Well, I finally cracked the top 100, but may struggle to stay there with the site seemingly down this morning; been abroad all week with work with no web access, so very frustrated. This got me thinking, now we're halfway through the season - I started playing FPL this season, just in a work league. I'm sure many will know the format of that game. TFFO is miles better in my view but, aside from some obvious site improvements - many of which are in Oddsman's thread at the start of the season - one single change along FPL lines would make my life easier.

This season there have been three or four instances where lack of access to a computer at the critical time - ie when team line-ups are announced - has caused me to drop points. I calculate 46 to date. Obviously this can make a big difference to league standing. Now, I recognise that lots of players might be in the same position - some better, some worse. But, the game should be about knowledge of, and feel, for football as well as specific TFFO tactics. I doubt many of us want it to be about having to hang around computers in advance of FA Cup matches, for example.

Many of the players in TFFO are (almost by definition, given you had to be pretty determined at the start of the season to navigate all the site changes and screw-ups) pretty serious and dedicated players, who enjoy the challenge and are looking to score as well as possible, and thinking they are in with a shout of doing well or winning. They surely don't want web access to be a key variable?

In FPL, where a player in your chosen 11 is not selected, or turns out to be injured, the website automatically substitutes that player where possible for another of your squad members - according to a priority list that you select. Ditto for choice of Captain. This way, players are not penalised if they can not get to a computer. This can help inexperienced players in the short term, but certainly over the course of a season, the "better" player is still going to win, and without everyone having the annoyuance of missing out on points unnecessarily.

Also, on a day like today, when the site seems to be playing up, players could relax in the knowledge that automatic transfers will help them out.

Biscuitman, I too play FPL, more as a bit of fun with works league rather than anything serious like I do TFFO. I have probalby been hit the other way on points this season, by being near a computer & tinkering near kick off as players havn't started & it's cost me point, Fabregas for example over xmas vs Villa, saw he was benched, took him off star & then he comes on & scores 2!
I agree that the way FPL works in the automatic transfers is a very good idea, but part of the fun / misery in TFFO is that unpredictability. I have been playing this for 5 seasons now & still think it's the best game on the market for the serious Premier League Fantasy player, just wonder how much the automatic captain changes / subs may ruin our enjoyment?

Good luck for the rest of the season!

You could argue that taking Fabregas off star is an error of judgement (bit harsh, I know!!). But if a player is simply not picked in the line up (even as a reserve) for, say, a Cup game while another player in your squad is - and you have put the wrong one as Captain - then there is no debate: you would star the one who is playing. But you need to be a computer to do so... An automatic transfer gives you a safety net.

It's an interesting point Buiscuitman and one that has been raised before.

However I'm with LT on this one - would fundamentally change the game. Too many changes this season already (MOM,FA Cup).

Part of the ritual of this game is the setting up of the flanges - or forgetting in some cases (happened to me once ).

Besides, if FrankieFrog does win this season, it's comforting to know that he will have had to put in the hours

Doesn't make too much sense to me, Oddsman, I must say. If I wanted a ritual, I can strip naked and run round my garden howling at every full moon. But if I want a fair game which isn't unnecessarily onerous to play, then I still think automatic transfers would be better. You would of course still have to set up each flange separately - I'm not suggesting you go the full FPL route involving "gameweeks" etc - I agree the individual flanges are integral to TFFO and what makes it such a brilliant competition. It's just that, I'd rather it was one where, if you've got a sick grandparent to visit, or kids to take to football, then you don't lose out.

Couldn't we do timed transfers last year?

Yes - sorry, I meant automatic switches into the team, and as captain, for a flange from the rest of your squad. So if you have got Fabregas and Arshavin in your squad, and you pick Fabregas for a flange but omit Arshavin for whatever reason, then if Fabregas is left out by Wenger, the system transfers Arshavin in automatically (on occasions when you can not be at a computer when Wenger's teamsheet comes out). And if you have captained Fabregas as well, then the system will instead pick for you whoever you have nominated as your substitute captain. Sounds more complicated than it is, but it works well in FPL.

I think the existing TFFO transfer system (ie the 15 you are allowed) is fine, and I don't miss the ability to time transfers in advance - not a big issue, but wouldn't object if they came back.

I'm with the custard cream man on this one, it would certainly benefit me, I really love this game but I work shifts, I miss many a flange start time due to work commitments and pub commitments. I'm still doing quite well this season but it would be nice to have some insurance if my star player isn't playing.

TFFO is different from FPL and CYKI, which both have an automatic substitution feature, in that those games have a single fixture week, whereas TFFO treats each individual group of fixtures (flange) separately. The TFFO squad size is also bigger meaning that there are - potentially - more benchings. Both these factors, would make a (much mooted) auto-selection facility far more difficult to implement in TFFO than other games.

Because of the Game Provider changes in recent seasons, TFFO'ers have also been reduced to a state of gratitude if the Site and Game actually performs as intended and, on the basis of the past two seasons, doubt if either GFM or CleverTV are actually capable of developing a feature as sophisticated as this.

Part of the TFFO 'game play' is to occasionally bench defenders against the likes of the big4 when we don't have to.

Wouldn't be too pleased if yesterday I had Sunderland's Bardsley(-7pts) promoted from the bench

How about a scenario where he is promoted to captain as well

That would hurt!