Paz on 21/8/2008 at 15:23
People who always take penalties can be good. As can defenders who pop up with a goal fairly often from corners (or full-backs who get forward a lot and bung crosses in). Try to spot mistakes in classification, like midfielders who are clearly semi-strikers (Ashley Young). If you're playing the 'spend all my money on an expensive First XI and a bunch of crap subs' tactic, at least make sure your crap subs are people who show up for 90 minutes each week.
I think it can be worth trying to 'play' the bonus points system a bit too, if you can be bothered. I've noticed that recognised 'names' will often get bonus points above slightly lesser lights, even when the players with lower media profiles have seemingly performed better in the game (though of course this can be fairly subjective). For example, if Chelsea put in a run of great defensive displays, it usually seems to be John Terry who'll pick up bonus points. Even though Carvalho is often saving his useless, slow arse with a crafty/violent tackle and intuitive positional play.
They may have fixed that somewhat and it's possible I'm being paranoid about it, but it's a vague theory I subscribe to!
Obviously the best advice is to be really, really lucky though. Following pure statistics is what made the long ball seem like a good idea. Also, if you get too mechanical about it, it stops being fun and you start compromising your principles by picking Ronaldo. I'm pretty sure Dos Santos is going to be an unwise buy this season (he's listed as a forward, but he's really not going to be playing THAT high up the pitch or scoring hatfuls of goals - plus, Spurs lol) but he's cool as hell so he had to go in my team. At least for now.
Anatoly_Korenchkin on 21/8/2008 at 15:51
Free kick / corner takers are always a good bet as well, cos you get assist points for them...
and I also have Gio in my team because he is cool, yet definitley wont be banging in 15 goals. Which is kinda what you need. Ho hum :rolleyes:
D'Arcy on 1/9/2008 at 14:04
Top of the table! \:D/
I'd better enjoy this while I can. When Ronaldo returns from injury, half the teams will get him and set him up as captain, which will mean a certain slide down the table for me :p
SD on 1/9/2008 at 15:36
They'll be lucky to afford him - and he won't have another season like the last one either.
Incidentally, Stuart Downing's missed penalty cost me 17 points. He better hope he doesn't bump into me any time soon :mad:
Haplo on 1/9/2008 at 23:34
Had Petrov and Elano in the team, and Elano was the captain too. Petrov didn't play, Elano played only six minutes...
Paz on 1/9/2008 at 23:58
Berbatov, nooooooo :(
I mean it's been on for weeks, but ... I didn't want to believe.
D'Juhn Keep on 2/9/2008 at 13:56
Fair play to spurs holding out for £31m. Though I guess it helped that Man City had just entered the race with their new arab owners.
SD on 2/9/2008 at 15:39
If you take it up the arse for £31m instead of £25m, you're still a whore ;)
It's a shame clubs are unable to stick by their guns when their players have been blatantly tapped up. It's good that Spurs squeezed some extra cash out of the Evil Empire, but it would have been nice (though admittedly, entirely unrealistic) to have seen Berbatov rotting in the reserves.
Until the FA start docking points for this sort of thing, I think it will be par for the course for many clubs. Actually, I can't remember the last time United signed a player without making an illegal approach first.
Matthew on 2/9/2008 at 21:57
Bye Kevin! (Again!)
Paz on 5/9/2008 at 01:01
Ok, NOW Kev's gone. Just when you think Manchester City have wrestled back the mantle of 'most hilarious premier league football club' ...
Presumably there's some behind the scenes payoff action happening there, because why say you're resigning when you could force the sack and get the compensation?
Curbishley gone too. So that's two managers leaving/being shunted at the worst possible time, pretty much. Just after the transfer window closes. Possibly to force whoever comes in as a replacement to work with what they have for a bit, I suppose.
I eagerly await the period when all high-flying clubs are owned by mysterious billionaire consortiums who tie up the business aspects in a labyrinthine web of offset debts and financial intrigue, while firing the manager every time the team lose by more than two goals.
OH WAIT THAT'S NOW
