Whilst there are more ‘glamorous’ options for managing in the Scottish Premiership in Football Manager 2021, Kilmarnock can be hugely rewarding.
Whilst there are more ‘glamorous’ options for managing in the Scottish Premiership in Football Manager 2021, the mighty Killie can be a hugely rewarding save and here is why I think you should take on the challenge.
A club steeped in history and honours
When a football club can be traced back to the earliest days of organised football within their country, you know they are going to have a rich history, and Killie are no different, being one of the founding members of the Scottish Football Association.
The club's list of honours dates all the way back to the 1890s, including major titles such as the Scottish football league in 1964-65, the Scottish Cup in 1996-97 and more recently, a Scottish League Cup win over Celtic at Hampden Park in 2011-12.
Since the 2011-12 season, however, the honours have dried up as the club is dwarfed by the larger clubs in the league, for example, Celtic and Rangers. The challenge to become a successful club in this part of the world can certainly be the fuel for a rich and interesting save, as it will be no easy task.
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Fans of English league clubs will certainly be aware that many players from the English lower leagues make the jump to join a Scottish Premiership team for a new challenge, and the Kilmarnock squad are no different in this regard.
A squad with potential
Fans of English league clubs will certainly be aware that many players from the English lower leagues make the jump to join a Scottish Premiership team for a new challenge, and the Kilmarnock squad are no different in this regard.
Several players within the squad have learned their trade below the border and continue to thrive in the SPFL; players such as Nicke Kabamba and Mitchell Pinnock have worked their way from the lower reaches of English professional football, whereas squad members such as Yusuf Mulumbu and Kyle Lafferty have plenty of high-level experience, which will come in very useful for any FM21 manager wanting to take this challenge on.
The highlights within this squad easily include players such as Yuossouf Mulumbu, the former West Bromwich Albion and PSG player who has over 200+ premier league appearances under his belt, and Zech Medley, the young defender on loan from Premier League giant Arsenal. This mixture of youth and experience can really come in useful for a manager as the blend of the two helps the younger players to grow and guides them on the pitch, leading to more consistent performances.
Key Players
The injection of youth this squad currently has, with players on loan from several high tier English sides, such as Zeno Ibsen Rossi (Bournemouth), Brandon Pierrick (Crystal Palace) and of course Zech Medley (Arsenal), can really help the team gain a foothold within that first season and should they be managed correctly, could be of major use to the player in short/medium term.
Summary
If you decide to make Kilmarnock your next destination in FM21, it will certainly not be easy for you, but that is the point when you take over a club of this kind. But bigger the challenges, bigger the rewards, try to make the oldest Scottish club the best in the league and win the trophy once again after more than half a century since their last league triumph.
