Very Small Rocks 06/07 Season thread.

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

OK, you needy people.

Post your rosters here and I'll write up subjective, judgemental analyses in the order I receive them. I kept up pretty well but missed the last few rounds so can't analyze anyone's teams until I see rosters posted.

At most I'll do a couple a day but in the interest of starting our trash talk which has been hardly evident I'll be the one to do the work...

With the proviso that I win automatic promotion in exchange. Not that I'll need the help.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Van der Sar 6.0
Crossley 3.5
Terry CH 8
Ferdinand 7.0
Neville MU 7.0
Ridgewell AV 5.0
Pearce FU 3.5
Hleb AR 7.5
Robben CH 9.5
O’Neil PO 6.5
Solano NUFC 8.0
Neville EV 5.0
Beattie EV 8.0
Crouch LI 9.0
John FU 6.5

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Marakana10's team:

1. Shay Given
2. Luke Young
3. Sami Hyppia
4. Nemanja Vidic
5. Jermaine Pennant
6. Danny Landzaat
7. Kevin Nolan
8. Jimmy Bullard
9. Robbie Keane
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Jose Antonio Reyes
12. Jermaine Jenas
13. Lucketti, D, SHU.
14. Osano, D, RE.
15. Hart, GK, MAC.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

ColdDogSoupFC
GK Friedal Blackburn
GK Anderson Charlton
D Heinze ManU
D Gray Blackburn
D Taylor Portsmouth
D Murty Reading
D Gardner Tottenham
M Lampard Chelsea
M Gamst Pederson Blackburn
M Bennayoun WHam
M Barton ManCity
M McNamee Watford
F Saha ManU
F Bent D. Charlton
F Lita Reading

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

OK, here come the first 3, with the obvious caveat that they're written by the ownership responsible for LSG's successive relegation and lower-mid-table seasons. So use the George Constanza rule and take compliments from me as cause for concern, and vice-versa.

If you don't like my predictions, just think how much you'll enjoy proving them wrong all season...



Forza Moskva

Keepers:
Van der Sar 6.0
Crossley 3.5
Rating: A- Van der Sar probably represents the best value in the position: last year’s high scorer and priced lower than other keepers who play for strong defensive teams. Some concern about Crossley, who, at over 40, probably won’t threaten Niemi’s claim on the starting position at Fulham. If VDS stays healthy & Man U’s defense is solid, though, it won’t matter.

Defense
Terry CH 8
Ferdinand 7.0
Neville MU 7.0
Ridgewell AV 5.0
Pearce FU 3.5
Rating: B+ Forza probably has the best starting 3 at defense in the league with Terry, Ferdinand, and Neville. IF (and it’s a big if) MON’s magic takes immediate effect at Aston Villa, Ridgewell could prove to be a good investment. Pearce is basically a nonplayer: he only got a few weeks’ playing time on a weak defensive team last year and that was due to an exceptional crisis for Chris Coleman. If other players get unexpectedly injured or benched, this could be a liability.

Midfield
Hleb AR 7.5
Robben CH 9.5
O’Neil PO 6.5
Solano NUFC 8.0
Neville EV 5.0
Rating: B+ Joe Cole’s bad luck probably spells more playing time for the potentially explosive Robben, who will carry Forza’s squad if he plays to potential. But Robben has also been the downfall of teams, not the least my own LSG IV last year, and Forza will need him to match the form of his first rather than his second season. Hleb was a clever, late-round pickup. He had found his form toward the end of last season and should be much more effective with a year’s premiership experience under his belt. O’Neil had a very good season on a crap team last year, and with Portsmouth stabilized he has every chance of doing as well or better. But Pompey remains one of those teams: IF they do well O’Neil will be a great pick, but if they start slowly he could quickly be out the door. Solano is aging and his influence waning at Toon, but he’s always a threat to score the odd wonder goal. Not guaranteed weekly contribution, though. Neville should play regularly and well for Everton but his style of play is the sort that fantasy games don’t reward. He won’t get many goals or assists.

Beattie EV 8.0
Crouch LI 9.0
John FU 6.5
Rating: B- All will hinge on the form of Crouch and Beattie, which wouldn’t fill many managers with confidence. Crouch should get plenty of minutes for Liverpool and he is certainly a threat to score high with assists and the odd goal. But he doesn’t compare to top-tier strikers such as Rooney, Henry, and Shevchenko. This is a big season for Beattie who could either regain his form of a few years ago or suffer a slow start and eventually see himself marginalized as Everton’s young academy players continue to emerge this season. John has showed promise for years, but he’s not a clear starter on a team that needed to strengthen in the offseason and hasn’t yet.


