Not something I generally do these days, but to try and kick-start the Sky discussions a bit, here are my first attempts:

Have found this not easy to put together an 11 am happy with, your 2 not a million miles different to some put together, but for different reasons discarded each, still trying to get 11 happy with.
Was hoping few would put some comments up, especially regarding best formation, at mo going for 4-3-3.

Both look fairly decent to me! Question marks in the first one over Walker (did ok at Villa but isn't he back at Spurs now where he won't get a look in past Corluka?) and Drogba (is he certain to be picked all the time up front for Chelsea?), and in the second team can only really query Kenny - bit of heart over head there J or is your defence a force to be reckoned with?

My 2 teams are very similar to each other covering a core of players (bar 2 players), your 2 teams have 6 of the 13 players I have...........so you're halfway there Jonathan, keep trying

In all seriousness I can't get away from 442 in the Sky game, it seems the safest/easiest formation, I feel with the 451/433 formations you've displayed you've left your teams slightly unbalanced with a few 'gambles' highlighted by reds.

Of the 2 teams I prefer team 1 but I would swap out Drogba for a more sure starter, a great player but will he even start, a gamble that could pay off but I emphasise the word 'could'.

I think with the option of picking two teams this year, I have decided to try and make them as different to each other as I can to begin with, because inevitably I do tend to end up with very similar teams by Christmas With the different formations that, should be difficult to achieve.

I usually go for cheap keepers in all the fantasy games I play (apart from team 1), rightly or wrongly, and I think games involving QPR, particularly at home, will not exactly be goal fests.

Kyle Walker has far too much class to not get back into a Prem side this season on loan as I just can't see him prepared to sit on the bench all season. A gamble but I think he will find a regular place somewhere in the Prem soon - maybe even back at QPR.

Drogba is a gamble this season, but I am taking the view that he wouldn't have signed a contract extension if he wasn't assured games, and he can still come on and score, or start games and score, and it frees some decent funds for elsewhere.

Of course plenty of tinkering time yet, but thanks for the feedback. Wondering, with money involved this season, whether many will be prepared to show their cards early

Teams look good J. You are obviously looking for some MoTM performances from Paddy as he might be really busy in most games.

One thing I find a bit disturbing about the Sky game though is the scale of some player picture profiles. For example, based on the pictures above Taarabt looks about 7 foot 6 tall compared to Lamps.

The one of Grant Holt makes him look bigger and wider than Shrek. Should be good for a few headed goals if this is the case

Hadn't really twigged that about the player head sizes but you are right!

Paddy had a superb season last year, beating Taarabt to the player of the year award - which took some doing! There is no doubt he will be largely responsible for any of the clean sheets we may get this season.

My first time playing the sky game so my advice might not be the best
Looks like two good teams you have there Jonathan, much better than mine at the moment anyway - I like that you are mostly picking definite starters, looks like the way that I should pick my teams.

In your first team, I would also have the same concerns about Walker and Drogba starting all of the games - hopefully once the pre-season is over, we may have a better picture of who is starting or not. I think that Pennant may possibly outscore Etherington and Yaya Toure may possibly outscore Downing but I could be wrong.

Your second team looks very good to me - Kenny should do ok based on his early fixtures imo. I was also thinking of doubling up on certain teams defenders with my second team - hope bargain buy Riise stays in the Fulham first team.
I was wondering if you left your second team as it is and N'Zogbia joins Villa, would you be allowed to have 3 villa players in your team or would sky force you to change your team before the season starts?

The only weaknesses I see in your teams long-term is that you don't have any Chelsea defence or any Man utd player in your teams at the moment - I am guessing you will be transferring them in after the first couple of games in the season.



4-3-3 for me seems like the best formation too because the same points are given for goals regardless of whether you are a defender, midfielder or attacker. However, the main thing that could change this formation for me is how the Man of the Match bonuses are allocated.
It appears to me, as a new player to the sky game, that the man of the match bonus is a new and important aspect of the game. The problem I have at the moment is that I can't gain access easily to archives from last year's match reports on the sky website to see which players were awarded man of the matches last season.
Obviously, I would skew my formation of my team based on any increased likelihood of midfielders getting man of the match bonuses - but there is no way I can know because I can't get this information - so I have to go 4-3-3 as a result.


I hope Jonathan doesn't mind me asking a question on his thread, but I would really like to know if there is any person on FISO that would know how man of the match awards were awarded last year (ie based on best passer or the goalscorer) or has a link on any information regarding a list of reports or man of the matches from last year?

