My Greatest Challenge: Knocking Fergie Right Off His ****ing Perch. And You Can Print That

[B.W.G]

Very good start so far

[Timpegoose]

Goals are just rolling in for you at the moment, even without the star striker contributing them. Hoping you can hang on for a shot at Europe!

[noikeee]

That was a quality first season in the top level, 1 point behind Besiktas 2 behind Europa League qualification is overacheiving by some margin. And you're backing that up now with an even better start to the new season.

[roganp]

Good to see you doing so well after the sacking in Argentina, keep up the good work .

[P O\'D]

great start. keep it going.

[DazRTaylor]

Excellent start!

[DodgeeD]

Very good first season up and an even better start to this one!

When do you play the 'Big three' this season? I've always noticed on my Turkish saves that I seem to get them bunched together in the space of 4 or 5 games!

[snootyjim]

Cracking stuff, hope you keep it going!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Good first season up in the top Turkish league.

[AK22]

Şanlıurfa Spor Kulübü - October 2020

We're still going strong, although we've had to rely on the old guard to see us through; both Tisdell and Sylvestr were heavily involved in the team that won us promotion a couple of seasons ago, and although they are no longer regular starters this year, they've both had a cracking month, scoring all five of our goals between them. The new signings haven't really gelled too well yet, so it's good to see the more experienced players stepping up to the mark.

Galatasaray have matched us points wise this month, also taking seven from the three games played, but due to our superior goal difference, we still sit top of the Süper Lig table. I still don't expect us to stay there much longer, as the big three are right on our tails, but it's still a remarkable start to our campaign and should help towards a push for European qualification.

Next Time

* We don't play Galatasaray, Besiktas or Fenerbahçe until December, so if we have a good November, we could potentially hold on to top spot for a little bit longer. That said, we need to ensure we do professional jobs against the likes of Bursaspor and Orduspor in the forthcoming fixtures.

* Our Turkish Cup campaign begins with a trip to non-league side, Gaziosmanpasa.

[AK22]

Wow, great start to the season so far!

Good signings and a fantastic start!

I've just read this whole thread which looks like a fantastic career, I hope you'll achieve your aim!

Great start mate. KUTGW!

Very good start so far

Goals are just rolling in for you at the moment, even without the star striker contributing them. Hoping you can hang on for a shot at Europe!

That was a quality first season in the top level, 1 point behind Besiktas 2 behind Europa League qualification is overacheiving by some margin. And you're backing that up now with an even better start to the new season.

Good to see you doing so well after the sacking in Argentina, keep up the good work .

great start. keep it going.

Excellent start!

Cracking stuff' date=' hope you keep it going![/quote']

Good first season up in the top Turkish league.

Thanks all, it's going extremely well! I'm even starting to allow myself to dream that we may finish in the top five and qualify for Europe. A long way to go, mind, but I can still dream!

Very good first season up and an even better start to this one!

When do you play the 'Big three' this season? I've always noticed on my Turkish saves that I seem to get them bunched together in the space of 4 or 5 games!

Back-to-back-to-back. Besiktas (H), Fenerbahçe (A), Galatasaray (H). The last three games before Christmas. This certainly wasn't on my list to Santa!

[DazRTaylor]

Back-to-back-to-back. Besiktas (H), Fenerbahçe (A), Galatasaray (H). The last three games before Christmas. This certainly wasn't on my list to Santa!

If you can get four points from those three games, you have done well.

[Rikulec]

You've beaten Besiktas twice last season, they're not that tough, are they?

[AK22]

Şanlıurfa Spor Kulübü - November 2020

It's been a busy few weeks for us, with a couple of cup matches thrown in to our already full league schedule for good measure. In summary, it's been a respectable month, although I'm disappointed to drop points against teams near the bottom of table (Gençlerbirligi, in particular); we've also been knocked out of the cup by Antalyaspor, a team we really should have beaten.

We've still got the (joint) best defensive record in the division, which shows just how difficult we have been to beat this season so far. However, we have dropped seven points this month, and although we're still top on goal difference, we've got some serious competition on our heels now; you could throw a small loincloth over the top four!

Next Time

* There's just the three fixtures to fulfil in December, before the winter break, against three small club teams... Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Besiktas; if we're still top come the new year, then I suppose we'll be labelled as genuine title-contenders. Eeek!

[AK22]

If you can get four points from those three games, you have done well.

If we take two points, I'll be happy!

You've beaten Besiktas twice last season, they're not that tough, are they?

We sure did, but I think that was more beginner's luck than anything else. After heavy investment, Besiktas are a much stronger team this year, and will prove an exceptionally tough opponent. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe certainly won't roll over either!

[markyosullivan]

Tough 3 games before December ends, good luck.

[deltablue]

Good luck in the runup to Christmas.

[JackJCFC]

Still going strong but its so close at the top, a bad run of form could see a big drop.