Overall: B+. This is a solid team that should spend much of the season in the top half of the table, but the question is where. Forza seems to be lacking a real flair player who can provide the occasional multi-goal week. I only see that potential in Robben and he’s a risky one to bet a season on.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Marakana10's team:

Goalkeepers
1. Shay Given
15. Hart, GK, MAC.
Rating: B- Given is a great keeper and should pick up a decent number of bonus points. But there will be plenty of weeks when Newcastle’s weak defense concedes goals, and many teams who will be a solid threat to score against them. Despite rumors of James leaving Man City, Hart’s chances of being the starter are as slim as Kate Moss: Weaver would start over him, and City are also supposedly looking to bring in a new keeper to start. There will be weeks when Marakana will need to rotate Given out if he wants points from his GK, and at this point he has no cover.

Defenders
2. Luke Young
3. Sami Hyppia
4. Nemanja Vidic
13. Lucketti, D, SHU.
14. Osano, D, RE.
Rating: B- It all depends on Vidic, really. When healthy, Wes Brown usually rates an England callup and with Vidic still recovering from an injury which ruled him out of the World Cup, it’s not clear who Fergie will start. Hyypia should have another season’s worth of regular shutout points in him, and he’ll probably anchor Marakana’s defense for the season. Luke Young will be a lock to start for Charlton, but with a new manager who admits he still needs another 5 players to be comfortable with his squad, Charlton may surrender too many goals early in the season. Two late picks who aren’t even clear starters on promoted teams would be a huge surprise to contribute big points.

Midfielders
5. Jermaine Pennant
6. Danny Landzaat
7. Kevin Nolan
8. Jimmy Bullard
12. Jermaine Jenas
Rating: B/B+ This is a hard group to predict, hence the bet-hedging rating. Pennant could have a breakout season with a strong supporting cast, or continue his Birmingham City habit of sprinting to the corner and either crossing into an empty box or ballooning his crosses for goal kicks. Hard though it will be to cross too high for Crouch, it’s still a concern. Nolan had a great season last year and another one like it might see him finally getting capped… but Bolton has done nothing but hemorrhage talent in the off-season, and it’s hard to say how they’ll start this year. Same problem for Bullard who has the additional question mark of having to settle into a new squad this year. Jenas doesn’t score many goals or assists, and with the huge competition in the Spurs midfield he’s not sure to start every week anyway. Landzaat was a great player in Holland but may need some time to settle into the Prem. And Wigan won’t surprise anyone this year, so it’s hard to predict their fortunes. Don’t expect to see them spend the first couple months in the top five like they did last year, though.

Forwards
9. Robbie Keane
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Jose Antonio Reyes
Rating: B+ IF Reyes stays at Arsenal and plays regularly, this could possibly be one of the better starting lineups in the league. Rooney is an unstoppable player on his day, but he’s equally likely to sit out for weeks on end with discipline trouble. Could he be the first player in SR history to lead the league in goals but finish the season with a negative score? Only time will tell. Keane had a career season in 2005-06 and there’s no reason to think he won’t maintain his form. But if Martins does end up at Spurs, or if Keane goes off the boil early, he could potentially be this year’s Jermaine Defoe.

Overall: B. The forward line will need to carry this team and that’s asking a lot. Reyes may not even be in the country by the time the season starts, for one thing. The midfield is solid, but no player other than perhaps Nolan looks likely to score above average points with any regularity. Will probably take some alert activity on the transfer market for marakana to battle for promotion this year.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Windsor wanderers

Goalkeepers
GK Niemi Fulham
GK Hahnemann Reading
Rating: B Andrew is probably planning to rotate his keepers throughout the season, but he’ll still have to pray that at least one of these teams has a top-ten season. That’s a bet I wouldn’t want to wager my season on! If both teams end up in a relegation battle, which is equally possible, Andrew may find himself shopping for keepers when there are none available.

