legs with Christiansen, Taneda and Fofana coming on. Souness madec a clumsy challenge on the edge of the box in 86 mins giving away a silly free-kick in a dangerous area as well as picking up a yellow. However Fofana made a mess of the free-kick. Buffs ran down the clock without further incident.

Buffs now remain in second 3pts behind the leader but with a better goal difference. Stade de Reims also remain in 3rd but slip 7 pts behind. With 2 key midfielders injured Buffs Mad must decide whether to play with what he has or get the medical staff working around the clock to get them fit for the next match.

[Cody Allan Taylor]

Congrats on winning against rival Stade de Reims!

The fans want to see the league table and team stats.

[Buffs Mad]

The fans get what the fans want.

Table at half-way point

​GA come from a 1-0 loss, 1-1 draw and 9-1 win.



Squad



I'll update squad stats once I have time to wrestle with the layers in paint.net

Edit: Noticed how sparse my 'league friends' looks - I ditched 1 yesterday and 1 ditched me early in the season.

[Buffs Mad]

Couple of Scout purchases (as per S3 budget) had been ready to turn World Class so just did them today.

Alex McLeish, bought on 1st day (I think) has been a regular in the side and occasionally has been known to burst through the midfield for solo goals. He plays left centre in defence but will happily play wide if I really want to press that flank. Reliable defender of set-pieces - good with the head.





Paul McStay, bought few days into Season after a Mr Scout refresh, is the gotoguy for Free Kicks - he prefers shooting whereas previous FK specialist (defensive minded DMC) preferred crossing. He's more comfortable on the right of centre but doesn't like it if he's bypassed when attacking the flanks, even when asked to support the attack.

[Buffs Mad]

Buffs FC welcomed BuiGia to Buffs Park for a league encounter. BuiGia have a similar quailty squad - although Buffs possess a couple of higher quality individuals BuiGia maintain greater strength in depth. Buigia was formed on the same day as the Buffs and the Manager was Buffs Mad's first friend in T11. The development of either side has closely mirrored the other : they are friendly rivals and support each other wherever possible. Nevertheless, Buffs have never won a competitive match and the opposition actively changes his team both in preparation fr matches and during game time.

For this league encounter BulGia set up in a 4-1-3N-1-1 and Buffs in a 4-1-2-2W-1. Both managers were in attendance and Buffs also had the bonus of a newly befriended manager visiting the ground.

The match started briskly with Buffs taking possession and forcing a free-kick and resultant corner. Baxter headed narrowly wide. There then followed a period of pressure from Bulgia with 2 speculative shots and a couple of corners. McStay was booked for a midfield tussle during this time. And it was from a corner that BuiGia took the lead - a striker half-volleying the loose ball from a partially cleared cross.

For the rest of the half both sides flattered to deceive - a lot of effort for little reward. But BuiGia had the lead and maintained it at half-time. Following the start of the second half BuiGia made a couple of changes although not to formation. (Being in 3 competitions puts a higher demand on the BuiGia squad.

The second half saw possession football for either side interrupted by either a mistake of a failed goal attempt. It was a ver even match but Buffs Mad was getting concerned with Mackay conceding another free-kick around the box. BuiGia made another change but BuffsMad stuck firm with his starting line-up. He did however mull over formation changes but steeled himself to see how things played out.

From the 60th minute the game burst into life again with end to end action - McGregor made 2 great saves from BuiGia attemps in the next 20 minutes as BuiGia forced corners; and the opposition keeper did similar from open play attacks. From minute to minute Buffs Mad had no idea if the scoreboard would flash 1-1 or 2-0. But in the 82nd minute all doubt was removed - it was flashing 1-1. The equalizer came from a series of errors: a poor shot from Johnstone was needlessly deflected wide for a corner, the corner was wasted by McLeish as the GK claimed it, but his clearance was miscued by Buigia teammate and Buffs counterattacked. Mols drove at the defence with electric pace, beat one then another and, as he rounded the keeper, squared the ball to Law.......and Law toe-poked it in the corner off the post.

It seemed that was as many risks that either side was prepared to take - 8 minutes of uninspiring possession followed with both sides seeming to be gripped more by fear of a loss rather than being driven by hope of a win. 1-1 it finished.

While a home draw was not the result the Buffs Barmy Army wanted they can reflect on the fact that: BuiGia were last season's champions; had beaten the Buffs home and away, in very tight matches; and this year, now, there have been 2 draws.

Buffs Mad said "We wanted a win, we got a draw. Next match* we want a win - let's deliver it for the fans."

*Now Buffs Mad must decide whether he sticks with a 4-5-1 V or pushes on with the changes and opts for 3-5-2 for this CL leg where the winner takes it all.