Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang!Rood said:
The original Fantasy Draft returns - much respect to Erics_Collar who did all the hard work back in 2009 - full squads and first round results on show here:
https://www.redcafe.net/f7/redcafe-fantasy-draft-competition-round-one-243915/
When voting for the team you think would win the match, keep the following in mind from the original rules:
"When selecting a player, it is important to remember that you are only picking them on their Premiership/Premier League form, i.e. if you pick Shevchenko, you get his form at Chelsea only, not Kiev or Milan!
Take your pick for who will play Fort Boyard in the second SemiFinal:
Big-Red - BR Athletic .....vs..... Solius - FC Solius
Fw: Premier League Fantasy Draft - 1/4 Final #3: Big-Red vs Solius
- Thread starter Dr. Dwayne
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
FC Solius gifted an early goal there! 
Oh my...
Oh my...
I would just like to point out that it is PHIL Neville in Solius' team - bit cheeky of him to omit that and try and pass him off as our Gary!
Anyway after 2 whitewashes in the first 2 matches, this one should give voters something to think about - quite evenly matched all over ...
Anyway after 2 whitewashes in the first 2 matches, this one should give voters something to think about - quite evenly matched all over ...
Apologies, it is Phillip Neville.
I'm glad I'm biased in this one, looks tough-ish.
Since this one is pretty even, you should be talking up your teams (or trashing your opponent!) to try and sway the vote
where is that mentalist Valentino when you need him?
4-4 at the moment ...
I'd rather see why people are voting for Solius and argue my case once I've seen my teams weakness. Wouldn't want to reveal and of my own fears first.
well Solius has packed his team with United past and present which is always a vote winner - that left side of Irwin and Giggs is about as strong as you can get. Question mark over the CBs though, both good when fit but famous sicknotes.
for you that attacking 3 of Berkamp, Torres and Lampard really stands out with some good balance from Macherano as well - main weaknesses are Senderos and Bentley
anyway still dead even at 8-8
and I still havent decide which team to go for
I'll go with Big Red, but it took me quite a while to make my mind up. The reason I voted Big Red is because I think that the key to beating his team is pace in behind Hyypiä, Senderos and Heinze, and with Giggs being the only one of the front 6 to have any real pace I can see Big Reds team getting away with this. I think just swapping the two top forwards could have swayed my decision in the other direction.
Tough one.
Tough one.
Gone for Solius, simply because I think the weaknesses in his team are much less obvious.
Big-Reds left hand side is a bit shite. The diamond never really works in reality unless you have hardworking side midfielders with fullbacks who can overlap. Barry fits the role of the hardworking midfielder but Heinze is too rubbish attacking wise to be a good overlapping fullback.
Big-Reds left hand side is a bit shite. The diamond never really works in reality unless you have hardworking side midfielders with fullbacks who can overlap. Barry fits the role of the hardworking midfielder but Heinze is too rubbish attacking wise to be a good overlapping fullback.
This is dead even for me.. Here is how I am going to decide....
Each one of you two tell me in one sentence why I should vote for him... My decision will be wholly based on the answer to this question.
Each one of you two tell me in one sentence why I should vote for him... My decision will be wholly based on the answer to this question.
Giggs and Irwin down the left side is arguably one of the best partnerships in English football history if not THE best, and they are attacking Mario Melchiot.
I've gone for Solius because Big-Red's team lacks a single, natural wide player, while the Giggs/Ferdinand combination is likely to be underestimated.
Very good reason.. Let's see what Big Red has to say...
Lampard, Bergkamp and Torrestogether has enough creativity to make up for my lack of natural width, allows the wide men to double up on the flanks with the full backs.
I'm going to vote for the manager who does a better job of slagging off the other team
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT !
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT !
In this case I'm gonna go with Solius for the following reason...
Solius' team is more attack-minded. Big-Red's team is more like: "We'll wait for you to come and we'll commit more people to be able to defend, and then we'll try to hit you on the counter with the quality that we have upfront".
