oldbighead (Richard Closs) PM'd me yesterday to see if I'd start another Top *00 Chit-Chat Thread, but things have been so quiet that I thought that I'd ask this question first...

*BTW - thought that I'd start with 500 as 30 transfers means that more teams will still be in with a theoretical chance, at this stage, than before.

Like i said to AK yesterday YTM has been even more of a graveyard than usual this year. Thought it might be interesting to hear peoples thoughts on how the games going and what the situation might be regarding transfers this year.

FWIW i agree that the extra transfers could well mean that someone could come from further off the pace this year possibly depending on how our teams go in Europe and how the fixtures might back up.

There have been a lot of injuries to big players this year and so even with 30 transfers those right at the top may have used a few more than we might think. However i'd guess that the usual contenders will still have at least half their transfers left at this stage.

I guess that it's time to start looking at the Leaderboard, although it's still probably more than a little skewed by significant differences in transfers made. Naturally, the current (post Bolton v Chelsea without MotM) Top 50 is packed with FISO'ers - Rui (8), Terry, Striker (2), Randal, oldbigead, Darren and Andy (seemingly flying the another Forum's flag), to name those known to me.

It's certainly been a different game from last season with 7 of the top 10 (100+) points scorers being mid-priced midfielders - Tevez, Berbatov & Drogba being the other 3. I would expect that most have used a few transfers shifting from a Chelsea-centric line-up and coping with the various injuries, form swings and suspensions. With 30 transfers, there is certainly more pressure to get 11 starters in each week and, in particular, to remove anyone absent for longer than a couple of weeks.

I have a couple of reasonably competitive teams but am currently having to re-sail the ships after a spell in dry dock during the holiday period. My best team went from 36th to 250th in this time, but is now only 52 points away from the Top 20. However, there is a gap of 73 points from there to the current leader, and it would be interesting to read how others feel about that.

I'm not flying the another forum flag AK....this is the only forum I post on.....did have a look at the other one so have a login but my post count is zero....as I found that one had one undesirable member on it! This is the first one I chose to join and the only one I will contribute with......but found some of the threads on here lately boring so have chosen not to post as much. Also found out that dignity and honesty comes after the £ to some people....so would rather not get involved.

Good to see you again though AK....and wish you the best matey! Got so bored of the footie, chose to work weekends 2 out of 3.....but get a lot of other time off.....so have time for my family as my mother became ill....and to give Brenna some time rather than fiso . Think she deserves it after 4 years

Since not being so involved.....I've moved up in the leaderboard.....so may carry on these shifts for some time to come

Hi Darren - great to hear from you.

The 'other forum' reference was only to Andy - he tends to name himself after a Forum (or disliked rule) and this season it's noticeably not FISO!

My FF time has also decreased this season; partly due to increased work and family duties, but also thanks to the sad loss of TFFO and CYKI. Obviously, as stated many times, I don't like the 30 transfer rule in YTM - but it's still an interesting game and I hope that we can get some good banter going on this thread to liven up the run-in.

Good luck for the remainder.

Hopefully you'll have the same luck as me....was outside top 300 but with giving up just watching Sky Sports and hoping.....it seems to be whenever I'm not really interested, it starts going right

Whatever happens....obviously this will remain my favorite game....and luckily don't miss the 2 you stated as never played them! Enjoyed The Star but Lampard messed me up in that game...however still somewhere in the 30's but had him all the time he was out for....so killed my chances!

Would love to see this game go again next year....but don't think they shouldn't have ever changed the old format....only 4/5 years ago I won against over 97,000 teams.....with a block transfer system. Why oh why did they ever change it?

They should give it one more go....but go back to this system....less hassle and more people get interested. Yet they make it more expensive with more transfers and less prize money and much more hands on. CRAZY!!!!!!

Such a shame.....was my favorite game....and they've killed it with their own changes?!?!?!

While many of us do not like some of the recent YTM rule changes, there is no doubt that the Web Site has improved dramatically over the years and this season it is really excellent (when timely and accurate!).

However, I'm not sure how useful the Player Popularity %s are in the Round History Page. They certainly would be quite illuminating if it was possible to filter them to include the only the Top 100/500/1,000, etc teams - but as it stands they include a substantial number of inactive teams which renders them fairly useless from a contender/pretender perspective...or am I expecting too much? YTM probably has no budget for making any changes to the Web Site, but that one might increase the traffic a little.

