Treble challenge part 4

The last database of the challenge.

Didn’t have a great season the year before. So, hopefully, this one will be more entertaining.

Start off with transfer ins and outs sees celtic lose a great player with Kieran Tierney.

Scott Sinclair, the other notable name to leave. Seems they just released a lot of fringe players to help develop the squad in the coming years.

Inbound wise.

The return of Fraser Forster on loan and Christopher Jullien bought in from Toulouse FC the two worth highlighting.

Let’s take a look at the squad I have selected for the season.

The two highlighted from the inbound look decent and will probably go straight into my starting 11 plans.

Also, I like the look of this guy on loan from Southampton. He made 10 league appearances in real life, but I think his versatility of operating as right/left AMC will fit nicely with my tactic. He will get more playtime then just 10 games.

McGregor is ageing well in the DB creations. I’m not really seeing him as a DMC and unlikely to start in that position over Brown. I’m willing to maybe use him as cover for Brown, but mainly operate as an MC.

My god, how good does Édouard look?

I’m going to be fighting to keep him at the club.

He’s clearly going to score more than the 29 he scored in real life out of 47 games in all competitions.

Barely move on a day, and bids are flying in for Édouard along with admirers, making their interests known.

Lyon already has a Celtic former employer. Wouldn’t have been a bad move linking these two up again in this database.

First game and a test for a few new faces.

Find ourselves losing at the halftime whistle.

Alot there to moan about, to be honest. Defensively terrible the main worry.

Full-time

It’s much better in the second half.

I tried sorting out the defence with a sub, but it didn’t offer anything better.

However, the impact from my second sub proved to be a good choice.

First league game

Made one change to the starting 11, adding Christie and making a tactically swap of positioning by moving Forrest to the left and playing Christie on the right as my two AMC.

Paid off as one scored and one created an assist. But again, a defender making it to half time without a single tackle made is worrying and not acceptable.

Second leg of the champions cup.

Made a number of changes to the starting 11. McGregor, I brought in and tested as an MC, rewarded me with two assists.

Elyounoussi goes back to Left AMC, and Griffiths makes his debut in the starting 11 as a Right AMC.

Both producing and giving me a midfield selection headache.

In the next league game, McGregor keeps his place in the team because of the injured Rogic. He continues to impress me, ending the game as man of the match.

The midfield headache pays off once again, as Forrest was forced off because of injury, and in comes Elyounoussi, who proved the assist for the second goal in the game.

Champions cup (not that I’m bothered). Pulled off an impressive win against the mega rich Chelsea. With five changes to the starting 11.

McGregor, again, the hero.

There is a transfer ban on this challenge.

HOWEVER

The loan players I have are transfer listed, and other clubs are bidding on them.

With fear of losing them and mucking up the save. I will buy them in an attempt to keep them at the club to emulate their real-life journey.

That’s not breaking the rules???

Draw for the Scottish league cup

Fingers crossed he stays.

Not so shocking news hits the team.

With damage made in the first leg.

Édouard is still remaining professional despite me rejecting his request.

Then again, could he be advertising himself on the biggest stage for potential suitors.

Group stage draw.

It’s not wrong to do this. I don’t feel guilty

First Old firm derby of the season.

Fear of losing Forster. I buy him too.

Not breaking any transfer ban rules.

It’s just that he is also transfer listed by Southampton, and there has been the odd look at him from other clubs.

Half time and lost a player to a red card and a minute later, before the whistle had a goal chalked off because he was off side.

Hatem my right back great in the air, but no takles in a derby is a problem surely?

I’ll keep an eye on that. Elyounoussi is not playing well.

Could be that it’s a slow start from him, and at least he’s had an attempt at goal. Unlike Christie.

I’ve got Forrest on the bench itching to get on and can replace either one.

Full-time, and it’s a home win. That man again McGregor with a solo effort.

Hatem improved massively. It must have been from my wondering thoughts of subbing him off if he didn’t improve or the fact that Jullien was red carded I went to a back three and he played better as a DC and not a DR.

Brought two players on to see if it brings some impact vibes. But nothing happened.

IT’S NOT BREAKING THE RULES.

Édouard growing into the journey with a stunning display against St Mirren.

Forrest and Christie are performing well as a matched pair in AMC. Maybe not as consistent as my other options.

I’ve liked the games between these, too.

Three goals, three points, and a clean sheet…. perfect.

Turning our attention to the next cup game.

Wrapped it up in the first half.

Ntcham a name I haven’t really highlighted so far compared to how good he was in the last two DB.

He gets his name in the headlines for all the right reasons.

Quarter finals draw for the Scottish league cup. I’m happy with that one, but I’m not underestimating an underdog story.

Major problem as Rogic is out for a while and breaks up my reliable MC partnership.

It does give me the opportunity to get McGregor into the starting 11.

That time again in the league.

Édouard brace gives us the lead at half time.

I tried something crazy and partnered McGregor with Christie in MC to get Forrest into the team.