I know this is probably a lot to ask but any sort of information regarding the man of match bonus allocation would be appreciated and would help me understand the game more

Two left feet. Thanks for sharing your indepth thoughts.

Pennant should be a superb fantasy pick, but never quite makes the grade. Towards the end of last season, it seemed that Etherington was getting rested a fair bit, so not sure on him yet.

I hadn't even spotted that N'Zobgia was still listed as a Wigan player, so I may need to change Warnock, otherwise first set of transfers I want to make I think I will be forced to make a double. Good spot!

Historically I rarely pick Man Utd players for some reason.

MOTM awards just went on the opinion of somebody at the match I believe.

Will be interested to see other RMT's....

Don't think it works quite like this (like FPL), I think you'll be allowed to continue. I think the only restriction is that you'll have to remove two of the three Villains before being allowed to buy a new one. I think the way the program handles it is by blanking out players on the selection list if you already have two (or more) players from their club - as opposed to refusing to confirm any transfers if you're over the 2-per-team limit (as FPL does)


This is my view from the T&Cs wording, and this reply I had from Sky:

"If a transfer takes the team over the 2 per-club limit, the team wil be valid. However, if you try to take out a player involving the team with 3 players, you will not be able to put a player back in from that team i.e if you have Drogba (CHE), Lampard (CHE) and Rooney (MUN) in your team, and Chelsea sign Rooney, your team will have 3 Chelsea players in it. This will be valid. However, if you try to transfer out one of these Chelsea players, you will not be allowed to put another Chelsea player in as replacement. "

Sounds good, reds. Thanks for that

here's my first go - rip it to shreds..... I know already whats wrong with it, lets see if you think the same!

Looks pretty good to me. I guess the worry is the uncertainty over quite a few of your players in a game where you need a starting 11.
Vermaelen. Is he going to get straight back in and be injury free?
Nasri. Unsettled but he would be daft to not try and perform... wouldn't he?
Albrighton. New manager, but he could shine. Not sure how the departure of Downing and the potential arrival of N'Zogbia will affect his value.
Larsson. For me a perennial under achiever and I would look to change him personally.
Adam. Obviously going to be popular, but how will he fare surrounded by quality players?
Rooney and Carroll. Rooney has always let me down, but that combo could be a killer.
Sound defence (Thomas aside).

Barrys team is class, only one fault, zero Chelsea players but its balanced and filled with top names, 9/10

Guessing it more closely resembles your side than mine did then, Chuck?

Less so actually, Barry only has 2 of the 13 players I've covered, still a pretty team though

Agree, Barry's team is the best one posted (so far ) on this thread...

You can go off people, you know

If it helps, I think 'Groundhog Day' has the strongest line-up (out of your two teams )...

You can't back track now. Too late - the damage is done and I am going to copy Barry's team. Unless of course, somebody comes up with something better. For the record, I am pretty sure my two teams will remain as they are barring any last minute news or injuries.

Rather then post a new topic, figured id hijack this one

Left Sky Sports last year, but after a stint in the top ten for a time two years ago and the prizes on offer, figure I may hop aboard again.

RMT Please?

Hart

Cashley, Warnock, Riise,

Silva, Malouda, N'Zogbia, Duff, O'Hara,

Rooney, Van Persia (C)

1M in the bank. Not sure on Warnock, who is Villa's predicted back four?

Not bad at all defenct bit weak but think we all know why, and would question duff but yeah not bad

@acassells

pm Vid and request a change of stature from 'treebeard' to 'RMT addict'

He's a Gent

Great win today but I have to admit that so far Taarabt is being doubled-up on and may not have the class I thought he would show at this level. Still, early days

How many more games should we give him before getting rid ...

Well I am doing shockingly badly across all my games again, so I know nuffink. However, I am personally going to wait until after the transfer window closes because Warnock is talking of between 4 and 6 players coming in (depending on which paper you read), to see how those changes affect Taarabt's game.

That said, he just looks scared to death at the moment to try anything, because he knows full well if he loses the ball, the opposition will punish us. There does seem better value out there for the money.

The bug going around Loftus Road was a blessing in disguise because Warnock put out a team which shows we do have strength in our squad, and the likes of Buzsaky can come into the equation, who was a star player for us before he got injured a couple of seasons ago.

Give him two more home games.

Probably gonna swap Taarabt out for Brunt this coming weekend. Have O'Hara already, so in theory one should have a decent fixture most weeks. N,Zog can make his was towards the door as well

Glad I captained Silva though and Van Persie can stay for the moment, think he could come big in week 4