This is partly an invitation for general discussion and partly a plea for help. I’m in a Telegraph superleague with a few mates, as I have been for the last few years. I’m rubbish at this kind of thing and have crashed and burned each season, coming either last or second last each time.
An added impediment is that I’m currently living in Greece, so I’m a bit out of the loop. (Pompey won the FA Cup - how the hell?!)
This year I turn to the power of the Dope and appeal for your help. Any tips, ideas on top players to start with? What about tactics? I always seem to sub people just after their run of form.
An added kicker (!) is that we have our own rule that you must field 3 players from the side you support. As I nominally support Crystal Palace this unfortunately isn’t possible. So I’ve gone with a side that did get promoted - Hull (I like their kit). So which 3 international superstars from Hull do I go for (or should I just choose 3 who are cheap and don’t play, so at least they don’t lose me points, and then spend elsewhere?)
All thoughts and other discussion welcome. Any advice that helps me do better this year will be rewarded by a virtual pint, or a real one if you are ever near the Peloponnese.
I fancy Peter Crouch at Pompey to do well for them this season, particularly if they get Wright-Phillips from Chelsea. I’ve not played a Fantasy League so I have only a hazy idea how players are paid for. In pre-season Crouch and his striking partner, Defoe, were said to be looking a good pairing.
Hull are totally doomed for relegation. I would not touch them with a barge-pole. They are also in the middle of a buying spree but being a small club they aren’t attracting any superstars.
Well normally I’d totally agree with you, but I’m kind of forced into it by the rules (totally made up) of my mates’ league.
I liked the idea of Crouch, but Defoe even more so, but in the end didn’t go for them (yet). You get a nominal £50 mill to buy your team, with the player costs set by the newspaper. Each week players score points for appearing, scoring, assisting. Minus points for red and yellow cards. Defenders and goalies get points for clean sheets and deductions for letting goals in (they also get points if they happen to score so an attacking defender can be good). Anyway here’s my team for now. I can change anything up to the start of the season, after that I get 30 transfers over the season:
Cahill is injured and will miss the start of the season, so scratch him for the time being. The whole world is probably picking Joleon Lescott in their fantasy teams this season seen as he scored 10 goals last time round, and is an awesome defender to boot. Not much of a competitive advantage there against the field I guess. Stevie Me is a good pick seen as he’s contractually prevented from being dropped.
I’d re-negotiate the ‘I like Hull’ thing with your mates, it’s going to get you stuck in the cellar all season long. How about you support Palace, and the closest other team is, let’s see, Chelsea
OK maybe it’s West Ham, but either has got to be more fun than reading up on Hull’s squad.
And that’s why I’m rubbish at this. Thanks, I’ll bench him.
Will have a look at these two.
Well the others all have fairly bad teams, but I’m probably the worst off. Hey, I like a challenge and it gives me an excuse come my inevitable defeat.
I doubt Windass will be getting many games. He wasn’t a regular in the Championship and there have been rumours about him leaving as he isn’t guaranteed first team football.
Just checked this. He’s been linked to Leeds but his agent has denied this. It looks like it might of been a bargaining chip to get more playing time. He was Hull’s highest scorer last season, even if he didn’t always start. I’ll keep an eye on him and have a think. The more I read about him the more I like him as well (and his class name).
The prices are a bit odd. I don’t actually think the Torygraph does the best FF, but I’m not in charge of our league.
I have swapped Cahill for Ashley Young from Villa. He’s up and coming and the FF has him down as a midfielder when he seems to be more of a striker.
Yup, that’s usually the way it works for me. Fortunately transfers are free till the start of the season. Anyway I think I’ll stick with Young.
I’ve no idea why we stick with the Telegraph. They were one of the first papers to do FF in the UK but there are plenty of better ones now, and several that are free (Telegraph is £6). In fact I wasn’t going to do it this year as I’m a bit impoverished and not in the UK, but one of my mates subbed me (unprompted).
[QUOTE=Petrobey Mavromihalis
I have swapped Cahill for Ashley Young from Villa. He’s up and coming and the FF has him down as a midfielder when he seems to be more of a striker.[/QUOTE]
No - he’s a winger/attacking midfielder. A promising one though, but he’s not going to rack up goals. I like Windass for his longevity if nothing else. He was great in the play-off final but I just can’t see him having the legs for the premiership now. He always was one of those championship players who looks great at that level but unable to make the step up.
The transfer market (the real one) is all over the place at the minute. 19 million for Robbie Keane? 12 million for Andy Johnson? Batty money in both cases. At the other end of the spectrum, Diouf’s move to Sunderland is being reported as costing about 3 million - a significant under-valuing IMO. Diouf is a premier league arsehole, but that doesn’t usually mean much when it comes to valuing players who can produce.
Robbie Keane could be a decent FF pick, depending on his price. He’s not top drawer (wouldn’t make the big 3 for instance), but is still very good and has a proven scoring record in the prem.
Yes - it does seem to have gone completely insane. Let me add - £17 million for Bentley? No wonder my team (Man City) can’t seem to sign anyone. Diouf for £3.5m seems a bargain. I wish city would splash the £10m or so it would take to spring Wright-Phillips.
It seems they’re trying to make it less susceptable to the normal “find midfielders who score” bias in FF.
Basically, there’s a lot of emphasis placed on tackles, interceptions, clearances etc. as well as the normal stuff.
Should make for an interesting season and, more importantly, mean that its not just an exercise in trying to maximise your “big name” buys - after all, a good defender at a rubbish bottom-half team should score well in this system.
Also, the transfer prices on players will be fluid once the season starts, and you can acrue surplusses by selling “high.”