To my surprise, Christie is performing really well in an unfamiliar role . Forrest not so much in his started position. But done enough to roll till the 60th.

Full-time and a hatrick hero wins the Derby day.

Cup game next.

I said early on not to underestimate the underdog.

Lost Forrest and Dundee lost a player to a red card decision.

We need to capitalise on playing against 10 men.

And we did just that.

Bolingoli with the surprise standout performance.

And also Christie taking full advance of his sub appearance to question me why I left him out.

Lengthy injury that’s not ideal with the run of games coming up.

Draw for the Scottish league cup semi-finals.

Potential old firm derby in the final.

Tasty win in the league, but lost Brown near the hour mark.

It’s a bad one again, and the loss of my captain and leader on the field could prove disastrous.

And that’s exactly what happened in the next game.

The team fell apart.

I should have paid attention to Forster, but I didn’t.

He’s been decent week in week out.

McGregor isn’t convincing as a DMC.

Christie is in for Rogic at MC, and showing his best position is MC.

I’ve mainly played him as AMR.

First game without my captain and my first defeat in the league….. coincidence?

Another player out for a month.

Are there any doctors working for celtic?

The next game after the first defeat of season ends in yet another defeat.

Missing Brown for sure.

Frustration has been shown near the end of the game, with Jullien taking an early shower.

Édouard begging to leave.

He makes 9 requests in the same day.

Captain Brown returns for an away day against hibs, and the team starts winning again.

Still leaking goals.

I am forced into trying my other goalkeepers.

In this game, I had to sub him off to prevent a 4 rating.

Scottish cup draw.

The Division 1 team take the lead, but Rogic ends their excitement 3 minutes later.

Édouard with a brace sends celtic through to the next round.

The linkup play between Édouard and Rogic the difference in the game.

I actually moved Rogic from MC to AMR in this game, so more selection headaches.

Gutting for Ntcham as he’s been performing really well. He will be missed.

I did B/C teamed it for the next league game. But that’s no excuse to get spanked.

I rested players in the last game so that my A team can take on Rangers.

Half-time and the visitors take the lead.

I don’t see much I can change.

My right back with no tackles is rubbish.

Looking at the bench and the only name I can see worth while is Forrest.

But for who?, they are all average.

I’ll roll till the hour mark.

And Celtic has come back from a goal down.

I stuck to my guns and played to the 60th minute.

Still not happy with my right back, I immediately subbed him off and went with Forrest Christie. Which I thought was a gamble as Christie hadn’t done anything wrong, really.

Semi finals of the Scottish league cup.

Early lead

Don’t know how I feel at this point.

I’m leading the match and having chances.

Guess I just need to trust my football philosophy and roll.

Full time and without making a sub, the team grew into the game as a team and as individuals.

Singling out Elyounoussi.

Yes, he scored in the first half, but he carried on his form transcending into an all-around football player. From an attacking roll to also a descent defender.

Top that with not one assist, but two.

No wonder he got the much deserved Man of the Match.

Fixtures outlined in the coming cup competitions.

With league in the bag and the final confirmed in the league cup.

It’s the Scottish cup fate that needs sorting out.

I should be happy with the result. But how many times did Édouard attempt to score to how many shots on??? Ridiculous.

Row Z must be holding onto seven balls.

Dodged the prem teams. If that is a good thing or not.

Three up and a brace from Ntcham. Who also set up Édouard for his goal in the game.

Full-time, and we managed another three goals before Dundee lost the plot and got a player sent off.

Teasing potential final against Rangers, maybe on the cards.

But there’s one confirmed final that needs completing first.

My record going into the final against Rangers has been good so far.

Half-time and the ever impressive Elyounoussi lately gets an early goal. Rangers did reply towards the midway mark of the first half from the also very impressive Hogan. But Édouard restores the lead seconds away from the refree whistle.

Both teams up for it.

There’s lots to be happy about, I can’t pick a weakling.

Maybe you could argue Christie needs to have a shot on to be picky, considering he’s playing a forward role.

Ntcham, I’m pleased about too.

And it’s over. Celtic are champions of the league cup.

We jump a bit in time to the semi-final of the Scottish cup.

Aberdeen has been all over celtic, but unfortunately, through silly little challenges, they find themselves down to nine men.

Right on the stroke of half time, my striker is injured.

Celtic goes on to advance to the final. It was there’s for the taking. The sending offs gave me the advantage, and the refereeing in this game needs questioning.

Here we go. Another old firm clash in a final.

His injury isn’t that bad.

We have mixed results against Kilmarnock. They definitely have goals in them, I’m glad I dodged them in a cup competition.

This is a loss and for a month again.

One more old firm derby in the league.

There is nothing to talk about in the first half.

Everyone seems to be putting a shift in, so I will roll as is. Limited options on the bench, McGregor would come on to change one of the AMC if needed. He would sit in the MC role and push Christie to either side of the AMC.