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I've become insanely bored with FM recently and frustrated with my SAF Challenge. So I've decided to go back to my roots - a decision inspired by Shedender. My Celtic career was the only game of this years edition that I managed to go 5 season in Bringing Back The Thunder.

This time I'm going to do things differently. I will avoid signing the same old players as every save I start and play for all of two hours. I will try and create several tactics and be diverse - thinking about the upcoming match and not just using the same tactic 90% of the time.

I think I'll do (game-time) weekly updates, something I don't think I've seen. It should keep them short enough that I can speak about everything that happened without boring people to death.

I've loaded up all of the Scottish divisions, from League 1 upwards in England and the top divisions in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Holland and Spain.


We are predicated to win the SPL this year and by a large margin. This leaves me with the option to rest key players ahead of European ties. With the Champions League being the clubs main source of income it is key that we make sufficient progress each year.

I've set a few rules and regulations for my game;

1. Try and keep the squad together as much as possible.
2. Only sign players if they are good enough to improve the squad and not just because they are young and Scottish.
3. If a player is unhappy and a reasonable bid is made he will leave.
4. Rotate the squad as much as possible.
5. Ignore the star rating system.

The first thing I done when I took over was look at the squad. I find two of the clubs longest serving players - Lukasz Zaluska and Paddy McCourt - transfer listed and sitting in the reserves. McCourt will see out his final year at the club as a squad player and Zaluska is good enough to play back up to Fraser Forster.

We're also without Anthony Stokes for the first six months of the season, this however should give Tony Watt the chance to flourish. With such a young squad I don't see the need for any transfer targets just yet. Except maybe a left back and central midfielder.


I shipped Miku back off to Spain. He simply didn't justify the £18,000 a week the club was paying him. Kevin Thomson has also joined the club on a weeks trial.


As good a start as I could have hoped for against the Czech side. Paddy McCourt showed why I've brought him back into the first team scoring two goals in the opening 20 minutes to put us 3-1 up from a goal behind. Debutant Lassad completed the rout on the 78th minute to seal my first win. The 4-5-1 tactic I tested looked to have worked a treat.

I set up pre-season training to get the players fitness back up to scratch.


Another good result against Newcastle sees pre-season shaping up well. A penalty from Charlie Mulgrew sparked a comeback which youngster Jackson Irvine scored the equaliser in the second half.


Matthew Briggs is my first signing for the club. The 6'2" left back became Fulham's youngest player against Middlesborough in 2007. At only 21 he has bags of potential and the ability to challenge Emilio Izaguirre for a spot in the starting 11. I will look at the possibility of signing him permanently if he impresses.

I followed your first save with Celtic and I definitely will be following this one. I had a save with Celtic going at the beginning of FM13 and I had so much trouble in the Champions Leagues. I think I made the knockout round twice in 6 seasons.

Thanks mate! The Champions League is tough with Celtic. Winning at least two home games is key and keeping Wanyama to play the anchorman role is a must.

There are a few players contracts up at the end of the season. Most notably Anthony Stokes. If he can recover from his injury and hit the ground running he is likely to get a new contract.


We came from behind again to get a result in France. Georgios Samaras equalised in the first half after another early goal conceded. Tony Watt come off the bench to score a brace that included an injury time winner.


A decent draw for us. Nothing too tough nor are Debrecen - who are likely to progress - pushovers.

Another comeback as the Yanks came over for a game of soccerball. Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama got goals in either half to turn around wht looked to be a bad performance.


Kevin Thomson is just another player to cross the Glasgow divide. Released form Middlesborough after an injury plagued spell, hopefully the worst is behind him. He offers an extra option in midfield and I'm looking forward to teaming him back up with Scott Brown.

An excellent start to the Champions League Qualifiers, we take the 3-0 lead over to Hungary in a weeks time. The players thought it was done and dusted in the first half after goals form Gary Hooper and Georgios Samaras and failed to extend the lead in the second half.


I've treminated some of the first team staffs contracts and set in place a plan of improving the clubs coaching system.


The shit looked to have hit the fan on the opening day of the season. We went down to an Aberdeen penalty and left it late until goals from Georgios Samaras and Paddy McCourt sealed us the three points.

I selected Scott Brown and Charlie Mulgrew as captain and vice-captain respectively due to their high work rate, influence and determination.


This is how the new training set-up looks. We've improved almost every factor of training and should hopefully improve the first team squad.


A late strike from Georgios Samaras sealed our place in the Champions League Playoff and on course for the Group Stage in front of a packed crowd in Hungary.


Serbian side Partizan stand in our way of the Champions League group stage and £10m bounty.


We left it late again to take the points, but we done it. Gary Hooper's 90th minute goal was enough. The win sent us top of the table and it is my aim to make it ours for the remainder of the season.

James Forrest was sadly ruled out for four to five weeks with a broker wrist.

The sales are low for a 60,000 seater stadium. I'm hoping to build on that through continuous league success and Champions League runs.


Now that the squads fitness is up to scratch I've set a balanced focus and most of the players' focus to an individual role.


This is how our youth development looks after a slight tweak. Hopefully the club can continue to produce top quality youngsters.


A good result on the road for the club. Up north is a tough place to go and get a result. Two goals in three minutes was enough to seal the victory and keep us top of the table.

A good win over a good side at a packed Celtic Park. A Georgios Samaras goal was all that was in it, giving us the advantage going into the second leg of securing a place in the Group Stage.


I've trained the squad up in three systems. Basically all of them are short passing, attacking formations. Tactic 1 is for the standard mid-table SPL side, Tactic 2 will only be used in the Champions League and Tactic 3 is for using against weaker sides who we can bully or if we desperately need to score.

