Hi all,

With a week to go until kick off, I'm hoping for the annual critique of my team. I find the tips I always get from Kdub, snout and the rest VERY useful -and end up regretting the ones I ignore.

I've had a couple of good seasons running - winning my F&E league, finishing in the Top 100 nationally - so aiming for the same again. My current line up is:

GK J Hart £4.3

FB J Enrique £3.4 (or Samba or Cahill - basically whoever goes to a Top 6 side. Warnock of AV if no one does)
FB J Riise £3.6
FB L Baines £4.5
FB A Cole £5.2

CB J Collins £3.5
CB J Lescott £4.3 (changing to Kompany once Toure is back)
CB N Vidic £5.2

MD V Moses £3.8
MD A Ramsay £3.9
MD S Sessegnon £3.9
MD S Sinclair £4.0
MD A Taarabt £4.1
MD R Van der Vaart £5.8 (or Malouda if VdV is injured)

ST W Rooney £7.6
ST R van Persie £7.7

TOTAL £74.8

For me, the midfield is the weakness here - lots of potential rather than the proven point scorers I have up front and in defence. I have 0.2 to improve the side allowing for the likes of an Albrighton, Benayoun, Ethrington or Modric.

All help and feedback gratefully received!

Hi BB, looks the good basis of a team and, as you say, midfield is a bit weak.

Like you it seems, I have no compunction going 4xFB... as long as I don't have to do many restings(*). If Enrique does go to Liverpool, you get three such clashes in September. Plus it's tough pickings in that FB area again this year and I've not come across any effective combo of 4xFB's yet. Still looking however.

I wouldn't go Collins and Warnock. At those prices, one of them is worth a gamble IMO but not both; McLeish is more defensive-minded and has just signed a good goalie but I still have my doubts. With Lescott, it's possible he'll keep his place when Toure is back if he's been playing well; also Joleon suddenly re-discovered his goal-scoring form at the end of last season. His one against Bolton was one of my favourite goals of the season.

In your midfield, Moses is not a bad shout, if you're one to go on pre-season form and think he'll step up in CNZ's absence. He should provide the odd goal but will there be anyone there to convert his assists? Sinclair should be OK but I don't think he's going to be a standout scorer like, say, Adam was last year; scoring three in the play-offs was a bit misleading as his stats were good but not very good, last year.

The other two I worry about more. Sessegnon is I think a bad pick; he won't be played up front again except in another injury emergency and he's not guaranteed a starting slot IMO. Wilshere - what role will he play in the Arsenal midfield? If Fabregas and Nasri both go, he might be worth a pop but right now, I'd stay clear to be honest.

Possible replacements will be tough to pick as midfield is over-priced this year. In my main team, I've gone for RVP plus a Tescos Own Brand (note: not Tescos Value) striker to free up money to boost the midfield options to 4.xers pretty much all round. If you don't want to do that and are stuck on RVP+Rooney, then you could pick a few dull under-performers (e.g. Blackburn midfield) to get you going and swap to the bargains when they emerge.



(*) copyright the guy from Internet Service Providings on FoneJacker

Snout - Thank you so much for a full and considered RMT! LOTS of interesting points for me to look into and a few swaps needed.

The reason for Rooney/RVP up front is because midfielders are so overpriced I think that's the better value. I originally had RVP/Odemwingie and quite a few 4.x's but I'm not sure if the likes of Downing, Dempsey, Benayoun, Adam, are much better picks than those in the 3.8-4.1 range (and for that money I'm also thinking Hoillet, Tchoyi, Petrov, SWP if he moves). Rooney is also in as he's the only United forward player I can't see being rotated.

All suggestions welcome though. Am I making a major mistake with this midfield???

Revised team of:

GK J Hart £4.3

FB J Enrique £3.4
FB J Riise £3.6
FB L Baines £4.5

CB C Samba £3.4
CB J Collins £3.5
CB J Lescott £4.3
CB J Terry £5.2 (although still debating about having four full backs for first three games with A Cole instead of Terry)

MD A Ramsay £3.9 (good value IMO now Fabs/Nasri going)
MD S Sessegnon £3.9 (debating swapping to Moses)
MD S Sinclair £4.0
MD A Taarabt £4.1
MD F Malouda £5.7
MD Nani £5.9

ST W Rooney £7.6
ST R van Persie £7.7

TOTAL £74.8

Thanks BB...

I'm going to use this team you've created

Any time Champ