Friday, August 12, 2005

Stelios Giannakopolous for Bolton (vs Norwich), 19 March 2005

Right, after several hours of agonising, I have finally finished my Fantasy League team (the deadline is of course the kick-off tomorrow afternoon). This is always a tricky business, but I seem to have done a lot more hand-wringing than usual this time around. I like to play the Classic Game on FantasyLeague.com, where you have £75m and have to pick a squad of 16.

I spent ages doing this, and I'm still not happy with it at all, but I have had to shrug my shoulders and just get on with it, as tomorrow morning at 07:44 I'm on a train to the cricket at Old Trafford, so it's very much now or never.

So, who has made the cut for my team?

GK: Van de Sar (MU - £4.3m)
FB: Hibbert (EVE - £3.9m)
FB: Edman (TOT - £3.8m)
FB: Thatcher (MC - £3.6m)
CB: Terry (CHE £5.5m)
CB: Cunningham (BIR £3.7m)
CB: Southgate (MID £3.9m)
MF: Giannakopolous (BOL £4.0m)
MF: Mendieta (MID £4.2m)
MF: Milner (NEW £3.7m)
MF: Gera (WBA £3.8m)
MF: Croft (MC £3.4m)
MF: Ljunberg (ARS £5.9m)
MF: Lampard (CHE £7m)
ST: Cisse (LIV £7.2m)
ST: Defoe (TOT £7.1m)

total: 75m

There were several near misses: I almost selected Bent from Charlton, but he's the same price as Freddie Ljunberg, and in the end I thought he was poorer value, and went for the extra midfielder. What makes me especially nervous is that this is the first time I have entered a team into this game without Thierry Henry, but at £11.4m he was just too expensive this year. Despite saying I wouldn't, I've also ended up with a Newcastle player...

I'm not at all convinced though, and I'll probably be tinkering with this all night.

What do you think? Have you got a Fantasy League secret? Any tips?

7 comments:

LB said...

I've done the Telegraph one and have:

van der Sar
del Horno
Neville, G
Todd
Nelsen
Ronaldo
Robert
Emre
Forsell
Yakubu
Henry

come on Sparky, get that back four sorted...

Alex said...

cech
Terry
Ferdinand
Carragher
Hreidersson
Lampard
Cisse
Gerrard
Cahill
Bent
Ernshaw

Pollitt
Dawson
Kavanagh
Harewood

£100mill over at the Premier Leagues site.

Ben said...

Swiss: I wouldn't have bothered with Milner, to be honest. Not sure how often he'll play, and let's just say his shooting and crossing aren't the best. Still, I just hope he comes up trumps this year - for both our sakes...

Lord B: I've done the Telegraph one too. I have a self-imposed rule - no players from Sunderland or Manchester Buccaneers, because I don't want to be celebrating them doing well. Anyway, my team:

Reina
Toure
Hyypia
Terry
Dawson
Duff
Lampard
Emre
Solano
Henry
Shearer

I'm hopeful Emre will be a good signing, and that Liverpool will keep it tight at the back...

swisslet said...

now you've got me worrying about james milner, Ben ! I've got a train to catch in about 15 minutes!

ST

swisslet said...

alright, miller in for milner (15 goals from central midfield last year for Ipswich.... worth a punt, I think)

ST
(now running for the train!)

swisslet said...

**sigh**

I knew I should have picked bloody Bent.

weenie said...

Here's my Telegraph team - like Ben, no Man U players:

P Robinson TOT
J Terry CHE
A Cole ARS
L King TOT
S Watson EVE
F Lampard CHE
S Gerrard LIV
X Alonso LIV
J Defoe TOT
A Cole MAN
B Zamora WHM

Tried to go for strong midfield and defence, taking chances with the strikeforce.