Defenders
D Toure Arsenal
D Carvalho Chelsea
D Shorey Reading
D Dawson Tottenham
D Ferdinand West Ham
Rating: A- This is a definite strength for Andrew. All five players should start and although Ferdinand may sit for the first game or two, he should be a good scorer again once he’s playing. Carvalho made several managers groan when Andrew picked him and for good reason: with Gallas looking increasingly unsettled, Carvalho looks a good bet to play a lot for the league’s stingiest defense. Toure is pretty much the leader of Arsenal’s defense and also scores the rare goal, so he should be a certain triple figure scorer. Dawson is one of the best values out there for defenders – a returning starter on one of the best defenses for only 5.5. Shorey’s the one wild card but again, as an attack-minded left back with a very low price, he was probably an excellent buy. So far this is the league’s best and most balanced defense.

M Gerrard Liverpool
M Cole Chelsea
M Ronaldo Man. United
M McCulloch Wigan
M Montgomery Sheffield Utd
Grade: IP That’s right, it’s a teacher’s copout! But canny though the move was to grab Cole right after he was dumped, we’ll have to see both the length of Cole’s layoff and what Andrew’s next move will be before we can judge this midfield. What’s there is certainly good: Gerrard and Ronaldo are both obvious threats on a weekly basis. McCullough is another player on that unpredictable Wigan team. And Montgomery? Never heard of him.

Forwards
F Harewood West Ham
F Davies Bolton
F Adebayor Arsenal
Grade: B/B+ Harewood was one of the best values in the position last season, but who’s to say that lightning will strike twice? West Ham could struggle in the same way that Middlesbrough did last year as they begin their UEFA Cup schedule, and that could hurt Harewood’s potential. Davies racks up respectable season totals every year, but it’s usually due to week after week of reliably average performances rather than the kind of big point potential a team needs from its strikers. Adebayor’s an interesting pick: he certainly did well last season but where will he fit in with Van Persie, Reyes, even potentially Ribery? He’s a good player who may suffer as the team he plays for strengthens in the offseason. Or he could also be a good player who scores too many points as he does seem to have a knack for scoring the tap-ins at the end of 20-pass moves. Hard to predict.

Overall: A-/B+ Some real strengths in this squad, most notably the defense, which should provide a couple shutouts at least most weeks. The midfield will probably be quite strong as well, depending on Cole or his replacement. Forwards may be a bit of a weakness, but should contribute good points on occasion to add to those coming more reliably from the midfield and defense. Perhaps not a team built for head-to-head matchups, but should quietly and consistently do well in the league where consistency is more important.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

ColdDogSoupFC

Goalkeepers
GK Friedal Blackburn
GK Anderson Charlton
Rating: B/B+ Tough call without knowing who’ll win the starting job at Charlton. If it’s Anderson, lobo will be able to rotate Friedel out on occasion as Charlton should be able to shut out certain premiership teams. But if it’s not Anderson, Friedel, while good value, won’t deliver high points every week.

Defenders
D Heinze ManU
D Gray Blackburn
D Taylor Portsmouth
D Murty Reading
D Gardner Tottenham

Rating: B+ Three of these four are interesting prospects. Heinze should reclaim his starting position on the left from the beginning of the season, and I can’t see him having lost any of his quality after his long layoff. Gray was Blackburn’s top defensive scorer last year and somewhat alarming rumors of a move to Pompey seem to have died down, so he should be a good scorer again. As with Friedel, though, he’ll need to spend some gameweeks on the sideline. Taylor had a great season last year and likes to get involved in the attack, so should be a good performer again. There is the potential problem of playing for the unpredictable Pompey, though. Gardner is an interesting pick – a forgotten man last season but he may have a chance to prove his worth with King’s injury. Murty… who he?

Midfielders
M Lampard Chelsea
M Gamst Pederson Blackburn
M Bennayoun WHam
M Barton ManCity
M McNamee Watford

Rating: A- Yikes. This is a strong and balanced group, with four players a reasonable bet to hit triple figures for the season. Lampard may have been off-form in the World Cup, but he’ll surely end his struggles against the mighty Man City and roll on from there. Preseason fixtures suggest he’ll continue to take free kicks, so that will add to his goals and assists. Gamst Pedersen had a world-class season last year, and his talent looks genuine so I’d expect to see similar results again. Plus he has in my opinion a much better strike force to feed, which should only help him. Benayoun and Barton are perhaps slightly higher risk factors; you never know whether the morning paper will contain another story of Barton’s, erm, performance art. And Benayoun’s a great attacking player but seems just a bit frail, so might spend some time on the injured list over the course of the season. McNamee is an unknown, to me anyway, but he’s unlikely to play a whole lot with this lineup anyway.

