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Published on the Sun's Dream Team website in Aug/Sep 2003 at - http://www.dreamteamfc.com/dtfc03/servlet/Selector?template=_pros

'FANCY some Dream Team advice from the Fantastic Five of fantasy football? We've tracked down the armchair elite - the managers who win more often than anyone else.

And we've persuaded them to offload their secrets! Our own Dream Team experts put together the questions most commonly asked by Sun Dream Team fans.

So who better to answer them than the fantasy players who most commonly get them right! Chris King, 35, has been so successful that he set up http://www.FISO.co.uk, a website for fantasy football enthusiasts.

He bought a sports car with his winnings and holds special events for fellow managers.

Andy Luckhurst, 41, is a Kent accountant who has won more than £100,000 - using it to splash out on a Disneyland trip for his ex-girlfriend and her children. "Does that make me a mickey mouse accountant?" he asks.

Computer techie Michael Shipley used his winnings to fund his degree course, a year's travelling and "most of the house"!

Tony Murnaghan is a financial services expert who takes just five minutes to put a fantasy team together . . . once he has carefully studied the scoring system.

And Michael Jones, 44, who teaches maths at a Sheffield comprehensive, has played fantasy football games for around eight years'.

Which part of a Dream Team should be strongest?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Attack - due to the scoring system and the fact that goal scorers tend to generate Star Man selections. Spend your money on strikers, defenders and midfielders in that order, although I guess Scholes may go well this year In most fantasy football competitions, the top strikers usually accumulate the most points by the end of the season. And indeed these strikers will often prove to be "must-haves". It depends the pricing structure of all the players. The aim is to achieve the highest possible overall total. Sometimes this is achieved by focusing on defenders instead of attackers and other times the opposite applies. More often than not a balanced approach is required and the key is to establish where the real value can be found. Strikers - as they score the most points.
Is it best to pick established stars or take a gamble on promising youngsters?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Now that there is an October transfer window, I'd favour the established stars, but often your budget means you have to put some youngsters in as well. Established Stars or Youngsters? I think maybe 'in-betweenies' - like me. The problem with promising youngsters is that there is often uncertainty over whether they will command a first-team spot for the duration of the season. On the other hand established players such as Shearer will always play, providing they avoid injury and suspension. I would nearly always opt for the established stars in preference to the promising youngsters. However, if I felt that the youngster was guaranteed his place in his team and the price was right, I would use him. It's best to pick mainly established stars with a couple of new or unknown players.
Which player is your top tip to be the best performer in 2003/04?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Barring major injury, it an obvious battle between Van Nistelrooy and Henry. And it is good to see The Sun raise their prices this year to make it much more of a test to get both of them into your team. Players that should do better than last year are Allback (Aston Villa) and possibly Ameobi (Newcastle), who has improved a lot in the last 12 months. But neither will be the top points scorer. Of course, any major international striker that Chelskov acquire by 31 August has a shot at the best performer. I guess the Red Van Man may well be top Sun scorer this year. Van Nistelrooy. Inevitably the best performer will be a striker from a top team heavily involved in European competition. Henry and van Nistelrooy are the obvious candidates. After that the solid choices would be Shearer and the Chelsea strikers - whoever they may be! Van Nistelrooy.
Is it worth avoiding picking players from clubs you think will battle relegation?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Not necessarily - if you can find the star performer who will stand out and score heavily with marks out of 10 and Star Man selections. But it's probably a good idea to avoid the defenders. I don't think you should avoid a player just because he is in a poor team, particularly if you think he will get a few Star Man awards. Logically the defences of relegation threatened teams are unlikely to have performed well, or else they probably wouldn't be relegation threatened! Of course the same can be said for the attack. However there can often be bargain midfielders, who are the fulcrum of their team. Generally speaking, I would only consider using these players in midfield positions. Yes - unless you think they may be Star Man on a regular basis.
Has Chelsea's spending affected your team plans for the season ahead?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
