Football Manager 2018: 10 Challenging Teams You Will Need To Use

9. Aberdeen

FM 2018 Clubs
Kenny Smith/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Rebuilding Rangers might be a more eye-catching SPFL save for many Football Manager players this year, but challenging Celtic with them really should’ve be too difficult. The Gers will start with a huge financial advantage over everyone but their Old Firm rivals, and this will only widen as the seasons progress, and Rangers find their footing again.

Aberdeen, who have profited more from Rangers’ recent absence from the spotlight than any other team in the country, represent a sterner task. They’ve finished second in each of the last three league campaigns, but with Rangers improving and a swathe of first-team regulars walking out the door this summer, defending that position and pushing forward will be a gargantuan task.

Replacing players like Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn with those of a similar calibre will be nigh on impossible, as Aberdeen’s budget will likely sit somewhere around £200k. Managers will have to rely on precise scouting and shrewd transfer market activity to fend Rangers off and challenge Celtic in the long-run. Pull it off and win the title, however, and it’ll be one of the most rewarding things you do in FM all year.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.