Forwards
F Saha ManU
F Bent D. Charlton
F Lita Reading

Rating: B/B+ A few question marks here. Can Saha stay healthy as a long term starter for Man U? WILL he be a long term starter for Man U when the transfer window closes? Bent has so far had one great season in the Premiership. But so did Franny Jeffers. Simon Davies. That Christie guy at Middlesbrough. Still, he did look great last season and there’s so far no reason to doubt he will again, provided he orders takeout from now on. Lita was a solid scorer last year for a Reading side that looks the best of the 3 promoted teams. But I don’t know enough about Reading to be sure he’ll rate a start over Doyle and Kitson. So this forward line looks promising, but the first few weeks will tell.

Overall: A- Very few weaknesses in this squad. Perhaps a minor lack of flexibility at keeper (although perhaps not), but otherwise Lobo has many options depending on who’s playing where each week. A strong midfield is vital to do well after last year’s scoring changes and Lobo certainly has one. A favorite for promotion.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

In off the post.

GK Lehmann
GK Kiely
DF Ferriera
DF Chimbonda
DF Ben Haim
DF Boyce
DF Sonko
MF Duff
MF Scholes
MF Boa Morte
MF Mendes
MF Young
FW Shevchenko
FW Yakubu
FW King.

Have a lash Ing

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

If Ing ain't heard of him he ain't worth keeping

Excellent work Ing, pretty fair reasoned analysis all around.

Murty is their captain so though they have added defensive players hopefully means he plays a bit in case he is needed off the bench. Now just hoping Sir Rednose has his usuall success in the transfer market of late.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

In off the post.

Goalkeepers:
GK Lehmann
GK Kiely
Rating: B+ Lehmann should have another good season, but Arsenal’s defense looks pretty thin right now and could be a risk to surrender some soft goals. On the other hand, Lehmann could rack up a few good gameweeks with lots of saves. Kiely’s stock has dropped with rumors of James moving to Pompey: if he does Paul’s stuck with a nonplaying backup to Lehmann, which is always risky.

Defenders:
DF Ferriera
DF Chimbonda
DF Ben Haim
DF Boyce
DF Sonko
Rating: B Ferreira doesn’t have much competition for the right back spot, and any regular starter for Chelsea’s defense is a good player to have. Chimbonda looks unlikely to join Spurs now, and Paul’s defense may need some shuffling depending on where he goes. If it’s Middlesborough, Boyce will take over in Chimbonda’s position at Wigan… but how reliable are the defenses of those two teams? Bolton are usually tough defensively and they do have a soft opening schedule, but things have been dubiously quiet with Bolton over the summer. Sonko sounds like a character from Gumby.

Midfielders:
MF Duff
MF Scholes
MF Boa Morte
MF Mendes
MF Young

Rating: A- I think four of these players are a lock to score at least 120 this season. Duff will be glad to play regularly again and has something to prove as well, so he could be one of the highest overall scorers in the game. Or Newcastle could have another season like last year, especially if they can’t get in any strikers to finish the chances Duff will create. Scholes certainly looks to have regained his form and his, sorry, eye for goal. More worryingly, he seems to have regained his old form with tackles too. Boa Morte is a midfielder who plays like a striker and Fulham should be good for a few goals. Mendes was one of the best values in the draft and one I certainly had my eye on. He loves to shoot and will score. Pompey is one of those questionable teams but that won’t stop Mendes from getting a few goals. I didn’t know much about Young at draft time but his stats from last year are certainly impressive and if Watford can tie Inter in a friendly, who knows, maybe they’ll do OK.

Forwards:
FW Shevchenko
FW Yakubu
FW King

Rating: B+ Such is my esteem for Shevchenko, I might have taken him with the first pick of the draft had I won the lottery. With his playing style and pedigree I’d really be surprised if he doesn’t settle in right away, and I could see him leading the league in goals. Yakubu’s numbers are good but for some reason I’ve never trusted him, and I have a feeling Middlesbrough may start slowly and/or struggle for the season. King is a great investment and the past few seasons, the leading goal scorer from the Championship has done well in the Premiership. Seeing King score a good, confident goal against Inter tonight was enough to convince me, and if he starts well his value could soar.

