Does this team have too many defensive punts in it?

Mignolet Sorensen
Evans Cahill Clichy Enrique Kelly
Silva Bale Dempsey Sess McClean
RVP Aguero Ade

or

Mignolet Sorensen
Evans Cahill Clichy Enrique Kelly
Silva Bale Dempsey Valencia McClean
RVP Aguero Ba

Four top six defenders and cover for FUL/SUN/STO who are capable of cleansheets. Generally the top teams will probably start to tighten up, regardless of a run. It'd always have a top six defender on the bench each week.

The midfield and strikeforce unfortunately folllow the generic mould with the exception of Adebayor.

If Evans and Cahill are on the teamsheets before the deadline, would anyone be tempted to submit this side?

It seems to me you'll always want to play 4 of those defenders at any one time. They can all keep clean sheets and Kelly is not bad at home either. I don't think you want Ba yet, do you? Maybe for GW24. As you say, all teams will be generic now - IMO Valencia is a better bet than Sess but then he's more expensive, however team B is the one eventually that will be better IMO. The only way of not making it generic is to take a huge risk and drop Bale at GW24 for a few games until his horrible run of games ends...but I think that might be a risk too far for most.

Thanks for the feedback.

Bale does have horrible games, but you'll be wanting him in at the end run of games and I can't see him dropping in price that much. He's become fairly integral to most things Spurs so I think I would prefer to keep him.

I would usually want to play all four defenders, I agree. Evans will get dropped in a few weeks though when he looks like losing his place so I can pick someone up that's less than 4.5m. I'm assuming Cahill will need to start playing. Chelsea aren't going to win the UCL, but I'd imagine AVB would want him at least as a possibility in the teamsheet so will need to give him gametime.

Fair enough if you're dropping Evans. Re the Bale point, I can't see him scoring heavily (certainly throwing in a number of 2's) in the next (after Wigan) 7 games. While his price say freezes during that time you could be sitting with both Sess and Valencia instead (+£1mn), who should continue to rise in price. At this stage of the season, points are more important than the odd 0.6mn - you'll have plenty of time find a way to get him back in if you got rid, and could be sitting prettier with more points. Of course many would tell me Bale WILL score heavily even during those games

Spurs are performing well this season and I can't see them failing to score goals. You might get the 2's, but it's hard to anticipate these. Most people anticipated a 2 against City and he got a goal. He hits a fair amount of shots and caused a lot of problems. Outwith that price-range there isn't much except Valencia and Mata (who is a little more for me).

I like Mata but Valencia just isn't as important to ManU as Bale or Mata is to Chelsea.

Is there anyone out there that thinks my defence is plain suicide? It's a tempting wildcard team to submit!

Re: Valencia... he is everything to United atm. He is performing better than any other United player and after today when wee R.Silva did so well as RB, Valencia will play forward... also after today's defeat, SAF will whip them into shape which promises some decent result against Stoke. I think... hope...

Maybe so with Valencia, I might just be thinking historically.

Would anyone just bin Adebayor before Wigan or Sess before Norwich.

Those are the only ways I could keep Valencia.

Your 2nd team is an outstanding one and I'm not sure why you wouldn't jump all over it. You must have a lot more funds than I do, because I'd struggle to get that much value in mine.

But yeah, I'd have someone else in for Ba this week and plan to bring him in later.

But I do think it would be a mistake to plan to play four defenders. You have too much value in your attack to do that. If you're tempted to play any defender over an in-form attacker, I'd downgrade one of your defenders and leave money in the bank for later.

With everyone having basically the same attack, you can't afford to bench Bale, Sess or Valencia. You'll have to play them and put two defenders on the bench (along with McClean, who might be scoring heavily as well).

Your 2nd team is an outstanding one and I'm not sure why you wouldn't jump all over it. You must have a lot more funds than I do, because I'd struggle to get that much value in mine.

But yeah, I'd have someone else in for Ba this week and plan to bring him in later.[/quote]

Do you see Sess as one to leave, or do you think my team would be better suited to a cheap striker and upgrade McClean?

I don't think you want to go the cheap striker route. If Ba looks like he will continue his form, you'll want to bring him in as your third striker.

If you don't go the cheap third striker route, I think that since Bale, Valencia & Silva will form the core of most midfields, you'll be left with a choice between Sess or Dempsey.

I think either could go (Dempsey's numbers are inflated by last week's score), and so would pick based on fixtures (you might also choose to use McClean as Sessegon's mini-me).

Thanks for the advice mate, it's helpful.

I'm a bit weary about the defence, but that's a decision that I need to make for myself as no one knows how Cahill is and if it'll be worthwhile downgrading Kompany to Clichy or not.

All signs seem to point to Ade out though. I like him for Wigan but to save myself the hassle of multiple transfers, I might be better losing him on the wildcard.

Could always pick up Welbeck if he's in the first 11 this week when the teamsheets come out and then the following week make him Ba.

Mignolet Lindegaard
Evans Cahill Clichy Enrique Kelly
Silva Bale Dempsey Valencia McClean
RVP Aguero Welbeck

Is this an improvement, or is Lindegaard too risky? My thoughts are he is, but also that as we get closer to the end that you would want the same man between the sticks. I can't see how the rotation of goalkeepers is a positive thing for ManU.

Welbeck is a one week punt if he's on the teamsheet against Stoke. He would be upgraded to Ba next week.

Valencia could remain Sess and Clichy could be upgraded to Kompany.

I'm still weary of Cahill.

