With the introduction of a choice of 4 team formations for the coming season, what do those who are persisting with YTM think will be the optimum choice?

It's quite a major, first-up, decision as it will not be possible to change this once the season is underway - not a particularly realistic scenario, unless one identifies with one of the more dogmatic Premiership managers (no names mentioned ).

Obviously, much will depend on your assessment of the likely impact of the new scoring rules in relation to the very demanding player prices.

All the formations have their pros and cons. I'm favouring 442 and 433 at the moment. Based mainly on the squad of players I'm working off.

pffffft.

This was the first thing that I thought about when the player list and scoring were first published. I have a strong view which I am praying is correct as I'm sticking to my one free team this season. (don't care about losing a few quid, but if the game turns out to be not worth playing, I'd really resent the time that I'd wasted over several months).

As you say its a major decision so I'd be surprised if most of those with pretensions to winning would detail their honest assessment. They might as well announce the core of their team, (a slight exaggeration but hey we're playing fantasy).

Yes you are correct. (but it is not an absolute thing)
I am concentrating on the same formation.

Does that include stoneybatter?

I feel strikers often fail to deliver whereas midfielders can have plenty of assists and chip in with goals and peno's (Lamps is back from injury this season).

So the 3-5-2 could be good, except it was the lowest voted above.
But i havent tested this with players selections yet.

Clean sheet defenders often dont appear too attractive, but they do weigh in with plenty of points come season end.
A defender can only get one clean sheet max per game. Whereas goalscorers can get 1,2,3 goals but it never actually happens all season long (since Henry, Van Nistlerooy and Ronaldo departed), cos after a 38 game season top scorers are approx 2 players on approx 25 goals with the rest way behind.

So lets see what formation is judged the best and then works out to be best.

Before i do selections on Friday, i'll probably sway the way most advised on this post.

OK i take it back what i suggested to start with.

On reflection now and with the players now available i'd now guess that most of the top teams by the end of the season will be 4-3-3. And any other formations are going to struggle to keep up over the course of the whole season.

Anyone else now having the same thoughts?

PS i entered a lot of 3-5-2's so i'm thinking that i made an error.

The hat-trick bonus and the number of hat-tricks we've seen over the past couple of weeks certainly seem to argue for the value of an extra striker. Having said that, not really possible to lash out on three premium goalscorers, so some art will be needed in finding the best 7.4er. Maybe.

feeling exactly the same, wish i had more 4-3-3 teams than i have... too late for that now though