Well done Pete,

Makes a change to see somebody posting on the YTM forum

I was not a great fan of the 30 transfer rule as previously stated but after this seasons injuries, maybe it has some legs.

Cheers, Terry.

Given that you had trouble using up all of your allocation of 20 last season, I'd be very surprised if you ran out this time round - despite all the injuries.

Suppose I can throw my hat into the ring this year - currently in 13th which is nosebleed territory for me at this stage of the season.

Usually enter 20+ teams but the combination of TFF's 3 for 1 offer and the rapid withdrawal of YTM's 2 for 1, I loaded up on TFF teams and only ended up entering 5 into YTM, one of which is doing quite well to say the least

Never been this high before so will be interesting to see how / when I cock it all up

So that's spooge2 (the name's a bit of a giveway, really ). No reason why you should stuff it up - as long as you don't implement any advice dished out by me.

Looks as if the Leaderboard has compressed a tad tonight, with Berbatov missing from the top few teams? Would have thought that he was a shoe-in - for anyone with plenty of transfers left - for a week facing 2 of his favourite type of opponents (i.e. the weak ones). IMHO, this is definitely one part of the YTM playbook that has changed, because 30 transfers does allow for more of this kind of tactical tinkering.

Maybe some are sticking with Drogba and Tevez, or have replaced Drogba with RVP (or Torres) - meaning that their 3rd striker has to be a cheapie like Elmander (now that Carroll has been out for a while)?

Would also speculate that most of the leaders have Nani and Nasri in midfield and that Hart/Baines/Ivanovic/Vidic/Cole or Terry is a popular defensive unit.

AK, whereabouts were you leaderboard-wise this time last year when you finished 2nd? (give me something to aim for )

I honestly can't remember - and it's not in the seasonal account that I produced (if you look at the YTM Form Topics you see that Rui also wrote one). Definitely not in the Top 20 - probably in the 50-100 range? However, as oldbigead has stated, the increased number of transfers means that someone could come from a lot further behind this season.

Really, at this stage, my advice would be simply to gather as many points as you can without blowing transfers unecessarily (sounds easy, eh) and not worry too much about the leaderboard; although, of course, there's no harm in being right up there with plenty of trades in the locker.

Another thing to consider is the solid history of 5 team entries (Darren, striker, etc), so don't be concerned by the fact that other managers have multiple contenders. Only one team can win (no kidding ) and there is a theory that a single contender concentrates the mind..or is that just me making a virtue from a necessity? Andy Luckhurst is quite rightly rated as the best FF manager around, but didn't bring Bale into any of his leading teams last season and that, by his own admission, cost him the title; so don't be too afraid when his teams start to surround yours.

I remember being 13th in March when I won and was well off the pace in January......don't really know if that helps??

He was 63rd

Both those entries show that the key factor to winning is whether or not it is the fourth of your five entries. If it is, the profile of your team makes you a shoo-in spoogehead.

If its not, you might as well give up now!

Right firstly going to check who's in 63rd at this moment and secondly....will await to see if it's Spoogeheads 4th team that's doing well! It would be the strangest coincidence!

Ok....joint 59th is the closest....so will the winner come from these lot;

59 Brian Sweet CB +9 92 1,027
59 David Browne Relegated Monday +82 92 1,027
59 Alan Winsley als eleven +52 92 1,027
59 Graham Dolan 3-3 -15 92 1,027
59 Robert Morton apeverde -21 92 1,027
59 Anthony Morris DJ TONY 81 -13 92 1,027

Should not be giving advice as I am currently involved but last season, too many transfers cost me as I thought I would be clever and drop players like Rooney to try and be different.
Lesson learnt hopefully this year

So the lesson is that all managers currently holding Wayne should hang on to him?

Some of us never try to be clever as we know that we are too thick to have any hope of succeeding. Its those of you who are a bit brighter that might fall into Terry's trap.

Yes David, the lesson here is to hang on to Rooney this year at all costs

Looks like I'm screwed as it is my 2nd team (hence why I called it spooge2 )

Have noticed your presence Terry, along with a couple of Rui's and the other big hitters not too far behind. My other 4 teams have been left to rot so spooge2 will be getting my undivided attention

OK, I believe you...but, where was Rui's winning team (Affection13) at that stage and was it his 4th team (or 44th or 144th?).

