What can you get for £100 million? Well, how does £50,000 sound? Times
Fantasy Football is back and you have a budget of £100 million to
buy 11 players who could lead you to the glory of first place and a
big-money prize. Your mission: select the cream of English and Scottish
football while keeping inside the spending limit, fit them into a formation
and make smart transfer moves during the season.
You can choose players from selected Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League
clubs as well as from the Barclays Premier League. Not only that, but we are
going on a European tour: players score points if they appear in the
Champions League or the Uefa Cup. So, those from teams who are competing on
the Continent this season could prove shrewd picks, especially if their
sides make progress into the later stages. Then again, will their real-life
managers use heavy squad rotation to combat fatigue, meaning that they play
fewer times in the league?
That is the sort of selection dilemma you will be faced with in Times Fantasy
Football. It is a challenge, but it is well worth it, with a total of
£100,000 to be won, including that £50,000 first prize for the overall
winner.
Mini-leagues within the main game allow you to compete at close quarters with
family and friends. There is a £15,000 prize for the best-performing
mini-league and whoever set the league up has the chance to win £5,000 in
the Chairmen’s League. Registrants can also enter Premier Play on most
weekends during the season. It is a free score prediction game with a weekly
£500 prize.
To win, you will have to do more than select a strong first XI; you will need
to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market as well. You can make up to
20 transfers during the season, so you can replace injured or
underperforming players.
You can play the loan system to your advantage, too. You get an allowance of
five loans during the season, each lasting four games. Take a loanee and
keep him until he has played four times. When the loan is over, the player
he replaced is automatically returned to your team. It is ideal for giving
your side a short-term boost.
The scoring system is based on real-life performances. Players receive three
points for being in the starting lineup, meaning that a reliable first
choice at an unglamorous side may prove more valuable than an injury-prone
star from a top club who is often used off the bench.
A goal is worth six points, so make sure that your strikers know how to find
the back of the net. Assists bring two points, so a creative midfield is a
must, although beware tough tacklers and dissenters because yellow cards
lose you three points a time and the fine is doubled if one of your men sees
red. Not surprisingly, defenders and goalkeepers are well rewarded for clean
sheets.
Ready to get started? Registering and selecting a team is simple, even if
there are enough tactical options to keep even Rafael BenÍtez, the Liverpool
manager renowned for his rotation policy, happy. You choose one of four
formations and can modify your tactics as many times as you like during the
year, provided that you have enough transfers and loans available to stick
the right number of players in the correct positions.
So, will it be the classic 4-4-2; the attack-minded 4-3-3; the cautious 4-5-1
or the versatile 3-5-2? It is a delicate balance. You need goals, but
strikers cost a fortune, so should you have one or two and bolster midfield
or defence instead? Do you buy as many galácticosas you can
afford then pad out the rest with buys from the bargain basement, or aim for
a consistent level of ability in each position?
Next it is time to choose the brave and brilliant foot soldiers who will lead
you to fantasy success. With a fortune to spend, with many of the best
players in Europe just waiting for your call, it is almost like being Roman
Abramovich.
The selection process is easy. Click on a position – goalkeepers, defenders,
midfield players or strikers – and start choosing. To help you to make an
informed decision, when the mouse hovers over a player’s name, useful
statistics appear at the bottom of the screen: the player’s value,
performance last season and how popular a pick he is with your fellow
fantasists.
There is no limit to the number of players that you can select from the same
club, so if you want to form a team comprised entirely of Hull City players,
go ahead, although that is unlikely to enhance your prospects. If you are
lazy, in a hurry or overwhelmed by choice, you can simply click the “AUTO”
button and our computer will choose a formation, team and captain for you.
Got your ideal XI sorted? Then it is time to choose a captain. He will score
double points for you, so you will want to nominate who you think will be
your most effective player. Armband attributed, choose your team name (see
the article on this vital subject on page 23) and pay by debit or credit
card. It is a bargain £3 for a team, but if you sign up by midnight on
August 15, you can take advantage of our special three for two offer – that
is three teams for only £6, a nice small sum after the millions you have
just spent.
Six possible bargains
Chris Kirkland, Goalkeeper, Wigan Athletic
Yes, he is an injury risk, but he had 12 clean sheets last season, played in
most of his team’s games, Wigan should improve this year and at £4 million
he is half the price of Petr Cech, of Chelsea.
Glen Johnson, Defender, Portsmouth
The South Coast club’s defence should be tight, as it was last year, and for
only £5 million you can expect a few assists from the attack-minded full
back as well.
Kieran Richardson, Midfield player, Sunderland
At £7 million, he is at the cheaper end of the scale in midfield thanks to his
lacklustre performance in 2007-08. But he has the talent to do much better.
Roman Bednar, Striker, West Bromwich Albion
We are not suggesting that West Brom will set the division alight, but Bednar
is a talented forward with the ability to make the step up, and he is only
£5 million.
Afonso Alves, Striker, Middlesbrough
His Teesside career began in lukewarm fashion, but there must be a reason
Gareth Southgate spent about £13 million on him. You need pay only £8
million.
Theo Walcott, Striker, Arsenal
The prodigy was a big disappointment last term. This has the look of an
important season for him and at £7 million we back him to step up his
performances.
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