Buffs FC (Scottish Team) - server 112

[The Avenue]

Maybe, for most of the match, he was too busy drooling like a lemon to realise he was supposed to do his dribbling with the ball?

[Buffs Mad]

Maybe, for most of the match, he was too busy drooling like a lemon to realise he was supposed to do his dribbling with the ball?

Ha ha, my thoughts exactly.

Start of the season is a busy time with 3 teams so I better bring things up to date with recent results.

Fixture catch-up

Buffs Mad has been busy with his consultancy role in advising franchise managers, the World Cup, Wimbledon, Dad's Taxi Service and the continuing 2 week heatwave. O.o

Day 2 saw the return leg in the Cup. The Opposition Manager had been busy and fielded 4 Scot level players (ofc, they were actually cheap 4* purchases for a level 6 manager ). Buffs struggled to get a foothold in the match and produced virtually no offensive threat - but gained enough possession and showed enough defensive prowess to escape with a 2-0 defeat and progress to the Qualifying round 4-2 on aggregate.

Day 3 began with the 1st Champions League Group Stage tie at home to a visiting Vietnamese side. AMR Jimmy Johnstone jinked his way to a hat-trick in a comfortable 6-1 win. Regrettably, Denis Law picked up a 5-day injury - not great news since Buffs are starting the season with a 15 man squad and only 1 other striker.

The opening tie in this season's league campaign was an away tie in the Brazilian rainforest. Buffs had a huge quality advantage and Michael Mols, coming in for the injured Law, looked to have set the tone in 5 mins with the 1st goal. However Buffs really struggled in front of goal, missing a hatful of chances, and couldn't add a second until 18 minutes from time up. That goal came from a free-kick - unfortunately Bremner picked up a 4 day injury in the process.

Buffs Mad was struggling in the transfer market - although the need was obvious he was not one to pay over the odds in a rushed deal and had bailed on an 18 year old after the 3rd knockout round of bidding. The medics were ordered to do their utmost with Dennis Law, Bremner could wait.

Match Day 4 saw Buffs returning to league action.

The opposition had already been thrashed 11-0 on the opening day so Buffs Mad had been scouring the market for another striker to go with 2 up front. He successfully managed to secure the young 19 year old Kenny Dalglish in a dawn deal with a single bid of 4m. (The shrewd Buffs Mad suspected that Dalglish had been a Day 1 buy who was then replaced with a younger model - having played only 1 match but rated 9 with 1 goal, 1 assist and MoM.)

Dalglish therefore made his debut alongside the patched up Law as Buffs lined up in an aggressive 4-2-2W-2 hex formation. However those plans were scuppered in 5 mins (its always 5 mins XD ) as Jim Baxter received a crunching tackle in the box when clear and was stretchered off with a 3 day ankle injury. Buffs Mad thought frantically given the lack of cover for wide areas in the squad. He brought Fletcher on for Baxter and dropped him into a 3 man central midfield unit and signalled Johnstone to come in from the right and play the withdrawn role behind the strike pairing. Incidently McStay slotted home the penalty. With just 2 mins game time Fletcher got the scoreboard ticking over (although quite how the shiny new Digital Scoreboard ticks is beyond me). Goals came flooding in with another 6 being racked up before half time - with no goals but 2 assists for debutant Dalglish. Early in the second half Dalglish again set up Law for his hat-trick and a 9-0 lead. But this new King Kenny was blowing a bit and tiring fast - so Buffs Mad brought in Michael Mols. The remaining goals came from Mols, Johnstone and Gemmell. 19 shots on target in a 12-0 win and Johnstone, Law and Fletcher bagging 3 each, not a bad shift.

Next up Buffs face another level 6 side in the Cup Qualifying 1st leg. The Buffs are at a 5Q ave disadvantage with the opposition looking like starting in a 4-1-3N-2 - relatively speaking the opposition possess 5 Scout and 3 World Class level players. Buffs Mad remains undecided whether he should set up a punchy 4-3-1-2 but might have little choice unless he can find wide man to run the left flank.

To be continued.