[B.W.G]

Brilliant run so far,hopefully you can maintain some of that form.

[AcidBurn]

Very close at the top if you can get a few points from the three matches against the big sides then you could challenge for the title. Good luck!

[snootyjim]

Cracking work, hope you can keep it going... can't help wondering whether it's just a generous honeymoon period, but 14 games is a very long time. I guess this will be the time to prove yourselves!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Dare to dream...

[AK22]

Thanks for all the comments, everyone

Not had much chance to play this week, due to being in full-on Christmas party season (as I'm sure most of you are!), but should get an update done today now that I've played out December

[AK22]

Şanlıurfa Spor Kulübü - December 2020

Unfortunately, there's been no repeat of last season's giant-killing, with the results against the 'Big Three' pretty much going the way that most people expected. There's no real shame in that, though, as we put in credible displays in both the home matches, although we were lucky to limit Fenerbahçe to four, and could have quite easily been on the wrong side of a hiding in that game.

Fenerbahçe have had the perfect month, and have opened up a nice four point cushion at the top of the Süper Lig table. We've now dropped down to fourth, eight points off the lead, and are now the 'best of the rest'. We'll need to pick ourselves up in the New Year, as we haven't won in five games now, to ensure we stay in contention for European qualification.

Next Time

* It's the winter break now, so we don't resume our league campaign until mid-January.

[deltablue]

Very tough, but not unexpected

[AK22]

So, as job offers go, this is a pretty big one...

The budgets don't look up to much, but they're more than manageable for now. Making the switch now is probably a tad harsh on Urfaspor, as we're going along quite nicely, but this is a job offer that doesn't tend to come round too often.

With so many of my backroom deciding to walk, I'll be looking to take most of them with me to Glasgow.

The compensation that Urfaspor will receive should be a great help to the club's finances, so at least that's some kind of sweetener for them.

[DazRTaylor]

All the best in Scotland.

And all the best in getting that wage bill down.

[AK22]

Rangers F.C.

Now this is a big club, with a huge rivalry with it's neighbours across the city. And it's this rivalry that is one of the biggest draws to the club, and my main reason for dropping sticks and moving to Scotland.

Celtic have won every single Scottish Premier League title since 2010/11, that's nine in a row. Of course, Rangers have gone through the wringer somewhat in this period, having been declared insolvent and demoted to the fourth tier of Scottish football, but the phoenix has now fully risen from the ashes, and the club is once again back on a sound enough footing to challenge for major honours.

However, recently, challenge is not quite what they have done, with the club finishing third for three consecutive seasons (behind Dundee Utd, Hearts and Dundee Utd again), also with a considerable point deficit to Celtic too. I'll be the third new manager in 18 months, after Jon Voigt and Paulo Sérgio, who have both tried and failed to bring success to the club after Ally McCoist's departure in the summer of 2019; it's apparent that the men in charge are not quite the shy and retiring patient type!

I've managed to do a bit of negotiating on the budget front, having increased the wage allowance to £205k per week, in addition to a £4m transfer war-chest. The board still expect a title challenge, and with us only five points off the pace, and a third of the season remaining, this is still a very realistic aim; I just need to hit the ground running with a few good results from our opening fixtures. A couple of new signings probably wouldn't go amiss too.

Club Overview | General Club Information | Facilities | Club Background | Finances | SPL (as it stands)

As you can see, the club is very stable financially now; debt free, and extremely well run, so any memories of the administrators are long gone. As long as I can do the business on the pitch, there is absolutely no reason why we can't dethrone Celtic at the earliest opportunity.

[AK22]

All the best in Scotland.

And all the best in getting that wage bill down.

Thanks Daz

No need to worry about the wage bill now that I've renegotiated the budgets

[Rikulec]

As you can see, the club is very stable financially now; debt free, and extremely well run, so any memories of the administrators are long gone.

Strange thing to read about Rangers. Good luck in Scotland.

[DazRTaylor]

I will add, you have an outside chance of the title. Out of interest, how is Scotland's coefficient? If you finish runner up, is there a spot for you in the Champions League qualifiers?

Also, Rangers have always brought some kids through and, whilst you can improve your youth facilties, they are still good.

[pricey687]

As much as I like celtic,GL

[deltablue]

Good luck in Scotland.

[markyosullivan]

Surprised to see Hearts finish 2nd. Shouldn't be too hard, Celtic and Rangers have been the only Scottish clubs challenging for the title in recent years

[snootyjim]

Interesting switch, best of luck!

[tottivillarossi]

This thread is great! I found it yesterday and read it all in one sitting. Keep up the good work!

[iHeadHunta x]

Amazing thread mate!

[JackJCFC]

Probably a good move, good luck in Scotland.