Overall: A-/B+ Depending on what happens in the next few weeks, Paul may choose to tinker with his defense and second keeper. If all of his funds are tied up (not sure), this may require some roster juggling. Otherwise, though, he has a very solid midfield and forward line. If Shevchenko makes a major impact in his first season, Paul may have both a solid squad and the game’s top scorer. If he does, In Off the Post will be hard or impossible to catch.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Boy guys, with all your discussion I can hardly get a word in edgewise. True to my word though, here's another team preview:

Rockville Gunners

Goalkeepers
Reina LI
Myhre CA

Rating: B+ Reina is an excellent first choice keeper, a sure starter for one of the league’s best defensive teams. Myhre is less certain to help Cannon’s cause as there’s still some mystery surrounding the GK position at Charlton. I doubt Cannon would really worry that much if Myhre doesn’t play… but if he doesn’t his value will probably go down and it’s always somewhat risky to have no backup for the position.

Defenders
Gallas CH
Carragher LI
Kishishev CA
Gabbidon WH
DeMerit WA

Rating: B/B+ The strength of this squad will depend largely on what happens with Gallas. Chelsea swears he won’t be leaving but he seems convinced he will be; could he be forced to sit for a year waiting for his contract to expire? Best result for Cannon would be to see Gallas go to Arsenal as part of the Cole deal. Carragher should start all games for which he’s not injured, and should offer plenty of shutout points over the course of the season. Kishishev was one of those rare resources last year, a midfielder listed as a defender. I’m surprised to see the premiership site making the same mistake this year… but with a new manager and Amdy Faye just signed, is Kishishev sure to keep his spot? Gabbidon looks likely to start but I’ll be curious to see if West Ham can maintain their form of last year. He’ll be a good bargain buy if they do, but if they struggle Gabbidon will probably have to go. Gotta love the bootstraps story that is Jay DeMerit. He’s surprised at every level and maybe he’ll do so again. He’s a cheap pick but also plays for the team that looks the most likely to struggle. Not bad for deep bench though, and if he plays he’ll gain value.

Midfielders
Cahill Ev
Stelios BW
N’Zogbia NUFC
Jagielka SU
Convey RE

Rating: B Lots of question marks with this crew. IF Everton plays like 2 years ago, IF Bolton remain a force despite continued failures in the transfer market, IF Toon have shaken off their Souness hangover (and IF N’Zogbia didn’t lose his starting position to Duff), this could be a solid midfield for a bargain price. But that’s a lot of “if’s” and they’d all have to go Cannon’s way if he wants to see major contribution from his midfield. The flip side of course is that things could just as well go poorly: Everton, Bolton, and Toon could all struggle this season and Cannon will be in trouble if they do. There’s no doubt that Jagielka is a premiership-quality player, but I could see him suffering the Zoltan Gera curse of being a good player on an awful team and therefore scoring few points. Convey is a good attacking player on probably the best promoted team, but I have this feeling that he’s just a little too sticklike to make a major impression on the Premiership.

Forwards
Henry AR
Johnson EV
Doyle RE

Rating: B+/A- Would anybody NOT want Henry in their forward line? If he has another season like last year, he’ll automatically make Cannon’s one of the best offenses in the league. Johnson has proven his ability before in the Premiership and is fantastic value for his price. Still have to put a faint question mark next to him since he’ll still need to settle in at Everton, but he could have a great season. If he ends up one of the league’s top scorers, which he very well could, the combination of him and Henry may well carry Cannon’s team. Doyle is an excellent choice for third striker – a major contributor for Reading last year and likely to play regularly. If he finds his feet quickly his value will rise which would provide Cannon with more options.

Overall: B+. But a very dangerous B+. Looks like all will rest on the shoulders of Henry and Johnson. If they play to potential Cannon could very easily run away at the top of the table before the end of October. But it’s always risky to build your team around one or two players, and particularly if the Gallas situation doesn’t work out in Cannon’s favor, that’s what he’ll have to do. Still, Henry isn’t a bad one person to build a team around, that’s for sure. A solid 12-13 man squad with a couple potential MVP’s means the worst Cannon can expect is a good season, and he could be a runaway winner.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Thanks for the analysis, Ing. Interesting insight into your thinking.

Not wanting to give away too much of my own analysis, I'll just say that other than the Gallas issue I'm very happy with my squad. I was able to pick 12 of the 15 players I wanted from the day I decided to take Henry. Now I just need a couple of issues to be resolved one way or the other in time for the first deadline...