All of the formations will start with the same shouts:-

• Pass the ball into space
• Get the ball forward
• Work ball into the box

An early goal from Charlie Mulgrew looked to have things running smoothly but transfer target Lazar Markovic cancelled out the lead. We go through 2-1 on aggregate but by far the better team.


The cash windfall done wonders for our bank balance. The club now has over £20m in the bank and a projected balance of £14m, however that is not taking prize money into account.


A simple draw, this should give me the chance to play a few youngsters and give some players a rest.


We have drawn the group of death and I'm not even sure if a spot in the Europa League is a realistic goal. Hopefully good results at home will be good enough to keep us in the competition.


Return of the Mac. Steven McManus was my final signing of the window. The former Celtic skipper joins on loan until the end of the season. He adds to the number of players trained at the club and gives us an extra option in the heart of defence.


Tony Watt opened the scoring before Hibs snatched an equaliser minutes later. It took a while before we hit the net again late in the second half when Gary Hooper minutes before being sent off. Scott Brown rounded things off with a penalty.

We had an international break this week that seen Scotland beat Wales 3-0 in the World Cup Qualifiers.


I knew it was a risk signing Kevin Thomson and this shows why. I'll give him the chance to work his way back into the season but I don't see it happening after such a long injury.


We suffered our first defeat of the season with 10 men. Goals from Kris Commons and Stephen McManus proved to be nothing but consolation goals as the Perth Saints took the spoils.

I rotated most of the squad to rest players for the upcoming PSG fixture.

It looks like resting the squad made the difference. The squad went the distance and got an equaliser right at the end through Tony Watt's late strike. It puts us in an excellent position for progressing.


Tony Watt's outstanding form continued as he scored a hat-trick to bring us from behind against Dundee in the SPL. Englishman Gary Hooper completed the scoring from the bench to make it five for the season.

A reserve squad was put out and Tom Rogic got his first goal for the club in the League Cup tie against East Fife. I brought Tony Watt off the bench to score a brace and save us from a replay.


In the Quarter Final we have Motherwell away a tough tie as they sit 4th in the SPL.


A big win to get us up for the League Cup tie. Gary Hooper and Tony Watt teamed up to put three past the Motherwell goalkeeper at a near full Fir Park.

Good start by the looks of it, must be interesting because you must be expected to walk the SPL so you could probably rest a lot of players for the Champions League games in the league games before them!

Cheers mate. Yeah the SPL should be a breeze. Resting the players before big matches seems to be working considering the PSG result. I just need to find that balance to won both matches.

A full house for the first Group Stage game of the season. Goals from Kris Commons, Scott Brown and a brace from gary Hooper put us 4-0 up. A double disaster from Kelvin Wilson seen Schalke pull two back and seen himself subbed. Georgios Samaras restored the breathing space in the second half.


A disaster followed in the SPL. The clubs 4th red card put us at in a tough situation at 2-1 down. Captain Scott Brown got a late equaliser minutes into injury time. The disciplinary problem at the club will have to be solved.

The squad bounced back from the Hearts result - beating The Saints at St. Mirren Park. Gary Hooper put us ahead just before half time and saved them the hairdryer treatment. Lassad replaced Hooper - who picked up a knock - and also hit the net.


Pat Fenlon was the SPL's first managerial casualty of the season as Hibs sit 10th in the table and only two points off bottom.

Another sending off put us at a huge disadvantage. We were unable to win a vital home match meaning we need to pick up at least one win on the road. James Forrest hit the net for us in the first half.


Joe Ledley's double and a goal from Mikel Lustig sent us in 3-0 up at half time. The second half was a bore with neither side having many shots at goal.

An improvement on our recent SPL encounter with the Steelmen. Tony Watt's and Efe Ambrose's doubles along with a goal from Georgios Samaras sealed us a place in the Semi Final.


We drew Hearts in an all SPL League Cup Semi Final and could go on to face either St. Johnstone or Ross County in the final.


The board rewarded me with an excellent transfer packet to go into the January transfer window with.


Gary Hooper scored the equaliser before being taken off injured - keeping him out for up to 7 weeks. His replacement Tony Watt scored an amazing four goals and Beram Kayal got the other.


We welcome First Division side Dunfermline to Celtic Park in the Scottish Cup 4th Round.

This was a very good result for us in Portugal considering half of our squad was either suspended or injured. This means that the upcoming tie agains PSG is a must win in order to make the last 16.


Not much to say - a bore draw. The first of the season.

A single goal late in the first half from Aussie Tom Rogic was enough to win the three points at Pitodrie. This takes us 7 points clear with a game on hand.


The big news of the week was Jose Mourinho leaving Real Madrid. Jurgen Klopp is favourite to take the reigns at the Bernabeu.

A heroic win for us. This means that if we equal of better PSG's result in the final fixture we go through and if not it will be the Europa League in February.


A good won to extend our lead at the top to 10 points. Georgios Samaras scored a double from the wing and Lassad the other putting himself in the window for a sale.

A solid away win at Tynecastle. Scott Brown opened the scoring followed by a Lassad double and a wonderful strike from Paddy McCourt. McCourt continues to impress and prove me right to keep him.


Another big win in the Scottish Cup 4th Round. James Forrest's hat trick was the highlight of the match along with goals from Paddy McCourt and Tony Watt.


A good draw for us to give a few of the youth players a run out.

Who ended up taking over at Real Madrid?

Great story so far, its different to what everybody else has done and I like that. Keep up the good work.

Jurgen Klopp ended up getting it mate, forgot to mention it.


Cheers mate!

Tony Watt was at it again to secure our place in the last 16. His hat-trick took his tally for the season to 19. We finished 2nd in what looked like the group of death - Schalke's terrible campaign was a boost for us.


Thirty two year old Iranian international Javed Nekouam will join the club on January.