[AK22]

Rangers - January 2021

It's been a tricky first month in Scotland, so I'm delighted to have got through relatively unscathed; we may have dropped points in both of our home league fixtures, but I already have a cup final to look forward to. As proven by my first match in charge, Hearts are tough opposition, so it's no real surprise that we needed extra time to separate us. In fact, if it hadn't been for super-sub, Shane Sutherland, who popped up to equalise two minutes before time, we would have been out on our arses.

The Scottish Premier League is really competitive this season, with the top seven being separated by just the ten points, so much is still to play for. Realistically, it will only be the top three that end up competing for the title, although it would be churlish of me to rule anyone out completely at this stage; Celtic are looking pretty strong, but we are certainly close enough to give them cause for concern.

Next Time

* As well as looking to close the gap to Celtic at the top of the table, we'll play our Scottish Cup Quarter Final tie at home to Raith. We're already in to one cup final, and have a decent chance of making it two before the season is out.

[AK22]

Strange thing to read about Rangers. Good luck in Scotland.

Thanks, Rikulec.

I will add, you have an outside chance of the title. Out of interest, how is Scotland's coefficient? If you finish runner up, is there a spot for you in the Champions League qualifiers?

Also, Rangers have always brought some kids through and, whilst you can improve your youth facilties, they are still good.

The coefficient is decent enough, and will guarantee the runner up a Champions League qualifier spot. I doubt they get seeded, though, so it's probably still tricky to make the group stages.

There's some great youngsters here already, some of which are already in the first team, so I'll be looking to keep their development going:

Robert Mooney

Mark Evans

Ardit Berisha

Robert McKenna

As much as I like celtic,GL

Good luck in Scotland.

Cheers guys.

Surprised to see Hearts finish 2nd. Shouldn't be too hard, Celtic and Rangers have been the only Scottish clubs challenging for the title in recent years

True, but Hearts finished just the three points behind Celtic in 2018/19, so they're competitive enough.

Interesting switch, best of luck!

This thread is great! I found it yesterday and read it all in one sitting. Keep up the good work!

Amazing thread mate!

Probably a good move, good luck in Scotland.

Thanks chaps. I'm hoping it's a good move; I'll certainly get a better shot at some silverware here anyway.

[DodgeeD]

Nice move to Scotland and good luck with the cup and title run-ins!

[P O\'D]

Good luck with Rangers. I can see yourself and Celtic pulling away when the going gets tough.

[AK22]

Rangers - February 2021

In terms of results, it's been the perfect month, with four wins out of four. Shane Sutherland and Mark Evans are striking up a deadly partnership upfront too, finding the net eleven times between them, so in addition to making through to the Scottish Cup semi-final, there's plenty of positive to focus on. That said, however, as great as our attacking play has been, we are looking a bit shoddy at the back, and quite susceptible to any kind of pacey counter; we'll just have to keep the 'we'll score one more' approach going a bit longer!

We weren't the only team to have a perfect month, with Celtic taking maximum points from their games too. They're also out of all the cup competitions, so can concentrate 100% on the league, which may be an advantage to them, although we do have to face each other next month; if we can win there, we'll have more than a sniff at lifting the SPL title come May.

Next Time

* It's my first Old Firm derby, as we travel to Celtic Park looking to reduce the deficit. We've also got the Scottish League Cup final to contend, against Ross County, so will have the opportunity to lift some early silverware.

[AK22]

Nice move to Scotland and good luck with the cup and title run-ins!

Good luck with Rangers. I can see yourself and Celtic pulling away when the going gets tough.

Thanks! We've started well, so I'm feeling very positive at the moment. I hope we can keep it going!

[AK22]

Rangers - March 2021

Ideally, we would have beaten Celtic, especially as we had taken a two goal lead, but a point isn't the worst result, and still keeps us in striking distance if Celtic have a poor run-in. Of course, the highlight of the month was the dramatic Scottish Cup Final against Ross County, a team who we would beat nine times out of ten, but needed penalties on this occasion to see us win the day; I've only been in Scotland three months, so I can count myself extremely lucky to have lifted a trophy already.

After 33 games, the SPL now splits; the top five play each other once, and the bottom half play each other once. If we are going to get our hands on the SPL trophy, we'll probably have to do it the hard way, and win all of our five remaining games; we have a chance, a small chance, but it's still not completely out of the question.

Next Time

* April will be a big month for the club, with a Scottish Cup Semi-Final against Dundee Utd to contest. We'll also play Hibs and Dundee Utd in the league, and will need to take maximum points in order to keep the heat on the leaders.

[DazRTaylor]

You can do it! Fantastic start to your Scottish career.

And those youngsters look absolute quality.

[JackJCFC]

Looking difficult to win the league but beat Celtic and its all open. When do you play them in the last 5 games?

[iHeadHunta x]

Good luck mate, anything possible in football!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Good start at Ibrox but it will be tough to beat Celtic to the title in the last five games.

[Mike7077]

Just spent two hours I could have been playing FM reading through this thread. It's a really good one. Very interesting journey. Best of luck with The Rangers.