I think it's affected everyone's thinking. Not only are you a little unsure who's going to be in Ranieri's first XI, but it may take the team a while to settle down. Watching some of the pre-season matches didn't help give an insight into his thinking. The big question is which top striker will be brought in later this month to complete Roman's own fantasy team! Deciding what to do about Chelskov will definitely be a key decision. Yes, of course! As a fantasy manager you cannot be sure which member of last season's team will be replaced next. And the current speculation over strikers makes fantasy preparations particularly troublesome! Yes, but in some ways it has made the planning easier. There will be stiff completion for places and a certain degree of rotation. I will not be using as many Chelsea players as I was intending to the in pre-Roman era! Yes, it has! But I've not picked any Chelsea players as I'm not sure who will play regularly due to the size of their squad.
How do you go about picking your bargain signings?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Work out who you think will be the starting 11 for each club - including the relegation candidates! - and try and keep up with (pre-season) match reports/coverage to see who are the in-form players. Also, check to see if a player is mis-classified, and see if you can use that to your advantage. For example, Geremi was listed as a defender last year but played right midfield. I tend to concentrate on midfielders when looking for bargains. Bargains - or undervalued players - are usually found in the following circumstances. The player is relatively unknown, having only previously played in a foreign league. The player has recently recovered from an injury that curtailed their season. The player is transferred to a superior Premiership team after the prices have been announced. Mainly from watching football ! After a while, you can get a gut feeling or instinct about a guy who you feel is useful but underrated. Sometimes, if a name player is going to be out for a prolonged period, there can be real value to be found if you can correctly forecast his replacement in the side. It's always best to look at someone who is new to a team but who you think could do well. For example, Portsmouth's Patrik Berger.
Money's tight, but you can afford one top striker. Do you go for Thierry Henry or Ruud van Nistelrooy?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Over the season, Henry - the best player in the world! I think I'll go with the Red Van Man, but why not enter more than one Dream Team and try them on their own and together? Difficult! At the moment I would go for Henry, since Man Utd might not have as much creativity in midfield as last season. Furthermore, it seems as though RVN is more likely to suffer an injury than Henry. However, in reality, or should I say fantasy, I wouldn't pick one over the other. I would pick both in an equal amount of teams. This season I would predict Van Nistelrooy. Why not pick 2 teams and put one in each! van Nistelrooy as he is a natural goalscorer.
Do you go for defenders who do not concede many goals or those with good scoring records?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Not many defenders are going to score a lot of goals so I'd stick to those playing regularly for tight defences. With defenders there are a variety of factors but generally in the Sun game you want clean sheets rather than the odd goal. Ideally I would go for both! It really depends on how the scoring system is weighted. In general if I am inclined to invest a lot in a defender I would like to be sure that they are part of a reasonably solid defence. My preference is to go for defenders from a tight defence. If they can score as well, then that's a bonus! I try to go for both although I tend to pick those who do not concede many goals.
Do you enter fantasy football games for the money and prizes or for the spirit of competition?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
For the competition! I play to win, I must admit. But whether you do or not it does make the likes of Bolton v Leicester more interesting! Money and prizes certainly do make playing the games more interesting. I think people who say they are not interested in the prizes are either very rich... or lying. But without the spirit of competition it would be less fun. I started off playing for fun but my primary objective now is to win. I still enjoy playing immensely but my expectation levels have certainly increased over the last few years. Both, although I enjoy it more if I win something!
If money was no object, what would be your No1 Dream Team line-up?
Chris King Andy Luckhurst Michael Shipley Tony Murnaghan Michael Jones
Assuming no restriction on players per club (if restriction then use players in brackets): Cudicini (Friedel), Bridge, Ashley Cole, Riise (Barry), Hyypia, Scholes, Duff, Giggs (Juninho), Owen, van Nistelrooy, Henry. Bet Abramovich can't get all those together! A quick answer would be Cudicini, Gallas, Campbell, Hyypia, Silvestre, Giggs, Scholes, Pires, Red Van Man, Henry, Owen.   I have kept to the 2 players per club rule, but otherwise I have "done a Roman" on it. Friedel, Terry, Woodgate, Hyypia, Southgate, Pires, Duff, Scholes, van Nistelrooy, Henry, Owen. Cudicini, Bridge, Hyppia, Campbell, Riise, Scholes, Scholes, Dyer, Emerton, Henry, van Nistelrooy, Shearer
 

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