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

I'll help you out mate Gray, Taylor, Gardner or Murty for Gallas.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

TVD

Goalkeepers
Cech CH
Ashdown PO

Rating: B+ True though it is that Cech is the most expensive GK even though he wasn’t the game’s highest scorer last season, I imagine we’d all have him in the position without the restrictions of a draft. TVD gets a high rating for this reason alone. Cech will start just about every game for Chelsea, and score plenty of shutout points as a result. But if TVD’s ever surprised by a late Cech omission, he’ll be stuck: Ashdown is second, going on third choice at Pompey so won’t do much besides sit.

Defenders
Finnan LI
Bridge CH
Konchesky WH
Fortune WA
Makin RE

Rating: B Finnan was one of the game’s highest scorers last season but for some reason was overlooked until relatively late in the draft. Tom was clever to pick him up. Bridge should play, somewhere, but until we know where it’s hard to predict what impact he’ll have. He didn’t look great at Fulham last spring, and Toon’s defense isn’t exactly reputed for its stinginess either. Konchesky was a revelation at right back last season and he’s sure to play just about every game again for the Hammers. The only question there is whether West Ham will be European quality again this year or not. Fortune is as old as many coaches in the league, but he should play regularly. For Watford. I don’t know anything about Makin but I don’t think he’s a likely starter for Reading.

Midfielders
Rosicky AR
Gonzalez LI
Emre NUFC
Giggs MU
Fabregas AR

Rating: B+ There is much to admire about this group. I wasn’t sure about taking Rosicky in the first round but with Ljungberg out for a while it’s more likely that Wenger will give him plenty of minutes from the beginning of the season. I saw their CL game in Zagreb last night and Rosicky had 3 decent shots in the first 20 minutes. If he plays like that (or like at the WC) all season he could score big, big points. But there’s always a risk involved with new transfers into the premiership, so time will tell. Emre, Giggs, and Fabregas are all three reliable starters (perhaps less so with Giggs) who are good for the odd moment of magic and probably a few 3 point bonus weeks as well. I haven’t heard a whole lot about Gonzalez except for the fact that he’s very fast. I doubt he’ll start for Liverpool from the beginning, and this may cause his value to drop. But if he comes in and makes a quick impression, it may be a different story.

Forwards
Drogba CH
Berbatov TH
Ameobi NUFC
Rating: B/B+ Drogba should get plenty of minutes for Chelsea, but I expect that his role will be more along the lines of Lampard kicking the ball off his backside so Sheva can play the rebound and score. He’ll get plenty of assists but I wonder if his goals for will be reduced. Berbatov has looked great in preseason and if he maintains that form, he could be an important player for Tom. Always a question how Jol will rotate his strikers, but I think Berbatov will have a good first season. Ameobi is the only healthy striker for Toon right now, but Roeder’s desperation to get in someone – anyone – to be the new number 9 says everything. He may be a guaranteed starter now, but will he be on September 1?

Overall: B/B+ This is a balanced squad, but there are some holes in each position. Tom may want to be vigilant in the opening weeks of the season and shift a few players around once it’s clear who the low-cost, high-return guys are. If things go well, his midfield should carry this team, but Tom may still need more if he’s to battle for promotion.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

And that only leaves LSG Cosmos. I'll leave somenoe else to write up an objective analysis since I can't, but I can say that I give my team an overall B+ but with a £2.5 million asterisk next to that grade... it'll be spent, one way or another, by September 1. But using that rank, I can actually list what I guess would be my overall league analysis. A couple notes:

-I've bumped Cannon to the top of the B+ list for the Henry factor, made myself second because I'll be strengthening my squad somehow.

- Clan gets a similar edge over subbuteo for the Sheva factor.

- One more prediction I can make confidently is that the table below will definitely not be the way things finish.

1. Lobomojo: A-
2. In off the post: A-/B+
3. Windsor Wanderers: A-/B+
4. Cannon: B+
5. LSG: B+*
6. Forza: B+
7. TVD: B/B+
8. Marakana: B

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

take it back... the pressure...trouble breathing...

Exellent job, except for putting me in the media spotlight -don't want to read what The Sun says about me tommorrow and I was not at several clubs spiking the drinks of Everton players as the News of the World reports...really it was nutritional...really...just trying to help...really...ask Floyd...

