Free Euro 2004 Fantasy League

[Partridge's Love Child]

Bloody hell, how difficult was that?  That just took my about an hour and a half to pick the team.

And delightfully, and despite my rubbish Niall joke above, I have got Quim in my team.

[Rubbish Monkey]

hopefully, i won't mess this one up in a mad orgy of transfers as soon as it starts like i did the other one.......although saying that i have changed my team about 40 times in 2 days since registering.

I knew i should not of picked this shitty formation (4-3-3) bah!!!!

I am Rubbish Rovers in case you couldn't tell

[Partridge's Love Child]

Having had a quick look at the teams, @ssmaster has a phenomenal front-line.

I tried to pick penalty-taking defenders, but the only one I could think of was Heiro, who I think has retired.  Having just looked over the rules again, I hope to fuck that Scholes starts banging them in again, as I can't see him going three matches without at least one of those mis-timed challenges getting a yellow.

I love you, Paul, and I want to have your ginger children.

[weekender]

As I've fucked up my initial team, can I enter a proper team, and use this one as a 'joke' team?

They really should have an option to change your formation, it'd make it much more fun.

[Purple Tentacle]

Thierry Henry seems to be a popular choice.

Wait for the mass transfers when he shatters his pelvis in the first game.....

[phes]

Thierry Henry seems to be a popular choice.

Wait for the mass transfers when he shatters his pelvis in the first game.....

Wait for the cheers............... sorry,sorry,sorry.

I have him in my team. Judging by his premiership season i think it would be unwise not to start with him, if you can afford it.

Go MONK EXPLOSION.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I've fucked mine too, I've noticed @ssmaster picked the Latvian coach, whereas I've gone for Eriksson.  As you can't change the manager either, if England don't get to the final, he's a waste of points I could have better spent on Zidane , Van Nistlerooy or a couple of Italian defenders.

[phes]

I've fucked mine too, I've noticed @ssmaster picked the Latvian coach, whereas I've gone for Eriksson.  As you can't change the manager either, if England don't get to the final, he's a waste of points I could have better spent on Zidane , Van Nistlerooy or a couple of Italian defenders.

Do you have to have a manager?

[weekender]

Yes.

[@ssmaster]

I've fucked mine too, I've noticed @ssmaster picked the Latvian coach, whereas I've gone for Eriksson.  As you can't change the manager either, if England don't get to the final, he's a waste of points I could have better spent on Zidane , Van Nistlerooy or a couple of Italian defenders.

You can change to the Latvian manager now if you want, I originally had Eriksson but decided a front line of Larsson, van Nistelroy and Henry would serve me better so thats why I went for the Latvian geezer. I have a sneaking suspiction that Latvia won't be the whipping boys that everyone thinks they will be.

[High Roller]

Having had a quick look at the teams, @ssmaster has a phenomenal front-line.

Cough! Morientes, Henry and Kluivert Cough!

I love you, Paul, and I want to have your ginger children

Ugh, Scholes should be out the England team. He is rubbish. I have to restrain myself from saying to much as I cannot use language like that before the watershed.

[phes]

Ugh, Scholes should be out the England team. He is rubbish. I have to restrain myself from saying to much as I cannot use language like that before the watershed.

I'll do it for you.

That's bollocks.

[High Roller]

Ugh, Scholes should be out the England team. He is rubbish. I have to restrain myself from saying to much as I cannot use language like that before the watershed.

I'll do it for you.

That's bollocks.

He's a pile of poo. He has had a crap season and isn't good enough to be starting for England.

[phes]

His season may not have been up to usual standards, but don't forget he's been part of a team that for the second part of the season has been disfuncional in most respects. I don't see any way we can, or any reason we should drop him. He's an integral part of our scariest eleven.
Although yes, It would be good to see him start scoring for his country.

[High Roller]

His season may not have been up to usual standards, but don't forget he's been part of a team that for the second part of the season has been disfuncional in most respects. I don't see any way we can, or any reason we should drop him.

But he was crap at the start of the season.

Fair enough the changes of style of play at Man United are not best suited to his style of play and has added to his crapness. But he has still been crap at shooting /scoring. What good has he done England recently?

If Owen gets injured, which he's bound to, were do the goals come from? As Defoe isn't going we need people that can score from mid-field.

He's an integral part of our scariest eleven.

Scares the hell out of me that he's playing! Does your scariest eleven include Martin Keown?;-)

[phes]

You've just given me a great idea

[@ssmaster]

Having had a quick look at the teams, @ssmaster has a phenomenal front-line.