The problem with this logic, even though the quality in Lampard/Bergkamp/Torres is pretty obvious, counter-attacking is not one of their known strength points. (3 players can't create much of an attacking threat on their own unless through counters)
And even though Big-Red's plan could work, because his team still has a lot of quality in it, I always prefer an attack-minded team, with an attack-minded manager.. Personally I would have loved to hear Big-Red say for example: I'll control the middle with my diamond of Mascherano/Bentley/Barry/Lampard who will make sure that Bergkamp and Torres will score more than the goals that Irwin and Giggs will create.
Well played both. Great game.
Solius has Berbatov, and we all know how shit he is, right?
Flamini played for Arsenal, so he's a bit of a puff. Seaman....just say his name out loud, 'nuff said.
Why are the teams weird (partially crap)? What were the selection rules?
Couldnt tell ya RK, I'm just a caretaker manager.
I decided by seperating the teams.
GK - BR wins
DEF - Solus wins
MID - Draw
FW - BR wins
In my opinion of course.
GK - BR wins
DEF - Solus wins
MID - Draw
FW - BR wins
In my opinion of course.
It's a draft - everyone takes it in turns to pick a player with the best ones getting picked first etc - like picking teams at school with the fat kid left at the end!
Everything you need to know about selection rules here:
https://www.redcafe.net/f7/redcafe-...y-draft-picks-thread-only-232144/#post5635445
Full list showing the order players were picked:
Full List Of Picks
WRONG
I think you just lost my vote, plus that was a pretty poor effort at finding weaknesses in Solius' team anyway - try again!
I will await Solius' trash talking attempts before judging
He has Mario Melchiot, and Berbatov is fecking boss.
I only voted for Solius because BR has Mascherano, Heinze and Torres in his team.
I was appealing to "them" types.WRONG
I think you just lost my vote, plus that was a pretty poor effort at finding weaknesses in Solius' team anyway - try again!
I will await Solius' trash talking attempts before judging
However Bergkamp > Berbatov, over whole Premier League career.
cant argue with that - but on the basis that ...
Reina = Seaman
Melchiot < P Nev
Hyypia > Brown (only due to injuries though)
Senderos < Laursen
Heinze < Irwin
Macherano > Flamini
Barry < Giggs
Lampard > Arteta
Bentley < Solano
Berkamp > Berbatov
Torres > Ferdinand
... I still cant seperate the teams !
15-15 and all to play for
oooh this one is tight.
GK - BR for me, never rated Seaman that highly
D - Solius for sure, come on, Melchiot
M - BR for me even though Solius has Mr Premier League he also has Flamini and Solano
F - BR again, the Dutch master and Torres together would be devestating
However, the game's not just won on that but combinations and the Irwin + Giggs Combo vs Bentley + Melchiot is just no match. And with Giggs and Irwin delivery from that side into Ferdinand, I can see them knicking it.
Solius it is for better 'team' balance if I can put it that way.
GK - BR for me, never rated Seaman that highly
D - Solius for sure, come on, Melchiot
M - BR for me even though Solius has Mr Premier League he also has Flamini and Solano
F - BR again, the Dutch master and Torres together would be devestating
However, the game's not just won on that but combinations and the Irwin + Giggs Combo vs Bentley + Melchiot is just no match. And with Giggs and Irwin delivery from that side into Ferdinand, I can see them knicking it.
Solius it is for better 'team' balance if I can put it that way.
Solius
His team are more balanced and I think giggs roasted melchiot time and time again
His team are more balanced and I think giggs roasted melchiot time and time again
Mascherano is going to snap Giggs in two....
I dont like that image so I have finally decided to vote Solius!
I really couldnt split the teams so in the end his United contingent made the difference for me
also I have no idea what we are going to do if it ends a draw
Dance off
David Seaman did dancing on ice. I win.
Torres looks like a ballerina...
Going into the closing stage of the match and Big Red Athletic hold a slender 18-17 lead
still all to play for ...
still all to play for ...
Voted Solius.
Melchiot and Senderos are rubbish.
Melchiot and Senderos are rubbish.
Big-Red still maintaining his slight lead going into injury time ...
if you havent voted yet then do it now !!
if you havent voted yet then do it now !!
Yeahhhhhhhh
Congrats.
Well played, in the end everything going down the left tired out Giggsy and Irwin. Late winner.