I will take a crack at your team tomorrow to "reward you for your fine efforts

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Ingromius

Goalkeepers:
Robingson- tots
Kenny - SU
B- Two sure starters. Robingson on a good defensive team will likely have several clean sheets but not as many as the keepers from the big 4 but may get a few more saves. Kenny likely a sure starter and a very good value and a talented keeper who will have plenty of save oppurtunities but perhaps very few clean sheets. Only worry is Kenny's gaffer on BBC said they were looking at bringing in an international goalkeeper which could effect Kenny's role.

Defenders:
Cole. A Arse?
Eboue Arse
Neill Blackburn?
Sommeil SU
Johnson G. Por
B+ to B- - Potentially a very good defense but several question marks remain. Cole will he be playing in Airline Stadium, on the Airline reserves, Chelsea or in Spain? If at Chelsea will he start regularly if Gallas and Bridge stay? If he stays and plays will be a top scorer, if to Chelsea probably play a lot but may take a while to gain trust and take over the spot. Eboue appears too good not to start and will certainly be involved in the attack when he plays so could produce well but will Lauren get some time there instead? Neill another quality pick on a good defensive team but where will he be playing, and will it be in England, now as it appears he is out the door? Johnson could be an excellent value with his attacking skills on an improving team and defense, nice pick, as well as Sommiel who appears to be that rarity a 3.5 player that will likely get lots of playing time, a good bench resouce.

Midfielders:
Ballack Chelsea
Downing MBoro
Lennon tots?
Sidwell Rdg
Parker Newc
B to B+/A- - Overall appears to be a strong unit. Ballack looks to be fitting in easily and will likely get several goals off his head on setpieces as well as goals and assists in open play. Could join the elite fantasy scoring level. Downing, (putting aside bitter bitter bias from last year) if he stays healthy and without european distractions,and no McClaren could score big again unless he joins the tots cast of a thousanfd midfielders, which is looking unlikely. Lennon exciting player, will he live up to his potential under the bigger spotlight and attention, probably. Sidwell a certain and talented starter for probably the best of the promoted teams likely a good value pick. Parker, talented and as Captain a likely starter despite a crowded talented midfield, question remains as to whether he gets to attack more as Ing believes or stuck in a more of a Mak role that is great for a team but not a fantasy team.

Strikers:
Bellamy Liv
Ashton Wham
McCarthy Bburn
B to B+ - Bellamy appears ready to have a good year with plenty of oppurtunities to score unless his own head or the scouser striker's inability to score curse retuns this year. Ashton good physical striker that has scored well at every level and in his stints in the Premiership, a good value. Should get most of the starter's time for a good attacking squad but if not could necesitate a change. McCarthy everybody has wanted him for years a good oppurtunistic finisher at a good value that should work well with Gamst Pederson, but always a question whether strikers can adjust to the league.

Overall- B-B+ A well balanced squad that could challange for the top if most of the questions bounce its way or get mired in the Sand if all break against. Defensivly could be left desperate if Cole goes to Spain, Neill leaves, Eboue does not play as much as he expects or could enjoy the unit as a strength if all goes his way.

Midfield strong balanced unit if all goes right, Ballack could rivals Lampard's numbers of the last couple of years combined with a healthy Downing and a breakout year for Lennon and Ing can be a happy happy boy.

Strikers a balanced solid unit with a strong potential upside but a few questions as one is on a new team, one not that experianced at this level on a team that may find the going tougher this year and as a few choices, and one new to the league.

More rep to Ing for all his work above, this is harder than I tought.

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Thanks Lobo, a fair review. I hadn't realized how many tranfer question marks I have on my team, esp. in defense. But Eboue will surely start at least for the first several gameweeks as Lauren's still recuperating from a knee injury. If Cole stays I still could have the added bonus of snagging whomever Chelsea DO bring in at left back.

You're right about the effort it takes to go through another manager's team, but just look at all the discussion it's inspired


Hellloooooooo!!!

Echooooooooo!!!

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

OK, here's my first transfer.

It was always an either/or with these two, but I'm now more certain that they're both regular starters... so I'll take the definite attacking mid over the maybe more attacking mid.

out: Parker, Toon, mid, 6.0

in: Arteta, Everton, mid, 6.0

 

Re: Very Small Rocks 06/07 Post-Draft / Transfers thread

Good to see another guy join the "Everton goal scoring machine" bandwagon.