Cough! Morientes, Henry and Kluivert Cough!

Cough! Cough!

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Henrik Larsson

Thierry Henry


thankyouverymuch

[Partridge's Love Child]

Ugh, Scholes should be out the England team. He is rubbish. I have to restrain myself from saying to much as I cannot use language like that before the watershed.

I'll do it for you.

That's bollocks.

He's a pile of poo. He has had a crap season and isn't good enough to be starting for England.

You don't watch football very often do you.  For the second season running, Scholes has been Utd's best player by a long long way.

Back on the Fantasy Football subject, I think that a good manager may be a secret weapon.  If his team wins, you'll get 5 points every time, and the longer he stays the more chance of winning you'll have therefore more points.  He'll only lose you points by losing the game - unlikely for, say, France, and he's not going to get booked or sent off, nor conceed goals.  The 'keeper is rather important too.  If he keeps a clean sheet, it means his team doesn't lose, so you'll get at least the points for his team's nil-nil draw.

I'm giving all my theories away here, aren't I.  Buggeration.

[phes]

Ugh, Scholes should be out the England team. He is rubbish. I have to restrain myself from saying to much as I cannot use language like that before the watershed.

I'll do it for you.

That's bollocks.

He's a pile of poo. He has had a crap season and isn't good enough to be starting for England.

You don't watch football very often do you.  For the second season running,

Scholes has been Utd's best player by a long long way.


Back on the Fantasy Football subject, I think that a good manager may be a secret weapon.  If his team wins, you'll get 5 points every time, and the longer he stays the more chance of winning you'll have therefore more points.  He'll only lose you points by losing the game - unlikely for, say, France, and he's not going to get booked or sent off, nor conceed goals.  The 'keeper is rather important too.  If he keeps a clean sheet, it means his team doesn't lose, so you'll get at least the points for his team's nil-nil draw.

I'm giving all my theories away here, aren't I.  Buggeration.

Definitely worth giving some thought. I'm not sure myself though, and to further give away tactics - It seems to me that transfers allways play a very important part. You need your starting team to be as close to the team you think will finish strongly. That means less transfers required in early stages, and should you need to make wholesale transfers later in the comp, they will be available. Also, saving about five points with a rubbish manager will allow you to purchase those players that you know will secure first team places in the squads most likely to perform. Of course it's possible to buy a decent manager and take chances on some slightly less reliable players, but if they don't perform you'll only have to transfer them out - for another set of gambles.
Also, I dont understand why people pick average defenders, playing for average teams. They will not pick up many points at all, if any ( and if they dont concede you points ). Pick a really shit defender who wont play, and reap the rewards of buying a quality attacking player with the extra cash.

PS - Scholes HAS to be in the starting eleven, although I'm not sure I agree that he was Manchester Uniteds player of the season. Ronaldo has just got better and better. I worry that when a player with his ability comes to our league, he will have the flair beaten out of him ( Remember Kanu? ). He seems to be adapting well to the premierships more physical, and practical approach, but his flair become more evident by the game.

PPS -  My team is monk explosion, should you wish to have a peek and confim that yes, I know nothing and will fail miserably!!!

[Partridge's Love Child]

I'm wondering if you'll be able to transfer players into your team who aren't in the tournament anymore after the group stages.  That seems like one of the only ways you'll be able to afford getting strong players in - by picking cheap players who can neither earn nor lose points.

[phes]

I'm wondering if you'll be able to transfer players into your team who aren't in the tournament anymore after the group stages.  That seems like one of the only ways you'll be able to afford getting strong players in - by picking cheap players who can neither earn nor lose points.

Or by having both a rubbish keeper, and a rubbish manager. I'ts quite a sacrifice, but if you play a 4-4-2 then your six non-defensive players can be pretty much anyone. Also, I get a great kick when my players score goals. Other than it being a means to an end, managers are a very boring way of picking up points.  I WANT TO SEE GOALS DAMMIT!

[Bilko]

I'm wondering if you'll be able to transfer players into your team who aren't in the tournament anymore after the group stages.  That seems like one of the only ways you'll be able to afford getting strong players in - by picking cheap players who can neither earn nor lose points.

Or by having both a rubbish keeper, and a rubbish manager. I'ts quite a sacrifice, but if you play a 4-4-2 then your six non-defensive players can be pretty much anyone. Also, I get a great kick when my players score goals. Other than it being a means to an end, managers are a very boring way of picking up points.  I WANT TO SEE GOALS DAMMIT!