Think that it was only my 2nd team (of 5) which, it seems, is where I slipped up because I did hang on to Rooney - until his injury.

BTW, Achilles, how are you faring, so far, this season?

Leaderboard on the 29th December when Rui won; Rui was 12th with the team that eventually won!

1 maybe A.Roberts 941
2 cfc9 michael cooper 908
3 cfc6 michael cooper 907
4 the drog michael cooper 905
4 Elkne 49 Elena Knezevic 905
6 Clossy`s Giants Richard Closs 901
6 Jose 28 Jose Martins 901
6 La Blanquiiroja76 Nene 901
9 shed7 michael cooper 899
10 Dino 53 Zoran Furlan 896
10 Despair2 Rui Esteves Marques 896
12 Affection13 Rui Esteves Marques 895
12 La Celeste91 Enzo 895
12 Elephants9 Jose 895
15 Sprinters 4 Tony Murnaghan 894
16 Dino 293 Zoran Furlan 892
16 La Celeste92 Enzo 892
18 dennis wise michael cooper 891
19 n97 big.nev 889
20 Currie And Rice Richard Closs 888

26.01.2010
1 maybe A.Roberts 1129
2 Affection13 Rui Esteves Marques 1108
3 the drog michael cooper 1107
3 The Funky Monkeys 35 Andrew Moss 1107
5 Currie And Rice Richard Closs 1106
......................
63 Hamilton NotSpur Peter Jordan 1057
65 62 fiso 1056

Actually, you were joint 63rd - just after Rooney scored 4 against Hull.
As for me this season... A few teams in Top 100 and plenty of transfers left but always have the problem Terry mentioned - suicidal way of using these transfers in March and April. So given past experience - I shouldn't be overly optimistic

Whats plenty?

3-4

A few significant moves on the final day of the transfer window, raising some the following YTM posers..

1. What effect will Torres' move to Liverpool have on Drogba's points?
2. Is Torres worth a punt, given the fact that he is cup-tied?
3. Andy Carroll could be massive value at Liverpool, despite no FA Cup games, if he has the ability and temperament to justify his amazing transfer fee.
4. Maybe Suarez will benefit from the attention paid to Carroll and score a few goals - although his YTM price is bound to be a better reflection of his real worth WRT Carroll.
5. Will Luiz replace Ivanovich as a first choice centre back at Chelsea and, if so, will the Serb evict Bosingwa from the right back berth?

Any more ideas and comments out there - or is everyone too busy trying to figure out who to replace Nasri with at the weekend?

Or will Malouda now be playing as a proper midfield player rather than a third striker?

Benched at Sunderland, although He grabbed an assist when he came on. In the past two seasons, Malouda has finished very strongly after a mid-season slump in form, so it may be all about catching the right wave again this time. In the absence of Zirkhov, he does offer Chelsea some much-needed width - unless Ancelotti is going to go with 3 at the back (from Ivanovich, Alex, Luiz and Terry) and use Bosingwa and Cole as wing backs (or is that a bit old-fashioned?).

Then again, the time may be approaching for Lampard...but at 9.5 million?

Current Top 10...

1 Mark Tranter Heath Grasshoppers - 0 1,214
2 martin searle Dogs of War +2 16 1,198
3 Steve Lansdell spooge2 +6 17 1,197
4 Tom Irwin SUPERARMY SOLDIERS -1 26 1,188
5 Rui Marques Passion11 -3 29 1,185
6 TERRY GRIDLEY B2 +1 30 1,184
7 Rui Marques Rage2 -2 31 1,183
8 Tom Irwin WERNHAM HOGGS -3 35 1,179
9 Tomislav Jelicic Cvjetno +2 36 1,178
10 malcolm lewis POB 306 -2 40 1,174

Spoogehead continues to thrive and Terry is sandwiched between Rui's rage and passion.

Not sure what to make of Sunday's game at Stamford Bridge - an awful lot of expensive YTM talent with little return.

Budget constraints remain a far lower factor this season; partly because of cheaper prices and partly because of relatively poor returns from most of the expensive players.