Would any of these be improvements, or just needless tinkering?

I've decided to dump Enrique. With his upcoming games reading SPURS, MANU, [BLANK], ARSENAL, I can't possibly justify keeping him. I should be able to pull him in at a slight discount if I ever need him again so that is a positive.

Looking to keep BAE now.

It's now become groups of four that I'm picking between...

A) Kompany - Vermaelen - Graham
B) Cahill - Clichy - Ba
C) Kompany - <=4.5m - Ba
D) Richards - Koscielney - Fletcher
E) Any other permutation around that price?

Why on earth would you want any expensive Arsenal defender?

I'm unsure why I tried to fit Kosc in. I like the Verminator though.

Well there needs to be a differential potential somewhere, I assume this is the same reason Drenthe is drafted in by many people, that being said I personally wouldn't touch the Arsenal defence. The Villa at the moment couldn't penetrate a hooker with a box of viagra but still managed to score twice.

Cahill - Clichy - Ba btw

Or Bos if you have another .3m

Thanks for everyones input on this. I really appreciete it. Due to the problems at the deadline I had to submit my first changes, but overall I'm pleased.

Sorensen Mignolet
BAE Clichy Evans Caulker Kelly
Silva Bale Dempsey Valencia Sess
RVP Aguero Fletcher

Once again, thanks!

Is there anyone better than Fletcher out there for £6.5m?

what are your plans for ba? weve got extremely similar teams and my plan was to trade sessegnon for mclean and upgrade keane to ba but sessegnon and sunderland looked different class last night so im a bit unsure now.

re fletcher, id rather morrison. edit - fraizer campbell could be a tasty punt

I like Fletcher, I just don't like price drops...

I was thinking over the next few weeks...

Sess Moses
Clichy Kompany
Fletcher Ba

That might be considered tinkering though to facilitate a Clichy to Kompany transfer.

A lot of people would call you a doofus for ditching Sess for Moses however, I am regarded to be quite a doofus myself and I like it

Re Fletcher, why not take a punt on Cisse?

Thankfully I didn't go Cisse...

Thinking about a 4-point hit....

Sess/Valencia/Fletch McClean/Moses/Rooney

Gives me RVP Roo and Aguero uptop. Can't really better that unless Ba is your thing.

or no hit gives me...

Val/Fletch Mata/Graham

Any thoughts are apprecieted.

Current squad looks like this, with £0.1m in the bank.

Sorensen Mignolet

Caulker Kelly Evans Clichy BAE

Silva Mata Dempsey Sessegnon Bale

RVP Aguero Graham

Those in the red are possible transfers out that I probably wouldn't want to keep for the remainder of the season.

Problems

Sorensen - Slight fail, but I will hold off removing him this week
Clichy - Total fail
Mata - Only had him for two weeks but is very expensive
Sessegnon - Served me well and could possibly stay
Aguero - With the other City strikers around Aguero isn't a must have after this week
Graham - Served me well so far but I'll want to possibly entertain a move for Suarez

What to do next?
GW28 - Mata Clichy Enrique Sigurdsson
GW29 - Aguero Suarez

GW28 - Aguero Clichy Enrique Suarez
GW29 - Sess Adam

Any thoughts on who to remove or any other obvious options?

Keep Aguero!!!

Not sure why I was contemplating ditching Aguero this week...

I was hoping Bale was out and was going to shift Graham to Suarez. I have faith in Suarez for all games, not just the double.

I'd appreciete some advice on the below. Red players are players in common.

My team
Sorensen Mignolet
Caulker Kelly Evans Cahill BAE
Dempsey Mata Silva Adam Bale
RVP Suarez Graham

Rivals team (Best guess)
Sorensen Schwarzer
Caulker Kelly Evans Cahill Simpson
Dempsey Mata Nani Moses Sigurdson
RVP Suarez Rooney

I'm currently 49 points ahead of my closest rival but he took an 8 point hit this week, so I'm 57 ahead again. The question I want to know is if it's worth shifting Cahill out (a common player) for a doubler (Skrtel or Enrique). It's likely his transfer next week is Cahill out, so presuming the Chelsea/City game is cancelled then it's likely I'd be taking a hit next week. Given it's a double I thought about taking a hit this week as I could play Skrtel/Enrique every gameweek from now until the end.

Any advice/thoughts is apprecieted.

Agree with your thinking. Your opponent may be gambling on the doubles to try and catch up. You both already have Suarez so there's a good chance he'll have added a couple of Liverpool defenders. He may have traded in Mata and got a Liv/Eve mid replacement but at least one Liv defender is likely. If he didn't put a Liv defender in, I'm not sure where he'll have made three transfers. Cahill to Liv defender is a good defensive move and is actually likely to produce more points the next few weeks anyway (although the Liv defenders are a little more expensive).

In addition, Cahill isn't a guaranteed starter at Chelski especially with Terry looking like he might be fit again so your best bet IMO is transfer him for Skrtel or Enrique, especially if you can do so without a point hit.

Thanks for the advice.

I decided to leave Skrtel. I will probably pick Enrique up tonight instead. I don't have Rooney at the moment so the additional 0.4 should cover any price rises by the time I get him. Realistically I'm just after a Liverpool defender for cleansheet potential from now until the end of the season so to get an extra game out them makes it a bit easier to make the decision.

I know that stats say differently but I find it hard to be convinced on doubling of Liverpool defenders.
One is quite enough, especially if you are ahead in your mini-league. Spread the risk, rather than take big chances.