Better than having 6 non defensive players would of been to choose the 3-5-2 formation giving 7 non defensive players.  There are already players like Wes Brown  who aren't going to Portugal, and he costs only 4 in cash terms.

[phes]

I'm wondering if you'll be able to transfer players into your team who aren't in the tournament anymore after the group stages.  That seems like one of the only ways you'll be able to afford getting strong players in - by picking cheap players who can neither earn nor lose points.

Or by having both a rubbish keeper, and a rubbish manager. I'ts quite a sacrifice, but if you play a 4-4-2 then your six non-defensive players can be pretty much anyone. Also, I get a great kick when my players score goals. Other than it being a means to an end, managers are a very boring way of picking up points.  I WANT TO SEE GOALS DAMMIT!

Better than having 6 non defensive players would of been to choose the 3-5-2 formation giving 7 non defensive players.  There are already players like Wes Brown  who aren't going to Portugal, and he costs only 4 in cash terms.

Yeah, maybe. But I found that I would have to settle for the fifth midfielder being average, whereas a 4-4-2 I was able to afford two Italian defenders.

[High Roller]

His season may not have been up to usual standards, but don't forget he's been part of a team that for the second part of the season has been disfuncional in most respects. I don't see any way we can, or any reason we should drop him. He's an integral part of our scariest eleven.
Although yes, It would be good to see him start scoring for his country.

From The Stun (Sorry)

PAUL SCHOLES

NEVER looked like ending his three-year goal drought and nearly conceded a penalty.

6

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2004251350,00.html

So much for our mid-field powerhouse.

[Bilko]

England are anaemic in goal scoring and Scholes not scoring is one part of it.  He is not the complete problem, Scholes is only responsible for himself not scoring.  It isn't his fault that we completely rely on Owen for goals. We only have one striker of the four we are taking that scores goals.  The whole of our midfield is almost complete incapable of scoring from open play – Butt, P/Neville, Gerrard, Dyer, J.Cole, Hargreaves. Scholes, Beckham (scores free kicks and Pens but not from open play) Lampard???.

Lampard hasn't been fully tried yet so he may be capable of scoring at international level.

[mangoliver]

It is perfectly set up though for Scholes to score the first goal against France. Personally I would push him further up front to play alongside Michael Owen to encourage him to get into more scoring positions.

Plus that should hopefully keep him out of midfield and stop him trying to tackle people (have you ever seen anyone who was worse at timing tackles than ginger mop).

That would also allow us to pick an extra defensive midfield player and let us encourage Gerard, Lampard and Beckham to go looking for goals.

I'll certainly stick a tenner on Scholes being the first scorer against France.

[High Roller]

I'll certainly stick a tenner on Scholes being the first scorer against France.

I'd like to see proof of that. Betting slip please.

Can anyone provide proof of his wonderful contribution to England in the past 3 years?

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Actually Scholes has got form for scoring the first goal in tournaments, if I remember correctly he got England's first goals in France '98 and Euro 2000.

Alas, he didn't ger the first English goal in Japan/Korea, when I actually had money on the ginger fucker.

[Partridge's Love Child]

Shearer got the first England goal of France '98 - a header against Tunisia.  Scholes scored the second - which he richly deserved by the way - and England won 2-0.

And The Sun are clearly the authority on football aren't they.  What sort of proof is that.  The press seem to think that Darren Fletcher is a good player (the reports of Man Utd's final game of the season against Villa amsued me.  Several papers reckoned Fletcher was magnificent and ran the game, giving him 8 out of 10 and other high marks.  Only the chap from The Mirror seemed to have been watching the same game as me, who gave Fletcher 0 out of 10 - which I've never seen any player get before).

Scholes isn't there just to score goals.  Yes, it's disappointing that he's failed to find the net for England for some time, but his vision and range of passing is finer than any other player in the England squad if not the whole tournament.  A more underrated player I have never seen in all my puff.

His tackling leaves a lot to be desired I will confess.

[wheatgod]

i have tweaked my team to perfection, wheaty's warriors, check it out and quake in your knee high boots
looking forward to euro 2004 a lot now, dont think england will fare well, but should still be entertaining
england have been such a chore to watch since the world cup, perhaps some proper competition will ignite the engines, so to speak. our build up play is either hurried or lethargic, and always rubbish, cant see how we are going to get goals. i think sven is wrong to deem some members of the squad "untouchable", makes them complacent if you ask me, but then i am a free market economist.
and why isnt beattie there!?!! vassel instead of defoe??? lack of imagination. i respected sven's team selection when he arrived, getting rid of the "old guard", picking people on merit, but its a bit stagnant now